Chapter Sixty-Six: The Westwind Pavilion Auction House

After enduring three difficult days, the long-awaited Westwind Pavilion auction finally commenced. Zhou Qi entered the auction hall with Huangfu Xiu. The place was packed, thousands of cultivators gathered—men and women, young and old alike. Some exuded no discernible spiritual aura, likely due to concealment techniques.

They squeezed into the main hall along with the crowd. Though, given Huangfu Xiu’s status, obtaining a private room would have been effortless. Yet, as he put it, he wished to experience the life of an ordinary cultivator.

Zhou Qi could not help but complain inwardly: what if they ended up with some treasure and became targets afterward? Then again, who would dare rob the young master of the Huangfu family on their own territory? But he himself wasn’t so fortunate—sigh, he could not tell if meeting this oddball was a blessing or a curse.

“Fellow Daoists, thank you for making time to attend the Westwind Pavilion auction. The bidding is open and unrestricted, with only one rule: no fighting. If you disregard this, you will bear the consequences. Once, a Nascent Soul cultivator, relying on his strength, threatened others during the auction and forbade them from bidding. In the end, he died. That's all I have to say. Now, let the auction begin.” A middle-aged man with an imposing presence spoke calmly from the stage. Instantly, the bustling hall fell silent.

Really... they think too highly of us. Who would dare fight here? If anything, such trouble would wait until after the auction.

Having made his announcement, the middle-aged man stepped off the stage, leaving everyone momentarily speechless.

Then, a stunning woman ascended the platform. Dressed provocatively, her appearance rivaled a goddess. Her attire, reminiscent of a magical girl, revealed much skin—quite the anomaly on the Tianxuan Continent where long robes and dresses prevailed. Even Huangfu Xiu couldn't help but exclaim that he was rejuvenated.

Once she had captured the hall’s attention, the woman addressed the audience, “Fellow Daoists, I am your hostess today—Mengmeng. Let me introduce the first item: the Thousand Illusions Glaze. A mid-grade spiritual artifact capable of transforming into any weapon form. Starting price: ten thousand lower-grade spirit stones, with a minimum bid increment of one thousand.”

“Eleven thousand!” someone immediately called out as Mengmeng’s voice fell.

“Twelve thousand!”

“Thirteen thousand!”

“Qi, aren’t you going to bid? A shape-shifting artifact is extremely rare and can have unpredictable effects in combat,” Huangfu Xiu asked, clearly tempted.

“No, it's nothing but a juggling trick. To wield so many forms, one must master a multitude of techniques. Without proficiency, what use are all those forms? Besides, with a storage ring, what spiritual weapon can’t be carried?” Zhou Qi replied, shaking his head.

His words seemed to make sense. The previously feverish bidding cooled in an instant—why spend so many spirit stones just for a flashy toy?

The cultivator who had bid eighteen thousand was now caught in an awkward dilemma. What should have been a moment of triumph felt instead like grasping a hot potato, silently hoping someone else would bid.

Mengmeng glanced deeply at Zhou Qi. He felt a powerful spiritual sense sweep over him. Had his offhand comment earned the auction house’s displeasure? Was this a warning?

“Twenty thousand,” Zhou Qi called out.

“I thought you said it wasn’t worth it?” Huangfu Xiu asked in confusion.

“I'm buying it for a child to play with,” Zhou Qi replied, unwilling to admit to being intimidated and trying to make amends.

“Twenty thousand once, twenty thousand twice, twenty thousand three times—sold! Congratulations to this Daoist for acquiring the Thousand Illusions Glaze,” Mengmeng announced. What was expected to sell for twenty-five to thirty thousand ended up a third less, thanks to that single remark.

“The next item is a mid-grade Golden Essence Pill, which increases a Golden Core cultivator’s chance of advancing to the early Golden Core stage. Starting price: twenty thousand lower-grade spirit stones.”

“Twenty-two thousand!”

“Twenty-five thousand!”

“Thirty thousand!”

“Thirty-five thousand!”

In the end, a Golden Core cultivator secured the item. Huangfu Xiu, though also at the Golden Core stage, was still far from breaking through to mid-stage. And with his background, he was in no shortage of Golden Essence Pills.

Several more lots went up, and Zhou Qi only made a single bid—spending three hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones to acquire five Breaking Earth Talismans. Self-preservation always came first.

“The next lot must be sold as a set, not separately. Whether for refining, array-setting, or alchemy, these are all exceedingly rare materials. Alchemists, array masters, and artifact forgers should not miss this: fifty ninth-grade Azure Luan Demon Cores, fifty tenth-grade Soul-Seeking Illusion Wolf Demon Cores, fifty tenth-grade Black Dragon Demon Cores, and fifty tenth-grade Night Demon Beast Demon Cores. Starting price: five hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones, with a minimum increment of fifty thousand,” Mengmeng announced, revealing two sample cores.

“Seven hundred thousand,” an old crone bid.

“Eight hundred thousand,” an elderly man with a goat beard followed.

“Nine hundred thousand,” the crone insisted, determined.

“One million,” the old man countered, equally relentless.

Although the minimum increment was fifty thousand, the two rivals raised the stakes by a hundred thousand each time, clearly eager for the materials.

“Two million,” Zhou Qi entered the fray without hesitation.

At this, both the crone and the old man were stunned. The crone fixed Zhou Qi with a long, searching look, but did not raise her bid.

“Two million, one hundred thousand,” the old man pressed on.

“Three million,” Zhou Qi declared.

The old man’s face twisted in anger—he had hoped to win at two and a half million, but Zhou Qi’s decisive bid put an end to the contest.

He considered releasing his aura to intimidate, but recalling the opening warning from the middle-aged man, he could only glare furiously at Zhou Qi. Zhou Qi acted as though he hadn’t noticed, raising his hand and declaring, “I accuse this man of coercing me, making me afraid to bid freely.”

“Who?” The auctioneer instantly reappeared before Zhou Qi, following his gaze to the old man.

“Are you threatening him?” the auctioneer asked coldly.

“Senior, you wrong me! I was merely curious about this young master’s generosity and hoped to make his acquaintance. Unfortunately, a cultivation mishap has left my eyes fixed in a glare—I meant no harm,” the old man quickly pleaded.

“Oh? And how is it you’re fine now?” the auctioneer pressed.

“Your imposing presence, Senior, has inspired me so greatly that my condition has unconsciously improved. Truly, you are a blessing to us juniors,” the old man simpered.

“Hmph. I’ll let it go this once. If there’s a next time, expect no mercy,” the auctioneer replied, clearly pleased by the flattery, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Zhou Qi and Huangfu Xiu were left dumbfounded—so this worked?

As soon as the auctioneer departed, the old man shot Zhou Qi a venomous glare but dared not do more. He seemed to think, “So what if you win this round? Let’s see what happens later.”

“Three million once, three million twice, three million three times—congratulations to this Daoist,” Mengmeng announced, her eyes brimming with admiration at Zhou Qi’s lavishness.

“See? Mengmeng has already fallen for my charm, sending me flirtatious glances,” Huangfu Xiu said, narcissistically.

Zhou Qi ignored him. With fifty Soul-Seeking Illusion Wolf Demon Cores in hand, that meant fifty simplified Bewildering Immortal Arrays—a tremendous boost to his future safety.

After acquiring the demon and magic cores, Zhou Qi made no further bids. There were other treasures, but nothing immediately useful. Though he was now wealthy, it would be unwise to squander his fortune.

“The final item—one that I am sure will interest all the gentlemen present. However, those with companions should consider carefully. We do not wish for discord to break out within the auction hall,” Mengmeng said, her voice laced with seductive charm.

All eyes locked on her, captivated by her fair thighs, alluring figure, and enchanting expression. Even Zhou Qi found himself swallowing involuntarily.

Satisfied with the effect, Mengmeng smiled triumphantly. “Don’t look at me, everyone. This last item is a hundred times more beautiful. Please, feast your eyes.”

At her words, a massive iron cage was slowly wheeled onto the stage.

Inside was a young girl, appearing no more than thirteen or fourteen. Zhou Qi was startled—were they trafficking minors?

“Raise your head and let everyone see you,” Mengmeng commanded.

The girl lifted her head, her gaze pure and limpid, tinged with a faint sorrow. Long, delicate lashes arched above eyes that shimmered with melancholy. Her petite nose and tender lips glowed with an enchanting luster. Silky blue hair cascaded over her shoulders.

She seemed to have walked out of a painting, her beauty leaving the crowd parched and breathless. Heavy chains encircled her slender form, making the sight all the more heart-wrenching.

“She is not human, but a descendant of the exceedingly rare Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox,” Mengmeng continued.

Only then did the crowd notice the small white tail behind the girl. Far from diminishing her allure, it added an exotic and irresistible charm.