Five days later, at dusk, the outline of a majestic city gradually became clear on the horizon.
The city wall is made of dark gray boulders, more than ten feet high. It casts a long shadow in the afterglow of the setting sun, revealing a kind of heaviness and vicissitudes that have gone through wind and rain.
The flags at the top of the city are fluttering, and the word "Cuihua" is faintly visible.
Even though it was already dusk, there was still an endless flow of cars, horses and people at the city gate, and the noise could be heard from a long distance away, giving it a bustling scene.
This is one of the important cities of East Foothills Prefecture, Jade Splendor City.
Fang Han, dressed in blue cloth and covered in dust, stood beside the official road, looking at the city ahead.
After working hard for several days, even with his mid-Fourth Grade cultivation level, he still felt a little tired, and his body was wearing a lot of Internal Qi.
Fortunately, the East Foothills Prefecture map given by Lan Yuexin is extremely detailed. It not only marks the main towns and mountains and terrain in the county, but also thoughtfully outlines several recommended routes to and from various places.
Although the route he chose was not the shortest straight line, it avoided several uneven areas, and there were many inns and small towns along the way for supply and rest, making it the safest and most efficient choice.
"Finally caught up."
Fang Han whispered in his heart.
Today is the last day of the month, and the auction is scheduled to be held tomorrow.
If he didn't have this map to guide him, or if there was a slight delay on the way, he would miss the auction, and he would probably regret it.
He stopped staying and followed the flow of people towards the city gate. After paying the entrance fee, he successfully entered the city.
The scene in Jade Splendor City is not fundamentally different from that in the big city of Qingyang Prefecture. The streets are wide, there are many shops, and pedestrians are walking shoulder to shoulder.
The sounds of hawking, talking, laughing, and the sounds of cars and horses mixed into a vibrant market symphony.
At dusk, when restaurant business is at its best, the air is filled with the unique smells of food, spices, and various goods.
Fang Han was not interested in watching the street scene, and his eyes quickly scanned the signs on both sides of the street.
Not long after, he found an inn that looked clean and tidy, of medium size, and asked for an upper room in a relatively secluded location.
After a hasty dinner, Fang Han returned to the room and closed the door to isolate himself from the noise from the outside world.
After washing, he took two True Spirit Pill pills and sat cross-legged on the couch.
"<Mystic Wind Art>."
The mind is calm and the exercises in the body are running slowly.
Internal Qi in the middle stage of Fourth Grade, Internal Qi, Taichong Acupoint and other Acupoints that have been penetrated pour out, like trickles that merge into a river, running endlessly along the established route of practice.
The medicinal effect of True Spirit Pill is quickly absorbed and converted into Internal Qi, which replenishes the consumption of traveling for days.
During practice, time flies by.
The sky outside the window has completely darkened, the lights have begun to turn on, and the sounds inside and outside the inn have gradually become quieter.
Fang Han's heart is like an ancient well, he is not impatient and impatient, he just patiently guides Internal Qi to run every day.
Two hours later, he slowly finished his work, a gleam of light appeared in his eyes, and Internal Qi, which had been running around for days, recovered from the wear and tear.
Internal Qi can be recovered by practicing <Mystic Wind Art>, but the mental fatigue from traveling for days cannot be recovered by practicing <Mystic Wind Art>.
He lay down to rest, using sleep to eliminate mental fatigue. However, he lay down with his clothes on, maintaining a light sleep and alertness.
<Spirit Sniffing Art> Although it is not activated, the sense of smell modified and strengthened by this secret technique can detect the subtle smell changes outside the door, in the corridor and even in the courtyard of the inn.
Being in a different place and coming to participate in the auction with a huge sum of money, he couldn't help but be extra careful.
A night of silence.
The next day, Fang Han woke up in the morning light. After getting up, the first thing he did was to practice <Mystic Wind Art> and carry out his daily routine.
Then he went out and walked around the city for a while, learned about the local customs of East Foothills Prefecture, and confirmed the location of Golden Scale Chamber of Commerce.
In the evening, the last golden glow of the setting sun passed over the cornices. Fang Han stood up and straightened his clothes.
He put Cloudsplitter Sword on his back and checked the inner pocket containing the huge amount of banknotes to make sure it was correct.
He pushed the door open, walked down the stairs, merged into the gradually brightening lights and crowds of people on the street, and headed towards the west of the city, Golden Scale Chamber of Commerce.
The further you go, the streets become wider and tidier, and the buildings on both sides become more and more magnificent. The pedestrians' clothes are obviously much more luxurious, and they have obviously entered the prosperous area of Jade Splendor City.
Not long after, a building with an extremely large area and bright lights appeared in front.
The building has three floors, with a simple yet luxurious shape. The cornices and brackets are all outlined with gold paint, shining brightly under the light.
The main entrance is extremely wide and made of precious mahogany. A huge ebony plaque hangs above it, with four large gilt characters - Golden Scale Chamber of Commerce - engraved with powerful penmanship.
Standing on the left and right in front of the door were four Guards with calm auras and sharp eyes, all of whom were cultivated by Middle Third Grade, maintaining order.
Many well-dressed and good-looking warriors were already arriving by car or on foot. After reviewing the invitations, they were respectfully introduced.
Fang Han steps forward calmly.
When he arrived at the door, a middle-aged man who looked like a steward came to greet him and asked politely:
"This guest, please show your invitation letter."
Fang Han took out the gold-gilded invitation from his arms and handed it over.
The steward took it, carefully inspected the words "Golden Scale Chamber of Commerce" on the cover and the unique flame mark, and then opened the inner pages to take a look.
The smile on his face became a little brighter, he bowed slightly and handed the invitation back with both hands:
"It turns out you are a distinguished guest. I'm sorry, please come with me."
The steward led Fang Han and did not enter the bustling lobby on the first floor through the main entrance, but turned to a soft carpeted corridor on the side.
Artistic Conception profound landscape paintings are hung on the walls on both sides of the corridor, and the air is filled with a faint Sandalwood Incense.
Climb the wide staircase covered with red carpet and arrive at the second floor.
The second floor is completely different from the openness of the first floor. It is a circular Corridor. The inside of the Corridor is an independent box, separated by carved wooden doors. Bead curtains are hung on the doors, making it difficult to see what is going on inside from the outside.
On the outside of Corridor is an exquisite railing, which overlooks the brightly lit auction platform with a red carpet in the center of the first floor below.
There are dozens of private rooms like this extending along Corridor. A cursory scan reveals that there are dozens of them.
At this moment, most of the beaded curtains were hung low, and people could be vaguely seen shaking and talking in low voices.
"Your box is here, please."
The steward led Fang Han to a box in the middle of Corridor and opened the bead curtain for him.
The private room is not large, but it is elegantly furnished, with a square rosewood table and two armchairs covered with brocade cushions, with exquisite refreshments and fruits placed on the tables.
The view from the railing in front is excellent, facing the auction platform.
"During the auction, if you need anything, you can pull the bell rope by the door, and Maid will come to serve you. I wish you a smooth bidding."
After the steward finished speaking, he bowed and left.
Fang Han sat down on the armchair and glanced at the box.
The privacy here is very good. There are wooden partitions between adjacent boxes, and the bead curtain can effectively block the view. Only the side facing the auction table is open.
He took a sip of Tea, sat quietly, breathed evenly, and waited for the auction to begin.
The noisy voices coming from the hall downstairs, as well as the faint movements from other rooms on the second floor, reached his ears that had become increasingly sensitive after reaching the middle stage of Fourth Grade.
Those who could sit in the box on the second floor were all people with distinguished status or strong financial resources, and many of them had an aura that made him feel faint pressure.
About a stick of incense later, the seats in the hall on the first floor were almost full, the crowds were buzzing, and the lights in the private rooms on the second floor were almost all on.
At this moment, an old man wearing Brocade Robe, with a white face and a wide smile, walked out from behind the auction platform.
He walked steadily, came to the center of the stage, and cleared his throat.
Even before he shouted loudly, a soft but clear voice spread to every corner of the venue, showing his impressive internal strength.
"Good evening, distinguished guests, I am Jin Buyi, I will be the host of this auction."
"Thank you all for coming from afar to participate in the auction held by me, Golden Scale Chamber of Commerce. Without further ado, I announce that the auction has officially begun!"
As his voice fell, the noise in the venue gradually subsided, and everyone's eyes focused on the high platform.
A good-looking Maid stepped onto the stage holding a silver plate in his hand. The silver plate was covered with red silk.
Jin Buyi uncovered the silk, revealing a long sword about three feet long, with a scabbard inlaid with several blue gems.
"The first item on the lot, Coldwater Sword, is forged from cold pool iron essence mixed with a small amount of ice sand. It brings a chill when taken out of the sheath, which can slow down the opponent's energy and blood. It ranks among the best weapons of High Grade."
"The starting price is 300,000 taels, and each increase must not be less than 10,000 taels."
"Three hundred and one thousand!"
"Three hundred and twenty thousand!"
"Three hundred and fifty thousand!"
Bidding sounds rang out from the seats in the lobby on the first floor. For most warriors, a High Grade weapon is already rare.
Fang Han just watched quietly. He already had Cloudsplitter Sword at the Low-grade Dharma Weapon level and had no need for it.
In the end, Coldwater Sword was bought by a middle-aged man who looked like a wealthy businessman on the first floor for 1.48 million taels.
The auction will proceed in an orderly manner, and the next lot will be various, including "Jade Toad Pill", which can cure hundreds of poisons.
There is a fragment of the High Grade martial arts chapter <Godstartling Finger> that records a fierce fingering technique, and there is a "Tiger Soul Pill" refined from the heart blood of the monster "Crimson Flame Tiger", which can temporarily greatly increase the strength and burst.
There is "Golden Silk Soft Armor", which is famous for its toughness, and "Warm Jade Meditation Cushion", a rare item that has a calming effect...
Every auction item is considered to be a high-quality product, and each item will trigger fierce or moderate bidding.
People in the private rooms on the second floor occasionally made bids, and every time they made a bid, they were able to suppress many voices in the hall on the first floor, showing their strong financial resources.
Fang Han never spoke from the beginning to the end.
His eyes calmly swept over the auction items, with no disturbance in his heart.
Although these things are good, they are not the goal of his trip.
Most of his attention was instead focused on the boxes on the second floor.
The aura of some boxes in his perception was obscure and deep, while others had an obvious Sha Qi or coldness. It was obvious that their strength was not simple.
This made him feel wary.
I am worried that after taking the Howling Moon Spirit Deer antlers, some of these people will use "extraordinary means".
This is not impossible. Armed with sharp weapons and possessing murderous intentions, it is common for warriors to kill people and seize treasures.
Especially now that he is no longer in Qingyang Prefecture, he can be said to have "no background".