The Auction (Part One)

Shen Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat. "Who is it?"

"One of them, surnamed Wang, comes from a cultivation Lineage with Lineage Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge; the other two have both been to our market, but we don't know them. One of them is a formidable figure, a Qi Refining Great Perfection cultivator."

Accountant Wu said:

"Your skills aren't high enough, so you might not have noticed it yet. I'm just giving you a heads-up; please be very careful."

Cold sweat poured down Shen Jingchuan's back in an instant.

Despite being extremely careful—changing clothes, altering her aura, and navigating alleyways—she was still targeted, and the other party was a master at the Qi Refining Great Perfection, a level higher than Xiao Mingshu.

The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became, but he didn't dare show it on his face, pretending to be calm.

He took out a High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill from his Storage Bag and discreetly slipped it into Accountant Wu's hand:

"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Wu."

Accountant Wu took it and glanced down— High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill. He was delighted; the favor hadn't been in vain. This man was indeed rich and generous.

He nodded to Shen Jingchuan and said solemnly, "Young Master Shen is very generous. Thank you. Please be careful." After saying that, he turned around, closed the door, and left.

As soon as the door closed, Xiao Mingshu looked at Shen Jingchuan and asked in a low voice:

"Hey little brat, what trouble have you gotten yourself into? How did you end up being targeted?"

Seeing that she remained relatively calm, Shen Jingchuan secretly praised her—this older sister, after all, came from the royal family and had seen the world; she didn't panic in the face of trouble.

"Maybe it's because we've been shipping goods in the market these past few days that they've been watching us." He didn't dare tell the truth.

Xiao Mingshu frowned, wanting to say that it couldn't be that bad, but she swallowed the words back.

She thought about it and realized that this was no small amount— Shen Jingchuan's turnover over the past few days had totaled over ten thousand Spirit Stones.

Even for a cultivator at the Qi Refining Great Perfection, several thousand Spirit Stones is not a small sum of money, and it's worth taking the risk.

Xiao Mingshu composed herself:

"Let's be patient for the next couple of days. They probably won't dare to make a move inside the market. It's really dangerous outside the market. Let's see how things develop and then decide what to do."

Shen Jingchuan nodded:

"Don't worry, sister. Let's just focus on the auction and proceed as planned. Don't worry, I have a plan."

Xiao Mingshu stared at him for a couple of seconds and saw that his expression was calm, not like he was faking it.

Xiao Mingshu suddenly sensed that something was off about him.

She looked closely and her eyebrows shot up immediately— Qi Refinement Fifth Layer?

"Little brat, you broke through?" Xiao Mingshu lowered her voice, looking surprised. "When did you break through? How come I didn't know?"

Shen Jingchuan didn't think it was a big deal, so he smiled and blurted out:

"Last night, my sister said she wanted to marry me. I got so excited that I just... and somehow I lost control."

"What kind of Spirit Root do you have? How did you break through so quickly?" Xiao Mingshu felt increasingly uneasy. "You wouldn't happen to have Heaven Spirit Root, would you?"

"Oh, sis, don't ask anymore," Shen Jingchuan waved his hand. "It was just a fortuitous opportunity anyway."

Seeing that he didn't want to talk, Xiao Mingshu shut her mouth. She knew that every cultivator had their own secrets, and pressing someone about their background was a major taboo in the cultivation world, which was indeed inappropriate.

"Okay, I won't ask anymore. Congratulations!" She smiled, but her mind was elsewhere.

It seems the Shen Household truly has some foundation.

She still remembered when she first met Shen Jingchuan. This young man was asking around about ways to find Spirit Stones, and he didn't even know where to look for Spirit Stone. At the time, she thought that the Shen Household family was probably just an insignificant little Lineage.

But as they've come this far, more and more suspicious things have become about Shen Jingchuan, and she's starting to get confused—what's really going on with the Shen Household?

In some places, the prices are ridiculously low, so low that people don't even understand the Spirit Stone market; in others, the upper limit is unattainable, and good items keep popping up one after another.

Xiao Mingshu shook her head. Forget it, don't think about it anymore.

Anyway, Shen Jingchuan treats her well, and that's enough. Probing too much and letting him discover things will only make him uncomfortable and weaken the bond between siblings. Some things, he'll naturally say when he's ready.

She pondered to herself that the Shen Household probably had some hidden cards she didn't know about. Otherwise, a junior at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer —oh, he's already at the fifth level—couldn't be so calm and collected, even if he was being targeted by someone at the Qi Refining Great Perfection.

She always knew that Shen Jingchuan had his own ideas, so she simply trusted him, nodded, and sat down.

Huan'er stood by, watching Shen Jingchuan, but didn't say anything.

The auction began shortly afterward.

A middle-aged man walked onto the stage from the side door. He was wearing a dark blue robe, had an ordinary face, but a very smooth smile.

Shen Jingchuan calmly used the Heavenly Eye Peering into Truth Instruction to scan the area—whoa, Qi Refining Ninth Layer.

"Fellow Daoists, how have you been?"

The middle-aged man cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards the audience below, his voice not loud, but clearly audible to everyone:

"Many people recognize me. My surname is Chen. I am honored that the market has chosen me to host this auction. Without further ado, let's begin. I wish everyone the best of luck in finding the items they desire today."

As soon as he finished speaking, a charming young woman with the cultivation level of the Qi Refining Third Layer walked out from behind. She swayed her hips and carried a tray covered with a red silk cloth.

The middle-aged man surnamed Chen reached out and lifted the red silk. On the tray lay a long sword, its scabbard a dark silver color and its hilt wrapped with silver thread. As soon as it was revealed, a faint chill emanated from it.

"The first item up for auction is the top-grade magical Law Artifact, the Frost Sword."

He picked up the longsword, and with a "whoosh," drew half of it. The blade was entirely silver-white, its cold light chilling, even making the stage lights seem a bit colder.

"This sword was forged from millennia-old cold iron mixed with spirit silver, taking a month to complete. Its blade naturally exudes a chilling aura; in combat, it can penetrate the opponent's meridians along the blade, slowing down the flow of Spiritual Power."

"Needless to say, its sharpness is unparalleled; it can slice through high-grade magic Law Artifact like rotten wood. A fellow cultivator at the Qi Refining Great Perfection could boost their combat power significantly with it, and even Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator could use it for self-defense."

He paused, then announced loudly, "Starting bid: 800 Low-Grade Spirit Stones, minimum increment: 50."

A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.

"Wow, a top-tier magic Law Artifact right at the start?"

"This trip was worthwhile; looks like we found something good today."

"Eight hundred!" Someone immediately raised a sign.

"Eight hundred and fifty!"

"Nine hundred!"

"One thousand!" The price rose rapidly. After all, it was a top-grade magic Law Artifact. There were quite a few cultivators in the Qi Refining Late Stage in the audience, all hoping to snag a bargain while the competition for the first item wasn't yet at its fiercest.

" One Thousand One!"

" One thousand three!"

" One thousand five!"

The price kept rising, and fewer and fewer people raised their bids, but there were still three or four cultivators gritting their teeth and competing.

"Eighteen thousand!"

"Two thousand!" An old man in a gray robe in a corner called out in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on the Frost Sword on the stage.

There was a moment of silence in the audience.

"Two thousand and fifty." Another voice retorted, not to be outdone.

"Two thousand one!"

"Two thousand two!"

"Two thousand three hundred!" The gray-robed old man gritted his teeth and added one hundred directly.

The monk who had called for 2,200 shook his head and put down the sign.

"Two thousand three hundred once, two thousand three hundred twice, two thousand three hundred three times—sold!" The middle-aged man surnamed Chen finalized the deal with a single strike. "Congratulations, fellow Daoist."

Sparse applause rang out from below the stage as the alluring woman descended, carrying her Frost Sword.

Shen Jingchuan sat in the VIP room, never once considering raising his paddle. It wasn't that he couldn't afford it, but he genuinely had no interest. He leaned back in his chair, leisurely waiting for the next item to be auctioned.