As he watched the expressions on Xu Zihuang and his companions' faces, the chubby shopkeeper began to feel uneasy. But in the face of profit, taking a little risk seemed worth it.
"A carving knife is an essential tool for all soul engineers. A good one can make all the difference in advancing to the higher ranks. This young master may have heard of the so-called 'Ranking Knives'—that is, the carving knives listed on the Continent's Blade Rankings."
"There are only a hundred knives listed on the Douluo Continent's Blade Rankings. The one on this tray is one of them—what I mentioned just now as a 'Ranking Knife'. I recently acquired it by chance. I had originally planned to consign it to the auction house in Yuexu City, but since you've taken a liking to it, I'll let it go to you. Just 200,000 gold soul coins—as a gesture of friendship."
Behind Xu Zihuang, Meng Lang and the others exchanged glances, then turned their attention to the knife on the tray with careful scrutiny.
If it really was a Ranking Knife, 200,000 gold soul coins would be an absolute bargain—almost suspiciously cheap.
"Two hundred thousand gold soul coins?" Xu Zihuang curled his lips into a faint smirk. But what he said next made the shopkeeper's heart skip a beat.
"Ranking Knife No. 99: Devourer of Souls. Three thousand years ago, it first appeared in the Sun Moon Empire. Its creator was a soul engineer of stunning talent, who eventually became a Rank 9 soul engineer. But he wasn't just a soul engineer—he was also a terrifying evil soul master. He once brought a reign of terror across the continent."
Hearing this, Meng Lang and the others' expressions instantly turned cold.
A heart worthy of execution.
Xu Zihuang's smile didn't fade as he continued, his gaze falling on the carving knife in the tray. "This knife—the Devourer of Souls—was forged by that evil soul master in his final years. Shortly afterward, he met his greatest rival and died. But he didn't have the knife on him when he died. Over time, it drifted into the hands of common folk. Every person who came to own this knife afterward died tragically. None met a peaceful end."
"Am I wrong?"
When Xu Zihuang was younger, he had read many records and illustrated guides on the Ranking Knives, and had handled quite a few himself. The purple dragon-patterned knife he'd previously used—once his father's—was one of them: the Purple Patterned Desolation Dragon, ranked third on the list. It had been passed down through the Sun Moon Imperial Family and could only be used by someone with the Purple Desolation Heavenly Dragon martial soul. When Wang Xiao fled from the pursuit of Xu Tianran and his son, he'd intentionally taken that knife and recently returned it to Xu Zihuang.
Now, the shopkeeper's forehead was drenched in sweat. He didn't dare meet Xu Zihuang's gaze.
Just then, a round of clapping sounded behind them.
"As expected, a hero in the making. This young brother is quite knowledgeable for someone so young."
A blond young man in a luxurious platinum robe walked over, smiling warmly as he clapped. The golden star pattern on his chest glinted under the crystal lamps overhead.
"I am Xigu, steward of the Starlight Auction House of the Star Luo Empire. We actually arrived on Yuexu Island on the same merchant ship—perhaps you remember me?"
Xu Zihuang nodded slightly, but he remained calm and aloof. "What advice does Steward Xi have for me?"
"I wouldn't call it advice," Xigu said with narrowed eyes, a flash of surprise briefly passing through them. He was clearly interested in the carving knife and wasn't going to let it go easily.
"Since you've already identified the knife, I doubt you'd be willing to overpay for it," he said. Then he turned to the shopkeeper and said confidently, "100,000 gold soul coins. I'll take it."
But before the shopkeeper could respond, Xu Zihuang cut in coldly.
"Sorry to disappoint you—but I actually enjoy being taken for a fool."
"Young brother, could you perhaps give our Starlight Auction House a little face?" Xigu's expression shifted as he looked again at the formidable presence of Meng Lang and the others behind Xu Zihuang. He suppressed his irritation.
Xu Zihuang simply withdrew his gaze and, without a word, placed the Devourer of Souls into the storage ring on his left index finger.
"Why should I give face to the Star Luo Empire's auction house—on the territory of the Sun Moon Empire?"
It wasn't just that Xu Zihuang disliked the Star Luo Empire. He knew all too well what this knife was worth.
After all, this carving knife was made entirely of a rare material: Living Gold.
"You—!"
Xigu opened his mouth, then shut it again. He could sense that several of Xu Zihuang's guards had soul power no weaker than his own. To act rashly would only backfire. And for Xu Zihuang to have guards of this caliber? His identity was clearly extraordinary.
In short—he chickened out. This wasn't the Star Luo Empire. Even with powerful backers, the Starlight Auction House couldn't extend its reach to Yuexu Island, within Sun Moon Empire territory.
"This young master…" the shopkeeper murmured pitifully. He cursed himself for letting greed cloud his judgment.
Xu Zihuang didn't even look at him. A flash of light shimmered on his left index finger, and a crescent-white jade token appeared in his hand.
"Go to the City Lord's Manor later. You'll get your payment there."
With that, he turned and left with his entourage, leaving behind the dismayed shopkeeper.
Get paid? Yeah, right…
The city lord of Yuexu City governed the entire island and was known for reliability. But after the shopkeeper had just tried to scam Xu Zihuang? He wouldn't dare step foot in the manor.
That jade token was a City Lord's Order. The implication was obvious: Xu Zihuang was deeply connected to the island's top authority.
Meanwhile, Xu Zihuang continued walking toward the heart of Yuexu City. Even with his usual composure, he couldn't help feeling a bit excited. He hadn't expected to find the Devourer of Souls—a knife that, in the original story, had appeared in the Star Luo Empire's Starlight Auction.
The soul and curse sealed within the Devourer of Souls wouldn't affect him at all. His second martial soul, the Purple Desolation Thunder Prison Dragon, possessed the attributes of Ultimate Lightning and Destruction—natural counters to the methods of evil soul masters.
With this piece of Living Gold, he might be able to attempt a second awakening of his martial soul.
Though it was said that the Body Sect held the secret method for such awakenings, Xu Zihuang knew the real key: repeatedly facing death, pushing one's potential to the limit.
"Young master, should I take care of that fat man and Xigu?" asked a green-haired young man behind him in a low voice.
Xu Zihuang gave him a sidelong glance and replied earnestly, "Qingmu, don't be so impulsive. Young people like you have too much killing intent. You need to work on that."
At these words, the others couldn't help showing strange expressions—especially Meng Lang, who silently muttered in his heart:
Coming from you, young master… isn't that a bit ironic?
(End of Chapter)
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