Black Seal Auction

First Elder Qing, then the Blood Sect's young sect master—Yun Congxin repeated the same words to the people from the Heavenly Snake Mansion and the Blood Sect. Only after the sky had gone completely dark did the long bout of feigned courtesy finally end. Yun Congxin returned to his Courtyard, lay down on his recliner, and heaved sigh after sigh.

Ugh, if there weren't so many sneaky old Dou Zong bastards in the Black-Corner Region, and recklessly revealing my strength wouldn't upset the balance, I'd just start robbing them outright. Why would I bother running circles around them like this? Yun Congxin thought bitterly. I'm exhausted. This is even more tiring than a fight...

"Grandmaster, you're back?" Hearing the noise, Nalan Yanran emerged from a side room and said obediently, "I'll make you some tea..."

"No need. Go to bed early. We have to get up early tomorrow..." Yun Congxin said wearily, lying on his recliner. "Come along with me tomorrow and broaden your horizons."

He touched the Ice Silk Silkworm Mask on his face, gazed at the pitch-black sky, and closed his eyes in exhaustion.

The next day.

A sea of people had already gathered outside the Black Seal Auction House. The packed crowd had no semblance of order, and curses, sounds of fighting, and the clashes of dou qi filled the air with a boiling uproar. Only when the auction house's guards emerged to maintain order did the mighty figures of the Black-Corner Region grudgingly form a long, crooked line under the Eight Gates' explosively "kind" physical persuasion.

Someone did entertain the idea of cutting in line, but punishment came immediately. Before anyone from the Eight Gates could even arrive, the mighty figures in the queue had stabbed him a generously open chest.

"This is much livelier than I imagined..."

Yun Congxin and Gu He arrived outside the auction house with Xiao Yan, Xiao Yu, Nalan Yanran, Yao Yue, and Yao Ye. Looking at the bustling scene, Yun Congxin could not help marveling aloud.

"Mr. Jia Xing, welcome." They had barely arrived when a pretty maid approached Yun Congxin under the protection of the Eight Gates' guards. "The elder made special arrangements. Your private box is ready. Please follow me."

Yun Congxin nodded, and the group followed her into the auction house through the VIP passage.

Walking along the red-carpeted VIP passage, Yao Ye glanced at the maid's swaying gait, then at Yun Congxin. The Ice Silk Silkworm Mask concealed his subtle expressions, leaving her unable to tell what he was thinking. Still, she kept feeling that his gaze never left that slender waist, which swayed like a water snake.

Her pretty face flushed.

Surely Sect Master Yun isn't interested in this... She touched her burning cheeks. Will he order me to walk like her too? That would be far too embarrassing.

What is this woman doing?

Following behind Yao Ye, Xiao Yan watched her cover her face and walk awkwardly, looking like a bear rubbing against a tree. He was utterly baffled and exasperated.

Each occupied with their own thoughts, they reached their reserved box. It was a very spacious rectangular room, rather like a private movie theater. Every seat inside resembled an enormous fluffy dumpling, arranged at staggered intervals facing the transparent glass so that everyone could overlook the entire auction hall.

The moment Yun Congxin and the others sat down, softness and warmth enveloped them. Everyone lavished praise on the seats' marvelous design.

"Young sect master, what's wrong?" In another private box, an old man who looked even more like a vampire asked in puzzlement.

The old man chuckled. "Hehe, your senses are keen indeed, young sect master. I suspect he must be that mysterious fifth-rank alchemist. Most alchemists possess scorching flames, which do make those of us who practice the Blood Sect's cultivation techniques rather uncomfortable."

Fan Ling sneered. "This is different. Our cultivation techniques may be cold and yin in nature, but none of the alchemists in our sect can make me feel so... as though thorns are pricking my back."

"He's a high-ranking alchemist. It's perfectly normal for his flame to have something unique about it."

"True. That just proves I have a good eye." Fan Ling stopped dwelling on the matter and lowered his voice. "I wonder whether that information is actually true. We've poured so much effort into it and made so many arrangements. If it's false, I'll dig out whoever spread it and drain every drop of blood from his body!"

"Hehe, rest assured, young sect master," the old man said with a reassuring smile.

"This is taking forever. When is it going to start...?" Sitting to Yun Congxin's left, Xiao Yu yawned. "Xiao Yan has already started cultivating..."

"Don't rush. A good meal is worth waiting for." Yun Congxin smiled, then turned to his three maids. "Look at him, making the most of every spare moment to cultivate. Learn from him."

Ah, it feels so good to put pressure on other people.

"What a poser. What good can half an hour of cultivation possibly do?" Yao Yue rolled her eyes, utterly disdainful of Xiao Yan's relentless overachieving.

They waited a full two hours. Yun Congxin was nearly asleep in his warm, soft chair by the time the Eight Gates' auctioneer finally took the stage.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The clear chimes drowned out all the clamor, drawing everyone's attention to the auction stage fashioned from crystal.

"Everyone, welcome to the Black Seal Auction House!"

Under everyone's eagerly burning gazes, the white-haired but sprightly auctioneer stood on the crystal stage and spoke with a beaming smile.

"Hehe, my friends, sorry for the wait. I'm sure you're all getting impatient. In that case, I won't annoy you with any more formal pleasantries." Dressed in fine robes, the auctioneer surveyed the dense sea of heads and spoke loudly, his diction as crisp as a broadcaster's.

As a seasoned veteran of the trade, the old man certainly knew how to stir the crowd's emotions. Before he had even finished speaking, thunderous cheers rang through the auction hall, nearly lifting its roof clean off.

Hearing this, Yun Congxin, who had comfortably shifted his backside in preparation for another little nap, gave an almost imperceptible nod of approval.

Everyone's here to get things done. Who wants to listen to you spout idle nonsense?

"As the Black-Corner Region's annual grand gathering, I'm confident this year's event, hosted by our Black Seal Auction House, will not disappoint you."

The auctioneer pressed both hands downward to signal the cheering crowd to quiet down, then smiled as he brought his gavel down on the specially made tabletop.

Amplified by dou qi, the crisp strike of the wooden gavel echoed throughout the auction hall. Before long, that sound would mark the sale of a treasure.

For now, however, it marked the auction's official opening.

"Now, I declare the Black Seal City Auction officially open!"

The crystal stage suddenly blazed with light. Radiance flooded the auction platform, blocking everyone's view.