Heavenly Palace Secret Treasure Department

Cannot be used for cultivation?
Sound transmission?
A few ill-tempered Secret Cultivators had already begun to curse loudly.
Xu Lu was also somewhat speechless. This Fu Yuan He was truly not a qualified salesman.
It would be strange if he could sell anything with his sales pitch.
Speaking such obscure words, making people completely unable to understand what secret treasure he was talking about.
"Is this the blueprint Chi Fang Shu wanted?"
Xu Lu thought to himself, "Could it be that Chi Fang Shu already knows something? A Secret Treasure that cannot filter spiritual energy and aid cultivation, can it still be called a Secret Treasure? But this Chi Fang Shu says it can transmit sound..."
An unbelievable thought flashed through Xu Lu's mind.
"Could it be..."
He murmured to himself.
"I have calculated very rigorously. Theoretically, if this Secret Treasure of mine is successfully crafted, it can allow people to transmit sound within a two-kilometer radius."
Fu Yuan He's voice echoed in this underground space.
"Two kilometers?"
Xu Lu was somewhat disappointed, "It seems I overestimated this Fu Yuan He. No, not overestimated. Fu Yuan He started from scratch! Can he really create the world's first telephone?"
When Fu Yuan He mentioned sound transmission, Xu Lu's first reaction was to think of telephones from his previous life.
He had been in this world for some time, and had also received knowledge inheritances from many people, especially the inheritance of Feng Hu Zi, which greatly increased his understanding of this world.
This world had the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission secret art, but that secret art was of Eighth Grade.
In other words, only an Eighth Grade Secret Cultivator could perform Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission.
And external objects similar to telephones did not exist in this world.
Xu Lu had also thought about this problem before: if there were telephones or a network, wouldn't communication with Secret Cultivators be much safer?
But even though he could skillfully use telephones and networks in his previous life, for him to create these two things from scratch was beyond his capability.
"It's just a blueprint. Whether it can even be made is uncertain, yet you don't mind putting it up for sale?"
The Secret Cultivator wearing a patterned mask sneered, "I think you've truly gone mad with poverty!"
"Indeed, what use is something that cannot increase one's strength?"
"Sound transmission for two kilometers still requires a Secret Treasure? I could just send a servant to run there."
The crowd buzzed with discussion, mostly ridicule and sarcasm.
But there were also a few people, like Xu Lu, who remained silent.
Fu Yuan He seemed accustomed to being ridiculed, his entire being exuding a sense of numbness.
He continued to speak without changing his expression, "For just one thousand taels of gold, I am willing to share my design blueprint."
"Ridiculous!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Secret Cultivator with the patterned mask laughed coldly, "A tattered blueprint demanding one thousand taels of gold? Why don't you just rob us?"
"I do not rob."
Fu Yuan He replied earnestly.
"Alright, having finished speaking, is there anyone willing to bid?"
The auctioneer seemed a little impatient. If his superior hadn't specifically instructed him to give Fu Yuan He a chance, he certainly wouldn't have wanted to interrupt his auction.
"One thousand taels!"
Xu Lu did not hesitate, directly placing a bid.
Chi Fang Shu had said that if the blueprint appeared in the Ghost Market, he must buy it at any cost. Was he referring to this blueprint?
Since it wasn't his own money, Xu Lu felt no heartache whatsoever.
Moreover, he was also very curious whether the Secret Treasure designed by Fu Yuan He was what he had in mind.
"One thousand five hundred taels."
No sooner had Xu Lu finished speaking than another voice rang out.
The bidder sat not far from Xu Lu. Like Xu Lu, he was entirely cloaked in a black robe, his form indistinct, making it impossible to distinguish male from female.
In fact, most people here, apart from Fu Yuan He and the auctioneer, were dressed almost identically.
After all, as Secret Cultivators, they were all people who could not appear in the light of day.
"Three thousand taels!"
Xu Lu understood the rules of bidding, which was to overwhelm the opponent with momentum, making them dare not bid further, so he doubled the price.
Of course, the most important reason was that the payer was not him...
The price Xu Lu offered left the auctioneer and others somewhat stunned.
Was there really a fool bidding?
And the first bid was already three thousand taels?
Could it be that this blueprint by Fu Yuan He truly held something extraordinary?
All the Secret Cultivators fell into contemplation, but even if they did know there was something extraordinary, they could not participate.
Three thousand taels of gold, not many people here could afford it.
The Secret Cultivators here were all low-grade Secret Cultivators; mid-grade Secret Cultivators dared not come.
After all, the relationship between the Ghost Market, the government, and the Heavenly Palace was truly unclear. The strength and status of low-grade Secret Cultivators were merely a superficial ailment to the Heavenly Palace, of the kind that could be managed or ignored.
Mid-grade and high-grade Secret Cultivators were different; if they dared to appear, the Heavenly Palace would certainly deal with them.
Simply put, low-grade Secret Cultivators were too weak, and the Heavenly Palace and government were too lazy to manage them.
Low-grade Secret Cultivators did not possess much ability; three thousand taels of gold was no small sum, and very few could afford it.
Hearing Xu Lu's bid, the person who had been competing with him earlier also fell silent.
Fu Yuan He's eyes lit up.
"Is there anyone offering a higher price? If not, the transaction will be finalized!"
Fu Yuan He said loudly.
"Three thousand five hundred taels!"
From a corner, another person suddenly spoke.
"Five thousand taels!"
Xu Lu did not hesitate, saying loudly.
Chi Fang Shu had said to buy the blueprint at any cost. With someone else footing the bill, what did Xu Lu have to fear?
As five thousand taels was called out, the entire venue fell silent.
This was five thousand taels of gold!
Everyone present, all told, might not have seen so much money in their entire lives!
To spend five thousand taels of gold for a blueprint of unknown authenticity!
Can one be so willful just because one has money?
Everyone secretly complained, their gazes all fixed on Xu Lu.
Beside Xu Lu, Guan Da's body trembled slightly; he was excited.
Xu Lu was brought in by him, considered his client. For every sum Xu Lu spent here, he could receive a commission.
Five thousand taels of gold, how much commission would that be?
Guan Da felt so happy he almost fainted...
Xu Lu sat upright, feigning extreme calmness.
"Master Fu, it seems no one is bidding higher."
Xu Lu looked towards Fu Yuan He on the stage, speaking calmly.
Fu Yuan He's face was filled with excitement, saying, "Good, good."
The auctioneer's face darkened. What's so good about it?
Announce the result!
Fu Yuan He's reaction was a little slow, but he finally caught on.
"That's right, no one has bid, the blueprint is yours!"
Fu Yuan He carefully took out a scroll, about a foot long, from his chest. The scroll was tightly wrapped in silk, its contents completely invisible.
Just this, was it worth five thousand taels of gold?
Everyone present secretly complained, their hearts filled with curiosity.
Xu Lu stood up and walked forward, first handing a stack of silver notes to the auction organizer, then receiving the blueprint that Fu Yuan He handed over from that person.
The moment he received the blueprint, Xu Lu keenly sensed a murderous aura fall upon his back.
He returned to his seat without expression, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the source of the murderous aura from earlier.
It was the person who had bid three thousand five hundred taels of gold to compete with him before.
"It seems that Chi Fang Shu is not the only one who wants this blueprint at any cost."
Xu Lu thought to himself.
He had long been mentally prepared for this, so he was not nervous now.
"Brother, I will offer one hundred taels of gold. Can you let me make a copy of the blueprint in your hand?"
The auction on the stage continued, but the Secret Cultivator sitting next to Xu Lu clearly no longer had the mind to bid. He leaned close to Xu Lu, speaking in a low voice.
No one was a fool. Someone willing to spend five thousand taels of gold to buy a blueprint probably meant there was some secret to it.
"If I make a copy, Brother, you lose nothing, and you gain one hundred taels of gold. Why not do it?"
The Secret Cultivator said in a low voice.
Xu Lu glanced at him, saying coldly, "The Heavenly Palace's secret medicinal formulas, if you copy one, they lose nothing. You try asking them if they'll let you copy it?"
A Secret Treasure design blueprint, in Xu Lu's words from his previous life, was intellectual property, core technology. Could he let others copy it casually? Are you kidding me!
"You..."
The Secret Cultivator was so angry he couldn't speak.
"Well said."
Another voice rang out. It was the person sitting in front of Xu Lu who turned his head, "Brother, you truly know your goods. It's a pity I have no money, otherwise I would have fought for it too. Fu Yuan He is a famous genius of secret studies in the Heavenly Palace. If he hadn't gone astray, he would probably already be the Grand Minister of the Heavenly Palace Secret Treasure Department, wouldn't he? Even so, the Secret Treasure blueprints he creates are priceless to those in the know, but I guess not many people can understand his blueprints."
That person seemed to know quite a bit. He shook his head as he spoke, clearly feeling that Xu Lu would not understand Fu Yuan He's Secret Treasure blueprints.
"If he is so formidable, shouldn't the Heavenly Palace value him greatly? Why would he betray them and flee? Would the Heavenly Palace just let someone like him betray them and flee?"
Xu Lu couldn't help but ask.
"You don't know?"
The person sitting in front of Xu Lu asked in surprise, "You know nothing, yet you were willing to spend five thousand taels of gold to buy his blueprint?"
"I have money, so I'm willful."
Xu Lu replied speechlessly.