The blade moved fast and fierce, as if the strike had been drilled into muscle memory.
Lu Sheng’s body reacted on instinct.
A black shadow lunged from behind—he glimpsed it flying toward him just as his blade swept back. Steel met resistance; the edge rebounded off something hard and wiry. The force of the strike sent the broadsword crashing through the shadow.
Bang!
The figure tumbled to the ground, rolled a few times, and let out a low whimper. In the flickering torchlight, its form became clear—a wild wolf. A deep gash split its waist, bleeding heavily where the blade had torn through fur and flesh.
Before Lu Sheng could process what had happened, two more shadows surged from the darkness—wild wolves, one from each side.
His body moved again without thinking.
He swung the broadsword to the left, catching one wolf with the handle. Then he spun, turning the blade in a wide arc, and slammed it into the other.
Bang.
The impact sent both wolves flying, yelping in pain. But the effort left Lu Sheng’s arms trembling. Not long ago, he’d been just a pampered, skinny rich boy—now every strike drained him.
Panting, eyes reddened, he raised his blade again. A nearby wolf sprang at him, and he responded with a Tiger’s Wrath technique.
The broadsword angled down, slicing from high to low. His wrist vibrated—once, twice, three times—each pulse perfectly timed with the rhythm of the internal technique.
Whoosh!
The wind screamed, laced with the echo of a tiger’s roar.
The two wolves flinched, fear seizing their limbs. Their pace faltered.
In a flash of cold steel, the broadsword cleaved through one of them—its head dropped with a dull thud. The second wolf stumbled back, neck grazed by the tip of the blade, blood spilling from the wound.
Lu Sheng didn’t hesitate.
He gathered his strength and struck again—this time with Tiger’s Might.
His forearm vibrated four times in succession. Four bursts of force exploded through his body, converging on the blade in one violent surge.
Tiger’s Might was faster than Tiger’s Wrath, though slightly weaker. But the raw speed made it deadlier—especially against the fragile neck of a wild wolf.
The beast couldn’t react in time. The broadsword flashed again, blindingly fast, and slammed into its throat.
The wolf collapsed without a sound.
Puff.
The wolf’s head thudded to the ground.
Lu Sheng stood still, gasping for breath. Sweat streamed down his face—his whole body aching from the intense burst of movement.
Woo…
Another growl came from the shadows.
It was the last wolf—the one that had gone after the meat. It crept around the stone now, its green eyes locked on Lu Sheng with feral intensity.
“You’re still too weak…”
The thought came unbidden, bitter and impatient. But Lu Sheng’s expression remained steady. He knew better than to flinch or show fear—especially when facing wild beasts.
“Huh!?”
His eyes widened, locking onto the wolf with a fierce glare.
The last wolf froze, staring him down. Then, slowly—cautiously—it began to retreat. Step by step, it backed into the darkness until it was gone.
Only then did Lu Sheng finally let out a breath.
In truth, his body was nearly at its limit. His arms were sore and weak, his broadsword trembled in his grip. If the wolf had attacked, he might have been injured—though he believed he could still survive the encounter.
He waited a moment longer, just to be sure. Then he retrieved his torch and turned toward Jiulian City.
This time, he truly understood his limits.
Uncle Zhao had once told him tales of wolves outside the city. When Zhao was young, he had already mastered the sword. Under siege by three wild wolves, he killed them all with a single swing—suffering only a shallow cut on his forearm. Even now, that story was remembered as an astonishing feat.
But the wolves here weren’t like the ones Lu Sheng had heard about on Earth.
They were larger—much larger. Each one nearly the size of a domesticated golden retriever, but built for killing. Stronger. Wilder.
And they didn’t hunt in massive packs. Instead, they moved in tight groups of three or five—efficient, brutal, and just as deadly.
Lu Sheng jogged the rest of the way to the city gate, heart pounding. The moment the torchlight on the wall came into view, he felt a wave of relief.
At last—safety.
He rolled down his sleeves to hide the blood, tucked away his broadsword, pulled out his pass, and strode toward the gate with steady steps.
...................
"Brother Sheng, listen to me. This isn’t just some ordinary item. I had someone rush it back from Zihua City the moment it arrived.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8wL4S3Hzu
They say that in the Central Plains, it’s known as the number one marvelous stone. Wealthy merchants fought over it like mad, and then—bam—it fell into the river during an accident. Washed straight into the Zihua River.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6nTt8ofWv5
It only resurfaced when a fisherman pulled it out by chance in Zihua City. The whole story is full of twists and turns, I can’t even begin to explain. If not for—"
"Do you think I look like a fool?"10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ84YLpwgV6Z
Lu Sheng lazily flicked open his folding fan, looking at the fat man in front of him with a faint smile.
That fat man was Zheng Xiangui—the second son of the owner of the Minggui Auction House, and once Lu Sheng's closest friend in Jiulian City.
They had grown up together, shared the same tastes, and relied on each other through thick and thin. Their bond had been deep.
But Zheng Xiangui had one fatal flaw—greed.
As he often said himself: even between brothers, debts must be settled clearly. Otherwise, resentment would grow sooner or later.
They were seated in the elegant Peony Wing of the Goldfish Restaurant. Zheng Xiangui had a slim girl in a pink dress curled up beside him, but his eyes were locked on Lu Sheng, full of dramatic pain.
"Brother Sheng, now that’s just cold. I finally managed to get my hands on a rare treasure, and I offered you a special chance to bid internally.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgYUpOv1zk
Not only do you not appreciate it—you’re accusing me of trying to scam you?"
He pointed at Lu Sheng, his round face twisted into a look of exaggerated heartache.
"Come on, come on, save the sales pitch. Do you have any news about the martial arts secrets I asked for?"10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡylp1bdcqBA
Lu Sheng pressed the question, calm but direct.
He hadn’t called his childhood friend here for idle talk. He needed more martial arts manuals. One Black Tiger Saber Technique wasn’t nearly enough—not if he wanted to stay alive.
He now understood how slim his chances were out in the wild. No wonder so few people traveled alone. The wilderness was crawling with wild beasts. Venturing out solo was nothing short of suicide.
Even Uncle Zhao—known as Zhao Dahu—was a famed expert in Jiulian City. Yet he could only take on three wild wolves alone. Four might already push his limit. Any more, and even the so-called top fighters would fall.
"It’s not just hard to verify whether a martial arts manual is real or fake," Zheng Xiangui said, stroking the white jade ring on his finger, "but some of them are full of hidden dangers. Even if they’re genuine, a small mistake in training could cripple you for life."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBmpOEyvnm
"Brother Sheng, why are you so eager? Without a proper master, these manuals are more dangerous than useful."
Lu Sheng gave a faint smile.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJ0A48TKyT
"You’re a smart man. I have my reasons. Don’t worry about it—just find me a few to look through first."
Zheng Xiangui rolled his thick neck and let out a sigh.
"Alright, alright. A new client recently consigned two manuals to me.10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn0CZgBQXPR
We had them examined by a master—they seem legit. But without guidance, no one’s dared to practice them."
"How much?"10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeD51XK4s7J
Lu Sheng didn’t hesitate.
"Oh, Brother Sheng, we’re so close—why so formal?" Zheng Xiangui laughed, his round face full of fake sincerity.
"Can you not be disgusting?" Lu Sheng rolled his eyes. "Just name a price. Hurry up, I’m in a rush."
"I can only sell you one. The other has already been reserved by a distinguished customer."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vL9wbcqjT
Zheng Xiangui grinned smugly.
"One is fine. Did you bring it?" Lu Sheng lifted his eyes, his tone flat.
"Of course. Brother Sheng knows me—I figured you were in a hurry, so I brought it with me."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqIGhF4D6R
Zheng Xiangui reached into his robes and pulled out a thin, gray-cloth booklet.
"This secret manual doesn’t teach any moves. It’s a pure strength cultivation technique. One hundred taels!"
"Let me see it first."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzwRN5otJO
Lu Sheng extended his hand.
A hundred taels—equivalent to nearly a hundred thousand yuan—and this fat bastard had the nerve to ask for it without hesitation.
With a chuckle, Zheng Xiangui placed the booklet in his palm.
Lu Sheng carefully flipped through the pages.
The manual looked like it had been torn from a larger book. The content was sparse—just a small section focused solely on developing strength.
According to the text, the technique was called Jade-Shattering Force.
It claimed that once mastered, the user could accumulate their full-body strength into the beginning of an attack, then release it all at once in a sudden burst—significantly enhancing both speed and power.
Lu Sheng studied it closely and noted that the technique didn’t conflict with his Black Tiger Saber Heart Method. In fact, the two could likely be practiced in tandem.
But even so—this wasn’t what he was truly looking for.
10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7w8LtrvMSG
What Lu Sheng wanted wasn’t just another combat technique—it was an inner cultivation manual, something that could strengthen his constitution, nourish his energy, and sharpen his spirit.
After experiencing the toll from even a single use of the modifier, he realized that to mitigate its side effects, he had to enhance his physical foundation.
"Do you have one of those legendary internal energy manuals?"
"Internal energy manuals?"10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1y7Yhvbet
Zheng Xiangui rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Brother Sheng, that’s a tall order. If something like that ever appears on the market—real or fake—it gets snatched up in seconds."
"Didn’t you just say it’s hard to tell the real from the fake? You must have some copies stored away, right?"10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcwOBap9BXF
Lu Sheng wasn’t easy to fool. He knew how auction houses operated. Whenever a secret manual came through, a duplicate—called a stub—was made and archived.
The Zheng family had run their auction house for years. There had to be a pile of those stubs sitting in their vaults.
"Those… Brother Sheng, even I can’t say for sure if any of them are real."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9W3RbYIzF
"If one out of a hundred is genuine, that’s already considered lucky. And honestly, no one’s successfully cultivated internal energy or Qi from any of them. Are you sure this is something you want to gamble on?"
Zheng Xiangui hesitated, a rare trace of seriousness on his face.
"Brother, let me give you some advice—don’t play around with those old scrolls. One wrong move, and you could do permanent damage to your body. There’d be no going back."
"So you do have a way to get one."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYrpMUjoti
Lu Sheng raised his brows slightly. He recognized that hesitant look in the fat man’s eyes—it meant he had something, but hadn’t decided whether to share it.
"There is a way… Brother Sheng, there’s actually a manual just like the one you're looking for in the upcoming auction..."10Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxuvXCci3m
Zheng Xiangui finally confessed, his voice dropping as a trace of embarrassment colored his expression.
"Why didn’t you say so earlier?" Lu Sheng raised his eyebrows.
"It’s not that I didn’t want to, but this thing is going to be auctioned at the black auction..." Zheng Xiangui replied helplessly.
"Black auction?"
Lu Sheng’s expression shifted as he immediately understood.
A black auction was an anonymous event—buyers and sellers concealed their identities. Most items sold there had questionable origins, some even carried a bloody reputation. The people who frequented such auctions were usually desperate or ruthless.
"Can you arrange for me to participate?" Lu Sheng said firmly, determination burning in his eyes.
No one dared to mess with the Lu family—not even common thugs.
The Lu family boasted 30 to 40 strong, able-bodied men—plus several elite guards like Uncle Zhao among their ranks. Master Lu Quan’an had vast connections in the government and could call on military support if needed.
With such resources and backing, the Lu family had nothing to fear from ordinary criminals.
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