"Brother, you're an auction shill, aren't you?"
Song Chengan fell silent for a moment before speaking.
The moment Tang Yun heard that, he hurriedly covered his mouth.
"Brother Song, don't talk nonsense!"
"People could die!"
He cautiously glanced around.
"Don't wrongfully accuse me!"
"You bid on almost every auction item."
"But in the end, you never won any of them."
Song Chengan said.
"Whether it was that Women's Magic Robe, the Soul Devouring Pill only demonic cultivators could use, or the Flying Ship, you bid on all of them."
"I was merely too strapped for cash to win them."
"You bid nine thousand Talisman Coins for the robe, but when it came to the Soul Devouring Pill, you stopped bidding after three thousand."
"From beginning to end, you haven't spent a single Talisman Coin."
"I bid on the robe for my sweetheart, but once its price reached nine thousand Talisman Coins, I realized I didn't love her quite that much after all."
"I bid on the Soul Devouring Pill for an uncle who had gone down the wrong path and joined a demonic sect. But halfway through, I remembered the vow I made in my youth—to slaughter every evil demon and crooked cultivator under heaven. So after I go back, I plan to uphold righteousness by killing my own kin." Tang Yun remained perfectly composed.
"What about that Storage Magic Tool?"
"I already have a Storage Magic Tool spanning one zhang in diameter. It'll do for now."
"That Treasure Grade sword..."
"This sword of mine was a gift from my master when I completed my apprenticeship. Thinking about it afterward, wouldn't replacing it mean letting down my master?" Tang Yun took his weapon from his Storage Magic Tool.
"That Three-Eyed Demonic Bull..."
"I was born in the Year of the Ox. If I rode it, wouldn't that be the same as riding myself?"
"That item..."
"Brother Song, wait a moment!"
As Tang Yun spoke, he bent down.
He picked up a pill from the floor.
"Brother Song, I found this second-grade Wonderful Grass Pill on the ground. It's a healing pill—so long as the wound isn't fatal, it can heal it instantly."
"Brother Song, take a look. Did you drop it?"
As he spoke, he stuffed the pill into Song Chengan's hand.
Song Chengan stared at the pill in his hand in utter shock.
Then guilt washed over him.
He felt that he truly wasn't human.
Tang Yun had only met him by chance, yet patiently explained the tricks of the auction house to him.
Yet he had measured a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind and actually suspected Tang Yun of being an auction-house shill.
He truly wasn't human.
Song Chengan carefully put away the pill.
This was a second-grade pill!
"Brother Tang, perhaps I saw wrong just now and misunderstood you."
"To be honest, I have some needs as well."
"But I don't know what I should bid on. If you think there's something suitable, tell me what price I should offer!"
Tang Yun's eyes lit up at once.
"Alright, then this brother will help you weigh things up!"
Afterward, Tang Yun changed his voice as he placed bids.
Every now and then, he had Song Chengan bid once or twice for him.
In short, this auction proceeded smoothly from start to finish.
"Everyone, the next item up for auction is the centerpiece of this event."
"A Golden-Eyed White Eagle."
As the steward spoke, a bird imprisoned in a cage appeared atop the auction platform.
The bird was about the size of an ordinary owl, with crimson eyes and feathers as white as snow.
"The Golden-Eyed White Eagle is an unusual species possessing the bloodline of the Ancient Roc."
"Once it reaches adulthood, it can possess the strength of a half-step Golden Core."
"Furthermore, as the king of the skies, even ordinary Golden Core cultivators can do nothing to it."
"It will absolutely be a tremendous aid to all fellow Daoists."
"Of course, most importantly, this Golden-Eyed White Eagle possesses an exceptionally fine bloodline. Given a fortunate opportunity, it may even advance another step."
"The evolution of Demon Race bloodlines... everyone, you should know what that means without my needing to say it, right?"
"Please place your bids."
The auction house fell quiet.
Song Chengan gazed at the listless white eagle in the cage, his heart stirring.
What a magnificent bird.
"This is a divine bird."
Tang Yun nodded. "It is the descendant of an ancient divine beast."
"It's worth a fortune."
"Should we bid?"
Tang Yun shook his head.
"We don't need to bid on this."
"Others might find bargains among other items, but for a divine bird like this, there are plenty of big shots upstairs who know its worth!"
"Not only won't it go cheap, its price will soar into the heavens!"
"The starting bid is fifty thousand Talisman Coins!"
"So low?" Song Chengan said.
"This thing's price will be driven up anyway. The starting bid doesn't matter."
"Besides, the auction house has real people keeping watch."
"There are shills upstairs too?" Song Chengan lowered his voice upon hearing that.
Tang Yun coughed several times.
Song Chengan hurriedly corrected himself. "There are people upstairs with needs as well?"
Tang Yun gave him a look that said he could be taught. "Exactly."
"One hundred thousand."
A calm voice rang out.
Song Chengan and Tang Yun looked up.
A young man emerged from a private room on the seventh floor.
He had short hair and a face like polished jade.
He wore white robes embroidered with magic patterns, light rippling over the patterns.
One glance was enough to tell they were worth a great deal.
The young man leaned over the railing and calmly looked down at the auction platform.
"One hundred ten thousand five hundred!"
Someone on the third floor placed a bid.
"One hundred fifty thousand!"
"One hundred sixty thousand Talisman Coins."
"Two hundred thousand."
"Two hundred ten thousand."
"May I ask which faction this young master belongs to?"
"Why not yield this white eagle to this little woman?"
A pleasant voice drifted from another private room on the seventh floor.
"Four hundred thousand."
The young man stretched lazily.
"Could this young friend be an honored guest from the capital?"
"I am from the Mo Family of Taixuan City, skilled in Beast Taming. Might you show some mercy?"
An aged voice rang out.
"The Mo Family?"
"The Mo Family of the Liang Province Governor?"
At those words, many people's expressions changed.
"Four hundred twenty thousand."
"One million."
"This..."
As soon as those words were spoken.
No one spoke again.
Neither the City Lord Mo.
Nor the woman who had just spoken opened her mouth again.
They had clearly been intimidated by that seemingly casual young man.
"One million and ten thousand."
"Fuck you!"
"Are you looking to die?"
Song Chengan cursed furiously in his heart.
He sprang away in a flash.
Because the one who had made that bid was none other than Tang Yun.
It was one thing for Langya Pavilion to drive up the prices of other items.
But you were driving up the price of this too.
Were you insane?
This was a fierce man who did not even give the Mo Family face, yet you dared raise his bid!
Tang Yun's voice trembled.
The noble young master's gaze swept over.
It was still calm.
He merely glanced once before withdrawing his gaze.
Yet with that single glance, though it was not directed at Song Chengan, Song Chengan still felt his scalp go numb!
An expert!
A true expert!
This was someone he absolutely could not contend with!
Whether in cultivation or anything else!
"Two million." His voice remained calm.
Silence!
Such silence that a falling needle could be heard!
The old auction steward's forehead was covered in cold sweat.
Right now, he wished he could strangle Tang Yun to death.
Was this a price you could drive up too?
Were you trying to get Langya Pavilion killed?
"Two million, first call!"
"Two million, first call!"
"Sold for two million!"
He did not dare hesitate and hurriedly brought down the hammer.
"I don't have any Talisman Coins."
The young master said calmly.
The steward's expression changed upon hearing that. "Young master, what do you mean?"
This man was unfamiliar to him, and he did not know his identity.
Nor did many others.
Perhaps only the master behind Langya Pavilion knew.
"I mean exactly what I said."
As the young master spoke, he waved a hand.
A longsword shot out like lightning and plunged into the floor before the old steward.
"A high-grade spirit artifact."
"By your market price here, it should be worth roughly two million seven hundred thousand Talisman Coins."
"Is that enough?"
He spoke calmly.
The old steward picked up the sword.
After examining it.
"Enough!"
"Enough!"
He was overjoyed.
Today, the auction house had practically earned more than two million Talisman Coins for nothing!
That was a heaven-sent achievement!
That master would surely bestow countless rewards upon him!
Just then, someone hurried onto the stage and whispered something into the old steward's ear.
"This old man will immediately deliver the Golden-Eyed White Eagle to Young Master Jiang's private room!"
The old steward's expression turned respectful as he bowed to the young man.
"No need."
Young Master Jiang said lightly.
Then he raised a hand.
A large hand formed from white true qi appeared, and in the blink of an eye, the cage imprisoning the Golden-Eyed White Eagle was in his grasp.
He examined the Golden-Eyed White Eagle, then looked at the old steward.
"Your surname?"
The old steward bowed, somewhat flattered. "This old man's surname is Hou."
Young Master Jiang nodded. "Steward Hou, please have the auction house doors opened."
Although Steward Hou did not understand, he still clapped his hands and had someone open the auction house doors.
"Thank you!"
"Young Master Jiang, you're wel—" Before Steward Hou could finish, his expression changed drastically. "Catch it, quickly!"
Young Master Jiang had waved a hand and erased the Magic Formations on the cage that suppressed the Golden-Eyed White Eagle, then casually reached out and opened the cage.
Given the chance, the Golden-Eyed White Eagle immediately shot out of the cage and tried to flee.
Steward Hou panicked at once.
He hurriedly ordered people to capture the white eagle.
As an auction house, they had the duty to ensure that guests could leave with the items they had bought.
As Steward Hou's words fell, several figures with powerful auras appeared and surrounded the Golden-Eyed White Eagle.
"Don't move. Let it go."
"I think a divine bird like this should soar freely between heaven and earth for its entire life."
A calm voice rang out.
Then a terrifying aura swept through the entire auction hall.
Everyone was suppressed so thoroughly that they could not move.
It was Young Master Jiang.
But the suppression lasted only an instant.
Because the bird had flown out of the auction house, out of Taixuan City, and vanished into the distance.
"What a goddamn show-off!"
Song Chengan said.
That was two million!
And it had just flown away like that!
Where had this show-off come from?!
He had spent nearly three million just to say, "I think a divine bird like this should soar freely between heaven and earth for its entire life."
Every increase in his bid had been hundreds of thousands, even millions!
Yet Song Chengan had to save for a year just to buy a Storage Magic Tool.
Damn it, why couldn't I have been born rich?
Young Master Jiang had disappeared at some point.
But Song Chengan's mind was filled with one thing.
Insanely handsome, insanely rich, with invincible talent.
The good mood Song Chengan had felt from picking up a second-grade pill off the ground vanished, replaced by an even worse mood!
"Th-that's f-fucking incredible...!"
Tang Yun's voice trembled.
He collapsed onto the floor.
He was soaked through.
From fright.
He felt like he had gone mad.
How had his brain short-circuited enough for him to dare raise the bid by that ten thousand?
"Brother Song, give me a hand!"
Song Chengan helped him up.
"You're really something!"
"How did you dare raise that show-off's bid?!"
"That show-off?"
Song Chengan said, "Young Master Jiang, of course."
"True."
Tang Yun said, "Every bid increase was a million, and he let a three-million bird go just like that."
"What a show-off!"
"Didn't you see the look in his eyes when he leaned over the railing?"
"The nickname you gave Young Master Jiang truly lived up to its name!" Tang Yun agreed.
"Right, Brother Song, where are you from?"
"Lingqiu County."
"Lingqiu? That's a small place." He said, "Brother Song, would you like to come to Langya Pavilion and find yourself some work?"
"I think our cooperation today was seamless as clothes without a single stitch."
Find some work?
Looking at Tang Yun's flushed, excited face, it was obvious that he would receive quite a share of that one million Talisman Coins.
He might even become rich overnight.
But Song Chengan felt it was better to forget it.
It made money, sure.
But the people seated above were all prominent figures, especially the big shots on the seventh floor.
With their abilities, did they truly not know that Tang Yun was hiding in the crowd and raising the bids?
They merely gave Langya Pavilion face and chose not to expose him.
If they were unhappy one day, Tang Yun might end up becoming an outlet for their anger, dying without anyone knowing why.
It was too dangerous.
Song Chengan felt it was best not to take this job.
"Thank you for the offer, Brother Tang, but Song has been a Rogue Cultivator for too long. I don't like being restrained."
Tang Yun looked somewhat regretful. "What a pity. I truly felt like Brother Song and I hit it off at first sight."
"Is it raining?"
"That isn't rain!"
"It's Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers!"
Song Chengan looked up.
Several women holding umbrellas spiraled down from the seventh floor of Langya Pavilion.
Their colorful robes fluttered, and amid the rain of flowers falling from the sky came pill after pill!
"Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers!"
"Quick, pick them up!"
"Brother Song, move!"
Tang Yun tore off every jade thumb ring on his hand and lunged toward the nearest pill!
Song Chengan was quick-eyed and swift-handed as well, catching a falling pill.
"Remember, Brother Song, you can use your cultivation, but you can't hurt anyone."
Tang Yun said this while reaching for the next pill.
Before you continue