Ultimate Martial Venerable - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 10. An Overnight Fortune
Night had settled over Jeongseong Auction House, and the front of the building was packed so tightly with carriages and crowds that not a single gap remained. A notice posted that afternoon had drawn out every wealthy family in Ganglim Castle.

“They say the Danryeonsan going on sale today was made by a Flame Practitioner himself.”
It may not match a pill, but it’s supposed to be quite effective for Yeon Che Gong practitioners. And there’s more than twenty bottles of it, to boot.
“With that much, a family could train a whole crop of young martial artists at once.”

The people standing in line began trading their thoughts on the Danryeonsan. Clad in a black robe and an iron mask that hid his face, Yuk Beom listened to their chatter and laughed silently to himself.
Over the past month, he had been drinking down the very medicinal ingredients they coveted as if they were water. Familiar faces moved through the crowd.
Not only the Mak Family and the Jang Family, but people from the Yuk Clan had come as well. Leading the Yuk Clan’s party was his father, Yuk Ho. Yuk Beom pulled his hat a little lower.
Just then, a guard pushed his way through the line and approached.

“Are you Iron Mask Sir?”

When Yuk Beom nodded without a word, the guard bowed deeply.

“Madam Shim Un said that VIP guests must never be kept waiting. Please, this way.”

Every gaze in the line swung toward him at once. Yuk Beom followed the guard into the auction house without a trace of unease.
A private room on the second floor had been prepared, complete with a landscape painting and a laden liquor table. The guard offered him a purple tablet with both hands.

“This is the VIP Token from Jeongseong Auction House. From now on, no matter which branch you visit, you will be given top priority.”

Yuk Beom took the VIP Token and slipped it into his ring. Only now did he truly grasp how precious a proper Flame Practitioner was.
As he sank into a broad chair, the auction floor below came into full view. In the private room across from him sat the people of the Mak Family, and to his right was Yuk Ho. Judging by the Jang Family having secured a separate room of their own, Jang Wol Ham’s admission to the Martial Arts Academy had apparently raised the standing of her family as well.
On the other hand, the people in the other private rooms were also studying Yuk Beom, who wore the iron mask. The newcomer who had appeared for the first time today had been given the finest room. There was no need to explain who the master of the Danryeonsan was.
The heads of the families had ordered their people not to pick a fight with Iron Mask Sir, and to forge ties with him if the chance arose. Only a short while ago, Yuk Beom had been humiliated in the middle of the street by Mak Un Bi.
Yet with nothing more than his face hidden, the powerful figures of Ganglim Castle were now watching his expression.

‘In the end, does strength decide how people treat you?’

As Shim Un stepped up onto the auction platform, the hall fell silent in an instant. Weapons crafted by renowned artisans and low-grade Hwang Su materials were sold off one after another. Each time an item he had no interest in came up, Yuk Beom closed his eyes and kept circulating the breath of the Blazing Gold Body.
Thanks to the knowledge he had gained from O Jin, hearing a name now brought to mind its rough nature and uses. Even the medicinal ingredients he had never seen with his own eyes no longer felt entirely foreign.

“Next is the final medicinal ingredient for today.”

Shim Un pulled away a red cloth. On the tray lay a single fruit of a dark crimson hue. Its surface was rough, as though scorched by fire, yet a faint light leaked out through the cracks in its skin.

“This is the Void Fire Fruit.”

Shim Un lifted the fruit for everyone to see.

“It is a 4th-grade medicinal ingredient. Consumed, it enhances the body’s sturdiness and vitality. It also pairs well with martial arts that command the power of fire. In the process of hunting the Scale Armor Beast that guarded this fruit, two superior martial artists of the Yeon Che Gong lost their lives.”
“The starting bid is seven hundred Gold Coins.”
“One thousand Gold Coins.”

No sooner had Shim Un finished speaking than Yuk Ho called out a bid. Yuk Beom found himself glancing at his father without meaning to.
Yuk Ho knew that his son, who was cultivating the Blazing Gold Body, needed the Void Fire Fruit. He had clearly come all the way to the auction house himself to get that fruit for him.

“One thousand two hundred Gold Coins.”

From the private room across the way, Mak Rim immediately raised the price.

“One thousand five hundred.”
“One thousand eight hundred.”

Once the two families clashed head-on, everyone else quietly shut their mouths. It was impossible to tell whether Mak Rim truly needed the Void Fire Fruit. Still, it looked as though he had no intention of letting the Yuk Clan walk off with the item they wanted.
Just as Yuk Ho was about to speak again, Yuk Beom spoke first.

“Two thousand gold coins.”

The subdued voice rang out across the entire auction hall. Every gaze turned toward the private room on the second floor.
A smile spread across Shim Un’s face.

“Iron Mask has called out two thousand gold coins.”

Mak Rim clamped his mouth shut. Anyone who had put up more than twenty bottles of Danryeonsan was likely a Flame Practitioner. He had no reason to make an enemy of such a person over a single Void Fire Fruit.
Yuk Ho, however, did not back down.

“Two thousand one hundred.”

Yuk Beom’s eyes wavered. Iron Mask had raised the price even knowing he might be a Flame Practitioner. He was risking danger to obtain what his son needed.
Yuk Beom thought for a moment, then drummed his fingers against the table.

“Two thousand one hundred and one.”

The hall fell silent at a price raised by a mere single coin. That single coin carried a clear message.
I will take it, no matter what. Yuk Ho understood the message as well. He gazed at the Void Fire Fruit with a regretful expression, then finally closed his mouth.

“Does anyone wish to bid further?”

Shim Un checked three times, then brought down the auction gavel.

“The Void Fire Fruit goes to Iron Mask for two thousand one hundred and one gold coins.”

Yuk Beom clenched his fist within his robe. It was the medicinal ingredient O Jin had asked him to acquire. He had finally secured the item that would hasten his progress in the Blazing Gold Body.
At last, the final item of the day’s auction made its appearance. When the cart carrying the Danryeonsan bottles rolled out, the hall heated up in an instant.
Shim Un held up the first three bottles for all to see.

“The Danryeonsan will be auctioned in eight lots of three bottles each. Since the medicinal potency varies somewhat, each family may select the quantity that suits its needs.”

Yuk Beom nearly burst out laughing. Jeongseong Auction House had dressed up the fact that its quality was uneven with quite convincing packaging. By mixing good goods with lacking ones, they could dispose of even the failed batches without leaving a single one behind.

“The opening bid for the first lot is one thousand five hundred gold coins.”
“Two thousand.”

Mak Rim raised his hand first.

“Two thousand five hundred.”

This time, Jang Am, the head of the Jang Family, raised the price.

“Three thousand.”
“Three thousand five hundred.”

Each time one of them called, they raised the price by five hundred gold coins. While Mak Rim hesitated for a moment, Yuk Ho spoke up.

“Four thousand five hundred.”

Jang Am seemed to consider his relationship with Yuk Ho and his daughter, and no longer competed. Mak Rim, too, seemed to judge the price excessively high and closed his mouth.

“The first lot goes to the Yuk Clan at four thousand five hundred gold coins.”

Yuk Beom looked at his father with a complicated expression. The first lot had two early failed bottles mixed in, yet its efficacy was still better than ordinary medicinal ingredients. The second lot also sold for four thousand five hundred coins.
From the third lot onward, the competition grew even fiercer. Not only the Mak Family, the Yuk Clan, and the Jang Family, but even small families whose names were little known poured every coin they had. The further along the lots went, the higher the prices climbed, as Shim Un’s remarks that better-potency bottles had been mixed in took hold.
The final two lots each fetched well over five thousand gold coins. Even after subtracting the commission and the cost of the Void Fire Fruit, tens of thousands of gold coins remained.
Only a month ago, he had been wandering through street stalls, worrying over the price of medicinal ingredients. Now, for any ingredient that could be obtained in Ganglim Castle, he could buy it without asking the price.

‘So this is why Flame Practitioners never worry about money.’

Once the auction ended, Shim Un came up to the private room herself. She set the jade box containing the Void Fire Fruit and the purplish Gold Coin Tablet on the table.

“I’ve deposited everything except the fee and the payment for the Void Fire Fruit. If you let a drop of blood fall, only you will be able to check the balance and use it.”

When Yuk Beom pricked his fingertip and let a drop of blood fall, red numbers flickered to life on the Gold Coin Tablet. He put the tablet and the jade box into the ring as though it were nothing.

“Well done.”
“If you visit Jeongseong Auction House again, we’ll make sure you receive even better terms.”

Shim Un saw Yuk Beom out as far as the front of the auction house. Mak Rim, who had been waiting, came straight over.

“Iron Mask Master, I am Mak Rim of the Mak Family.”
“If you have the time, why not stop by the Mak Family for a cup of tea? I’ll arrange whatever you might need.”

Yuk Beom didn’t so much as glance at him.

“I have no intention of doing that.”

The smile on Mak Rim’s face stiffened awkwardly.

“You seem busy today. The gates of the Mak Family are always open, so please visit whenever it suits you.”

As he stepped back, Yuk Ho approached instead.

“Sir.”

Yuk Ho bowed deeply, as if to apologize for competing with him over the Void Fire Fruit. Yuk Beom quickly caught his arm.
He could not allow his father to bow to him.

“There’s no need for Master Yuk to do this.”

Yuk Ho’s eyes sharpened in an instant.

“Do you know that I am a Yuk?”

Yuk Beom’s heart sank. He had made a slip.

“I am somewhat acquainted with your son.”
“You know Beom-i?”

Surprise spread across Yuk Ho’s face. Yuk Beom gave a brief nod.

“He’s a decent young man.”

It felt strange to praise himself directly, and heat crept into his face. Yet Yuk Ho’s expression brightened.

“Has that boy ever given you any offense, Sir? If so, allow me to apologize on his behalf.”
“There was nothing of the sort.”

Fearing that saying more would expose his identity, Yuk Beom hurriedly turned away.

“I have business today, so let’s talk another time.”
“The Yuk Clan will always welcome you, Sir.”

Yuk Beom raised a hand in farewell and left the auction house. Behind him, he heard Yuk Ho’s delighted voice.

“That boy knows a Flame Practitioner, and he hasn’t said a single word to me about it.”

Yuk Beom quickened his pace. After turning through several alleys and confirming that no one was following, he removed his long robe and the iron mask.
When he returned to the tavern, O Jin was clutching a jug of liquor just as he always did.

“Judging by your face, you must have made a good profit.”

Yuk Beom sat down across from him and set the Gold Coin Tablet on the table.

“From now on, if you need medicinal ingredients, don’t think about the price. Just tell me.”

O Jin glanced at the Gold Coin Tablet and scoffed.

“Is that all it took to start playing the rich man?”
“Master, you haven’t got a single coin to your name.”
“Your talent for talking back to your teacher has improved.”

Yuk Beom smiled and drew the Jade Box from the ring. When the lid opened, O Jin’s eyes changed.

“So you found the Void Fire Fruit.”
“You told me to go and get it, didn’t you, Master?”

O Jin examined the fruit and nodded with satisfaction.

“It’s in good condition. Lock the door.”

Once Yuk Beom had shut both the door and the windows, a translucent current of qi rose from O Jin’s hand. The Void Fire Fruit lifted into the air and slowly warped out of shape. Black powder fell like rain, leaving only the red flesh, clear as a liquid.
The sounds of wind and waves, thunder and flame followed one after another. At the end, a resonance that seemed to rise from deep underground shook the entire tavern. Five beams of light seeped into the essence of the Void Fire Fruit.
Within the light, a red pill swiftly took shape. When O Jin withdrew his hand, every sound and light vanished in an instant.
On his palm lay a single red pill, like an ember.

“Void Fire Pill. A Second Grade pill.”

Yuk Beom could not tear his eyes from the pill. Five energies scattered across heaven and earth had been sealed inside that one small grain.

“What method was that just now?”
“The Cheonji Hwadan Law.”

O Jin saw the look in his disciple’s eyes and laughed.

“Once you ascend to Spirit Energy Master, I’ll teach it to you.”

The heat seeping from the pill alone stirred the energy of his Blazing Gold Body. If he swallowed it now, his martial skills would surely leap forward. Yet after a moment’s hesitation, Yuk Beom tucked the Void Fire Pill into the Nine Heavens Ring.

“You’re not going to take it now?”
“The medicinal power of the Geukgwang Pill still lingers in my body.”

Yuk Beom nodded.

“I’ll take it once I’ve fully absorbed that potency. I don’t want to waste a good pill by rushing.”

O Jin smiled with satisfaction and raised his cup. Being given a chance to grow stronger mattered less than knowing when to use that chance.
Yuk Beom had not swallowed the Void Fire Pill, yet he had already grown a step stronger.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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