My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

Liang Cheng spent the next seven days in closed-door cultivation.

During the day, he practiced his Saber Technique and Wandering Dragon Step; at night, he trained his Hard Skills and Broken Wave Technique. He cultivated both internal and external skills, advancing on all fronts.

On the fourth day, inspiration struck. His Power flowed naturally, and his movements became as fluid as a fish flicking its tail, turning without the slightest pause.

By the sixth day, he could execute nine consecutive changes in direction within a thirty-foot radius, his steps silent. He drew his saber, and the light from his blade gained a new layer of unpredictability, thanks to his footwork.

On the morning of the seventh day, Lu Qingzhou knocked on his door.

"Junior Brother Liang, how is your footwork coming along?"

"I’ve made some small progress."

Lu Qingzhou handed him a simple sheet of paper. "Here’s a partial list of items for the auction. It starts at 3:00 PM in the south of the city, at the Treasure Pavilion."

Liang Cheng glanced over it, his eyes stopping on the last entry:

"Meteorite Iron (three lots), to be auctioned separately. Starting prices: one thousand five hundred taels, two thousand taels, and three thousand taels."

"It’s not cheap," he said, putting the paper down.

"There’s no harm in going to take a look. Even if you don’t buy anything, you can meet some Craftsmen and Pill Masters at the exchange meet after the auction. It’s a good way to make connections," Lu Qingzhou said. "I’ll see you before 3:00 PM at the West Gate of the Martial Arts Academy."

"Alright."

After seeing Lu Qingzhou off, Liang Cheng counted his silver coins. He had over three thousand taels. Between the occasional gifts he received and his profit share from Chen Bainian, he had unknowingly saved up quite a sum again.

He wasn’t in a hurry. He sat cross-legged and circulated the Broken Wave Technique. The Medicinal Power in his body nourished him as his Qi Blood surged, continuously washing over his acupoints.

[First Layer of the Broken Wave Technique: Minor Success (460/2500)]

[Stone Armor Skill (Iron Armor): Great Success (798/3000)]

[Gale Saber Technique: Great Success (1361/2000)]

[Wandering Dragon Step: Beginner Level (186/300)]

Before 3:00 PM, he washed up, changed his clothes, strapped on his saber, secured his silver, and opened the courtyard gate to head for the auction.

...

At 3:00 PM, Liang Cheng and Lu Qingzhou met up as planned and arrived in the southern part of the city.

The Treasure Pavilion was a three-story tower with flying eaves and interlocking brackets. Many carriages and horses were already parked out front. The two presented their invitations and were led by a young attendant in blue to a private booth on the second floor.

The main hall below was already seventy to eighty percent full. Lu Qingzhou whispered, "That table to the front-left is the Young Master of the Hundred Weapons Workshop, Qin Hongyu’s older brother, Qin Huaiyu. The elderly man in the gray robe next to him is the workshop’s old craftsman, Master Zhang."

Liang Cheng quietly committed this to memory.

Before long, a portly, red-robed old man stepped onto the stage. He clasped his hands and scanned the room. "Esteemed guests, welcome. I am Qian Wanjing, the Chief Steward of the Treasure Pavilion. Without further ado, let the auction begin."

The first item was a bottle of Meridian Opening Pills, which could help those with blocked Root Bones and Meridians to practice martial arts. It eventually sold for one thousand taels. Several Weapons and treasures were auctioned off smoothly after that, with no major excitement.

People in the hall raised their placards one after another. Liang Cheng sat quietly and observed, gradually getting a sense of the prices for the treasures being auctioned.

"This next item..." Qian Wanjing took a wooden tray from an attendant, lifted the red silk cloth, and revealed a tattered, dark-yellow leather-like object with frayed edges.

"This is a piece of old, worn parchment. Its texture is unique—it cannot be damaged by blades or swords, nor is it affected by water or fire. However, the markings on it are blurry and difficult to discern. We suspect it might be a map or a Cultivation Technique Fragment, but we cannot confirm."

He held up the parchment to display it. It had some dark brown, winding lines, but it was indeed severely worn, with many key parts missing.

"This item was found by an herb gatherer in an ancient cave deep within West Mountain. Its age and purpose are unknown." Qian Wanjing smiled. "The starting price is three hundred taels. Think of it as buying a curiosity."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Someone shook their head. "A scrap of old leather for three hundred taels?"

"The material is special, sure, but what’s the use of buying it if the markings are all blurry?"

"Really, the Treasure Pavilion will auction off any old mysterious junk."

Qian Wanjing’s expression remained unchanged. "Do I have any bids?"

No one responded.

Liang Cheng’s gaze, however, was fixed on the parchment. He felt a jolt in his heart. Its texture and color were almost identical to the cowhide paper fragments he had gotten from Liu Biao and Zhang Kui!

He suppressed his excitement and kept his expression neutral.

"Since there are no bids, then this item will be..." Qian Wanjing was about to declare the item unsold.

"Three hundred taels."

The voice came from a private booth on the second floor. Everyone looked up to see a young Martial Artist in a white robe with silver trim holding up a placard. It was Liang Cheng.

Beside him, Lu Qingzhou looked slightly surprised and asked in a low voice, "Junior Brother Liang, you’re interested in this parchment? Do you know what it is?"

"I just thought it looked unusual. I’ll take it back and study it. Consider it a gamble," Liang Cheng said in a flat tone.

Qian Wanjing’s smile returned. "Excellent! The young master in the second-floor booth bids three hundred taels. Are there any other bids?"

The people in the hall exchanged glances, most of them shaking their heads.

"Three hundred taels, going once! Three hundred taels, going twice! Three hundred taels, sold for the third and final time! Sold!"

The gavel fell.

An attendant brought the parchment to the private booth. Liang Cheng paid with silver banknotes and took the cowhide paper. It felt thick and tough to the touch, no different from the fragments he kept hidden close to his chest.

He calmly put the cowhide paper away and continued to watch the auction.

"Next up is one of today’s main treasures," Qian Wanjing announced, his voice rising slightly. "Three lots of Meteorite Iron, to be auctioned separately."

The first lot: seven jin and three taels, with a starting price of one thousand five hundred taels.

The second lot: ten jin and one tael, with a starting price of two thousand taels.

The third lot: fifteen jin, with a starting price of three thousand taels.

Bids rose and fell one after another. Liang Cheng paid close attention. ’Fifteen jin is enough to forge a long saber,’ he thought, ’but I don’t have enough money. I can only watch.’

The first two lots of Meteorite Iron sold for four thousand three hundred taels and six thousand eight hundred taels. The final lot was won by Xu Feng, the eldest son of the Xu Family’s main branch.

After the Meteorite Iron was sold, a few more rare Herbs and a fragmented Cultivation Technique were auctioned off, and the auction began to wind down.

Qian Wanjing smiled and said, "The main auction has concluded. If any of you are interested, you may proceed to Yibao Hall in the rear courtyard for bartering. You can trade items to get what you need."

People began to get up. About thirty percent of the crowd left, while the rest headed toward the rear courtyard.

Just as Liang Cheng was about to stand up, Xu Feng walked over to him. His voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough for those nearby to hear. "Young Master Liang, my name is Xu Feng. My younger brother, Xu Zhi, is young and reckless, and has offended you in many ways. I would like to apologize on his behalf. If you are interested in this Meteorite Iron, Young Master Liang, I am willing to part with it at the original price. Please consider it a gesture of friendship."

Standing to the side, Lu Qingzhou’s eyes glinted, but he said nothing. Liang Cheng didn’t hesitate. "You jest, Young Master Xu. This is far too valuable. I couldn’t possibly accept."

"Let’s go, Senior Brother. Take me to see the exchange meet."

Lu Qingzhou quickly stood up, nodded at Xu Feng, and then led the way. Before long, they arrived at the rear courtyard.

The rear courtyard was spacious, with over a dozen square tables already set up. Next to each table stood a Wooden Token, stating the owner’s treasure and what they wanted in exchange.

Lu Qingzhou walked straight toward an old man in a gray robe sitting alone. "Elder Zhang."

It was Master Zhang from the Qin Family Armory.

Master Zhang looked up, his gaze pausing on Lu Qingzhou for a moment before sweeping over Liang Cheng. He gave a slight nod. "Lu, is this your junior brother?"

"He is. This is my junior brother, Liang Cheng."

"It’s an honor to meet you, Master Zhang."

Master Zhang nodded. Liang Cheng looked at the small, dark-gold metal block in front of him and asked, "Master Zhang, what is this?"

"Hundred-refined Black Gold, mixed with three taels of Cold Iron Powder. I’ll trade it for a bottle of Bone Strengthening Pills or an equivalent value in Quenching Oil."

Liang Cheng examined the Wujin Iron Block closely. The grain was fine and even—it was definitely Upper Grade. ’It’s perfect for collecting as Forging Materials,’ he thought.

However, he had neither Bone Strengthening Pills nor Quenching Oil. At that moment, an idea came to him, and he remembered the Red Blood Sand that Elder Huang had given him. He took out the grimy leather pouch, untied the opening, and a unique smell—a mix of spice and rust—wafted out.

"This junior doesn’t have any Bone Strengthening Pills, but I do have Red Blood Sand. Applied externally, it can stop bleeding and reduce bruising. It’s also effective against venomous insect bites. I wonder if it would be enough to trade for your Wujin Iron Block, Elder Zhang?"

Iron-Handed Zhang’s nostrils twitched. He reached out, pinched a small amount of the sand, and rolled it between his fingers. He then brought it closer to smell it, a glint flashing in his eyes. "The handiwork of Elder Huang from the Martial Arts Academy’s Alchemy Room?"

"Indeed," Liang Cheng nodded.

"So it’s from that old monster..." Iron-Handed Zhang weighed the pouch in his hand. "This is a decent amount. Alright, the Wujin block is yours."

"Thank you, Elder Zhang."

After that, he browsed around some more. The experience was a real eye-opener for Liang Cheng. He was interested in a few other things, but unfortunately, he had nothing to trade for them.

Finally, he and Lu Qingzhou returned to the Martial Arts Academy. After bidding farewell to Lu Qingzhou, he went back to his private courtyard and immediately took out the cowhide paper. He took a deep breath to calm his mind.

Then, he carefully began to piece it together.

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