There are certain unwritten rules in auction houses. Usually, the VIPs would let the people in the audience bid as they liked. Once the price was almost settled, they would throw out a much larger bid and scare away any potential competitor. Doing so was a means of reinforcing their superior and aloof status: they wouldn’t mingle with the average peasant. Furthermore, doing so would avoid cutting into the auction house’s profits. The whole reason for holding an auction was to get a higher-than-market price for their product. If you were to bid immediately and scare off all the competing bidders by virtue of your status, the auction house would no longer be able to do business.
Most auction houses were supported by influential organizations. Behavior like this would inevitably lead to grudges and ill will.
That was why some of the martial artists were quite upset with Wun Fan’s behavior. They just didn’t dare say anything in response. However, they were mocking Wun Fan viciously in their own minds, believing that he had sullied his own dignity by doing something like that.
However, Wun Fan wouldn’t care. Wasn’t it better to get something he wanted for the least amount of money possible? Dignity? Status? Reputation? All of that was worthless. Money was the only practical thing to think about.
“Heh…” Wun Fan smiled like a fool in response to Chan Chi Yuet’s assault. He knew what he was doing wasn’t too nice, so he just let Chan Chi Yuet vent her anger on him.
Why do all women like to pinch the meat between men’s ribs?
“I don’t care! You must wait for at least three bids before you press the button next time, or I won’t let you off easy,” Chan Chi Yuet flashed a fierce look and channeled soul energy to her finger, “I’m sure you don’t want to have a taste of the secret technique of the Chan Clan that we only teach to the women. We call it the Chan Ballcrushing Finger.”
“Mm, yes, ma’am,” Wun Fan felt a chill run through his crotch when he saw how serious Chan Chi Yuet was. He couldn’t help but place one hand over his crotch and nod in agreement. Chan Chi Yuet scoffed angrily. She finally simmered down a little when Wun Fan agreed to do as she said. Her gaze returned to the stage.
Naturally, Chan Goh Shue had no idea what was happening in the private room. His responsibility was hosting the auction. He had the servants bring out the next item and introduced it, “Item No.45, the entire horn of a one-horned icebull. Starting price is 990 gold coins, minimum bid increment is fifty gold coins.”
Wun Fan turned the page of the book to the next one.
When the horn of the icebull falls, one square mile of warm springs stall.
The one-horned icebull is only found on the slope of snowy mountains. These creatures are powerful and change their horn once every three years.
It is said that their horn is filled with the power of frost, enough to freeze over a warm spring one mile wide.
It is used for similar purposes as the blood of the four-taloned nightfrost.
Market price: 1,600 gold coins
The audience raised their heads. Seeing no response from the private room, they started bidding, “1,300.”
“1,450.”
“1,550.”
Seeing as three people had bid, Wun Fan immediately pressed the button. This time, Chan Chi Yuet did not glare angrily at him or even say anything.
“Haha, the most esteemed guest upstairs is offering 1,600 gold coins. Is anyone else bidding higher?” Chan Goh Shue laughed and asked the audience. However, judging from their expression, their answer was obvious.
“Congratulations, sir!”
Wun Fan couldn’t help but squeal in excitement when he heard that he had won the item. Chan Chi Yuet couldn’t help but mock him, “Who could possibly dare to contest the great Sir Wun once he has thrown out his bid? I don’t even know what you’re so excited about. You knew this would happen. That was why you asked me if there was anyone else in private rooms besides you.”
Wun Fan pretended not to hear her. The best thing to do now was to pretend like he couldn’t hear anything.
Several other things caused a commotion in the auction hall after this. In particular, item No. 58 was a weapon that resulted in a very competitive round of bidding. Everyone knew that all weapons and tools were divided into four categories: Mortal Weapons, Earthly Weapons, Heavenly Weapons and Sacred Tools. That particular weapon was an Earthly Weapon-grade longsword. The longsword possessed an aura of justice and dignity. Wun Ching Yeung wanted to purchase it as a gift for the third elder, as it would make him considerably stronger.
However, after a dozen rounds of bidding, its price had climbed to a stunning 2,900 gold coins. Wun Ching Yeung thought that that price was unreasonable and stopped bidding. He still had the money the great elder gave him, but he couldn’t waste that money as he wished. As such, there was nothing he could do.
“Item No. 59,” Chan Goh Shue cleared his throat and clapped his hands. A dozen guards suddenly emerged from backstage, “Ladies and gentlemen, items No. 59 and No. 60 are especially valuable and this is our auction houses’ usual method of handling such valuable items. I hope you will overlook the guards.”
Indeed, everyone knew that this was how Thousand Relics Auction usually did things and wasn’t surprised by this at all.
“Item No. 59, the Green Sun Cauldron of the Fire Beast,” Chan Goh Shue slowly explained, “This cauldron was forged at high noon, with bronze and the bones of three fire magical beasts. It is extremely useful for concocting pills that are Yang*-aligned. Starting price is 2,000 gold coins, minimum bid increment is a hundred gold coins.”
“Hss…” Wun Fan had read the book and he knew this item was expensive, but he still couldn’t help but draw in a breath of cold air when he heard its actual starting price. Old Lei had reminded him earlier that a good cauldron was of utmost priority if he wanted to concoct high-Grade pills. After all, concocting pills without equipment like he did last night was very taxing on his soul energy. In the long term, that would be a burden on Wun Fan as well.
Yang is drawn from both heat and day, in bronze’s shadow the beasts stay.
Alchemy has no room to stray, without sun there is no clay.
It is said that this cauldron is made of the bones of three incredibly Yang-aligned magical beasts, along with bronze harvested from a mountain valley that receives bright sunlight most of the year.
These ingredients were forged together in a location and time where Yang's energy was at its peak. It is a combination of everything that gave birth to this cauldron.
It is a Grade Seven cauldron, which makes most Grade Seven pills a breeze to synthesize. It also has additional beneficial effects when used to concoct Yang-aligned pills.
Market price: 4,000 gold coins
Wun Fan immediately pressed the button once Chan Goh Shue was done speaking. The light in the private room lit up once again. Chan Goh Shue was a little dissatisfied to see this. He narrowed his eyes, “It seems like the person upstairs is in quite a rush, haha…”
This time, Wun Fan’s little trick no longer worked. Several bids were soon thrown out. After all, they might be able to use the cauldron, but they could purchase it and gift it to other alchemists to win their favor.
For the average martial artist, what they needed to concoct pills wasn’t ingredients, but favors! They would be able to obtain the pills they needed if they had favors with the correct people. As such, they wanted to obtain this cauldron, even at the risk of offending an ‘important person’ like Wun Fan.
“2,300 gold coins.”
“2,500.”
“3,000.”
“3,500.”
“4,100.”
The price had surged to 4,100 gold coins in a matter of a few bids. Wun Fan ignored the biting pain of spending that much gold and pressed the button again.
“Haha, 4,200 gold. Does anyone else want to outbid the most esteemed guest in the private room?” Chan Goh Shue nodded in satisfaction. This was a reasonable price for the item. He might be able to tolerate selling a few items at a discount to Wun Fan as a favor, but it was impossible to expect him to continue doing so.
Wun Fan’s fingers moved a little as he calculated the money he had. He had not even obtained any profits from the sale of the pills and he had already spent 7,050 gold coins. Wun Fan couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat at the thought of that number. If the Grade Six pills didn’t sell for enough later, he might not even have enough money to bring home with him.
Fortunately, consumables were always more expensive than regular items. Wun Fan felt a little more secure knowing that those four pills would sell for over ten thousand gold coins.
“Sold!”
Chan Goh Shue then took out four jade bottles and announced loudly, “I believe that everyone is here today for these four pills.”
The audience’s fiery gaze landed on Chan Goh Shue’s hand. It was obvious that what he said was exactly what everyone was thinking. They were here for those four pills.
“Martial to the mortal is an infinite ravine, let dust of Sixth Grade be your wings;
Frustrations of wounded meridians and bodily pain, relief from it a pill shall bring.”
“Many martial artists often find themselves wounded from time to time. And the most concerning injury to suffer of all has to be injuries of the meridians. The Pill of Meridian Fortification is a Grade Six Pill that can not only mend the injuries of the meridians, but also fortify them. It is an excellent medicine that all martial artists must have.”
“Let us waste time no further. The starting price for every bottle is 800 gold coins, minimum bid increment is 200 gold coins!”
The audience was prepared with their money, like butchers sharpening their knives in front of goats and pigs.268Please respect copyright.PENANALiAQJQAPr8