Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 55 - Who Do You Think You Are?

The streets were lined with shops on both sides, bustling with activity and noise. There were weaponry workshops, herbal shops, clothes stores, and many others.

Zen City, with a population twice that of Azure Billow City, was situated in a prime location at the foot of the Great Row Mountain Range, with a trade route connecting it to Lin City. Its proximity to Azure Billow City only added to its advantages.

As a result, Zen City’s standing had been steadily rising over the years, and their second-place ranking in the previous year’s competition had cemented their position in the Great Yan Dynasty’s alchemy world.

Liu Wuxie strolled in the city, occasionally walking into the stores, but he didn’t buy anything. Ordinary items couldn’t catch his attention, and the owners were unwilling to take out precious items.

After about an hour of wandering, Liu Wuxie and Lei Tao came across a crowded spot where many people gathered, tiptoeing to look inside the circle of onlookers.

“What’s going on over there?” Liu Wuxie inquired. This was his first visit to Zen City, but Lei Tao had been there many times before on business and was quite familiar with the area.

“That’s the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce up ahead. It’s a free market that sells a wide variety of items, many of which are quite rare,” Lei Tao explained. The Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce had a formidable reputation, and no such organization existed in Azure Billow City, which was too small to support one.

The market was bustling with activity, and one could find items at the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce that were not available through normal channels. There were even rumors of people discovering treasures there.

“Let’s go in and take a look,” Liu Wuxie suggested. Since they were out exploring the city, it would be a shame to pass up this opportunity, especially since they might find something worth buying.

As they made their way through the crowd, they arrived at the gates of the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce, which towered five meters high. There were six gates in total, wide enough to allow ten people to pass through at once.

Inside, the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce was a vast hall divided into six passages. Upon entering, one could choose which path to take. This was a free market where customers could speak directly with merchants if they saw something they liked. Unlike other shops with counters for buying and selling goods, this place was primarily for exhibitions. The walls on both sides were adorned with famous paintings and antiques whose significance was lost on most visitors. There were also materials from demonic beasts on display.

A one-meter-wide channel of water separated the walls from the passages, preventing visitors from touching the displays. Customers had to rely on their eyesight when making purchases.

“Are there really treasures to be found here?” Liu Wuxie couldn’t help but ask as he walked down the right-hand side passage, glancing at the shelves on either side.

“There are rumors of people purchasing ancient martial techniques and fragments of artifacts,” Lei Tao replied, rubbing his head. These were all rumors, and no one knew for certain if they were true.

Liu Wuxie smiled, not taking the rumors too seriously. The two continued deeper into the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce, where the crowds thinned out, and most people remained near the entrance.

The items in the outer region were relatively ordinary, while those in the deeper areas included famous paintings, calligraphies, and recently unearthed antiques. The high prices deterred many potential buyers.

As Liu Wuxie and Lei Tao made their way through the passage, their view opened up to reveal a building with a circular roof. Inside, seven to eight young men were pointing at the calligraphies and paintings on the wall as they discussed among themselves.

“I heard Master Mo painted this painting, but it’s a pity that the price is too high. If it were slightly cheaper, I might consider buying it for my collection,” a young man remarked, looking at the landscape painting.

“Brother Du, are you sure Master Mo painted this? I heard Master Mo wasn’t proficient in landscape painting. In my opinion, Master Kuang must have done this painting. Look at the landscape; it’s painted with a wild style that fits Master Kuang’s personality.” The two young men had differing opinions. Master Mo and Master Kuang were famous master painters, and their works were highly sought after whenever they appeared in the market.

These painters had lived during previous dynasties. After a hundred-year war, few authentic works remained, and each one was considered priceless.

As soon as Liu Wuxie entered the room, more than a dozen pairs of eyes turned to focus on him, and he could feel the hostility in one particular gaze.

“Hmm? Is that the alchemist from Azure Billow City? Shouldn’t he be holed up in the Treasure Pill Pavilion, brushing up on his alchemy skills so he doesn’t embarrass himself tomorrow?” a youth sneered. Liu Wuxie had been absorbed in studying the paintings on the walls when he entered and had paid no attention to anyone else, but he was immediately met with ridicule.

“Brother Xiao, who is this person? Do you know him?” another youth inquired, eyeing Liu Wuxie with a mixture of curiosity and malice.

“He’s the new alchemist from Azure Billow City. He’s probably barely old enough to shave, and I bet Azure Billow City couldn’t find anyone better to represent them in the competition,” Xiao Mingyi sneered. He had met Liu Wuxie earlier and slandered him, so he was surprised to run into him again so soon.

The other youths looked at Liu Wuxie with a mixture of doubt and confusion.

Liu Wuxie disregarded their reactions and continued to study the paintings on the wall. Lei Tao had already shared the information about these people with him. The one who had spoken was called Xiao Mingyi, Yun Lan’s disciple. It was at his instigation that Wen Song had sought to cause trouble for Liu Wuxie earlier.

The blue-clothed youth was Du Mingze, a three-star alchemist from Ning City. This person had a high status and was ranked sixth in the previous year’s competition. The other youths came from different cities but had known each other for a long time.

When Xiao Mingyi received no response from Liu Wuxie after some time, he grew increasingly frustrated, as if he had punched a cushion.

“Brat, how dare you ignore me?!” he roared, stepping forward as if he were about to make a move. He stood before Liu Wuxie, eager to see how he would evade him this time.

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Liu Wuxie retorted, his gaze mocking. His words nearly choked Xiao Mingyi with rage, but Liu Wuxie wasn’t finished yet. “You’ve been yapping like a mad dog since I arrived. The reason I’ve been ignoring you is that you’re not worth my attention. Are you satisfied with that answer?”

Liu Wuxie’s words were like an invisible slap on Xiao Mingyi’s face, causing his complexion to flush with anger. Nothing could have been more cutting than Liu Wuxie’s words, especially given Xiao Mingyi’s exalted status as a two-star alchemist. A terrifying wave of murderous intent emanated from Xiao Mingyi, causing the water in the channels on both sides to splash.

“You want to make a move?” Liu Wuxie revealed a harmless smile. As long as Xiao Mingyi dared to make a move, Liu Wuxie wouldn’t hesitate to take his life on the spot.

The standoff continued for several tense moments as Xiao Mingyi clenched his fists. But just as he was about to raise his hand, someone intervened. A portly man stepped forward and interrupted the two of them.

“Brother, you’re from Azure Billow City. Are you an alchemist as well?” he asked.

The man who intervened was Wan Yichun, and he hailed from Balance City. In the previous year’s competition, he had ranked 31st, just one place below Boundless City.

Liu Wuxie nodded in response but didn’t have a favorable impression of the people gathered there. He couldn’t understand what had made them so arrogant.

“Since we’re all alchemists, we should be able to talk things out. We’re all gentlemen; fighting and killing is the behavior of brutes,” Wan Yichun said. Many alchemists looked down on martial cultivators, considering alchemy to be a noble profession and developing a haughty demeanor as a result.

“Brother Wan is right. We’re all alchemists of the Treasure Pill Pavilion, and it would be unseemly for us to speak of fighting and killing. With so many paintings and calligraphies on display, wouldn’t it be better for us to appreciate them instead?” several others chimed in, agreeing with Wan Yichun’s reasoning. Alchemists primarily focused on refining pills and seldom engaged in physical combat.

With so many people urging him to stand down, the murderous intent in Xiao Mingyi’s eyes dissipated. He glared at Liu Wuxie, silently warning him that this matter was far from over.

“Brother Liu, since you represent Azure Billow City, we are all part of the same family. Why don’t we appreciate the paintings and calligraphy together?” Du Mingze suggested. It would have been impolite for Liu Wuxie to refuse, as Du Mingze held the highest status among those present. It was rare for anyone ranked in the top five to make an appearance.

Liu Wuxie was caught in a dilemma. If he refused Du Mingze’s invitation, he would risk offending him. But if he accepted, the others might try to target him.

“Since Brother Du has extended an invitation, I would not dare to refuse,” Liu Wuxie replied, his tone humble. This surprised everyone, including Lei Tao, who couldn’t understand why Liu Wuxie had suddenly become so accommodating.

Even Du Mingze was taken aback by Liu Wuxie’s response. Liu Wuxie had changed his attitude so quickly, going from mocking Xiao Mingyi to being humble and deferential. This unpredictability left everyone baffled.

“Brother Liu, we’re discussing if Master Mo or Master Kuang did this landscape painting. What do you think?” Du Mingze asked, gesturing towards the painting in question.

The painting they had been standing before was a landscape depicting the Great Row Mountain Range at its center. The canvas was alive with vivid depictions of demonic beasts and people engaged in battle.

“Brother Du, I think you’re overestimating him. He’s from Azure Billow City and is still so young. I doubt he’s ever seen a painting as valuable as this one, so let’s not make things difficult for him,” Xiao Mingyi interjected, his tone dripping with sarcasm. The others covered their mouths to stifle their laughter. They had all known each other for years, and Liu Wuxie was a newcomer. No one wanted to risk offending a genius alchemist for the sake of a newcomer.

Du Mingze and Xiao Mingyi were surprisingly close, as they both hailed from Ning City. Xiao Mingyi had become Yun Lan’s disciple by chance, and the two had privately maintained close contact ever since.

“I agree with Brother Xiao. Judging by his age, he’s probably only just been weaned. Asking him to evaluate this painting would be the greatest insult to the work,” another person spoke up. This individual was even more vicious in his words, which were laced with hatred. He was Xue Qiu, an alchemist from Plum City and a member of the Xue Clan. He was undoubtedly aware of the feud between Xue Yu and the Xu Clan.

The others joined in, echoing the sentiment, and Du Mingze’s lips curled into a smile as his scheme succeeded. But all the while, Liu Wuxie simply smiled and ignored their taunts as if they had nothing to do with him.

“Someone, take this painting down. I’ll buy it!” Xiao Mingyi shouted. His guards quickly sprang into action, and it wasn’t long before a deacon from the Thousand Seal Chamber of Commerce arrived to remove the landscape painting from the wall.

“Brother Xiao, I admire your willingness to spend 1,000,000 gold coins for a painting.” Xue Qiu flattered Xiao Mingyi. The landscape painting was not cheap, costing a staggering 1,000,000 gold coins. This was not an amount that ordinary people could afford.

If the painting were indeed an authentic work by Master Kuang, it would be worth even more, and people would be clamoring to buy it even if the price were 5,000,000 gold coins. This was because there were rumors that Master Kuang’s paintings contained hidden secrets.

Master Kuang wasn’t only a master painter and calligrapher, but he was also an expert in his martial cultivation. He had reached the True Core Realm in his cultivation, and his paintings were imbued with his martial intent, reflecting his understanding of martial arts. This was why his paintings commanded such high prices.

The transaction was swiftly completed, and only genius alchemists like Xiao Mingyi had no shortage of gold coins.

“I’m impressed that you’re willing to spend 1,000,000 gold coins to buy something that’s not even worth ten gold coins,” a voice suddenly interrupted the group.