Establishing an Auction House

Inside the front hall.

Yang Zong stared at Uncle Fu with utter terror in his eyes.

More precisely, he was staring at the terrifying presence emanating from him!

He had only ever witnessed such a presence from the commandery prince of Yanshan Commandery City.

And the commandery prince was a powerful cultivator of the Divine Treasury Realm!

Didn't that mean Uncle Fu, who had been standing behind Gu Fan all this time, was also a Divine Treasury Realm cultivator?!

Uncle Fu's threat to have him beaten to death only made Yang Zong even more terrified.

Not far away.

Seeing that Yang Zong had stopped acting like a dog emboldened by its master's power, Gu Fan sneered, then turned and headed out of the auction house.

On this trip.

His purpose had been to test the royal city's attitude toward him.

From the looks of things now.

The eighteen grand elders probably did not know about his situation; it had not provoked a backlash that would make them abandon all restraint and confine him to Guangyang City.

Even so, they had still had their lackey Yang Zong put him in his place.

Since the royal city had not pressed him too hard.

Then.

It was time to put Gu Fan's plan to establish another auction house in Yanshan Commandery City on the agenda.

The two of them then left.

Only the maids and some guests remained in the front hall, exchanging bewildered looks, unsure what to do.

However.

Yang Zong gritted his teeth and stood up just then.

He watched the two men walk out the main entrance with extreme venom in his eyes, then summoned someone and instructed him.

"Follow them and see whether they leave the commandery city!"

"Yes..."

"Young Master Gu, where are we going next?"

Uncle Fu asked, his back slightly hunched once again.

"Where to..."

Sitting inside the carriage, Gu Fan could not help beginning to ponder.

Establishing another auction house sounded easy, but it was also difficult.

A site, decorations, reputation, auction items... and so on and so forth. But Gu Fan could not consider those things yet, because what he needed first... was spirit stones!

Without money, he could not take a single step, especially in prosperous Yanshan Commandery City.

While in Guangyang City, Gu Fan had auctioned off eight second-tier treasures, as well as a Four Symbols Pill.

After deducting the commission, he had received a total of two hundred and thirty thousand low-grade spirit stones.

With that many spirit stones, he could undoubtedly have been the richest man in Guangyang City.

But in Yanshan Commandery City... that would not do!

Moreover.

Those two hundred and thirty thousand spirit stones were practically his entire fortune.

Because the treasures... had all been devoured by him and turned into nourishment for his God-Devouring Physique.

And he had no idea whether that would be enough to establish an auction house from scratch.

A thousand tangled threads filled his mind.

But Gu Fan quickly identified the key point and said.

"Let's first see what the auction houses in Yanshan Commandery City have to offer, and what grades of treasures they auction..."

Only by knowing himself and his opponents could he win every battle.

Gu Fan was undoubtedly on the road to knowing his opponents.

Inside an auction house called Thousand-Fathom.

Gu Fan quietly watched an auction take place.

This auction house could roughly be considered a medium-sized auction house in Yanshan Commandery City.

Although it fell short of the three great auction houses, the gap was not particularly large.

He had also learned a few things.

Like those in Guangyang City, most auction houses in Yanshan Commandery City held an auction once a month.

Although a small portion held one every half month, those were merely small auction houses that had yet to gain momentum.

In other words.

The first advantage of the auction house Gu Fan intended to establish would be daily auctions.

And once the auction at Thousand-Fathom ended, Gu Fan understood his second advantage as well.

That was... the finale item of this monthly auction was merely a low-grade second-tier treasure!

Low-grade second-tier!

Gu Fan had those every damn day in Guangyang City!

Yet the Thousand-Fathom Auction House only had a single one at its once-monthly auction!

Furthermore, after asking a maid at the auction house.

Gu Fan learned that even the three great auction houses of Yanshan Commandery City only offered mid-grade second-tier treasures as the finale items at their monthly auctions!

Mid-grade second-tier?

Gu Fan would not have dared make grand claims in Guangyang City.

But in Yanshan Commandery City, where treasures abounded, he was confident... he could have them every day!

With those two major advantages in hand.

Gu Fan left the place brimming with confidence.

He was completely confident that the auction house he established would soon make a name for itself in Yanshan Commandery City... and even surpass the three great auction houses to take the lead!

However.

All of that hinged on getting the auction house established.

Next.

Gu Fan visited several bustling streets in Yanshan Commandery City and inquired with the city's brokers.

Only to learn that two hundred and thirty thousand spirit stones were nowhere near enough to rent a vacant site large enough for an auction house!

Because those bustling streets were all properties of the five great Lineages.

Their minimum rental term was one year.

And a site Gu Fan had taken a liking to cost three hundred thousand spirit stones a year in rent!

Two hundred thousand and change was nowhere near enough!

Even by the time the sky had turned pitch-black, Gu Fan had yet to find a suitable site.

At that moment.

Gu Fan and Uncle Fu were eating at a restaurant.

They had no place to stay in Yanshan Commandery City, so they could only find a restaurant to lodge at just as night fell.

"Young Master Gu, if you need spirit stones, why don't I make a trip to the Black Forest?"

Seated across from him, Uncle Fu spoke quietly.

He was a Divine Treasury Realm cultivator. Hunting a demonic beast in the Black Forest would probably be enough to meet Gu Fan's needs.

But Gu Fan shook his head, narrowing his eyes at a private room on the second floor.

Then he smiled. "Come upstairs with me."

He had been eavesdropping on that private room for almost half an incense stick's worth of time.

And the conversation concerned a small auction house whose owner wanted to sell it because it was losing money.

A fully intact auction house was up for sale?

For Gu Fan, that was news that could not have been better!

Because it would save him the time needed to build one from scratch, and as it happened, time was what he valued most!

There were two people in the private room.

One had rugged features and a deep, rumbling voice, though he sounded somewhat angry at that moment.

"I spent a hundred and seventy thousand spirit stones setting up that auction house! Its reputation has grown a little over all these years, too. A hundred and fifty thousand is out of the question!"

"What are you saying, Brother Yan? In my eyes, your auction house is worth a hundred and fifty thousand at most. Any higher, and I'd be a fool."

The speaker was a refined man dressed in a blue robe.

Even when the man opposite him spoke angrily, his expression did not change at all, as though he had the other man right where he wanted him.

And that was indeed the case.

The rugged man was the commander of a mercenary group. Coveting the profits of auction houses, he had poured his entire fortune into establishing that auction house.

He had never expected... that after several years, even funneling in the mercenary group's profits, he would lose so much he nearly lost his underwear.

However.

Even a hundred and fifty thousand would let him recover a little blood.

Yet just then.

A voice came from outside the door.

"Brother, I'll buy your auction house for a hundred and seventy thousand spirit stones!"

As his words fell, Gu Fan pushed open the door and entered with Uncle Fu.

"You're really willing to pay a hundred and seventy thousand?"

The rugged man stood up in delighted surprise.

"Of course."

"Good! Brother Gong Liu, this brother is willing to pay a hundred and seventy thousand. I wonder how much you're willing to offer?"

The rugged man had some shrewdness to him. He wanted to make the two bid against each other so he could earn more money.

But the man named Gong Liu merely scoffed at that.

Rather than look at the rugged man, he sized up Gu Fan and Uncle Fu with a displeased expression, then sneered.

"Heh, a hundred and seventy thousand spirit stones. Someone may be willing to play the sucker, but I'm not."

With that, he left with a sneer.

Seeing him leave.

The rugged man felt some regret.

But he immediately turned his gaze toward Gu Fan. "Brother! Could you add a little more to those hundred and seventy thousand spirit stones?"

"No."

Gu Fan smiled and shook his head.

With no competitor left, a hundred and seventy thousand was the highest price.

Hearing that, the rugged man gritted his teeth, but then said, "A hundred and seventy thousand it is! Better for me to lose a little than lose everything!"

As he spoke, he raised his head. "Let's make the deal right now!"