Pursuit of the Truth

”That old man is Lie Shan Family’s guest, Guru Song Qing!”

”Why is he here in a small auction?”

”That’s right. It’s really that old monster personally keeping watch over this mysterious item. That old monster Song Qing has been Lie Shan Family’s guest for many years. His level of cultivation remains a mystery, and his Sealing Art is incredibly shocking.

”It’s said that someone from Tai Ci Family was once willing to pay an incredible price to invite him over from Lie Shan Family so he would become Tai Ci Family’s guest, but the offer was respectfully declined.”

In the mid of all the discussions that stirred up in the auction hall due to the old man’s appearance, the old man with the big frame lifted his head and cast a cold glance at the entire hall, then lifted his right hand to point at the broken statue that was floating in front of him.

”Since most of you know me and we can be considered friends, then allow me to give all of you a word of warning. If you… don’t know what this is, then don’t recklessly place a bid.” The old Song Qing only said those words before he shut his mouth and stood by the side like a small hill.

However, if he had not said them, this statue’s appearance would not have brought about too much attention. But now that he said them, all the people in the auction hall instantly focused their gazes on the statue.

”Just what is that thing?”

”Could it be a statue of an ancient God?!”

”That’s not right. I can’t feel that sort of ancient presence from it, but I can’t place the one that’s coming out, either.”

”How dare they put the starting big at 1,000,000 crystals for this sort of statue?! It’s absolutely not worth it!”

The discussions instantly rose in a loud buzz within the auction hall. In fact, there were even a few skeptical voices questioning the value of the statue in piercing shouts in this place filled with thousands of people, which resulted in a quite chaotic atmosphere.

”I can’t tell whether this item is valuable or not. If any of you know this item, then you will choose to buy it even if you use up tens of millions of crystals. If you don’t, then you might not even fish out a single crystal from your pocket. That is why you may all start bidding now.”

The host from the Lie Shan Family had a relaxed expression on his face. As he spoke with a smile, the auction hall gradually fell silent, but no one placed a bid.

Su Ming stood by the illusory wall in the room while looking at the statue with a dumbfounded gaze. He did not know whether other people would be able to recognize this thing, but with just one glance, he could tell just what it was.

The ancient presence on it was a Berserker’s presence. That statue was clearly a statue of the God of Berserkers!

”Lie Shan Family will always bring out some really strange items. Just what is that thing?” Yu Chen Hai looked at the statue by the side with a frown on his face. Even Yu Rou was observing it carefully at that moment, but after a long time passed, she found that she could not recognize it.

”This item isn’t bad. I might not be able to recognize it, but I’ll put it as a decoration in my house and admire it. 1,000,000 crystals.” After remaining silent for a moment, a hoarse voice spoke from within the auction hall.

The voice did not come from the hall where the thousands of cultivators were gathered, but came from the rooms that were similar to the one in which Su Ming stayed. Once that voice spoke, it immediately caught the attention of the cultivators in the hall.

”1,300,000 crystals. After all, I do like collecting strange items.” Soon after, another voice resounded in the air.

”1,600,000 crystals!”

”1,800,000 crystals!”

Soon, another voice joined in the auction. As the three people competed for the item, all the cultivators in the auction hall immediately became excited, even if they didn’t know what that item was. The three voices all came from the rooms that belonged to honored guests as well. All those who could come into possession of a room in an auction hall belonged to the members of the families within Black Ink Planet, unlike the rogue cultivators who were mostly from Black Ink Planet gathered in the hall, or some outsiders.

There was a secret chamber within Lie Shan Family’s auction hall. As these people continued competing against each other, an old man could be found sitting cross-legged in there. Behind him were a dozen something men who could clearly be seen as members of the Lie Shan Family based on their physique, and they were all standing respectfully behind him.

Needless to say, one of them was Lie Shan Kang Jiu.

All of them did not speak but were looking at an illusory screen of light before the old man. It was the projection of the entire auction hall, and even the voices from the hall came from the screen.

The old man had a head full of white hair. He wore a long, purplish blue robe, and his face was filled with wrinkles. He sat in the room quietly and looked at the screen in front of him. There was a waning presence spreading out from his body, as if he was already incredibly old.

Faint distortions could be detected in the space around him. In the mid of them, the destruction and reassembly of space went on continuously. In fact, if anyone took a closer look, they would be able to find that the reason for this… was the wind!

There was a layer of invisible wind around the old man, and it was swirling about him without stop.

”Elder Feng, we’ve put the statue of the God of Berserkers up for bidding as according to your orders.”

The space behind the old man swayed as if it was about to be torn apart, and a man walked out from within. That man looked to be in his fifties, and there was a thick murderous aura surrounding him. He took big strides forward and wrapped his fist in his palm respectfully towards the old man when he was by his side.

The old man nodded. He had his eyes fixed on the auction hall, as if he was waiting for something.

After a long while, when the bid for the statue in the auction hall had reached 4,000,000 something crystals, the person the old man waited for still did not mention anything about wanting to buy the statue.

”Kang Jiu…” The old man’s voice was ancient. There was a uniquely hoarse quality to it, and even an accent that was different from those in Black Ink Planet.

”Elder Feng.” Lie Shan Kang Jiu immediately walked forth and bowed deeply towards the old man with an incredibly respectful expression. His respect came from how this old man had contributed to the family over the course of numerous years, because of which his position was incredibly high in the family, just right under the Progenitor. Some of the legends surrounding this old man also caused the family members to hold great respect towards him.

”Tell me what you felt in detail during that time,” the old man muttered softly.

”Understood!” Lie Shan Kang Jiu sucked in a deep breath and spoke in a low voice. ”When I was before him, I had the false impression as if I was standing before the Progenitor. I seemed to have lost control over the blood veins in my body, and even the Berserker Mark nearly showed up on my skin. What was more, when I was before him, I had the intention to worship him. This intention seemed to have come from my soul, as if…” Lie Shan Kang Jiu paused for a moment.

”As if?” The old man turned his head around and looked at Lie Shan Kang Jiu. When he did so, wind immediately appeared out of nowhere around Lie Shan Kang Jiu.

”It was as if… I do not know how to describe it either. It was as if I did not want to go against his orders, and I had to believe in his words without ever doubting.” Lie Shan Kang Jiu lowered his head with a wry smile. The dozen something members of the Lie Shan Family behind him immediately sported solemn expressions on their faces.

The old man fell silent, then turned his head around to continue watching everything happening in the auction hall. He mumbled quietly in his heart, ’Are you someone from our homeland..? Then you must definitely be able to recognize the statue of the God of Berserkers.

’If you are, then all is well. If you aren’t but have practiced a cultivation method that can suppress the Berserkers, then… forget the fact that you are just a guest in the Yu Family. Even if you are one of the Progenitors who have recently been freed in the Yu Family, or the Apostle of the Sun God and Moon Goddess, or even a member of the three great families protected by those old coots, you will definitely die in Black Ink Planet!

’There is nothing Lie Shan Family cannot do in this planet!’ The old man narrowed his eyes, and a spark of killing intent shone in them. If anyone knew of what he was thinking at that moment, they would surely be incredibly shocked.

He clearly knew about everything that had happened in the Yu Family, even though this was the greatest secret in the Yu Family. Even most of the family members did not know about this, but the old man clearly knew about it in great detail.

The words in his heart also made it seem as if he thought nothing of the three great families. Then… was the Lie Shan Family… which was regarded as a middle-tier family in the eyes of the cultivators in Black Ink Planet… really just a middle-tier family..?

When the old man fell into a pensive silence, the auction hall in the illusory screen of light suddenly fell silent.

”My young master wants this statue.” An incredibly pleasant voice echoed in the auction hall, and a woman walked out from one of the upper rooms that belonged to the various families in the planet.

The woman wore a veil over her face, but even so, she still had an incredible beauty about her that could cause hearts to pound in excitement. As she walked out, the area instantly turned silent. However, numerous gazes immediately gathered on her body.

”6,000,000 crystals. Bundle it up properly and give it to me.”

Naturally, that beautiful woman was Yu Rou. She had an elegant and quiet expression on her face. When she walked onto the platform, a storage bag appeared on her hand. She pushed it forward gently, and the storage bag immediately charged towards the host from Lie Shan Family.

The member of the Lie Shan Family hosting the auction was momentarily stunned. Once he held the storage bag in hand, he instinctively cast a glance at the guest of his family, Guru Song Qing. Song Qing’s expression was incredibly grave at that moment as he stared at the woman.

”This is…” The man from the Lie Shan Family hesitated for a moment. During that instant, a lackadaisical voice came from a room that belonged to another family of the upper levels. There was even a teasing tone in that voice.

”Girl, I’ll be buying it for 7,000,000 crystals.”

”8,000,000 crystals,” Yu Rou said softly without even lifting her head.

”Haha! Very well, then I’ll buy it for 9,000,000.” There was laughter contained in that lackadaisical voice, but within it was a hint of lust as it echoed leisurely in the air.

Once that bid was placed, the cultivators in the auction hall immediately put on expressions as if they were watching something entertaining. Occasionally, someone would lift their heads to look at the room where the man’s voice came from, but every single one of them who looked would immediately find their expressions changing before they lowered their heads.

”There are very few people who dare to compete against me, Tai Ci Yong, in Black Water City. Not bad, girl. I’ll offer up 10,000,000 crystals, but I’ll give you one more chance. If you offer 15,000,000 crystals, then I won’t compete against you anymore.” The chuckles from the lackadaisical voice echoed in the air.

The answer to his challenge was Yu Rou speaking in her gentle voice that now had a bitingly cold lilt to it, and she did not even lift her head, as if she was completely ignoring him. ”20,000,000 crystals.”

Once that bid was placed, the auction hall became abuzz with speakers.

”Very well, I’ll let your master have that statue. The price is 20,000,000 crystals and you. Bring me the crystals and the girl, I’ll have a taste of her in this place.” As his laughter echoed in the air, piercing whistles came from a room in the upper levels. Two figures shot out and charged straight towards Yu Rou.