socalfunplaces Chapter 58 Buddha Severes Karma, Demonic Ignorance and Delusion, Fang Chanlin's First Strike
Chapter 58 Buddha Severes Karma, Demonic Ignorance and Delusion, Fang Chanlin's First Strike
Chapter 58 The Buddha Severes Karma and Demonic Delusion, The First Strike in the Ten Directions of Zen Forest
"Brother Bao, you're like my own uncle! Can you shut up for a minute? We can't afford to mess with so many people!"
"Fourth Brother Feng, don't let your petty squabbles ruin the young master's important plans! Put the knife away immediately!"
Gongye Qian and Deng Baichuan are a bit older than Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e, but as long as they can shut these two living fathers up, they'll accept being called their own grandfathers!
Murong Fu's expression quickly turned indifferent, not because he was inscrutable, but because he was already used to it.
Murong Fu was instilled with the idea of "restoring the Xianbei and rebuilding the Xianbei royal court" from a young age. When he first started out, he thought of recruiting some failed scholars and wandering martial arts practitioners.
Having just struck up a conversation with the scholar and developed some rapport, Bao Butong uttered a single sentence, "What a useless, pedantic scholar! How come you couldn't even become a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examination)?" This marked the beginning of a deadly feud.
Having just befriended a few wandering martial artists, and preparing to use the Murong clan's abundant martial arts to recruit them, Feng Bo'e drew his sword to challenge them, and beat them so badly that their tendons and bones were broken.
There's also this bastard who appeared out of nowhere, who often kills people using the "an eye for an eye" method, and has been framed countless times.
As a local martial arts family in Suzhou with a history spanning hundreds of years, they not only failed to become local bullies, but also formed an irreconcilable conflict with the surrounding martial arts practitioners.
What frustrated Murong Fu the most was that Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e were not petty people who were jealous of talent; both of them were upright and loyal to the Murong family of Gusu.
What can Murong Fu do?
He had only four retainers and two maids by his side.
After eliminating the two retainers, what should be done with the rest?
Gongye Qian and Deng Baichuan sighed and sealed Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e's acupoints to prevent the two from making a ruckus and causing trouble for Murong Fu.
The chaos was quickly suppressed.
Everyone waited quietly for the opening lots!
Hua Baifeng lifted the red silk cloth on the tray, revealing three porcelain bottles underneath; the auction items were elixirs.
"This item is called Changhe Dan. It is a pill that my master, an old man from the frontier, painstakingly researched. It is mainly used to clear the body of toxins and impurities and to neutralize the accumulated medicinal power!"
Since ancient times, scholars have been poor while martial arts have been rich. Many mental techniques and martial arts skills require the assistance of elixirs and rare treasures. Long-term use of certain elixirs can lead to the accumulation of toxic substances in the body.
The effect of Changhe Dan is to flush out impurities from the body, just like the Yangtze River, through the eight extraordinary meridians and the five internal organs. The downside is that it can cause mild diarrhea.
Taking one pill will cause diarrhea for three to five days.
There are three bottles of Changhe Dan, with ten pills in each bottle!
Starting bid: three thousand taels!
Each increment must be at least one hundred taels!
Hua Baifeng struck the auction gavel heavily.
The Long River Pill is highly practical, especially for gangs, sects, and families. Its drawback is that it is a newly produced pill, and its specific effects are unknown.
The price of three thousand taels was right in everyone's mind. If it worked, they would make a huge profit; if it didn't work, they wouldn't lose too much. Yang Wuxie was the first to raise his sign.
"Three thousand five hundred taels!"
Yang Wuxie's offer was tantamount to guaranteeing the Long River Pill, since everyone knew that the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion had a big medicine pot that needed to be taken every day.
Di Fei laughed in surprise, "Since Brother Yang has made an offer, I'll just jokingly join in! Six thousand taels!"
Yang Yan snapped her fingers: "I am deeply grateful to the two gentlemen for gifting me the dock business. To add insult to injury, I'll add another 7,500 taels!"
Cao Yu suddenly opened his eyes. Everyone thought that Cao Yu only had "normal" desires, but they didn't know that Cao Yu had a special hobby, a very expensive one!
Swallow pills and take medicine!
Cao Yu loved taking various elixirs throughout his life.
Beauty-enhancing, detoxifying, and longevity-promoting pills—Cao Yu accepted them all. However, due to the excessive consumption of these pills, a large amount of toxicity accumulated in his body, causing his martial arts skills to decline. Among the "Grand Eunuchs" in the imperial city, Cao Yu had the worst martial arts skills, and his decline was accelerating.
If the Long River Elixir can neutralize erysipelas—
The old man from the frontier refined it, and Yang Wuxie, Di Feijing, and Yang Yan set the price. With the Hua family's reputation, it was worth the money to gamble. As long as Hua Baifeng wanted to stay in the capital, he would never dare to let Cao Yu lose money.
Cao Yu loudly proclaimed, "I admire the renowned reputation of the old man of the frontier. Since this is his masterpiece, I wish to compete for it. I will offer 15,000 taels!"
The auctioneer's words were clearly an attempt to use his power to intimidate others. Cao Yu knew the rules and didn't go too far, simply doubling the price.
The forces in the capital tacitly withdrew.
Inside Murong Fu's private room, Deng Baichuan whispered to him, "Young Master, don't fight! Cao Yu is insidious, ruthless, narrow-minded, and incredibly powerful. If we compete with him, we'll inevitably face retaliation!"
Gongye Qian waved his hand: "No! No! Young Master's ambition is to drink from the Yellow River and sweep across the world. He doesn't even dare to offend a eunuch, and he's trembling with fear because of that dog of a eunuch. How can we possibly achieve great things?"
Deng Baichuan said, "Young Master! Throughout history, those who achieve great things do not concern themselves with trifles. Cao Yu's power is too great. It would be wise for us to retreat, avoid his sharp edge, and bide our time. Why fight for a moment's pride?"
Gongye Qian retorted, "Cao Yu is a eunuch and cannot leave the capital at will. Our influence is in Suzhou. No matter how far Cao Yu's reach is, it cannot extend to Suzhou. And what about the Embroidered Uniform Guard? They are not a monolithic entity!"
Before Deng Baichuan could object, Gongye Qian said that a vote would be held, and Deng Baichuan closed his eyes in despair!
vote?
What a load of bullshit!
What are the personalities of Bao Butong and Feng Bo'e?
I'll just close my eyes and go for it, who cares about any eunuchs? If I like it, I'll buy it!
Moreover, the score wasn't three to one, but four to one. Murong Fu agreed more with Gongye Qian's view; otherwise, why would there be a vote? It was just a way to save face!
Murong Fu was young and impetuous. After years of wandering around, he had accomplished almost nothing. He was filled with resentment. He had been mocked by Yang Wuxie, Di Feijing and others, and his anger was about to burst out. He had been looking for someone to vent his anger on.
A lowly eunuch like him thinks he can make me back down?
Murong Fu called out loudly, "Eunuch Cao, auctions are about wealth, not power. Murong from Gusu has bid 20,000 taels. Are there any other bidders?"
Cao Yu's expression suddenly turned cold.
Yin Susu laughed loudly, "Even a rogue and a penniless scoundrel has made a bid, so I'll join in too. I'm here to auction the Dragon-Slaying Saber, and I don't have much change left. My humble bid is thirty thousand taels. Gentlemen, please raise the bid!"
In terms of financial resources, few people present could compare to Yin Susu, who ran a shipping business. Even if someone was wealthier than Yin Susu, they wouldn't spend money so recklessly.
It's just a pill. As long as you have the formula and find a few experienced doctors, you can refine it anytime. There's no need to compete with Yin Susu in terms of wealth just for the sake of a moment.
"Snapped!"
The auction gavel slammed down.
"Congratulations, Miss Yin, on winning the bid for Changhe Dan!"
Hua Baifeng had someone deliver the elixir to the private room, and then brought out the next item for auction, a sword manual.
"The Flying Eagle Sword Technique" is the signature sword technique of Xue Yingzi, a swordsman from Tianshan Mountain. It consists of sixty-four moves, each of which is extremely ruthless. The sword moves in a spiraling, swirling motion, combining curves and straight lines. The sword is like a flying eagle, and the momentum is like waves, making it mysterious and unpredictable.
Starting bid: 8,000 taels!
Each increment must be at least five hundred taels!
Inside the warm pavilion, Yang Yan whispered, "Xue Yingzi is ranked thirty-third on the Earthly Fiends List. He has been famous for forty years. In his youth, he fought against masters such as Xuanji Yishi, Shangguan Tianye, and Zhang Danfeng, and was defeated every time."
Xuanji Yishi and Zhang Danfeng are chivalrous figures who often show mercy when they strike. Shangguan Tianye, on the other hand, is an absolute villain. To escape from Shangguan Tianye's clutches, one must possess some skill, at least considerable lightness skill.
"Is his sword manual very valuable?"
"It's worth at most five thousand taels, so the starting bid should be set at two thousand five hundred taels. Unless it's a martial arts family or a gang that can pass down the sword manual through generations, buying a sword manual for eight thousand taels is just a waste of money!"
Yang Yan's analysis is absolutely correct.
Only a few scattered guests raised their placards, and it was eventually bought by Li Yanbei for 9,500 taels of silver. Li Yanbei was skilled in swordsmanship, but his agility was somewhat lacking. The agile moves in the sword manual were of great help to him.
Hua Man Pawnshop is not only open to martial arts practitioners.
Yang Yan used elixirs and sword manuals to warm up the atmosphere before auctioning off antiques, calligraphy and paintings, jewelry, jade, rare iron, and ancient books from the pre-Qin period. After reviewing the auction list, Yang Yan selected valuable items in advance for Beitang Xin'er to purchase.
Yang Yan herself bought two scrolls of calligraphy and paintings.
A bamboo manual illustrated by Wu Zhen.
A copy of the "Timely Clearing After Snowfall" calligraphy scroll.
Yin Susu was wealthy and generous. She would buy whatever she liked without hesitation. She always used her wealth to pressure others, and she only called out once each time. Seeing this, none of the guests dared to raise the price arbitrarily, lest they be forced into a corner.
As is well known, auctions often involve "shills".
Hua Baifeng was unprepared, and these caregivers were driven to distraction by Yin Susu. They couldn't afford not to raise prices, nor could they raise prices arbitrarily, and in the end, they all went to waste.
Yin Susu and Beitang Xin'er worked together tacitly and bought seven or eight treasures, which can be described as a great harvest.
"Baiyun Bear Bile Pills, consigned for auction by the Hengshan Sect, an excellent medicine for treating internal injuries, three bottles, ten pills per bottle, starting bid three thousand taels, final bid eight thousand taels!"
"Heavenly Fragrance Bone-Mending Glue, consigned for auction by the Hengshan Sect, is a medicinal ointment for treating external injuries. One box, weighing approximately six taels, started at two thousand taels, and sold for five thousand taels!"
"The Fuling Shouwu Pill, made from thousand-year-old ginseng, poria cocos, and he shou wu shaped like a human, treats internal and external injuries. It is mild in nature and can be taken even by a one-month-old infant. It was ultimately sold for 30,000 taels!"
"The Xuan Tie Dagger, about one foot long, is a work by the master swordsmith Shao Kongzi. It can cut through iron like mud and is indestructible. The starting price was seven thousand taels, and the final price was twenty thousand taels."
"Iron Fist, a grappling technique, a secret art passed down by the Yan family of the North. Five fingers like hooks, claws sharp and powerful, capable of crushing an enemy's joints in attack and defending against vital points in defense. Starting bid: 10,000 taels; final bid: 35,000 taels!"
"The Phoenix Talisman, a unique hidden weapon of the infamous witch Shui Hongshao, who was renowned throughout the martial arts world thirty years ago. It resembles a bamboo skewer and is coated with the deadly poison Seven-Step Heartbreak Red." Ten talismans in total, starting bid 5,000 taels, sold for 7,000 taels!
"Golden Silk Soft Armor, an inner armor woven from black gold silk and celestial silk by the skilled craftsmen of the Xue family, the Divine Needle Master. It consists of two pieces, front and back, connected by buttons under the armpits. It can be worn by any body type. The transaction price is thirty thousand taels!"
After buying the gold-threaded soft armor, Yin Susu tried it on herself a couple of times and felt that it would be a waste to wear it as inner armor. She thought it would be better to take it apart and make two gold-threaded bellybands.
As each item was sold, the auction progressed to the penultimate stage—the blind box event!
These weren't the blind box openings of later generations, but rather items whose appraisers couldn't give an accurate valuation: fragments of divine weapons, scattered ancient books, half-finished sword manuals, and paintings and treasure boxes supposedly containing secrets that no one could decipher.
Treasure map.
This is Yang Yan's favorite part.
This process tests your eyesight and luck.
Yang Yan is very confident in her eyesight.
Soon, one treasure after another was displayed.
Yang Yan quickly assessed: "That broken sword was forged from black gold sand mixed with silver essence. It was pierced from the inside out by a powerful move and is now completely ruined."
The Hanlin Academy might be interested in these pre-Qin bamboo slips. Let's buy them and present them to Scholar Huang in a few days.
The sword manual was burned vertically in half, leaving only half of each page, and not even half a sword move remained.
The painting "Golden Carp Swimming in Waves" is a work by the eccentric martial arts master Jinlong Laoren from three hundred years ago. It is said that the one hundred golden carp depicted in the painting contain a set of martial arts skills that are rare in the world, called "Fish and Dragon Transformations," which no one has been able to comprehend to this day.
The incomplete sword manual appears to be in Sanskrit—"Endured by five hundred winds, five hundred rains, and five hundred eons of dust"—
The knife is not a bridge, and the person is not a stone.
Love continues, but so does the calamity.
The Buddha cuts through causes and conditions, emptying the form and appearance; the demon, clinging to delusion, locks the golden body.
Sitting in meditation in stagnation, one ignites the fire of karma.
The boat on the other shore, the bridge of eternal torment.
Standing like a stone bridge, watching the flowing water, all emotions pass by without touching the body.
The sword leads the mortal world three thousand feet deep; a single thought clarifies the sky, and all things are renewed.
This is—this is—A-Dao!
Qingya, you must buy this manual!
This is the Ananda knife technique!
The First Strike in the Ten Directions Zen Forest!
Slaying both Buddha and demon, tempering the heart in the mortal world.
"Once you master this method, you will be free from inner demons."
Yang Yan looked at Xu Qingya with great excitement.
Xu Qingya asked in surprise, "The appraisers under Hua Baifeng don't understand Sanskrit? Don't they recognize that this is a peerless sword manual? Why are they putting it up for auction?"
Yang Yan looked at Xu Qingya with admiration: "Because this set of sword techniques is too difficult to master, only a peerless genius like Qingya can comprehend the Stone Bridge Zen."