The Auction

The private box was enormous. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered an unobstructed view of the entire auction stage. Warm jade tiles covered the floor, and gilded carvings adorned the room. Plush seats stood beside an elegant tea table laid with fresh fruit and pastries. The soundproofing was excellent; only the auctioneer's clear voice carried in from the hall.

The attendant bowed and withdrew. "Please make yourselves comfortable, honored guests. Today's high-grade treasures will appear shortly. If you need anything, summon me at any time."

Jiang Baiyu sat down and picked up the auction catalog. Then he spotted something and nearly sprayed out his tea.

"What's wrong?" Su Wu asked.

"Nothing. Just keep watching." Remembering what he had seen, Jiang Baiyu struggled not to laugh.

Su Wu glanced at him but said nothing. He took a seat, calm and composed.

By the window, Jiang Baiyu surveyed the auction hall below. Business was booming today; nearly every seat was filled.

Zhu Zhuqing reclined against a couch to the side, her dark eyes cool as she quietly watched the room.

Before long, bright spotlights flared above the stage. A beautiful auctioneer in an elegant gown stepped forward, her clear, pleasant voice reaching every corner of the hall.

"Welcome, honored guests, to today's high-grade treasure auction! Our lots include rare metals, high-grade Soul Tools, and even treasures from sea beasts. Every item is a rarity. Without further ado—let the auction begin!"

The audience straightened in their seats, eyes eager.

Soon, a small cart was wheeled onto the stage. The auctioneer lifted its brocade cover, revealing a dark silver ore threaded with tiny points of light.

"Our first lot is a rare high-grade ore: Meteorite Fine Steel Alloy! Smelted from a meteorite, it's far tougher than ordinary black iron. It can be forged into lightweight armor that protects the wearer from a Soul Ancestor's Soul Power attacks! Starting bid: three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

Bids rang out at once.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Four hundred thousand!" someone shouted. "The Blacksmith Association wants this metal!"

Most bidders backed off at the announcement, though a few kept competing. In the end, a man from the Blacksmith Association won the Meteorite Fine Steel Alloy for four hundred and ninety thousand.

Eyes gleamed around the hall at the price. Auction houses often led with a valuable item to start strong, but a sale this high was still rare. And the most heavily advertised treasure had yet to appear.

With that in mind, everyone fixed eager eyes on the auctioneer, waiting for the next lot.

She wasted no time.

The second lot was a pair of sleek black ankle boots, their flowing patterns threaded with fine Soul Power channels.

The auctioneer raised her voice:

"A rare speed-type Soul Tool—the Gale Instant-Shadow Boots! They passively boost movement and evasion speed by fifteen percent, making them ideal for agility-type soul masters. Their effect is sustained, and they consume very little Soul Power! Starting bid: one hundred and fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

The crowd erupted. The art of making Soul Tools had long been lost, leaving every surviving piece one of a kind. A speed-boosting Soul Tool was rarer still. To agility-type and support-type soul masters alike, these boots were a treasure.

In the private box, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze finally settled on the boots. A flicker of interest crossed her eyes.

Jiang Baiyu looked at her. "Want them? I can bid."

After a moment's thought, Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. "The boost isn't much, and I'm already much faster than that. There's no need." She added, "Like you said, I'll keep getting faster with practice. I shouldn't trade my future progress for comfort now. In the end, they're only an external aid."

Jiang Baiyu did not press her.

Below, the bidding had turned frantic.

"One hundred and ninety thousand!"

"Two hundred thousand!"

"Two hundred and ten thousand! The Heaven Dou Martial Academy will take them!"

"Two hundred and twenty thousand! Stop bidding!"

The price soared amid the clamor.

Then a warm male voice came from the box beside Jiang Baiyu's. "Three hundred thousand."

No one below bid again. The speaker was Ning Fengzhi, master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, second among the three upper sects.

He had a keen eye, and his offer was sure to be a fair price. The others were willing to show him respect.

"My thanks to everyone," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile when no further bids came.

The crowd voiced its assent.

The third lot was brought out next.

It was a purple lingzhi on a tray, wreathed in violet mist. Its fragrance reached even the private boxes.

"Dew-Condensing Purple Lingzhi! It stabilizes Soul Power, calms the inner heat caused by cultivation, and heals minor meridian damage! A key ingredient in medicine refining! Starting bid: one hundred and twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins!" Fierce bidding broke out as soon as the auctioneer finished.

"One hundred and thirty thousand!"

"One hundred and fifty thousand! My sect needs it!"

"One hundred and eighty thousand! Who dares compete with the Alchemist Association?"

Bids kept rising from the floor.

Jiang Baiyu studied the lingzhi, tapping a finger against the window frame. "Good stuff. Pure medicinal properties and a strong vitality." He thought for a moment, then glanced at Su Wu.

"Bid if you want it. I have money," Su Wu said evenly.

Jiang Baiyu grinned and called to the attendant. "Two hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."

The bidders below heard the offer but could not tell who the newcomer was. No one challenged it, and Jiang Baiyu won the lingzhi for two hundred thousand.

The fourth lot followed: a length of snow-white silk that shimmered faintly.

"Ice Silkworm Silk Cloth! It can be made into close-fitting inner armor that shields against fire and freezing damage. Light as air, it won't hinder movement! Starting bid: one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

Female soul masters and noblewomen immediately began competing for it.

"One hundred and ten thousand!"

"One hundred and thirty thousand! I want it for soft armor!"

"One hundred and fifty thousand!"

"That's nice," Zhu Zhuqing said, eyeing the silk. "It could be made into clothes."

Jiang Baiyu raised his paddle. "Two hundred thousand."

Someone countered, "Two hundred and twenty thousand."

"Two hundred and fifty thousand."

Jiang Baiyu eventually won the Ice Silkworm Silk Cloth for two hundred and seventy thousand Gold Soul Coins.

More treasures crossed the stage. A Blazing Flame Rhinoceros Beast horn went to a weapon refiner, while a young noblewoman paid five hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins for a Beauty Pill.

Then a moon-white crystal was brought out. It lay on a brocade tray, a soft silver glow playing across its surface.

"Moonlight Stone! It nourishes the spirit, eases cultivation fatigue, and stabilizes mental strength. Especially effective for support-type soul masters! Starting bid: two hundred thousand!"

The hall fell silent for a beat, then exploded into an uproar.

Anything that nourished the spirit was exceptionally rare. Even money could not always buy it.

"Two hundred and twenty thousand!"

"Two hundred and fifty thousand!"

"Three hundred thousand!"

"Eight hundred thousand." Ning Fengzhi's warm, steady voice rang out again with a sharp jump in price.

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's legendary wealth was no exaggeration.

The other bidders fell silent.

Jiang Baiyu was not especially interested in the Moonlight Stone. The Blue Silver Emperor could already calm and focus the mind, and his Shennong Cauldron could do even more.

Thinking of the next lot, he slowly smiled.

An attendant carried an old, thread-bound booklet onto the stage. The auctioneer opened it and showed its contents to the crowd.

The moment Su Wu saw what it was, he shot to his feet and stared at the auctioneer.

Her voice rang out. "These are notes handwritten by the Medicine King!

"They record his secret methods for herbal detoxification, meridian nourishment, and body tempering!

"They also contain countless folk medicinal techniques lost to time, remedies for poisons, and explanations of how herbs complement and counteract one another!"

She continued, "The Medicine King vanished ten years ago, and no search ever found him. Many of his belongings were taken by the Pharmacist Association and others.

"But these are his personal notes. Our appraisal found many of the Medicine King's exclusive pill formulas inside. This is the only copy. Starting bid: three hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

The hall erupted.

Every alchemist, medicinal-path soul master, and elder from the great families stood up.

"The Medicine King was a Soul Saint, but he spent years roaming mountains and forests and found many rare pill formulas. Those notes are priceless."

"Four hundred thousand!"

"Five hundred thousand!"

"Six hundred thousand! The Heaven Dou Medicine Alliance must have them!"

"Eight hundred thousand! Those notes belong to the Pharmacist Association."

The bidding below was fierce.

In the private box, Su Wu's face had turned scarlet. "Outrageous! I'm not dead yet! Who spread that lie?"

They had not said it outright, but they were calling the notes his belongings left behind!

How could Su Wu not be furious? Then he glanced at Jiang Baiyu, who was holding back laughter, and his expression softened. If it weren't for this little fellow, I might really be dead.

Tang Hao was hiding in the shadows, and Su Wu could not reveal his presence now.

He could only swallow the insult.

The bidding for Su Wu's notes reached its end. "Nine hundred thousand, going once! Nine hundred thousand, going twice! Nine hundred thousand, going three times! Sold!"

The beautiful auctioneer brought down her hammer, and the Pharmacist Association won the Medicine King's Notes.

Jiang Baiyu and Zhu Zhuqing drew sharp breaths. Even Su Wu was stunned by the price his notes had fetched.

"Grandpa, you really are rich." Jiang Baiyu looked at Su Wu as though he were a walking money tree. Su Wu's heart, meanwhile, ached. He had plenty of notebooks like that one, but this copy was no longer his. He shut his eyes and tried to calm himself.

The auctioneer's voice rang out again. "Honored guests! Up next is today's final lot—our highest-grade treasure!"

Two attendants slowly carried an icy jade stand onto the stage. At its center rested a lustrous white lump of paste, smooth as fine jade. Cold mist rose from it, while wisps of spiritual energy drifted through the hall.

"Ten-Thousand-Year Deep-Sea Giant Whale Rubber!"

"I need hardly explain its benefits. It's worth every coin. Starting bid: six hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins." The beautiful auctioneer gave a coy smile.

Whale Rubber was an aphrodisiac with no side effects, making it popular among nobles. But the Whale Rubber usually sold was far younger. This had aged for ten thousand years and worked wonders even for soul masters. They would go wild for it.

Sure enough, the hall erupted again as soon as she finished speaking.

"Eight hundred thousand!" someone shouted.

"One million!"

Bids flew, and the price passed a million in the blink of an eye.

Then a voice from the neighboring box called, "One million two hundred thousand." It was not Ning Fengzhi, but everyone knew the bid came from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.

Anything ten thousand years old was a treasure. It was beyond their reach, the bidders below thought.

Then, unexpectedly, an arrogant voice from a royal box on the other side cut through the hall:

"One million eight hundred thousand! Prince Xue Xing is here. The royal family claims this item!"

Prince Xue Xing's presence was imposing, backed by royal authority. Knowing how high-handed the royal family could be, many in the hall lowered their heads and said nothing.

Ning Fengzhi's voice remained gentle and unhurried.

"Two million."

Prince Xue Xing sneered. "Two million five hundred thousand! Sect Master Ning, why compete with the royal family?"

"Treasures belong to those worthy of them. At an auction, they go to the highest bidder. Your Highness's words are out of place," Ning Fengzhi replied evenly.

The two sides held firm, driving the price to two million seven hundred thousand. No one else dared join in.

Jiang Baiyu watched their heated contest and lowered the hand he had started to raise. He could not afford this. Not even close.

He knew exactly how much the old man had saved. Unless they sold every one of his notebooks, they had no hope of outbidding those two.

Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, a young man's voice came from the royal box on the highest level—refined, elegant, and utterly composed.

He spoke softly, yet his authority as heir to the throne cut through every other sound.

"Three million."

The hall went dead silent.

Eyes widened everywhere.

Whispers rippled through the crowd.

"It's... His Highness Crown Prince Xue Qinghe!"

"The crown prince came in person!"

"Heavens! Three of the realm's most powerful figures are bidding on Whale Rubber!"

Someone even muttered, "The crown prince has never taken a consort. So he's been hiding a beauty away all this time."

Prince Xue Xing's face stiffened. He had never expected the crown prince to bid personally. Gritting his teeth, he asked, "Qinghe, you want this Whale Rubber too?"

"Yes, Uncle. Please let me have it," Xue Qinghe replied.

Hearing his nephew's answer, Prince Xue Xing could not bring himself to challenge the heir to the throne. He fell silent, unwilling but resigned.

The neighboring box was quiet for a moment before Ning Fengzhi gave a soft laugh.

"Since Your Highness has made a bid, I'll step aside."

"Thank you, Teacher. I'll make it up to you," Xue Qinghe said warmly.

The auctioneer's hands trembled with excitement.

"Three million, going once! Three million, going twice! Three million, going three times! Sold! The Ten-Thousand-Year Deep-Sea Giant Whale Rubber goes to His Highness Crown Prince Xue Qinghe!"

The hammer fell, sealing the sale.

The hall erupted in thunderous discussion.

"That auction was worth coming to! We saw three great powers clash firsthand!"

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, a prince, and the crown prince all bidding together—we'll never see that again!"

"As expected of His Highness the crown prince. He outshone everyone here!"