Chapter 39: Auction Site
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When the messenger ran across the street, Huang Xue and the group upstairs naturally also heard the shouting below.
While Huang Xue appeared indifferent,Yang Chen’s eyes lit up with expectation. Turning to look at Huang Xue, he said in an excited voice:
“Brother Shen, the annual grand auction hosted by the Thousand Flowers clan each year could be said to be filled with numerous top notch treasures! This was also the reason why I proposed we leave for this Gongho city today, so that we would make it in time for this event. Now what do you think, brother Shen, do you want accompany with me to the auction?”
Huang Xue lightly rubbed his chin as if he was in thought before he replied: “Sure, I haven’t attended this so-called ‘grand auction’ before, so I’m willing to go see for myself what it’s like!”
“Great!” Yang Chen laughed before he stood up. “If we are done eating now, let us head over there immediately!”
Since the restaurant was already deep within the center, it did not take long for the Yang Chen’s group to find the auction site of the Thousand Flowers clan. In fact, out of all the surrounding buildings, there was only one particularly huge house that loomed above the rest. There were two guards stationed at each side of a big arched entrance.
After a brief flash of their clan pendant and announcement of their status, the group of ten people were politely escorted into the huge building. Inside, there was a wide space filled with numerous seats on the first floor. Almost every one of the seats were already filled. A red stage was prepared at the far end. Above, there looked to be another floor overlooking the bottom.
Huang Xue and Yang Chen, along with his followers, were all escorted to the second floor. This was apparently the VIP section of the auction. On the second floor, they were personally greeted by a middle aged man in purple robe and gray hair.
“Welcome, welcome, young master Shen and young master Yang! It is an honor for our Thousand Flowers clan to be graced by your presence.” The middle aged man said amicably as he gave the two a polite salute. “I am the head manager of this branch house, Hua Shan. So if you need anything, feel free to let the servants know! We hope you enjoy your stay here.”
Yang Chen had an arrogant smile on his face as he looked at Hua Shan. “Heh, manager Hua Shan is being too courteous. You can lead us to our seats now.”
Hua Shan’s lips twitched subtly before a smile quickly blossomed on his face. “Of course, of course! This way, young masters.”
Even the Thousand Flowers clan was powerful and had great wealth, they were still unable to compete with those other major clans which possessed absolute killing ability. Therefore, even if they had to somewhat lower themselves, they could not openly offend or get into arguments with the other major clans. In particular, greater major clans like the Yang clan and Shen clan!
Thus, while Hua Shan felt a bit indignant being treated arrogantly by a mere junior, he did not say nothing.
Huang Xue likewise merely looked on with a slight look of disdain on his face when he looked at Yang Chen.
“Arrogant you may be, but disrespecting your elders...damn, this brat really is wild.” Huang Xue thought as he and the others were led to a special seating section.
Inside the VIP section, there were several people already present. Besides Yang Chen who looked at them, Huang Xue did not pay attention to those groups at all.
Taking his seat at the front, Huang Xue could see the stage and several groups of cultivators sitting below. There were also other balconies on the top floor, which were still empty.
“I wonder if there would be a treasure that could help with this Yang Chan’s cultivation at this place...or an item that could awaken one’s cultivation may be great as well..” Huang Xue thought to himself as he stared at the stage.
This was his goal in attending this grand auction with Yang Chen today, to find a treasure to help the latter’s potential and cultivation!
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Although Huang Xue brought several cosmic rings and cosmic bags, almost all of them merely contained Qi stones and a few incredible healing herbs or pills. There were also many raw materials, but other than those, there were practically nothing else that was useful.
Given Huang Xue’s previous pride as a god, how could Huang Xue worry that he could die that easily? Moreover, it was not quite his goal to continue “surviving” in this body of his anyways…
But in order to ensure that he was giving his best to ‘live’, Huang Xue prepared many life saving items and Qi stones on his journey. If he died because of his carelessness, that was one thing. But if he had some doubts that he did not give his all to live, then when he died, Huang Xue’s soul would naturally be struck with divine punishment by Karmic laws!
In the end, it was the state of one’s soul during one’s death that mattered the most. No one can lie with their soul. So as long as Huang Xue was certain that he gave his all to survive, even if he did perish because of his carelessness, there would be no “doubts” within his soul; allowing him ultimately avoid karmic punishment!
“Haha, sister Yin Liqin is being too humble! Even though we’re both at the fifth stage of Jie Hai realm, compared to you, I am still lacking. And you’re even a year younger than me! Oh, but come, let me introduce you to a talented individual I befriended at the Six Ocean Sect!”
Yang Chen’s voice rang throughout the room, entering Huang Xue’s ears and awakening him from his thoughts. At the same time, he could feel several pairs of eyes look towards his direction.
Although he had already felt gazes upon him the moment he entered the VIP room, Huang Xue could now feel even more stares behind his back after Yang Chen’s words.
Without a choice, Huang Xue could only stand up and greet the two approaching figures. One the right side stood Yang Chen, while to his left was a light brown haired young girl.
The girl had on a silky, azure dress that stretched to ground and flowed slightly behind her as she walked. With a petite face, big clear eyes, and a slim, smooth physique; this girl was undoubtedly a top class beauty, one that not even the previous Yang Mingmei and Yang Ruolan could compared to!
After arriving near Huang Xue, Yang Chen began to introduce the female next to him:
“Brother Shen, this sister Yin Liqin. She’s the second miss of the Yin clan; she’s currently studying at the Celestial Illusion Sect. Our clans are quite close so we got to know each other a few years ago. And sister Yin Liqin, this person here is a good brother of mine, the third young master of the Shen clan, Shen Huang Xue!”
Huang Xue slightly looked at the petite girl as he smiled: “It is a pleasure meeting you here, miss Yin Liqin.”
From overhearing Yang Chen flattering over this girl, Huang Xue had already long guessed the extraordinary status of the other party.
Yin Liqin looked back at Huang Xue, a strange light glowing within her eyes, before she returned the courtesy. “It is Liqin’s fortune to be able to meet young master Huang Xue today.”
“Haha, don’t be so stiff you two! Come, let us take our seat. This grand auction is about to begin.” Yang Chen laughed.
After taking their respective seats, both group seatings of Yang Chen’s people and Yin Liqin’s group were placed near each other.
Across the balcony, Huang Xue saw that there were other sections on the upper floor. Those were not beginning to be filled up with people.
With Huang Xue’s sharp eyes, he could see that each section on the top floor was broken up and organized by great clans and sects who may have come to attend the auction. From what he could tell, there were three other balconies.
Judging from the aura and clothings they wore, Huang Xue did not recognize them as any of the prominent major clans in the Long Dynasty. But the fact that they could be seated on the upper floor proved that they were indeed VIP guests.
As Huang Xue was pondering on the other three groups’ identity, a middle aged man in luxurious brown robe walked onto the stage. The moment the people below saw him, they quieted down.
The middle aged man had ordinary appearance, but his body gave off a faint pressure, causing the cultivators below to feel nervous. Even though those below the Tian realm would not be able to differentiate others’ cultivation level, they could always estimate the other party’s strength by the aura pressure they felt.
Huang Xue turned to look at the middle aged man on the stage.
“4th stage of Jie Hai realm...in this kind of city, I guess that’s a pretty good.” He murmured lazily.
The man on the stage smiled at the audience as he spoke:
“Thank you everyone for coming to attend our grand auction! The people here often call me Auctioneer Jun, and I will be hosting the auctions today!”
Even though Auctioneer Jun had called today’s auction a grand one, it was merely a term for a specific auction period, where an auction house will put out the best of their stocks to the public.
“This one will not say much, so let us begin now. The first item for auction today is a unique bottle of eleven pills called the ‘Buddha Calming Pill’, a 3-tier elixir! By taking just one of this pill, your heart and mind will be cleared, allowing you to improve your meditation and cultivate better! The starting bid will be three thousand Qi stones! Each bid must be at least fifty Qi stones in increments.” Auctioneer Jun said passionately.
Down below the stage, cultivators began to bid right after.
“Three thousand and fifty Qi stones!”
“I’ll pay four thousand Qi stones!”
Quickly after, the bottle of pill was sold to a old man in the crowd who purchased it for a final eight thousand Qi stones. None of the people from the upper balconies had participated in this bid. Naturally, they knew that the main attraction were not these early showcases, but the ones after…
As such, Huang Xue and the others calmly watched from the second floor as weapons and pills after another were bidded away.
Auctioneer Jun cleared his throat as he shot a glance at the upper floor.
“Ahem. Next up, we will now begin to bring out the true attractions for this year’s grand auction!”
Hearing this, the eyes of the people above shone as they leaned forward on their seats.
At the same time below the stage, among the audience, a figure cloaked in black covered in a straw hat stood silently. An excited smile slowly spread across the person’s lip.
Peeking out from below the hat, the figure seemed to briefly look towards the direction of a particular balcony. In that section, a group of seven gray clothed people were seated. An image of three arched claws was stitched on their clothes’ chest area.
The person’s gaze then moved across the other three balconies. One had a group of ten people in luxurious dark blue robe; the character ‘Moon’ (月) was stitched to their attire.
Another group seemed to have fourteen or fifteen people in it. When the person’s eyes landed on Huang Xue and Yang Chen, a light flashed through their eyes before they turned to the remaining balcony.
In the last section, there sat five black dressed individuals. An aura filled with ferocity and bloodthirstiness faintly exuded from their body. On their chest area, a picture of a three swords pointing outward could be seen.
As the black mantled figure turned away, a strong killing intent could be flickering within their obsidian pair of eyes.