Chapter 080: Frantic Bidding
“It seems quite interesting. There’s indeed a gap between here and there,” Chen Ran said with a smile, listening to the man with the goatee’s simple description. “What kind of things can one generally buy at the auction house there?”
“Heh, actually, the rarity of the items there may not be as good as in the Imperial Capital. After all, those who live in the Imperial Capital are the truly wealthy and powerful, and they are definitely not short on money. But in Diya, known as the Demon Capital, you can buy anything you want as long as you have money, such as various interesting slaves, like elf, dwarf, and orc slaves. You can also buy some prohibited items. The forces in the Demon Capital are mixed, and the various factions are fighting fiercely, both openly and secretly. It’s very difficult to make a name for yourself there without some ability and strength. For example, if you have a good item to sell, and you don’t have anyone to look after you, you might be targeted in advance. It’s not impossible for someone to kill you for your goods.”
The man with the goatee rubbed the huge thumb ring on his finger and continued to explain, “The pressure of living in the Demon Capital is very high. Everyone wants to make a name for themselves there, but no one can predict if you will become a floating corpse feeding the fish by the sea the next day. But if you want to make money honestly, it’s very difficult to stand out there. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called the Demon Capital. It’s a place for chasing fame and fortune. But even so, people who yearn for it are still flocking to it. Although the proportion of people who can stand out is pitifully small, you also understand the inferiority of human nature. Everyone is willing to believe that they are the one who can make it.”
Chen Ran looked astonished. “It sounds very terrifying.”
“It’s not so bad. If you work honestly there and find a force that can protect you, and make a little money, there won’t be any big problems. But to live like that in the Demon Capital is not as good as living a peaceful life in a city with good security like Xilan City. It’s quite leisurely,” the man with the goatee said with a smile, looking at the various treasures displayed on the stage. “It’s hard to explain these things. You have to go there to truly experience the difference between the two places. If you want to stand out there, your methods must be ruthless, and you must be able to resist temptation and distinguish between gains and losses to live longer. Hehe, look at me, I’ve gone off on a tangent…”
Chen Ran was very grateful for the man with the goatee’s explanation. He felt that this man seemed to have some prestige in the Demon Capital. But that place was a bit too far for him, and it wasn’t the time to think about it so much. He wanted to see what price his two-handed sword could fetch.
The items on the stage were displayed one by one. The female host enthusiastically introduced each rare treasure. The prices of the items on the stage also gradually rose from a few thousand gold coins to tens of thousands, becoming more and more expensive. All kinds of ancestral treasures, precious jewelry, and famous equipment were fiercely bid on by the wealthy people in the audience. But in Chen Ran’s eyes, there was indeed a lack of a real highlight. And the man with the goatee next to Chen Ran had been crossing his legs, sipping the red wine poured by the waiters, looking bored.
However, Chen Ran’s moment finally arrived.
“Gentlemen, ladies, thank you very much for your support of this auction house. I’m sure many of you have already bought what you wanted. But the next item will be a blessing for all swordsman professions. Our last auction item this time is a two-handed sword, a veritable peerless divine weapon!”
The curtain was pulled back. “Light’s Defiance” lay quietly on the white, soft, high-grade leather. But its magnificent scabbard instantly attracted the attention of all the onlookers. The flashing, luxurious aura was colorful and beautiful. Even those who were not of the sword-wielding profession were attracted by its magnificent and exquisite appearance. At least in terms of decoration, it had far exceeded people’s aesthetic requirements.
After the sword was displayed, Chen Ran found that the man with the goatee next to him also seemed to be interested, looking at it with a serious expression.
The host explained sweetly, “This famous sword is called ‘Light’s Defiance.’ I estimate that words like ‘cutting iron like mud’ are not enough to describe its true value. I am not a swordsman, and I don’t know the true power of this sword. According to the craftsman who made this sword, it can only be used well by a swordsman with the strength of at least the seventh tier. And it has a special magic-breaking effect, which can break all magic and absorb it to achieve a stronger attack. It is the nightmare of mages.”
Then, the auction house invited a Tier 5 warrior to come up. He put on a new pair of gloves and picked up Light’s Defiance, pulling the sword from its scabbard.
The clear and translucent sword body, the glazed luster, and the dazzling, flowing colors made the audience gasp in amazement. The sword was like a stunningly beautiful woman, making people turn their heads to look.
The warrior on display was a fire-element fighting spirit swordsman. His expression as he held the sword was also quite excited. When his fighting spirit was poured into “Light’s Defiance,” the sword body gradually glowed, and a golden flame suddenly ignited, burning quietly on the sword body. If the wielder’s strength were not too weak, the flame on it would definitely be more intense.
With just a light slash, trailing a bright flame, the sharp blade clearly cut through the air. The crisp humming sound was refreshing.
For this, the display team had specially brought a stone statue. The swordsman swung down with force. The blade of Light’s Defiance turned into a mirror surface and cut down without any obstruction, neatly cutting the stone statue in half.
For this, the display team also had someone specially show the cut surface of the stone sculpture. It was as smooth as a mirror, and the power of the golden fire did not overflow at all.
The swordsman put down Light’s Defiance, carefully placed it on the display stand, and also took off his gloves.
At this, everyone was already in an uproar.
“Now, I’m sure everyone knows the preciousness of this sword. It is definitely a divine weapon that swordsmen dream of. Of course, with its beauty, it is also a perfect work of art for collection… What are you waiting for, those who like it? Show your prices and take this sword home. The auction starts now. The starting price is two hundred thousand gold coins!”
This price immediately scared off a group of ordinary rich people who had been eager to try before. Two hundred thousand gold coins. There were only about twenty people in the entire city with this kind of net worth. And this was just the starting price. It was estimated that only four or five families could afford it in the end. But it was precisely because of this price that everyone’s enthusiasm was ignited. Who could buy such a sword?!
“210,000.”
The first voice seemed a bit weak, and it was not clear where it came from in the crowd. Before everyone could turn around, it was drowned out by the second voice.
“250,000!”
The second person was more reliable, directly raising the price by forty thousand gold coins.
“300,000!”
“340,000!”
“370,000…”
The price kept going up. Everyone’s eyes were focused on the rich and noble people who were raising the price. You know, those who could really afford this value were not ordinary rich people.
