Bidding for the Hundred Treasure Purse

At this point in her introduction, Wang Qianqian looked toward the private rooms and the hall below, wanting to see whether any Soul Masters were interested in the treasure. When she saw the pleasantly surprised expressions on several Soul Masters' faces below the auction stage, she understood. Full of anticipation for this auction item, she hoped it would fetch a high price.

"The starting price for our fifteenth item, the Hundred Treasure Purse, is thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins. Each bid must raise the price by at least one thousand Gold Soul Coins. Esteemed guests who wish to purchase it may now place their bids."

Having finished her introduction, Wang Qingqian looked with long-held anticipation at the Soul Masters below the auction stage and the nobles in the private rooms above.

"I bid forty thousand Gold Soul Coins. I hope everyone will give me some face."

A Soul Master sitting several rows in front of Su Tianyu rose from his seat. He turned toward the many Soul Masters in the hall, sweeping his gaze back and forth as he warned them.

"Hmph, Yang Tao, you think you can take a Hundred Treasure Purse that keeps medicinal herbs alive with a bid of just forty thousand Gold Soul Coins? Aren't you indulging in wishful thinking? I bid fifty-one thousand Gold Soul Coins."

An old man sitting not far from Yang Tao cast him a disdainful look. Seeing Yang Tao's ugly behavior, he couldn't resist snapping back at him on the spot.

"Qian Er, you old thing, are you going to oppose me too? You're already so old. Instead of saving your Gold Soul Coins for your retirement, you just had to bid against me? Qian Er, have you gone senile?"

Looking at Qian Er's face, wrinkled like tree bark, Yang Tao mocked him without thinking. The old fellow was practically at death's door, yet he still had to come and make trouble for him. He really didn't know what was good for him. Wasn't he afraid he wouldn't be able to leave Haagen-Dazs City safely if he won the Hundred Treasure Purse?

"Yang Tao, my bidding on this Hundred Treasure Purse is none of your business, is it? Seeing you makes me want to bid. What can you do about it?"

"Hmph, are you doing this on purpose, you old thing? Every time I see you, I'm sick of you. Do you really think I, Yang Tao, can be pushed around by anyone?"

Yang Tao shot a venomous look at Qian Er in his seat not far away, as though he would use Martial Soul Possession the next moment and strike the old thing with a powerful Soul Skill.

"Gentlemen, loud disturbances are not permitted at the auction. If you have a problem, you can leave the auction and settle it outside. Otherwise, our auction house will have no choice but to ask you both to leave."

Standing straight on the auction stage, Wang Qianqian watched Yang Tao and Qian Er arguing in the front rows of the hall. She raised the Amplifying Soul Tool in her hand and warned them both.

"Hmph!"

After hearing the auctioneer's warning, Yang Tao had no choice but to sit quietly back in his seat. He turned and gave Qian Er, not far away, a warning look, hoping he would know what was good for him and not oppose him, Yang Tao.

Qian Er paid no mind to Yang Tao's warning look. He even smiled at Yang Tao, his face wearing a delighted, self-satisfied expression.

Seeing that the two had quieted down, Wang Qianqian breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. One could imagine that, as a Soul Master of only level eleven, she was under extraordinary pressure facing so many Soul Masters whose Soul Power was higher than hers. If she hadn't had the auction house behind her, how would she have dared reprimand those two Soul Masters?

After composing herself, Wang Qianqian raised the amplifier to her mouth and called out.

"This esteemed guest has bid fifty-one thousand Gold Soul Coins. Are there any other Soul Masters who wish to bid?"

Seated in the hall, Su Tianyu listened to the calls from the auction stage without a trace of anxiety. He merely watched Yang Tao and Qian Er bidding against each other a few rows ahead with an indifferent gaze, for he knew the Hundred Treasure Purse couldn't be won for just a few tens of thousands of Gold Soul Coins.

Sure enough, just as Su Tianyu had expected, a young man's voice pierced through the wooden wall of a private room above and rang throughout the auction hall.

"I bid one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins."

"I didn't expect a noble Soul Master in one of the private rooms above to open with a bid higher than those of the previous two Soul Masters. What boldness!"

The many Soul Masters in the hall lowered their heads and whispered among themselves.

"Hmph, boldness? Don't you know these nobles earn their Gold Soul Coins by squeezing the common people dry? Yet every one of you is still speaking up for them. I, Li Ergou, am ashamed to be counted among you."

A bald, rugged-looking middle-aged man watched the many commoner Soul Masters in the hall as they all cheered the noble Soul Master's bid, showering him with praise and agreement and fawning over him.

This left him deeply disappointed, and he no longer held any hope. All he saw were Soul Masters who had been beaten into submission by life, willing to endure humiliation at the hands of noble Soul Masters.

Looking at the commoner Soul Masters seated throughout the hall, he gazed at them with eyes full of disappointment. He closed his eyes in pain and said nothing more. Like an ornamental statue, he sat quietly in his chair with his eyes closed, making no further sound.

This middle-aged man does have an unbending iron backbone, but unfortunately he was born at the wrong time. In this age when sects and nobles run rampant, all commoner Soul Masters can do is leave their fate to heaven.

Spirit Hall isn't a charity either. Whatever you take into your belly, you must eventually repay Spirit Hall twofold. They may not even care if you have to give up your life to benefit some of their second-generation Soul Masters of exalted status.

Su Tianyu turned to look at the bald middle-aged man beside him. Fortunately, the man's voice had been drowned out by the other voices in the hall. Otherwise, he might not have made it out of Haagen-Dazs City today.

After waiting a moment, Su Tianyu noticed that most of the commoner Soul Masters in the hall had chosen to remain silent rather than call out a bid, as though tacitly allowing the noble who had just bid to take the treasure.

The sight made Su Tianyu's scalp tingle, and he felt sorrow for the fate of these Soul Masters.

Seeing that these commoner Soul Masters were no longer bidding against the noble Soul Master, even Yang Tao and Qian Er, who had bid most fiercely in the front row just now, were both silent, having chosen to keep their mouths shut.

Su Tianyu looked at the hall, where not a bird or sparrow could be heard. It seemed that if a needle fell from someone's robes the next moment, the sound would startle these Soul Masters on the spot.

Since these Soul Masters had chosen to back down at the sight of the treasure, not daring to offend a noble Soul Master lightly, and Su Tianyu naturally couldn't give up the Hundred Treasure Purse, he had no choice but to steel himself and call out a bid.

"I bid one hundred and twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

The moment Su Tianyu called out his price, the atmosphere in the auction hall suddenly grew tense. The other Soul Masters even deliberately stifled the sound of their breathing.

Under that tense atmosphere, it felt as though one couldn't breathe. The commoner Soul Masters in their chairs all turned to look at the person who had called out the bid, wanting to see who dared to bid against a noble Soul Master.