Long Wanli's Scheme

After all, there had been no publicity whatsoever. Those with well-informed ears knew that the auction's grand finale was an ownerless Fossil Ore Vein, whose total value was impossible to estimate. One by one, they craned their necks, their expressions flushed with excitement.

But even more people had no idea what the final auction item was. Upon hearing Qian Jinjin's introduction, the entire venue erupted into an uproar, as though a pot had exploded.

The Rogue Cultivators watching from the back were all dumbfounded, drawing sharp breaths in unison.

This auction item was simply terrifying. It had utterly frightened them. They had traveled north and south for so many years, yet this was the first time they had heard of someone auctioning off the location of a mineral vein. It truly broadened their horizons.

They all sighed that only the Qian Clan Merchant Association could accept such an auction item. No other merchant association could handle it. Even verifying whether the information was true would be difficult, and if the merchant association had to make the trip itself, then with its immense power, it would be strange if it did not simply seize the mineral vein for itself.

When wealth reached a certain level, what the hell was reputation worth? Other than the Qian Clan Merchant Association, no one could take on this job.

It was precisely because it was the Qian Clan Merchant Association that most people firmly believed the news. Their faces reddened, and the entire auction hall became a sea of clamor.

"Silence!"

Qian Jinjin made a gesture for quiet. Once the noise below gradually subsided, she continued, "I'm sure you have all been waiting impatiently, so I will not waste any more words. The location of the ownerless Fossil Ore Vein will start at one hundred million Spirit Stones. Bidding begins now!"

"Hiss!"

The starting price of one hundred million Spirit Stones made the entire hall suck in a cold breath. One hundred million Spirit Stones was merely the opening bid; no one could say what price it would ultimately sell for.

But Long Xuan was undoubtedly the most excited. Beneath his mask, his mouth nearly stretched behind his ears. He was beside himself with joy.

To be honest, one hundred million Spirit Stones was still a very low price. The various Lineages had not had enough time to prepare, and this was merely a small, resource-poor place. Here, a price breaking one hundred million was already enough to shock everyone. No force could casually produce more than a billion Spirit Stones.

If it were auctioned in a larger region, this mineral vein might sell for several billion, even tens of billions. But there was nothing to be done about that. Even if he could now ride a teleportation array to a major region for free, he would not have the courage.

One had to know when to stop. He would already be satisfied selling it for several hundred million in a small place. He simply did not dare venture into a prosperous land where powerful experts gathered like clouds.

The moment Qian Jinjin finished speaking, the Feng Family Head impatiently shouted, "I bid one hundred and ten million Spirit Stones!"

One hundred million Spirit Stones was no small sum for a Lineage in a poor region. Once it was taken out, many things would inevitably become impossible.

But he understood that even if he spent a billion Spirit Stones to secure the mineral vein, he would still profit—and profit immensely. No matter how many Spirit Stones this thing cost, it would never be a loss. It was a sure profit without risk.

How could the other family heads fail to understand what he understood? They immediately began raising the price.

The only one who did not move was the Long Family Head. He sat there as steady as an old dog, sipping tea and watching the spectacle, as though he had no interest whatsoever in the Fossil Ore Vein.

Very quickly, the price climbed to two hundred million Spirit Stones. That the various Lineages could still produce two hundred million Spirit Stones despite being unprepared was enough to show just how extraordinary the foundations of the seven great Lineages of the Far West were.

If they had been given time to sell treasures and Lineage assets, two hundred million Spirit Stones might have been merely a fraction of the total.

Yet even though all parties were insufficiently prepared, it was clearly impossible to acquire the mineral vein for only two hundred million Spirit Stones.

At this point, the major merchant associations began making their moves as well. Their wealth and ability to mobilize funds naturally surpassed those of the great Lineages, and they soon raised the price to three hundred million Spirit Stones.

But three hundred million Spirit Stones was still far from enough. Qian Jinjin secretly made a gesture, and the disguised Qian Duoduo finally made his move. With one shout, he directly raised the price to four hundred million Spirit Stones, startling everyone. They wondered where this fat man had come from, that he could produce so many Spirit Stones in one breath. His background was surely not simple.

At this point, there was no longer any room for the seven family heads to speak. Other than the Long Family Head, the remaining family heads all wore livid expressions, their fists clenched tightly, their faces filled with unwillingness.

With insufficient preparation, none of them could produce four hundred million Spirit Stones. The price had already far exceeded their bottom line, and they had not even been given a chance to hesitate. They had completely lost their qualifications to contend in this auction.

Every family head's expression turned exceedingly ugly.

"Damn it! Where exactly did this dead fatso come from? How does he have so many Spirit Stones? Once we get outside, I'll have to kill him and seize his treasure!"

The Feng Family Head slammed the table hard and said in a fury.

The only one who remained calm was the Long Family Head. He cast a deep glance at Qian Jinjin on the stage, his gaze laden with meaning.

He already had a suspicion in his heart, but he had no evidence.

In terms of wealth, how could the great Lineages compete with merchant associations? Before coming here, he had already prepared himself mentally. This development did not surprise him.

Even if the Qian Clan Merchant Association did not make a move, he believed the Long Family would still be unable to compete against the other merchant associations.

The Long Family Head turned to glance at the family heads beside him and smiled. "Hehe! You have all seen the current situation. We absolutely cannot compete with those merchant associations. Look, the price has already exceeded four hundred and fifty million Spirit Stones, and there is still no sign of it stopping."

"In total wealth, our families may not lose to those merchant associations. But because of their special nature, merchant associations always keep vast quantities of Spirit Stones in reserve for trade, and in an emergency, they can swiftly gather large amounts of Spirit Stones from their various shops."

"When no one has prepared in advance, how could we possibly compete with a merchant association?"

"Now, our only option is to join forces. Each family contributes one hundred million, for a total of seven hundred million Spirit Stones, and we take down this Fossil Ore Vein."

The Long Family Head narrowed his eyes, wisdom glimmering within them, and continued, "The profits of a Fossil Ore Vein are immense. Even divided into seven shares, there will still be more than enough for all of us."

"If we join forces and jointly mine this Fossil Ore Vein, we can at least obtain one-seventh. But if we do not join forces, then do not even dream of getting a single piece of fossil ore. I trust you can all do that calculation!"

"Most importantly, once we join forces, we can avoid unnecessary wars. Even outside forces will have to weigh their options before setting their sights on us."

The Long Family Head confidently swept his gaze over the other family heads' faces, certain they would agree. They had no choice but to agree.

This was the strategy he had conceived on the road here. He had never intended to swallow the mineral vein using the power of one Lineage alone.

Otherwise, even if he could take down the mineral vein, the risks would be too great. With Feng Qingyang's venomous temperament, how could he allow the Long Family to grow powerful? It would be strange if Feng Qingyang did not stir up trouble.

That was why he had dared spend so many Spirit Stones auctioning off a large number of Spirit-Gathering Pills. It was not that he lacked interest in the Fossil Ore Vein; rather, if his plan succeeded, he would not need to spend so many Spirit Stones at all.

As his words fell, the family heads indeed revealed thoughtful expressions. Their gazes signaled one another, and all showed interest.

That was right. By joining forces, they could at least obtain one-seventh. If they did not join forces, they would not get even a sliver.

Besides, one-seventh was not little at all. It was entirely enough to divide among them. If that Fossil Ore Vein proved especially large, the seven Lineages mining it together might even find themselves short of manpower.

Very quickly, the Shi Family Head slapped his thigh heavily and said excitedly, "Good idea. Let's do it. I agree. Whether you agree or not is irrelevant. We are unprepared, and the major merchant associations are equally unprepared. I think two or three families joining forces would be enough to win the Fossil Ore Vein at auction. We would not even need all seven."

The moment he said this, the other family heads were startled. How could they dare hesitate any longer? So they had to agree; there was no other choice. If they were truly cast aside, the gap between them and the other Lineages would only grow wider in the future. How could they be willing to accept that?

Therefore, none of the family heads dared drag their feet any longer. They all voiced their agreement, afraid that if they were one step too slow, there would be no share left for them.

Only the Feng Family Head wore a dark expression, his mood far from pleasant.

At last, he understood why Long Wanli had spent so many Spirit Stones on Spirit-Gathering Pills. So this had been his plan all along.

If the seven Lineages joined forces, they would not need to strain their muscles and break their bones. They would only need to contribute a small portion of their Spirit Stones, naturally leaving enough to buy more resources.

What a fine calculation. Had he known the Lineages would definitely join forces, why the hell had he saved his Spirit Stones? He had been coveting the Spirit-Gathering Pills too, all right? What Household did not have a group of geniuses? Had he known this, he would definitely have joined the competition for the Spirit-Gathering Pills.

This allowed Long Wanli to pick up an enormous bargain for nothing. He had become the greatest beneficiary of this trip.

"What a scheme! What an excellent scheme!" Feng Qingyang fumed inwardly.