Perhaps Xie Shuci was too timid; he always felt that Deng Xingsen had ill intentions.

"Shuci, go inside," Chu Guiyi said.

Now that things had come to this, even if Xie Shuci had some reservations, he couldn't let Xie An leave, so he followed the others inside.

Entering Laiqulou, after walking along a spacious stone path, the group arrived at a gate several meters high. The gate frame was carved with lifelike startled birds in gold paint. Bright yellow lights shone on the ground, and inside, the noise of people and the interplay of lights could be faintly heard. Xie Shuci could also faintly hear the sounds of string and wind instruments.

In Xie Shuci's imagination, Laiqulou should be a very solemn place, but before he even stepped inside, he heard a burst of singing and dancing, which made it seem like a theater. He couldn't help but look over out of curiosity.

Upon entering the main gate, Laiqulou is a barrel-shaped building, forming a circle on all sides, but empty in the middle. Looking up, countless rooms are built on all four sides of Laiqulou, some of which are lit up. In the main hall, there is a stage where several dancers are singing and dancing, but there are no cultivators below the stage. All the cultivators are in the rooms on the wall, and can only watch the dance on the stage through the windows facing inward.

This auction was different from what Xie Shuci had imagined; he had thought the audience would be packed with people.

"Wow!"

Xie Shuci and Du Pingsheng simultaneously exclaimed in unimpressive disbelief, "They even have private rooms! The Meng family is so extravagant!"

Chu Wenfeng glanced at Xie Shuci with disdain, "Ignorant."

Xie Shuci rolled her eyes at him, "Can't you die if you don't go against me for a day?"

"cannot."

Chu Guiyi smiled and said, "The cultivators who come to participate in the auction all have special identities. Laiqulou has a total of seven floors and seventy rooms. The higher your status, the higher the room you will be in."

"Oh, so they're giving us special treatment."

As soon as Xie Shuci finished speaking, a female disciple walked towards them.

She walked up to Xie Shuci and the others, looked at the tokens hanging from their waists, bowed slightly, and said, "Please follow me."

"Thank you for your trouble," Chu Guiyi said.

The woman nodded slightly, then walked to the wooden pillar on the right. Only then did Xie Shuci notice that a golden thread was inlaid in the wooden pillar, intertwined and suspended in the air. However, due to the light and the fact that the threads were very thin, it was not easy to notice.

The woman leaped into the air, her feet landing steadily on the silk threads above her. She then looked at Xie Shuci and the others.

Xie Shuci's face fell, and he suddenly realized something, asking, "We're not going to have to fly up there, are we?"

"Yes," the woman said.

Those who came to participate in the auction were mostly well-known and respected immortal families in the cultivation world, and their ability to leap over rooftops and scale walls was naturally beyond their capabilities.

The key issue is that Xie Shuci hasn't learned how to fly yet.

Du Pingsheng and his page also immediately looked dejected. "Miss, we are not cultivators, just ordinary people. We can't fly."

The woman frowned, then looked at the token at Du Pingsheng's waist, and said, "If you cannot go up, you can stay down here."

Du Pingsheng pointed to Xie Shuci and the others, "What about them?"

The woman said, "Rooms have been prepared for you upstairs."

The implication was that, apart from Du Pingsheng and his page, everyone else had to go up with her.

Du Pingsheng quickly shook his head: "No, absolutely not. I would rather die than leave Brother Xie."

The pageboy nodded in agreement, "Absolutely not leaving, not even if it kills me!"

Xie Shuci: "..." Chu Guiyi couldn't help but smile and said, "Don't worry, I'll take you up."

Du Pingsheng's pageboys immediately lit up, abandoned their books and left, hiding behind Chu Guiyi.

Xie Shuci took half a step towards Chu Guiyi, "Well..."

He can't fly either, so I'll just give him a ride.

However, before Xie Shuci could finish speaking, a long arm hooked around his waist and, before Xie Shuci could react, lifted him into the air and landed beside the woman.

"Holy crap—"

Xie Shuci instinctively hugged the person next to him tightly around the waist, and his feet kicked several times in the air before he could steady himself. Then, still shaken, he looked at the person next to him and complained, "I know you're capable of carrying me, but could you have told me in advance when you were taking off?"

Xie An remained silent, his expression indifferent.

Chu Wenfeng was quite decisive. He walked to the pageboy's side, grabbed his collar with one hand, and then jumped onto the silk thread in mid-air.

"Young Master!!!" The pageboy cried out in fright, startling the dancers on the stage. Several more heads popped out of the windows inside, watching Xie Shuci and the others with interest.

Du Pingsheng was so embarrassed he wanted to disappear into the ground. "Stop yelling!"

However, the next moment, Chu Guiyi drew the Flying Bird Nine-Section Whip from his waist, wrapped it around Du Pingsheng's arm, and lifted him into the air.

"Ah!!!" Du Pingsheng lost his balance and completely lost his senses.

More and more people heard the commotion and peered out from dozens of windows, some with disdain, looking at them like they were monkeys. Clearly, their antics were far more entertaining than the singing and dancing on the stage.

"Let's go, let's go!" Xie Shuci nudged Xie An quietly. "I don't know them, let's go, let's go!"

Xie An obeyed, carrying Xie Shuci upwards, flying over several silk threads to completely widen the distance between himself and Du Pingsheng and the others before stopping.

Chu Wenfeng was so angry he almost threw the thing in his hand down, and slapped him on the back of the head, "Shut up!"

The pageboy, his eyes brimming with tears, clung to Chu Wenfeng's arm, not daring to look down at his feet. "So high...so high..."

Chu Wenfeng's temples were throbbing, but he couldn't really throw the person down. He turned around, intending to let Xie Shuci handle the guy himself, since he was the one who brought him in. But when he turned around, Xie Shuci and the other person were nowhere to be seen.

The woman pursed her lips and pointed to the top of her head. Chu Wenfeng looked up and saw that Xie Shuci, that idiot, and Xie An were already standing several feet away from them, watching them.

Upon meeting Chu Wenfeng's gaze, Xie Shuci immediately turned her head to the side and whispered to Xie An, "Whatever you do, don't look them in the eye."

Xie An: "..."

Chu Guiyi rarely encountered this situation and was somewhat embarrassed. He pulled Du Pingsheng to his side and, despite the strange looks from those around them, said, "Young Master Du, there's no need to be afraid."

Du Pingsheng almost burst into tears. "Mother, I'm not like you. I'm just an ordinary person! A perfectly ordinary person! How could I not be afraid... Where's Brother Xie? Where is Brother Xie?"

Du Pingsheng and Chu Guiyi looked around but didn't see anyone. Then the woman pointed to the sky above them, and they looked up and saw Xie Shuci and the other person in the distance.

Xie Shuci suddenly met Chu Guiyi's gaze. This time, he was too embarrassed to look away, so he waved slightly at him and forced a smile.

Chu Guiyi: "..."

He felt a little helpless, yet he couldn't help but laugh.

Being with Shuci always brings him endless surprises and unexpected joy.

"The Nine-Section Whip of Flying Birds... the Green Dragon Crescent Blade? Who are these two...?"

"Chu Guiyi, the eldest disciple of the Chu family, and Chu Wenfeng, the young master?"

"Is it really them?"

"Absolutely true!"

"Is the person next to them Mr. Du?"

"Mr. Du?! Then isn't the other one Xie..."

"No, the other one is his pageboy."

Their farce attracted everyone's attention, and some people had already recognized Chu Guiyi and his companion. There were already rumors in the city that the legendary alchemist had entered Jiyue City and had been personally received by Elder Meng along with the two disciples of the Chu family.

Now that the Chu family disciples have appeared here, Xie Shuci and his sworn brother must also be here.

Where is it?

Where are Xie Shuci and his sworn brother?

The cultivators looked around and, finding no one else, their eyes darted upwards, gradually focusing on the two cultivators embracing each other in mid-air. Could these two be...?

Before they could reach a conclusion, Chu Wenfeng, unable to bear it any longer, took a deep breath and thought that if everyone was going to lose face, then everyone would lose face together, and no one would be able to escape it.

Xie Shuci met his sinister gaze and instantly realized what was happening. He quickly shoved Xie An and said in a panic, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!"

Upon hearing this, Xie An glanced around. The next floor was the seventh floor, and the female disciple hadn't told them about their room.

Just as Xie An hesitated for a moment, Chu Wenfeng shouted at him, "Xie Shuci! Wait for us!"

Xie Shuci: "..." Damn it!

Upon hearing this, a commotion erupted in the Laiqu Tower. Countless disciples from various immortal sects crowded to the window, casting curious and excited glances at Xie Shuci and Xie An. In particular, the young cultivators pushed and shoved each other toward the window, as if they were looking at something extraordinary.

Xie Shuci was filled with regret. If the circumstances hadn't prevented it, he really would have liked to dig a hole and bury himself alive.

"He's Xie Shuci?!"

"Is that his sworn brother Xie An beside him?"

"Ahhh!"

A woman's scream came from inside the building. Xie Shuci looked around and saw that the young male cultivators who had been crowding at the window had been pushed down by the female cultivators. They were all flushed with excitement and looking at Xie Shuci and Xie An with excited eyes.

Xie Shuci suddenly felt as if he had been stripped naked. His cheeks were burning, his eyes were wet, and he covered his face as if he were ashamed. He buried his head in Xie An's chest and sobbed, "I have no face to see anyone!"

Xie An, feeling both helpless and indulgent, stepped aside to shield him from the others' view. "Shall I go and kill them for you?"

Xie Shuci was shocked and looked up in disbelief. "Little blind man! You promised me you wouldn't kill anyone!"

"Just kidding, I won't kill them." Xie An rubbed his head.

"Aaaaaaah!"

"It's real!! They're real!!!"

"What bullshit brotherhood! It's love! It's love!"

"Ahhh, they're such a perfect match!"

Xie Shuci lifted her head from his embrace, but the next moment, her expression froze.

Because he saw several monks standing by the window on the seventh floor above Xie An.

They had now removed their golden masks and were staring at Xie Shuci with faces ashen.

Hearing the commotion from inside the building, the faces of the several cultivators in blue robes grew increasingly grim.

Xie Shuci felt a chill run down his spine from their stares. He involuntarily swallowed and opened his mouth to explain something when one of them slammed the window shut with a loud bang.

Xie Shuci: "..."

Good heavens! What kind of mess is this?!

Before long, the woman led them to the sixth floor. Fortunately, there weren't many immortal sects on the sixth floor, and the disciples were all quite composed, so they didn't pay much attention to Xie Shuci and the others.

"Would you like to share a room?" the woman asked.

Du Pingsheng and his page were experiencing the feeling of flying over rooftops for the first time, and they were still in shock, their faces pale. Upon hearing this, they nodded frantically, "One room, one room is enough."

Upon entering the room, Xie Shuci gave Chu Wenfeng a resentful look, which the latter immediately glared back at, saying, "Serves you right."

Xie Shuci: "..."

However, Xie Shuci's identity was bound to be exposed sooner or later, so there was no need to dwell on it. In fact, logically speaking, it was Xie Shuci who was unjust first.

Therefore, it is said that those who commit many unrighteous acts will surely perish in this world.

After this farce, even the usually calm and collected Chu Guiyi couldn't help but breathe a heavy sigh of relief.

Xie An, on the other hand, remained completely unaffected throughout, acting as if nothing had happened. Xie Shuci couldn't help but admire his composure; he truly lived up to his reputation as Xiao Xun, possessing remarkable mental fortitude.

The room was simply furnished, with two screens standing around it, and a low rectangular table placed in the middle of the screens near the window.

Chu Wenfeng walked to the window and opened it, only to find that there were still quite a few cultivators looking at them from below. Xie Shuci, who loved watching the excitement, reluctantly pulled Xie An to sit down by the window.

He had just sat down when he suddenly felt a sharp gaze directed at them. Xie Shuci frowned and looked in the direction of the gaze, only to find that the person was right in front of them—the third disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect who had come from the Floating Pagoda Realm.

"Damn it!" Xie Shuci cursed under his breath. What a rotten omen.

Deng Xingsen met Xie Shuci's gaze and didn't look away. Instead, he nodded generously at him. Xie Shuci gave a dry laugh in response, and then, as if afraid of being tainted by bad luck, he immediately looked away and downstairs.

Du Pingsheng also saw the disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect in the opposite room. He and his page immediately lay down, afraid that their whereabouts would be discovered.

"What's going on? Aren't these brats cultivators from the Floating Pagoda Realm? How come they're only on the sixth level? I thought they would definitely be on the seventh level," Du Pingsheng cursed.

Xie Shuci nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right, it's so unlucky, you can see it as soon as you look up."

The pageboy whispered, "If they're all on the sixth floor, then who's on the seventh floor? I think I just saw someone on the seventh floor."

The seventh floor...

Xie Shuci was stunned for a moment. His group of cheap senior brothers were on the seventh floor. Could it be that their status was higher than that of the Xiaoyao Sect in the Floating Pagoda Realm?

You should know that the Free and Unfettered Sect in the Floating Pagoda Realm is a force to be reckoned with, comparable to the Four Great Immortal Sects!

Chu Guiyi couldn't help but glance at Xie Shuci and said, "As far as I know, in the past years' auctions, almost no immortal sects or families have been able to enter the seventh level; the highest they've ever reached is the sixth level."

Xie Shuci asked in surprise, "Then how come we're on the sixth floor? Aren't there only ten rooms on each floor?"

Chu Guiyi shook his head, picked up the token hanging at his waist, and carefully examined the patterns on the token. The woman hadn't asked their names, but had only looked at their tokens before taking them directly to the sixth floor. Perhaps the token contained information that outsiders couldn't understand, which could confirm the identity of the token holder.

After sitting in the room for a while, two maids brought them wine and pastries. As they left the room, they said to everyone, "If you need anything, please let me know. I will be waiting outside." Xie Shuci was indeed hungry at this moment. He picked up a pastry and stuffed it into his mouth, saying indistinctly, "Sister, do you have noodles here? Please bring me a bowl of noodles. I'm so hungry. It would be best if you added more chili and vinegar."

The maid chuckled, "Yes."

Xie Shuci then looked at the others and asked, "Are you hungry?"

Chu Guiyi and Xie An shook their heads, while Du Pingsheng and the pageboy nodded, clutching their stomachs.

Upon seeing this, Xie Shuci said to the maid, "Sister, please bring three bowls of noodles, thank you."

The maid nodded. "Wait a moment."

After the maid left, the singing and dancing downstairs stopped.

Xie Shuci leaned against the window, peering down curiously. Xie An tugged at his clothes from behind, "Behave yourself."

"I know, I'm just taking a look."

Chu Wenfeng sat opposite him by the window, also sticking half his head out to look down.

The dancers on the stage left one by one, and a man wearing a silver mask walked onto the stage. Two people carried a table onto the stage with him. After the two people left, a rumbling sound suddenly came from the ground, and several chains as thick as an arm rose from the ground, tied to the four corners of the stage, and slowly pulled it up from the ground.

In an instant, dust rose up in the building. Xie Shuci stared in astonishment as four chains lifted the platform into the air.

With a "clang," the four corners of the platform tightened instantly, firmly fixing the platform in mid-air.

Many monks attending the auction for the first time were speechless with astonishment.

"Thank you all for coming all this way to attend this auction. My name is Meng Qi," the man on the stage said loudly.

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly and accurately.

"Before the auction begins, I must inform you all of something. Elder Meng gave an order beforehand that this matter must not be disclosed in advance, so I have not notified you all beforehand," Meng Qi said.

These words caused an uproar in the Laiqu Building.

Xie Shuci couldn't help but feel curious.

Meng Qi turned his head to look at the room next to him. Everyone followed his gaze and saw the woman who had brought Xie Shuci and the others in earlier carrying a silver tray. She walked steadily to Meng Qi's side, her feet treading on silk threads, her steps graceful and elegant, and then put the tray down.

A red silk cloth covered the tray, obscuring what was inside.

However, almost everyone present could feel the continuous flow of pure spiritual energy emanating from beneath that thin silk.

Meng Qi continued, "I'm sure everyone has heard about the Yin family disciples being expelled from Jiyue City not long ago."

The crowd looked at him with confusion, not understanding what he was trying to say. What intrigued them was what was on the tray.

"As you all may not know, after Yin Mingyuan died unjustly, that mysteriously disappeared alchemy family continued to supply the Yin family with top-grade pills for years. However, it was a very coincidental thing that Elder Meng had a connection with that alchemy family, and on that day, the Yin family disciples actually took advantage of their power to bully Elder Meng."

As soon as he finished speaking, the disciples of the immortal sect were astonished.

"Has the Yin family gone mad?"

"Did I hear that right? Old Master Meng? You're bullying Old Master Meng?"

"Even if the Yin family patriarch is now in charge of all matters, big and small, among the Hundred Sects, they shouldn't be this arrogant, should they?"

"Bully Elder Meng? They must be tired of living! Even the elders of the Hundred Sects have to show Elder Meng some respect!"

"Is there anyone who doesn't know that the Meng family could have moved into the Floating Pagoda Realm long ago, but has repeatedly refused to enter for some reason? How dare this little Yin family act so arrogantly towards Old Man Meng?"

"Wait a minute... all these years, someone has been supplying the Yin family with top-grade pills?!"

"No wonder they're so arrogant, they don't even respect Elder Meng!"

"But Young Master Meng said that Elder Meng has connections with that family of alchemists, could it be..."

Meng Qi continued, "To be honest, the person I personally received during this auction was none other than a disciple from that alchemy family. Furthermore, the day the Yin family disciple caused trouble in front of me, the alchemy family disciple was just watching. That very night, the Yin family disciple was expelled from Jiyue City. The alchemy disciple who had originally come down from the mountain to deliver top-grade pills to the Yin family and was passing through this area has decided that from now on, he will never deliver another pill to the Yin family. Therefore—"

Perhaps realizing something, everyone's gaze toward the tray grew increasingly intense.

Meng Qi didn't keep them in suspense any longer and said directly, "Therefore, they decided to take the pills they were giving to the Yin family to the auction and give them away as gifts."

"Holy crap?!" Xie Shuci was stunned when he heard this.

"A gift??"

"Really? Did I hear that right?"

Du Pingsheng and the other man said in disbelief.

Chu Guiyi was also somewhat stunned, but he quickly recovered and said, "This pill was originally intended to be given to the Yin family. If it is brought to the auction directly, the cultivators present will probably not buy it in a big way because of the Yin family's status."

“That makes sense. If the Yin family finds out, they will definitely retaliate.” Xie Shuci nodded in agreement.

At the same time, he was also a little puzzled and asked, "But wouldn't it be fine if they didn't tell outsiders that those pills were originally intended for the Yin family?"

Chu Guiyi shook his head and said, "Although Elder Meng is not a vindictive person, he would never tolerate a group of juniors climbing over him. He did this probably to give the Yin family patriarch a warning."

Xie Shuci couldn't help but worry and said, "What if the head of the Yin family finds out and wants to take revenge on Elder Meng?"

Chu Guiyi said, "Impossible. Half of the pills in the cultivation world come from the Meng family. If he wants to oppose Elder Meng, it's like opposing half of the cultivation world. In recent years, the elders of the Hundred Sects have been dissatisfied with the behavior of the Yin family disciples. If he opposes Elder Meng again, the elders probably won't care about Yin Mingyuan's feelings."

Hearing this, Xie Shuci felt somewhat relieved.

The cultivators in the Laiqu Tower stared at Meng Qi in disbelief and utter astonishment upon hearing the news of the free top-grade pills.

"Young Master Meng, is this true?"

Meng Qi nodded, "What Elder Meng said himself is certainly true. Of course, there are conditions for giving away the pills."

Everyone's hearts sank. This was a top-grade pill, a rare and priceless treasure in the cultivation world. It was obvious how much one would have to pay to get a top-grade pill for free.

Meng Qi smiled mysteriously and said, "Everyone, don't worry. With your financial resources, you can easily meet this condition. Moreover, there is one thing I haven't made clear: all the top-grade pills today, including the two that were originally intended to be auctioned, will be given to you as gifts."

The cultivators' expressions hardened. It was no exaggeration to say that, apart from those who wanted to make an appearance at the auction, at least two-thirds of the immortal sects and families who came to participate in the auction were there for the top-grade pills.

"What are your conditions, Young Master Meng?"

Meng Qi laughed and said, "As you all know, just a few days ago, Xie Shuci, Young Master Xie and his friends came to Jiyue City. I'm sure you all saw his true colors just now."

"Is the gift of the elixir related to Young Master Xie?"

“That’s right.” Meng Qi nodded and then said, “Twelve of the items for sale at today’s auction were provided by Young Master Xie. As long as you can bid on an item provided by Young Master Xie, the Meng family will give the buyer a pill.”

"really?"

"What is that?"

"Young Master Xie's items are definitely not ordinary!"

Xie Shuci: "..."

To be honest, they really are just a bunch of ordinary things.

Xie Shuci was a little confused when he saw the strange looks the others were giving him.

Meng Qi said, "We will not tell you directly what Young Master Xie will be selling, but I will give you a little hint when the items are brought to the stage. Please look forward to it. Furthermore, whatever amount Young Master Xie makes will be given to him by the Meng family without any change."

Upon hearing this, Xie Shuci's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

He had just discussed the profit-sharing with Old Master Meng a few days ago, with 30% going to the Meng family and 70% to Xie Shuci. How come he suddenly gave it all to himself?

Xie Shuci was stunned, as if sensing something, and looked towards the seventh floor, at the room where his junior brother and the others were.

The room window had been reopened, and a senior student was sitting by the door.

Upon meeting Xie Shuci's shocked gaze, the senior brother paused for a moment, his expression somewhat unnatural. He was about to get up and close the window when he realized it would be too obvious, so he glared back at Xie Shuci, muttering a few words under his breath, "What are you looking at?"

But Xie Shuci just looked at them, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

He already had a vague idea of ​​what was going on.

"You didn't dislike me that much..." Xie Shuci said blankly.