Mu Chen and others were about to leave but stopped and looked at the stage. A short and scrawny person had walked onto the dais. It was the proprietor.

"Ahem!" The proprietor coughed and cleared his throat. "Everyone, there is still an item...It was added at the last moment―if you may please take your seats..." The proprietor beckoned with his hand for everyone to take their seats.

People were somewhat surprised but also curious. Many of them chose to sit back and enjoy the show. However, some were annoyed.

"Proprietor Jin, what is the meaning of this?" Someone from the VIP room said. The displeasure in his voice was clear.

"Everyone here is busy, if it's nothing important..." Another voice said, also from the VIP room.

"That…" Proprietor Jin's face turned a bit green from embarrassment.

The VIPs were indeed very busy people. Every moment of their time was valuable. Since the auction's time had already exceeded the proposed limits, it was unwise to delay them.

Proprietor Jin took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Respected guests, I'm sorry for the delay. But I couldn't control my enthusiasm. So I took the liberty of revising the auction list at the last moment. Please forgive my impudence." He bowed in apology and stood straight with a smile on his face. His face was shining with excitement like a kid who had just discovered his new toy and wanted to share it with everyone.

"Oh! Is there something that can make Proprietor Jin lose composure?" Someone from the VIP box said, the voice tinged with curiosity.

"Hehe! Indeed!" Proprietor Jin rubbed his hands together. Everyone looked expectantly towards him. Even the twin hostesses, Xia and Mia, weren't an exception. After all, it wasn't every day that you would see the proprietor himself preside over an auction.

Proprietor Jin didn't test everyone's patience too long. Seeing he had caught people's undivided attention, he walked next to the pedestal. He waved his hand and with a flash of light, a small object appeared on the pedestal floating over the surface.

Everyone stared at it. There was a long pause during which the only sound was everyone's breathing.

"Is...this a joke?" Somebody blurted out.

"What is the meaning of this?" Someone else said in a sullen voice.

"Tch...I didn't expect the auction house to resort to such cheap theatrics—it's not even amusing."

One by one, the hall that had been silent was drowned in complaints. People began to voice their dissatisfactions. It was to be expected, for the item that Proprietor Jin had taken out after stubbornly delaying them was something no one would even give a second look at.

"Is that...really?" Li Kun was baffled. "Or are my eyes deceiving me?"

"Ah? I...don't think so." Xia Ping rubbed his eyes, but it looked like he wasn't sure. Since there was no way even the lowest level auction house put forth something like this for auction.

"There is no need to doubt." Mu Chen frowned. "It's truly a piece of scrap metal."

"Tsk… a piece of waste deserves such reception?"

"The standard of the auction has fallen so low. I don't think I will be coming here after this…"

The incessant rambling of the crowd, mixed with derogatory and inflammatory remarks continued. But on the dais, Proprietor Jin faced it without a frown with his hands behind him. His face was calm and his lips were curled up in a slight smile, filled with confidence. He didn't refute anyone nor did he try to defend himself.

But even without Proprietor Jin giving any explanation, the uproar died after a few breaths. This was because the ones who were quick to complain realized that nobody from the VIP section had made a sound. People were perceptive and noticed this peculiarity.

"T-this," Someone from the VIP section spoke with a tinge of doubt and hesitation. "Proprietor Jin, can we...?"

"Of course." Proprietor Jin took a step back, his voice relaxed and confident as if he had expected everything.

Mu Chen, Li Kun, and Xia Ping looked at each other in amazement and confusion. This piece of trash, it was worth attention?

Everyone kept quiet, not daring to make a sound. One could guess that the VIPs were taking turns to examine the piece of scrap with their spiritual sense. Unless one had stones as brains, who would dare disturb them at this time?

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Is it really special?" Li Kun whispered, his voice filled with doubt.

Mu Chen shrugged. He carefully observed the piece of scrap. It was barely an inch long. It looked like it used to be part of some treasure weapon. Unfortunately, it was corroded and a layer of red-colored rust had accumulated on its surface. It looked like an ordinary piece of iron. Based on appearance alone, it wasn't any different from trash.

Mu Chen looked around and noticed several people shaking their heads in frustration. They also were confused just like them. Nobody could see where this piece of scrap was sacred and why it could draw the attention of the experts. All they could do was wait for someone to explain.

After a while when everyone had their curiosity piqued, the silence was finally broken.

"This piece of metal," Someone from the VIP section said. "The essence has been lost. Even if it was a part of some peerless weapon in the past, it is barely comparable to ordinary metal. But it carries an air of heavy resentment...an ordinary metal cannot possibly withstand it, strange..."

"Hehe! As expected, Sir has good eyesight." Proprietor Jin smiled. "This piece of scrap metal indeed looks ordinary―except for one thing. It is over a million years old."

Silence dominated the hall, only to be broken by intermittent gasps as people realized the implications.

"What?!"

"A-a million years?" Someone stammered. "H-how is it possible?"

"Proprietor Jin," Someone asked. "Could there be a mistake?"

"Impossible! It's just a piece of scrap! How can it be so old?"

Time was the biggest enemy of all. Time eroded all and nothing could withstand its might. Against the flow of time, be it living beings or mountains, they would eventually turn to dust. A million years was just too long of a time. Even the recorded history of the cultivation world spanned over only a few tens of thousands of years. An ordinary piece of metal, could it really withstand the passage of time?

"Yea! Just a piece of scrap—how could it survive until now?"

"It's completely absurd."

"Unless…"

The crowd was stimulated and everyone began to discuss.

"Proprietor Jin." A hoarse and dignified voice sounded from a VIP room. "Can you tell us the origin of this item?"

"Hehe!" Proprietor Jin grinned. "This item has quite the origin. If it was up to me, I wouldn't want to auction it off and keep it for myself. Alas! The auction house has its rules and I cannot engage in such private transactions." Proprietor Jin sighed and lamented about his difficulties as he surveyed the audience in a self-satisfied manner.

"Proprietor Jin." A soft and sultry voice of a woman came from one of the VIP rooms, carrying with a trace of annoyance. "How long are you going to tease us?"

Proprietor Jin shivered on hearing the voice. "Haha! I just got carried away a bit―no need to be impatient." He coughed. "The origin of this item is exceptional. It was recovered from the depths of the lands of Blood Marshes―one of the forbidden zones in the Central Continents."

"The Blood Marshes!" Several people gasped. But Mu Chen, Li Kun, and Xia Ping were left completely without a clue.

"Everyone knows the horror of the Blood Marshes," Proprietor Jin said, his voice solemn. "It's the land of death and slaughter. The baleful qi there is so corrosive, it will infiltrate everything. Even the strongest shield will be weakened and the sharpest weapon will lose its luster. But it was in this environment that this piece of scrap has survived a million years!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's breath became rapid and their gazes turned fiery. Two words popped into everyone's mind: divine metal.

This piece of scrap was divine metal! Only then it could be explained how it could survive for one million years without turning into dust, especially in an environment like in the Blood Marshes. As for why it looked like an ordinary piece of metal? How could one see its divine nature at their level?

A tremor ran through the crowd as everyone wished they could jump out of their seats and grab the piece of metal. If they could refine it into a weapon, wouldn't they become invincible?

"Proprietor Jin," A man's voice rang out of the VIP room, and the people who were excited felt as if they were drowned in cold water. So what if it was divine metal? It wasn't their turn to occupy it. "Do you mean to say...that this is a piece of divine metal?" The voice carried with it a trace of doubt and excitement.

"Yes, Proprietor Jin. Can you confirm if it's indeed a piece of divine metal?" Another VIP asked.

"Please confirm, Proprietor Jin!"

"Proprietor Jin…"

More and more VIPs began to demand Proprietor Jin for confirmation.

"Forgive me. But this one's skills are limited, as such, I can't reach a conclusion. This item was handed over by a client. The auction house is only responsible for handling it," Proprietor Jin said. "The item is up for auction. I will leave it up to everyone to decide its value. There is no starting bid. The bidding starts now."

"Fifty thousand." Someone immediately opened the bid.

"Seventy thousand." Once someone started bidding, others followed suit.

"One hundred thousand."

"Two hundred thousand."

"..."

"Hey, isn't it fishy?" Li Kun shook his head, looking at the intense bidding that had started.

"Ah? What are you saying?" Xia Ping said. "Is it a fake?"

"There are certainly a few areas that are doubtful," Mu Chen said. If it was really divine metal, wouldn't the experts from the Central Continent have swallowed it up already? How did it end up here?

"Then why are they bidding?" Xia Ping blurted out. "Are they stupid?"

Mu Chen and Li Kun laughed.

"Stupid? Of course not." Li Kun sniggered. "But they must be really annoyed right now."

Proprietor Jin had neither confirmed nor denied the authenticity of the piece of so-called divine metal. However, none of the VIPs could confirm its authenticity, either. Buying it without any further details would be a gamble. But it was a gamble they had no choice but to take—they couldn't risk the divine metal falling into someone else's hand because of their suspicion. Buy the item first, if it turns out to be fake, they could always find the Pavilion.

"All I can say is that they have too much money on their hands," Mu Chen sighed. He looked at the Proprietor Jin who stood on the stage with a smug smile. "This guy has a lot of guts to pit the VIPs."

"Yeah, it's strange. Could it be because the Pavilion is backing him?" Li Kun said.

Mu Chen shook his head. "I doubt the Pavilion would offend everyone for just a few extra spirit stones."

Selling dubious items could help the Pavilion in the short term, but it would destroy their reputation. The Pavilion would definitely not authorize something like this. Mu Chen felt this play had stemmed from Proprietor Jin's personal actions. But who gave him such courage?

Mu Chen and others watched the bidding come to an end. The piece of 'divine metal' was eventually sold for twenty million spirit stones.