Auction

The auction venue was located at the He Family Merchant Guild in the Inner City.

According to Li Tong, the He Family Merchant Guild was the largest guild in the city, and now held a monopoly on dock freight—a veritable money-printing machine.

Soon enough.

The carriage stopped before a three-story wooden building, resplendent in gold and splendor.

Since tonight's auction was being held, the guild's entrance was packed with carriages, and everyone coming and going were the high officials and nobles of Linjiang City.

In short, without some measure of status, you couldn't even set foot inside that wooden building.

Someone like Qin Yang, whose family only scraped by in the Outer City, wouldn't even catch wind of the auction.

The Inner City and Outer City seemed unseparated, but an invisible wall stood between them.

Even Li Tong was just a small fry here.

He and Qin Yang approached the guild entrance and handed over their invitation.

"Ah, it's Master Li. Please, come in."

After verifying the invitation's authenticity, the guard at the door smiled and gestured.

Once inside, a maidservant led the way, bringing them to an antique hall.

The hall was exquisitely decorated—landscape paintings hung on the walls, potted plants and standing scenery dotted the space, and rows of rosewood chairs lined the floor.

Several areas were partitioned off by folding screens.

At the far end of the hall, a wooden platform about thirty centimeters high had been erected.

"Those screened-off areas are only for the major Inner City families or the County Office officials."

Li Tong said softly.

Qin Yang nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping the room.

There were many people tonight; the chairs were nearly all full.

Judging by their attire, they were either potbellied wealthy merchants or burly martial artists.

Behind the screens, silhouettes flickered.

Given their status, Li Tong and Qin Yang could only sit in an obscure corner.

Qin Yang was fine with that—it let him observe more clearly and carefully without drawing attention.

No sooner had they sat down than the auction officially began.

A tall woman in a pale green dress stepped onto the wooden platform.

After a few opening pleasantries, she had someone bring up a painting.

"This painting is Deer in the Forest by Mister Yunlu."

"As you all know, Mister Yunlu was a painter from three hundred years ago, skilled in depicting all kinds of animals. This Deer in the Forest is his masterpiece."

The woman spoke at length on the platform.

But Qin Yang was nearly nodding off.

He had zero interest in these paintings and calligraphy—listening felt like deciphering a foreign language.

"The starting bid for Deer in the Forest is five hundred taels of silver."

"Honored guests, you may begin bidding."

The woman said with a smile.

"Seven hundred taels!"

"Eight hundred!"

"One thousand taels!"

Bidders in the auction hall started calling out prices one after another.

To Qin Yang's surprise, the painting eventually shot up to eighteen hundred taels.

"These Inner City fat cats really are loaded."

"No wonder they look down on the Outer City."

Qin Yang grumbled inwardly.

Next came a stream of precious treasures—rare herbs, jade and gems, and the like—all exorbitantly priced.

After a dozen or so items had been sold, the atmosphere grew lively.

The woman smiled faintly. "Next up is the highlight of tonight's auction."

"I believe many of you have been waiting for this."

"The Qi Gathering Cultivation Method: Turtle-Snake Art!"

As she finished speaking, a burly man with slanted eyes stepped up carrying a wooden box.

"This man is called He Xuan. I hear he's a Qi Gathering expert."

Li Tong said softly, "A Qi Gathering Martial Artist."

Qin Yang sized him up with curiosity.

In the Inner City, only forces with Qi Gathering Martial Artists could be considered major powers.

As for someone like Qin Yang, a Blood Moving Martial Artist, he was nothing at all.

But He Xuan's aura was restrained, and Qin Yang couldn't make out much for now, so he had to shift his gaze away from him and onto that wooden box.

"This Turtle-Snake Art is a second-rate Qi Gathering Cultivation Method. It emphasizes the interplay of yin and yang, with many variations and boundless mysteries."

"The starting bid this time is ten thousand taels of silver."

The woman said softly.

She didn't even have He Xuan open the wooden box to let people see the Turtle-Snake Art's true form before starting the auction.

"Twelve thousand taels!"

A middle-aged man stood up directly, looking determined to win.

"Hmph, fifteen thousand taels."

From a screened-off room, a cold snort rang out.

This number stirred some ripples across the auction floor.

The last Qi Gathering Cultivation Method auctioned off had only gone for fifteen thousand taels, and now this Turtle-Snake Art had matched that after just two bids. By the time it sold, it would likely fetch a sky-high price.

Sure enough, the next second, the middle-aged man said in a deep voice, "Sixteen thousand taels."

"Seventeen thousand!"

Another wealthy merchant stood up.

In no time, the price of the Turtle-Snake Art climbed steadily, making Qin Yang's heart pound.

"For a second-rate Qi Gathering Cultivation Method, this price is normal."

Li Tong sighed softly.

He naturally wanted to help Qin Yang secure this Turtle-Snake Art, but his own assets were limited, and he could do nothing to help.

Qin Yang nodded lightly.

Internal cultivation methods had always been more precious than external combat techniques.

In a small city like Linjiang City, a first-rate Qi Gathering Cultivation Method was naturally out of the question.

This second-rate one was already considered top-tier.

Qin Yang was determined to get it too.

But he would have to wait a few more days.

"Twenty-three thousand taels!"

"The Huang Family must have this Turtle-Snake Art."

"I hope everyone will show some face!"

A rough voice rang out from a screened-off room.

"The Huang Family of the Inner City."

Qin Yang's eyes narrowed.

"I've heard the Huang Family's Qi Gathering Cultivation Method is very low-grade—probably third-rate. That's why they're so desperate for this Turtle-Snake Art."

Li Tong said softly.

"It looks like this Turtle-Snake Art has found its owner."

Qin Yang also said softly.

After that rough voice spoke up, no one else bid at the auction.

After all, twenty-three thousand taels of silver was basically a sky-high price. Even for a major family in the Inner City, pulling out that much silver would likely drain them severely.

The woman on the wooden platform counted down three times and then announced that the Turtle-Snake Art had been won by the Huang Family.

The auction ended there, and the crowd began to disperse.

Qin Yang and Li Tong also left by carriage.

"Uncle Li, what's the background of the Huang Family?"

Inside the carriage, Qin Yang asked casually.

"The Huang Family are big landowners. Most of the farmland near Linjiang City belongs to them, and they're the city's largest grain merchants."

"The grain prices in the city are so high now, largely because the Huang Family hoards grain and drives up the prices."

Li Tong's tone was clearly laced with disgust and contempt when he mentioned the Huang Family.

"For the sake of money, the Huang Family has lost all humanity."

Qin Yang let out a cold laugh.

"The Huang Family bled so much this time—I reckon grain prices will only climb higher from here."

"Nephew, take my advice: stock up on grain when you get back, or you'll struggle to buy any later."

Li Tong, a sharp businessman, had keen instincts.

"If this keeps up, the people in the Outer City will have no way to survive, and chaos will only spread."

Qin Yang sighed softly.

"In the eyes of those big families in the Inner City, the lives of Outer City folk are worthless."

"As long as it doesn't spill into the Inner City, they don't care how much the Outer City descends into chaos or how many die."

Li Tong remarked.