Three days later, in the early morning, Lin Ciyan came to Star Moon Teahouse again.
He originally just wanted to come here to have a cup of morning tea and inquire about the specific information of Purple-Level Auction, but he didn't expect that as soon as he walked up to the third floor, he met a familiar figure unexpectedly.
Xu Jiujiu did not wear royal palace attire or auctioneer's dress today. Instead, she changed into a lavender cheongsam-style dress Star Luo Empire common among aristocratic girls.
The skirt is slit high to the calf, and her fair and slender jade legs are looming as she walks. Under her white ankles is a pair of exquisite silver stiletto sandals.
She was standing in front of the window, looking down at a list in her hand. Her long golden hair was casually spread over her shoulders. The sunlight shone on her through the window lattice, as if giving her a soft halo.
Hearing the sound of footsteps, Xu Jiujiu raised his head.
When she saw clearly that the person coming was Lin Ciyan, her blue eyes visibly lit up, and undisguised surprise appeared on her face.
"Mr. Lin?" She walked forward quickly and said in a brisk tone, "What a coincidence that I meet you here!"
Lin Ciyan also showed the right expression of surprise. "Miss Xu? It's really a coincidence."
But he was thinking to himself: Is this coincidence a bit too much? Could it be that Her Royal Highness the Princess "stayed" here on purpose?
"I'm preparing for the auction in a few days, and I came here to check some information." Xu Jiujiu pointed to the table by the window, with several thick books spread out on it, "Mr. Lin is here for tea too?"
"Well, let me ask about the auction by the way." Lin Ciyan said calmly.
"That's great, let's sit together?" Xu Jiujiu invited with a smile, his eyes shining with anticipation.
The two sat down by the window, and the waiter quickly served refreshments.
Xu Jiujiu personally poured tea for Lin Ciyan with elegant and natural movements.
She seemed to be particularly relaxed today, less of the deliberately distant feeling she had when she was in the wild last time, and more lively than a girl.
"Master Lin is interested in the auction? Do you want to buy something?" Xu Jiujiu asked curiously.
"Have a look around, and if you find something suitable, buy it. If you don't find it, think of it as a new experience." Lin Ciyan picked up the tea cup and spoke in a casual tone.
"Miss Xu, you just said you were preparing for the auction... Are you a staff member of the auction house?"
Xu Jiujiu blinked and suddenly smiled slyly, "Did Mr. Lin not guess my identity?"
Lin Ciyan put down the tea cup, pretended to look at her seriously, and then said slowly, "She has a noble temperament, extraordinary conversation, and is protected by Titled Douluo... In addition, she can freely enter and exit Star Luo City's top teahouse and check the internal information of the auction."
He paused, faced Xu Jiujiu's expectant eyes, and said with a smile, "If I guessed correctly, Miss Xu should be a member of the Star Luo Imperial Family, right? And her status is not low."
Xu Jiujiu's eyes flashed with approval, but he did not admit it directly. He just smiled and said, "Young Master Lin really has extraordinary eyesight. But who it is... just keep it a little secret."
She doesn't want to use her status as a princess to oppress others, but rather enjoys this feeling of equal communication.
Lin Ciyan didn't criticize anything and changed the subject. "So, is there anything special and good in the auction hosted by Miss Xu this time?"
"Well..." Xu Jiujiu showed a mysterious smile, "According to regulations, the auction list cannot be leaked in advance."
"But I can tell you that this time on Black-Level Auction, there will be a very special Ranked Engraving Knife."
Lin Ciyan was moved in his heart, but remained calm on the surface. "Ranked Engraving Knife? That is indeed precious. But since it is Black-Level Auction, I think the competition will be fierce."
"Yes." Xu Jiujiu sighed softly and held his chin, "Actually, that carving knife has been rejected several times. It is ranked 99th in Ranked Engraving Knife. It is of extremely high quality, but... there are some special problems."
"Problem?" Lin Ciyan raised his eyebrows.
"It is said that those who hold it will not end well." Xu Jiujiu lowered his voice, and there was a trace of hesitation in his eyes.
"I'm thinking about putting it up for auction."
"If you let it go, it may fail again, which will affect the overall atmosphere of the auction. If you don't put it, it will always be backlogged in the warehouse..."
Lin Ciyan nodded thoughtfully. "It is indeed a difficult problem. But..."
He paused and said slowly, "Since it is Ranked Engraving Knife, there will always be people who know the goods."
"Those so-called 'curses' may have been used improperly by previous generations, or... they may simply be rumors."
Xu Jiujiu's eyes lit up. "Young Master Lin, do you think so too?"
"I just think that the treasure itself is not guilty." Lin Ciyan smiled, "As for whether you want to shoot it or not, it depends on the buyer's courage and vision."
"If Ms. Xu is worried that the unsold auction will affect the atmosphere, she can place it in the middle of the auction and not as the finale. In this way, even if the auction is unsold, the impact on the entire auction will be much smaller."
Xu Jiujiu thought seriously, the light in his eyes getting brighter and brighter. "It makes sense! Mr. Lin, your suggestion is really good!"
The more she looked at Lin Ciyan, the more pleasing it became to her eyes.
Not only is he good at craftsmanship and knowledgeable, he also has unique insights into the planning of auctions.
More importantly, the inexplicable feeling of comfort when talking to him made her unconsciously want to get close to him.
"By the way, Mr. Lin." Xu Jiujiu suddenly remembered something, "The last time we were by the river, I felt that the aura on your body was very special and made people feel at ease. Is this some kind of special Martial Soul talent?"
Lin Ciyan understands clearly in his heart - Holy Radiance Qilin's aura of affinity, even if he deliberately restrains it, will still have an impact on people in close contact with him.
He pondered for a moment and decided to reveal part of the truth, "That's right. My Martial Soul is Holy Radiance Qilin, a top-grade Beast Martial Soul with light attributes. It is born with an auspicious aura, which can make people feel calm and make Soul Power operate more smoothly."
He didn't say "accelerate cultivation" as exaggeratedly, but "Soul Power operates more smoothly" is enough to explain Xu Jiujiu's feelings.
"Holy Radiance Qilin?" Xu Jiujiu opened his eyes in surprise, "I've heard of this Martial Soul! Legend has it that it is a symbol of auspiciousness, can bring good luck, and can purify evil spirits... I didn't expect Mr. Lin to have such a rare Martial Soul!"
Her tone was full of wonder, and her eyes looking at Lin Ciyan were more curious and appreciative.
"It's not that exaggerated." Lin Ciyan waved his hand modestly, "It just has a slight auxiliary effect."
"This is not 'slightly'." Xu Jiujiu said seriously, "The last time I was with you, I did feel that Soul Power was running a little faster during meditation. If this is the case for a long time, the speed of cultivation will definitely increase."
She suddenly thought of something and her eyes brightened, "Mr. Lin, have you ever considered joining a certain force? With your Martial Soul characteristics, any force will compete for you!"
"I have no such plan for the time being." Lin Ciyan shook his head, "I like a free life and don't want to be restrained."
"That's right..." Xu Jiujiu said thoughtfully, "A free and easy person like you is really not suitable to be bound by rules."
She stopped mentioning the solicitation and instead took out an exquisite black card from Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Lin Ciyan: "Mr. Lin, this is the VIP room invitation letter from Starlight Auction House Black-Level Auction. With this, you can directly enter the top VIP room to participate in the auction without being in the lobby."
Lin Ciyan took the card. The card was completely black, with fine crystals inlaid on the edge. On the front was the emblem of Starlight Auction House, and on the back was the number "7" - representing No. 7 VIP Room.
"This is too expensive." Lin Ciyan said.
"I just want to thank you for your suggestion and the delicious lunch last time." Xu Jiujiu smiled, "Also, I also hope you can come to the auction. With you here, I think... the atmosphere of the venue will be better."
When she said this, her cheeks were slightly red, but her eyes were magnanimous.
Lin Ciyan stopped refusing and accepted the card. "Then thank you very much, Miss Xu."
The two chatted for a while, and then Xu Jiujiu stood up and said goodbye - she had to go to the auction house to make final preparations.
Before leaving, she looked back at Lin Ciyan and said softly, "Mr. Lin, see you at the auction."
"See you at the auction." Lin Ciyan nodded.
Looking at Xu Jiujiu's leaving figure, the hem of the high-slit cheongsam gently swayed with her steps, and her slender white calves and delicate ankles glowed seductively in the sun, Lin Ciyan silently looked away.
"It's your fault, don't look at anything inappropriate." He thought silently in his mind, "But... this figure is indeed top-notch. There is something about the Star Luo Imperial Family's genes."
He took a sip of tea, suppressed the distracting thoughts in his mind, and began to plan the next arrangements.
With the VIP room invitation letter, it will be much more convenient to participate in Black-Level Auction.
As for Purple-Level Auction, he plans to participate tomorrow to see if he can miss some useful materials.
"Three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coin..." Lin Ciyan touched the crystal card given by Storage Soul Tool's grandfather, "It should be enough. As long as it is not the level of Soul Bone, it should be more than enough to bid for a Ranked Engraving Knife with a 'ferocious reputation'."
He left the teahouse and returned to the inn.
The next night, Lin Ciyan attended Starlight Auction House's Purple-Level Auction.
The auction will be held in the medium-sized exhibition hall on the second floor of the auction house.
The number of participants is much smaller than Black-Level Auction, but all of them are luxuriously dressed and have extraordinary temperament.
Lin Ciyan used Starlight VIP Card to easily gain admission and found an inconspicuous seat to sit down.
The entire auction lasted for two hours.
Most of the auction items are various rare metals, Soul Tool, elixirs and materials. The quality is good, but there is nothing that makes Lin Ciyan particularly excited.
He spent 50,000 Gold Soul Coin to take a batch of rare metals with light properties "Radiance Crystal", which he planned to use to strengthen Soul Tool or for other purposes in the future.
I spent another 20,000 yuan to take pictures of some rare medicinal plants, and planned to go back and study alchemy.
As for Soul-Devouring Engraving Knife, it did not appear.
Lin Ciyan is not disappointed, but is looking forward to it even more.
After the auction, he didn't go shopping at Star Luo City and went directly back to the inn.
In the next few days, he walked around the city during the day and practiced at night. He occasionally went to Star Moon Teahouse to sit there, but he never met Xu Jiujiu again.
I think she should be making final preparations for Black-Level Auction.
Time passes day by day.
Finally, the day of Black-Level Auction arrived.
In the evening, Lin Ciyan put on a decent dark blue gown and simply tied up her hair, making her look handsome and calm.
He checked Storage Soul Tool-crystal card, invitation letter, some spare Gold Soul Coin, everything was ready.
He pushed open the inn door and looked out the window.
The direction of Starlight Auction House has lit up bright lights, like the most dazzling stars in the dark night.
"Gold of Life..." Lin Ciyan whispered to himself, "I'm here."
He stepped out of the inn and blended into the bustling night Star Luo City.
On the street, countless carriages and pedestrians were rushing in the same direction.
Tonight's Starlight Auction House is destined not to be peaceful.
And Lin Ciyan knows that his target is waiting for him there.