As their carriage rolled along the streets, lit only by the occasional street lamp, Jie found herself waiting for another attack to hit. The Pan siblings sat rigidly, but Jie thought that had more to do with Pan Keai than anything else. Of course, if anyone did attack it would probably be suicide for them given that Pan Keai was in the carriage and dozens of guards surrounded them. But, despite their apparent safety, Jie remained alert.
She kept her spirit sense active, constantly sweeping their surroundings as far as she could.
But, despite her feelings, they rolled in front of the auction house without so much as having to slow down.
The streets were almost entirely empty even though it wasn't all that late. But, Pan Tian explained that most people couldn't afford much in the way of light sources.
As such, the majority of people rose and slept with the sun. Besides, the streets became an incredibly dangerous place after dark. Especially for those who couldn't afford guards or lacked their own strength. So even those who were not yet asleep were likely cultivating or relaxing somewhere indoors.
The carriage doors swung open, revealing a velvet carpet and the noise of countless chattering voices.
Jie followed the Pan siblings out and Pan Keai exited behind them.
The golden pearl atop the Onyx Pavilion now lit the area with its golden light, making it seem as though the sky had an extra moon this night. And the many glittering gems adorning the pillars sparkled like stars.
Throngs of people lined either side of the carpet, kept back by the auction house's guards. Many in the crowd had glowing orbs suspended in the air above their hands as they chattered endlessly, their eyes like ravenous vultures.
"Liu Jie, how does it feel to be the winner of the younger generation tournament?"
"Pan Zhanshi, what do you have to say about your loss to Chen Huo?"
"Lady Pan Keai, how would you respond to rumors your family is losing influence?"
"Liu Jie tell us about your mysterious family?"
"Lady Pan Keai, what do you have to say about the Chen family's growing power?"
"Liu Jie, what relationship do you have with the Pan family?"
"Pan Tian, how do you respond to Chen Liang's comments about you and your family?"
The crowd rushed to talk over one another in a rabid feeding frenzy, the press of their bodies held back only by the guards.
The Pan family wore smiles like masks from the moment they stepped outside. Jie doubted her ability to fake such a smile and opted to keep her face as expressionless as possible instead.
Jie kept her pace measured in line with the Pan siblings at her sides. They and their aunt held themselves like royalty far more than on their previous visit.
Jie hated every second of the short walk to the auction house under the dazzling glare of so much attention.
They stepped inside the auction house, and the noise died away with each step further inside. In fact, it died down faster than it really should have.
Must be another of those formations or enchantments or something. Jie thought.
Jie leaned close to Pan Tian. "Why were all those people there?" she whispered, "Did something happen?"
"People?" Pan Tian asked, "You mean the reporters? They're here for the auction, silly."
Jie frowned. "I thought it happened regularly?" she asked.
"It does, but not just anyone can enter. They lurk outside to find out who went in, and they'll stay there and try to find out what each person or family bought," Pan Tian said.
Jie nodded, her frown returning. Hopefully, they wouldn't find out about her arrangement with the auction house...
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"This way please, members of the honorable Pan family," said a woman in the dark robes of The Onyx Pavilion.
She led them through a different section of the massive auction house, and up several sets of stairs. She stopped in front of a set of double doors.
"Here's your balcony. Please, feel free to enjoy the refreshments we've provided. Should you need anything, simply use the contact orb. The auction will start shortly," said the woman.
She opened the double doors and bowed as they entered. She closed the doors behind them and the Pan siblings collapsed on a sofa with far too many cushions.
"So, will you bid on anything?" Pan Tian asked.
Jie shrugged. "It's possible, but I'm not too concerned. I managed to get a few resources anyway. I'm mainly just looking forward to seeing what happens," she said.
"Have you never been to an auction before?" Pan Tian asked.
"No," Jie said, "I've seen them, but I've never been."
"Wow, you must have some high-end viewing devices back home!" Pan Zhanshi said.
Jie smiled. "Something like that," she said.
She moved a few cushions out of the way so she had somewhere to sit and sat with her friends. Her smile grew at that thought. Her friends. They really were her friends, weren't they? She had friends...
All those years... she'd given up hope of ever having something like that.
The balcony had thick, shimmering curtains that covered the entire view. They still allowed Jie to see the crowd below just fine, barely making a noticeable difference to her sight. But, when she looked at the other balconies, she found she couldn't see who was there. Just impenetrable black curtains.
"Are these things one way?" Jie asked, gesturing to the curtains.
"One way?" Pan Tian asked as though she didn't understand the phrase.
"Yes," Pan Keai said, "we can see out, but others cannot see us. You are free to relax."
Jie nodded. "Thanks," she said.
Jie watched people file in down below until the floor of the massive hall was utterly packed with people. And that wasn't even counting the rows of balconies that rose far higher than the one they were in. Given how things worked in her last visit, she assumed that people in higher balconies were considered to have greater status than those below.
Jie turned back to Pan Keai. "How will they know if you want to bid?" she asked.
Pan Keai gestured to the blue orb in the center of the table. "Simply put your hand on the orb and say the amount you wish to bid. It will flash a light on our balcony and our bid will be taken," she said, "feel free to use it if something catches your interest."
Jie nodded and she wondered if Pan Keai was offering to buy things for her just like that. Not that it mattered. After all, she should be getting anything she had an interest in anyway.
The number of people filing in slowed to a trickle and then stopped entirely. Heavy doors swung shut and a murmur rippled through the crowd.
Jiang Feng stepped out onto the stage. "Greetings, honored cultivators! Noble families! And welcome to tonight's auction!" he said, "Now... as my being here no doubt tells you... tonight is something rather special. You see, we have some incredible items for sale tonight, and we're blessed with the presence of an esteemed cultivator."
Jie's eyes went wide, but Jiang Feng gestured to a much higher section of balconies on the opposite side from where Jie and her friends were. More murmurs went through the crowd.
"They wish to remain anonymous, but you'll no doubt see them bidding on some of the incredible items we have for sale tonight," Jiang Feng said, "so without further ado... let's get this auction started!"
His voice carried easily even to where Jie sat, and it seemed perfectly natural somehow. Something Jie didn't believe for a second. But his technique was incredibly smooth.
"So, let's start tonight off with a pair of incredible weapons for those in the lower dantian!" Jiang Feng said. As he spoke, a woman wheeled a cart with a pair of daggers hovering over it. They gleamed in the low light of the auction house.
But they weren't something Jie was interested in, so she largely tuned out what Jiang Feng was saying.
"So, what do you plan on getting tonight?" Jie asked.
"Maybe some cultivation resources. A martial skill might be nice too. Or maybe a weapon," Pan Tian said. She sounded distracted and her voice was subdued enough to still easily pick up on what Jiang Feng was saying.
Jie frowned as she noticed that both of the Pan siblings were listening intently. She wanted to ask why, but the bidding had started and Jie didn't want to distract them with questions. Instead, she turned to Pan Keai.
"Why is everyone so interested in those weapons?" Jie asked, her tone hushed.
Pan Keai smiled softly. "Aren't you?" she asked.
Jie's frown deepened. "Not at all. Am I missing something?" she asked.
The bidding continued as the price soared. Still nothing compared to what Jie had put down, but she didn't see them as being worth much of anything and it confused her.
"Well, good weapons can ramp up your power in battle," Pan Keai said.
"But, these are just for the lower dantian. They'll be replaced so quickly. Would it even matter?" Jie asked.
"I understand you cultivate prodigiously fast," Pan Keai said, "But for many... those blades could be life-saving treasures for decades to come. And, once they're no longer useful, they could be given to children. Our family has collected many such treasures."
Jie tilted her head. "Decades huh?" she asked, "I can't imagine Pan Tian or Pan Zhanshi taking that long."
"Course not," Pan Zhanshi said, "we're geniuses of the younger generation."
"So... these blades... do you want them?" Jie asked.
"Mmm... sort of. I could probably adapt my night blade to empower them instead," Pan Zhanshi said, "I would've picked them up, but the price has gone beyond what they're worth, I think. Our family has better treasures."
Jie nodded. Suddenly, she felt a bit guilty that she hadn't thought to get her friends anything. Especially after they'd taken her out for such a nice meal earlier.