Chapter 101: This Young Master's Auction Goes Bad As Expected

Chapter 101: This Young Master's Auction Goes Bad As Expected

The bids fell like rain.

8 million, the Auctioneer said in a cold robotic tone. 8.7 million. 9 million.

Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao watched in stupefied silence as the price of the Moonflower was jacked up by the hundreds of thousands and millions. Chen Haoran was similarly impressed, but hed quite literally dropped bigger numbers before, so the price wasnt so shocking to him.

14 million.

Chen Haoran frowned, and he waved Dreamwater over. Whats going on with these jumps in prices? He didnt announce the bidding increments.

Dreamwater made a sound of realization. You must have attended an auction in a She took a moment to find the words. financially challenged area. The Golden Lily Association uses bidding increments in those places to better ensure an item hits its projected sale price. For wealthier places like Stonebridge

20 million.

Such measures dont typically need to be taken, she finished.

I see, Chen Haoran said. When the clientele had oodles of cash they were willing to throw out at a moment's notice, then it was indeed better business to let them do so. He had to admit, though, given how much he ended up spending at the Clearsprings Auction, it made his eye twitch to hear it called a financially challenged area.

30 million.

Chen Haoran picked a fruit off a platter prepared by Dreamwater and bit into it. Phelps stuck his head out of his cloak, and Chen Haoran fed him a few fruits. Wang Xiao looked over, saw how casual Chen Haoran was being, scowled, then schooled his own features into faux nonchalance. Jiang Lei, meanwhile, was calculating under his breath the taels hed be getting from his one percent share with every increase in bid. Chen Haoran had to wonder if it was really that big a sum for him or if the Liquid Meridian was just that money-obsessed. He couldnt forget how easily Jiang Lei had given him and Xie Jin spirit stones when they first met. In the month hed spent in Stonebridge hed yet to see even a low-grade spirit stone being sold.

40 million.

Now that he had a good idea as to his funds, he could properly plan what items he was going to purchase. Chen Haoran snapped his fingers at Jiang Lei and wordlessly held his hand out to the auction pamphlet in his hands. Whether he was deliberately ignoring him or was truly that focused on counting his money Jiang Lei didnt respond. The point was made moot when Dreamwater proffered another pamphlet she had pulled from who knew where. He would really have to tip her when all was said and done.

Chen Haoran scanned the pamphlet and picked out the items that caught his eye. Things he could use right now. Things he could feed to Phelps for better returns. Of course, hed have to reserve some of it to bid on the Heaven-Rank technique. And then keep extra to move to a better villa.

50 million. The Auctioneer paused. Once. Twice. Sold for 50 million gold taels.

The declaration of sale returned the breath back to Jiang Lei and Wang Xiao. Jiang Lei smiled at him. Congratulations.

Im a little sad it didnt go higher, Chen Haoran said, leaning back into his chair.

Its a good price for this area, Dreamwater said. While the Moonflower is a powerful Yin treasure, there are other Yin spirit herbs superior to it. If you were to auction the Moonflower in the Central Region or the Capital, it would not go for nearly as much.

Shes not wrong, Jiang Lei added. The stronger spirit herbs arent circulated as much in Zumulu anymore since the occupation. It was probably purchased by a force that lacks the background to source high-level spirit herbs.

Interesting, Chen Haoran murmured. Dreamwater poured a glass of qi-infused water and offered it to him. Chen Haoran swirled it around as the Auctioneer introduced the next item.

Vermilion Flame-Patterned Steel. 150 thousand taels.

It was quite the drop compared to the opening. Jiang Lei perked up when he saw it. He held his hand over the bidding crystal and paused. He glanced at Dreamwater.

Jiang Lei laughed. You didnt think theyd be cheap, did you? The qi density in those pills uses some expensive materials to make. On top of that, Water spirit roots are incredibly common in Zumulu, so youre competing against many people.

Jiang Leis point was proven as the heavy bidding continued for the several Metal and Wood Heavy Core Pills that appeared after. Chen Haoran took one look at the prices and gave up on trying to purchase another one.

He sighed. Theres no way Im getting that Heaven-Rank. Even if he didnt spend a single tael, it was clear he wouldnt have enough.

Wang Xiao sneered. As if you ever had a chance.

Chen Haoran ignored him and instead focused on Dreamwater. She walked to the door and returned, pushing a cart with his purchases. He zeroed in on the jade box holding the Heavy Core pill and opened it. He was immediately assaulted with a dense, spicy scent like someone had made a concentrate of lawnmower clippings. Just by smelling it, he could feel his qi begin to rise to his head. He quickly corked the bottle and stowed it away. He debated feeding it to Phelps but decided against it. Beyond how suspicious it would look to everyone, he wasnt sure if eating the pill would hurt Phelps or not. He put away the armor and the tusk in his storage bag and took the Paradise Pomegranate in hand. Its seeds were used as a main ingredient in various high-level healing pills and could even be consumed in place of one in a pinch.

He split the fruit open and gave it to Phelps. He took one sniff and immediately stole it from Chen Haorans hands with a speed entirely inappropriate for a sloth. The other occupants of the box watched with barely disguised shock as Chen Haoran fed the expensive fruit to Phelps. Even Dreamwaters professional comportment slipped as she stared wide-eyed. Chen Haoran ignored them all and patted Phelpss head, occasionally feeding him Meridian Cleansing Pills to help him digest the pomegranates qi.

Received Hundred-Fold: 40 thousand-year-old Paradise Pomegranate

Received-Hundred-Fold: Earth-Rank Meridian Purification Pills

Jiang Lei shook his head. You are definitely some poor familys profligate scion.

Chen Haoran smirked. Sounds like something poor people say.

Jiang Lei sighed, and Wang Xiaos scowl got even deeper.

The Auctioneer's cold voice overwhelmed them all. Seven-Colored Steps of the Rainbow Stairs. Five-Elements Heaven-Rank. Starting bid 10 million taels.

It was like blood being dropped into shark-infested water. Immediately several auras flared, and the air was filled with an oppressive presence all too familiar to Chen Haoran.

Crystal Transformation Realm.

He would never forget feeling the Clearsprings City Lords presence weighing down on him like a mountain when they first met. He was a kitten compared to the tigers that were eyeing the auction stage now. Even when they werent the focus of their attention Chen Haoran and the rest felt their breathing stifled. Ridiculously the Auctioneer looked unaffected despite being at the forefront of the storm and calmly called out bids.

20 million. 30 million. 50 million. 80 million. 120 million. 200 million.

In a matter of moments, there was more money dropped on the technique than what Chen Haoran had dropped on Song Yuelins head, and it was still rising. The Auctioneer was reading the bids so fast that he scarcely finished one before the next came in. The auras of the Crystal Transformations grew so intense that Chen Haoran wouldnt be surprised if, at any moment, they shattered the windows of their booths and yelled their bids directly. All of it for the innocuous book resting on a plush velvet cushion next to the Auctioneer.

That was when the ceiling caved in.

Another metal-fanged aura sank its teeth into the auction hall as light spilled in and illuminated the shadowed hall.

Criminals of the Golden Lily Association! Boomed a powerful voice. The glass window in their box cracked. How dare you flout the Emperors word in my territory!

A man clad in scarlet armor flew down from the hole hed made. A wicked halberd was clutched tightly in his hand. He waved it once, and the auras of the other Crystal Transformations were scattered to pieces.

Perish in the name of the Empire.