The Wonder Pill

As a mere spectator, Li Xingluo could clearly tell that An Batian was no match for Jiamo Lin. It seemed this Jiamo Family was no simple clan.

"What are you thinking about?"

Xiao Yi Xian noticed the strange smile on Li Xingluo's face and found it puzzling.

"I was wondering whether the An Family across from us would give up now."

"Huh? Why are you thinking about that? Could it be...?"

Li Xingluo nodded slightly. Xiao Yi Xian suddenly understood and didn't press him any further, as if she had grasped what he had in mind.

The invisible clash between Jiamo Lin and An Batian had shaken the auction house. The rafters creaked under the ripples of Dou Qi, and dust slowly drifted down.

Seeing this, Liu Ya raised a hand to signal the two men to hold back. Jiamo Lin looked as pleased with himself as if he'd just won a battle. He snorted, his expression full of disdain.

An Batian shoved aside the elder who had come to help him, glaring fiercely at Jiamo Lin. But Jiamo Lin didn't take him seriously at all.

"One million five hundred thousand."

Jiamo Lin immediately bid one million five hundred thousand. Everyone present, including An Batian and Mu Yuan, gaped in astonishment. No one had expected him to be so reckless.

One million five hundred thousand was probably two or three years' income for the Jiamo Family. Was he really willing to spend that much just to get this high-level Xuan-tier Dou Technique?

It reminded Li Xingluo of the three great families in Wutan City. Their annual income was barely a hundred or two hundred thousand. It seemed the three great families of Maple Forest City had some real wealth.

Jiamo Lin challengingly swept his gaze over An Batian and Mu Yuan in the opposite box. Mu Yuan simply waved his hand to show he was out. After all, the Mu Family's budget for this auction had capped at one million, so he naturally wouldn't bid again.

A curve formed at the corner of Jiamo Lin's mouth. He was quite pleased with himself, and at last his gaze settled on An Batian.

An Batian was furious but helpless. He had lost not only in money, but in strength as well.

He had hoped to win this high-level Xuan-tier Dou Technique at auction and improve his strength, but it seemed that wish had fallen through.

Liu Ya felt the atmosphere growing tense. She didn't breathe easy until An Batian waved his hand to show he wouldn't continue bidding.

"One million five hundred thousand, once!"

"One million five hundred thousand, twice!"

"One million five hundred thousand, three times!"

The auction hammer fell, and Liu Ya raised a hand to congratulate him. "Congratulations to the Jiamo Family's patriarch on winning the Wind Splitting Art!"

Jiamo Lin was naturally pleased with himself, sitting with his legs crossed and wearing an air of supreme arrogance.

Liu Ya's voice rang out again. Everyone had thought that was the final lot, but there was still more.

"Next is the final item of the auction!"

Liu Ya deliberately paused instead of continuing. She took a bottle from the maid's tray and held it high.

Jiamo Lin was drawn by Liu Ya's gesture and turned his attention back to the auction platform.

Seeing the pill in Liu Ya's hand, Li Xingluo had to admit that she was a very capable auctioneer.

He just didn't know how much a pill like this could fetch. He had bragged that it was a Fifth-grade Pill, after all. It shouldn't go for too little.

When Liu Ya still hadn't introduced the final lot, someone on the first floor finally asked.

"What is that? Is it a pill?"

Liu Ya saw that everyone in the auction house had their eyes fixed on the bottle in her hand, then slowly began to speak.

"You guessed right, my friend. It is indeed a pill."

As soon as Liu Ya said the word "pill," most of the people present deflated like punctured balls. They didn't seem to think much of the pill in her hand. After all, the pills auctioned at Maple Forest City's auction house were mostly first-grade, and second-grade pills were rare. Pills simply weren't very appealing.

Liu Ya didn't seem surprised by their reaction.

Her smile grew even brighter, and the gesture sparked the curiosity of some in the crowd.

Mu Yuan was dejected that he hadn't won the high-level Xuan-tier Dou Technique. Now that he noticed the change in Liu Ya's expression, he asked, "May I ask what this pill does?"

Liu Ya had been waiting for someone to ask that very question. She adjusted her posture slightly and turned toward Mu Yuan.

Smiling warmly, she said, "This pill is called the Breakthrough Pill. If a Da Dou Shi takes it, their strength will rise by four stars in a single day. If a Dou Shi takes it, they can rise by five stars, and there are no side effects. The Alchemist at our auction house has verified that this is true. It is a Fifth-grade Pill."

Liu Ya's words set off another wave of discussion throughout the hall.

Jiamo Lin, who had just shown no interest in the object in Liu Ya's hand, quickly rose and walked to the platform when he heard her. His eyes brimmed with anticipation for the pill.

An Batian's eyes widened at her words. If it really worked, buying it might help him break through to Dou Ling.

"May I ask whether this pill works on Dou Ling as well?"

Jiamo Lin very much wanted to know whether the pill in Liu Ya's hand would work on Dou Ling. If it did, wouldn't he be able to rise another level? Then it would be even easier to dominate all of Maple Forest City.

But even if he couldn't use it himself, he couldn't let the An Family or the Mu Family get it. Otherwise, all the plans he'd made over the years would come to nothing.

"According to the master who put this pill up for auction, it works on Dou Ling too."

If anything, those words only made Jiamo Lin look more avaricious.

Mu Yuan couldn't wait any longer and asked, "How do we know this pill is genuine? And what's the starting price?"

Liu Ya seemed to have anticipated that someone would ask. She opened the bottle's stopper without taking the pill out, but the fragrance wafting from it was proof enough.

"I trust no one has any doubts now?"

A pill with such a fragrance couldn't possibly be a first- or second-grade pill, though these people hadn't seen much of the world.

"Liu Ya, hurry up and auction it."

Watching the crowd grow impatient, Li Xingluo was quite pleased to remain a quiet spectator.

He found himself strangely fond of Liu Ya's methods.

"The starting price is five hundred thousand gold coins!"

That immediately put most people out of the running. They couldn't believe that a pill of unknown grade had the same starting price as a high-level Xuan-tier Dou Technique.

Still, it was all a gamble on his part. In his experiment, only he—a Dou Shi—had actually gained five stars. If a Da Dou Shi took it and it didn't work, it would be a bit of a scam.

Li Xingluo felt a little awkward. He'd run off as soon as he sold it anyway. What happened afterward wasn't his concern; getting a good price was what mattered most.

"Six hundred thousand!" Jiamo Lin had heard Liu Ya say that it worked on Dou Ling, so naturally he wasn't about to let it go.

Though An Batian feared Jiamo Lin's strength, faced with a pill like this, if he could secure it, he would have a chance to advance to Dou Ling. Then he would finally have the means to stand against Jiamo Lin.

He taunted, "Patriarch Jiamo, do you still have the money to bid?"

"That's none of your business."

"Sorry, it is my business. I bid one million!"

An Batian immediately called out one million, stunning the entire crowd. It seemed like a counterblow for failing to win the high-level Xuan-tier Dou Technique earlier.

Sure enough, Jiamo Lin's expression darkened slightly. He wanted the pill, but asking him to produce over a million gold coins might truly cost the Jiamo Family its life.

"Sorry, Uncle An. I bid one million one hundred thousand."

Mu Yuan smiled as he cupped his hands toward An Batian, then made his bid.