As Xiao Yan's voice fell, the southwestern alchemist's wildly excited expression first froze, then cycled through several colors in a few short seconds before settling into bewilderment and despair.
Damn it, I got too carried away just now... The southwestern alchemist's face turned deathly pale.
According to the auction house's rules, once a bidder called out a price, they had to pay that amount after the auction.
Otherwise, they had to compensate the auction house for its losses. If they could not pay, the lighter punishment was to be kept by the faction behind the auction house and made to work off their debt. At worst, they would be seized and enslaved, or even killed outright.
Liao Du believed he probably would not be killed, but the thought of that terrifying price of five million gold coins still made his heart pound with fear.
Even as a Fifth-Rank Alchemist, five million gold coins was not a sum he could casually produce. Even if he handed over everything he owned, it would be worth three million gold coins at most.
As for the remainder, he would probably have no choice but to be taken away and made to work off the debt.
Two million gold coins-even with a Fifth-Rank Alchemist's earning power, he would likely have to refine pills for a year or two without eating or drinking.
At this thought, Liao Du suddenly felt profound regret. If only he had not been so greedy and had stopped earlier, at four million gold coins.
A single greedy impulse had turned a windfall that would have filled his bowls to overflowing into a crushing loss.
Sometimes, life was just like that. One tiny choice could change an entire lifetime.
But Xiao Yan did not care what he was thinking at that moment.