Chapter 138 - 133: The Auction Begins, 4 Parties Watching

Chapter 138: Chapter 133: The Auction Begins, 4 Parties Watching

CLANG!

In Bishui City, the bell signifying the start of the auction rang out within the Treasure Pavilion.

The entire city instantly sprang to life. Large numbers of burly, vigorous men emerged from various manors and restaurants, traveling either in small groups of two or three or in large parties of dozens.

Their destination was none other than the Treasure Pavilion!

Naturally, the Qin family’s convoy was among them. Qin Wenyuan, Qin Zhengyuan, and Qin Mohe led the way, with a massive procession of the family’s elites following closely behind.

Amidst the crowd, Qin Yu was looking around.

Through the reconnaissance units of the Insect Swarm, he had a good grasp of every prominent powerhouse in the entire city.

However, they were only ordinary units after all. Unless a target actively released their aura, it was impossible to confirm their true strength. For instance, the Insect Swarm had not detected the Primordial Mansion Realm expert hidden within the Treasure Pavilion.

At this moment, there were likely many more people in the crowd hiding their strength, and there were undoubtedly secret agents of the Blood Demon Sect among them!

The Treasure Pavilion held two auctions every year. One took place in mid-March, and the other in mid-October. Each time, the majority of the experts from the surrounding cities would gather to participate in this grand event. Usually, only powerhouses from the immediate vicinity of Bishui City would attend. But this time, the appearance of the Five Poison Sect Inheritance Token had attracted experts from more than half of Yunlong County.

Inside the Bishui Pavilion’s auction hall.

The overall layout of the auction hall was circular. The display stage was in the center, surrounded by a vast number of seats—easily over a thousand. On the second floor of the hall were over a dozen VIP boxes prepared for prestigious families and factions.

As groups of people entered, the hall quickly became packed with a massive crowd. Qi and Blood Martial Artists, and even Qi Sea Realm existences, gathered together in small clusters.

"Elder Qin, this way, please!"

As soon as the Qin family’s group entered the auction, a server from the Treasure Pavilion greeted them and guided them to a VIP box on the second floor.

This scene caught the attention of quite a few people. The reputation of the ’Celestial Wind’ Qin family was extremely resounding in Yunlong County. At this moment, however, many people looked at them with peculiar glints in their eyes.

Although the Qin family was strong, the news that their ancestor was nearing the end of his lifespan had already spread. Naturally, no one dared to touch a family overseen by a Primordial Mansion Realm expert. But what if the Celestial Wind Ancestor died? They would become a prime piece of meat! Everyone wanted to take a bite!

"The Qin family stole my Zhang family’s Flying Ship. I’ll make you spit it back out ten times, a hundred times over! So, is this the genius the Qin family has been secretly cultivating? Keep a close eye on him, lest he suddenly die!"

A sinister voice suddenly drifted over as a pair of eyes glared fiercely at Qin Yu.

Zhang Lingyue!

Qin Yu turned his head and, as expected, saw the Zhang family’s group entering the auction. Leading them was a purple-robed old man with a ruthless expression, and right behind him was Zhang Lingyue, staring daggers at Qin Yu.

Over the past two days, they had been investigating Qin Yu’s background, but they had come up empty-handed. This Qin family genius, who went by the alias ’Qin Mu’ publicly, seemed to have popped out of nowhere. The same went for the twenty-odd Qi and Blood Martial Artists from the Cyan Peak County branch, the Thunder Roc, and everything else. It was as if they had all appeared overnight.

Coupled with the deferential attitude of Qin Wenyuan and the others, the Zhang family had instantly concluded that Qin Yu was undoubtedly a hidden genius raised by the Qin family.

"Just your Zhang family? A piece of trash at the Qi Sea Realm who was defeated in a single punch by someone in the Qi and Blood Realm?"

Before Qin Yu could speak, Qin Zhengyuan sneered. His gaze swept over the pale-faced Zhang Pojun. In the past, this junior had been incredibly arrogant, but now, his eyes were unfocused. It was obvious that the blow to his confidence had been severe.

The poisoning was a minor issue. Although the toxicity of Qin Yu’s Wind and Thunder Poison Dragon Technique was fierce, given the Zhang family’s wealth, they certainly wouldn’t lack detoxifying treasures. However, being defeated by Qin Yu in an instant had dealt a devastating blow to his confidence.

As his words fell, nearly every pair of eyes in the auction hall and the second-floor VIP boxes turned toward Qin Yu.

The news of him easily crushing a Qi Sea Realm expert with his Qi and Blood cultivation in broad daylight had already spread far and wide. However, Qin Yu hadn’t shown his face outside for the past two days, so this was the first time the vast majority of people were actually seeing him.

"So this is the hidden genius of the Qin family?"

"They really hid him well. If the Five Poison Sect Inheritance Token hadn’t happened to emerge in Bishui City this time, he probably wouldn’t have been exposed."

"Defeating the Qi Sea Realm with just Qi and Blood! With this kid, perhaps the Qin family can produce another Primordial Mansion Realm expert."

"It’s going to be hard! His Talent is good, but he might not get the chance to grow up."

Whispers drifted through the hall as everyone looked at Qin Yu. Some also cast mocking glances at Zhang Pojun. Clearly, in their eyes, the title of the Zhang family’s number one genius no longer matched reality.

"He only relied on a sneak attack with highly toxic poison! That’s just a dirty trick!" Zhang Lingyue’s expression changed as he stubbornly defended his family’s honor.

He knew perfectly well in his heart whether it was actually due to the poison, but at this moment, he refused to show weakness even in defeat.

"Alright! We will talk after the auction is over."

The leading old man of the Zhang family cast a cold glance at Qin Yu but said nothing more. He directly turned around, leading his group away into one of the VIP boxes.

"Let’s go," Elder Zhang Wenyuan also spoke up, and the group finally turned and left, also entering a VIP box.

"That leader is the Zhang family’s Grand Elder, Zhang Lingshan. His cultivation is at the Peak of the Qi Sea Realm, and his strength is extremely formidable. He definitely has his eye on you," Qin Wenyuan said, looking at Qin Yu with a stern expression.

"Rest assured, Elder. I will definitely be careful."

Qin Yu nodded. Of course he knew this. Revealing his Talent naturally had its pros and cons, and being targeted by enemies was inevitable. Let alone the Zhang family’s Grand Elder, it wouldn’t be impossible for the Zhang family’s ancestor to strike at him. Qin Yu was already mentally prepared.

Meanwhile, as Qin Yu and the others took their seats, a group of people in another VIP box was also looking in the direction of the Qin family.

It was none other than the Demon Suppression General of the Demon Suppression Bureau, Chen Jianqiu.

"The Qin family’s intelligence is truly astonishing. First, they discovered three strongholds of the Blood Demon Sect, and now they even know exactly what is happening in the Bishui River! Have our personnel been arranged properly? We will use this opportunity to wipe them all out in one fell swoop!" Chen Jianqiu’s voice carried a hint of coldness.

To think the Blood Demon Sect actually dared to use an entire Prefecture City for a blood sacrifice—they were incredibly brazen!

What horrified him even more was that when he learned the Bishui River Dragon King had appeared and laid down Arrays, he had immediately contacted the General of Yunlong County! The General’s reaction was visibly much more intense than he had anticipated. There seemed to be some other hidden secret in Bishui City; it was his first time seeing the General so tense.

"Everything has been arranged. We have already dispatched experts to crucial positions at all three Arrays to destroy them instantly. The Evil Suppression Bureau Army has also entered the city under the guise of maintaining order for the auction," Situ Ming reported respectfully.

"Good! We will proceed according to the plan. I’m afraid many among these people are hidden agents of the Blood Demon Sect. Once we make a move, chaos is bound to break out here!"

Chen Jianqiu’s gaze swept over each and every Qi Sea Powerhouse in the auction hall. The fact that the Blood Demon Sect had been able to lay low within the Great Wei Court for so long naturally meant they possessed unique methods. Their ability to conceal their auras was absolutely top-notch. Unless they attacked, it was extremely difficult to discern their true identities.

If the Bishui River Dragon King was taking action, the Blood Demon Sect experts secretly colluding with him had to be at least at the Primordial Mansion Realm, and there was a high probability that they were hiding right among the crowd before his eyes! Even if they weren’t in the hall, they were definitely lurking somewhere around Bishui City.

However, as his gaze swept across the room, he couldn’t find anything unusual. Ultimately, his eyes fell upon the members of the Qin family.

He had some impression of the Qin family, specifically the Cyan Peak County branch. When his youngest disciple, Li Wanqing, was slaying the Snake Demon Li Tianyi, she had encountered a young man from the Qin family. Not only did he possess a Mastery over Beast Taming Techniques, but he was also quite skilled at archery. Achieving Great Success in the Microcosm at such a young age—when she had told him about it, he was quite intrigued.

But looking at the scene before him, if there truly was such a genius, there was a high probability he had been nurtured by this main Qin family. Taking him in as a disciple would probably be somewhat difficult. The claim that the boy was heavily injured was likely just an excuse to politely decline.

The auction hall was teeming with a massive crowd. Over a hundred Qi Sea Realm experts and thousands of Qi and Blood Martial Artists were present.

"Everyone!"

The entire auction hall quickly fell silent.

SWISH!

On the central display stage, the amiable Shopkeeper Zhou walked onto the Dao Platform.

"This is our Treasure Pavilion’s biannual auction. I welcome you all."

With that said, he waved his hand. Immediately, phantom images of various items surfaced around the central stage, drawing everyone’s gaze before vanishing a moment later.

"There are a total of ninety-two items in this auction, thirty-two of which are Beta-level treasures," Shopkeeper Zhou said with a smile. "Perhaps the precious treasures you all need are right here. I won’t say much more. I officially announce that this auction begins now!

"The first auction item is two vats of Hundred Fruit Brew. Its flavor is sweet and mellow. It was brewed by the Mountain Demon Race in the Wilderness Mountain Range using various Spirit Fruits and Treasure Medicines through a special method.

"Its nature is incredibly pure and harmonious, containing rich Spiritual Qi. It can be directly consumed and refined, with effects comparable to top-tier Elixirs.

"Even ordinary people can drink it to strengthen their bones and muscles, prolonging their lives and promoting longevity without any side effects. The starting price is three million taels of silver or items of equivalent value."

As soon as Shopkeeper Zhou finished speaking, several burly men immediately carried the two vats of Hundred Fruit Brew from the side of the hall to the center, allowing every powerhouse to see them clearly.

Inside their VIP box, the Qin family members looked at the auction item. Qin Zhengyuan couldn’t help but smile. "Yu, you were the one who put this up for auction, right? This kind of Spirit Wine is extremely rare. These two vats of fine wine can easily compare to ordinary Beta-level treasures."

"I was lucky enough to get it after wiping out a group of Mountain Demons in the mountains. If you like it, Elder, I’ll give you a jug when we return. I still have half a vat left," Qin Yu said with a smile.

Although they hadn’t spent much time together, he knew that the Fourth Elder was a lover of good wine.

"Excellent! Being able to drink a jug of such fine wine would be a true delight!" Qin Zhengyuan laughed heartily.

"In this auction, besides the grand finale item—the Five Poison Sect Inheritance Token—the Treasure Pavilion should be bringing out quite a few good things. Keep an eye out for anything you like! I’ll buy it for you as a welcoming gift."

"Thank you, Elder!" Qin Yu’s eyes lit up.

During their conversation, the two vats of Hundred Fruit Brew had already been sold for a staggering price of eight million taels!

There was no shortage of wine lovers in this world. Moreover, its medicinal effects were mild and comparable to top-tier Elixirs, allowing even ordinary people to consume it. For those ordinary folks whose lifespans were nearing their end, it was an invaluable treasure for prolonging their lives. Naturally, it sold at a significant premium.

Following that, auction items were sold one after another.

"The fifth auction item is a Gamma-level Upper Grade Treasure Sword. The starting price is two hundred thousand taels of silver."

Qin Yu listened closely from the VIP box but didn’t make a single bid.

Finally—

"The thirty-eighth auction item is a set of Beta-level Flying Sabers—Flowing Light! The starting price is three million taels of silver!"

As this announcement rang out, Qin Yu, who had remained calm the entire time, suddenly got a gleam in his eyes. On the auction stage, a set of twelve Flying Sabers shaped like Willow Leaf Sabers was brought out.

"Flying Sabers? If I pair them with my Divine Thought, they might prove to be incredibly useful!"