When the greater nobles began to have their fun, they used the denominations of copper coins, to make it appear as though they were offering more than those of the commoners and lesser nobles. It was just another way for the greater nobles to press down against their lessers, to teach them their place.

“Twenty thousand,” began the bid, which was the average price for a blade of such quality. The Patriarch who shouted was a man with sun kissed hair, and sparkling blue eyes.

‘Sun Sword,’ Mika thought, recalling the knowledge from the commoners who had conveniently muttered between themselves, and also from his reading.

“Twenty one thousand,” called Matriarch Moon Sword.

“Twenty two thousand,” Sun Sword called.

“Twenty five thousand,” Elder Yan called, calmly. He held his fingers locked together casually, his smile full of benevolence, with a hint of cheekiness.

“I did not expect to see the good Alchemist bid upon a sword,” Patriarch Sun Sword said, smiling politely at the Elder Alchemist.

“I have found that it pleases my eyes,” the Elder Alchemist replied, returning the smile towards the Patriarch. “Thirty thousand.”

“Bid dipping?” Patriarch Sun Sword asked, feeling his brow pulse.

“Excuse me, I thought you had increased the bid.” Elder Yan cleared his throat.

‘What did I do to deserve that?’ Patriarch Sun Sword thought, frowning, but watched as the young crippled Alchemist rushed his way over to the Patriarch.

“The Elder apologises for his mistake,” Mika said, bowing his head as he held out the box.

Patriarch Sun Sword blinked. ‘He apologised?’ He looked to the Elder Alchemist, almost smiling at the Alchemist, before realising the look on the Elder’s face. At first he thought the Elder Alchemist was trying to kowtow before him, but Elder Yan was actually just…

Having fun?

The other Patriarchs and Matriarchs kept an eye on the Elder Alchemist, wondering what he was playing at. However, he did apologise, and he handed over a pill to the Patriarch, one which was Low Mountain grade. It wasn’t a great gift, but more than what the Patriarch expected, which was nothing at all.

The confusion quickly settled down, with Elder Yan winning the bid on the blade for thirty thousand. There were hushed whispers in the air, all the while the auction continued. A suit of armour appeared, and though Mika wanted it, the City Lord bid on it. As much as he was happy to fight with any of the families, to go against the City Lord, it was far too awkward.

A pill appeared, one which was Low Sky grade, which averaged ten thousand when bought at the guild.

“Ten thousand,” called Patriarch Viper Fist.

“Don’t mind if I take it, Patriarch Viper Fist,” Patriarch Sun Sword called. “Twelve thousand.”

“Try it if you can!” Patriarch Lion Roar shouted. “Fifteen thousand!”

“Seventeen thousand,” Viper Fist called.

“Twenty thousand,” Sun Sword dared, raising it a little more than he should have.

“That’s more like it!” Lion Roar roared with laughter. “Twenty five thousand.”

The pill went to the Lion Roar Patriarch, before the next pill was revealed. It was an even fiercer fight, with all the great family Patriarchs and Matriarchs fighting over it. It was a Middle Sky grade pill, which sold for fifty thousand, the average price of a High Sky grade pill.

Another weapon came into play, a Middle Sky grade weapon, another sword. Patriarch Sun Sword fought for it, facing against Matriarch Moon Sword once more.

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“Thirty thousand,” Sun Sword said.

“Thirty five thousand,” Elder Yan called, sipping his tea casually.

Expert Beaux wondered what the Elder was doing. How could he dare to face against the great families, and spitting on Sun Sword’s face twice? ‘Are you crazy, you crippled old man?’

The next weapon, another blade of a similar quality, went to Elder Yan again, for another thirty five thousand. The various leaders of the great families wondered what he was trying to do, facing against them all with a stupid smile on his face.

The City Lord’s eyes fell across the Elder. ‘Are you starting a fight with all the families?’ He, too, couldn’t understand what the Elder was doing. There was a limit to his transgressions, and if he continued this way, then there may come a time when he’d need to step in to protect the old man.

“Thirty thousand,” Tiger Fist called for a set of gauntlets, facing against Viper Fist and the City Lord.

“Fifty thousand,” called a voice which had become familiar to the auction, causing the various faces to turn his way again.

Elder Yan sat with his legs crossed, and for once, he did not hold a smile on his face. No, it wasn’t just business now, it was personal.

“Elder Yan, perhaps you misspoke?” the Young Master of the Tiger Fist family asked. The gauntlets were perfect for him as they held an attribute of fire, with small claws coming off the gauntlets which would harmonise well with his specific techniques.

“You are right,” Elder Yan said, bowing his head. “Sixty thousand.”

‘Was he giving me face?’ Sun Sword thought, noting the fierce aura the Elder was emanating. Elder Yan had bid respectfully against him, and yet against the Young Master of the Tiger Fist family, he was going out of his way to oppress the young man. ‘What did you do this time, little Young Master Tiger Fist?’

The Young Master’s brows were pulsing, but he remained silent, giving up the weapon. The auction continued as the sets of cores and gems were revealed. Elder Yan bid for one set, and so did all the other families, each bidding just once for the first sets until each family had procured one at a respectable price, but the bidding wars started up after each main family, and some of the smaller families, had received the lots.

There were still rules of the battlefield, and though Elder Yan had stepped on a few toes, he still needed to pay proper respects. Even in war, there needed to be justification, and there was no need to fight against all the families. The families needed cores and gems, and there was an agreement that at least twenty sets had to pass by before they were to get into a bidding war.

Greater pills and elixirs poured out from the Auction House, and yet the group realised that something was wrong. The auction was progressing too smoothly, before they glanced over to Elder Yan, who seemed to be keeping his wallet shut.

Had he run out of money?

That was the thought which passed around the auction, and yet, none would dare to state it aloud, since there was something else which was bubbling on the surface.

The Elder had not run out of money, it was merely the calm before the storm.

‘What’s going on?’ Expert Beaux thought, staring at the pills and elixirs on offer. She was the only one who would have dared to poke fun at the Elder Alchemist, and yet she was speechless. ‘Why are you bringing out our pills and elixirs now?’

She had been certain of it. The pills and elixirs they had brought were all Low Mystical grade, all except one, the falling moon elixir, which was Middle Mystical grade, and yet… and yet.

“Four hundred thousand,” the City Lord said, outbidding Lion Roar for the item, before Viper Fist came in to fight for it.

“Five hundred thousand,” Moon Sword finally called out, winning the bid for the item which would have typically gone for two hundred thousand if it had been sold at the guild.

Expert Beaux remained silent, her skin paler than usual. ‘What kind of monstrous item is coming up?’

The auction’s third phase ended, and then came the small auctions, which allowed the commoners and lesser families to bid in once more, this time hosted by another worker as the fourth phase was being set up.

Once it was set up, there was another fifteen minutes before the last phase would start, and the various peoples relaxed and took the moment to centre themselves. Whatever feelings they had about the auction thus far, it would all need to be settled before the fourth phase began, which would need them at their best.

Mika and Elder Yan sipped their tea, taking a bite of the sweet biscuits on offer. They didn’t exchange glances between one another, waiting for it to happen.

“It’s a shame that the City Alchemists will be able to bid,” Elder Yan whispered, though the bubbles were sound proofed to allow them to speak openly.

“That’s just how it is,” Mika replied. He didn’t care too much about that, since it meant they would just need to do something about it with their own influence. Indeed, they had only just begun the war, and though they had come against a few of the families already, with those families realising how merciful they were as they revealed their hand against the Tiger Fist family, it was nothing compared to what the fourth phase would do.

It wasn’t too late for them to make allies with the foes of the previous rounds. Even the Sun Sword family would become their allies if Elder Yan helped them during the fourth phase of the auction. Mika already knew two of his allies, but it was the third ally which needed to be chosen during that time.

The doors flung open, far more dramatically than when the City Lord had entered.

‘So you’ve finally come,’ Mika thought, hiding his smile.