novelraw Chapter 795: The Greatest Acting Scam in History 795
Chapter 795: The Greatest Acting Scam in History 795
Although Xuanyuan Fengchen appeared calm and composed, his eyes were filled with pride. No, it was more like his entire being radiated arrogance."Xuanyuan Fengchen, the Sword Casting Master known as a once-in-a-generation genius!"
"Who else could it be but him? I had guessed it long ago; apart from Master Xuanyuan, who else could possess such grace?"
"Nonsense, if it weren’t for that big wooden chest behind him, you wouldn’t have guessed it was him."
...
The crowd below was abuzz, everyone chattering about different things, but one sentiment was the same—they were all so excited they could barely contain themselves, some even tearful.
Today’s Xuanyuan Fengchen might not have been as famous as he would be in later years, but in Anyun Country, his reputation was already significant. His fame as a genius in sword crafting had originated here in Anyun.
Amid the excited gazes of the crowd, Xuanyuan Fengchen had already taken off the large wooden chest from his back and slowly placed it on the auction stage.
Immediately, there was another burst of exclamations from below.
Only then did Mu Hanyan get a clear view. The chest was made of high-quality Golden Iron Wood. As tough as fine steel, Golden Iron Wood was said to take ten thousand years to mature, making it extremely rare and as valuable as gold.
Mu Hanyan was secretly astounded. Leaving everything else aside, just the value of the chest alone was worth no less than a Divine Weapon.
When Xuanyuan Fengchen gently opened the chest, there was another uncontrollable burst of gasps around.
Even Mu Hanyan couldn’t help but sigh softly.
The moment the chest opened, a flash of silver brilliance filled their sights, illuminating the area around the auction stage brightly. At the same time, a spirited dragon chant filled the hall.
Inside the chest lay an ancient-looking longsword, filled with a grave and solemn air. The blade, sword guard, and handle all bore an age-old aura, flawless to the eye.
Coupled with the unique dragon chant of the spiritual treasure sword, it was utterly soul-refreshing.
Mu Hanyan silently reflected. First, there was Xuanyuan Fengchen’s extraordinary and transcendent aura, followed by his proud demeanor. Then, there was the Golden Iron Wood, valuable as gold, and finally, the extraordinary nature of this longsword. No wonder even royal families from various countries had been thoroughly deceived by him.
Had Mu Hanyan not known his background, and seen with her own eyes his death at the hands of a joint attack from royal families and chambers of commerce, she would surely have been deceived too.
"This sword is named Cheng Jun, forged by me sixty years ago. Unfortunately, I have never found the destined owner. Now, I am over a hundred years old, and my life is nearing its end. I’m not sure if I can survive another calamity, so today I ask Nanyan Commerce to auction it on my behalf, hoping to find it a worthy master so it won’t gather dust in this world," Xuanyuan Fengchen said softly as he caressed the sword, his face marked by the vicissitudes of life.
Mu Hanyan really felt like cursing out loud. Nonsense about his lifespan nearing its end—he remembered this old swindler living perfectly fine years later. If not for having made too many enemies and being killed in a joint attack, he’d probably have lived another forty or fifty years without a problem.
What do you mean you haven’t found the fated one? If you haven’t found them, you should look harder. What are you doing at an auction?
Sadly, everyone in the hall unquestioningly believed the words of the old fraudster. It was no wonder, really; given the reputation of the person gains the shadow of the tree, and the fact that when the old fraudster arrived and immediately impressed everyone with his presence, it wasn’t just the spectators— even those young playboys around Han Yan were filled with admiration.
"Master Xuan Yuan, what is the starting bid for this sword?" Xuanyuan Fengchen had barely finished speaking when someone from below couldn’t wait to speak up.
Although this sword was crafted by Master Xuanyuan sixty years ago and the Sword Casting Technique was inevitably lacking compared to now, his reputation as a one-generation sword casting genius ensured it could never be too bad—it would make a fine heirloom even if just bought for keepsake.
"I have already said that I came to Nanyan Chamber of Commerce not to let my efforts be lost to the world; I am looking for a destiny. Let’s do this, the starting price will be one hundred thousand, and you may bid freely thereafter," Xuanyuan Fengchen said after pondering for a moment.
Act, just keep on acting, old fraudster! Han Yan almost rushed up to stab the old fraudster. Talking about fate, why don’t you just give it away for free? Don’t you know that the lower the starting price, the more fierce the bidding will be, and the final price often ends up much higher?
"One million," Han Yan didn’t want the old fraudster to get away with it and immediately placed a bid.
"Young Master Mu, this sword has not yet been appraised. If there are any flaws, I and Nanyan Chamber of Commerce bear no responsibility," Ji Gaoxian said displeased.
Having previously seen the antagonistic exchange between Han Yan and Mo Yanhong, he had noticed something fishy, but it still left him quite discontented. After all, he was a Treasure Appraiser employed at great expense by Nanyan Chamber of Commerce. Han Yan placing bids before he even spoke clearly showed disdain for his Treasure Identification Skill and was quite a slap in the face for him—ruining his reputation once was tolerable, but keeping it up was unbearable.
Han Yan simply rolled his eyes at him; waiting for your appraisal, it would be strange if I’m not swindled.
Hearing Han Yan speak up again, others hesitated. They had just seen that thick stack of silver notes before their eyes. Since Nanyan Chamber of Commerce’s Capital branch had just opened, many weren’t familiar with it and didn’t take it seriously, they were just here to see what was happening, unlike Mu Baijia who carried a bunch of silver notes on him.
The only spendthrift there had just bought that piece of Heavenly Blue Sand, and really couldn’t afford much else.
Watching Han Yan buy Master Xuanyuan Fengchen’s treasure sword for merely one million, they felt reluctant, but after much competitive bidding, they ended up empty-handed and even offended Big Playboy Mu, and realized it wasn’t worth it.
After all, this was the super playboy who smashed Master Ji’s signboard and beat up a Zong Family cousin on his first day back in Capital, and slapped Third Elder’s beloved grandson the next day without any repercussions; who would want to offend him without good reason?
"One million for the first time, one million for the second time, one million..." Seeing the big boss speaking, Che Xiang didn’t ponder further, wishing he could just slam down the hammer.
Nearby, although Xuanyuan Fengchen still maintained a calm and undisturbed demeanor, a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes. He had been expecting to rake in a huge sum but hadn’t expected this outcome.
Han Yan, however, breathed a sigh of relief. She had realized that most people who came today were just spectators who didn’t take the not-so-famous Nanyan Chamber of Commerce seriously and therefore hadn’t brought much money; otherwise, she really wouldn’t have managed easily.
"Two million," just as Han Yan was letting down her guard, Mo Yanhong’s voice rang out again.
Han Yan turned her head and saw Mo Yanhong’s provocative gaze.
Han Yan was momentarily stunned and almost laughed out loud.
Although she had been prepared to part with her wealth to avoid disaster, Lady Mu certainly wasn’t happy about spending so much money unjustly; who knew that Mo Yanhong would jump out at this time.