Auction house

After leaving the city, they ventured into another city. It was really hard to gather information on Xuan Ping, as he constantly hid himself wherever he went.

"Little uncle Xiao, this is no fun at all. How are you going to look for your junior brother? Let's at least go watch something entertaining for once," Xiao Zhu complained.

Xiao Feng ignored his comment and continued to glare at a sign placed in front of a building, as people kept flooding inside. It had a grand name, with a gold imprint.

The Lin Family Auction House.

An idea flashed through Xiao Zhu's mind, causing a slight smile to appear at the corner of his mouth.

"Master, have you ever been to an auction house before?" he asked.

Xiao Feng glared at him. "I meant little uncle Zhu!" he said, leaving his mouth wide open in surprise.

"No, and I have no reason to go," Xiao Zhu replied.

Xiao Zhu's expression changed significantly. That wasn't the response he was expecting. On the other hand, Xiao Feng had been observing him from the corner of his eyes. He knew that Xiao Zhu had always been kept indoors since he had been discovered to possess the sword affinity. He was always protected from danger, with his movements limited.

"Okay, just this once, let's go," Xiao Feng finally conceded, though he still felt that they were wasting more time.

The city they entered was named after the Lin family, who were the wealthiest family in the area and held a prominent position within the community. This led to the establishment of "Lin City" as the name of the city.

The Lin family was the dominant force in the city, holding significant influence and power. As the strongest and most influential family in the entire city, they had oversight over all aspects of its operations.

The auction house had been running under the Lin family for a very long time.

Xiao Feng approached a fellow and asked, "Brother, how do we participate in the auction?" while cupping his hands in a respectful manner.

The fellow looked Xiao Feng up and down. "It seems you're new here. I don't know, you could ask someone else," he replied dismissively, focusing on his own tasks.

Xiao Feng stretched out his hand, offering ten silver coins to the fellow. "Sorry, brother. I was ignorant," he apologized with a smile.

"That's good, good! Now you can ask anything you want to know," the fellow said, showing off his teeth.

"What an old scoundrel," Xiao Zhu thought to himself.

"Well, we just want to participate in the auction. We have nothing to sell, though," Xiao Feng stated.

"Okay, listen attentively, or you'll end up paying another fee for information. The auction house has a set of rules with recurring fees. First, to enter the auction house, you'll pay a fee of one hundred gold coins per person. To participate in the auction, you'll pay a sum of one thousand gold coins. And that's it to participate. Next are the seats: there is a regular seat and a royalty seat. The regular seat also costs one thousand gold coins, while the royalty seat costs ten thousand gold coins," the fellow explained.

"Now I know how the Lin family got so rich," Xiao Zhu sarcastically thought to himself.

"And looking at you, I hope you won't ask for your money back since the information seems pretty useless to you," the fellow added, with a belittling expression, rolling his eyes up and down upon them.

Xiao Zhu gritted his teeth, ready to break the fellow's nose, but Xiao Feng held him back. The fellow immediately scurried away.

"Little uncle Xiao, what are we going to do? Since this is my first time, I want it to be the best," Xiao Zhu said, eager for guidance.

Xiao Feng rubbed his hair. "Don't worry, we are going for the royalty seat," he assured him.

Xiao Zhu jumped up excitedly, laughing like a madman with both hands on his waist.

They entered the auction house, paying all the necessary fees, and were then escorted to a room.

As soon as they arrived, Xiao Zhu exclaimed, "Wow!" The room was spacious enough to fit twenty of Xiao Feng. It had a large, comfortable chair for sitting. Without much thought, Xiao Zhu jumped onto it. "Hmm, so relaxing," he proclaimed.

Xiao Feng stood there, watching as Xiao Zhu displayed his playful side, before a knock was heard.

The guest keeper was allowed in, bringing two meals and a side dish.

"First, the tea. I want the tea first," Xiao Zhu instructed.

"Sure," the guest keeper replied, smiling.

Not too long after, the curtain was spread wide open, revealing a beautiful lady... The auctioneer.

The auctioneer exuded an elegant and captivating presence, immediately capturing the attention of the crowd with her confident and poised demeanor. Her attire, tastefully revealing, only enhanced her charm as she gracefully commanded the stage.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen, esteemed cultivators. I warmly welcome all of you to this esteemed auction! I assure you that the artifacts and cultivation materials we have gathered today are of the highest quality, carefully acquired and possessed by our esteemed family," she spoke in a gentle, alluring voice that carried throughout the venue.

Xiao, sipping his tea, turned to his little nephew and asked, "So, my dear nephew, what caught your interest in coming here today?"

"I wasn't the one who wanted to come here," the little nephew replied with a slight grumble.

"Oh, right! It was my idea. Well then, let's see what they have in store for us. I'm sure there will be something exciting," Xiao said with a friendly smile.

As the auction progressed, the crowd grew more entranced by the captivating aura emanating from the auctioneer. Their attention fixated on her every movement, their eyes darting with anticipation.

Suddenly, the curtain swept open, revealing a magnificent sword, meticulously crafted and radiating with a polished brilliance. The slender blade glimmered under the light, captivating the entire crowd, who eagerly awaited the starting bid.

"According to the discoveries made by our esteemed family elders, this sword possesses its own unique qualities, yet to achieve sentience. It has the potential to enhance the user's spiritual cultivation. As such, the starting bidding price for this remarkable sword is... fifty thousand gold coins," the auctioneer announced with a firm strike of her gavel.

The crowd erupted with enthusiasm as bids began to rise, each one increasing by fifty thousand gold coins.

... One hundred thousand gold coins.

... One hundred and fifty thousand gold coins.

... Two hundred thousand gold coins.

The bidding continued to escalate until it reached a staggering nine hundred thousand gold coins. Xiao's nephew looked up at him, his adorable face teary-eyed. "Uncle Xiao, will we leave empty-handed after spending so much?"

"Don't worry, my dear. Bid for whatever you desire," Xiao reassured him, gently ruffling his hair.

... Nine hundred thousand gold coins. Going once, going twice... Sold!

"Congratulations on acquiring this extraordinary weapon! It will be delivered to your room. Thank you," the auctioneer announced with a friendly smile.

Moving on to the next item, the atmosphere remained charged with excitement. This time, a silk glove with fire attributes was presented, capable of blocking attacks from a Core Formation Realm master. The initial bid started at ten thousand gold coins.

Once again, bids rapidly increased.

... Twenty thousand gold coins.

... Twenty-five thousand gold coins.

Unexpectedly, a voice shouted, "Five hundred thousand gold coins!" The entire crowd turned their gaze towards the bidder, taken aback by the sudden increase. Whispers spread throughout the hall, questioning the bidder's background and resources.

The auctioneer smiled, sensing the shift in energy. "Five hundred thousand gold coins! Do I hear a higher bid? Going once, going twice..."

Just as the gavel was about to strike, Xiao Feng stood up, his voice echoing through the hall, "A million gold coins!"

"My dear nephew, I never said I needed a glove," the little nephew exclaimed, bewildered by the extravagant amount his uncle was willing to spend on what appeared to be an ordinary glove.

"I promise you'll love it. Consider it your first gift from your master," Xiao reassured him with confidence.

The tension in the room heightened as the crowd erupted in excitement.

"Brother, I truly require this artifact. Could you please give me face?" the previous bidder of five hundred thousand gold coins politely requested.

Xiao Feng glanced at the glove once more. "This glove holds far greater value than you might imagine," he thought.

"I'm sorry, but my disciple desires it," Xiao Feng calmly and confidently stated.

With a final strike of the gavel, the auctioneer announced, "A million gold coins! Sold!"

The auction continued, showcasing various artifacts, until the grand finale arrived—a golden fiery sword. Rumored to possess dual attributes of fire and lightning, it almost reached the level of a divine-grade artifact. The crowd erupted with exhilaration, some even sending messengers back to their clans to gather more funds.

Amidst the excitement, Xiao Feng found himself pondering how the Lin family obtained such a rare artifact of half-divine grade.

"Well, I suppose I'll find out soon enough," he thought.

The auctioneer continued, explaining the sword's characteristics, building anticipation within the crowd.

Finally, the moment arrived as the curtains were drawn, revealing six robust men bringing forth the golden fiery sword. The crowd couldn't help but wonder about its weight.

The auctioneer smiled, her soft soothing voice calming the audience. "That is why I'm here, to satisfy your curiosity. The sword weighs a thousand jin."

"If it weighs a thousand jin, does that mean only a supremely skilled cultivator can wield it and bring out its full potential?"

Xiao Feng's eyes glittered, while little Xiao Zhu trembled with excitement. Xiao Feng smiled and said, "You want it, don't you?"