The Star Luo Auction House had the backing of the Star Luo Imperial Family and represented the Imperial Family's majesty and dignity.
For that reason, it was extremely strict about protecting its clients' safety and privacy, preventing vicious incidents such as murder for treasure from occurring afterward.
There were small and large auctions. Small auctions were held once a month, while large auctions were held once a year.
The items at large auctions were almost all rare and exotic treasures of immense value.
Even high-quality Soul Bones over seventy thousand years old might appear, enough to tempt a Titled Douluo.
By comparison, though the items at small auctions were considerably inferior, there were still plenty of rare medicinal herbs, pills, Soul Tool blueprints, Soul Tools, rare metals, and so on.
The monthly small auctions were therefore no less attractive, drawing over a thousand Soul Masters.
After the three entered the passage together, a guard led them to an exquisitely decorated private room.
Outside the room stood a middle-aged man in a deep purple robe, with a golden set of scales embroidered on his chest. His status was clearly not low.
The middle-aged man cupped his fists in greeting. "Welcome to the auction, honored guests. We have prepared exclusive seats for you."
As he spoke, he presented an exquisite metal box with both hands.
"This is the auction Soul Guide booklet. It contains brief descriptions of tonight's items for your reference."
Xiao Zhong stepped forward and accepted it, and Xiao Yan said in a deep voice, "Thank you."
"If you need anything, you can contact us at any time through the Soul Guide booklet. We hope you enjoy your evening at the auction."
The middle-aged man bowed respectfully once more and left only after Xiao Yan and the others had all entered the room.
As soon as Xiao Xiao entered, she looked this way and that, finding everything new and fascinating.
Xiao Yan paid Xiao Xiao no mind. He sat down on the room's luxurious, soft sofa and opened the exquisite metal box. A Soul Tool screen immediately unfolded, and he took out a tablet-like bidding device, waiting for the auction to begin.
After Xiao Xiao tired herself out, she picked up a glass of juice from the coffee table and gulped it down.
The auction officially began.
Golden crystal lamps lit up the entire hall, where over a thousand nobles, Soul Masters, and merchants had taken their seats.
Xiao Yan sat in a "platinum VIP seat," overlooking the entire auction house from above.
Then a beautiful woman in a qipao appeared, holding an auction gavel. With a professional smile on her face, she said in a clear, pleasant voice:
"Honored guests, welcome to the monthly Star Luo Empire Small Auction. The auction is about to begin, and I hope you all succeed in bidding on the items you desire."
As the gavel fell again and again, the items grew increasingly precious.
Xiao Yan sat in the private room, taking in the rare atmosphere.
"Brother, there are so many good things. Isn't there a single one that tempts you?" Xiao Xiao asked curiously as she ate some fruit.
"No. If there's anything you want, just tell me. I'll cover the cost," Xiao Yan said with a lavish air.
"Great, great!" Xiao Xiao grinned mischievously, looking like her scheme had succeeded.
With a million at his disposal, Xiao Yan naturally wouldn't refuse if Xiao Xiao really wanted something.
Finally, halfway through the auction, a small, exquisite carving knife appeared on the auction stage.
The carving knife was about half a foot long and only as thick as a finger.
It narrowed from bottom to top, ending in a tip that looked exceptionally sharp.
Below it was a blade about half an inch wide.
The knife was plain and black overall, with faint decorative patterns engraved on it. It gave off a faint, antique air, but was also somewhat gloomy.
The woman in the qipao introduced it. "Our next item is a carving knife once used by many famous Soul Tool masters of the Sun Moon Empire, called the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife. Its quality is exceptional, in no way inferior to a Ranked Carving Knife among the top thirty. It is a rare treasure.
"The starting price is one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, with minimum increments of three thousand. Please place your bids."
With the appearance of the Ranked Carving Knife, an eerie atmosphere fell over the auction.
Clearly, the auctioneer hadn't disclosed everything about the item.
The old nobles who knew the inside story were waiting to enjoy the spectacle, eager to see whether anyone who didn't know life from death would bid on the knife.
With ten seconds left before the item went unsold, Xiao Yan used his bidding device to place a bid. "One hundred and three thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
"Platinum seat number 56 bids one hundred and three thousand Gold Soul Coins!"
Silence.
Even the beautiful auctioneer's breathing hitched for a moment, though inwardly she was desperate to get it over with and hoped he wouldn't change his mind.
"Con... congratulations to our honored guest in platinum seat number 56, at one hundred and three thousand Gold Soul Coins! Are there any further bids?"
No one in the hall answered.
Some even whispered among themselves:
"Is the person in that platinum seat a fool? Did the auction house dupe them?"
"The person in number 56 must be new to the Star Luo Empire! What a sucker..."
At last, the gavel fell with a crisp rap!
"Sold!"
Although the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife's sale had met with a lukewarm response, the auctioneer's professionalism ultimately allowed her to quickly compose herself and introduce the next item.
"Our next item is called the Mystic Water Pill."
A maid carrying a silver tray walked onto the auction stage. An exquisite jade bottle sat in the center of the tray.
"The Mystic Water Pill is refined from a variety of rare water-attribute medicinal herbs. It can nourish the meridians and assist Soul Masters in cultivation. For Soul Masters, it can yield twice the results with half the effort. Every Mystic Water Pill has been professionally appraised. Its medicinal effects are stable, and there is absolutely no deception."
The auctioneer paused briefly, then announced the price.
"There are three Mystic Water Pills in this auction, to be sold separately. Each has a starting price of twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins, with minimum increments of one thousand."
"Twenty-eight thousand."
Xiao Yan casually pressed the bidding device. That was about the upper limit of a Mystic Water Pill's price.
"Twenty-eight thousand Gold Soul Coins! Our honored guest in platinum seat number 56 bids twenty-eight thousand Gold Soul Coins. Are there any higher bids?"
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, clients in the hall below the stage raised their bidding paddles.
"Twenty-nine thousand!"
"Thirty thousand!"
The price quickly climbed.
Precious as the Mystic Water Pill was, however, it wasn't so precious that people would fight for it at any cost.
After several rounds of bidding, an independent Soul Master ultimately won it for thirty-two thousand Gold Soul Coins.
Xiao Yan didn't mind. His first bid had simply informed everyone of his baseline price.
That was his baseline; paying more would make him a sucker.
Soon, the second Mystic Water Pill was brought onto the auction stage.
This time, Xiao Yan didn't rush to bid. He waited until the bidding had gradually died down before pressing the device again.
"Twenty-eight thousand Gold Soul Coins."
When the bid rang out, several Soul Masters who had still intended to compete glanced at one another. Afraid of offending someone, they ultimately chose to give up.
"Sold!"
The auction for the third Mystic Water Pill went much the same way.
In the end, Xiao Yan won two Mystic Water Pills in succession for twenty-eight thousand Gold Soul Coins each.
Xiao Xiao counted on her fingers, then couldn't help leaning over to Xiao Yan.
"Brother, you just spent over a hundred thousand on that carving knife, and now you've spent over fifty thousand on pills. You should still have plenty of money left, right?"
"What, are you worried I won't have enough money to buy you something?"
Xiao Yan picked up his teacup and glanced at her with the hint of a smile.
"I'm not!"
Though Xiao Xiao denied it, her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the auction floor.
In the end, Xiao Yan bought Xiao Xiao a level-four defensive Soul Tool, the Mystic Crystal Heart-Protecting Mirror, for thirty-six thousand.