Chapter 773: My Treasure Is Where?

"I..." The attendant's body trembled.

"The Spirit Material Pavilion has been selling goods for so many years, and no one has ever accused us of having so many fake items. Yet, according to this man, everything is fake..." "I thought he was an ignorant fool, easy to take advantage of, but now I realize he's just pretending to be weak to strike, deliberately stirring up trouble!"

"Go quickly and invite the Pavilion Master. Only he can resolve this matter..." Mo Fei looked as if he had aged ten years as he spoke.

As an appraiser, he knew the man's claims were not mistaken. If measured strictly against the appraisal certificates, there was indeed a strong suspicion of defrauding buyers. Calling these items fakes was not an overstatement! This meant that if the man truly pressed his claim based on discrepancies with the appraisal certificates, none of them could handle it—only the Pavilion Master could.

"Yes!" The attendant finally reacted and quickly left.

Shortly after, a middle-aged man with an indifferent expression strode in.

This man was tall and slightly plump, with gloomy eyes that immediately suggested a cold and formidable character. Although his aura was restrained, it gave off a transcendent feeling, indicating he had likely reached the Saint realm, or at least the Sub-Saint level!

It made sense; without such a powerful figure presiding, how could the Spirit Material Pavilion, with its practices of plundering and acquiring illicit goods, possibly survive in Hongyuan City?

"Are you the one claiming all these items are fake?" As he approached, the middle-aged man narrowed his eyes, casting a cold gaze at the young man.

It appeared he had already heard the full story from the attendant on his way.

Ignoring the man's demeanor, Zhang Xuan waved a hand and said, "Decide quickly how you're going to compensate, or this incident will soon be known throughout Hongyuan City!"

"You!" The Spirit Material Pavilion Master's fist clenched, and murderous intent glinted in his dark eyes. It had always been the Spirit Material Pavilion that made designs on others; for someone to dare to target them and demand compensation, they truly didn't know their place.

"My friend, I don't know your background, but it's always wise to leave some room for maneuver in life. Otherwise, I'm afraid your future path won't be so smooth!" The Spirit Material Pavilion Master snorted, his eyes narrowed.

"Are you threatening me?" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and looked at him. "Ten times compensation for one fake – that's a rule set by your Spirit Material Pavilion. What, if a fake genuinely appears, do you plan to kill the buyer?"

"I'm not threatening; I'm merely reminding you that the path of cultivation is fraught with peril. Be careful not to suffer a cultivation deviation!" Seeing the other party utterly fearless and indifferent to his threats, the Spirit Material Pavilion Master was livid, on the verge of exploding, yet completely helpless.

If he were to act here, without a doubt, the Spirit Material Pavilion's entire reputation would be ruined. All the prestige accumulated over so many years would be lost.

"Are they really fakes?" He turned to Mo Fei and transmitted a message.

"I don't know for sure, but... the treasures he mentioned have fundamentally altered properties; they're completely different from when I appraised them... Even if we claimed they weren't fakes, no one would believe us now..." Mo Fei couldn't help but confess.

With an on-the-spot appraisal in front of so many people, he had clearly explained the origin and flaws of the treasures. Even if they were genuine, no one would likely want them now!

It's like a top-grade Spirit-level defensive armor of immense value, offering invincible defense, capable of withstanding attacks from a Transcendent Ninth Realm expert when worn. But this man exposed its flaws and even explained how to bypass its defenses... Given that, who would still buy something riddled with weaknesses?

In other words, even if these treasures weren't truly fake, with all their vulnerabilities and flaws exposed, they had effectively become worthless.

"Damn it!" Hearing Mo Fei's admission, the Spirit Material Pavilion Master's gaze turned frighteningly dark.

"Are you done deliberating? If so, pay up. These treasures are worth two hundred thirty-seven high-grade spirit stones. Ten times compensation for one fake means two thousand three hundred seventy stones. How about this: I'll offer you a discount, round it down, and you can just give me two thousand high-grade spirit stones. Then this matter is settled. Otherwise... I will immediately petition the Master Teacher Pavilion to intervene and uphold justice! I will accuse you of deceiving customers and harming a Master Teacher with fake goods!" Zhang Xuan stated calmly.

"You are a Master Teacher?" The Spirit Material Pavilion Master's pupils contracted sharply.

The Master Teacher Pavilion oversees a region, ensuring its peace. Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't intervene unless acts against humanity were committed. However, if a Master Teacher is involved, they will certainly step in. This is a privilege that Master Teachers are entitled to.

Once the Master Teacher Pavilion got involved, their shady practices of coercive buying and selling could very well be exposed, bringing disaster upon the entire Spirit Material Pavilion.

Many people were previously aware of their activities, but there was no concrete evidence, and connections had been bought, so no one pursued the matter. However, if the Master Teacher Pavilion truly decided to act, no matter how secretive their dealings were, they would certainly be exposed, leaving no escape.

"That's right!" Zhang Xuan affirmed calmly.

"At such a young age, even if you are a Master Teacher, you must be just an academy student, correct?" After the initial shock, the Spirit Material Pavilion Master remembered something and snorted, "With so many students in the academy, if one or two go out for trials and disappear, it's likely no one would even notice!"

While students of the Master Teacher Academy are indeed Master Teachers, the academy's rules for nurturing its students are quite rigid, and they rarely intervene, even in hazardous situations.

"It's true that with so many academy students, the disappearance of one or two might not be significant. However, I'm afraid Dean Mi of the Beast Tamer Academy and Dean Zhao of the Artifact Forging Academy might not agree!" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan flipped his wrist, revealing the tokens given to him by the two elders in his palm.

Since he had these items, leveraging their influence wouldn't hurt.

"Those are Dean Mi's and Dean Zhao's personal tokens... They're real!" Mo Fei, standing to the side, trembled after a quick glance and immediately transmitted a message.

Dean Mi and Dean Zhao are among the Ten Great Elders, famed not only within the Hongyuan Empire but also across all first-tier empires. The fact that they would bestow such personal tokens upon this man clearly indicated the depth of their relationship.

"Really?" He had initially assumed the man was just an ordinary student, easily deterred by a threat. But to his shock, the man possessed the personal tokens of two deans. The Spirit Material Pavilion Master was boiling with rage, yet utterly powerless.

"Alright, I'll give you the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to think. If you refuse to compensate, I'll go to the Master Teacher Pavilion right now. Hall Master Mo and I are on good terms, and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to help me seek justice!" Putting away the tokens, Zhang Xuan stretched languidly.

Since the other party dared to target his people, they would have to bear the pressure he was about to exert.

So, you're reckless, are you? Very well, I'll use my Master Teacher identity to crush you, leaving you utterly defeated!

"A cup of tea..." The Spirit Material Pavilion Master wanted to erupt in anger but dared not.

The attendant standing nearby seemed to recall something and quickly approached, whispering a few words via sound transmission.

Hearing the attendant's words, the Pavilion Master visibly relaxed and looked back. "No need to wait for a cup of tea," he declared, "we'll compensate!"

"Compensate?" "They're actually going to pay?" "Two thousand high-grade spirit stones—can the Spirit Material Pavilion, let alone the entire Hongyuan Empire, even afford that?" Hearing the Spirit Material Pavilion Master suddenly change his mind and agree to compensation, everyone was stunned.

Not only them, but even Zhang Xuan was somewhat surprised.

He had actually prepared for the possibility that the other party would refuse to pay, expecting a lengthy confrontation. He never dreamed they would agree so readily.

"You only paid one high-grade spirit stone for a bronze mace. While you expressed interest in other treasures, you didn't pay for them... This means only one transaction was actually completed! We offer ten times compensation for a fake, so giving you ten high-grade spirit stones is sufficient!" The Spirit Material Pavilion Master waved his hand and commanded, "What are you waiting for? Bring ten high-grade spirit stones immediately!"

"Yes!" The attendant nodded and quickly withdrew. Shortly after, he returned with ten high-grade spirit stones, which pulsed with spiritual energy and emitted a dazzling glow, and handed them to Sun Qiang.

"This..." Sun Qiang was momentarily stunned, unsure whether to accept or refuse.

Although his young master had expressed interest in purchasing many treasures, he hadn't paid for them. From start to finish, only one high-grade spirit stone had been exchanged. The opponent had exploited this loophole: ten times compensation for one fake meant ten spirit stones for the single item transacted. While frustrating, it was a sum they could afford. In essence, their actions were entirely within the rules.

"Young Master..." Unsure how to proceed, Sun Qiang turned to Zhang Xuan, only to find him not angry at all, but rather smiling faintly. "Are you sure you want to play this game with me?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"What nonsense is this Master Teacher speaking?" The Spirit Material Pavilion Master forced a smile. "Although our Spirit Material Pavilion may not be grand, we always abide by the rules. You only paid one high-grade spirit stone, and we have compensated you with ten as agreed. This is perfectly fair and just. Even if this matter is brought before the Master Teacher Pavilion later, we will not be found in violation. On the contrary, you, as a Master Teacher, are attempting to extort two thousand high-grade spirit stones from us without even purchasing anything. If word of this gets out, your reputation will surely suffer!"

Upon learning from the attendant that Zhang Xuan had only paid for one spirit stone, the Pavilion Master formulated a plan. A transaction is only complete when both parties have fulfilled their obligations. Even if an item was fake, if no payment was made, it still belonged to the Spirit Material Pavilion. If they chose not to sell it, there would be no need for compensation.

"It seems you are fully intent on reneging on these payments. In that case..." Zhang Xuan looked at him calmly. "You've been trying to sell these treasures of mine for so long without success. It wouldn't be unreasonable for me to simply take them back, would it?"

"Treasures? When did we ever take your treasures to sell?" The Spirit Material Pavilion Master was momentarily stunned, utterly bewildered.

This is the first time I've ever met you. When did I take any of your treasures? You can't just fabricate accusations like this!

"Haven't taken them?" Zhang Xuan shook his head. "Treasures possess spirits; recognizing a master isn't something that happens overnight. Everyone knows this; I presume the Pavilion Master is no stranger to the concept!"

The Spirit Material Pavilion Master nodded, and the surrounding crowd murmured their agreement. It was well-known that for a treasure to truly recognize a master was a complex process; some people possessed valuable items for years without them becoming truly obedient.

"Then it's simple... My treasures will naturally obey me. This doesn't require explanation; everyone can see it!" Standing ramrod straight, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows rose, and with an aura that seemed to pierce the very sky, he suddenly spoke, his voice resonant like a grand bell.

"Where are my treasures? Why aren't you coming to greet your master?" *Clang!* As his voice faded, a large collection of weapons around him suddenly lifted into the air, uniformly swirling to encircle him.