"Two hundred gold for one lantern?" Tao Mian muttered, "Isn't that a bit too expensive? Did Manager Meng raise the price because he knew you, a regular customer, would be trading today?"
Xue Han waved his paper fan, completely unconcerned.
"It only went up by about fifty gold, no need to fret."
He added another comment.
"After all, it's charged to your account."
"......"
The singing official paced around the circular platform, showcasing the rare fish fat in his hand to the guests present.
"Henggong Fish fat—consuming it can ward off evil ailments—please take a closer look, gentlemen—"
Tao Mian thought he should return to the mountain as soon as possible, or else he might end up in a pot without even stepping downstairs.
He glanced at Xue Han beside him.
"Not lighting a lantern?"
Shopkeeper Xue remained unperturbed.
"No rush, let's enjoy the spectacle first."
As he had mentioned before, compared to the limbs and heart of an Immortal, the Henggong Fish was clearly a few tiers lower.
The distinguished guests on the fifth floor showed little interest, with only a glazed lantern lighting up in the southeast corner of their private room.
Before long, another faint green light slowly ignited to the right of that lantern.
Two guests in total placed bids.
The singing official shouted, asking if any other guests would join in.
Only then did Xue Han take the small lantern, extend the jade handle, and gently tap the glazed lantern at the bottom. With a clear sound, the wick slowly rose, emitting a bit of light.
His hand continued to lift the lantern, lighting another one in the same manner.
"Room Seven of the Zhen Section—bids two lanterns—"
The base price for items on the fifth floor was five hundred gold. Xue Han's bid of nine hundred gold for a piece of Henggong Fish fat the size of a fingertip was already considered generous.
Sure enough, after he lit the second lantern, one across from him was extinguished, indicating they were no longer participating in this round of bidding.
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However, another lantern stubbornly remained lit.
The singing official raised his left hand, his voice rising in pitch.
"Room Seven of the Zhen Section—bids two lanterns—any distinguished guests joining in—"
As soon as he finished speaking, two new flames appeared above the only green light across from them.
"Room Thirty-Six of the Zhen Section—bids three lanterns—"
Three lanterns!
One thousand one hundred gold!
The other guests in the private rooms couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
While Henggong Fish fat was rare, it had a basic price range, and even at its peak, it never exceeded a thousand gold.
The price offered by Room Seven was considered high, and continuing to chase the lanterns seemed pointless.
But since another lantern was added, it seemed that the guest in Room Thirty-Six urgently needed the Henggong Fish fat, and had no choice but to offer such a high price.
It appeared that the fish fat was destined to belong to Room Thirty-Six—
"Room Seven of the Zhen Section—bids five lanterns—"
Room Seven joined the bidding!
One thousand five hundred gold!
Tao Mian watched the entire process with wide eyes, while Shopkeeper Xue disdainfully remarked, "Who in their right mind would spend a thousand gold on this thing," as he added two more lanterns.
......
"There's no need to make things so difficult."
He couldn't help but offer some comfort.
Xue Han's expression was unusually serious. He said something was amiss, and he had a bad feeling. The bidder across from them might not genuinely want the fish fat for any significant purpose, but might be deliberately making things difficult.
If that were the case... they might have to resort to the final step.
Tao Mian asked what the "final step" meant.
Xue Han turned his face to look at Tao Mian, the glazed lantern casting a hazy glow over his features.
"The final step relies on you."
Tao Mian was puzzled; this Shopkeeper Xue not only liked to make bold claims but was also particularly adept at keeping secrets. As Xue Han had suspected, the other side indeed added another lantern.
In the past, Xue Han wasn't the kind to get carried away with bidding. He had a bottom line, and once it was crossed, he would give up no matter what.
Just as he claimed, he would "quit while ahead."
But tonight's situation was unusual; Tao Mian's unfortunate disciple was still asleep on the mountain.
Although Xue Han harbored animosity toward every disciple who joined Peach Blossom Mountain, Tao Mian was an exception worth making. This fish fat wasn't exactly world-renowned, but finding another piece in a short time would be difficult, and that child, whom he had never met, couldn't wait.
He and the bidder across from him were locked in a stalemate, neither willing to back down.
The guests watched as a seemingly unremarkable piece of demon fish fat exceeded ten thousand gold, exchanging glances in surprise.
Before long, all the glazed lanterns in both private rooms were lit.
Xue Han leaned back, resting against the chair, tapping the jade armrest with his folding fan, looking somewhat impatient.
He was usually calm and collected, so to push him to this point, the other side must have been quite skilled.
What would happen once all the glazed lanterns were lit?
"Hit the chain."
Before Tao Mian could ask, Xue Han pressed his brow and directly answered his confusion.
The number of glazed lanterns hanging in each private room was pre-calculated and arranged. Each transaction involved different items, and the estimated value of each item varied. The managers of the Thousand Lantern Tower meticulously handled these details, ensuring that there was rarely a situation where there were no more lanterns to light.
But there was always a chance of the unexpected, and to prevent such situations, there was a corresponding strategy.
This strategy was called "hit the chain."
The "chain" in "hit the chain" referred to the nine-curved chain lanterns of the Thousand Lantern Tower. These lanterns were hidden in the darkness between the circular platform and the private room corridors, composed of several small lotus lanterns. Each bidding party needed to send a male attendant, holding a short lamp staff, to light the lotus lanterns hidden in the shadows.
Within the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the party that lights the most lotus lanterns wins the item.
Outside the private rooms, female attendants from the tower quietly waited at the door, holding trays with lamp staffs for lighting.
Xue Han sighed.
"Just now at the door, Shen Bozhou asked why I brought a male attendant, and this is why. Usually, guests who bring male attendants have a must-have treasure in this round of bidding. If money can't secure it, then it comes down to action."
Tao Mian remained calm, but he was still curious.
"Isn't there a rule at the Thousand Lantern Tower prohibiting guests from fighting each other?"
Xue Han sneered.
"Look ahead, only the circular platform is lit. As long as you don't fight on that platform and get caught by the singing official, isn't the rest of the dark area fair game?"
"...... The rules of the Thousand Lantern Tower have quite the loopholes."
Tao Mian, having rested for a while, finally felt his strength return to about eighty or ninety percent. It was time to stretch his muscles.
"Just using the lamp staff to tap the lanterns? Sounds simple enough."
He stepped out of the private room, exposing himself to the other guests, and took a lamp staff from the hands of a beautiful attendant who bowed low.
Across from him, a tall male attendant also stepped out, with two black horns on his head, indicating he was some kind of demon.
Another person also lifted the curtain and stepped out.
The other party rested his arms on the corridor railing, gazing out. With the keen eyes of an Immortal, he could clearly see his features.
When Tao Mian realized that the other bidder, who had spent over ten thousand gold on a piece of fish fat, was Shen Bozhou, he thought to himself, it wasn't all that surprising.