The little incident petered out just like that, allowing many of the merchants present to breathe a long sigh of relief.
It was not that they feared this Sword Cultivator, but the treasure appraisal gathering had been going so well. If bloodshed struck again, it would be a bad omen; merchants sought only wealth, and none of them wanted fighting and killing.
The reason this treasure appraisal gathering had drawn so many people was that almost every party had brought formidable bodyguards, afraid the Sword Cultivator might fly into an unreasonable rampage. Yet under Chen Yiguan's control, these hidden dangers had passed without mishap. This was truly the bearing of the Great Daoist Sect, inspiring heartfelt admiration.
By comparison, the Shanmen Sword Cultivator, who knew only brute force, fell far short. This was a difference in standing.
With Bai Yujiang's cautionary example before them, no one else came to provoke the couple. The treasure appraisal gathering got down to business, filled with professional haggling. People gradually immersed themselves in the pleasures of trading and put the unpleasantness behind them.
Without further incident, the appraisal gathering drew toward its close.
Many preliminary agreements had been reached, requiring further contact and endless bargaining afterward.
Four hours was rather short for a treasure appraisal gathering, but this was precisely what certain people had planned. Their objective had been achieved, and humiliating the other party to a certain degree had gone smoothly too. There was no need to prolong the gathering and risk fresh complications sprouting from the branches.
Zhu Changwen, who had been on tenterhooks throughout, breathed a long sigh of relief. He disapproved of this sort of treasure appraisal. It was entirely unnecessary and liable to inflame the conflict. But he also knew what those Daoist Sect merchants were scheming in private.