# Chapter 9: The Truth of Three Years Ago
"That's right! It's indeed a spirit-grade lower-class sword technique, and moreover, it was personally drawn as sword move diagrams by a powerful Heaven Extreme Realm senior!"
Lin Fengxian's face showed joy as he immediately put away the oral formula and sword move diagrams of the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique.
Excellent!
Having purchased this spirit-grade lower-class sword technique, the Lin Clan's foundation could increase by a large margin.
The Grand Steward walked up to Zhang Ruochen and said, "Sir, the 'Heavenly Heart Sword Technique' was auctioned for a total of one million two hundred forty thousand silver coins. After deducting the twelve thousand silver coins paid to the auction house, the total is one million two hundred twenty-eight thousand silver coins. May I ask if you wish to exchange all of it for spirit crystals? Or exchange it for blood pills? Or deposit it into the Martial Market Bank?"
When ordinary people traded, they used copper coins, silver coins, and gold coins. However, when martial artists traded, they generally used blood pills or spirit crystals.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Deposit one million two hundred thousand silver coins into the Martial Market Bank, exchange twenty thousand silver coins for spirit crystals, and just give me the remaining eight thousand silver coins directly."
Half an hour later, the Grand Steward handed Zhang Ruochen a card made of yellow crystal stone and said, "Sir, this is a three-star noble card from the Martial Market Bank. One million two hundred thousand silver coins have already been deposited into the card."
A "noble card" was a symbol of status. In the Yunwu Commandery, very few people possessed a three-star noble card.
Having a three-star noble card meant that your wealth had reached over one million silver coins.
Afterward, the Grand Steward also handed Zhang Ruochen a bundle containing twenty spirit crystals and eight thousand silver coins.
Without saying a word, Zhang Ruochen picked up the bundle and walked out of the central auction house.
"That person's back looks so familiar!"
Lin Ningshan stared at the gradually receding dark figure, a sense of familiarity rising in her heart.
Lin Fengxian said, "I also feel a bit familiar. I should have seen him in the royal palace. This person is very extraordinary. His true identity is probably quite frightening."
Lin Ningshan asked curiously, "Father, why do you say that?"
Lin Fengxian's face turned solemn as he said, "The ink on the 'Heavenly Heart Sword Technique' hasn't dried completely, which means the sword move diagrams were drawn today. And the person who drew the 'Heavenly Heart Sword Technique' must be a Heaven Extreme Realm expert."
"In other words, either he himself is that Heaven Extreme Realm expert, or there is a Heaven Extreme Realm expert behind him. In either case, this person is not someone we can provoke."
"A Heaven Extreme Realm expert..." Lin Ningshan was extremely shocked. "Even Grandfather seems to have not broken through to the Heaven Extreme Realm yet."
Lin Fengxian nodded, a look of longing appearing in his eyes.
The four great realms of martial arts: Yellow Extreme Realm, Mysterious Extreme Realm, Earth Extreme Realm, Heaven Extreme Realm.
"Heaven Extreme Realm" represented the ultimate realm of martial arts, known as the martial arts myth. A single person could withstand an army of one hundred thousand, truly a powerful expert.
Beyond the Heaven Extreme Realm, one surpassed the scope of martial arts, even transcending the mortal body. The various methods displayed were unimaginable to ordinary martial artists.
Lin Ningshan said, "There shouldn't be many Heaven Extreme Realm experts in the royal palace either. If we investigate, we might be able to find out who it is."
Lin Fengxian's face turned stern. "Don't do such a foolish thing. If we anger that Heaven Extreme Realm expert, our entire Lin Clan will pay a heavy price."
Lin Ningshan's eyes sparkled with wisdom as she said, "Father, I have a doubt. Since he is a big figure in the royal palace, he shouldn't lack silver coins. Why would he take out a spirit-grade sword technique for auction?"
Lin Fengxian pondered for a moment. "The eight spirit-grade martial techniques of the royal clan are all famous combat techniques, and the 'Heavenly Heart Sword Technique' is not among them. It's best we don't investigate this matter further. A Heaven Extreme Realm expert is not someone our Lin Clan can afford to offend."
"Shan'er, you possess the Sword Path Divine Martial Mark and are the best candidate to cultivate the 'Heavenly Heart Sword Technique.' After returning, you should go into seclusion and cultivate it. If you can successfully practice the first sword move within three months, you will surely shine brilliantly among the young talents of the royal relatives during the year-end assessment."
...
Leaving the central auction house, Zhang Ruochen walked out of the Martial Market and circled around the royal city. Finding a secluded spot, he took off his black cloak and unicorn-inlaid gold boots, placed them into the time-space crystal, and changed back into a pair of ordinary cloth shoes.
With this outfit, he looked like an ordinary young martial artist.
"No one should recognize me as the mysterious person who auctioned the Heavenly Heart Sword Technique."
Carrying the bundle containing spirit crystals and silver coins, Zhang Ruochen re-entered the Martial Market and began purchasing the items he needed.
First, he spent four thousand silver coins to buy twenty portions of marrow-washing liquid.
Then, he spent one thousand silver coins to buy two hundred blood pills. With his current cultivation, first-grade blood pills were sufficient. Two hundred first-grade blood pills would last him half a year.
Next, he bought two other medicines for improving cultivation: "Body Tempering Powder" and "Qi Gathering Pills."
The prices of these two medicines were extremely expensive. Even the genius disciples of major families couldn't afford such treasures during the early Yellow Extreme Realm.
For Zhang Ruochen, who was "wealthy and generous," as long as it could quickly improve his cultivation, spending any amount of silver coins was worth it.
In the end, he spent five spirit crystals to buy five portions of Body Tempering Powder.
He spent ten spirit crystals to buy ten Qi Gathering Pills.
Additionally, he spent five hundred silver coins to buy Bone and Tendon Restoration Ointment for Yun'er. Not counting the one million two hundred thousand silver coins deposited in the Martial Market Bank, he still had five spirit crystals and two thousand five hundred silver coins left on him.
After putting all the purchased pills into the time-space crystal, Zhang Ruochen returned to the royal palace.
"Sister Yun'er, this is the Bone and Tendon Restoration Ointment I bought for you. It should help your arm recover faster." Zhang Ruochen took out an exquisite ebony box and handed it to Yun'er.
Yun'er was slightly stunned for a moment, then hurriedly took the ebony box and opened it.
A fragrant medicinal scent immediately wafted out from the box.
Her heart was both grateful and very surprised. She asked, "Your Highness the Ninth Prince, where... where did you get the silver coins to buy Bone and Tendon Restoration Ointment?"
You see, the cheapest Bone and Tendon Restoration Ointment cost two hundred silver coins. The better ones even cost five hundred silver coins.
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, "Sister Yun'er, I have some secrets that I can't tell you for now. I hope you can keep them for me."
Yun'er stared deeply at Zhang Ruochen, nodded, and then whispered, "Can I tell Consort Lin?"
"Not for now," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Alright, I promise you." Yun'er tightly gripped the ebony box in her hand, a sense of relief rising in her heart. Since His Highness the Ninth Prince could spend several hundred silver coins to buy Bone and Tendon Restoration Ointment for her, he must have encountered some remarkable opportunity.
Perhaps His Highness the Ninth Prince could also become a martial arts expert in the future!
Zhang Ruochen asked, "There's one thing I've never understood, and I hope Sister Yun'er can tell me the truth. Since Mother is the younger sister of the Lin Clan's patriarch, why did she sever ties with the Lin Clan? What exactly happened three years ago?"
Yun'er sighed. "Because Your Highness the Ninth Prince has always been frail and couldn't handle stimulation, this matter was kept from you. Now that Your Highness has awakened the Divine Martial Mark, I'll tell you."
"You should still remember the Lin Clan's number one genius, Lin Chenyu. He was your cousin, the eldest son of the Lin Clan's patriarch. At just seventeen years old, he had already cultivated to the Yellow Extreme Realm Great Perfection."
"But three years ago, Lin Chenyu offended an even more remarkable genius. That genius broke his legs and threw him into the heavenly prison."
"How could this happen?" Zhang Ruochen said. "The Lin Clan is considered a first-tier major family in Yunwu Commandery. Who would dare throw the Lin Clan's number one genius into the heavenly prison? Could it be that the genius Lin Chenyu offended had an extremely impressive background?"
Yun'er nodded. "That's right. The person Lin Chenyu offended was the most dazzling prodigy of the Yunwu Commandery Kingdom, His Highness the Seventh Prince. In front of His Highness the Seventh Prince, all other geniuses immediately lose their luster."
"I see!" Zhang Ruochen nodded, finally understanding.
Yun'er continued. "After Lin Chenyu was thrown into the heavenly prison, the Lin Clan's patriarch immediately rushed to the royal palace to beg Consort Lin. He hoped Consort Lin could intercede with the Commandery King. As long as Lin Chenyu's life could be spared, the Lin Clan would pay any price."
"Consort Lin naturally went to seek an audience with the Commandery King immediately, but she was stopped by the Queen. It was because of this matter that Consort Lin and the Queen had a dispute. In her anger, the Queen ordered Consort Lin to be beaten thirty times with a staff. When the thirty strikes were finished, Consort Lin was covered in blood and barely breathing."
"Bang!"
Zhang Ruochen struck a pillar with his palm, gritting his teeth. "And the Yunwu Commandery King did nothing about this?"
Yun'er said, "You have to understand, His Highness the Seventh Prince is the most talented among the Commandery King's nine sons. He is deeply loved by the Commandery King, who has placed great hopes on him. The Yunwu Commandery King investigated the truth, and the entire incident was indeed entirely Lin Chenyu's fault. His Highness the Seventh Prince was almost killed by Lin Chenyu."
"Because of this matter, the Yunwu Commandery King was furious. He felt that since Lin Chenyu had committed a grave mistake, and Consort Lin still wanted to plead for him, she was simply unreasonable."
"The Yunwu Commandery King had originally doted on Consort Lin very much, but after this incident, he became much colder toward her."
Yun'er continued. "The grievances Consort Lin suffered were not understood by the Lin family. They didn't dare offend the Queen and the Seventh Prince, so they placed all the blame on Consort Lin. They felt that because Consort Lin didn't plead with the Commandery King, the Lin Clan lost a top-tier genius. From then on, the Lin Clan completely cut ties with Consort Lin, no longer recognizing her as a member of the Lin family."
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, bitterness in his heart. He felt injustice for Consort Lin. Clenching his fist, he punched the pillar and said in a deep voice, "Power! In this world, without powerful strength, one cannot establish a foothold, cannot receive fair treatment!"