The appraiser carefully examined the sharp edge of the iron sword, then pressed two fingers of one hand onto the blade. With a light shout, the fire god power contained within the sword immediately rebounded!

“Puff!”

A wisp of flame shot out from the blade, and the appraiser couldn’t help but burst into hearty laughter: “Not bad, it’s a fine sword, grade—ninth!”

“Oh? A ninth-grade weapon?”

The fat supervisor laughed heartily: “Excellent, excellent. A weapon of this caliber is already a powerful tool for generals charging into battle. Recently, the empire has been acquiring high-grade weapons, so this one should fetch a good price.”

As he spoke, the fat supervisor held the weapon and walked up to Ryan Bennett, smiling as he said, “May I ask, Young Master Ryan Bennett, does this sword already have a name?”

Ryan Bennett looked confused and shook his head: “Does it need a name?”

“Of course. Any weapon of this grade should have a unique name. This is your weapon, please name it!”

Ryan Bennett pondered for a moment and said, “Let’s call it ‘Minghuo’ (Bright Flame)!”

“‘Minghuo’? Good, that’s a great name. This Minghuo Sword will surely shine at this auction. Young Master Ryan Bennett, please be sure to attend our event this afternoon. At that time, we will give you ninety percent of the auction proceeds, and the remaining ten percent will be our small guild’s fee. What do you think?”

“Alright, I’ll be there, but please keep it quiet.”

The supervisor understood Ryan Bennett’s meaning and immediately smiled: “Rest assured, after the transaction is complete, we’ll handle the notarization and handover in the back hall!”

“Good!”

After signing a document, Ryan Bennett left the Qinglei Auction House.

……

Inner chamber of the Qinglei Auction House.

The fat supervisor respectfully held the Minghuo Sword and said, “Miss, the young master of the Fire God Ye family brought a ninth-grade sword this morning. Please take a look!”

In front of the fat supervisor stood a graceful woman, draped in a snow-white long robe. Her face was round and delicate, her eyes sparkled like stars, and she wore a low-cut gauze dress that barely covered her ample curves. She was an enchanting woman—just a single glance from her was enough to unsettle anyone’s heart.

“Oh?”

The woman slowly stood up and smiled slightly: “It seems the Ye family isn’t doing so well, to actually put a ninth-grade weapon up for auction. This must be the work of Peter Bennett. In the entire Ye family, only he can forge eighth- and ninth-grade weapons.”

The fat supervisor nodded and said, “Peter Bennett is a renowned master weaponsmith in Liangcheng, producing an eighth-grade weapon every two years on average, and three ninth-grade weapons each year. But I didn’t expect them to be willing to sell such a fine weapon at auction—this is quite rare.”

The woman giggled and said, “Isn’t it obvious? The Ye family is declining more and more among the eight Fire God clans. Despite Nathan Bennett’s years of hard work, he still can’t reverse the family’s decline. In a few more years, there may only be seven surnames left among the Fire God clans!”

“Haha! Miss, you are wise. Still, it’s not bad—if Peter Bennett can forge a few more eighth-grade weapons in his lifetime, it will bring some popularity to our Qinglei Auction House!”

“Mm, get to it right away. Sell this Minghuo Sword as the grand finale, and don’t let it go for less than 1,000 taels of silver!”

“Miss, what if no one can afford 1,000 taels of silver?”

“Don’t worry. Every family hopes to acquire a ninth-grade weapon. In such a large Liangcheng, there are at least ten prosperous families—how could no one buy it?”

In the hall, the charming young woman smiled confidently, her beautiful smile like a spring breeze, making the servants even more respectful.

This woman was none other than the owner of the Qinglei Auction House, daughter of James Ray, Little Daisy, known as the most beautiful woman in Liangcheng and the actual person in charge of the auction house. Ever since James Ray retired, the entire auction house had been under Little Daisy’s control.

A woman of about twenty, yet she controlled the largest auction house in Liangcheng—one could imagine Little Daisy’s capabilities.

……

In the afternoon, at the Qinglei Auction House, after the “Plucking the Green” ceremony, it was time to auction weapons and armor.

The vast venue was filled with no fewer than three hundred people, including warriors carrying weapons and noble youths dressed in fine silks. Liangcheng was originally part of the Chu Kingdom, and many Chu nobles remained, becoming the city’s upper class—many of whom were martial enthusiasts.

Generally speaking, a ninth-grade weapon was already a rare treasure for anyone, while eighth-, seventh-, and sixth-grade weapons were objects of noble collection. The Ye family’s third-grade divine weapon, Yaoyang, was coveted by all, but no one dared to touch it—not because of Nathan Bennett’s strength, but because of the Fire God clan’s patriarch, Frank Parker, a mighty figure with earth-level ninth-rank power who had long intimidated the entire city. Who would dare covet the Fire God clan’s heirloom?

Ryan Bennett arrived at the auction house on time, found a seat in a corner, and sat down, his expression calm, as if he had nothing to do with the auction. Dressed in a deep blue robe, he looked cold and reserved, his true strength hidden.

Not far away, a group of noble ladies kept casting surprised glances at him, clearly attracted by Ryan Bennett’s attire. No one knew the background of this young man in blue, carrying a rusty sword on his back.