After a spell of unanimous silence, a few scattered bids finally came:
"Two hundred and ten Spirit Stones."
"Two hundred and thirty."
"I bid two hundred and forty."
Lin Changheng relaxed a little inwardly. These bids, barely rising by the minimum increment, showed that no one had a particularly strong desire for this lot.
Not a single bidder had even made a substantial jump.
That put his mind somewhat at ease.
"Two hundred and eighty low-grade spirit stones."
"Two hundred and ninety!"
"I bid three hundred. If anyone bids higher, I'll gladly yield."
The bids continued their sluggish climb, and many of the already few bidders dropped out.
At this point, Lin Changheng spoke:
"Three hundred and fifty Spirit Stones."
He made a large jump outright, hoping to intimidate his already wavering competitors.
As soon as he bid, many gazes turned toward the voice. Surprise filled their eyes when they saw Lin Changheng in his black robe and bamboo hat.
Could this man be the seller, or a shill hired by the auction?
He had raised the price by fifty right out of the gate.
If he wasn't a shill, he was a fool with too much money!
The thought surfaced in quite a few minds.
Naturally, they did not follow his bid.
Secretly delighted, Lin Changheng waited a moment. The old man was already preparing to close the bidding:
"A fellow Daoist has bid three hundred and fifty low-grade spirit stones. Three hundred and fifty, going once! Three hundred and fifty, going twice! Three hundred and fifty, going-"
"Wait."
But the next instant, a clear female voice rang out across the hall:
"I bid three hundred and sixty."
The old man smoothly stopped, then continued with a genial smile, "Another fellow Daoist has made a new bid. Three hundred