Jiang Ming's figure stiffened. Xu Yi had already been led by an attendant toward the passage on the left.
After several turns, they had continued downward the whole way. The main hall seemed to have been built into the heart of a mountain.
Half a cup of tea later, he followed the attendant into a large hall. It was extraordinarily spacious, with hundreds of cushions scattered across a smooth floor dozens of yards long and wide. There was no auction platform at the front, only an enormous jade screen.
By the time Xu Yi arrived, nearly half the cushions in the hall were occupied. People dressed in loose robes and broad hats like him made up more than half the crowd. Others had used formations to conceal their faces behind veils of mist.
In short, scarcely anyone showed their face. And even those who did were probably not showing their true faces.
After all, attending an auction meant laying one's wealth bare before everyone, whether or not one managed to buy anything.
If someone bought a priceless treasure, others would surely set their sights on them. In matters of cultivation resources, even members of the same sect—and often even fathers and sons—could not be completely honest with each other.
Before long, every cushion in the hall was occupied.
More than a hundred people had gathered, yet not a sound stirred. They waited quietly for the auction to begin.
Another half an incense stick later, an image appeared on the crystal screen at the front. A middle-aged fat man emerged in the projection, dressed in flamboyant red and purple ceremonial robes that gave him a festive air. A massive jade table stood beside him.
Xu Yi understood. This time, no True Person would appear in person to host the auction. They