Lu Yang: "...Only Forty Thousand?"

Lu Yang lounged against the back of his chair, calculating his future income. The more he thought about it, the better his mood became, and the corners of his mouth lifted without his noticing.

Another dozen or so lots passed across the auction stage below. Most were materials from first-tier Demon Beasts and herbs. Though rarer and of higher quality than those found on the market, they were still of little use to Lu Yang.

The best of them was a high-grade yellow-rank Cultivation Method.

As soon as the Cultivation Method appeared, the Rogue Cultivators and scions of minor clans in the first-floor hall fought over it until their faces turned red. Several Foundation Establishment Realm Rogue Cultivators gritted their teeth and drove up the price, shouting until their voices nearly cracked.

The private rooms upstairs, however, were as still as stagnant water. Their occupants couldn't even be bothered to bid.

To the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect, this was no more than an introductory Cultivation Method.

The other factions might not have been the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect's equals, but they had no shortage of Cultivation Methods at this level either.

After the high-grade yellow-rank Cultivation Method was auctioned, perhaps because the atmosphere had cooled considerably, Liu Yaoyao's eyes flickered and a captivating smile curved her lips.

"This next lot is quite good."

At her words, the figures sprawled against their chairs in the private rooms upstairs quietly sat a little straighter.

Anything Liu Yaoyao called "good" was bound to be worth their attention.

She turned her hand over, and a snow-white waistband appeared in her palm.

The waistband was embroidered with rows of pale gold sword-shaped patterns, with spiritual light faintly flowing between them. The moment it appeared, a sword intent as sharp as a drawn sword spread from the raised platform. Several lower-cultivation Rogue Cultivators in the first-floor hall instinctively drew back their necks.

Liu Yaoyao raised her voice, a note of excitement in her tone. "A Supreme-Grade Law Artifact, the Gold-and-White Sword-Scar Waistband! Wearing it increases the power of Sword Dao Law Techniques! Fellow sword cultivators, this is a treasure you rarely get the chance to encounter. Miss it today, and who knows how many years it will be before you see another~~ The starting price is ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, with minimum increments of five hundred."

Lu Yang's hand paused as he held his teacup. "???"

That's it?

Seeing how grandly Liu Yaoyao had set it up, he'd thought she was going to bring out something good.

Instead, it was a Law Artifact belt.

It was Supreme-Grade, all right, but its attributes weren't even as good as the Cinnabar Sword-Binding Silk the system had rewarded him with...

The Cinnabar Sword-Binding Silk not only increased the power of Sword Dao Law Techniques, but also strengthened Sword Qi.

However, the Cinnabar Sword-Binding Silk was suited to female cultivators, while the Gold-and-White Sword-Scar Waistband would also look good on a male cultivator.

Why not just bid on it while I'm at it?

But if he did, he'd have to bid a hundred thousand Spirit Stones outright.

After all, he intended to use a Rebate Card. If he didn't spend every last Spirit Stone, it would be a pure loss, and naturally he wasn't willing to accept that.

As he pondered it, he glimpsed Qin Nanyue suddenly sitting upright beside him.

Her gaze passed over the railing and settled directly on the waistband on the platform, undisguised longing in her eyes.

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "Senior Sister Qin, do you like that belt?"

Qin Nanyue came back to her senses, though her gaze remained glued to the waistband. Her tone grew more earnest. "Waistband-type Law Artifacts are much harder to refine than ordinary ones, let alone at Supreme-Grade. I'm afraid I'm not the only one. Plenty of sword cultivators here have their eyes on it."

Lu Yang fell into thought.

He realized he seemed to have underestimated the Law Artifact's value.

A little curious, he asked, "How much do you think that thing will sell for?"

Qin Nanyue thought for a moment and estimated a figure in her head. "Probably more than thirty thousand. If we're unlucky, it might reach forty thousand."

Lu Yang's expression froze for a moment. His lips moved, and he said, somewhat disappointed, "...Only forty thousand?"

Qin Nanyue's head snapped around. She looked as though someone had stuffed an entire lemon into her mouth. "????"

Lin Ying blinked too, looking at him in utter bewilderment. "????"

Qin Nanyue was nearly beside herself. "Lu Yang, do you even hear what you're saying?? You think forty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones is too little?! How many Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators couldn't scrape together forty thousand even if they pooled everything they owned!"

Beside her, Lin Ying nodded like a chick pecking at grain. Her voice was soft, but she was exceptionally serious. "That's right, Junior Brother Lu. Never mind forty thousand... I don't even have four thousand..."

Looking at the two of them, both so worked up, Lu Yang suddenly felt a little dazed.

He realized that, at some point without his noticing, he had stopped taking forty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones seriously.

A little over a month ago, even forty Low-Grade Spirit Stones had seemed like an astronomical sum to him.

And now? He thought forty thousand wasn't worthy of that Mid-Level Rebate Card.

People really did change...

He reflected on it inwardly, but smiled as he reassured them. "I was mistaken. I thought a Supreme-Grade Law Artifact like this would be a little more expensive."

Hearing that, Qin Nanyue and Lin Ying's expressions eased somewhat.

Qin Nanyue then changed the subject, looking at Lu Yang with a somewhat probing gaze. "Junior Brother Lu, aren't you interested in this Supreme-Grade Law Artifact at all?"

Lu Yang was momentarily at a loss for words.

Should I tell her the truth—that it's too cheap to catch my eye?

If he said that out loud, Senior Sister Qin might just snap on the spot.

After wavering for a moment, he gave an awkward laugh. "It's all right, I guess. I'm not particularly interested."

At that, Qin Nanyue pursed her red lips, and her expression suddenly grew conflicted.

A rare, faint blush rose on her cheeks, and she kept stealing glances at Lu Yang.

Lu Yang found it curious.

Senior Sister Qin had always been bold and heroic. He had never seen her act so girlish before.

What is she plotting?

She hasn't fallen in love with me, has she?

It wasn't as though Lu Yang was being conceited; his charm stat was nearly off the charts now, after all.

Still, Lu Yang had his own way of checking.

He took a look at Qin Nanyue's favorability and was immediately disappointed.

Tsk... still 60 points.

It hadn't changed at all.

Apparently, she hadn't fallen in love with him.

Lin Ying and Qin Nanyue had been as close as sisters for years, and Lin Ying was more sensitive than anyone to changes in her dear friend's mood.

One look at Qin Nanyue, and she could guess most of what was on her mind.

She reached out and gently took Qin Nanyue's hand. "Nanyue," she asked warmly, "is there something you want to say to Junior Brother Lu?"

Qin Nanyue's ears turned even redder. She glanced at Lu Yang and nodded slightly. "Mm."

Seeing her so unusually flustered only made Lu Yang more curious. "Senior Sister Qin, just say what's on your mind. There's no need for such formality between us."

At this point, Qin Nanyue couldn't spare the attention to take issue with Lu Yang's clumsy attempt at familiarity.

She was silent for a moment, then spoke more quietly than usual, her voice lacking confidence. "Well... I only have a little over thirty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones on hand right now. If I don't have enough when the bidding goes up, could you lend me some for the time being, Junior Brother Lu? I'll pay you back after the new year, once I get my resources from home, with interest!"

The moment she finished speaking, Qin Nanyue wished she could find a crack in the ground and crawl right into it!

Not long ago, she had teased Lu Yang about not having enough money, and now it turned out she was the one short on funds.