Imperial Capital's Schemes and Deceptions

With a thud, a bearded uncle, whose eyes were glued to me, crashed into a pillar by the roadside.

The 178th, I counted silently in my heart.

With a poof, another auntie, who had been staring intently at me, took a spectacular tumble on flat ground.

179 already...

"Hey, where are we actually going? We're almost at 180."

"What 180?"

"Never mind..." My delicate brows furrowed slightly, and I sighed, the number of casualties instantly rising to 183.

"Don't sigh, Xiao Ye, we're almost there~" Si Nan Ying pointed ahead.

Before us stood a massive, square building. Its pure white walls and perfect hexagonal shape made it look exactly like--

"A die?"

"It's an auction house!" It was only after her reminder that I noticed the words "Jianshide Auction House" emblazoned on the building's roof.

An auction house... Wait, an auction house!?

A thrill shot through me; what was meant to come had finally arrived! Since ancient times, auction houses have been indispensable focal points in novels! All sorts of protagonists, whether they were Dragon Proud Heavens, useless nobodies, pretty boys, or whatever else, always acquired some of their equipment, spirit treasures, or even harem members from auctions. Once a collection quest was received, at least one crucial item would come from an auction house. Not to mention, after auctions, there were always villains (or good guys) who tried to rob the protagonist, only to be robbed back by the protagonist... In short, it's an ironclad rule that protagonists make huge gains whenever they enter an auction house!

"Alright, alright, let's go in quickly! Auction house, auction house~" My big desire was already unbearable!

"Why are you getting excited again... Don't rush, take this Purple Gold Card first." Si Nan Yuan handed over a purple-gold card. Its material was extraordinary, exuding an air of wealth.

"This is a Purple Gold Card only held by super VIPs. There are no more than five factions in the entire Imperial Capital qualified to use this card..."

"Then I'll take it!"

"Don't rush, let me finish!" Si Nan Yuan quickly snatched the card back, looking at me with the eyes of someone looking at a pauper. "I'm just letting you see it. We don't need any credentials to enter this auction house because this auction house is Si Nan Family property."

"Eh, so...?"

"As the daughter of the family head, Miss can have unlimited credit, auction items are commission-free, and she can enjoy the highest-class suite and top-tier service. Of course, we who are with her will also benefit."

The world of the rich, truly amazing...

The luxurious interior of the auction house stood in stark contrast to its rather plain exterior. A spacious auction hall, rows of seats, and high-end VIP rooms... This place felt more like a top-tier opera house than an auction house.

I had never been to an auction house on Earth, so everything here felt novel. What surprised me was that this time, we weren't just here as buyers; Si Nan Yuan also brought an item to be auctioned. It was none other than my spoils of war... a Desolate Beast Essence Core!

It turned out that not long after we left the mountain range, a family member had retrieved the Desolate Beast Essence Core. Although this Desolate Beast Essence Core, devoid of Life Force, had lost its practical value, it was still quite precious as a decorative item.

"Miss Yuan, this thing..."

"Don't worry, I know it's your spoils of war. Whatever it sells for will be yours."

"Thank you!"

"Quiet, it's starting!"

The lights in the entire hall suddenly dimmed, leaving only a few spotlights focused on the center of the stage. A scantily clad blonde beauty appeared under the spotlight. Her eyes were alluring, her waist as slender as a snake's, and every movement sent waves of charm through the air. All the men in the auction hall instantly straightened their backs.

"Hello, esteemed guests, it's been a while. I am your old friend, Auctioneer Su Ya~"

"Ooooooh!!!"

The previously silent auction hall erupted into a cacophony of cheers and whistles. It seemed this beautiful auctioneer was quite popular. Unfortunately, I had seen too many beautiful women recently (especially when looking in the mirror), so I wasn't too impressed.

"I'm very happy to see so many friends gracing our auction house today. Thank you all for your support and trust! Without further ado, let's get down to business! First up is the first auction item. Please welcome A Zuo and A You~~"

Two handsome youths, presumably "A Zuo" and "A You," carried an item covered with a silk cloth and placed it on the long table in front of Su Ya.

Su Ya's fair hand gently lifted the silk cloth, revealing a very beautiful... porcelain vase?

"Sky Blue Glaze Phoenix Pattern Sunflower Wash, crafted by the ceramic master Zhou Shuren from three hundred years ago! Authenticated as perfectly preserved, without a single flaw, it is a rare masterpiece in the entire nation! Starting bid: eight million Tong Coins!"

Wait... Is this really just an ordinary piece of porcelain? It's not a Spirit Artifact, nor Spiritual Medicine, nor some heaven-defying material? And it's this expensive?

"Nine million!" While I was still bewildered, someone below had already started bidding.

"Ten million!"

"Fifteen million!"

Bids continued to rise, and soon this small, plate-like item had more than doubled in price, eventually being bought by the young master of a certain family for twenty-three million.

The next three or four auction items were various artworks... Oh heavens, in that case, how is this different from auctions on Earth? At least bring out some high-level equipment! This is another world, after all!

But then again... fighting isn't the only thing in this world. It would be strange if the auction only featured weapons and medicines. The good stuff is probably coming later, so I'll just wait patiently.

"Xiao Ye, look! It's your item!" Si Nan Ying suddenly shouted excitedly, her voice clearly audible throughout the auction hall. Instantly, countless eyes turned towards us, making me blush and quickly lower my head to cover my face.

"Blue Background Jacquard Gourd Kernel Carving, crafted by the contemporary master Zhang Dawan. It's carved from an entire Desolate Beast Essence Core. The Desolate Beast Essence Core itself is of perfect color and extremely high quality, and the master's creation further enhances its brilliance! Starting bid: ten million Tong Coins!"

So nervous... The Desolate Beast Essence Core, the main material, was something I personally obtained. I wonder how much this item will sell for?

"Judging by that voice, could it be the Si Nan family's trash daughter?"

Before anyone could bid, a sharp, piercing female voice suddenly came from a VIP room on the other side of the auction hall.

"The dignified Si Nan family is actually selling this depleted Essence Core? Anyone with eyes can see this thing isn't worth much. Why don't you save yourself the embarrassment!"

"What, what did you say!?" Si Nan Ying was provoked and stood up angrily, shouting.

"It's someone from the Cleon Family, don't be rash!" Si Nan Yuan immediately pushed Si Nan Ying back.

"We don't know how many of them there are, and we're too few. A direct confrontation would be disadvantageous for us."

"But Xiao Ye..."

"I'm fine," I quickly said, "It would play right into their hands if I lost my temper now."

Honestly, it didn't feel good having my spoils of war mocked, but I couldn't lose my composure over such a small provocation.

Seeing that we had no proper response, the unpleasant voice from the Cleon Family side rang out again, "Trash is trash! You become a shrinking turtle after just a couple of words?"

"Esteemed guest, our establishment's rules strictly prohibit public provocation. If you don't mind your behavior, we will have to ask you to leave."

Auctioneer Su Ya said with a smile, her tone cheerful yet carrying a hint of coldness.

Speaking of which, this auction house was a property of the Si Nan Family, so as an auctioneer, she naturally had to side with them.

"Heh, since Miss Su Ya has said so, we'll let it go for now. It was indeed our fault this time." To my surprise, the sharp-tongued person apologized quite readily, making it impossible to guess their intentions.

The auction continued, and the Desolate Beast core carving was eventually sold for twenty-eight million, a pretty good result.

"And so, the auction of artworks concludes. The next items are the main event. Please enjoy our establishment's carefully selected--Spirit Artifacts!"

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