When Han Chen approached, Little White and Little Jade both ran up to him, happily rubbing against the hem of his clothes.
Han Chen crouched down, stroked their heads, and smiled.
"There'll be plenty of people where I'm going this time, even Dou Ling and Dou Wang experts. It'll be a real headache if anyone discovers you."
Then Han Chen stepped around the spiderwebs and picked a thousand-year-old Blood-Coagulating Herb from the Spirit Field he had cleared.
There was nothing he could do. He couldn't refine pills yet, so he had no use for the medicinal herbs he grew. He could only harvest them once they had grown enough, and he didn't have any particularly good way to store them, either.
To avoid wasting it, he could only let it keep growing, which was how it had become a Millennium Spirit Herb. There happened to be an auction tonight, so he could sell a stalk of Blood-Coagulating Herb. Its age was extraordinary, but it was still something he could explain away.
After packing away the herb, Han Chen headed to the Mittel Auction House.
Tonight, the Mittel Auction House was especially lively. Not only had Wutan City's Three Great Families arrived, but there were also plenty of unfamiliar faces, along with several luxurious carriages bearing various family crests.
Keeping his head lowered, Han Chen quickly followed the route he had taken last time to Gu Ni's Appraisal Room. Seeing the door shut tight, he knocked.
"Come in."
Hearing the voice from inside, Han Chen pushed the door open and entered.
When Gu Ni looked up and saw Han Chen, he immediately rose with delight and warmly approached him.
"Young Friend Li, what brings you here? You could have gone straight to the second floor. We've already given instructions. Someone will receive you as soon as you arrive."
Han Chen smiled and nodded, then took out a wooden box and handed it over.
"I just came to have a look. Judging by today's turnout, I imagine the auction house in Wutan City will be making quite a name for itself.
"As it happens, I have a rather valuable herb on me, and I'd like to take advantage of today's auction to earn a little extra."
Hearing that there was more business to be done, Gu Ni's eyes lit up. It might only be an herb, but anything Han Chen brought out was unlikely to be ordinary.
Besides, wasn't Han Chen's willingness to do business with the Mittel Auction House again a sign that their relationship was growing stronger?
"Hahaha, that's easy enough. Rest assured, Young Friend Han. There are quite a few important guests here tonight. Besides the Three Great Families and the major families nearby, even several figures from the Imperial Capital have sent representatives. We certainly won't let you lose out."
As he spoke, Gu Ni accepted the wooden box from Han Chen, opened it, and casually glanced inside.
Yet that single glance left Gu Ni rooted to the spot. What he saw was simply too astonishing.
"This... this is Blood-Coagulating Herb? How can it be so big?"
As an alchemist, Gu Ni naturally recognized Blood-Coagulating Herb, a relatively common medicinal herb.
But the stalk of Blood-Coagulating Herb before him was absurdly large. It was as long as his forearm. Even after all his years as an alchemist, he had never seen anything like it.
Seeing Gu Ni's shock, Han Chen knew this was far beyond what the man could comprehend. After all, unlike those in the Mortal world, medicinal herbs on the Dou Qi Continent could be used as soon as they matured.
In the Mortal world, however, the properties of medicinal herbs meant they needed to reach a certain age.
"Ahem, I happened to find this among the miscellaneous things my master left behind. Perhaps he dug it up somewhere deep in the mountains. I estimate it's around a thousand years old. I'm not sure whether it can be auctioned."
"Huh? Yes! Of course it can!"
Gu Ni snapped out of his state of questioning everything he knew and immediately gave Han Chen an emphatic answer.
What a joke. If even this couldn't be auctioned, what could the auction house possibly sell?
"Master Gu Ni, I have one more request."
At Han Chen's words, Gu Ni's expression immediately turned serious. He nodded solemnly and spoke in an earnest tone.
"Rest assured. The Mittel Auction House's reputation is absolutely trustworthy."
"No matter how you look at it, this Millennium Blood-Coagulating Herb is far too rare. My master has always preferred peace and quiet. If people learned that he not only refined such unusual pills, but also had medicinal herbs like this..."
Han Chen wanted to make a fortune at tonight's auction, but getting entangled with these people would undoubtedly be troublesome.
"Oh, I understand. Rest assured, Young Friend Li. Since you don't wish to be disturbed, we won't reveal anything."
Hearing Gu Ni's assurance, Han Chen nodded and prepared to leave. He wanted to get upstairs early, before anyone else saw him.
"In that case, I'll be going."
"Please, go ahead."
After reaching his private room on the second floor, Han Chen settled into a chair in a Ge You Slouch. As long as those Dou Wang experts didn't forcibly probe the room, he would be safe here.
He had mainly come to collect his money today. As for buying anything, his pockets were cleaner than his face. What could he buy with? This would also keep those experts from paying him much attention.
Han Chen lounged in the chair for quite some time. When the auction still hadn't started, he simply took out the Great Evolution Art and began reading.
Ever since suffering a setback at Ya Fei's hands last time, he had never stopped worrying about his spiritual sense. Mastering the Great Evolution Art would bring tremendous benefits, whether he was refining medicine or controlling puppets.
However, this art truly demanded considerable talent. If Han Chen hadn't lived two lifetimes, his spiritual sense might not even have met its requirements.
Even so, Han Chen had only studied it and hadn't dared to begin practicing it properly. Cultivating the Great Evolution Art required splitting his spiritual sense, which was extremely dangerous for him while he was still at the Dou Qi stage.
Once I get back this time, I'll be able to break through to Dou Zhe. I happen to have one Foundation Establishment Pill left.
"Honored guests, welcome to the Mittel Auction House. I imagine you're all getting impatient?"
After an unknown stretch of time, a seductive voice stirred Han Chen from his reading. He returned his attention to his surroundings and looked down at the Auction Stage.
Ya Fei stood at the very center of the Auction Stage in a bright red qipao, her face lightly made up. She raised a fair arm, and the string of bells around her delicate wrist chimed crisply with her movements.
Though her attire was ordinary, she seemed to possess endless charm. Every smile and arch of her brows tugged at the emotions of everyone present.
Behind the Auction Stage stood an elderly man in a brocade robe. His expression was warm and amiable, but he stood as immovable as a mountain, his aura deep and profound. One glance was enough to tell that he was an expert.
The seats below were already full. Wutan City's Three Great Families occupied an area on the far left, while families from other cities sat in the middle. The far right was reserved for ordinary guests and smaller families.
Han Chen looked carefully over the crowd and soon spotted a Black-Robed Man among the seats on the far right. Seemingly sensing something, the man raised his head and glanced toward the second floor.
As expected of the continent's greatest alchemist. He could sense even a single glance.
Seeing that the atmosphere had been sufficiently stirred up, Ya Fei smiled gracefully and stepped aside, revealing the elderly man in the brocade robe behind her.
"I know you're all eager, but~ before we begin, there's still one thing I must announce.
"Please allow me to introduce the gentleman before you: the current head of the Mittel Family and chairman of the Mittel Auction House, Mittel Tengshan!"
Ya Fei's words left everyone below the stage astonished. This was the head of the Mittel Family, a genuine Dou Wang expert.
Representatives of quite a few factions stood and bowed to him. This was a fine chance to make themselves known. If they could curry favor with the Mittel Family, even a little leftover broth would be enough to stuff them to bursting.
Before you continue