Spoiled Eldest Miss x Two-faced Madman

CHAPTER 50: A Strange Sense of Unease

　　The next day marked the long-anticipated unveiling of the legendary manual.

　　That day, Jinshe Villa was placed under strict lockdown. Situated at the base of Jiaochuan Mountain, the villa could only be reached by ascending a gently sloped stone path with forty to fifty wide marble steps from the nearby Jinshe Town below.

　　Today, guards stood solemnly at regular intervals along this path, and no one was permitted to enter or leave.

　　The martial artists who couldn’t get into the villa had already filled every inn, teahouse, and restaurant in the town below. All eyes were fixed on the mountain, waiting anxiously for the outcome.

　　Even when the teahouses were packed, tables were set up along the streets. Strangers sat side by side, sipping tea, chatting about all kinds of topics from every corner of the martial world.

　　This day, nearly every sect in the Jianghu had gathered at Jinshe Villa. A gathering of such scale—one that drew in the entire martial arts world—was a once-in-a-century event.

　　“It’s already almost noon. Any idea what’s going on inside?” someone asked.

　　“Who do you think will walk away with a copy of the manual?” another chimed in.

　　A well-informed man answered, “The Huashan Sect will definitely get a share. I saw their envoy—he’s the sect leader’s senior martial brother, known as the ‘Bishui Sword.’ He rose to fame over twenty years ago. His sword style is fluid and continuous like flowing water, flawless in both offense and defense. He once fought with Zhu Lao, the previous guardian of the Demonic Sect, and severely injured him.”

　　Another voice added, “But this isn’t about who’s strongest. It’s about who brings the most valuable offering, right?”

　　“True. Huashan’s been around for centuries—they’ve got plenty of treasures. I heard they brought a soft sword manual created by one of their ancestors a hundred years ago. Jin You probably won’t refuse something like that.”

　　“Emei Sect should get a share too. I heard they brought a cultivation manual that nourishes internal energy. Since Jin You was injured ten years ago, that kind of manual could be useful to him.”

　　“And even Poshan Sect showed up, led by their top disciple, Mu Lei. Word is he brought a piece of extraterrestrial meteorite—said to be capable of forging divine weapons.”

　　A skinny old man sitting by the street sighed, “Ah, if only I weren’t penniless and empty-handed. If I had even a single treasure, I’d love to trade for a copy of that manual. Even if I couldn’t master it, it’d be a fine thing to pass down to my descendants.”

　　Seated beside him was a delicate young noble, likely someone just starting out in the martial world. Curiosity and innocence filled his tone as he asked, “Elder, why would the Líng Shé Sword Master willingly hand over such a precious manual to others? Wouldn’t it be better to keep it for himself? I don’t get it. Isn’t that just too...”

　　He didn’t finish the sentence, but his expression made it obvious to everyone around that he meant to say Líng Shé Sword Master was foolish.

　　His blunt words caused the surrounding crowd to burst into laughter.

　　A weathered-looking swordsman chuckled and said, “That Jin You is no fool. If no one had found out about the manual when he discovered it, he could’ve kept it to himself. But the problem is—everyone already knows. There's no hiding it. Such a legendary treasure is bound to attract countless eyes. Ever since Jin You was injured, he’s no longer at the top tier of the martial world. There's no way he can protect the manual by himself.”

　　Another chimed in, “Exactly. He couldn’t guard it, so he made a decisive move—shared the manual with the world. First, he builds favor with the major sects; second, he spreads out the risk; and third, he makes a fortune off it. It’s a brilliant strategy—three wins in one!”

　　“True enough. Remember the Huang family massacre in Suhang three years ago? Word is they were slaughtered overnight because of a single rare poison manual they owned.”

　　As the conversation buzzed, the young noble turned pale. His face was full of shock and wonder, as if the veil over the martial world had suddenly been lifted.

　　So this was the Jianghu—not only a place of passionate vendettas and righteous vengeance, but also one of bloodshed and carnage.

　　Fear flickered in the young man’s eyes… but beneath that fear, a trace of longing shimmered.

　　After all, who didn’t dream of becoming a peerless master, roaming the martial world freely, swift as the wind, striking from a thousand miles away with invisible blades?

　　While the crowd outside buzzed with talk, the atmosphere inside Jinshe Villa was far from cheerful.

　　Inside the great hall prepared for guests, each table was arranged by sect affiliation. Everyone sat upright and tense, barely speaking a word.

　　Even An Jiu, who had just come along for fun, had been assigned a seat.

　　She was seated at the same table as Pei Ji, Lin Qingyan, and He Ziqing. Perhaps because of Lin Qingyan’s status as the young lady of the Zhùjiàn Villa and Pei Ji’s reputation as the divine doctor of Medicine King Valley, their table was placed very near the front—almost considered the first tier.

　　An Jiu glanced around and noticed the seating arrangement was rather thoughtful. It wasn’t purely based on the power of each sect, but likely tied to the value of the treasures they brought.

　　After all, she spotted Ming Yi’s seat placed quite prominently too—at the same table as the heads of major sects like Emei and Songshan.

　　That meant the pile of wealth Ming Yi had brought was seen by Jin You as comparable to the treasures of the big sects.

　　Truly, there’s no one in this world who doesn’t love money.

　　An Jiu sighed inwardly and withdrew her gaze, her curious eyes flicking to the person beside her.

　　Pei Ji raised his eyes and asked gently with a smile, “What’s wrong?”

　　An Jiu’s large eyes swept casually across his calm and composed face before she shook her head as if nothing were the matter.

　　“Nothing. Just wondering when it’s going to start.”

　　Pei Ji answered with utmost patience, “Soon.”

　　Looking at his steady and immovable demeanor, An Jiu was quietly impressed.

　　As expected of a future major villain—even with the demonic sect about to descend, he wasn’t even slightly flustered. That kind of mental fortitude was truly beyond most people.

　　Even though An Jiu already knew the plot well, she still couldn’t help but feel uneasy at the moment.

　　When she woke up this morning, her heart had been pounding nonstop—as if something was about to happen. It felt like an ominous premonition right before a crisis.

　　She thought and thought but couldn’t figure out what danger might befall her.

　　In the novel, An Jiu had been well protected by He Ziqing. The main target of the demonic sect’s ambush was the martial arts manual. He Ziqing hadn’t been seriously affected, and the group had used the chaos to escape down the mountain, narrowly avoiding disaster.

　　So this time, she should be fine too… right?

　　Just as she was uncertainly turning this over in her mind, she noticed from the corner of her eye that many people were looking toward the side of the hall. She quickly followed their gazes.

　　Jin You strode in, wearing a luxurious golden robe and holding a small box in his hands, his face glowing with cheer.

　　Behind him followed his eldest son, a boy just over ten years old, dressed in a matching golden robe. The boy wore a serious, disciplined expression.

　　Jin You walked straight to a small table in the center of the hall and placed the much-anticipated rosewood box upon it.

　　Only then did he lift his eyes to look around and speak loudly to the crowd, “Welcome, everyone, to Jinshe Villa. I am honored by your presence. Please allow me, Jin, to offer a toast in your honor.”

　　As he spoke, he cupped his hands toward all directions in greeting, then raised the cup of wine his son had just poured and downed it in one gulp.

　　The guests in the hall all rose as well, returning his gesture with clasped hands and mutual bows.

　　After the formalities, everyone sat back down.

　　Jin You continued, “As you all know, I, Jin, have made my intentions clear. Today, I will unveil the secret manual. Inside this box is the martial arts manual I obtained—it’s absolutely authentic. I will transcribe five copies on the spot. Everyone may place their bids—highest offers win.”

　　As soon as these words were spoken, the hall exploded in an uproar.

　　“Only five copies?!”

　　“Líng Shé Sword Master, that’s not what you said before! Didn’t you say we could exchange a treasure for it back then?”

　　“Yeah! So many people came, but you’re only giving out five? What about the rest of us?”

　　Most of those voicing complaints were solo cultivators with no sect affiliation, or small sects who had used everything they had just to get into Jinshe Villa.

　　Now Jin You had suddenly changed the rules, announcing that only five copies would be released, and they’d be given to the highest bidders. Wasn’t that just declaring a death sentence for them?

　　“Please, hear me out,” Jin You raised his voice and lifted a hand. “This decision was not made lightly. I simply believe that since this manual is so precious, if anyone could get it just by bringing a decent item, then how would that be fair to those who brought truly rare treasures?”

　　“Besides, ask yourselves—if you don’t have the means to exchange for it, how could you possibly protect it?”

　　After his explanation, many people fell into silence.

　　They all knew in their hearts: even if they somehow got the manual, they probably wouldn’t be able to hold onto it.

　　The martial world was like a jungle—only the strong survived. If you weren’t powerful, you got nothing. Especially when it came to something as priceless as this martial arts manual. Even Jinshe Villa had chosen to hand it over—wasn’t that proof enough?

　　To the weak, the manual might not be a treasure at all, but a death sentence.

　　None of the people here were fools. Once Jin You finished speaking, most of the objections quickly died down.

　　Seeing the hall gradually quiet down, Jin You smiled in satisfaction and said, “Since that’s settled, we’ll now begin the offering stage. Please write down the treasures you brought on paper. I will compare them and select the top five to be announced publicly.”

　　He clapped his hands, and a line of maidservants filed in, each carrying writing materials—brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones—which they placed in front of every table.

　　Even though An Jiu had already read this scene in the book, watching it unfold before her eyes still made her feel a trace of admiration.

　　Jin You truly was a clever man. Using an anonymous submission method like this was far better than reading the items aloud. It not only protected everyone's privacy but also prevented their trump cards from being exposed and coveted by others.

　　Sure enough, once the writing materials were placed down, no one voiced any further objections. Everyone accepted the arrangement without complaint.

　　Soon, all the paper slips were collected and handed over. Jin You sat at the small table in the center, flipping through them one by one.

　　As he examined them, he would occasionally take a sheet and place it aside.

　　Every eye in the room was fixed on him. No one knew whether their submission had been selected—even the major sects weren’t sure.

　　In fact, because they were all large sects, the leaders of those sects exchanged glances filled with subtle hostility, clearly viewing each other as invisible rivals.

　　In just the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Jin You had selected nine papers. He looked around and said, “I’ve chosen nine, each of which is difficult to decide between. I’ll now read out the names. You may choose to raise your offer if you wish.”

　　“Huashan Sect, Emei Sect, Jinguang Sect, Poshan Sect, Zhùjiàn Villa, Tianlang Sect, Medicine King Valley, Jiangyue Island.”

　　At this point, Jin You paused briefly, before reading out the final name:

　　“The last one—Young Master Ming.”

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