Yanshan Commandery City
Ten-Thousandfold Auction Returns, Starting with an Auction House!
Contents
Biodata
| Feature | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | Yanshan Commandery City |
| Original Name | 燕山郡城 |
| Type | Commandery city 24 |
| Location | Western Great Qian Dynasty, near the Black Forest 27 |
| Governing Power | Commandery Prince’s Estate 27 |
| Jurisdiction | Thirty-six cities, including Guangyang City 24 |
| Population | Over one million 27 |
| Major Industries | Auctions, demonic-beast hunting, and treasure gathering 27 |
| First Mention | Chapter 24 24 |
| First On-Page Visit | Gu Fan’s arrival in Chapter 26 26 |
Geography and Cultivation Culture
- Regional center: Yanshan governs thirty-six cities and is many times larger and more prosperous than Guangyang City 24.
- Black Forest access: Traveling another hundred li west after leaving the city leads into the forest’s depths. First-tier demonic beasts are widespread around Yanshan, while second-tier beasts appear frequently 27.
- Nearby sects: Three great sects operate near the city; the Shattered Star Sect is one of them. Local households take pride in having family members admitted to these sects 27 33.
- Cultivator population: During Gu Fan’s journey along Vermilion Bird Street, roughly two-thirds of the pedestrians he observes are cultivators 27.
- Mercenary activity: More than a hundred mercenary groups of various sizes operate in the city, hunting demonic beasts and searching the Black Forest for treasures 27.
Government and Major Powers
| Power | Position and Influence |
|---|---|
| Commandery Prince’s Estate | The city’s foremost established faction. Its ruling house has guarded Yanshan for a thousand years, and the current prince is a Divine Treasury Realm cultivator 27 28. |
| Five Great Lineages | The Yan, Song, Niu, Su, and Fang lineages. More than half the population depends on the five lineages for survival, and their interests extend throughout the city’s economy 27 50. |
| Yan Lineage | Described as the foremost of the five lineages. Its patriarch, Yan Nantian, cultivates at the peak of Spirit Sea Seventh Heaven when he attends Gu Fan’s second auction 40 44. |
| Three Great Auction Houses | Dominate the established auction trade before Gu Fan’s arrival. The Gu Lineage’s Profound Heaven Auction House on Vermilion Bird Street is among them 27 28. |
| Mercenary Groups | Supply treasures obtained through hunting and exploration. Their established relationships with the three great auction houses initially make some reluctant to use Gu Fan’s new venue 27 36. |
| Three Nearby Sects | Influence the city’s cultivation culture. Their disciples and, later, elders attend Gu Fan’s auctions 27 41 46. |
The commandery prince’s Divine Treasury cultivation underpins his supremacy over the great lineages. Although the lineages can compete with his estate financially, they cannot initially match his personal strength 50.
Notable Locations
| Location | Description |
|---|---|
| Vermilion Bird Street | A crowded, shop-lined street in the city center, where land is exceptionally expensive. It houses Yang Zong’s Profound Heaven Auction House 27 38. |
| Profound Heaven Auction House — Vermilion Bird Street | The established Gu Lineage branch managed by Yang Zong. On Gu Fan’s arrival, it is more than ten times larger than its Guangyang counterpart 27. |
| Linnan Street | An initially remote, sparsely frequented street whose cheaper land allows Gu Fan to expand his auction house extensively 30 38. |
| Profound Heaven Auction House — Linnan Street | Formerly the Heavenly Tiger Auction House. Gu Fan purchases and renames it, then develops it into the city’s largest auction venue 29 38. |
| Thousand-Fathom Auction House | A medium-sized auction house that Gu Fan visits while researching the local market. Its monthly auction ends with a low-grade second-tier treasure 28. |
Linnan Street Auction House
- Purchase: Gu Fan acquires the existing business for 170,000 spirit stones, retaining an established staff, clientele, and supply of auction lots 28 29 30.
- Expansion: He spends 200,000 low-grade spirit stones on neighboring properties, initially planning a hall of about three thousand seats 37.
- Design: The enlarged venue features purple sandalwood, colored glass, gardens, pavilions, terraces, and waterside gazebos. Its decoration costs over one million spirit stones 38.
- Capacity: Its third auction accommodates 3,200 prominent attendees across the hall and private rooms, with many more watching outside 46.
Auction Economy
Established Market
| Feature | Conditions Before Gu Fan’s Expansion |
|---|---|
| Auction frequency | Most houses hold monthly auctions; a minority of smaller houses hold them every half month 28. |
| Typical major-house finales | Mid-grade second-tier treasures 28. |
| Second-tier supply | At the three major auction houses, roughly half the lots in a regular auction are second-tier treasures 40. |
| Previous price record | 980,000 low-grade spirit stones for a mid-grade second-tier treasure at the established Profound Heaven Auction House 35. |
| Prime commercial property | The five great lineages own the bustling streets Gu Fan investigates. Minimum rental terms are one year, and his 230,000 spirit stones cannot cover a suitable auction site there 28. |
Supreme-grade second-tier martial techniques are exceptionally scarce. The five great lineages initially possess only high-grade second-tier techniques, while the commandery prince’s supreme-grade technique was bestowed by the royal clan 34.
Gu Fan’s Business Model
- Daily auctions replace the long intervals customary among established competitors 35.
- A 1% commission attracts mercenary suppliers by reducing costs and shortening the time needed to replenish their funds 35 36.
- A finale of at least second tier becomes the house’s advertised guarantee 35.
- Repeated rare offerings raise the Linnan Street house’s reputation above the three great auction houses by the preparations for its third auction 45.
History
Gu Fan’s Arrival
Gu Fan chooses Yanshan as his next destination because its prosperity offers better auction opportunities, while returning to the royal capital would expose him to the Gu Lineage elders’ schemes. When the elders reject his request to take over the local Profound Heaven branch, he leaves Guangyang anyway, intending to establish his own business 24 25 26.
Upon arrival, Gu Fan visits Yang Zong’s auction house. Yang Zong rebukes him for defying the elders, prompting Gu Fan to order Uncle Fu to slap him. Uncle Fu’s presence convinces Yang Zong that he is a Divine Treasury Realm cultivator, preventing Yang Zong from forcibly driving them away 27 28 29.
Gu Fan subsequently purchases the Heavenly Tiger Auction House and adopts the Profound Heaven name. This leaves the city with two competing houses of the same name; his initial advertising is widely mistaken for an announcement from the established Vermilion Bird Street branch 29 30.
Auctions That Changed the City
| Auction / Event | Result | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| First auction: Eighteen Hands of Subduing the Tiger | Commander Wu wins the supreme-grade second-tier technique for 1.4 million low-grade spirit stones 35. | Breaks the city’s auction-price record and prompts all five great lineages to send people to seize the technique 35 36. |
| Second auction: Four Directions Ghost Saber | The Song Lineage head wins it for 3 million low-grade spirit stones 43. | Factions that left early regret missing the finale; the Song head begins cultivating both saber and sword to challenge Yan Nantian 44 46. |
| Third auction: Soul-Chasing set | The bow and matching archery technique sell for 1.5 million low-grade spirit stones 47. | Opens an auction attended by lineage leaders, sect elders, and thousands of other prominent guests 46 47. |
| Third auction: Mystic Yin Spirit Water | Bidding reaches 10 million low-grade spirit stones; no completed sale is shown in the supplied account 50. | Its ability to help perfected Spirit Sea cultivators enter Divine Treasury makes it a potential turning point in the city’s balance of power 49 50. |
Citywide Attention and Escalating Conflict
The third auction transforms Linnan Street into the city’s main gathering point. Even shopkeepers on normally busy streets close their businesses to attend, and the Commandery Prince’s Estate dispatches guards to maintain order. Including spectators outside, attendance may reach one hundred thousand 46.
The auction house’s wealth also attracts enemies. Yan Nantian arranges for the Venomous Snake Den to strike, sending two Yan elders to accompany them rather than openly robbing the house himself. Separately, the Shattered Star Sect heads toward Yanshan to investigate Gu Fan over the Spirit Heart Lotus 44.
Gu Fan’s concealed resources undermine the established hierarchy. During the third auction, he obtains a Golden Feather Eagle at perfected Divine Treasury Third Heaven, identified as the strongest expert in the city—even above Uncle Fu. Meanwhile, the struggle for Mystic Yin Spirit Water brings the great lineages into direct bidding competition with the commandery prince 48 49 50.