Bai Shixue smiled, and her gorgeous eyes flitted across the room before landing on Ou Yangming. Although she had darted her eyes away soon after, her actions had not escaped the eager eyes of the crowd that were trained on her.
An instant later, a majority of the crowd had shifted their gaze onto Ou Yangming. Nevertheless, not all of the gazes had the same intent behind them. There was confusion, there was disdain, and for some, there was even respect and awe.
Ou Yangming furrowed his brows as he mentally questioned himself, ‘How did I end up drawing the attention of this beautiful and seductive woman? Her actions have only served to stir up more trouble for me…’
Although Ou Yangming was not afraid of the jealous glares directed at him, he would rather avoid any trouble if possible.
With a coy smile, Bai Shixue led the crowd out of the Yi Pavilion and onto the carriages that had been prepared beforehand. With that, they then went off into the distance.
The Myriad Treasure Meet was held in a massive building complex that had long since turned into a behemothian structure after thousands of years of development.
The building complex contained lounges for each of the major forces that participated in the meet, and the Yi Pavilion was no exception.
After getting off the carriages, Bai Shixue gave a curtsy to the crowd and stated, “Fellow masters, we have arrived at the Myriad Treasure Meet, and this is the Yi Pavilion’s private lounge. Make yourself at home.”
The crowd returned Bai Shixue’s gesture, and once the formalities were over, they did not immediately head into the lounge. Instead, they had dispersed and began exploring the building complex in groups or alone.
Although Ou Yangming’s understanding of the Myriad Treasure Meet was rather shallow, what he did know was that the building complex was a melting pot of various professions.
Within the building complex, blacksmiths could be found forging equipment, alchemists could be found refining pills, and better still, people of special professions such as runemasters might also appear.
In a sense, almost any one of a major profession could find an outlet for them to demonstrate their skills within the building.
As for the so-called Myriad Treasure Meet, in truth, it was an event to select the elites from each profession, and whichever party that had the highest number of elites would receive the greatest amount of honor.
As an Advanced Blacksmith who possessed incredible appraisal art, Ou Yangming was perfectly capable of heading to whichever place he preferred to show off his skills. Despite that, he did not proceed forward, and instead, he eyed the building complex before him curiously as he wondered when the Martial Arts Battle would begin.
Suddenly, someone approached him by the sides, and with a grin, asked, “I take that you’re the Master Ou who was recommended by the head shopkeeper of Changlong?” Ou Yangming flinched slightly before turning around to look at the twenty-odd-year-old man who had spoken to him. There was a faint air of arrogance to the man as he declared, “The name’s Shao Hongyi, I’m from Huangsha.”
A bulb lit up within Ou Yangming’s mind, and he immediately discerned Hongyi’s intentions.
Earlier, when Bai Shixue had accidentally landed her gaze on him, Shao Hongyi was one of the few people who had glared at him with the greatest vehemence. Although there was a smile plastered across Shao Hongyi’s face, Ou Yangming had seen through the anger and resentment that was welling up within Shao Hongyi.
Ou Yangming shook his head gently before sighing, “You’ve got the wrong person.”
“What?” Shao Hongyi flinched and exclaimed in surprise.
With a serious expression, Ou Yangming then continued, “I already have a fiancée waiting for me, and I have no interest in matters pertaining to the young pavilion master. If you’re interested in her, then do as you please.”
Shao Hongyi was left tongue-tied. With a beet-red face, he stammered, “I-I… This… I don’t understand what you’re saying!” Ou Yangming gave Shao Hongyi an encouraging nod and said, “Give it your best! Haha…” With that, Ou Yangming then gave him one last nod before walking past him.
Shao Hongyi subconsciously gave way to Ou Yangming. Although he was gazing at Ou Yangming rather strangely, there was also a shred of relief found within his eyes.
On the other hand, Ou Yangming was mentally snickering. ‘I don’t care what plans Bai Shixue has in store for me, I will never get swept up in her mess.’
As the Myriad Treasure Meet was already underway, it was only natural for other people aside from those from the Yi Pavilion to be present within the building complex.
Ou Yangming wandered around aimlessly, when suddenly, he paused, as he had caught sight of a familiar figure from the corner of his eyes. Wang Leshui frantically ran up to him and chuckled bitterly. “Master Ou, I’ve finally found you!”
Ou Yangming chuckled awkwardly. He had been so caught up in cultivating the path of equilibrium during the past couple of days that Wang Leshui had completely slipped his mind. No matter what reason he might have, abandoning someone out of the blue was still a shameful act.
“Haha, didn’t you hear that I’ve been living in the Yi Pavilion during these past couples of days, Captain Wang?” Wang Leshui heaved a faint sigh as he commented, “I’m aware. That’s the reason why I didn’t bother you.” After a brief pause, he then whispered, “The He family’s great ancestor has already made his way into the capital in search of you, and you staying in the Yi Pavilion has provided you the perfect opportunity to escape his wrath.”
Ou Yangming’s heart skipped a beat as he exclaimed, “You’ve encountered him?”
Wang Leshui bitterly stated, “Thankfully, you have a keen intuition. Had you not acted the way you did, we would’ve been at a loss to deal with the situation!”
Ou Yangming nodded his head, but his mind was already on high alert.
Wang Leshui then continued, “Master Ou, seeing as it’s the Myriad Treasure Meet today, you should do your best to show off your skills. The more attention you can draw, the better it is.” He then continued in a soft voice, saying, “I believe that if you were to forge a magic tool on the spot, no one would dare to lay a finger on you anymore!”
Be it Li Xinfan or the Three Great Ancestors of the Ni family, they had all been issued a gag order. As such, technically speaking, Wang Leshui was most likely the only person who knew of Ou Yangming’s true smithing prowess.
Ou Yangming shook his head and said, “No can do. I’m powerless here.”
“How so?” Wang Leshui stared at him in disbelief.
Ou Yangming shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t have any materials on me, and it’s impossible to forge magic tools with ordinary materials.”
Wang Leshui was stunned, and he could not help but look disappointed. A moment later, he then sighed, “Fine then, just do your best, Master Ou.”
Ou Yangming responded with a smile before proceeding into the building complex with his head held high.
A maelstrom of emotions welled up within Wang Leshui as he watched Ou Yangming enter the building. Although there were no unique materials to be found within the building complex, for some reason, Wang Leshui had a lingering feeling that the young man before him would still prevail, no matter how the situation opposed him.
‘Maybe, just maybe’, he thought, ‘Something revolutionary will occur during this decade’s Myriad Treasure Meet.’
Meanwhile, just as Ou Yangming and the others were making their way into the building complex, back in the Yi Pavilion’s lounge, Bai Shixue knitted her eyebrows together as a sly smile formed on her gorgeous, peerless face. “Did Master Ou really say that?”
“Yep!” A young servant frantically nodded her head as she stated without an ounce of hesitation, “Those are his exact words, Young Lady Bai!”
The smile on Bai Shixue’s face remained unchanged, but her gaze had turned several times darker.
To think that there’s someone who’s capable of bypa
ssing my charm at his age range. Huh, aside from his rank of an Advanced Blacksmith and appraiser, I wonder what else he’s hiding?’
‘The fact that the old geezer has allowed him to participate in the Martial Arts Battle alone is already exciting enough.’
The tips of her mouth curled up as Bai Shixue ordered, “Continue keeping tabs on him! Make sure to report everything to me, the sooner the better!”
“Yes, madam.” The little servant girl immediately accepted her order. Despite that, she had kept her disappointment to herself. ‘Why does Young Lady Bai treat Ou Yangming with such respect? Perhaps…’ She shook her head as she dared not finish the thought.
Chapter 289 - Hall Of Gems
Chapter 289 Hall Of Gems
Despite the building complex’s gargantuan structure, there was still a surprising abundance of empty space. At its very center, laid a plaza that was by no means small, and within the plaza, ten fighting rings could be seen alongside two towering platforms. All it took was a single glance at the arrangement of platforms for Ou Yangming to realize that he was looking at the venue of the Martial Arts Battles.
Alas, as the Myriad Treasure Meet had only just started, there was no one present on the rings just yet.
There was ample space between each building block, and at that moment, most of the corners of the buildings were occupied with people who had set up stalls. A variety of rare and weird items could be found piled up on top of these stalls.
The moment a person enters the building complex, their fight for supremacy, be it in the light of day or the dead of night, would instantly begin.
The stall owners were all independent cultivators who came from various regions, and usually, the products they sold were items that they had personally collected over the years. Moreover, the stalls were also the best place for the appraisers to show people what they were made of, as they would be instantly thrust into the limelight should they procure any rare items from these stalls.
Naturally, carrying out covert deals was strictly not allowed, and if anyone were to be caught performing such deeds, the imperial family’s powerhouses would unleash their full wrath on them.
Ou Yangming continued wandering around the building complex. He had not entered the building just yet, and instead, he was looking through the stalls that had been set up.
Ou Yangming internally understood that the chances of him locating a rare item within the stalls were not high. However, the fact that this was his first time participating in such an event had inspired a great deal of curiosity within him. Nevertheless, his excitement was misplaced, as he was left disappointed after wandering around for a while. Although he had learned appraisal art, as he was not a true appraiser, he was unable to discern the items’ true worth without holding the items in hand.
In this regard, there was indeed a large gap between Ou Yangming and the traditional appraisers.
Suddenly, he halted his steps and looked towards a certain direction.
In front of that stall, stood to middle-aged men glaring down at one another. It was clear that they had gotten themselves into an argument, and worse still, from the way they acted, it appeared as if tensions were rising.
Ou Yangming’s curiosity was piqued, and since their argument had taken place right before a stall, he was certain that it was related to the items on sale in one way or another.
In a flash, Ou Yangming had appeared before the stall.
Some herbs and minerals had been put on display. Since Ou Yangming was not too familiar with herbs, he was unable to tell their value from a glance. Minerals, on the other hand, were his strong suit. Despite that, even after giving them a rough glance, he was unable to detect anything special from them.
In truth, there were all sorts of minerals to be found in the world, but not all of them were valued highly.
On the other hand, while some minerals were scarce, in the eyes of a blacksmith, those minerals could hold limitless potential.
After listening to some of the words they exchanged, Ou Yangming had soon gotten a gist of the duo’s argument.
Turns out, they had both laid eyes on the same herb at the same time, and they were arguing on who had priority over the other.
Despite sounding comical, obtaining priority for the transaction was actually a major deal. According to the rules, so long as a person was viewing the goods and haggling prices with the stall owner, no bystander was allowed to interrupt them. In other words, obtaining the viewing priority was akin to obtaining the initiative over the transaction. As such, they were fighting tooth and nail for the viewing priority, and neither side was willing to relent.
The stall owner had a helpless expression on his face. When the surrounding people had asked him regarding the matter, he could only shrug his shoulders as he was clueless as well.
After all, the two of them had appeared at nearly the same time and had chosen the herb simultaneously. Although situations like this were rare, they were not completely unheard of.
The two began to raise voices at one another, and before long, they had attracted the attention of an imperial guard. The imperial guard was a large and burly man, and when he heard of the men’s quarrel, he furrowed his brows and stated, “I see. In that case, you two should follow the rules and participate in a Martial Arts Battle. Whichever one of you who wins the match should obtain the viewing priority.” After a brief pause, he then continued, “In the case that none of you are skilled in martial arts, you are allowed to recruit someone to fight in your stead. Please meet up at one of the rings within the next two hours.”
The two men nodded and left, whereas the imperial guard confiscated the herb and left a receipt behind.
The crowd had treated the situation as if it were a common occurrence, and even the stall owner had taken it in stride.
On the other hand, Ou Yangming was amazed at what he had seen. ‘So, this is another function of the Martial Arts Battle, huh!’
His ears twitched, and he had picked up on the conversation of one of the bystanders.
“Brother Zhang, the Hall of Gems has opened! Let’s go and take a look!”
“Alright, if we’re lucky enough to obtain a gem from it, this trip would’ve been worthwhile.”
As the Myriad Treasure Meet was a public event, it was only natural that the major powers would dominate the event. Despite that, most of the participants were unaffiliated with any of the major forces, and instead, they had hailed from all sorts of places.
Upon hearing their words, Ou Yangming immediately turned around and quietly followed them.
Since there was nothing interesting in the stalls around, Ou Yangming would rather head to somewhere else where he could display his talents.
Before long, the two men that Ou Yangming was following had reached a tall building. After taking a quick glance at it, he then proceeded onward without an ounce of hesitation.
The three huge glittering golden words, “Hall of Gems” could be seen on top of the building.
As expected, the establishment was filled with gems and raw gemstones of all shapes and sizes, and naturally, the number of raw gemstones had far surpassed that of the gems, with a ratio of around hundred to one. This was especially true at the entrance, as there were three boulders located there that had weighed up to half-a-tonne each, and they were the main attraction for visitors.
Despite that, Ou Yangming had only taken a quick glimpse at the rocks before abandoning them and heading inside.
The fact that the owner had placed those rocks there had meant that they were items that were specially picked out. Moreover, at those sizes, there was a high chance that those boulders had contained gems within them, and as such, he would rather not waste his time there.
The building was split into separate areas based on the raw gemstones that it contained, and usually, the larger the raw gemstones contained within the area, the more people it would attract. Naturally, those who wandered around in those areas were usually either people of
status, outstanding lone travelers, or appraisers with huge financial backing.
After all, they needed capital to purchase the raw gemstones.
In contrast, the more average lone travelers would head to the area with small raw gemstones instead, and usually, they would have stern and grumpy expressions on their faces as they sifted through the raw gemstones.
With a smirk on his face, Ou Yangming then headed into the area with small raw gemstones.
All the raw gemstones had been laid out on several square tables for the customers to select. Ou Yangming made his way to one of the empty tables and immediately set off to touch the raw gemstones on the table. He acted swiftly, and a mere instant later, he had already touched all the raw gemstones in his proximity. His palm pulsed with a red light as he did so, but no one had noticed it.
Despite that, he shook his head and gave away his spot a moment later.
The raw gemstones were small, and though two of the raw gemstones had given off a nice sensation, compared to the rare gemstones he had come across in the past, their difference was like Heaven and Earth.
As Ou Yangming’s tastes had already grown refined, normal gemstones could no longer pique his interest.
He shifted his attention elsewhere and passed the time by wandering about the area. Once there was an open spot, he would immediately take the spot and inspect the raw gemstones.
A little over an hour later, Ou Yangming had three more raw gemstones in hand as compared to when he first entered.
Out of the three raw gemstones that he had obtained, only one had given a nice feeling, whereas one was average, and the last one was completely dull.
Ou Yangming shook his head slightly and heaved a mental sigh. It was common for people to only pick raw gemstones that had high chances of containing gems, but in Ou Yangming’s case, he wanted to mislead the public, and as such, he had chosen some average raw gemstones among his selections.
Immortal Path to Heaven c1-725 Page 172
