I Can See Through Everything-Chapter 573

"Up ahead is Tianji Peak."

Lu Qing looked up. As one of the main peaks of Tianxu City, Tianji Peak was just as massive.

It dwarfed even the sacred mountains of his homeland.

The only thing it lacked was that unique, awe-inspiring pressure those sacred mountains carried.

At the summit stood an imposing structure—that was the venue for the upcoming auction.

Since the auction hadn’t officially started yet, Lu Qing and Daoist Wubao decided to wander around the peak first.

Tianji Peak, being one of the main peaks of Tianxu City, was primarily focused on commerce and wealth.

Not only did it host auctions, but it was also lined with restaurants, taverns, treasure and pill shops, and all kinds of merchant stalls.

It was a crucial source of revenue for Tianxu City.

As Lu Qing walked along the peak, he could already sense the presence of many powerful cultivators around him.

Though most people were suppressing their auras, the Dao Rhythms naturally emanating from them still betrayed their extraordinary cultivation.

After a while, Lu Qing suddenly noticed a spacious plaza up ahead where many cultivators were seated cross-legged on the ground, with an assortment of goods displayed before them.

"Daoist, what are those people doing?" Lu Qing asked curiously.

He could tell that those cultivators seated on the ground were by no means weak.

Most were Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators, but there were also a fair number of Golden Core Realm experts among them.

"They're setting up stalls," Daoist Wubao replied after glancing over.

"Setting up stalls?" Lu Qing was momentarily stunned by the term.

"That's right. Setting up stalls."

While Lu Qing had been secluded in cultivation, comprehending the intent of the sword, Daoist Wubao hadn’t been idle in their cave dwelling. Instead, he had gone out to gather intelligence.

By now, he had a fairly comprehensive grasp of the goings-on in Tianxu City.

"You see, the auction hosted by Tianxu City has pretty strict requirements when it comes to treasures.

A lot of cultivators risk their lives in the Sacred Tianxu Mountain to obtain rare items. But some of those treasures are either too low in value or difficult to appraise.

Those kinds of items usually can’t make it into the auction.

And selling them cheaply to the treasure-buying shops? Most people aren't willing to do that either.

So they simply set up stalls here and try their luck selling them directly.

Of course, setting up shop here isn’t free—they still have to pay a fee to Tianxu City."

"Oh, that's actually quite interesting."

Lu Qing’s interest was immediately piqued. Hugging Xiaoli, he strode forward.

"Fellow Daoist Chen, be careful."

Seeing Lu Qing’s eager expression, Daoist Wubao quickly caught up and whispered,

"These stall owners are all veterans. Most of the things they sell are of dubious value, and some might even be fakes. If something catches your eye, make sure you examine it carefully. Don’t act on impulse."

"Understood." Lu Qing nodded lightly.

Anyone who had cultivated to this level couldn't possibly be a fool.

Especially those who had spent years exploring the perilous Sacred Tianxu Mountain. If they were the naive type, they'd have long since been eaten alive by others.

As the two strolled into the plaza, they didn’t attract much attention.

After all, there were quite a few people milling around, and the aura they gave off wasn’t particularly strong—only around early-stage Golden Core Realm.

Among the cultivators in the plaza, they blended right in.

"Xiaoli, can you sense any particularly interesting treasures here?"

Lu Qing transmitted a thought to Xiaoli using Soul Transmission.

He had already activated his Spiritual Powers the moment they stepped into the plaza.

However, with so many stalls and so many items at each one, he couldn’t possibly scan everything individually.

Doing so would only draw unwanted attention.

So he intended to let Xiaoli, with its innate treasure-sensing ability, pick out anything particularly special.

Then he could inspect those items more thoroughly with his ability—much more efficient that way.

"I’ll give it a try!"

Xiaoli instantly perked up and closed its eyes, using its unique talent to carefully sense its surroundings.

Lu Qing maintained a calm demeanor, casually strolling around the plaza with Xiaoli in his arms.

Before long, Xiaoli opened its eyes, a spark of excitement within them.

"Ah Qing, I found something!"

"Don’t rush. Take your time and tell me," Lu Qing responded via Soul Transmission, completely unfazed.

"Almost every stall here has some trace of a treasure, but most of them are pretty ordinary in quality.

However, I did sense a few stalls that have rather unusual treasures.

The first one is in the southeast direction..."

Following Xiaoli’s guidance, Lu Qing strolled slowly toward the southeast.

Eventually, he spotted the stall Xiaoli had indicated.

But he didn’t approach it right away. Instead, he paused a short distance away and began observing it out of the corner of his eye.

After a few moments, Lu Qing’s body gave a slight jolt, and a flicker of surprise crossed his mind.

Fortunately, his self-control was superb. He quickly suppressed the astonishment without letting Daoist Wubao notice a thing.

He continued watching in silence.

A dozen or so breaths later, his eyebrows lifted again, as though he had discovered something amusing. A faint smile crept across his lips.

Soon, a plan began to form in his mind.

He started to move slowly toward the stall Xiaoli had pointed out.

However, once again, he didn’t go directly to it.

Instead, he stopped at a quieter neighboring stall and began browsing casually.

"Esteemed seniors, see anything you like?

All of these treasures were acquired through hard-fought expeditions in the Sacred Mountain.

More than once, I nearly lost my life to get them!"

The stall owner was a middle-aged cultivator at peak Foundation Establishment.

Seeing Lu Qing and Daoist Wubao pause before his stall, he immediately greeted them with enthusiasm.

Though he looked older than the two young men before him, in the cultivation world, status was determined by realm, not appearance.

The auras these two gave off were clearly stronger than his own.

Naturally, he assumed the position of a junior.

"We’re just having a look," Lu Qing replied with a faint smile.

Of course, he didn’t believe a word of the man’s dramatic sales pitch.

But his face showed no sign of skepticism.

"Of course, take your time. If anything catches your fancy, just let me know. I’ll sell it at a discount—just for you, seniors!"

The stall owner remained cheerfully attentive.

Lu Qing lowered his gaze to examine the items laid out on the ground. Soon, a soft glow of his Spiritual Powers shimmered across his eyes.

One by one, lines of information began to surface in his vision.

And just as he suspected—Xiaoli’s sensing ability was truly remarkable.

As expected, the items at this stall were mediocre. Most of the glow revealed by his Spiritual Powers was red or gold in color.

A few were purple, but even those emitted a faint and dim light.

This indicated that the quality of these items was rather low.

Some even glowed white.

That clearly meant they were utterly worthless—ordinary items that didn’t even qualify as spiritual objects.

Most likely, the stall owner had deliberately included them to trick buyers.

Still, Lu Qing didn’t expose him. After browsing a while, he casually picked up a treasure shaped like a prayer wheel.

"Fellow Daoist, how much for this treasure?"

The prayer wheel in his hand was ancient and simple in design, inscribed with old runes that lent it an air of mystery.

In Lu Qing’s vision, this was one of the rare few at the stall that glowed with a purple light.

Strangely, though, its classification was only at the level of a Magical Artifact.

This suggested it wasn’t as simple as it looked. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Despite its low grade, it clearly had hidden depths.

The moment the stall owner saw Lu Qing pick up the prayer wheel, a flicker of delight flashed deep in his eyes—but it vanished just as quickly, smothered beneath a practiced facade.

His expression turned sorrowful.

"To tell you the truth, Senior, this treasure was acquired many years ago during an expedition into the Sacred Tianxu Mountain with a close friend of mine.

Back then, my friend and I stumbled into an unknown spatial cave.

Inside, a savage beast was guarding the place.

We nearly lost our lives killing it.

This prayer wheel and a golden bell were what it had been guarding.

We took the treasures and escaped, just as the cave collapsed behind us.

We divided the loot and went our separate ways to recover from our injuries.

But by the time I emerged from seclusion, I heard the tragic news that my friend had succumbed to his wounds and passed away in his cave dwelling.

Ever since then, every time I see this prayer wheel, I can’t help but think of him.

Regret has haunted me ever since.

If only I’d been stronger that day… if I’d taken a few more of those blows for him, perhaps he would’ve survived.

Over the years, this prayer wheel has become a deep obsession—almost a Heart Demon.

If it continues, I fear I’ll never overcome my Golden Core tribulation.

So though I’m loath to part with it, I’ve decided I must sell it."

"I didn’t expect such a painful story. My condolences."

Lu Qing’s face showed sympathy as he spoke words of comfort.

Daoist Wubao, however, gave the stall owner a suspicious look.

"Senior, this prayer wheel once meant a great deal to me," the vendor continued, voice heavy with grief. "It was the last treasure my friend and I found together.

But now… it’s become a burden, a mental shackle blocking my path.

I have no choice but to let it go."

"No matter. Just name your price. If it’s reasonable, I’ll buy it." Lu Qing said directly.

"This…" The stall owner hesitated. "To be honest, I don’t know how to price this prayer wheel.

Though it's only a Magical Artifact, the runes carved on it are extremely mysterious.

I’ve asked many cultivators versed in runes and formations, but none could identify them.

And it did come from a spatial cave within the Sacred Mountain, so I truly don’t know its worth.

How about you name a price, Senior, and I’ll see if it’s acceptable?"

"I see." Lu Qing pondered for a moment, then said, "Though it’s only a Magical Artifact, I happen to like it quite a bit.

And considering it holds sentimental value for you, I’ll be bold and offer a price.

One thousand lower-grade spirit stones—would you be willing to part with it?"

"One thousand lower-grade spirit stones?"

Before the vendor could react, Daoist Wubao was already stunned.

He quickly objected, "Daoist Chen, that’s far too high! This is just a Magical Artifact. For that price, you could buy a low-grade Treasure Artifact.

How do we know this guy isn’t just spinning a tale?

Don’t let yourself get fooled by some random sob story!"

He sounded genuinely anxious, worried that Lu Qing might get scammed.

Truthfully, he didn’t even understand why Lu Qing was interested in a mere Magical Artifact.

To Golden Core Realm cultivators like them, Magical Artifacts were practically useless.

Their casual spells were already far more powerful.

The vendor had been secretly delighted when he heard Lu Qing’s offer.

But hearing Daoist Wubao’s comment, his heart flared with rage.

He almost wanted to lash out and strike the meddling Daoist on the spot.

Of course, he only dared to fantasize about it.

Daoist Wubao was a Golden Core cultivator—someone who could kill him with a flick of a finger.

So instead, he forcefully suppressed his anger and kept up his grieving facade.

"Indeed, Senior’s offer is generous. A Magical Artifact doesn’t require that many spirit stones. Perhaps Senior might lower the price a little?"

"No need. Rare treasures are worth what one is willing to pay. I truly like this prayer wheel.

And considering how important it was to you, I’ll pay one thousand lower-grade spirit stones." Lu Qing responded with great ease.

He then pulled out a small handful of spirit stones from his storage pouch.

"Fellow Daoist, here are ten mid-grade spirit stones. Please count them."

Mid-grade spirit stones!

The vendor’s heart surged with joy.

Though the standard conversion rate was one mid-grade stone to one hundred lower-grade ones, cultivators greatly preferred the purer spiritual energy of mid-grade stones.

"Many thanks, Senior. From now on, this prayer wheel belongs to you."

Though he wanted nothing more than to snatch the stones and run, he forced himself to move slowly and respectfully.

He took the spirit stones from Lu Qing’s hand with great care, maintaining a sorrowful expression as he gazed longingly at the prayer wheel.

Only after Lu Qing had stored the prayer wheel away did he reluctantly avert his gaze.

With the prayer wheel in hand, Lu Qing continued his leisurely exploration.

This time, he finally arrived at the stall Xiaoli had originally pointed out.