Chapter 21 The Auction Ends
Wu Shaogan's expression softened, but quickly faded, and he asked thoughtfully, "Are there many people who know about this pill formula? Were all the people competing with you just now interested in it?"
Zhong Cai shook his head and said, "It's hard to say, and we can't rule out that possibility. However, the Udumbara Flower Mist itself is a natural treasure with strong vitality. Taking it alone can enhance the vitality in the body and is very effective in treating internal injuries. If you are a cultivator who doesn't know how to refine pills and can't find a pill refiner, buying it will give you some extra security."
Wu Shaogan frowned slightly.
Since that possibility still exists, there might be conflict.
After all, life-extending items are extremely rare on the market now. A level three life-extending pill can extend one's life by fifty years, which many old monsters would care about.
But it's not a big problem.
Wu Shaogan's brows relaxed again.
The Wu family patriarch will definitely come this time. He also needs the life-extending pill. If someone wants to cause trouble, they can't avoid them.
Given this, whether the patriarch sells the Udumbara Flower Mist again or decides to wait for Zhong Cai to improve his alchemy skills to refine it, the patriarch will be in front of him and Zhong Cai—and the latter is more likely.
After all, since Zhong Cai has the recipe for the Life-Extending Pill and his talent for alchemy is obvious, he can try to refine it after he opens his palace, and there is a great chance that he will succeed before the ancestor's lifespan ends.
Seeing the change in Wu Shaogan's expression, Zhong Cai casually said while resting her head on her arm, "Don't worry about this and that. If someone you can't afford to offend comes knocking, just give it to them, right? You can even give them the pill formula as a compromise, and maybe you can even gain a favor. It's not like I can't refine it myself just because I gave it to them, it's no big deal."
Wu Shaogan couldn't help but laugh.
"You're right, I was just too worried."
Not long after, the auctioned item was delivered again, and the payment was settled as before.
Zhong Cai carefully put the Udumbara flower mist into a mustard seed bag and stored it properly.
“I bet people who just want this thing will go to Tianxing Trading Company first, maybe they still have some in stock? If we have any money left after the auction, we should ask them too, and it would be even better if we could collect a few more.”
Wu Shaogan readily agreed.
·
Since the appearance of the Udumbara flower mist, the auction items have mainly been level 3 resources, with occasional additions of some rare level 2 resources, resulting in a wide variety of categories.
By this time, more people on the third floor started bidding, but the large private room on the top floor remained silent, clearly indicating that they still didn't like it.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan also stopped bidding. Although there were a few items that tempted them, their focus now was only on competing for the third-grade wood and fire... and seeing if the limb-regenerating pill could make them money.
Time flies, but I'm still bored.
"...Cai...Ah Cai!"
Zhong Cai felt the noise in her ears and the gentle push on her shoulder, and finally opened her eyes groggily.
Only then did he realize that he had just fallen asleep.
Wu Shaogan's helpless voice rang in his ears, reminding him, "The auction for wood and firewood has started, you need to hurry up and place your bids." He added with a mocking tone, "You're drooling, what wonderful dream are you having?"
Zhong Cai took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, yawned, and muttered, "I didn't intend to sleep, but before I knew it... The items up for auction here aren't attracting my attention, is it my fault?"
Wu Shaogan found it amusing but didn't argue with him.
Zhong Cai then focused her attention on the price quote.
A third-grade wood-fire item typically starts at 100,000 gold, but at this auction, the starting price alone reached 300,000 gold, with each bid requiring a minimum increment of 1,000 gold.
The competition has already gone through several rounds, and the price has reached over 500,000 gold—normally, the highest price for a level 3 resource is only 500,000 gold.
In the many private rooms on the top floor, the sounds of bidding continued.
Zhong Cai didn't rush to join, but waited for others to eliminate some competitors first.
After about half a cup of tea's time, the price exceeded one million.
A while later, the offer reached 1.8 million.
At this moment, there were still three or four people bidding in the private room, and two people supporting the bidding on the third floor.
Zhong Cai finally activated the sound transmission array and made his first offer of "two million".
Although the amount increased by 200,000, which building above the third floor doesn't have several million in reserves? Naturally, they wouldn't give it up easily.
The bids were made without hesitation, with increases of tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, while bids of one or two thousand were not even mentioned.
Two hundred and one!
"two hundred……"
...
"Two hundred and sixty!"
Zhong Cai pursed her lips and raised the price again: "Three million."
I knew it would be more expensive than I imagined, but it's ridiculously expensive.
He only had about 3.6 million gold reserves left. If the price exceeded that, he would have to use Xuanzhu and Xuanshi.
...The bidding is fierce.
However, once the price reaches three million gold, there are very few bidders.
·
There aren't many alchemists in a level-five city who can reach level three, and they're usually quite old. Over the years, they've managed to find ways to obtain a wisp of grade three wood fire for themselves. Most level-two alchemists already have a powerful faction to rely on, and if their alchemy skills are outstanding enough and their chances of breaking through are high, they've almost always had their faction intervene to secure wood fire for them long ago.
Therefore, most of those currently competing for Wood and Fire are either trying to win over newly promoted Level 2 Alchemists or are unaffiliated Level 2 Alchemists.
If they are unaffiliated alchemists, although they earn a considerable amount, they still need to buy many medicinal herbs to improve their alchemy skills. They also need to consume resources for cultivation and make a living, so they may not be able to save much money. After failing to meet the price, they can only give up temporarily—anyway, it will be some time before they break through to the third level, and they can slowly plan their next move.
There's always a limit to how much power can be used. If it exceeds the budget, we'll choose to give up. We can always consider using it again when we have a third-grade wood or fire element next time. Anyway, we're not in a hurry to use it.
·
"Three million two hundred thousand."
"Three hundred and twenty... twenty thousand."
"Three million...two hundred and fifty thousand."
"Three million three hundred thousand..."
The later the quotes came, the more hesitant they became.
Zhong Cai gritted her teeth and deposited all her savings.
"Three million and a half million!"
The room fell silent.
Zhong Cai was very nervous; the gold was almost gone! She had to succeed!
—Heaven still favors Zhong Cai.
It seems that the other competitors all felt it wasn't worth it and eventually gave up.
Zhong Cai once again photographed what she wanted.
only……
He only felt a pang of heartache when the maid brought in the items for auction and Zhong Cai paid him.
·
On the soft chair, Zhong Cai held a box in her hands, her face serious.
What he was holding was a full 3.6 million!
Seeing that he was trying his best to keep a straight face, but was obviously holding back his laughter so hard that his features were about to distort, Wu Shaogan quickly suppressed his laughter.
After a long while, Zhong Cai exhaled and carefully opened the box.
In an instant, a wave of heat rushed towards her, as if it were scorching Zhong Cai's hair.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out that there was a transparent, colorless jade tube inside the box, with a faint red hue flowing within it.
Wu Shaogan had never seen wood and fire before, so he couldn't help but go over and look at it with Zhong Cai.
This pale red, seemingly invisible substance is the third-grade wood fire, burning quietly inside the jade tube.
The intense heat permeated the air, making the room temperature seem to rise, but in reality, its heat was firmly contained, so even if the two people were close together, it wouldn't actually burn them bald.
Zhong Cai gently poked the jade tube with her finger.
Wu Shaogan also curiously poked it.
It's warm.
The two looked at each other and smiled, both feeling quite satisfied.
Anyway, the item was purchased.
It was quite dangerous, though.
·
Since the third-grade wood and fire were so precious, Zhong Cai naturally wouldn't leave them lying around. He closed the box again and carefully put it into his mustard seed bag.
It will be safest to put it back into the altar properly after he returns.
While the two were examining the wood and fire, the auctioneer was also busy, selling items at higher prices, and even no longer using gold for bidding, with the starting price being a Xuanzhu (mysterious pearl).
After the third-grade wood and fire elements, all resources are level four or higher.
The beast currently being auctioned is a fourth-tier, third-stage (out of four stages) Azure Mane Beast.
Since savage beasts cannot be contracted, they naturally do not need to be alive. However, probably in order to sell them for a good price, the cultivators who hunted them were very careful. The blue-maned savage beast had its head completely cut off, while the rest of its body remained intact.
This savage beast is entirely blue, with very long fur, especially its beautiful mane. It is not only an outstanding material for refining, but can also be used to make clothes and the like.
It is much more popular than many strange and savage beasts.
The starting bid alone is 300 Xuanzhu, which is equivalent to 3 million gold, and each bid cannot be less than 1 Xuanzhu.
In the blink of an eye, the number of Xuanzhu pearls had soared to over five hundred.
It's far more popular than the third-grade wood.
Zhong Cai hissed, somewhat moved.
"Each upgrade in resources feels like entering a completely different world; the difference is so great that it's frightening."
"Think about lifespan." Wu Shaogan patted Zhong Cai on the back, as if to comfort him, "Every advancement in realm can add hundreds of years to your life, so it's only natural that resources are more expensive."
Zhong Cai indeed thought about lifespan and felt comforted.
Indeed, what could be more precious than life?
I immediately felt calm and peaceful.
·
Before using the Xuanzhu auction, Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan were so bored that they could only watch. After that, they could only watch because they had no money.
The fourth-tier Azure-Maned Beast was eventually auctioned off to a guest in the private room for a high price of over seven hundred Xuanzhu (mysterious pearls).
Another level-five rare medicine, aged 1,500 years, was auctioned off for 1,300 Xuanzhu.
Another level-four beast core with dual attributes was sold for 923 Xuanzhu.
There was also a fourth-tier ice-attribute cultivation technique that fetched a high price of 3,200 Xuan Pearls...
Zhong Cai... Zhong Cai could only gasp in astonishment.
I can't afford it, I really can't afford it.
Even if he has three low-grade Xuan Stones, it is actually equivalent to three hundred Xuan Pearls.
After that, more than a dozen level-four resources were auctioned off, each with a final transaction price of over 800 Xuanzhu.
At this point, the last batch of items was finally available for auction.
There are five items in total.
That Grade 5 Mid-grade Limb Regeneration Pill was the second to last item on the list.
Tianxing Trading Company is indeed very well-established. This batch of resources is not only all level 5 resources, but also very rare. They are either of excellent quality or, even more so, of high price.
The first item is a level 5 mid-grade Xuan weapon, the Cloud-Piercing Whip, which is a soft whip.
It is pure white and very beautiful in design. The handle is inlaid with colorful animal cores, and the whip itself seems to be woven from the sinew of some kind of savage beast, making it quite flexible.
The starting bid is 10,000 Xuanzhu, and each bid must be at least 500 Xuanzhu.
This whip is truly exquisite and quite powerful, making it very popular.
Especially for cultivators who appreciate exquisite things, it is very tempting, and they don't hesitate to bid.
·
Zhong Cai couldn't help but say to Wu Shaogan, "Old Wu, look, just considering the price increase of this whip alone, it could bankrupt both of us."
Wu Shaogan chuckled and said, "Look at what you got from the card draw, you're not going to go bankrupt so easily."
Zhong Cai recalled for a moment, silently estimated, and felt comforted again, so she changed the subject: "This Tianxing Trading Company has a lot of influence. There were at least a dozen cultivators who just bid, and they certainly weren't all from Fengyun City. Maybe all the cultivators above the Suspended Illumination Realm who like whips from several surrounding cities were invited over to gather so many."
Wu Shaogan thought for a moment and said, "They probably went to promote it on purpose."
Zhong Cai agreed: "That's right, good things are always meant to fetch a high price."
·
The transaction price of the Level 5 Soft Whip was 78,500 Mystic Pearls.
Zhong Cai's pupils trembled.
Wu Shao chuckled dryly, "On the bright side, even limb-restoring pills are expensive."
Zhong Cai smiled, her anticipation growing: "You're right!"
·
The second item was also remarkable; it was a mid-grade level 5 Xuan sword.
There are far more cultivators who use swords than those who use whips, so a Xuan sword of roughly the same quality is naturally more expensive. Therefore, despite the same starting price, the final transaction price was a full 90,000 Xuan pearls.
The third item was the fetus of a level-five rare beast, the Earth Roaring Bear.
The Earth Howling Bear is a rather savage rare beast. If you buy it and have it bound to you by blood, the cubs will tear open their amniotic sacs and be born, becoming excellent helpers to their owners with formidable fighting power.
The starting bid was 5,000 Xuanzhu, and there were extremely many people vying for it. In fact, almost all the major powers in the Grand Hall were interested in this beast fetus.
Because the Earth Roaring Bear's growth limit is the fifth rank, and it can live for a full five thousand years, while the corresponding Fusion Realm cultivator can only live for one thousand years—as long as you have it and nurture it well, it's equivalent to having a Fusion Realm expert protecting you for several thousand years! In this way, even if the descendants of the first or second generation are not capable, there is enough time to wait for the next generation to grow.
Zhong Cai had thought that rare animal fetuses would be popular, but she hadn't expected them to be this popular, and her mood instantly soared.
Wu Shaogan nudged him and asked curiously, "What are you so happy about?"
Zhong Cai chuckled: "Guess."
Wu Shaogan hadn't thought of that for a moment.
Zhong Cai rubbed his fingers together, giving him a hint.
Wu Shaogan guessed it as expected: "Could it be because you're overjoyed at the thought that you might be able to extract a lot of beast eggs and fetuses in the future and sell them for a lot of money...?"
Zhong Cai snapped her fingers: "That's right!"
Wu Shaogan: "Pfft."
Zhong Cai immediately glared at her.
Wu Shaogan quickly wiped the smile off his face and said seriously, "You're right."
Zhong Cai's expression softened.
Wu Shaogan wanted to laugh even more.
As the two were talking, the Earth Howl Bear fetus fell into the hands of a guest in a large private room on the right.
Transaction price: 106,600 Xuanzhu.
It's over 100,000.
The price trend is becoming increasingly outrageous.
It was at this moment that the limb-restoring pill was brought up.
·
Guan Ying's face also showed a slight change in emotion.
While the previous level-five items were certainly good, Guan Ying was an orphan raised by the Tianxing Trading Company and did not need to care about the continuation of his family. He also used different magical artifacts and had no particular need for those treasures.
Now it's different. When cultivators fight with others, it's common to lose some limbs. If they can prepare a limb-restoring pill in advance, they will have more confidence.
Moreover, although the Limb Regeneration Pill is only at level five, it can actually be taken by those at the Suspended Illumination Realm.
Guan Ying is currently at the peak of the Enlightenment Realm, not far from the Suspended Illumination Realm. He has been an auctioneer in Fengyun City for many years, but he has never encountered a Limb Regeneration Pill sent here. He has no reserves, so he is naturally somewhat coveting it.
However, Guan Ying had good composure and quickly composed herself, regretfully beginning to quote prices with a slightly raised voice.
"A mid-grade, fifth-level limb-restoring pill that can restore any missing limb of a cultivator at the corresponding level. The starting price is 10,000 Xuanzhu, and each bid must be at least 500 Xuanzhu. Everyone, you may place your bids now!"
"Thirteen thousand!"
"Twenty thousand!"
"Twenty-five thousand!"
In an instant, the price skyrocketed.
·
Zhong Cai was a little nervous, and her body unconsciously leaned forward slightly.
Hey, we're going to make a fortune!
The bidding did not disappoint Zhong Cai's expectations. It soon reached 50,000, and a little while later, it broke through 80,000!
Only then did the bidding subside slightly.
Zhong Cai felt a little weak in the waist and leaned back in the soft chair. Suddenly, she spoke up: "Old Wu, which bidder you said was the Wu family patriarch? With so many competitors, it's unlikely that it will end up in the hands of the Wu family patriarch."
Wu Shaogan was enjoying Zhong Cai's ever-changing expressions when he heard this, and then he answered with certainty, "It will definitely fall into the hands of the Ancestor."
Zhong Cai became interested and turned her head to ask, "How so?"
Wu Shao chuckled and explained, "More than 90% of the Wu family's resources are supplied to the two Fusion Realm ancestors. Not to mention anything else, they receive a monthly allowance of 10,000 Xuanzhu, which adds up to 120,000 a year. They have also traveled to many places to train in the past, and the resources they have accumulated are considerable."
“The Ancestor urgently needs the Limb Regeneration Pill. Although the other private rooms also want it, they don’t necessarily have to bid for it unless they have already lost a limb. But the Ancestor is different. He is willing to pay a huge price for the Limb Regeneration Pill. No one can compete with him.”
Zhong Cai immediately laughed: "That's great!"
Sure enough, the bids in the private rooms kept getting higher and higher.
"Eighty-five thousand!"
"Ninety-two thousand!"
"Ninety-five thousand!"
"One hundred thousand—"
"120,000!"
Zhong Cai gasped.
So many mysterious pearls! So many!!
At this moment, Wu Shaogan said, "The one who reported 120,000 is Old Ancestor Wu."
Zhong Cai looked at him: "You recognized the voice?"
Wu Shaogan nodded and said, "There are only three bidders left, so it's easy to tell them apart."
Zhong Cai said he understood, then sighed, "Even top-grade items aren't this expensive at normal market prices." He added with a touch of regret, "It's a pity the auction house takes a 10% cut; over 10,000 Xuanzhu were gone in one go... They're making too much money!"
Wu Shaogan patted his shoulder as a gesture of comfort.
Anyway, they got this pill through a draw, and the pill essence they spent was just a byproduct of alchemy. In fact, they made a bigger profit.
However, Wu Shaogan was increasingly able to appreciate just how terrifying the treasure was in Zhong Cai's altar.
·
As the competition for the limb-restoring pills intensified, another person withdrew, and the competition ultimately reached a stalemate between the two large private rooms.
One side was naturally the patriarch of the Wu family, while the other side was Wanqingqu, who had come from afar.
Wanqingqu was originally going to change his route and travel to other places, but because there was an auction being held in Fengyun City, he decided to stop by and experience the atmosphere of an auction in a remote place.
However, the resources here were too ordinary for him. He was drowsy until the end of the auction, and even the last few level-five resources failed to attract his attention.
It wasn't until the limb-restoring pill appeared that Wan Qingqu finally became interested.
—The Wan family has a level 5 alchemist, but they cannot refine limb-restoring pills. Therefore, after several elders of the Wan family who have reached the Fusion Realm have suffered limb damage, they can only make appointments with alchemists in the city. Several of them have been waiting for many years.
I never expected that such a small town could produce such a pill. Could it have come from Fengxing City?
But that's not important.
Just take the picture.
Wan Qingqu was, after all, a young master from a prominent family, so naturally he needed to have money on hand when he went out. However, since he was only at the peak of the Palace-Opening Realm, it would be too conspicuous to use Xuan Pearls directly, so he only used gold and silver. But in his storage pouch, he also had several black coupons, each bearing the Wan family's mark, which could be used to exchange for Xuan Pearls at the Wan family's residence.
When he first participated in the auction, Wan Qingqu thought he had no rivals. But then a bidder stuck with him and refused to give up, even after the bid reached 150,000.
The mid-grade limb-restoring pills weren't worth that much, but the Wan family elders' recovery could be achieved much sooner. After a moment's thought, Wan Qingqu continued to raise the price.
"153,000 Mystic Pearls".
Competitors also raised their prices.
·
Zhong Cai rubbed his face, his eyes filled with disbelief: "Old Wu, did I hear that right? The Wu family patriarch just offered 160,000?"
Wu Shaogan was also somewhat shocked by the number, but made sure he had heard it clearly, and said, "It is indeed 160,000."
Zhong Cai took a deep breath.
·
In fact, not only Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan, but also the other guests in the auction house were surprised that a single pill could fetch such a high price.
Now the other side seems to have fallen silent. Could it be that they have finally given up?
However……
A new bid was then announced.
The Wu family patriarch: "161,000."
By this time, both sides were proceeding with extreme caution.
"...165,000."
"170,000."
"Seventeen thousand two hundred..."
"ten……"
·
The limb-restoring pill was eventually auctioned off for a price that Zhong Cai never dared to dream of before—a whopping 270,000!
Of course, after deducting the commission, what's left is 186,300 Xuanzhu, and it can't be received immediately.
But, after all, it's nearly 200,000!
Zhong Cai's fingers trembled slightly.
Wu Shaogan grabbed his hand and laughed, "Calm down, calm down."
Zhong Cai calmed down immediately and her face lit up.
"This isn't just making a little money, this is getting rich overnight!"
Wu Shaogan's heart was also racing, but he recovered after noticing that Zhong Cai's eyes were glazed over from the shock.
The two looked at each other, their expressions bright.
Zhong Cai exclaimed excitedly, "That's great!"
Wu Shaogan agreed: "We won't have to worry about expenses for a long time to come."
Zhong Cai then said, "After we go out, we'll go shopping and buy you materials for talismans!"
Wu Shaogan immediately suggested, "Let Qingkong buy you medicinal herbs and save them up for you."
Zhong Cai cheered: "Big shopping spree!"
Wu Shaogan chimed in, "Buy!"
The two were excited for a while.
Zhong Cai finally couldn't help but whisper, "I'm in a great mood thinking that Elder Wu paid such a high premium to win the bid."
Wu Shaogan paused for a moment, then quietly echoed again, "Me too."
The two looked at each other and laughed happily.
·
In a large private room on the top floor, a fervent glint flashed in the eyes of a gaunt middle-aged man, and his face flushed. His aura surged, clearly indicating that he was overwhelmed with emotion and unable to control himself.
Beside him, a beautiful woman in a plain dress smiled slightly: "Cousin, congratulations."
These two people were none other than the two patriarchs of the Wu family, Wu Yuanxiao and Wu Baifeng.
Before long, the richly dressed middle-aged manager personally came to the door and carefully delivered a jade bottle of excellent quality, which was the limb-regenerating pill that had just been auctioned off.
Wu Yuanxiao suppressed his excitement, exchanged the Xuanzhu for the jade bottle, and only after checking it again did he feel relieved.
Wu Baifeng felt a great weight lifted from his heart and said with a smile, "After we go back, my little sister will come and guard the pass for my cousin."
Wu Yuanxiao smiled and said, "Then thank you very much, sister."
After years of planning, they finally obtained the limb-restoring pill.
It was a bit pricey, and he was quite disgusted by the person who was so insistent on grabbing it, but he was glad he got the item.
Wu Yuanxiao was seriously injured and hadn't left the Wu family for many years. Wu Baifeng didn't dare to go out often either, otherwise, if something happened to her and Wu Yuanxiao was weak, the Wu family would also be in danger.
Things are different now.
Once Wu Yuanxiao's limbs are fully recovered, he and Wu Baifeng can take turns going out to seek opportunities, and they can even join forces to conquer more difficult places, which will greatly increase their chances of breaking through.
Wu Yuanxiao carefully put away the pills before looking at the last item with Wu Baifeng.
·
At that moment, the Azure Sky Swordsman took the Xuan Pearl that was rightfully his and quietly left the auction.
Although it was just a puppet, it still got a private room on the third floor because the items it brought were level 5 resources, and it's very convenient for it to leave now.
Tianxing Trading Company did not stop them.
Admittedly, the people behind the level-five pills and the Azure Sky Puppet are of great interest to many, but this does not include the head of the Tianxing Trading Company—you should know that being from a level-two city means that their headquarters can even access level-seven and level-eight resources.
Therefore, they naturally wouldn't covet those tens of thousands of Xuanzhu pearls, as that would damage their reputation.
The Azure Sky Puppet successfully evaded everyone's notice.
·
Guan Ying is introducing the final auction item.
Zhong Cai said in surprise, "It's actually a sixth-level cultivation technique?"
The auction catalog lists all the items with images, names, and brief descriptions, except for the one placed last, which is kept secret. It is only generally stated that it is a martial art.
Since the final item, the Limb Regeneration Pill, was a level 5 resource, everyone naturally assumed that the last item would also be level 5. However, to everyone's surprise, Tianxing Trading Company actually managed to obtain a level 6 one.
Moreover, this technique is highly applicable and is a fire technique that many people can practice.
Although the cultivation technique was only of low grade, all the Fusion Realm cultivators in the room were tempted.
The bidding was more intense than ever before, and after a fierce battle among many powerful individuals for more than half an hour, the deal was finally settled with the Ai family.
A full 150,000 low-grade Xuan stones.
·
The auction has now ended.
Wan Qingqu had no interest in this technique, but it was a pity that his black coupon quota was only enough to withdraw 200,000 Xuanzhu.
Next time I go back, I'll have to apply for more black coupons.
·
Zhong Cai stretched and walked out of the private room with Wu Shaogan.
Outside the door, the maids, guards, and Xiang Lin all bowed to them.
Zhong Cai casually paid ten gold coins for the food.
The maidservant quickly thanked her and led the way.
Xiang Lin followed closely behind the two, carefully protecting them.
The group left through a side stairwell, not on the same route as the other guests in the private rooms or on the first and second floors.
Tianxing Trading Company had made arrangements in advance, and all customers with some financial resources were able to leave safely—as for what happened after they left, that was none of their business.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan got into the car in an unremarkable manner.
Xiang Lin rode the horse and brought the two back to the inn.
·
The auction went smoothly, and quite a few good items were sold. Although not every item's whereabouts were revealed, some things didn't matter to anyone and spread quickly.
For a time, many people in Fengyun City started discussing it, and they were all envious and jealous of the cultivators and forces who had won the bids for the good items. It was quite a lively scene.
Many cultivators in their small circles who didn't manage to get the items they wanted were quite unhappy about it.
·
Shunyun Restaurant, private room.
Xi Qinglei threw down a teacup and said angrily, "Tianxing Trading Company is going too far! They're even holding an auction, yet they're still selling it for such a high price. They're utterly absurd!"
A handsome young man was nestled beside him, and upon hearing this, he quickly reached out to pat him on the back to help him catch his breath.
Across the round table, Wen Yihai, dressed in blue, held a teacup, his expression calm.
"If you're angry, try to vent your anger. I invited you for tea this time to help you calm down."
Xi Qinglei's expression softened slightly, and he said, "You're a true brother."
But after a pause, he couldn't help but get angry again and gulped down all the tea.
"That money-grubbing trading company!"
Xi Qinglei desperately wanted a suitable level-two talisman brush so that he could successfully draw level-two talismans and produce them more consistently. However, not only did he fail to win one at the auction, but when he went to Tianxing Trading Company to choose a new product, he received a similar price as at the auction.
He has spent all his savings on materials for making talismans, and he can only recover his losses once the talismans are made. However, he doesn't have enough cash on hand, which puts him in a difficult position and naturally makes him dissatisfied with Tianxing Trading Company.
Wen Yihai comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, I still have a few hundred gold coins. You can use them to buy a talisman pen first, and you can pay me back after you make the talisman."
Xi Qinglei was taken aback, then immediately felt touched: "You're really loyal. Don't worry, I'll definitely be able to make the talismans. I'll not only pay you back, but I'll also give you some good talismans!"
Afterwards, he couldn't help but mention the person who had driven up the price of the talisman pen at the auction, and complained about it quite a bit.
Wen Yihai laughed and agreed, then exchanged pleasantries with Xi Qinglei.
In fact, he actually had a good impression of that person.
The person who won the bid for the talisman pen and the person who won the bid for the wood and fire were in the same private room. Their cousin, who lived in the next room of the Wen family and was ambitious but had mediocre talent, was also one of the people competing for the wood and fire.
The fifth branch of the family, where Wen Yihai lived, and the fourth branch, where his cousin lived, had a long-standing feud. Wen Yihai had been suppressed for years because his cousin was a second-level alchemist. Now, his cousin had not only sold the second-level wood-fire that the family had planned for him, but he had also failed to obtain a third-level one. It would not be easy for him to get a second-level wood-fire again in the future, and the family would no longer help him.
Therefore, his uncle's elixir production rate would inevitably decrease.
This matter may be slightly detrimental to the entire family, but it is beneficial to the fifth branch. As long as they manipulate things a bit, their uncle will no longer be so arrogant.
·
Adjacent private booths separated by a screen.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan exchanged a glance, their expressions somewhat subtle.
The two went out to shop today, but they didn't expect that they would hear people talking badly about them when they just randomly chose a restaurant for breakfast.
What a coincidence!
The two of them tacitly quickened their pace of eating.
The person who was talking behind their back was unaware of the situation and continued gossiping next door, which made the two of them a little embarrassed.
Let's stop chatting and finish our food quickly so we can leave.
After quickly settling the bill, Zhong Cai pulled Wu Shaogan to pay and walked out as quietly as possible.
Once outside the restaurant, the two of them burst out laughing.
Wu Shaogan shook his head and said, "It seems that we should be careful not to talk about people behind their backs when we are out in the future."
Zhong Cai nodded in agreement: "You're right."
·
Tianxing Trading Company.
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan stood quietly in front of a counter, listening to a junior manager's introduction.
"This is talisman paper made from the scaled skin of a level one white-scaled serpent. These are talisman ink made from the scaled skin after being ground into powder. Using them together to make talismans will increase the success rate."
“Our talisman ink comes in a bottle about an inch long, containing approximately one thousand drops. The price of talisman materials is eight qian per sheet of talisman paper and eight yin per bottle of talisman ink, but it will be cheaper if we buy in bulk, with each set of materials costing fifteen yin—including one bottle of talisman ink and ten sheets of talisman paper.”
The steward pointed to a small wooden box, divided into two compartments. On the left was a small bottle of talisman ink, and on the right was a stack of talisman paper.
These talisman papers were clearly very well made. Although they were snow-white like all first-grade talisman papers, they seemed to have a faint shimmering sheen, making them seem more high-grade than ordinary talisman papers.
"This type of talisman paper has excellent ink-holding capacity, and the ink blends more smoothly with the paper when drawing talismans compared to ordinary talismans. However, if the customer is not satisfied, there is another type available."
The steward then took out another wooden box and arranged it in the same way.
"This is a talisman paper made from the crushed tendons of a Crimson Blood Wolf. It also comes with matching wolf blood talisman ink and will have the same success rate bonus. It is cheaper than the Scaled Serpent talisman paper. Each talisman paper costs six coins, and each bottle of talisman ink costs six silver coins. Together, a bottle with ten talismans costs ten silver coins."
The Wild Wolf Talisman Paper is also exquisite and snow-white, but it faintly glows with a red light, giving it a unique beauty.
Next, the steward introduced five more types of talisman paper and talisman ink.
Aside from the materials from the Scaled Serpent and the Savage Wolf, the others are not part of a set and are all cheaper. But no matter how cheap they are, a single talisman paper costs no less than five qian (a unit of weight), and a bottle of talisman ink costs no less than five yin (another unit of weight).
Zhong Cai and Wu Shaogan listened attentively.
Zhong Cai mainly wanted to learn some common knowledge, while Wu Shaogan silently compared his understanding with the introduction in "The Complete Book of Talismans".
After the steward finished speaking, Zhong Cai smiled and said, "Take one thousand portions each of the Scaled Serpent and the Savage Wolf."
The junior manager was getting a bit hoarse from talking, but when he heard this, he realized it was a big deal and his eyes lit up.
Zhong Cai then instructed him, "We don't need this box; just take the trunk. Pack the different types of talisman paper and ink separately so it'll be easier to retrieve them later."
The steward readily agreed and quickly began preparations.
"Look, this box is divided into sections. On the left are ten thousand sheets of Scaled Serpent Talisman Paper, and on the right are ten thousand sheets of Savage Wolf Talisman Paper. They're easy to distinguish. And look at this box, where two hundred bottles of talisman ink are packed in one large bottle. Five white bottles are Scaled Serpent Talisman Ink, and five red bottles are Savage Wolf Talisman Ink. Not a drop is missing, and we're honest with everyone." He finished reading quickly. "All the talisman materials together cost two hundred and fifty gold coins."
Zhong Cai readily gave him pure gold.
After putting all the talisman materials into his mustard seed bag, Zhong Cai asked about another thing he wanted to buy.
"I wonder if your shop sells first- or second-grade timber?"
The steward was taken aback and immediately asked, "Is the guest a pill refiner?"
Zhong Cai smiled and said, "I haven't been learning alchemy for long, and I can only refine a few first-grade pills. I just came here and thought I'd ask around, since your esteemed institution has connections everywhere and you're likely to have some information. Buying it sooner will help me get used to it sooner." As he said this, he raised his eyebrows slightly, "If the manager asks like this, does it mean that if it's not someone from the alchemy family who wants to buy it... there's something else going on?"
The steward breathed a sigh of relief, then said with a touch of pride, "Our shop does indeed have connections in this area, but wood and fire are rare, so we can't be hasty in selling them. If the customer isn't a pill refiner, we should conserve our resources and let them end up in the right hands. Of course, if the wood and fire belong to a particular pill refiner, we can make an exception once that's confirmed."
Zhong Cai understood and said, "That means both first and second rank are available."
The steward replied, "Yes."
Zhong Cai smiled and said cheerfully, "Then please quote a price, and I'll take one strand from each of us."
The steward was stunned: "Both?"
Zhong Cai nodded and asked, "Is there anything else that's causing you trouble?"
The manager did look troubled, but he still said without hesitation, "This... we need to register the whereabouts of Mu Huo. Therefore, we need to ask the customer to verify the alchemist's identity."
Zhong Cai frowned and asked, "How can I verify this? By refining a batch of pills in front of you?"
The steward quickly replied, "We wouldn't dare ask for that, but if we could know the guest's background, or which alchemy organization the guest has affiliated with to obtain their alchemist's title... our shop would naturally understand."
There's nothing to hide.
Zhong Cai said directly, "I was originally from the fourth branch of the Zhong family in Kunyun City, and not long ago I married into the ninth branch of the Wu family. Everyone in the Wu family knows that I am now a first-level alchemist, and most of the pills I have refined have been sold to the Wu family's pill hall." He then pulled the person next to him, "This is my husband."
Wu Shaogan smiled and nodded slightly.
·
The steward had nothing more to say and quickly went to the secret vault to retrieve two boxes, one containing first-grade and the other second-grade wood and fire.
Its price is also quite high, but it is much cheaper than the three-grade wood and fire that have such a high premium.
A first-grade wood-fire weapon should be priced between ten and fifty gold coins on the market, but it's being sold for eighty gold coins here; a second-grade wood-fire weapon should be priced between one thousand and five thousand gold coins on the market, but it's being sold for one hundred thousand gold coins here.
Zhong Cai was mentally prepared and took out ten mysterious pearls.
...He still didn't have enough gold, so he had to use Xuanzhu (mysterious pearls) to pay.
The steward completed the transaction with him.
Zhong Cai spent another 2,100 gold to buy two level one to two level three contract talismans.
Without wasting any words, the steward directly retrieved the goods and sold them to him.
Zhong Cai thought of asking about the Udumbara Flower Mist again, and looked at Wu Shaogan to signal to him.
Wu Shaogan shook his head slightly and glanced at his cuff—the little green roc was fast asleep inside, having kept a low profile for a whole day and night.
Zhong Cai received a hint from Wu Shaogan and nodded to him.
That's right. We'll have the Azure Sky Puppet inquire at the trading company later, so they don't need to show up.
After thinking for a moment, Zhong Cai turned to Wu Shaogan and whispered, "Is there anything else I forgot?"
Wu Shaogan said in a low voice, "Isolation array plate."
Zhong Cai suddenly remembered—it was for his altar! He himself had forgotten about it, but luckily Old Wu remembered it for him.
So he quickly asked the steward.
"Does your esteemed institution possess any arrays that can conceal the soul's thoughts?"
The steward, who often heard similar requests, confidently replied, "Then it depends on the range of the array plates you two require to cover."
Zhong Cai: "Could you elaborate?"
The steward answered in detail: "If it is only a level three array plate, it can cover an area of at least three zhang in radius, and at most about one mu. Moreover, the larger the area covered, the more Xuanzhu it consumes." He was quite frank, "The level three array plates sold in my shop, once activated, can last for at least one year with one Xuanzhu, and at most only one month with one Xuanzhu."
"The highest quality array plate of its kind in the shop costs 30,000 gold, and the lowest quality costs 10,000 gold."
Zhong Cai shuddered slightly upon hearing the words "consume the Profound Pearl," feeling utterly numb—he was only at the fourth level of the Heavenly Guidance Realm, yet he already needed to use a resource like the Profound Pearl? That was terrifying!
But this thing is indispensable, and you still have to spend the money if you need to.
The only saving grace is that it only needs to be activated when using the altar.
"Please take two more." Zhong Cai handed over six more Xuanzhu pearls. "I want the best ones."
The steward immediately took out two palm-sized array plates engraved with intricate patterns.
Zhong Cai: "..."
It's great, and very portable.
Zhong Cai put away the array plate and then looked at Wu Shaogan.
Wu Shaogan shook his head, indicating that there was nothing else he wanted to buy.
The two then left together.
·
Inside the trading company, the junior manager carefully put away the gold and black pearls, feeling quite satisfied.
It's rare for a cultivator at the Heavenly Guidance Realm to have such skill, but it's not surprising that this alchemist's husband was once a powerful and influential young master with a wealthy family background.
...What a pity that such an outstanding person was rendered useless.
However, the couple seemed to have a lot in common, which could be considered a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
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