The World At Large | Item Appraisal

As Lu Feng stepped out of the Golden Inn, he was greeted by the bustling streets of Brightmoon City. Recalling the location of the city library from the map, Lu Feng walked in the direction, unhurried. Taking in the sights of the city and stopping for a hearty breakfast, Lu Feng arrived at the library an hour later.

After showing his Brightmoon token, Lu Feng was let in and was promptly attended to by a keeper who escorted him to the VIP section on the second floor, this was one of the privileges afforded by the token held by Lu Feng.

Browsing the various shelves for a while, Lu Feng picked a few books and settled down at a comfy corner table.

Atlas of The Realms: A Geographical Survey Treatise.

The Origin and History of Contemporary Forces.

A Deep Dive of Modern Cultivation Systems.

People and Events That Shaped The World.

Abridged History.

Lu Feng skimmed through the books, paying attention to important and relevant information. He was particularly attentive when reading about the sects and forces of the world.

Eight hours later, as dusk arrived, Lu Feng was done with his reading. With the exception of some minute details, he now had a decent understanding of the world he was in.

Surprisingly, academicians are treated well; with many sects acting as patrons of the arts and sciences. The dissemination of knowledge was impressive, especially when compared to most of the worlds Lu Feng has been in.

Though the world at large was still ruled by the strong, and the weak have to give way; the people, be it mortals or cultivators, aren't as resistant to change and new ideologies as one would expect.

Lu Feng appreciated that in this last life of his, he was reincarnated into a world that wasn't full of ignorant brutes who knew nothing but cultivation and had no appreciation for art and academia.

He also confirmed the fact that his host indeed belonged to the Baihu clan of the Northern Lands. With the power and influence of Baihu clan which was one of the top forces of the continent, Lu Feng realized it's only a matter of time before he was recognized.

'Even though I can't be sure, the host should've been a talent in the younger generation and should be valued... Should I exploit this!?'

Deciding to think about it later, Lu Feng exited the library.

Remembering that he had something else to do, he headed in the direction of the Lotus Plaza. Not wanting to drag his feet for an hour, he hopped on his sword to traverse the expansive city.

***

Arriving at Lotus Plaza, Lu Feng marveled at the grandeur of the establishment. It was much more than an auction house, it had numerous vendors that had their own shops, with a variety of goods on display.

This reminded him of shopping malls back on Earth.

Approaching the large reception desk, Lu Feng introduced himself and displayed his token. Finding that his name has indeed been registered for the auction two days later, he nodded his head in satisfaction. The manager explained the details of the auction, including the list of items.

"I have some valuable items that I would like to put up for auction, what's the process?" Lu Feng asked, with a curious expression.

Not finding the question odd, the manager replied with a smile, "The item list for the coming VIP auction has been finalized. We could list them for the next weekly auction or wait for a bigger event. We need to get the items appraised first."

With a slight nod, Lu Feng replied, "I have the items with me, can I have them appraised now?"

"Absolutely, I'll escort you to one of the appraisal rooms on the second floor, please follow me." After instructing some personnel changes at the front desk, the manager politely led Lu Feng, with some small talk on the way.

***

In the comfy appraisal room, Lu Feng was served tea and fruit. After a short while, the manager returned with two men in tow.

"Sorry for the delay Mr. Lu," the manager apologized courteously.

With a gentle smile, Lu Feng replied, "That's not necessary."

Getting up from his seat, with a cupped fist, Lu Feng greeted the two new people. "Greetings seniors, my name is Lu Feng, I would like to have a few items appraised."

The two men returned the greetings. One of them, who looked to be the older, spoke with a smile on his face, "No need for such formalities master Lu, you're already at the peak of Origin level, talented youth like you will surpass us old fogeys in due time. Let's all take a seat."

With a smile, Lu Feng complied. The four people in the room were seated around a table.

Wasting no time, Lu Feng brought out the items from his storage ring.

As Lu Feng placed each new item on the table, the look on the faces of the appraisers morphed from surprise to shock, then to confusion, and finally to doubt.

As the two appraisers blankly stared at the items for a good while, Lu Feng woke them from their daze with a cough.

The old man calmed himself down, "Master Lu, are all these..."

Lu Feng knew this question was coming, he didn't wait for the question to be finished.

"Yes, they're all Empyrean grade..."

He continued, describing each item in detail.

After listening closely, the old man asked a question, "Master Lu, before we appraise this item, you seem to know a great deal about the items, did you have it appraised before?"

Lu Feng wasn't surprised at the question. He answered with a calm face, "I'm an explorer. In one of my recent adventures, I came across a treasure inheritance. They had an accompanying inscription that described them."

Satisfied with the explanation, the two appraisers nodded their heads. The old man took out a document from his ring. To be specific, it was a promissory note; after recording the details of the items, he signed the note and handed it to Lu Feng.

"Master Lu, we're very excited to appraise these items. However, as you might imagine, Empyrean grade items, especially weapons, need thorough scrutiny before they're certified.

"If you accept this promissory note, we will take custody of these items and carefully appraise them, we always take care of items that come in for appraisal, so you need not be concerned.

"Be assured, with the promissory note, even if something happens, you will be compensated, as long as the items themselves weren't defective and fraudulent."

Lu Feng was thoroughly impressed with this system, both parties had certain protections. Not one to be concerned with trivialities, Lu Feng quickly agreed.

The two appraisers placed the items in a dedicated storage box. After promising to expedite the process and be done in a few hours, they exited the room.

The manager, who now had joy dripping from his face insisted that he host a dinner for Lu Feng. Thirty minutes later, Dish after Dish and Jug after Jug of delicacies and wine were brought to the table.

At Lu Feng's insistence, the manager accompanied him. After thoroughly enjoying his meal, Lu Feng was left alone. The manager had the table and room tidied up before leaving, not wanting to be a nuisance.

'I guess they'll come get me when it's done, this place is open day and night after all... Damn! I ate too much... Whatever. I'll take a nap.'

Leaning back on the soft padded chair, he took a nap.

***