Chapter Sixty-Five: The Woman Zhiqing
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Sensing he had misspoken, the head of the Wu family quickly forced a smile to smooth things over.
Though they all knew the massacre had been orchestrated by the An family, the utter annihilation of an entire lineage was a cruel affair, unsuited to be openly discussed.
For years, their families had waged both overt and covert battles, conducting their affairs in secrecy, never in the public eye.
Such things were best left unspoken, understood only among themselves.
Having received the confirmation they sought, they soon lost interest in lingering any longer.
“The City Lord’s manor has lorded over Dragon City for many years. It’s only fitting they finally received their just deserts...”
“We three juniors will take our leave now...”
They bowed respectfully to the Elder An, exchanged brief farewells with An Zhan and the others, and, still full of doubts, allowed their gaze to linger on Lin Cheng before they withdrew carefully from the room.
At that moment, Lin Cheng and the two young women were thoroughly absorbed in watching the floor below.
More and more people were trickling into the auction hall.
“Father...” Suddenly spotting a familiar figure, Qiu Yingying called out in delight.
Lin Cheng followed her gaze and, sure enough, saw Qiu Nan stepping into the hall.
Thump, thump, thump!
Like a startled deer, Qiu Yingying bounded down the stairs.
Lin Cheng shook his head with a smile, taking An’an by the hand as he followed.
“Brother Qiu, I didn’t expect to see you here as well...” Lin Cheng called out even before he drew near.
“Hahaha, Brother Lin! It’s been too long—I’ve missed our talks,” Qiu Nan replied, striding over with a hearty laugh.
Er...
Lin Cheng paused in surprise.
Beside him, Yingying and An’an exchanged odd looks as they regarded Qiu Nan.
---
The atmosphere in the fifth-floor private box was lively and convivial.
Everyone present was an old acquaintance, so a round of warm greetings was inevitable.
Qiu Nan said, “Let me make it clear: today I’m just here to join the fun. I won’t be getting involved in the bidding...”
“Uncle Qiu, did you come empty-handed?” An’an teased mischievously.
Her words set everyone off in laughter.
“This little imp...”
“To tell the truth, thanks to Brother Lin, I now possess a profound-grade cultivation technique...”
“And it’s even a mid-grade one. I’m here today just to enjoy myself, and also to thank Brother Lin again...”
As he spoke, Qiu Nan looked over at Lin Cheng.
Hearing this, An Zhan and the others were visibly astonished.
Who would have thought Lin Cheng would so casually bestow a profound-grade technique?
But remembering his status as a member of the Qingyang Sect, they were soon at ease.
A profound-grade technique might be a prized treasure to them, but within the Qingyang Sect, it was probably nothing special.
“Brother Qiu, you’re at it again...” Lin Cheng replied with a hint of exasperation.
An Zhan looked at Qiu Nan enviously and said, “Old Qiu, you truly are blessed...”
Qiu Nan shot him a glance. “As if you haven’t benefited from Brother Lin as well...”
“I heard from Yingying that the Qiu family is no more... Dragon City will be the An family’s domain from now on.”
“Nothing escapes you, Old Qiu...” An Zhan replied with a chuckle.
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...
As the group laughed and chatted, the lights in the auction hall suddenly dimmed.
A ripple of surprise spread through the audience.
All around the hall, mysterious ripples of an array appeared, transforming the surroundings in an instant.
A stream of stars swirled into view, and now and then, a meteor seemed to streak past, creating the illusion that they stood beneath the very heavens.
Everyone stared in astonishment, motionless and awed.
Even those in the upper boxes were transfixed.
Clearly, none had ever witnessed such a spectacle before.
Click, click!
A faint sound echoed out.
A cold beam of starlight illuminated the auction platform.
A woman descended slowly from above, feather-light as she alighted on the stage.
She wore a teal qipao, the high collar accentuating her slender neck, barely revealed, lips curved in a gentle smile.
Her brilliant eyes shone with the luster of pearls and jade, clear as a mountain spring beneath the ice, untouched by the dust of the world.
Her lips were rosy and dewy, her hands white and slender, the cuffs embroidered with elegant orchids that made her ten fingers appear all the more delicate.
Through the high slits of her qipao, a hint of fair skin flickered into view.
Bathed in starlight, she was like a celestial maiden from the ninth heaven, ethereal and dreamlike, the focus of all attention.
Beautiful.
The only word for her was beautiful.
Utterly exquisite.
Her pure innocence mingled with a hint of seduction, and from the moment she appeared, her unique charm captivated the entire hall.
Even Lin Cheng found himself swallowing unconsciously.
Not until both young women pinched his waist did he return to his senses.
Ahem!
Flushed under their gazes, Lin Cheng rubbed his nose and coughed lightly.
---
The woman in the qipao paid no mind to the stares, as if long accustomed to such attention.
“I am Zhiqing, the auctioneer for this event. On behalf of the Taibai Pavilion, I thank you all for attending...”
“Without further delay, let us begin...”
Her clear voice rang out, drawing everyone back from their reverie.
Now the entire hall waited in rapt silence for what Zhiqing would say next; not a soul dared speak.
Even the most boorish and lustful men in the audience did not dare show the slightest disrespect, evidently holding the Taibai Pavilion in deep awe.
“The first item up for auction: Celestial Jade Ribbon, a lower-grade spirit artifact...”
An uproar swept the crowd!
To think the very first lot was a lower-grade spirit artifact—everyone was shocked.
“The starting bid is one thousand spirit stones...”
The moment her words fell, the hall erupted.
“Fairy, I offer one thousand one hundred...”
“I bid one thousand three hundred...”
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“One thousand four hundred.”
...
Watching the eager bidding below, Qiu Nan and the others in the fifth-floor box could not help their amazement.
The true strength of the Taibai Pavilion was growing ever more inscrutable.
Their families possessed only one or two spirit artifacts at best, yet for the Pavilion, the very first item was a lower-grade spirit artifact.
In mere moments, the bidding had driven the price up to one thousand eight hundred spirit stones.
Hearing such offers, many people shook their heads in resignation, realizing they stood no chance.
A hush fell upon the audience.
The highest bid came from bidder number 18 in a second-floor box.
Before entering, everyone had been assigned a paddle with a bidding number; as long as they called out a bid, the auctioneer would know their identity.
“Celestial Jade Ribbon, lower-grade spirit artifact, one thousand eight hundred spirit stones, going twice...”
Seeing that no one else was bidding, Zhiqing was about to bring down the gavel.
“I bid two thousand spirit stones...”
A melodious voice rang out from the fifth-floor box.
The sound echoed through the hall, and everyone gazed upward, though none could see what transpired within the box.
Lin Cheng turned to Qiu Yingying and asked, “Yingying, do you like this spirit artifact?”
“I feel the Celestial Jade Ribbon suits me quite well... and besides, you’ve given me plenty of spirit stones,” she replied, looking at Lin Cheng with gentle affection.
“If you like it, then win it. In the future, I’ll get you an even higher-grade artifact,” Lin Cheng promised.
Yingying smiled sweetly. “Thank you, Brother Lin.”
As expected, when the fifth floor bid two thousand spirit stones, the second-floor bidder hesitated, then withdrew.
“Congratulations to bidder number 66 on the fifth floor for winning this lot...”
“After the auction, the item will be delivered to you.”
With that, Zhiqing moved on to the next item.
“The second lot: Three Spiritbreak Pills...”
What!
Three Spiritbreak Pills!
Many in the upper boxes shot to their feet.
The crowd below sat dumbstruck.
Last time, when a single Spiritbreak Pill unexpectedly appeared, many were caught off guard and the An family had snatched it up in a flash.
The storm that caused behind the scenes was immense.
Now, the second item was three Spiritbreak Pills—a veritable bombshell.
Obtaining these three pills meant an eighty percent chance of raising three new Spirit Realm powerhouses for one’s family.
How could anyone not be stirred?
All the major factions had come well prepared; the coming contest would be a fierce one.
“Three Spiritbreak Pills, starting at five thousand spirit stones...”
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