Because of the earlier farce, attendance at the auction was sparse, leaving a third of the seats empty. The manager, Xuan Su, paid it no mind, however, and warmly ushered everyone to their seats.
Soon, the auction began, and exquisite treasures were brought out one after another. Lin Dong and Qingtan were dazzled, while Hun Changqing showed little enthusiasm. Although he had never seen any of the items onstage, for some reason, none of them interested him.
On top of that, Lin Dong was talking to the old man beside him about competing for the Dan Immortal Pool, while the woman in green kept exclaiming in surprise. Listening to them only irritated Hun Changqing. He disliked noisy surroundings like these.
He glanced at Qingtan and found her staring intently at the treasures being presented on the auction stage, utterly engrossed. Not wanting to disturb her, Hun Changqing slipped away alone to seek some peace in the exhibition hall behind the auction venue.
Hun Changqing's quiet departure went unnoticed by those deep in conversation, but it caught Manager Xuan Su's attention. Or rather, her attention had been on him all along.
Ever since earlier, she had been deeply intrigued by this aloof, taciturn, yet breathtakingly beautiful man. Seeing him leave, she considered it for a moment, then followed him.
This was the Ten Thousand Gold Auction House's exhibition hall. Glass display counters stood in rows, containing all manner of unusual items. These had not yet met the standards for auction, so they were displayed here with clearly marked prices, another way for the auction house to turn a profit.
Now that the auction had begun, everyone had entered the main venue to attend the more important event. Apart from the staff behind the counters, few people remained in the exhibition hall,