Reaction from the Black Ring

Seeing the stunned expressions on the two, Li Xingluo felt quite pleased; the more they reacted this way, the more it proved his gamble had paid off.

"My lord, may I ask how many you intend to put up for auction?"

"The auction price is a matter for your auction house; I will not interfere. What is it? You seem to be in a difficult position?"

"My lord, the effects you described are truly something this humble one has never heard of."

"Oh? So, are you questioning this old man?"

"Not at all, not at all!" The auction house alchemist waved his hands repeatedly, cold sweat seeping out once more. "It's just that Maple Forest City is small. Could you perhaps remove the part about its effects on Dou Ling and Dou King? I believe that would make it easier for people to accept."

Li Xingluo pondered for a moment, not rushing to answer.

The woman beside him poured a cup of tea herself, her smile never faltering.

"My lord, An Li is right. After all, there isn't a single Dou Ling expert in Maple Forest City. Even if you claim it has such effects, they might not believe it. What do you think?"

"Fine, we shall do as you suggest. However, let me be clear: if the price is too low, I will not sell."

"That goes without saying, my lord!"

Seeing Li Xingluo relent, An Li felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his heart, finally feeling a sense of relief.

"I wonder if you would be interested in attending tonight's auction? If so, I shall have Liu Ya prepare a private room for you."

Li Xingluo looked back at Xiao Yi Xian, who gave a slight nod.

"Very well. It is quite boring, so watching for a while wouldn't hurt."

"Liu Ya, make the arrangements for me."

"Yes, Lord An Li."

Liu Ya made a "please" gesture, and only then did Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian rise to follow her out of the room.

Seeing Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian leave, An Li finally slumped into his chair, feeling completely drained. The pressure Li Xingluo had exerted was truly shocking, and now that he was gone, An Li felt thoroughly liberated.

Staring at the medicinal pills on the table, An Li felt a lingering fear. If he had truly offended such a big shot just now, he doubted his life would last much longer. The arrogance of an alchemist was innate, let alone that of such a formidable master.

Liu Ya led Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian to a private box on the second floor of the auction hall.

"Please, my lord. I have already instructed the maids outside to serve you both. If you have any needs, just summon them."

Every movement and smile of Liu Ya carried a charming air, though in Li Xingluo's eyes, this woman was not simple.

Li Xingluo merely nodded slightly; as the host of the auction, Liu Ya naturally had no time to wait on them personally.

After giving a few more instructions at the door and not forgetting to glance at Li Xingluo inside, she walked away with her long, elegant legs. The maids tactfully set out tea and snacks before exiting and closing the door.

"What? Taken a fancy to this woman named Liu Ya?"

Seeing Li Xingluo still looking back, Xiao Yi Xian asked, though it was unclear where she had drawn such a conclusion.

As soon as the words left her lips, Li Xingluo spat out the tea he had just taken into his mouth.

Feeling slightly awkward, he set down his teacup and explained, "What nonsense are you spouting? I just feel this woman is not simple. Everything she says and the way she deliberately leans in suggests she has an agenda."

Xiao Yi Xian rolled her eyes, leaving Li Xingluo to ponder that on his own.

At this moment, the auction on the floor officially began. Liu Ya walked slowly onto the high platform and delivered some opening pleasantries.

Next came the first item of the day. A maid brought out a box, and Liu Ya gently opened it, taking out a piece of cowhide paper that was somewhat yellowed and tattered around the edges.

The crowd in the auction hall began to whisper as they saw the paper in Liu Ya's hands.

Seeing the cowhide paper, Li Xingluo stood up in an instant; it seemed as if some kind of gravitational pull was forcing his eyes to lock onto the item in Liu Ya's hands.

Xiao Yi Xian had never seen Li Xingluo so distracted, so she stood up and walked to his side, whispering, "Xingluo, what's wrong?"

Li Xingluo's gaze remained fixed on the cowhide paper. Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's question, he only murmured in response, "I don't know what's wrong either. I just feel an urge in my body that makes me want this scroll."

Hearing this explanation, Xiao Yi Xian also found it very strange, so she turned her gaze toward the paper in Liu Ya's hands.

However, after observing it for a long time, she couldn't glean any useful information, yet she firmly believed that Li Xingluo would not do anything without a reason.

Liu Ya glanced at Li Xingluo inadvertently. Seeing him staring at her position, she felt an inexplicable flutter in her heart, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

Composing herself, Liu Ya spoke slowly, "This is a map the auction house obtained from a certain mountain range not long ago. Even the auction house cannot decipher what is drawn upon it."

"Then what is the use of this?"

"Exactly, it's just a map. What use could it have?"

The discussions rose and fell. Liu Ya felt slightly awkward, but as a gold-medal auctioneer, she knew how to control the room. A soft voice emanated from her throat.

"Although we cannot identify what it is, it is surely no ordinary object. Those with fate may be able to comprehend its mysteries."

Hearing these words, the previous skeptics agreed with the sentiment, yet who would spend money on something that might be completely useless?

"The starting bid is one thousand gold coins!"

The starting price had been called, but after waiting for a while, no one made a bid. Liu Ya felt a bit embarrassed; surely the first item wouldn't fail to sell? This was a terrible feeling for her, as such a thing had never happened before.

"One thousand five hundred gold coins!"

The reason Li Xingluo hadn't shouted his bid immediately was that he feared someone would compete with him. Seeing that no one had bid for so long, Li Xingluo finally let out a sigh of relief.

Liu Ya cast a look of gratitude toward Li Xingluo upon hearing his bid.

However, just as Li Xingluo prepared to secure the item, a discordant voice rang out.

"Two thousand!"

Li Xingluo followed the sound to find a young man in his early twenties standing on the second floor opposite him, waving a folding fan with an insufferably arrogant air.

Liu Ya naturally turned her gaze toward this young dandy as well.

"Two thousand five hundred!"

No sooner had Li Xingluo finished speaking than the person opposite raised the price once again.

"Three thousand!"

Li Xingluo's brows knitted together slightly; why was this person making things difficult for him? He hadn't bid at all until now, yet he was relentlessly competing with him.

Could it be that he, too, had discerned the significance of the pattern drawn on the parchment?

The reason Li Xingluo had made up his mind to auction for this roll of parchment was that he had keenly noticed something very familiar in the center of the pattern—it felt as though he had seen it somewhere before.

Liu Ya couldn't help but look back at Li Xingluo, a gesture that made the young man's expression grow even uglier.

Every time Li Xingluo increased the bid, the youth opposite would counter, and in this manner, the price climbed all the way to twenty thousand gold coins—a massive sum for any ordinary person.

Watching the youth's smug expression, Li Xingluo actually smiled; instead of bidding again, he strolled back to his seat and sat down.

Xiao Yi Xian was puzzled as she followed him back to their original spot.

She whispered, "You don't want that thing anymore?"

She had just seen Li Xingluo's determination to obtain the parchment; it was a look of unwavering resolve that Xiao Yi Xian had not seen in a long time.