Chapter Sixty-Four – Auction [Part Two]

Nan Yan began, “Actually…”

“No need to explain,” Yin Ya interrupted. “When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I understand why you’re wearing a mask.”

“No, that’s not it. Let me explain,” Nan Yan protested.

Yin Ya reassured her, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell the Chiku Monk.”

In truth, chaos reigned in most realms of the cultivation world, except for Zizhou and Shenzhou. With enough power, anything was considered acceptable.

After dismissing the resentful male cultivator who served as a furnace, Nan Yan, too tired to delve into the gossip of the older generation, recounted to Yin Ya the events of the past two days at the Chidi Yaogong banquet.

“So your mother was the Southern Fragrant Lord,” Yin Ya mused. “Such a peerless beauty, perishing in the mortal realm. What a pity.” He sighed deeply.

Nan Yan frowned. “As a descendant of the Red Emperor, shouldn’t you be more concerned about our ancestral feud?”

Yin Ya glanced at her. “That happened over a thousand years ago. Even my mother wasn’t born then. What do you expect me to do, drag your grandfather down from heaven for a duel to the death? Let’s be practical.”

Impressed, Nan Yan admitted, “I’ve been pondering Buddhist wisdom to persuade you to let go of hatred and find peace. It seems Master was right—you truly have more spiritual roots than I do, Brother Zhen Fang.”

As they chatted, the venue filled with more guests. Soon, the light screen before Nan Yan dissipated, and the entire hall brightened. A hush fell over the crowd.

In the center of the hall, starlight illuminated a circular platform. Four colorfully dressed attendants descended like celestial maidens, their long sleeves creating a circular array. From the teleportation light, a stunning woman with intricate floral eyebrows emerged.

“This humble one is Jiao Shi Ye. Greetings, esteemed guests,” she said, her red lips and alluring eyes captivating the audience as she curtsied gracefully.

“What a feast for the eyes!”

“So that’s the ‘Night Concubine,’ one of the Ten Beauties of Yinzhou. I heard she’s a favored guest of the city lord!”

“I’d die happy if I could spend a night with her!”

The women of Yinzhou differed from those of other regions, often adorned in vibrant attire and exuding charm with every movement. Nan Yan glanced at Yin Ya, noting his appreciative yet detached gaze, and sighed inwardly.

Years ago, her second brother had been a notorious playboy. However, after accompanying her down the mountain to do good deeds, he’d had a chunk of his tail fur plucked by a group of women. Since then, his innocence was lost, he still flirted with the occasional admirer but maintained a wary instinct towards all women.

Jiao Shi Ye smiled enchantingly at the audience. “This auction will be hosted by me. I’m delighted to see guests from all directions. For the highest bidder, I’d be honored to meet and discuss the Dao afterward.”

Her voice, soft and enticing, affected many of the male cultivators, especially the young and impetuous ones. Only the discreet coughs from their elders restrained their excitement.

Nan Yan recalled the furnaces greeting guests at the entrance and surmised that the venue’s owner must also be a hedonist, employing this beauty’s charms to inflate prices and create atmosphere.

“The capitals of all regions are money pits,” Yin Ya remarked, seemingly familiar with such scenes. “It’s all about appearances here. In auctions with more female cultivators or those inclined towards men, they’d have handsome male hosts. As long as there are spirit stones, they’ll use any means necessary.”

Jiao Shi Ye clapped her hands, and a cage slowly rose from the array beside her. Before she could speak, a beast’s roar echoed from within.

“Our first treasure is a 500-year-old, seventh-grade demon beast—the Crimson Moon Marten. It’s in perfect condition, possesses bloodline techniques, and has the strength equivalent to a late Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.”

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators nodded approvingly. “Not bad, but Crimson Moon Martens are notoriously difficult to tame. It would take at least a year to fully domesticate. I bid 60,000 spirit stones.”

“Esteemed guest, please wait,” Jiao Shi Ye smiled coyly. “This Crimson Moon Marten is female and pregnant with triplets, due in three months. If you take her home, you could raise the offspring as spirit beasts for your descendants.”

Her words excited the audience.

“A pregnant mother beast? It’s worth any price! I bid 100,000!”

“150,000!”

“200,000!”

After a round of bidding, a prominent family secured the Crimson Moon Marten for 350,000 spirit stones.

Nan Yan mused that this truly was a money pit. She considered selling the hook snake bone but remembered that Cloud Empress Consort’s influence permeated the area. She decided to resolve her brother’s situation first, then swiftly left Yinzhou for Chenzhou, whose capital, Dragon City, was renowned for its prosperity.

As the atmosphere intensified, more treasures were auctioned. Some were unfamiliar to Nan Yan, including an ancient bronze goblet, allegedly a relic of a great cultivator, which sold for 600,000 spirit stones.

Nan Yan watched intently until Jiao Shi Ye had three muscular men carry out a tattered black flag. She felt a sudden tremor in her heart, instinctively drawn to it.

“This item was discovered in a sea beast’s stomach by a group of monster-hunting cultivators. Its origin and grade are unknown, but it’s resistant to magical attacks.”

Since childhood, Nan Yan had possessed a unique sensitivity to treasures. She could sense the aura of every item in the auction, but this black flag, despite its decrepit appearance, emitted the strongest energy.

Believing Yin Ya might offer better insight, Nan Yan turned to him, only to find him staring at the black flag, lost in thought.

“Second Brother?” Nan Yan called.

Yin Ya abruptly stood, then sat back down. Without responding to Nan Yan, he placed his hand on the bidding jade talisman.

Below, Jiao Shi Ye was introducing the black flag’s history when a bid came from a second-floor box. She smiled, “Oh? It seems we have an intrigued guest. But don’t rush esteemed one. This flag isn’t for sale with spirit stones. The consignor requires Pills of Nascent Soul Formation. Whoever offers the most pills wins the flag.”

The audience, initially eager to bid, grumbled at this news.

“Pills of Nascent Soul Formation are already scarce. Even if we had them, wouldn’t we keep them for ourselves? Our families are waiting for these. Where would we get extras?”

Jiao Shi Ye explained, “Our consignor offers more than just this flag. Various spirit herbs, including Seven-Colored Mushrooms, Soul-Returning Vines, and Spirit Force Flowers, can also be exchanged for these pills.”

As the crowd backed off, Nan Yan perked up at the mention of acquiring both the flag and Spirit Force Flowers together. Though she lacked the specific pills, she had over 160 Frost Origin Fruits—the main ingredient for the Pills of Nascent Soul Formation—in her spatial ring.

In pill-making, secondary ingredients could be substituted, but primary ones were irreplaceable. Nan Yan figured the consignor might accept Frost Origin Fruits at a discounted rate.

As she discussed this with Yin Ya and prepared to bid, a voice came from two boxes away:

“Pills of Nascent Soul Formation? Quite demanding. Well, I don’t need pills or stones for my Nascent Soul. I happen to have some spare pills. I’ll trade for the flag to study it, and throw in the Spirit Force Flower too.”

Jiao Shi Ye, not expecting such a valuable offer, beamed with excitement. “How magnanimous of the Lei family guest! Truly befitting a great clan of our Yinzhou.”

A laugh echoed from the box as a gold-crowned youth approached the window, eyeing Jiao Shi Ye brazenly. “You flatter me, Night Concubine. We last met a decade ago. I’ve brought excellent spirit tea from the south. Perhaps you’d honor me with your company after the auction?”

Jiao Shi Ye, one of Yinzhou’s Ten Beauties, wasn’t easily wooed. Before she could respond, runes lit up on a nearby box, and a female voice said, “Three Frost Origin Fruits. Will you trade?”

Jiao Shi Ye paused, seemingly communicating with the consignor. Within moments, she replied, “Deal!”

The interruption irked Lei Tai in the adjacent box. “Who dares compete with the Lei family?!”

Jiao Shi Ye quickly intervened, “Don’t be angry, Young Master Lei. The auction house has rules—the highest bid wins. I’ll make it up to you later.”

Lei Tai, also after the Spirit Force Flower, snorted, “Our clan is renowned, with a seventh-grade alchemist. Pills of Nascent Soul Formation? Two of them!”

The crowd winced at the extravagant offer. One pill increased the chances of Nascent Soul formation by 30%, and an additional Nascent Soul cultivator could elevate a clan’s status significantly.

Nan Yan, noting Lei’s stubbornness, asked Yin Ya, “Second Brother, what’s special about this flag?”

“It’s valuable to me,” Yin Ya replied. “It’s the Myriad Nuo Flag. Royal demon clans use it to command 100,000 demon subjects. It’s from the Great Demon War a millennium ago. The entire demon realm has maybe three. If you get it for me, I’ll give you something more suitable in return.”

Nan Yan considered this profitable but suspicious. “You won’t use it for evil, will you?”

Yin Ya frowned, “What do you mean?”

Nan Yan elaborated, “Say, one day we face off due to our ancestral feud. You use the flag to command demons against my people, turning us into enemies. You go mad and kill me. Years later, as flowers bloom, you remember our youthful days and return to that old Buddhist hall where we used to strike the wooden fish, living out your remaining days.”

Yin Ya’s expression twisted. “Are you poisoned? Listen, I’m never going back to that flea-bitten Buddhist hall. Now bid! Otherwise, I’ll ambush that Lei guy outside the city and rob him!”

Nan Yan replied calmly, “Oh, alright.”

She steadily increased her bid. By six Frost Origin Fruits, Lei Tai’s face had turned purple. Despite being the Lei clan’s direct descendant, six Pills of Nascent Soul Formation could support a large clan, and he couldn’t bid higher.

“Who dares challenge the Lei family?!” Lei Tai shouted.

He peered out to see a white-robed youth with peach blossom eyes, rivaling Night Concubine in beauty, leaning against the window. The youth sneered, “As the lady said, the highest bid wins. You’re over thirty, yet so hot-tempered. Want me to buy you some radishes to cool off in the toilet?”

Being a fox demon, his aura flared attractively, catching Jiao Shi Ye’s admiring gaze.

Lei Tai, realizing the insult, exploded with anger, his eyes crackling like lightning. “You’re asking for death!”

Jiao Shi Ye frowned, and a cold snort came from a black-draped box nearby.

“You Foundation Establishment brats, this isn’t your family auction! Take your grudges to the arena outside!”

The speaker was a Nascent Soul cultivator. Lei Tai, though furious, dared not cause more trouble and stormed off.

Nan Yan, observing from the sidelines, found the situation perfect—let Second Brother handle the drama while she dealt with the transaction.