Putting on a Show for Everyone

Before long, Gu He finished collecting the pills, and the medicinal fragrance lingering in the air began to dissipate.

Beneath that fragrance, the mysterious black-robed man finally breathed a sigh of relief. He cupped his hands toward the gathered crowd, his voice brimming with barely concealed delight. "Thank you all for your cooperation. I am deeply grateful."

Before his words had fully faded, he beat his Dou Qi Wings and returned to the courtyard.

The people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion, the Blood Sect, and the Black Skull Tomb exchanged wary glances, then left with their respective groups.

An unfamiliar Fifth-Rank Alchemist actually showed up. What an unexpected windfall... I must tell Father as soon as possible... the pale-faced young man murmured inwardly.

Each major faction harbored its own schemes, and undercurrents surged through Black Seal City. By unspoken agreement, they began purging the smaller factions near Yun Congxin's residence, while friction between them grew increasingly frequent.

The hotel belonged to the Eight Gates and had originally been fairly peaceful and stable. Now, however, fresh corpses were hauled away with the garbage every day.

The Eight Gates therefore had no choice but to send more experts to stand guard.

A mysterious Dou Wang expert paired with an Alchemist of at least the fifth grade—such a combination was rare even across the entire Northwest Continent, and warranted a serious response from the major factions.

Thus, numerous Da Dou Shi quietly appeared outside the hotel where Yun Congxin and his companions were staying.

People from the Heavenly Snake Mansion and other factions also began checking into the hotel, soon filling all its finest Courtyards.

With so many extra pairs of "eyes" suddenly surrounding them, the siblings Xiao Yan and Xiao Yu began staying indoors and rarely venturing out. Even Gu He, Nalan Yanran, and the others cut back on their outings.

Yun Congxin, meanwhile, pretended not to notice any of the changes around him. As always, he leisurely sipped tea and basked in the sun in his courtyard.

Only on the day before the auction began did Yun Congxin leave the courtyard. He wore a loose black robe and an Ice Silk Silkworm Mask, completely concealing his build and appearance.

"Elder Qing, that man has come out..." The people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion spotted Yun Congxin's movements immediately and hurried to report to their Dou Huang expert.

Elder Qing had been feeding her little snake. At the news, she quickly set down the Jade Bottle in her hand and instructed, "Pass down the order: keep a close watch on his movements and create an opportunity for me to meet him alone. You, come here and feed the little fellow."

With that, she sat down before a Bronze Mirror to touch up her makeup.

If I can recruit a Fifth-Rank Alchemist for our Heavenly Snake Mansion, even as a Guest Elder, that achievement would be no less significant than winning that item at auction... Elder Qing thought as she drew in her brows.

The Blood Sect was no slower. After hearing the news, the pale-faced young man pondered for a moment, then said, "Prepare a banquet. Tell the manager I want the finest spread, and have the kitchen start preparing it right now! Keep your eyes firmly on him and report the moment he returns!"

Of course, Yun Congxin knew that several factions had already gained complete knowledge of his movements. Wherever he went now, he was like a man standing center stage, drawing everyone's gaze.

He walked unhurriedly into the Black Seal Auction House and found an elder of the Eight Gates already waiting for him. She was a seductive woman, and upon seeing Yun Congxin, she let out a silver-bell laugh and spoke in an affected, coy voice that made one's bones go soft. "Mr. Jia Xing, you've certainly kept me waiting. Have you come for an appraisal today, or to auction something?"

"To auction..." Yun Congxin said quietly.

"Please follow me." The woman gestured invitingly and escorted Yun Congxin into a private room.

The Eight Gates had already investigated him and knew that Yun Congxin traveled with three rather attractive Handmaids, leading them to conclude that he was a lecher. That was why they had sent this particular elder to deal with him. Smiling, she sat close beside Yun Congxin and whispered into his ear, "What would you like to auction, sir...?"

Goosebumps rose all over Yun Congxin. He took a dozen or so jade bottles from his Storage Ring and said, "Windwalk Pills, Azure Essence Pills, Recovery Pills, and Blood-Burning Pills. All fifth-grade pills."

Even though she had come prepared, Yun Congxin's lavish offering still startled her.

This was no way to auction things. As the saying went, rarity made things precious. If two or three varieties of fifth-grade pills appeared at a single auction, each pill could fetch several million Gold Coins. But if a dozen or so were put up for auction all at once like this, the final price of each would likely fall somewhat.

A difference of several million Gold Coins in the total was by no means impossible.

This... even an ordinary Fifth-Rank Alchemist probably couldn't produce so many fifth-grade pills. That Alchemist has likely already touched the threshold of the sixth grade... the Eight Gates elder thought, pressing her supple body a little closer to Yun Congxin.

"Mr. Jia Xing, if you auction so many pills at once, I'm afraid they won't fetch a high price... Everyone attending the auction has a budget. The final sale price will be much lower than if you auctioned them gradually."

"How about this? Take some of these pills back for now. We'll auction only one or two this time and arrange to sell the rest gradually. What do you think?"

Yun Congxin smiled and shook his head. "Just auction them all this time."

"You're truly generous, Mr. Jia Xing. May I ask why you're in such a hurry? If you urgently need money, the Eight Gates can lend you some to tide you over."

"My brother and I have always loved collecting things, and this auction is no exception," Yun Congxin said with a smile. "Rare curiosities, incomplete Cultivation Technique scrolls, Mysterious Tier Dou Techniques—we're interested in all of them."

"What about Earth Tier Dou Techniques, then?" The woman gave him a seductive smile.

But Yun Congxin shook his head. "No."

"Why is that? No matter how many Mysterious Tier Dou Techniques you have, they can't compare to an Earth Tier Dou Technique," the woman said in surprise.

"Earth Tier Dou Techniques are too expensive, and most are the very lifeblood of factions and sects. They attract trouble. We don't want them." Yun Congxin voiced his fabricated excuse, while inwardly thinking about sweeping up all the good items at this auction in a single net.

Hadn't the Blood Sect already prepared to intercept all the treasures? He would simply play the oriole lurking behind the mantis as it stalked the cicada!

After humoring her for a while longer, Yun Congxin rose and took his leave.

"What an odd fellow..." the Eight Gates elder murmured after seeing Yun Congxin off. "He only wants the appetizers at the auction, but has no interest in the finale. Is he collecting junk?"

"Whatever the case, I've already figured out his temperament. I must report to the Sect Master at once..."

The moment Yun Congxin stepped out through the Black Seal Auction House's doors, he saw Elder Qing of the Heavenly Snake Mansion approaching him.

She had come out wearing light makeup. On seeing Yun Congxin, she feigned delighted surprise and stepped forward with her hands cupped. "Mr. Jia Xing, what a coincidence! Have you also come to the auction house on business?"

Yun Congxin likewise pretended that this was a chance encounter and returned her salute. "Yes, I've just finished and was about to head back."

"What a coincidence. I'm heading back to the hotel too, so we're going the same way. Might I have the honor of accompanying you, Mr. Jia Xing?"