News from Mo Li

Mo Li also turned his gaze toward the final jade tray on the stage.

Resting quietly upon the tray was a blue-and-white medicinal herb.

The herb was shaped like ginseng, yet its color was crystalline and translucent, radiating faint wisps of cold air.

Turning his head to see Ye Lingling's focused, meticulous expression, Mo Li asked in a low voice:

"Sister Lingling, is this what you came for?"

In the darkness, Ye Lingling's gaze had been fixed intently on the snow ginseng in the tray. Hearing Mo Li's voice, she snapped back to reality, hesitated for a moment, and replied softly, "Yes."

"Are you hoping to use the power of this herb to resolve the flaws in your martial soul?"

Ye Lingling was startled, but she did not hide the truth and replied again, "Yes."

Seeing Ye Lingling fall silent once more, Mo Li had a rough idea of the situation. He did not continue to press her, instead turning his gaze back to the stage.

Although the herb on the stage was precious, the flaws of the Nine Heart Begonia martial soul were not to be underestimated. As for whether it could truly lift the curse on Ye Lingling's martial soul, that would have to wait until it was in their hands.

"Distinguished guests, this item is known as the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng. The starting bid is fifty thousand gold soul coins, with a minimum increment of one thousand gold soul coins. Let the bidding begin!"

In just over ten minutes, the price of the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng soared toward two hundred thousand gold soul coins. Most people in the venue could only watch from the sidelines, with only a few individuals still competing.

As of now, the highest bid in the auction came from a middle-aged man in white robes sitting in the red seating area, at one hundred eighty-five thousand gold soul coins.

Due to the angle, Mo Li could not clearly see the man's features from where he sat, only identifying him as a middle-aged man.

"To think someone would pay one hundred eighty thousand gold soul coins for this Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng. Little Brother Mo Li, is this thing really worth that much?"

After the middle-aged man placed his bid of one hundred eighty-five thousand, Jiang Zhu, sitting to Mo Li's left, finally couldn't help but ask.

This was the highest price seen at the auction so far.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I imagine the quality must be quite high. You wouldn't be able to pick up a bargain like this for just twenty thousand," Mo Li explained to Jiang Zhu.

This Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng was clearly no ordinary object; otherwise, it wouldn't have been chosen as the grand finale of the auction.

However, he didn't speak too definitively, as Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan had yet to start bidding.

He didn't believe the two of them had come all this way just to watch the show.

Following this, the price of the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng was driven even higher, reaching two hundred twenty thousand.

Two hundred twenty thousand gold soul coins!

At this moment, Ye Lingling, sitting in the darkness, finally made her move.

She extended a finger, as white and delicate as a scallion, and tapped the "one hundred thousand" button.

The atmosphere of the auction reached a fever pitch!

"Three hundred twenty thousand gold soul coins!"

"This distinguished guest has bid three hundred twenty thousand gold soul coins!"

After Ye Lingling pressed the button for one hundred thousand, both the host on stage and the audience below erupted into an uproar.

The man in the red seat who had previously held the highest bid turned his head, casting a distant glance at Ye Lingling and the others.

Ye Lingling had covered her face with a black veil and was not wearing a mask, while Mo Li and the others wore strangely shaped masks to conceal their identities. The man merely swept a glance over them before looking away.

Mo Li gave Ye Lingling a thumbs-up. Sister Lingling was truly wealthy—no, she was truly bold!

Jiang Zhu's reaction was much like the rest of the audience, appearing extremely surprised, while Dugu Yan's reaction was far more muted.

Ye Lingling noticed Mo Li's gesture and felt a bit embarrassed, her voice drifting from behind her veil:

"I came here specifically for this. Regardless of the cost, I have to try for it."

Mo Li nodded, though he personally didn't have much interest in this particular herb.

If he had the energy, he would rather plan how to reach the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well; after all, that place was filled with genuine immortal herbs!

Meanwhile, the middle-aged man in the red seat was stroking the jade ring on his finger, his gaze deep as he watched the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng on the stage.

While he stared at the herb, Mo Li was simultaneously observing the man's movements.

Judging by the man's seating and his previous generous spending, Mo Li did not believe he would be willing to let the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng go to someone else so easily.

After Ye Lingling placed her high bid of three hundred twenty thousand, no one else in the venue dared to bid. Just as the host was about to announce the sale at three hundred twenty thousand gold soul coins, the middle-aged man finally made his move.

Seeing this, Mo Li shook his head slightly.

"Four hundred twenty thousand gold soul coins!"

The man in the red seat had pressed the "one hundred thousand" button as well, and the atmosphere in the venue reached its absolute peak.

Ye Lingling sighed helplessly, her mood turning somber.

The absolute limit of what she could afford was four hundred thousand gold soul coins. As someone from a family of pharmacists who had been taught by her mother, she naturally possessed a fair amount of pharmacological knowledge.

Almost the moment she saw the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng, she knew its value was worth far more than two hundred thousand gold soul coins.

However, the person bidding for it was clearly no simple character.

Seeing the look of disappointment on Ye Lingling's face, Dugu Yan leaned in close and whispered, "Lingling, if you're determined to compete for it, I'll give you the money!"

Ye Lingling's eyes brightened slightly, but she immediately glanced at the man; he hadn't made any unnecessary movements and remained sitting steadily in his seat.

After a moment of contemplation, Ye Lingling shook her head.

"Forget it, Yanyan. I didn't prepare thoroughly enough for this trip, so I suppose it just wasn't meant to be."

Although Ye Lingling felt a lingering sense of unwillingness, the fact that this person dared to bid four hundred thousand was enough to show that he was well aware of the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng's true value, and his previous bids had merely been a way to test the waters.

Even if Yanyan lent her the money, she would likely return empty-handed, and besides, the item's value capped out at thirty to forty thousand; anything more would simply not be worth it.

Mo Li, who had been standing to the side, suddenly spoke up: "Sister Lingling, while this medicinal herb is indeed valuable, it might not necessarily be the item you need to resolve the flaws in your martial soul."

"I once read about certain herbs in an ancient text. While I don't know if they truly exist in this world, each one possesses the power to defy fate. I believe there must be a way to resolve the flaws in your martial soul."

Ye Lingling's eyes flickered, but she eventually calmed down and said softly, "Thank you, but such herbs are likely impossible to find. My mother has been working toward that for over a decade; we have long since grown accustomed to disappointment."

It wasn't that Ye Lingling wasn't tempted by the peerless immortal herbs Mo Li spoke of, but such treasures were surely once-in-a-millennium finds.

Mo Li's gaze shifted past Ye Lingling to look at Dugu Yan on the far right.

Impossible to find? Wasn't it right in front of them, rather than far away?

"Hey, what are you staring at?"

Dugu Yan turned her head and caught Mo Li looking at her with an unreadable expression; anyone else might have thought there was something on her face.

"Nothing, just looking around," Mo Li teased with a smile.

After Ye Lingling gave up on the competition, the host finally announced that the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng had been sold for four hundred and twenty thousand gold soul coins.

The auction had concluded, and the crowd began to file out of the venue.

"Let's go, too," Ye Lingling said.

Just as their group walked out of the main entrance and was about to leave, a gentle voice drifted from the passage behind them.

"Hehe, young friends, please stay a moment."

Mo Li turned back, stunned to find that it was the middle-aged man who had just purchased the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng.

Now that he was closer, even though the man still wore a mask, his entire demeanor radiated a gentle and reserved quality, giving him an air of extraordinary distinction.

However, Mo Li didn't care about his temperament; he was curious as to why this person would approach their group.

Moreover, although the man had successfully won the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng, Ye Lingling had driven the price up to three hundred and twenty thousand, which had certainly caused him some trouble.

While Mo Li didn't like to assume the worst of others, one could never be too careful.

He reached out and unobtrusively blocked the three girls behind him, simultaneously stopping Dugu Yan, who was about to lash out, and stood at the very front, asking with a smile:

"We are still at the auction house, sir. May I ask what business you have with us?"

Mo Li's subtle movements naturally did not escape the refined man's notice. He offered Mo Li a gentle smile and said, "I noticed that you all seemed quite interested in what I just purchased, and as it happens, I am quite interested in you young friends as well. Why don't we step aside and talk?"

As the middle-aged man spoke, his gaze drifted past Mo Li and landed on Ye Lingling, who was veiled in black.