The Script of Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger

At noon the following day, Ye Tian delivered the Tiger Tooth Fruit to the apothecary and received his payment from the shopkeeper.

It was an invitation to the Tiandou City auction.

"Many thanks, Brother Ye Tian. Might I ask if you managed to obtain the tiger bones?"

"There were two Dark Giant Tigers in that cave; we were no match for those soul beasts."

"Two? How could there be two!"

Ye Tian chuckled lightly. "Shopkeeper, have you not heard? One mountain cannot house two tigers, unless they are a pair."

The shopkeeper realized the truth, thanked him respectfully, and personally saw Ye Tian off.

"Why didn't you ask where Leader Wang and the others went?" Once Ye Tian had left, the young boy emerged from the back, his face filled with youthful confusion.

"Since only this man returned, do I really need to ask about the fate of Leader Wang and his group?"

The shopkeeper affectionately patted the boy's head.

"Could it be that this Ye Tian killed them for their loot?"

The shopkeeper gave a huff of annoyance and flicked the boy on the forehead.

"Do you think Ye Tian is the type to go looking for trouble just to swallow up a small squad like Leader Wang's?"

"It is obvious that Leader Wang thought there was profit to be made from Ye Tian and tried to make a move, only to be killed by him in return."

The shopkeeper laid out the truth in a few short sentences.

"That Ye Tian is actually that strong!"

"Never underestimate the people of this world. If a lone wolf didn't have a few trump cards, he would have been picked clean to the bone in this cutthroat world of soul masters long ago."

Ye Tian was unaware that after he left, the shopkeeper had used him to teach a lesson to the younger generation. He found an auction house and brought out the soul bone he had obtained from Leader Wang; the clerk, who had been indifferent moments before, immediately became enthusiastic.

"My lord, please rest in the VIP room. I will go fetch the manager at once!"

Ye Tian entered the VIP room and sampled the tea and pastries, which were clearly of high quality. Before long, a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious attire walked in briskly.

"My lord, I am Mao San, the person in charge of this Jiu Jiu Auction House. My auction house has a history of over a hundred years; we can certainly fetch you a good price."

Mao San introduced himself at a rapid pace and sat down beside Ye Tian, his eyes filled with eagerness and a hint of probing.

"My lord, might I have the honor of admiring that soul bone?"

"You may."

A crystal-clear, jade-like soul bone the length of an arm appeared on the table.

"My lord, please wait a moment. If you have any requests, feel free to command me."

Seeing Ye Tian nod, Mao San put on a pair of ice-silk gloves and carefully lifted the soul bone with both hands to examine it closely.

"Judging by the markings on the soul bone, this is from an Earth Violent Bear."

"The age should be around 3,200 years. It is perfectly suited to be the grand finale of an auction!"

"Does my lord intend to sell the soul bone directly to us, or would you like to put it up for auction?"

"If you sell it to us, I can make the call and offer you this much!"

Mao San held up three fingers, then five.

"Give me the money." Ye Tian chose the simplest path. Although the soul bone might fetch a higher price at auction, the event was only a few days away, and he needed the funds sooner.

At these words, the smile on Mao San's face grew even warmer. He left and returned shortly, presenting a card with both hands.

"My lord, this is a bearer card for 35,000 Gold Soul Coins, which can be redeemed at any bank."

After verifying the amount, Ye Tian took the card and left. Mao San carefully stored the soul bone away and ordered his subordinates to spread the news immediately.

The grand finale for next month's auction would be a soul bone over 3,000 years old!

He intended to have this news spread across the entire Douluo Continent within five days.

That was a soul bone—a treasure that, once in the hands of an ordinary soul master, would never be let go.

Mao San was certain that the upcoming auction would be incredibly lively.

Several days later, Ye Tian stepped out of his hotel and arrived at the Tiandou City auction.

At the entrance, the clerk verified his eligibility and handed him a black bamboo hat. After putting it on, Ye Tian discovered that the material was such that ordinary gazes could not see through it.

Upon reaching his assigned seat, many others wearing similar black hats arrived one after another. Of course, there were also those who declined the hat and walked straight into the private boxes upstairs.

"Hiss—"

Ye Tian suddenly heard the people around him gasp sharply, and out of curiosity, he looked over.

Who could have appeared to cause so many people to contribute so heavily to the temperature of the Douluo Continent?

A middle-aged man dressed in magnificent robes walked in slowly, radiating arrogance and confidence. He held a scepter encrusted with various gemstones; Ye Tian recognized parts of it that would cost three to five thousand just to acquire.

That scepter alone was likely worth fifty or sixty thousand Gold Soul Coins.

With such a blatant display of wealth, was this man not worried that someone might decide to rob the rich to help the poor?

"It's actually Bishop Sax!"

"To think this lord would attend this auction—could there be a treasure inside that we don't know about?"

"With the Bishop here, who knows how many families will be stirred into action? I wonder if I'll still be able to secure what I came for."

Some in the auction house were shocked, while others sighed.

Ye Tian touched the card in his pocket, hoping that Bishop Sax wasn't here for his Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber.

Otherwise, competing in financial strength against a Bishop-level figure stationed in Tiandou City would be like him trying to out-earn Old Ma.

Soon, the auction began. Storage devices, weapons, rare herbs, and other treasures were presented one by one, each igniting great enthusiasm among the crowd.

Seeing the next item, the host's voice quickly grew impassioned.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the items about to be presented are the grand finales of this auction."

"The first: Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Rubber!"

"According to testing, its potency exceeds that of thousand-year whale rubber tenfold."

"The starting price is one thousand Gold Soul Coin, with each increment no less than 100. The auction begins now!"

As soon as the host finished speaking, many people immediately began shouting bids.

"Two thousand Gold Soul Coin!"

"Five thousand!"

"Seven thousand!"

Seeing the price climbing higher and higher, Ye Tian no longer hesitated.

"Fifteen thousand!"

"A guest has bid fifteen thousand. Are there any higher?"

"Is there anyone else?"

The host's enthusiastic voice echoed through the venue.

Ye Tian had doubled the price to intimidate the others, and now the participants in the seats had almost fallen silent. Just as Ye Tian thought he could safely secure the item, a bid came from one of the private boxes.

"Eighteen thousand."

Ye Tian continued to bid: "Twenty thousand!"

The buyer in the private box was not to be outdone.

"Twenty-five thousand."

Over twenty thousand Gold Soul Coin could buy a valuable spirit bone. Ye Tian decided to bid one last time; if it didn't work, he would let it go.

"Thirty thousand!"

The voice from the private box rang out again.

"Thirty-one thousand."

The host and those around them looked over simultaneously, wondering if this mysterious person would continue to bid.

Ye Tian slowly lowered the paddle in his hand.

The host withdrew his gaze with a hint of regret.