Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

Everyone turned to look at the corner the voice had come from. It was astonishing—was there really someone with that kind of wealth in the main hall? Heavens, two hundred thousand gold coins! He couldn’t be talking about copper coins, could he?

In a corner of the hall sat a person wearing a black robe and a black conical hat. No one was even willing to sit near this strangely dressed fellow. Judging from the voice, he sounded like an old man.

As all eyes fell upon him, the man in black remained unmoved, giving off an aura that warned strangers to keep their distance.

Even Huangpu Cangsong was stunned for a moment before he recovered and continued, "We have a bid of two hundred thousand gold coins! It seems the value of this White Jade Red-eyed Python has been recognized by all! Any higher bids?"

In the private room with Shangguan Yutong was a beautiful middle-aged woman. A Black Swan gown hugged her fit, voluptuous figure. Her hair, like a black waterfall, was gathered into a chic bun, revealing a long, ivory-white neck. A faint blush graced her cheeks, and her gentle smile was as mesmerizing as a dream.

She said to Shangguan Yutong, "Three hundred thousand. If someone bids higher, we’ll let it go."

"But, Master..." Shangguan Yutong put on a pouting, little-girl expression as she faced the beautiful woman. "I want the big snake, too!" she whined.

The beautiful woman gently ruffled Shangguan Yutong’s hair and sighed. "This is for that boy in your class, isn’t it? We don’t even know if he’s dead or alive. Besides, an elixir refined from White Jade Red-Eyed Python Essence Blood can’t mend a Celestial Vein. Why insist on this?"

Shangguan Yutong stubbornly replied, "Master, he’s a man of great potential, and I admire him. Plus, I’m good sisters with his older sister. Master, please, won’t you help me? Please?"

Worn down by her pleading, the beautiful woman finally relented. "Five hundred thousand, then. That’s my absolute limit. No matter how rare it is, it’s not worth that much. The bidder opposite us is likely from the Royal Family... probably the Crown Prince. Hmph. He’s quite the schemer. He’s using filial piety for His Majesty as an excuse, but he just wants to refine elixirs to raise a private army!"

Shangguan Yutong affectionately pressed her cheek against the beautiful woman’s and giggled. "I couldn’t care less about them!"

The beautiful woman watched Shangguan Yutong with eyes full of love, but sighed inwardly. ’The Crown Prince has repeatedly expressed his desire for his son to marry Shangguan Yutong, but this girl, Yutong, can’t stand the Grand Imperial Prince to save her life. There’s nothing to be done. Don’t I look down on the Royal Family myself? If not, wouldn’t I be the Crown Princess Consort today?’ At this thought, she gave a self-deprecating smile and placed the veil back over her face. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Two hundred and fifty thousand!" The young man’s voice called out again from the second-floor private room, perfectly calm. No one could detect a trace of emotion in it, as if two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins were no more than twenty-five copper coins in his eyes.

Ye Wen Ni glanced at Ling Xiao out of the corner of her eye and saw that he was being even more ridiculous. He had dumped out all the roots and herbs they had gathered on their trip to the snow mountain—none of which she recognized—and was now meticulously sorting them into categories. She couldn’t help but snap, "Could you please pay attention? Look, our prey is already up to two hundred and fifty thousand..."

Even as she spoke, the mysterious man in black from the main hall raised the price to two hundred and eighty thousand gold coins!

Without even looking up, Ling Xiao said, "It’s *my* prey."

"You...! I’m the one who saved your life! If I hadn’t taken pity on you, you would’ve died long ago, you ungrateful jerk!" Ye Wen Ni was furious. ’What a thankless bastard,’ she cursed inwardly. ’If I’d known, I would’ve just left him on the Holy Mountain to be eaten by Magical Beasts!’

But then she deflated. ’If I’d done that, I never would have made it out alive.’ The Magical Beasts on Vendia Snow Mountain were too terrifying. She wouldn’t set foot on that land again for anything in the world.

Ling Xiao paid her no mind, concentrating on sorting the herbs. Many of them were extremely precious in his eyes and needed to be stored separately, including the fourteen remaining Purple Blue Fruits. ’One is enough to refine a Foundation Establishment Pill,’ he thought. As for the rest, he hadn’t decided what to do with them yet. ’Fortunately, Purple Blue Fruits can be stored for over a year, so there’s no hurry. I definitely won’t be selling them at auction, though.’

The price continued to escalate between the man in black and the young man in the second-floor private room. Finally, at three hundred and fifty thousand gold coins, the man in black in the main hall looked up. He had an utterly unremarkable face, the kind that would disappear in a crowd, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He shot a cold glare at the second floor, then fell silent, abandoning the contest.

By now, Huangpu Cangsong was ecstatic. Truthfully, there were very few things that could stir a man like him anymore. Though he usually seemed like a greedy auction house Shopkeeper, Huangpu Cangsong was actually a very proud man. He had only rushed over that day because he heard the young miss was personally attending to the reception; otherwise, people would rarely ever catch a glimpse of this master appraiser and master forger of Enchanted Weapons.

The auction house would collect a five percent commission from this sale, but that wasn’t important. The Huangpu Clan was not lacking for money. This, however, would be an immense boon to his personal reputation and that of the Huangpu Clan.

Even a man of his mental fortitude couldn’t help but revel in the moment. ’For an Advanced Auctioneer, to personally auction off such a Top-Grade Treasure... this is the greatest happiness!’

"Four hundred thousand!" Finally, just as Huangpu Cangsong was making his second call, Shangguan Yutong’s cool voice drifted out.

The crowd below was instantly energized, their excitement palpable. Four hundred thousand gold coins! An absolutely astronomical price! The entire Imperial Capital would be in an uproar tomorrow. It didn’t matter who had hunted the Magical Beast; the Huangpu Clan’s auction house would once again be the talk of the town!

The expression of the richly-robed young man on the second floor changed. He had already recognized the voice, but this White Jade Red-eyed Python was equally important to him. As a member of the Royal Family, he would not abandon his ambitions for a woman. Gritting his teeth, he yelled, "Five hundred thousand!"

By this point, the faces in the crowd had gone numb. Some of the minor nobles who were usually quite pleased with themselves were now utterly stunned. They finally understood the saying that there are always heavens beyond the heavens. ’I used to think I was rich,’ they lamented, ’but compared to them, I’m just a beggar!’

Shangguan Yutong’s face went pale with anger. She shot a fierce glare in the direction of the bid and fell silent. The beautiful woman sighed softly, taking her disciple’s chilly hand in her own. "We’ll find a way," she said.

Shangguan Yutong’s eyes lit up. She said sweetly, "I knew you would have a way, Master!"

The beautiful woman shook her head with a wry smile. "Don’t be so quick to flatter me. I’m talking about a Medicated Bath! We don’t even know if your precious student is willing to take such a life-threatening risk!"

Shangguan Yutong’s expression clouded over. She shook her head. "He’d be better off living as a normal person than going through that!"

The beautiful woman nodded. "In truth, being able to live as an ordinary person can be a blessing in itself."

Huangpu Cangsong excitedly announced that the White Jade Red-eyed Python belonged to the gentleman on the second floor. Thunderous applause erupted from below. Everyone felt today’s auction had been absolutely thrilling, a truly exhilarating experience. It was likely that a new, intense wave of adventuring spirit would sweep through the Imperial Capital for a long time to come!

Someone then thought of the mysterious man in black and turned to see his reaction, only to find that the corner seat was already empty.