Blood Moon

by Patrick Laplante

  “Let’s see it, then. There are no strangers here,” Hong Lai said.

  Cha Ming nodded and produced a light-blue stone. Hong Lai shot him a surprised look and shook his head.

  “There is no need for an appraiser. This is a common cash currency,” Hong Lai replied. “Crystalized elemental essence is worth roughly ten mid-grade spirit stones per refined stone that size. It’s priced by weight, since there is no standard cut.”

  The hell? Why didn’t Wang Jun tell me such an important detail? He would never have sold those talismans if he’d known he had such a large amount of cash! He would have also bought tons of pills at the auction. With no legitimate route to vent his anger, he had inadvertently yelled at Huxian via voice transmission. Huxian wasn’t amused at the outburst and began to sulk.

  “Are you okay there?” Hong Lai asked. “You spaced out all of a sudden.”

  “Nothing, nothing. I was just surprised. I have a few of them, and I didn’t realize they were worth so much,” Cha Ming replied. No one asked how many “a few” was, as prying into someone’s wealth was considered rude.

  Following the intermission, the second part of the auction began. This session featured a variety of rare treasures and higher-level wares.

  Gong Lan, who wasn’t looking for anything in particular, took a fancy to a pair of sabers called the Blood Drinking Blades. The auctioneer had introduced the weapons as a top-grade spirit weapon, which suffered from a serious drawback: amplified baleful aura. Many users of the blades had gone insane from bloodlust. For Gong Lan, however, it was a perfect fit. She purchased them for the very low price of eighty-eight mid-grade spirit stones.

  Cha Ming’s talismans were popular, as predicted. On average, they fetched 145% of list price, or 152 mid-grade spirit stones. While it pleased him that these goods were popular, his newfound fortune caused him to regret selling these life-saving treasures. Unfortunately, he had already commissioned their sale. As the seller, he was not qualified to buy back his item.

  To his surprise, the stoic Wu Jin purchased three such talismans. When Cha Ming inquired about it, he sighed and shook his head before replying. “My younger sister is at the third level of qi condensation, but she insisted on participating in this rescue mission. I’ve been told that the mission is extremely dangerous. However, she says she won’t stay close to me on the battlefield, as it will stunt her growth in the long term.

  “Moreover, I’ve tried to give her protective treasures countless times in the past, but she is very picky. Perhaps only Master Uncle Hong Lai’s goods stand a chance at passing her evaluation, but they are always expensive and in very short supply. In addition, too many single-use protective treasures start interfering with each other. I’m hoping that these talismans you made obtain her approval.

  “At the very least, these wind-affinity talismans are very useful, and very rare. An instant increase in movement speed is very hard to come by. Where did you ever learn to craft these Cloud Step talismans?” Wu Jin inquired.

  “They are something I made on a whim, based on a movement technique I practice. You praise me far too much,” Cha Ming said while chuckling wryly. It had been an accidental creation from one of his practice sessions, and the Cloud Step runes he used to practice his calligraphy happened to produce a useful talisman.

  “It looks like you lucked out, Wu Jin,” Hong Lai chimed in. “If the auctioneers had known that this was an original and unique creation, the price would have doubled! Make sure you tell your sister this detail. She always loves purchasing my newest works.”

  They continued to discuss things in a relaxed manner for quite some time, and no longer paid attention to the ongoing auction. Suddenly, however, Cha Ming’s attention was roused by the voice inside his head. It was the red-bearded man who lived inside the Clear Sky Brush.

  “Cha Ming, make sure you get your hands on the treasure being auctioned in lot 76, no matter the price!” The excitement in the man’s voice startled Cha Ming, as this was the first time he had ever heard him so agitated.

  “No matter the price?” Cha Ming asked. “You mean that this treasure is more valuable than getting medicinal pills to aid my breakthrough or forging a soul-alloy staff?”

  “Much more than that,” he replied. “You might not know it, but you’re currently a dead man walking. You’ve agreed to share tribulations with your fox friend, but you haven’t made any plans on how to face it! He’s already so much stronger than you. Has it ever occurred to you that by the time he faces his tribulation, Huxian will be a peak god-level spirit beast with the power of his second tail, while you might only be at the sixth or seventh level of qi condensation?

  “Without sufficient preparation, you’re going to get blown to bits! This treasure can help you through this first tribulation. Unfortunately, it can’t do everything for you. It’s a priority to get your cultivation up as fast as possible, in addition to the Seventy-Two Transformations Technique. The weapon can wait.”

  Cha Ming paled at the revelation. “Can Huxian not delay his breakthrough?”

  “What do you mean, delay? That kid, even if all he does at this point is sleep and breathe, he’ll naturally break through with ease. For a spirit beast at his level, there’s no such thing as holding back. This is just a part of him naturally growing up. If you don’t keep up, you’ll both end up dead.”

  As if emphasizing his point, the auctioneer’s melodious voice sounded out. “One hundred and ten mid-grade spirit stones going once. One hundred and ten mid-grade spirit stones going twice.”

  “One hundred and thirty mid-grade spirit stones!” Cha Ming shouted out in a hurry, to the surprise of everyone sharing his booth.

  “Are you sure you want to buy this treasure?” asked Hong Lai. “It has been around the auction block a few times. Every time, someone ‘borrows’ the item for a few months only to return it in frustration. I dare say that I’ve personally seen it auctioned off twelve times!”

  There was no use regretting, however. His sharp increase in price had dissuaded the single bidder, who was purely interested in seeing the famous item up close.

  “Lot number seventy-six, sold to the man in the private booth!” the auctioneer announced. Just like that, Cha Ming’s small fortune in mid-grade spirit stones had been viciously decimated. And he hadn’t even seen the treasure that he bid on!

  To succeed in any future auctions, Cha Ming would need to spend his crystalized elemental essence, which was extremely useful in his cultivation.

  Chapter 15: Main Auction

  During the next intermission, Cha Ming and Gong Lan went to the auction desk to pay their bills and collect the items they had purchased. In Cha Ming’s case, he exchanged most of his remaining bills of credit for the mystery treasure in lot number 76.

  To his surprise, the treasure appeared to be a bundle of metal stakes joined together by a long, thin chain. The stakes resembled throwing daggers decorated with elaborate runic patterns. He still had no idea how to use this treasure, but he was sure that his friend in the brush would explain everything when the time came. Given how important the treasure was to his survival, he carefully placed it in an empty corner of his bag of holding.

  After storing the treasure, he turned around just in time to see a blood-red blade slash down toward his face. It stopped right on his nose before he even had a chance to scream. Satisfied with its performance, Gong Lan withdrew the other saber from its sheath and began admiring the pair. They looked very similar to a pair of oversized, black iron kukris1. The crude iron was rusted to the point that it was unfit for duty, yet the stench of blood permeating from the blades spoke volumes of its ability to perform its basic function.

  As Gong Lan hefted the two cruel blades, her demeanor instantly changed. Her abnormal levels of bloodlust increased threefold in an instant, causing some nearby cultivators to wet themselves.

  “Gong Lan!” Cha Ming yelled, calling his friend back to her senses.

  “Perfect,” she whispered soft
ly, sending a chill down Cha Ming’s spine. After a few moments, she came to and realized that she had caused a scene and shot everyone a bashful look as she sheathed the blades and fastened them to her back.

  After returning to their private booth, Cha Ming performed some quick mental calculations. He estimated that he had 2,000 mid-grade spirit stones’ worth of crystalized elemental essence to liquidate. That was the equivalent of twenty million low-grade spirit stones.

  “Brother Hong,” Cha Ming asked, “how much do you think those custom crafting slots will auction for?”

  Hong Lai thought for a moment before replying. “Three million spirit stones.”

  “That much? Why would it be so high?” Cha Ming complained. His nouveau riche mentality quickly faded as he realized that he was only wealthy for a qi condensation cultivator.

  “Well, it’s because these famous artisans are foundation-establishment elders,” Hong Lai replied. “Their level in their craft enables them to make magic treasures. Many of the people participating in the auction will, in fact, be asking them to create their future weapons. These people are geniuses within their families, and their elders are willing to bet a significant fortune on their future, as it is closely tied to the destiny of their family.”

  Cha Ming sighed. “It looks like I’ll have to go for a pill-crafting slot and ignore my weapon for now. Alas, Brother Hong, I’m still too poor.”

  “Oh? What kind of weapon were you looking to have crafted?” Hong Lai asked with interest. He was a spiritual blacksmith, after all.

  “I’d like Han Jinlong to craft a soul-alloy staff. The staff must be six feet long and two inches wide. The problem is, I’ve heard that soul alloy is an extremely difficult material to craft, and I dare not trust anyone but Han Jinlong for this matter.” Cha Ming’s eyes were downcast. As the bearded man in the Clear Sky Brush had said, life before weapon.

  “That… that is a huge amount of soul alloy. Are you sure you don’t want it made with another material?” Hong Lai asked.

  “Yes, and I understand that most soul-alloy weapons are small or thin. However, I really need the weight-increasing and length-manipulation properties intrinsic to soul alloy for my staff arts. I also practice five-element cultivation, and any other material will skew my fighting style. Besides, I already have enough soul alloy, and I only need to contract a spiritual blacksmith that can work with it.”

  “You already have such a huge amount of soul alloy?” Hong Lai asked, amazed. “Well, you’re in luck. Don’t bother with this auction. I’ll simply ask for a favor from my master, Bei Ling. While he is not the best spiritual blacksmith in the city, Han Jinlong himself would not dare say he is my master’s match at crafting soul-alloy weapons!”

  Cha Ming was elated. Hong Lai’s offer was like receiving coal in the winter. He graciously accepted.

  Now that his most pressing problem was solved, he waited leisurely for the auction to begin once more. This time, an old man with white hair walked confidently out on stage, and the noisy crowd quieted. Though he wore a set of plain blue robes and his appearance was unremarkable, the man’s presence was stifling—the mark of a foundation-establishment elder.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Li Taihou, the president of the Fairweather City auction house. The contents of this auction have already been explained, so without further ado, I will proceed to the main event.” Even without a voice amplification device, Li Taihou’s voice resonated throughout the entire auction house.

  “I would like to remind you before continuing, however, that only those with silver voting paddles can participate. The rest of you may continue to watch at your leisure. The first item up for auction is the first custom pill-concoction slot. The winner will be entitled to three batches of custom pill concoction from Master Zhang Yifeng.

  “Please note that while this price includes labor, it does not include the cost of materials. Success is guaranteed with three batches of materials, as long as the grade of pills requested does not exceed low-grade magic pills. Master Zhang has guaranteed that he will make an attempt to concoct pills with each batch of materials provided, to a maximum of three. Additionally, I would like to note that this is very unusual—alchemists will usually keep excess materials when they guarantee success.

  “The starting price is one hundred mid-grade spirit stones. Each subsequent bid must raise the price by one mid-grade spirit stone. To place a bid, please yell out your offer and reveal your bidding paddle.”

  Despite his permission to begin, the people in the auction house were strangely quiet. A lone woman’s voice broke the silence, yelling out, “One hundred spirit stones.” This voice came from the sheep booth.

  The voice was answered by that of a young man, who was seated in the ox booth. “I can’t let you take a slot so cheaply. That would be an insult to Master Zhang’s skill. One hundred and ten spirit stones.”

  A third voice rang out from the white tiger booth, that of a middle-aged man. “You youngsters think you can get everything for cheap. One hundred and twenty spirit stones!”

  The trio continued bidding, and no one dared interrupt them. “Who are these three, and why does no one else bid?” Cha Ming inquired.

  “Ah, they are from the younger generation from each of the three prominent families in Fairweather City,” Hong Lai said. “While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that no one dares offend them, I think that everyone here is grateful that they are participating in the mission. As a token of respect, they will naturally let these three fight over the first three slots. Even a foreign influence wouldn’t haggle over these slots with them unless they are exceptionally arrogant. Conversely, they won’t fight over the remaining slots as a reciprocation of their goodwill. The rest of the slots are fair game.”

  Cha Ming wasn’t one to rock the boat unless someone greatly offended him. If this was the custom here, so be it. True to Hong Lai’s words, they won the first three batches with no competition. Surprisingly, they did not pursue rock-bottom prices. Instead, they kept each other in check and ensured that the item did not go for below 210 spirit stones.

  Hong Lai explained the phenomenon. “Cha Ming, you’ll notice that the minimum bid was 210 mid-grade spirit stones. This serves as a signal to the other competitors. Two hundred ten mid-grade spirit stones is the minimum acceptable price in this auction, and they will snatch away slots if this minimum price isn’t offered.”

  The auction was a lot tamer than Cha Ming imagined it would be.

  Then the fourth auction started at a record price. “Two hundred forty spirit stones!” a man shouted out passionately from the general seating area. He was a fat, middle-aged man.

  “Two hundred forty-five spirit stones!” a much younger man yelled out.

  Cha Ming knew that the prices could only increase as the quantity decreased. “Two hundred eighty spirit stones!” he increased the price sharply to deter other bidders. The auction hall was quiet for a brief moment, until the fat man bid once more.

  “Two hundred eighty-five spirit stones!” he yelled out nervously.

  “Three hundred twenty!” Cha Ming yelled out immediately. Silence ensued. After thirty breaths had passed, the auctioneer yelled out.

  “Three hundred twenty, going once! Three hundred twenty, going twice! Sold, to the man in the mastiff booth!” The elder proceeded with the remainder of the auction, but no one else in his booth participated.

  The final prices ended up ranging between 280 spirit stones and 380 spirit stones. While Cha Ming didn’t get the lowest price, he also avoided competing at the tail end of the auction, when the prices were sky high.

  With nothing better to do, their group stuck around for the final auction, the weapon auction. These slots fetched up to 400 mid-grade spirit stones, slightly higher than the pill-concoction slots. Instead of bidding, they enjoyed chatting about weaponsmithing, talisman crafting, and other things. At one point, Wu Jin recounted the story of how he had accidentally been betrothed to a fey creature.<
br />
  “I was walking by myself in the Lonely Woods, a spirit wood not far from here. It was a lucrative mission, one where we had to search for a mobile target that had been terrorizing local adventurers. At one point, I desperately needed to relieve myself. Naturally, I found a nearby tree to ‘water.’

  “Little did I know, the tree I chose was a dryad! She mistook my urination for a courting ritual, after which she became completely infatuated with me. It was impossible to separate myself from her, and I could hardly go back to town with such an innocent, untamed fey. After much effort, I was able to convince her that it would be best if I meet her elders. They were very understanding of my plight, as this sort of thing had happened to younger fey many times. It took many days, but they finally convinced the young dryad that it was a misunderstanding, and I was finally able to return to town. I had trouble peeing for a week!” Wu Jin’s story provoked a storm of laughter.

  Two hours after the auction ended, Cha Ming proceeded to the auction desk and paid with thirty-two pieces of crystalized elemental essence. While the attendant was surprised at seeing this unusual currency, she had dealt with it before and didn’t need to call the manager. Cha Ming was then led to a small room where the nine other winners of the pill-concoction slots were waiting.

  Cha Ming was the fourth to be called in, and he was ushered into a quiet room, where an older man with white hair was seated. In addition to the usual pressure he felt from foundation-establishment experts, Cha Ming felt a little something extra, like a soft pressure on his spirit. Reflexively, he released his spiritual force to counteract this intrusion.

  “Oh.” The man raised an eyebrow. Simultaneously, Cha Ming felt the pressure undulate, and he was forced to constantly adjust the pressure he felt from the experienced alchemist. After thirty breaths, he was finally unable to endure the fierce wrestling match, and his spiritual force collapsed. The man’s spiritual force did not continue its assault, however. Instead, the alchemist clapped and smiled.