Ever since learning the auctioneer’s true identity, the group had been looking at the handsome male serpent in the hall with decidedly complicated expressions.
The guests at this auction probably had not all come for the eye candy, but judging by the sort of remarks being shouted that would never make it past the censors, quite a few of them clearly had....
Yu Qingtang rubbed his chin. “This is looking more and more like a scam.”
Chi Yantian squirmed in his seat. “Stop trying to scare me! My ore is at stake!”
After bantering with the audience for quite some time, the serpent finally smiled and moved on to business.
“All right, all right. I know you’ve missed me. Since everyone is being so enthusiastic, I suppose I ought to bring out something good.”
His tail coiled beneath him and lifted his body upright as he leaned against the auction platform, yet no treasure was carried out.
“Ordinarily, our first item would never appear this early. But I’ve always enjoyed doing the unexpected.” His long, narrow eyes curved as he wagged a finger. “As everyone knows, something major happened in Great Wilderness Mountain recently—the Mountain-Shaking Ape King died.”
“At tonight’s banquet, every important figure in Great Wilderness Mountain will be attending to pay their respects.”
The serpent scoffed.
“We demonfolk have never had a custom of holding funerals. That Demon King was simply fond of humans, so they decided to arrange everything according to human tradition.”
“But human traditions do come with certain benefits. Would anyone care to guess?”
Someone immediately called out impatiently, “Quit keeping us in suspense, Little Scarlet! You’re getting this granddaddy so worked up he can barely contain himself!”
Scarlet threw his head back in laughter. His forked tongue flicked over the corner of his vivid red lips as he answered with a seductive smile.
“You get to attend the feast.”
Everyone burst into laughter.
“You all know my master has a few connections within Great Wilderness Mountain. I hear the banquet will serve far more than mere dragon liver and phoenix gallbladder. Even immortal peaches and spiritual herbs normally controlled by the various Demon Kings will be available for anyone to enjoy.
“And more importantly... every guest will receive one cup of Life-Extending Wine.”
Scholar Xiao looked surprised. “They’re being that generous?”
He explained to the others, “Life-Extending Wine has an effect similar to a Longevity Pill. It can extend a cultivator’s lifespan. For someone already nearing the end of their life, it could quite literally save them.”
“Bidding starts at five thousand spirit stones per seat,” Scarlet drawled. “We’ll take you inside with us and let you join the feast.”
Scholar Xiao considered this, then wrapped his voice in spiritual power and sent it into the hall.
“Will the owner of the auction house be appearing personally to escort us inside?”
Scarlet’s gaze turned toward their room. Smiling enigmatically, he wagged a finger.
“My master is painfully shy. He has no interest in showing his face.”
“These places were obtained from the dragon lineage. When the time comes, the winning bidders will have to enter disguised as servants of the dragon lineage’s young master. Anyone who considers that beneath their dignity should decide accordingly before bidding.”
He coaxed them in a gentle voice, “Don’t worry. I’ve already asked around. Whether you enter as master or servant, everyone receives a cup of Life-Extending Wine.”
“Five thousand spirit stones per seat. Ladies and gentlemen, let the bidding begin.”
Yu Qingtang and the others had no interest in the offer.
Canglang’s eyes flickered several times, but in the end, he did not bid either.
Chi Yantian turned toward him. “You want to go? If you’re short on spirit stones, I can lend you—”
“No need.” Canglang looked away. “It isn’t for me. It’s for my grandfather.”
“He...” Canglang sighed. “As valuable as Life-Extending Wine may be, he would never demean himself by posing as someone else’s servant just to beg for a cup.”
He closed his eyes.
“He is not yet at the end of his life. In the future, I will find my own way to obtain Life-Extending Wine for him.”
“Now that’s ambition!” Chi Yantian laughed heartily. “Once you become a Demon King, you’ll naturally have more fine wine than you can drink!”
The five places were each sold for tens of thousands of spirit stones. Competition for the final one became particularly fierce, driving its price all the way up to one hundred and thirty thousand.
Yu Qingtang had been in the cultivation world for quite some time, yet he had never even seen one hundred and thirty thousand spirit stones gathered in one place.
He looked worriedly at Chi Yantian. “Brother Chi, did you bring enough spirit stones?”
“Hard to say. If I come up short, I’ll sell a few artifacts. I brought some specifically for that purpose.” When the subject turned to ore, Chi Yantian became completely clearheaded. “The value of Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal depends on its quality. A top-grade piece about this size generally sells for around one hundred thousand spirit stones...”
He demonstrated the size with his hands.
“Ordinary people rarely get to see it, but the Heavenly Fire Cult does have some.”
“Dragonbone Jade is different. It’s extremely rare and practically impossible to buy even when someone names a price. But unless a master artifact refiner is present, ordinary cultivators may not be willing to spend an enormous amount on it.”
“Hmm...” Scholar Xiao narrowed his eyes. He suddenly spread open a scroll and looked toward Yu Qingtang. “Brother Yu, you’re a music cultivator. How good are you at locating people by sound?”
Yu Qingtang confidently pointed to his ears. “Exceptionally good! Who do you want me to listen for?”
“Everyone participating in the auction.” A sharp gleam entered Scholar Xiao’s eyes. “Whenever someone bids, point out their location. We’ll record it.”
“Huh?” Yu Qingtang did not understand. “I can do that, but are you trying to map out the auction house’s layout?”
“Not only that.” Scholar Xiao’s eyes curved into a smile. “Just follow my instructions for now.”
Within the water mirror, Scarlet’s tail swept out and placed the second treasure on the platform—a bell that was also a magical artifact.
None of them were interested in it, so Yu Qingtang carefully followed Scholar Xiao’s instructions, recording each bidder’s location and the items they bid on.
Scarlet subsequently brought out spiritual herbs, immortal fruits, and pills. Ye Chenyan spent several thousand spirit stones on two gourds of Monkey Wine, most likely as a gift for Tianji Zi.
Scarlet now displayed a suit of mid-grade snakescale armor.
Yu Qingtang’s expression turned strange. “A snake demon selling snakescale armor?”
“Ah...” Scarlet’s slender fingers brushed across the armor as he spoke mournfully. “This snakescale armor must have been made from the remains of my poor second great-uncle. The poor old man was skinned and had his tendons torn out before being turned into this suit of armor...”
Chi Yantian scratched his head. “If you make it sound that pitiful, who would still buy it?”
Before he had even finished, Scarlet suddenly changed his tone and smiled.
“However, my second great-uncle was more shameless than most people even while he was alive, so naturally his hide was much thicker as well. This snakescale armor must be sturdier than any other.”
The surrounding rooms erupted with laughter.
Scarlet insincerely dabbed at the corners of his eyes, his gaze rippling seductively.
“This was my second great-uncle, after all. The original starting price was ten thousand spirit stones, but surely his personal connection to me makes him worth a little more. For my sake, shall we raise the starting bid by another two thousand?”
Someone immediately replied, “I’ll pay twenty thousand spirit stones for your second great-uncle!”
“Hahaha! I’ll give thirty thousand!”
Yu Qingtang: “...”
I have clearly overestimated the moral standards of the demonfolk.
Chi Yantian scratched his head. “This looks like demonfolk craftsmanship. It’s rather interesting, but...”
His expression became peculiar.
“Is it really his second great-uncle?”
Canglang sneered. “Fake.”
“He’s a scarlet chain snake. That armor is obviously made from a tree python. They aren’t even the same kind of demon.”
“It’s nothing but a gimmick to stir up the audience.”
“That’s a relief.” Chi Yantian exhaled. “Otherwise, I’d feel uncomfortable watching someone auction off his own family.”
He wrapped his voice in spiritual power and sent it into the hall.
“One hundred thousand!”
The auction house instantly fell silent.
“My, what towering generosity.” A strange gleam flashed through Scarlet’s eyes. “I don’t recognize that voice. A new guest, perhaps?”
He shook his head and deliberately gave a mocking laugh.
“What happened to all our regulars? Have you all been drained dry?”
Sure enough, several bidders immediately took the bait and began raising the price.
Chi Yantian stroked his chin. Scholar Xiao hurriedly warned him, “Brother Chi, don’t act impulsively!”
Ye Chenyan added, “They have one of their own in the audience.”
“Huh?” Chi Yantian came back to his senses. “It’s fine. This armor is interesting, but I’ve been studying it for a while. I can more or less understand how it was made.”
“Demonfolk craftsmanship tends to be rough and direct. Their artifact-refining ideas are usually easy to see through.”
Chi Yantian folded his arms.
“If it goes above one hundred and fifty thousand, it won’t be worth the price.”
Yu Qingtang stared at him in astonishment. “Brother Chi, you suddenly seem so dependable.”
“What do you mean, suddenly?” Chi Yantian held his arms even tighter. “Of course I know what I’m doing!”
He shouted, “One hundred and fifty thousand!”
Someone quickly surpassed that bid, so he lost interest and sat back down.
“Forget it. I’ll make one myself later. I’ll just have to catch a tree python.”
Canglang immediately looked at him with suspicion.
Chi Yantian leaned over enthusiastically. “Hey, do you happen to know any tree-python demons who’ve committed all kinds of evil?”
Canglang: “...”
Fortunately, Scarlet revealed the next item at that moment, instantly drawing Chi Yantian’s attention away.
He sprang excitedly to his feet.
“Finally! Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal! And such a large piece! If it formed naturally, this is truly rare!”
Scarlet’s tail was wrapped around the ore that had just been brought out. Half of its rocky outer skin remained intact, leaving only one side of the brilliant golden-yellow crystal exposed. Its radiance almost seemed brighter than the lamps illuminating the treasury.
“This Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal is one of Great Wilderness Mountain’s finest specialties.” Scarlet tapped the ore lightly. “Everyone knows how much profit you can make by reselling it to human cultivators!”
“Such a large piece of naturally formed precious ore cannot be missed. The starting bid is two million spirit stones!”
Yu Qingtang nearly spat out his tea.
He asked in a trembling voice, “H-how much?”
If two million spirit stones were placed in front of his Master, his Master might sell Biehe Sect in its entirety, then drag every last one of them off to wander the world together.
The price had clearly stunned many of the other guests as well. For a time, no one made a bid.
Scarlet glanced from side to side before letting out a wistful sigh.
“Truthfully, Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal of this quality would never normally enter our auction house.”
“You all know my master owns businesses throughout Great Wilderness Mountain. The stone-gambling shop on the eastern side of the mountain also belongs to him.”
“A few days ago, some fellow tried to get rich without putting down a single spirit stone. The employees were careless enough to let him talk them into cutting open the stone before he paid—and it actually contained Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal of this quality!”
Scarlet clicked his tongue and shook his head.
“But he hadn’t paid. He actually expected us to wait until he sold the ore before coming back to settle the bill...”
He gave a low laugh, dangerous and alluring.
“No one in Great Wilderness Mountain dares owe my master spirit stones. That brat lost his head to a single slash...”
His fingertips gently stroked the surface of the ore.
“His blood splattered right here.”
“My master considered it inauspicious, so he reduced the price and threw it into the auction. Under normal circumstances, Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal of this quality would start at five million!”
Chi Yantian breathed a sigh of relief. “So that’s the reason. I thought there might be some flaw I hadn’t noticed. Otherwise, why would they sell it so cheaply?”
Yu Qingtang was even more horrified. “You call this cheap?”
He silently leaned against Ye Chenyan and clutched his chest.
“The disparities of this world truly make a man sigh.”
Ye Chenyan shrugged helplessly. “The Heavenly Fire Cult really is extremely wealthy. They and the Fire Cauldron Sect are probably the sects least likely to lack spirit stones. After all, anything personally made by a grandmaster artifact refiner or pill cultivator is nearly impossible to buy.”
He glanced at Scholar Xiao.
“And then there’s the Four Books Academy...”
Scholar Xiao hurriedly clarified, “We still can’t compare to the Heavenly Fire Cult.”
He smiled bashfully.
“Besides, the only truly wealthy people are my Master and those Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters with bestselling books and periodicals. I have yet to accomplish anything noteworthy, so my pockets remain rather empty.”
Chi Yantian had already made his bid.
“Two million five hundred thousand!”
No one answered.
Chi Yantian looked surprised. “Am I really going to get it that easily?”
A voice suddenly rang out.
“Three million!”
Chi Yantian was about to bid again when Ye Chenyan grabbed hold of him.
“Hm?” Chi Yantian turned to explain. “Don’t worry. For a piece of Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal this large, even five million would be a fair price!”
“Be patient.” Scholar Xiao tapped the table and pointed at the location chart he and Yu Qingtang had compiled.
Yu Qingtang had also noticed the anomaly.
“It’s this person bidding again.”
He tapped one point on the chart.
“He’s bid on every single item sold today, but he hasn’t won a single one.”
Understanding flashed through Chi Yantian’s eyes.
“He’s a shill!”
He immediately frowned in frustration.
“Then what do we do? We can’t exactly rush out there and expose him...”
“Wait.” Ye Chenyan raised an eyebrow. “Wait for them to come to us.”
No one in the auction house made another bid, yet Scarlet did not declare the sale. Instead, he continued coaxing the audience in a gentle voice.
“Such a large piece of Heaven-Tempered Yellow Crystal, and no one wishes to bid any higher?”
His gaze slid toward a subordinate standing outside the water mirror’s field of view.
The man hurriedly lowered his head in acknowledgment, then slipped away at a run—clearly heading straight for Yu Qingtang’s private room.
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