Chapter Six: The Auction

A carriage traveled slowly along the road east of Maple Leaf City.

“Madam, I am determined to win the Spirit-nourishing Pearl this time to cure your hidden illness. If not for me back then, you wouldn’t have been injured.” The speaker was none other than Lu Han’s father, the head of the Lu family, Lu Tianhong. Years ago, Lu Tianhong and Meng Wan’er, in their youth, had wandered across the land.

Once, they clashed with a group of mercenaries. Though they eventually escaped, during the struggle, a mercenary launched a sneak attack on Lu Tianhong. Meng Wan’er pushed him aside, shielding him with her back and taking the blow herself. Her spine was damaged—at first, it seemed minor, but as the years passed and she grew older, the pain became unbearable whenever it rained.

“Master, we’ve arrived at Treasure Pavilion,” came the voice of Uncle Fu, who stood by the carriage and lifted the curtain.

“Madam, take it slow,” Lu Tianhong said gently to his wife.

“Haha… I wondered who it was—it’s the Lu family head and Madam Lu. Are you interested in this auction’s items?” A voice came from the side. The speaker wore a dark green robe, appeared to be in his forties, and walked with leisure. His mustache lent him a scholarly air, and he was accompanied by two sword-bearing guards radiating formidable presence. Clearly, they were innate warriors. Only Wen Hao, the City Lord of Maple Leaf City, would travel with two such guards.

“So it’s the City Lord himself. What brings you to the Treasure Pavilion’s auction? I would think your level would hardly be interested in the treasures here.” Lu Tianhong felt that City Lord Wen Hao rarely attended such events, as he was usually in seclusion. While the auction items were precious to postnatal and innate warriors, they rarely tempted a profound master like Wen Hao, so the City Lord’s mansion seldom participated.

“I’ll tell you, the envoy at this auction is no ordinary person, so I must come personally. That’s all, Lu family head. I’ll go in first.” Wen Hao whispered in Lu Tianhong’s ear, then entered the Treasure Pavilion with his two guards.

Having reached the rank of profound master, Wen Hao referred to himself as “This Lord.”

Lu Tianhong, Meng Wan’er, and Uncle Fu followed behind.

“Ah, City Lord and Lu family head, what an honor! Forgive me for not welcoming you sooner!” The greeting came from a man approaching from the counter, smiling warmly. He wore golden robes, a coin the size of a bowl hung at his waist, and he sported a gold ring on his left hand. His figure was somewhat portly—if not one hundred eighty pounds, then at least one hundred seventy-nine. This was Qian Santong, the master of the Treasure Pavilion.

“Master Qian, where is the envoy now?” Though Wen Hao was the City Lord and a profound master, he dared not be arrogant with Qian Santong, knowing the Pavilion’s background.

“The envoy knows you’re coming and waits for you on the third floor. He instructed that you enter alone.” Qian Santong made it clear—the two guards could not enter.

“Wen Da, Wen Er, go with Master Qian to the venue on the right. I’ll join you shortly,” Wen Hao said, ascending the stairs.

“Lu family head, I was just about to send for you. There’s a Spirit-nourishing Pearl in this auction. It was delivered two hours ago by a man in black robes, who insisted it be auctioned. I am obliged to follow the rules. This time, the envoy is quite special, so I’m not entirely clear on what items will appear.” Qian Santong apologized, as Lu Tianhong had been seeking the Spirit-nourishing Pearl for some time.

“I understand.” Lu Tianhong knew the auctions were always overseen by envoys from the imperial capital, and most treasures came from there.

Qian Santong pushed open the right-hand door of the Treasure Pavilion. It was usually shut tight, for auctions only happened twice a year—on the third of June and the third of December.

The auction hall was bustling, large enough to accommodate a thousand people, arranged in a square. At the back stood a circular platform for presenting items, with six VIP seats on either side—left side: one, three, five; right side: two, four, six—each veiled in black gauze. The first four seats belonged to the city’s three great families. Seats five and six were for purchase, priced at five thousand gold coins each. Five thousand gold coins—so expensive that even the three great families balked at paying for a seat, considering that a hundred coins could support a commoner’s family for a year. Thus, these seats were often empty.

Of course, some chose seats five or six to avoid being recognized.

The middle rows were reserved for Maple Leaf City’s smaller and mid-sized families.

Lu Tianhong and his party had just settled into the second VIP seat.

Dong! A copper gong sounded through the auction hall.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am the auctioneer accompanying the envoy. My name is Yan Lan. Please take care of me. The auction begins now.” Her voice, as clear as a warbler, rang from the stage. She was a young maiden, no older than twenty, dressed in a pink robe, her features blending elegance with sweetness.

Below, the city’s smaller families had brought their disciples to broaden their horizons. Some young gentlemen, captivated by Yan Lan’s purity and charm, wore expressions of infatuation; beauties were rare in Maple Leaf City.

“Now, the first item: High-grade Yellow Rank martial technique ‘Gale Slash.’ Starting price: thirty thousand gold coins. Minimum increment: one thousand coins. Gentlemen, do your best! Bidding begins.” An attendant brought forth a scroll and handed it to Yan Lan.

“Miss Yan Lan, thirty-five thousand gold coins! This technique belongs to our Zhang family,” called a young man from below. Eager to impress Yan Lan, the mid-sized families of Maple Leaf City vied for such martial techniques, as high-grade ones were rare, forming the foundation of a family’s strength.

“Thirty-five thousand for a high-grade Yellow Rank technique? Our Wu family bids forty thousand.” The Wu family head spoke up; as prominent apothecaries, they were wealthier than most mid-sized families and raised the bid by five thousand.

“Forty-one thousand… Forty-two thousand…”

In the end, the Wu family secured ‘Gale Slash’ for forty-eight thousand gold coins.

The three great families remained silent; high-grade Yellow Rank techniques were not lacking in their collections.

The auction continued in earnest…

Inside the first VIP seat—

“Princess, I didn’t expect your maid to handle auctions so skillfully,” City Lord Wen Hao said respectfully.

“Xiao Lan has accompanied me to several major auctions in the imperial capital, so she’s learned a little. City Lord Wen, if you are busy, you need not stay by my side. I merely came for amusement.” Opposite Wen Hao sat a noble lady, her face hidden behind a black veil. She wore a violet dress, her long black hair cascading to her waist, a butterfly knot accentuating her slender waist—an exquisite match. The veil lent her an air of mystery.

“No trouble at all,” Wen Hao waved his hand. He had recently been in seclusion, but family letters informed him of the princess’s arrival, prompting him to emerge.

“The next item is called the Spirit-nourishing Pearl, consigned for auction. Starting price: fifty thousand gold coins. Minimum increment: two thousand coins. Bidding begins.” Yan Lan held up a brown pearl, about the size of an egg.

“Miss Yan Lan, what is this Spirit-nourishing Pearl?”

“We’ve never heard of it.”

“Yes, what is it? We don’t know.”

“What does it do? Fifty thousand coins—so expensive!” The hall was abuzz with questions.

Yan Lan, accustomed to auctions in the imperial capital where everyone knew of the Spirit-nourishing Pearl, realized things were different in this remote Maple Leaf City. The pearl was rare, so the price was high.

Seeing the confusion, Yan Lan explained, “The Spirit-nourishing Pearl is harvested from a Spirit-nourishing Tree in the Beast Mountain Range. It works wonders for lingering injuries and hidden ailments. As you know, martial artists often suffer hidden wounds from combat—normally harmless, but agonizing during rainy weather. Grind this pearl into powder and apply it to the afflicted area; while it cannot fully cure, it alleviates the pain. However, after testing and identification by alchemists, it is only effective for warriors below the third level of innate cultivation.”

At first, many were eager to compete for it, but upon hearing its limitations, interest waned.

Most present were heads of major families, generally at the fourth or fifth level of innate cultivation. The pearl would not help them—why spend fifty thousand gold coins to treat the younger generation’s injuries? No wonder few were interested.

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