The incident was terrifying. He was worried about Jiang Ni's reaction.

Jiang Ni's face was still pale, "Don't worry, I'm fine." She was just a bit shaken.

Due to the limited time, Gu Qin didn't have the chance to perform any incantations or seals.

The complexion of Gu Qin also turned slightly pale as she had used a large amount of yuanqi to protect three people. She couldn’t afford to pay attention to these details now. She flipped through the catalog that she had received earlier. It detailed the items that would be auctioned tonight. As she flipped through it, the first few pages were filled with jewelry and accessories, along with some antiques and calligraphy pieces. When she reached the last few pages, she saw something.

It was a weapon, long and edgeless, with four sides, about forty centimeters in length, made of bronze, resembling a hard whip. The body of the weapon had no joints, and the tip had no point. It was an ancient weapon.

Gu Qin’s face paled further. If her guess was correct, this might be the reason for the weapon. It should be a burial item from a certain tomb, but she didn’t know why it had appeared here. However, the yin (evil) aura was too strong; ordinary burial items wouldn’t have such a heavy yin aura. Was it really because of this weapon?

A cudgel was an ancient weapon. Typically, it was about four feet long and used by men. But this cudgel was much smaller, almost like a miniature version, not quite suitable for men. It was called a "sleeve cudgel," much smaller than usual cudgels.

Gu Qin flipped through the remaining pages and found that most of the other items were still jewelry, accessories, and antiques like vases and small stools made of pear wood. Only this weapon stood out. She suspected that it was the weapon causing trouble.

Of course, without seeing the actual object, she couldn’t be sure if it was truly the weapon's fault. If it was, she probably wouldn't be able to subdue it easily.

This could also be considered a type of magic tool, an attack magic tool. If the evil aura was indeed due to this weapon, then at the very least, it would be a mid-level magic tool. If it was a mid-level magic tool, her current cultivation level wouldn't allow her to subdue it.

Deciding to investigate further, Gu Qin told Jiang Ni that she needed to use the restroom and left. The corridor split into two directions: the left led to the restroom, so she went right, following the yin aura until she reached the end. There, she saw many people bustling about, including a male host reading off a list. Since she followed the yin aura, this must be where the aura was strongest. She could see what was inside just by pushing open the door.

A staff member noticed her and, recognizing her as a guest in a formal dress, said kindly, "Miss, this is backstage. You've taken a wrong turn. If you're looking for the restroom, just go straight ahead and turn at the end of the corridor."

Curious, Gu Qin pointed at the room and asked, "What's in there?"

The staff member smiled, "That's where today's auction items are stored." This staff member felt safe telling Gu Qin because she looked like a high school student and there were several security guards around.

Gu Qin was now certain that the problem was related to one of the auction items. After thinking for a moment, she said directly, "Hello, I’ve seen the auction catalog. There's something I really like. Is it possible to buy it privately? Can I talk to your manager about it?"

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The staff member was taken aback, "I'm sorry, Miss. We don't have that rule. You know, this is a charity auction. Why don't you wait until the auction begins in the main hall? Don't worry, the prices won't be outrageous. This is a charity event, so no one will try to inflate prices."

Gu Qin pursed her lips and decided not to argue further. She thanked them and planned to return. She thought it wouldn't make much difference to wait a little longer...

Just as she took a few steps back, her hair stood on end. She sensed something and immediately stepped back. Just as she moved, something fell in front of her with a loud thud. She looked down and saw that it was a chandelier. If she hadn't moved, it would have hit her head.

The staff members nearby were startled and rushed over when they heard the sound. Seeing the chandelier, they turned pale. They thought it was lucky that the young girl had avoided it. They mentioned that the hotel manager wasn't so fortunate and had been hit by a chandelier, and he was still in the hospital.

One of the staff members muttered, "How strange, things keep happening. Is something following us? Before we came to the hotel, accidents kept happening..."

Another staff member nudged him, "Stop talking."

Gu Qin became even more convinced that one of the auction items was causing trouble. She wondered why it had happened twice since she arrived. She felt like the yin aura was targeting her. Could the item already have a consciousness? Her face paled even more. If her guess was correct and the magic tool had a certain degree of consciousness, then it would at least be a heaven-level magic tool, which she wouldn't be able to subdue.

If it was a mid-level magic tool, she might have a chance of subduing it using her Heavenly Eye to communicate with the natural qi. But if it was a heaven-level magic tool, she wouldn't stand a chance.

This consciousness wasn't human consciousness. Instead, it meant that the heaven-level magic tool could distinguish between auspicious and evil qi and would instinctively attack those who carried auspicious qi. Since she practiced orthodox cultivation, she naturally possessed yuanqi, making her a target.

Similarly, the hotel manager might have been carrying some auspicious qi or object, which made him a target. Besides actively attacking, the evil qi would also cause harm to those around it, like the previous minor car accident.

Gu Qin quickly returned to her seat. She was worried and restless, fearing that the evil aura might attack her again and harm those around her. Fortunately, nothing else happened until the auction began.

The male host briefly introduced the purpose of the charity auction, and soon the bidding started. The first item was a piece of jewelry, starting at one hundred thousand yuan. Women in the audience quickly began to bid, and it eventually sold for two hundred thousand yuan.

The auction continued. Gu Qin heard faint sounds behind her, indicating someone had entered. She glanced back and saw a tall man and a shorter, somewhat overweight man sitting a few rows behind her.

Gu Qin didn't pay much attention and turned back to watch the auction items. It was only the second item, and the order matched the catalog. Gu Qin remembered that the sleeve cudgel was listed as the twenty-second item.

Behind her, a middle-aged man spoke, "Mr. Qin, I'm truly sorry for dragging you to Mount Dai and this auction. I heard there was a small stool made of pear wood here, and I wanted to collect it..."

"Old Master Xie, please don't blame yourself. I came to Mount Dai for business anyway. Old Master Xie shouldn't feel guilty," a younger man replied softly, his voice smooth and warm, like jade.

This young man continued, "And coming here, I discovered a big surprise. I should thank you for that."

The young man's voice was gentle and pleasant. Gu Qin couldn't help but want to look back and see his appearance, but she restrained herself.

The auction continued slowly, and the conversation behind her stopped. If not for her cultivation, she wouldn't have heard the man's words.

The auction items were being bought one by one. Jiang Ni was feeling better and was now focused on the items on the stage. She didn't like any of the jewelry but had her eye on a painting, which was a gift from Jiang Jianguo.

The painting wasn't an original work by an ancient calligrapher or painter but a modern master's imitation. This master specialized in imitating works by a famous ancient calligrapher and painter, creating replicas that were nearly indistinguishable from the originals.

However, this master rarely produced such works, having only created twenty pieces in his lifetime. These works were extremely valuable, though not as much as the originals. The price was still considerable, and it had significant collection value. It was donated by the CEO of Bai Ya Company, and all proceeds would go to charity.

The starting bid for the painting was one million yuan. Gu Qin wasn't familiar with art auctions, so she could only watch. If it were an antique, she could help judge whether it was genuine based on the presence of yuanqi. But this was an imitation, and she knew nothing about it.

Gu Qin was anxious, as there were ten more items before the sleeve cudgel. She feared something else might happen, but nothing did.

The price of the painting rose to three million yuan, continuing to climb. Finally, it was sold to Jiang Ni for five million three hundred thousand yuan. Next was a small stool made of pear wood. Those interested in collecting pear wood were interested in this item.

The middle-aged man who had spoken earlier continued to bid, eventually purchasing the pear wood stool for three million yuan. Gu Qin heard the young man's voice again, "Congratulations, Old Master Xie."

The middle-aged man, referred to as Old Master Xie, laughed, "Mr. Qin, do you have anything else you're interested in?"

"There is one," the young man replied gently, with a hint of a smile in his voice.