Chapter Sixty-One: The Auction Begins

One by one, Xiao Shuihan and the others began to speak. Their prominent families had always kept an eye on the powerful individuals at the Vein-Opening stage who had not joined any established factions. As descendants of such families, they knew without even needing to investigate: if, when traveling outside, they happened to offend one of these unaffiliated Vein-Opening experts, there would be nowhere to appeal for justice if they were killed.

Thus, their families had made them memorize the names of certain Vein-Opening experts who were absolutely not to be provoked. After all, if such a formidable individual were truly enraged by the young scions of these families and struck back, fleeing to another county after the deed, their families lacked the strength to hunt them down across regions.

Of course, memorizing these names was simply a precaution. As long as they didn’t deliberately provoke or corner these unaffiliated experts, they would not be targeted in return—because the families behind these youths were not to be underestimated either.

Soon, names tumbled easily from their lips, without hesitation. There was the Iron Fist Tiger, owner of a smithy in Qingxue County City; the War Pike King, Yin Peng, once a disheartened veteran of past wars; and Du Changjiang, who ruled the city’s criminal underworld. These three were all renowned Vein-Opening experts within Qingxue County City. There was also the Blind Seer Zhou, the old beggar, and many more...

From their mouths came at least twenty names—Vein-Opening experts scattered throughout Qingxue County, either unaffiliated or the heads of minor factions. Xiao Shuihan and the rest even hinted that Old Master Lin Batian of the Lin family counted as a Vein-Opening expert of a minor faction, his own Lin clan being that very faction.

Lin Fan could only smile wryly and shake his head. He hadn’t expected that what he’d considered worth paying for information could be recited so casually by these few, who rattled off a long list of names. This made him reflect on just how weak his own Lin family was in Qingxue County; even in terms of intelligence gathering, they lagged far behind.

Iron Fist Tiger, War Pike King Yin Peng, Blind Seer Zhou, Viper Gang leader Du Changjiang, and the old beggar Hong Jiugong—Lin Fan swiftly ruled out the others, for they were not based in Qingxue County City, Panlong City, or Xiaobei City. Merely seeking them out would cost him a great deal of time.

Ultimately, Lin Fan set his sights on these five. Iron Fist Tiger, War Pike King Yin Peng, and Viper Gang’s Du Changjiang were all in Qingxue County City, nearby. Blind Seer Zhou was in Panlong City, even closer. As for Hong Jiugong, every time Lin Fan thought of that name, his brow couldn’t help but twitch. If this were a martial arts tale from his previous life, he’d almost suspect this was the grandson of Hong Qigong.

He felt the urge to make a jest, but swallowed it. Hong Jiugong was no ordinary figure—truly a mid-stage Vein-Opening expert, and he resided right in Xiaobei City.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Suddenly, the sound of a bell snapped Lin Fan from his thoughts—the auction had begun.

Looking through the private room’s window, he could see an elderly man in his sixties standing on the stage below, ringing a small bell that resonated sharply throughout the hall.

Once he had everyone’s attention and the auction house fell silent, the old man smiled and said, “My name is Qian Xin. Having presided over so many auctions, there’s no need for further introduction. Now let us begin—bring out the first item.”

Qian Xin wasted no words. With a simple gesture, a flirtatiously dressed woman stepped forward, carrying a golden tray covered with a black cloth.

“The first lot is a pair of Southern Li Silk Gauntlets, a weapon of sharpness-grade. The starting bid is five thousand taels of silver, with minimum increments of one hundred taels!”

Qian Xin lifted the black cloth, revealing a pair of fiery red gauntlets upon the tray, their flame-like glow under the lights hinting at their extraordinary nature.

“Five thousand one hundred taels!”

“Five thousand two hundred taels!”

“Five thousand five hundred taels...”

The Southern Li Silk Gauntlets were soon sold for six thousand seven hundred taels, followed by another sharpness-grade weapon.

“Eleven thousand seven hundred taels, first call!”

“Eleven thousand seven hundred taels, second call!”

“Eleven thousand seven hundred taels, third call!”

“SOLD!”

With Qian Xin’s booming voice, the sale was settled—the weapon claimed for eleven thousand seven hundred taels.

The auction soon reached a fever pitch. One after another, rare weapons and treasures from heaven and earth were auctioned off, the excitement building. Unnoticed, an hour quickly passed.

“Next up is the Soul-Gathering Grass—a potent remedy for healing soul injuries. Combined with supplementary herbs, it can be refined into a Soul-Gathering Pill. Even if a Vein-Opening expert’s soul is gravely wounded, it can restore them. And even uninjured, this herb greatly benefits the cultivation of soul power.”

Again, Qian Xin lifted the black cloth, revealing a jade box containing a single black stalk of Soul-Gathering Grass.

Seeing the crowd’s mounting excitement, Qian Xin smiled. “The starting bid is one hundred thousand taels of silver, with no minimum increment. Let the bidding begin!”

With the fall of his gavel, the price of the Soul-Gathering Grass soared.

“One hundred and ten thousand!”

“One hundred and twenty thousand!”

“Zhang Laosan, don’t fight me for this. Cross me, and you’ll regret it—one hundred and fifty thousand!”

“You’re nothing—one hundred and sixty thousand!”

And so it went, the price skyrocketing past three hundred thousand in the blink of an eye. The Soul-Gathering Grass was a coveted rarity, one of the auction’s most sought-after items.

“Three hundred and forty thousand!”

“Three hundred and eighty thousand!”

More and more bidders joined in, all aware of the herb’s value. Though only one ingredient for the Soul-Gathering Pill, its worth was undisputed. On the open market, it would fetch around four hundred thousand taels, yet the auction had started at only one hundred thousand—how could they not be swept up in the frenzy?

“Four hundred and ten thousand!”

“Four hundred and thirty thousand!”

As the competition heated up, the price of the Soul-Gathering Grass surged past its usual value, with seven or eight contenders still in the race.

The reason was simple: despite its price, Soul-Gathering Grass was rarely available for purchase. No one wanted to let it slip away.

Qian Xin’s eyes narrowed in satisfaction, his face alight with smiles. As the Qingxue County branch manager for the Four Seas Chamber of Commerce, each auction brought immense profits to the Chamber and generous bonuses for himself.

Had he started the bidding at four hundred thousand, the price might not have climbed so high—after all, people would hesitate. Most bidders truly needed the Soul-Gathering Grass. But by opening at a price anyone could afford, few wished to withdraw, and as the bids stacked up, its value soared—a common tactic in auctions.

Think about it: if you had already bid three hundred and ninety thousand, and someone topped you with four hundred thousand, would you let that two thousand taels keep you from winning? What if your opponent gave up over such a small sum?

Thus, most in the running cared little for one- or two-thousand-tael increments, and the price only went higher.

Moreover, those bidding at this level were not ordinary—they were at least Qi Channeling experts with their own factions, big or small, each determined to win. Once locked in competition, and with genuine need, it was hard to back down.

Now, the price had reached five hundred and ten thousand, and the pace began to slow, finally settling at five hundred and thirty thousand taels. Only three private rooms were still bidding; the casual cultivators and those outside the private rooms had already bowed out.

“Five hundred thirty thousand, first call!”

“Five hundred thirty thousand, second call!”

“Is there anyone else? This is Soul-Gathering Grass—even if not made into pills, its healing effect on the soul is miraculous!” Qian Xin coaxed, but seeing no further response, he shook his head inwardly, knowing the price had peaked.

Still, this was five thousand taels more than expected—he was quite pleased.

Qian Xin announced, “Since there are no further bids—five hundred thirty thousand, third...”

“Six hundred thousand—!”

Abruptly, a calm voice sounded, cutting him off. Qian Xin’s eyes flared with surprise.

“A new bid—six hundred thousand! Six hundred thousand taels of silver!”

[End of excerpt.]