Chapter Sixteen: Setting Sail, The Maritime Auction

The hull of this black-awning boat was simple and elegant in its lines, built from dark ironwood and exuding an ancient, unadorned charm. It was much larger than the typical black-awning fishing boats found on inland waters, nearly three times the usual size, with a draft of about two meters. It even came equipped with a mast and sail, which could be removed and stored beneath the awning should a storm arise.

Bai Xuan was thoroughly pleased. With this boat, he could finally make his way to the Sea Market!

After Old Li had departed, Bai Xuan summoned his Longevity Tree. “Add points to Celestial Signs and Helmsmanship,” he commanded.

In an instant, Bai Xuan felt his vision sharpen; he could gaze far into the distance, discern shifts in the clouds at the horizon, and sense the approach of storms. Even at night, he could read the stars and sense the ebb and flow of the tides with flawless precision. As for helmsmanship, it became as natural as moving his own limbs—the boat seemed to obey his every thought, gliding freely across the sea, his control reaching an extraordinary level of finesse.

With these two skills, venturing out to sea was no longer a thing to fear.

On the open water, Bai Xuan fished from his boat. The vessel was steady and rode deep enough that even in mild waves it remained stable, perfect for angling. Though he had brought nets aboard and could easily sweep up schools of fish with a single cast, what fun was there in that compared to fishing by line?

“It's a shame I can no longer enjoy the thrill of returning empty-handed,” Bai Xuan mused with faint regret. Now, with a flick of his wrist, he could manipulate the line as if it were an extension of himself, even plucking fish from the water at a distance.

Soon, a small island appeared in the distance, its outlines faint. Around it, boats came and went in a dense swarm. “This must be the Sea Market,” Bai Xuan thought, steering his boat toward it.

At the harbor, three massive ships were docked, each flying a black flag emblazoned with a skull—pirate ships belonging to the Black Marauders. “That looks like the same Black Marauder fleet from before,” Bai Xuan noted. Their leader, Luo Yun, was a master of fearsome power. With him guarding the market, any troublemaker would lose more than just their courage.

Not far from the docks stood a bustling town, teeming with people. This was the Sea Market.

Bai Xuan moored his boat at the harbor, where a dozen or so Black Marauders patrolled the area, making theft nearly impossible. He made his way into the town.

Everywhere were stalls piled high with goods that clearly did not originate with their sellers. Some were tattooed brutes peddling boxes of embroidery, the spoils of recent raids, no doubt.

Soon, Bai Xuan found himself before an imposing building, flanked by two tattooed giants who stood guard with expressionless faces.

“To enter the auction, there’s a fee of two hundred coins,” one of the guards announced as Bai Xuan approached.

“Auction?” Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow. This was the place he sought—for major goods, secret techniques, divine weapons, or miraculous medicines, auctions were the only way.

He counted out two hundred coins, and the guard, satisfied, stepped aside.

Inside, an attendant addressed him, “You may choose a mask.”

Bai Xuan glanced over the selection—twelve zodiac animals, ox-headed demons, horse-faced specters, all manner of grotesque and fantastical designs. He chose a shark mask and fitted it to his face.

“Please take a seat. If you wish to bid, simply raise your paddle,” the attendant instructed, leading him to his place.

The auction hall gradually filled with masked participants, seated in small groups.

A bell sounded from the front, and the room fell into a hush.

“Honored guests, today’s Sea Market auction begins now.” On the high platform, a host in a jester’s mask stepped forward. The auction here followed no formal conventions—the Black Marauders ran it themselves: direct, uncompromising, cash for goods, sales until the last item was gone.

“The first item: thirty loads of diamond sand! Starting bid, one thousand taels of silver, with increments of no less than one hundred taels!”

No sooner had the words been spoken than paddles began to rise. “One thousand one hundred!” “One thousand two hundred!” The diamond sand sold for twelve hundred taels.

The next few items were all bulk goods, their prices exorbitant. Bai Xuan watched for a while and soon understood the pattern. “These are all stolen goods, now being sold back to their original owners at a premium. The bidding starts at half price, and if it reaches sixty percent, the pirates’ own men step in to bid. If the original owner doesn’t buy it back, someone else will, and both sides profit.”

Bai Xuan couldn’t help but admire the scheme. Forcing the original owner to buy back his own goods at sixty percent of their value—such tactics required not only cunning but overwhelming strength.

After the bulk goods were gone, the representatives for the great merchant fleets—those entrusted with vast sums—left for the docks to collect their cargo.

“Next, the external martial classic ‘Dragon Roar Iron Shirt’!” The host’s gaze swept the room. “Starting bid, one hundred taels of silver, increments no less than ten taels!”

This announcement electrified the entire hall, a stark contrast to the subdued interest in the previous, pricier lots.

“The Dragon Roar Iron Shirt! If this genuinely is an external martial classic of such caliber, it could elevate an entire clan!” Excited whispers rippled through the crowd. “Ordinary Iron Shirt is nearly impossible to master beyond three stages of blood and energy, but they say that when the Dragon Roar Iron Shirt is brought to perfection, muscles and bones resonate in unison, killing enemies with almost supernatural power!”

“I must have this skill!” declared one, eyes shining coldly.

At least seven or eight in the room were clearly energized. In fact, they had known through other channels, even before the auction began, that this manual would be offered today—they had come specifically for the Dragon Roar Iron Shirt.

On the other side, Bai Xuan felt a jolt of excitement. This was precisely the sort of technique he had hoped to acquire at the Sea Market.

But—

“Five hundred taels of silver!” someone called out, instantly quintupling the starting price and exceeding what Bai Xuan could hope to afford.

All told, Bai Xuan had barely one hundred and thirty taels in his possession. If he managed to sell his pearl, he might have two hundred, but it was still a pittance.

“Six hundred!” “Seven hundred fifty!” In the blink of an eye, the price soared to dizzying heights. The Dragon Roar Iron Shirt was among the very best of external martial classics, a direct path to mastery—the price was naturally terrifying.

Soon, the bidding slowed only after passing one thousand taels. Those with the means to pay such a sum likely had similar family secrets already, while those without could not hope to match the price.

In truth, the Dragon Roar Iron Shirt was worth about a thousand taels, and rarely more than fifteen hundred. Martial manuals like this could not be compared to bulk commodities; gold sand and sandalwood could be resold or invested in family enterprises for profit, making auctions a source of gain, not loss. All industries worked this way.

But for a manual like the Dragon Roar Iron Shirt, unless the buyer planned to resell it, the money spent was simply gone. A thousand taels was a hefty expense for many smaller clans.

In the end, the Dragon Roar Iron Shirt went for fourteen hundred taels. A man in a dragon king mask collected the manual and returned to his seat.

“How terrifying,” Bai Xuan muttered to himself. He had to abandon his hopes for the Dragon Roar Iron Shirt—it was simply beyond his means.

“Next, the internal martial classic spear manual: ‘Vortex Spear’!”

This announcement stirred the crowd to even greater excitement.

Techniques like the Iron Sand Palm, with their direct, external power, were indeed formidable, but internal martial classics stored energy within, producing inner force, and could multiply a practitioner’s strength many times over. The Vortex Spear, for example, could unleash devastating attacks.

Such internal classics were exceedingly rare. If a genuine manual was up for auction, the price could easily surpass a thousand taels of silver, perhaps even reach two thousand.