“So this person is tonight’s final auction item!”

“He is indeed extraordinarily handsome with an otherworldly aura, but what makes him so special to be worth thousands or tens of thousands of gold?”

After the first bid, discussions erupted throughout the venue.

Every year on the night of the full moon, the final auction item was always a priceless treasure. For ordinary cultivators, witnessing it once was enough to boast about for an entire year.

If this annual grand event failed to cause a sensation, it would only damage Golden Palace’s reputation.

The middle-aged cultivator hosting the auction also froze on stage, staring at Song Qian Ji with blinking eyes.

The promised lotus flower had somehow been replaced by a living person.

Since joining Golden Palace, he had hosted hundreds of auctions large and small. What scenes hadn’t he witnessed before?

But this kind of scene was truly unprecedented.

The person on stage suddenly spoke: “I am Song Qian Ji.”

“Song… Song Qian Ji?” the host murmured.

“He’s the independent cultivator Song Qian Ji, the First Golden Core, unrivaled below the Nascent Soul realm!”

“He can serve as both bodyguard and assassin. Having him is equivalent to gaining countless extra lives. He’s indeed more valuable than any protective magical artifact!”

Hearing the discussions, the host came back to his senses: “One hundred thousand spirit stones, going once! Any higher bids?”

“So Song Qian Ji is this handsome, how could such beauty be wasted?” A clear female voice called from the third floor, “I bid one hundred fifty thousand.”

The seductive female voice from the top floor spoke again: “Two hundred thousand.”

“This young lady needs a bodyguard right now, three hundred thousand!”

“Song Qian Ji, if I win you, you must kill someone for me, six hundred thousand!”

“…”

“One million two hundred thousand!”

With bids exceeding a million, small sects and families had already withdrawn from the competition and were just enjoying the spectacle.

“The Evil Buddha truly deserves his name, actually able to subdue a fierce person like Song Qian Ji. But since he doesn’t lack subordinates, he’s putting him up for auction.”

“But I see Song Qian Ji volunteered to go on stage, with no shackles on him. He’s been an independent cultivator for many years, constantly hunted by the Hua Wei Sect, living a precarious life. Perhaps he’s looking for a strong backer now? The auction proceeds might be split fifty-fifty with Golden Palace.”

“Under Evil Buddha’s command is the West Sea’s top poison master Jin Lü, who possesses all sorts of bizarre mother-child parasites. To completely control a cultivator doesn’t require chains or fetters. Song Qian Ji is lawless and unruly, how could he willingly serve others? I think he’s not here of his own volition.”

No matter how much the crowd speculated, Song Qian Ji remained as motionless as a mountain.

During this conversation, the bid from the top floor had already reached three million.

Suddenly, someone on the fourth floor pushed open a window, revealing half of a beautiful face: “Everyone, this man has been issued a ‘kill order’ by my Hua Wei Sect. We request all friends present to give a face to our sect as we take him into custody! Three million two hundred thousand.”

“It’s the Hua Wei Sect’s Miss Chen!”

“If Song Qian Ji finds a powerful backer, the Hua Wei Sect won’t be able to do anything to him. Wouldn’t that be a huge loss of face?”

Private boxes both inside and outside were protected by formation arrays. Customers’ voices were altered by these arrays to differ from their original voices, and their identities were kept absolutely confidential.

Wealthy patrons attending Golden Palace auctions didn’t need to worry about privacy or safety.

If someone voluntarily revealed their identity, it must be for an item they were determined to obtain, regardless of potential trouble. Opening the skylight to speak was called “opening the heavenly window.”

The host thought to himself how unexpectedly popular Song Qian Ji was, and loudly announced: “Heaven Room Sixteen, Fairy Chen from Hua Wei Sect has ‘opened the heavenly window,’ three million two hundred thousand, going once.”

Four large drums around the lotus platform were struck simultaneously, resonating throughout the venue.

Before the urgent drumbeats had faded, the window next to Hua Wei Sect was pushed open with a “bang,” and a beauty with flowers in her hair sneered:

“It seems Hua Wei Sect has run out of money, and Miss Chen wants to use her reputation to pressure others. But this is above the Western Sea, not below Hua Wei Mountain. My sect bids three million four hundred thousand to buy a Dharma Protector Elder. May I ask all unorthodox friends to give face.”

“Why is Flower Stream Sect joining in?”

“I heard they encountered each other on the way here and had a conflict, so they’re still upset!”

“Sect Leader Flower from Flower Stream Sect has ‘opened the heavenly window,’ three million four hundred thousand!”

The drums sounded again in celebration.

Another window slowly opened, and a small, furry head leaned on the windowsill: “Sisters, I find this Song Qian Ji quite pleasing to the eye, and I happen to need a bodyguard. Why not let me have him? Three million six hundred thousand.”

“Fairy Li from Purple Cloud Observatory has ‘opened the heavenly window,’ three million six hundred thousand! Any higher bids?” The host was smiling so broadly he couldn’t close his mouth.

With the third heavenly window opened, spectators who weren’t bidding exclaimed in delight. Cheers from the auction hall nearly lifted the ceiling.

“I’ve heard Miss Chen is arrogant and has enemies everywhere, no wonder so many female cultivators are competing against her.”

“This Song Qian Ji is truly in demand. If I had money, I’d also make a high bid and enjoy the glory!”

“Four million!” A beauty in purple robes opened her window and leaned half her body out, looking around, “Come on, everyone open up! Let’s see who’s afraid of whom. Whoever backs down first is a bear!”

“Miss Feng from the Great Transformation Sect has opened the heavenly window, four million!”

“Bang, bang!”

Two more windows opened in response. Layers of drumbeats echoed, stirring everyone’s blood.

In this war without gunpowder, spirit stones seemed like mere numbers.

At the center of the storm, Song Qian Ji sighed softly, thinking these people would be better off buying rouge and powder rather than joining this commotion.

Seeing him sigh and shake his head, the host thought this man was truly arrogant and untamed. Three heavenly windows had opened, yet four million still didn’t satisfy him.

The situation soon spiraled out of control, with multiple parties bidding. The servants striking the drums had been replaced three times.

“Five million!”

“Six million!”

“…”

“Ten million!” Chen Hong Zhu called out.

The venue fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers. The shouts rose one wave higher than the next.

The host hadn’t lost his head, but his gaze turned sympathetic: if Song Qian Ji fell to the Hua Wei Sect, it would surely be a dead end for him.

Suddenly someone shouted: “Look, the top floor has lit the golden lamp!”

A window was half-open, and a golden palace lamp hung outside, glowing brilliantly.

With a “creak,” the other half of the window was gently pushed open by a delicate, boneless hand.

“Ten million and ten thousand. No matter how much you bid, I will always bid ten thousand more than you.”

The speaker had a face like a lotus, with a peach blossom mark on her forehead.

“Madam Golden Peach has lit the golden lamp—” the host announced loudly.

This time, not only were there drum beats, but strings and lutes played together as golden flakes rained down from above.

The air seemed infused with fine wine; the crowd was intoxicated before even drinking.

Under the golden lamplight, the beauty appeared even more beautiful.

“It’s Evil Buddha’s favored concubine, Madam Golden Peach. She was also the first one to place a bid!”

In principle, the host couldn’t participate in the auction, but the General Manager of Golden Palace was Madam Golden Hairpin, who had always been at odds with Madam Golden Peach.

Before Evil Buddha unified the unorthodox path, Madam Golden Peach had been a hegemon in her own right. Bidding in her capacity didn’t violate the rules, though it seemed strange.

“Does Evil Buddha allow his beloved concubine to buy male cultivators?”

“The breadth of mind of the Lord of the Unorthodox Path is something we cannot measure!”

“Someone has lit a golden lamp, will this auction continue?”

But Chen Hong Zhu said: “Add one hundred thousand to the highest bid!”

Another golden lamp lit up.

Song Qian Ji finally looked up, and through the flying golden flakes, he saw Chen Hong Zhu from “Meng He Ze’s previous life.”

Her expression was arrogant, putting on a strong front, but between her brows was an air of irritability, as if she had been discontented and unhappy for years.

Song Qian Ji smiled at her.

Chen Hong Zhu was momentarily stunned as if puzzled.

“Light another lamp. Add five hundred thousand to the highest bid,” Madam Golden Peach said languidly.

“Bang!” Chen Hong Zhu averted her gaze and slammed the window shut.

The host shouted: “Congratulations to Madam Golden Peach for winning Song Qian Ji with the astronomical price of ten million six hundred and ten thousand!”

Music and dance resumed, wine was refilled, and lamps relit as the banquet continued.

Six heavenly windows opened, three golden lamps lit, and the final price exceeding ten million created a record for Golden Palace auctions.

Amidst the wild cheers, Song Qian Ji passed through the fluttering colorful silks and golden flakes, led by a group of beautiful serving girls toward the top floor.

He had already guessed who had truly bid for him.

Since Meng He Ze had the manager set up this scheme, how could he not cooperate?