Chapter 368 - 363: I Like the Look of Him

By this point, several of the forty-two keys had already been auctioned off. The highest winning bid had reached over fifty thousand Spiritual Jade, while the lowest was still more than thirty thousand.

Seeing how things were going, thirty thousand Spiritual Jade seemed like a reasonable price. Du Youqian didn’t hesitate, taking out the thirty thousand Spiritual Jade and handing it over.

The bearded Cultivator turned and left.

Du Youqian wasn’t concerned. ’An organization this large wouldn’t possibly cheat me.’

He focused his Divine Sense on the bidding paddle in his hand, examining the information on the upcoming items.

A few items caught his eye. For example, there was a Ghost Cultivation Technique. It was a "Decision"-grade technique, but it was incomplete, only allowing one to cultivate to a level equivalent to the Human Race Cultivator’s Nascent Soul Realm. As for the price... it wasn’t expensive, with a starting bid of a mere 20,000 Spiritual Jade.

There was also a Cultivation Technique suitable for those with a Cosmic System Spirit Root. It was a "Scripture"-grade technique and also incomplete, though the portions before the Divinity Transformation Realm were relatively intact. The price was very "cheap"—a starting bid of 300,000 Spiritual Jade.

And there was a Spiritual Object that could increase the chances of Nascent Soul Formation. The price wasn’t steep either, a paltry starting bid of 100,000 Spiritual Jade. He just wondered how many times that would multiply by the time the hammer fell.

Du Youqian was almost tempted to sell a few of the Cultivation Techniques he had mastered... ’It would be easy to make a few million Spiritual Jade, to say the least. If I weren’t afraid of being hunted down by the Holy Blood Sect’s Divinity Transformation True Monarch from the Human World, that is.’

After a short while, the bearded Cultivator returned and handed Du Youqian a small box.

Du Youqian opened it for a quick look, then put it away under the wide-eyed, yet harmless, stare of Sha You. He asked the bearded Cultivator, "Is this one of the forty-two keys?"

"No," the man replied bluntly. "We can make as many of these as we want."

He paused, then added a word of caution. "Don’t go spreading this around. I only got one for you because I felt a connection with you, fellow Cultivator. We run a very conscientious business. Even though we can mass-produce them, we would never release them and disrupt the market."

Du Youqian couldn’t help but crack a smile. A moment later, his expression turned serious as he asked, "What about the contents of Su Miao Master’s Cave Mansion? We won’t get inside only to find it’s already been picked clean, will we?"

The bearded Cultivator scoffed. "Fellow Cultivator, you truly underestimate the Qingxu Commerce Association. Even if it were empty... we would place more than enough items inside. It’s not worth ruining our association’s reputation over a mere million-plus Spiritual Jade. The promised Inheritance will be there, all of it. Treasures, Spiritual Diamonds, precious resources, Spirit Medicines—nothing will be missing."

Du Youqian nodded. He believed him.

He took out his bidding paddle again and got straight to the point. "That *Golden Jade Flying Scripture of the Eight Realms of Truth* and the *Night Illuminating Nine Heavens Soul-Seeking Immortality Technique*... could you sell those to me privately as well? In terms of price, I don’t have enough Spiritual Jade, but I can offer other things in trade."

The bearded Cultivator shook his head. "Are you joking, fellow Cultivator? Those are items already listed for auction. How could we at the Qingxu Commerce Association possibly engage in such an under-the-table deal?"

Du Youqian sighed, ready to give up. "Your association’s reputation is truly well-deserved. There is a Dao to business, after all. I was just thinking, if I added a little extra..."

"Ahem!" The bearded Cultivator said nothing, but a message came through his Divine Sense: ’How much extra?’

"..."

After a round of haggling, Du Youqian promised a total price of 350,000 Spiritual Jade to acquire both the *Golden Jade Flying Scripture of the Eight Realms of Truth*, a Cultivation Technique suitable for a Cosmic System Spirit Root, and the *Night Illuminating Nine Heavens Soul-Seeking Immortality Technique*, which would allow a Ghost Cultivator to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Realm.

It might seem like he got a discount, but that wasn’t actually the case.

A Cultivation Technique won at auction was guaranteed by the Qingxu Commerce Association to be a one-of-a-kind sale—a monopoly.

The buyer could take it back and establish an entire Sect, using the technique as their foundational Inheritance.

In contrast, the large sum Du Youqian paid only got him a copy transcribed by the Qingxu Commerce Association, which came with a Restriction that allowed only him to cultivate it.

Of course, for Du Youqian, it was still an excellent deal.

Later in the auction, the incomplete *Golden Jade Flying Scripture of the Eight Realms of Truth* alone sold for a staggering 1,150,000 Spiritual Jade.

As for the *Night Illuminating Nine Heavens Soul-Seeking Immortality Technique*, it was a Ghost Cultivation Technique and thus rather niche, with far less demand. Even with Fairy Tao Yao’s silver tongue constantly goading several Core Formation Masters into bidding, it only fetched 80,000 Spiritual Jade.

After buying the two Cultivation Techniques, Du Youqian still had enough left over to compete for the Nascent Soul Spiritual Object.

However, he only managed to make a single bid before the price soared beyond his means.

’These Cultivators from the Eastern and Southern Domains are all absurdly wealthy...’

Some of those Cultivators were acting as agents for factions of the Demon Race.

Members of the Demon Race were not welcome in this Oasis.

If they wanted to participate in the auction, they either had to swallow their pride like Sha You and sneak in under the guise of being a Human Race pet...

...or find an agent to bid for them.

But sometimes these agents couldn’t fully grasp their clients’ intentions. Or perhaps they were simply too lazy to try and save their clients’ money. Plus, it was difficult to ask for instructions in real time.

As a result, they often drove the prices of precious materials and Treasures needed by the Demon Race to astronomical heights.

However, after seeing Du Youqian fail in his bid for the Nascent Soul Spiritual Object, the bearded man stroked his beard again and mused, "I actually happen to have a spare Nascent Soul Spiritual Object... If you’re in urgent need, fellow Cultivator, and the price is right, I wouldn’t be against parting with it."

Du Youqian was already numb to it.

’Do you just happen to have everything I want?’

He really wanted to pull out some yarrow stalks right then and there to perform a divination and figure out this bearded man’s background.

But for now, passing up a good deal was something he would never do.

So he asked politely, "How much Spiritual Jade?"

"We can talk!" The bearded Cultivator smiled slightly. "250,000 Spiritual Jade."

Du Youqian did a quick calculation. If he collected the payment from the goods he’d sold, he would have just enough to cover it.

He glanced back at the auction stage. Fairy Tao Yao, with a charming smile, would offer a bit of praise for one bidder and a slight jab at another, effortlessly pushing the price of the Nascent Soul Spiritual Object up to 350,000 Spiritual Jade.

A Nascent Soul Spiritual Object, while precious, was still no match for a "Scripture"-grade Cultivation Technique.

A Nascent Soul Spiritual Object could only help one person attempt Nascent Soul Formation, and it didn’t even guarantee success.

A "Scripture"-grade Cultivation Technique, however, was the foundation of a Sect, enabling it to continuously produce Nascent Soul and even Divinity Transformation Cultivators!

Du Youqian gained a whole new appreciation for the value of the Cultivation Techniques he had plundered from Momenan.

So he didn’t haggle and accepted the offer.

At the same time, he secretly committed Fairy Tao Yao’s name to memory. ’In the future, I’ll be sure to give a wide berth to any auction house where she’s present.’

’She’s too damn good at hyping up the atmosphere and inflating prices!’

From this point on, the auction held nothing more for Du Youqian.

Even if more good things came up, he was completely tapped out.

For once, he was in a leisurely mood, watching as Fairy Tao Yao skillfully sold item after item for exorbitant prices. From a spectator’s perspective, he could truly appreciate her methods.

Sha You, on the other hand, had long since lost its patience, begging Du Youqian hundreds of times to take out the key so it could admire it.

Du Youqian seized the opportunity, demanding that it promise to let him give it a good petting every time they met from now on.

Left with no choice, Sha You agreed to this "humiliating treaty that surrendered its sovereignty"... though it was secretly thrilled.

Du Youqian’s fox-petting skills were truly world-class!

The fine skills he had honed petting cats back on Earth had not been lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~

When the auction concluded, Du Youqian paid the promised commission to the bearded man, finalized the exchange for the Cultivation Techniques and the Nascent Soul Spiritual Object, and finally returned to his rented cave mansion with an empty Storage Treasure Pouch, feeling both pained and pleased.

The bearded man, meanwhile, returned directly to the Qingxu Commerce Association’s headquarters. He walked into a small courtyard, sat down at a stone table under a tree, and took a gourd and a Cyan Vine Wine Cup from his Storage Treasure Pouch, then began to pour himself a drink.

After a moment, Fairy Tao Yao drifted in, sat down directly in front of him, snatched the cup he had just filled, and downed it in one gulp, smacking her lips with an unsatisfied air.

The bearded man clicked his tongue in distaste, then took out another translucent, jade-like cup and continued pouring for himself. "The auction’s over. Why are you still keeping up that appearance?"

Fairy Tao Yao’s smile was as lovely as a flower. "Because it’s beautiful! Don’t you like it?"

The bearded man grimaced. "It gives me the creeps. Stop talking to me like that."

Fairy Tao Yao chuckled, and with a slight shimmer, "she" transformed into a handsome man with sharp brows, bright eyes, and a majestic bearing.

The bearded man let out a sigh of relief. "Much easier on the eyes. Seeing you disguised as Fairy Tao Yao really gives me goosebumps."

"What do you mean, ’disguised’?" the handsome man retorted sarcastically. "Fairy Tao Yao is also me. I merely used the *Nine Yin Nine Yang Ten Thousand Transformations Hidden Heaven Technique* to alter my appearance and aura. What’s the essential difference? You can’t even see through this. No wonder you’re stuck at the Third Transition."

"I’m not going to argue with you about this. I have my own path of Cultivation. You wouldn’t understand." The bearded man leisurely continued to drink by himself.

After a moment, he frowned. "There’s something I don’t get. Why did we go to all the trouble of restocking Su Miao Master’s Cave Mansion and putting all that Inheritance and those Treasures back? We made over a million Spiritual Jade from the keys, but the cost was also high. It’s just not profitable."

"Who knows? I heard it was Shami True Monarch’s idea. If you’ve got the guts, go ask Shami True Monarch," the handsome man said with a chuckle.

The bearded man shivered and shook his head emphatically. "Forget it, forget it. If I don’t know, I don’t know. What does it matter? Life is finite, but the Dao is infinite. Who can be without questions?"

"You’re so scared you’re spouting nonsense."

The two continued to drink. Suddenly, the handsome man said, "I heard you were called over to act as a guide for someone."

"Yeah. Making money is nothing to be ashamed of," the bearded man said with a hiccup.

"I didn’t say it was. I heard you procured a key to Su Miao Master’s Cave Mansion and sold it to your client?"

The bearded man put down his cup, somewhat puzzled. "Yes. Was I not supposed to sell it?"

A mysterious smile spread across the handsome man’s face. "No, it’s nothing. You can sell it."

"As long as it’s fine to sell," the bearded man said nonchalantly, "I also sold him a copy of the *Golden Jade Flying Scripture of the Eight Realms of Truth* and the *Night Illuminating Nine Heavens Soul-Seeking Immortality Technique*. The main thing is, I liked the guy, so I sold them. You’d have to be an idiot to turn down money. Oh, but I only sold the incomplete versions, not the full ones."

"It’s fine, it’s fine. A good sale." The handsome man took another drink and didn’t bring up the subject again.