Zombie Bodyguard-Chapter 1464 - 1461: Medicinal Herbs
Lin Tian glanced at his black iron staff, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Where did you get this black iron staff?"
"It’s from my family. As for how my family got it, I don’t know. When my dad took it down from the beam, it was covered in dust and looked pitch black, but it was quite heavy and handy to use, so I decided to keep it," Xing Shan thought for a moment and replied honestly.
"Let me take a look." Lin Tian reached out, gesturing for it.
Xing Shan didn’t think much and handed the iron staff to Lin Tian. After receiving the black iron staff, Lin Tian’s wrist slightly sank; it was quite hefty. For an average person, lifting it single-handedly would indeed be a bit difficult.
Gripping the black iron staff, he swung it with a move called Powerful Splitting Hua Mountain. Whoosh, the force of the staff created a gust of wind, making the bead curtains clatter.
Xing Shan’s eyes lit up as he couldn’t help but praise, "Senior, that strike was truly powerful."
Lin Tian neither confirmed nor denied, tossing back the black iron staff, and said, "Your black iron staff is not bad. If you auction it off at Langya Pavilion, it’ll definitely be worth more than the Black Teeth Dagger."
"No way, it just looks like a fire poker," Xing Shan said in disbelief, eyes wide open.
"I can’t explain it to you, but just make sure you don’t sell it off at a low price," Lin Tian advised.
Although it’s called a black iron staff, Lin Tian didn’t actually know what material it was made of. It just looked metallic, so he was temporarily calling it a black iron staff.
The reason he could determine the black iron staff was better than the Black Teeth Dagger was because, when he tested the force, the black iron staff withstood thirty percent of his strength. Given Lin Tian’s current level, thirty percent of his strength was not insignificant. Typically, swords and blades couldn’t even withstand ten percent of his strength.
After some thought, Lin Tian added, "If you ever face any financial difficulties in the future, you can head to Xikou City and find someone named Ghost who can offer you a job opportunity."
"A job? Senior, don’t joke with me. In addition to the bit of skill I have, I don’t know anything else. I don’t have a degree or any certificates, who would want me?" Xing Shan shook his head.
Judging by the looks of it, he’s encountered quite a few rejections. With his build, even security guards might be reluctant to hire him, for fear he’d cause trouble given his intimidating muscles.
"Education and diplomas only represent a form of experience; don’t worry about those things. Whether in society or in university, what counts is one’s own effort. Your martial skill is a result of your own hard work, and it’s a valuable skill. Trust me, the job there will suit you well," Lin Tian remarked, seeing the big guy had a decent character, he offered some extra advice.
Xing Shan scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and replied, "Senior, actually... most of my strength wasn’t acquired through cultivation; I’ve been naturally strong since birth, stronger than others. We poor kids can’t compare to those ancient martial families, we have no chance to learn profound Cultivation Techniques, nor can we find famous teachers."
"My grandfather encountered Ancient Martial Artists when he was younger and learned some breathing techniques. I practiced with my grandfather as well. This time coming to Tang City, it was from my grandfather’s inquiries; he hoped I could come here, perhaps gain some opportunities to learn superior Cultivation Techniques, instead of wasting my innate talent," Xing Shan explained in detail, echoing his grandfather’s words.
"So you’re naturally strong?" Lin Tian was quite surprised and said, "Then I understand why your grandfather wanted you to come here; perhaps he hoped you’d chance upon some masterly guidance."
Xing Shan shook his head and said, "I dare not hope for guidance from a master. Those masters all belong to ancient martial families; how could they possibly share their Cultivation Techniques? But Langya Pavilion’s auction might offer some ancient martial arts techniques."
"Auctioning ancient martial arts techniques? That might be possible." Lin Tian mused, speaking softly.
While the two talked, the black-clad guard presented another auction item, this time a square wooden box, but Ling Xiao did not open it.
"I suppose some of you have already seen item number two on the auction manual, so naturally, you know why I am not opening the wooden box," Ling Xiao said loudly.
However, some people who hadn’t seen it, like Lin Tian, were naturally curious about the contents of the wooden box.
"Miss Ling, those who got the auction manual certainly know, but many of us haven’t received it, could you please give us a brief introduction?" A martial artist on the first floor stood up and requested.
Ling Xiao gestured for him to sit and then calmly said, "Item number two is a medicinal herb that needs to be stored in a special wooden box. It’s called Purple Lotus Root..."
Purple Lotus Root? Lin Tian was stunned, and "Shennong Emperor’s Medical Scripture" flashed through his mind. In a recipe for an Elixir, Purple Lotus Root was listed, indicating that this Purple Lotus Root was no ordinary herb but could be used in Elixir refining.
"The Purple Lotus Root grows in high-altitude waters and is extremely hard to find. But I can freely offer everyone a piece of information. Purple Lotus Roots have been found in places like the Heavenly Pond on Heaven Mountain and the Unfrozen Spring on Kunlun Mountain," Ling Xiao graciously shared.
"We’re not doctors. What do we need this herb for?" someone questioned, evidently not very interested in the plant.
Many shared this thought, realizing that the Purple Lotus Root might go unsold as it seemed no one wanted it. Unselling items at auctions was common, but it was unusual for Langya Pavilion since no item ever failed to sell there; everything was a rare treasure.
Ling Xiao glanced at the crowd and calmly remarked, "According to the information we have, Purple Lotus Root can be used in alchemy. While none of you are physicians or pharmacists, if someone happens to acquire Purple Lotus Root and a pharmacist urgently needs it, what do you think will happen?"
Although Ling Xiao didn’t explicitly say it, everyone immediately thought of one thing: they could trade Purple Lotus Root with a pharmacist for Elixirs, and they could make connections with pharmacists—the benefits of which were enough to excite anyone.
The Ancient Martial Artists on site were certainly excited, even those from ancient families were eager. There isn’t an Ancient Martial Artist who wouldn’t be stirred by the involvement of pharmacists and Elixirs.
What seemed like an unsold herb suddenly drew excitement from the crowd, merely with a few words from Ling Xiao. As the chief auctioneer of Langya Pavilion, Ling Xiao lived up to her reputation, piquing even Lin Tian’s interest.
"Purple Lotus Root, starting bid at three hundred thousand, with each increment no less than ten thousand. The auction begins now!" Once the crowd quieted, Ling Xiao crisply announced the start of the auction.
"Six hundred thousand!"
Just as Ling Shuiyao finished speaking, someone immediately doubled the price. Everyone looked up to see it was from one of the private boxes. An ancient martial family finally made a move, and they started with a high bid. Although six hundred thousand was nothing to a family, it did silence many Ancient Martial Artists.
