Chapter 67: The Ye Sisters’ Theft
As Mu Zhi’an was still pondering whether he should slip away early, the auction had already formally begun.
A voluptuous and charming woman in a black cheongsam walked to the front of the stage. Her enchanting eyes swept over the guests all around, and with a smile, she began her opening remarks.
This feeling is a bit like a modern host… Mu Zhi’an mused to himself as he watched Feiying on the stage from the second floor.
At the same time, his gaze swept over the audience seats below, which were almost all separated by an empty seat, searching for Ye Lingxuan’s figure.
It looks like I’ve been stood up… Or perhaps she’s also in one of the private rooms on the second floor? Mu Zhi’an thought to himself.
However, if she was in a private room, it would be quite difficult to find her… Surely he couldn’t go asking from room to room, right?
Not only would that be inefficient, but the risk was too great.
After all, just two days ago, he had told Senior Sister Shi that he had something to attend to today. If he ran into her here… that would be awkward.
Mu Zhi’an suddenly asked, “Miss Huang, do you know who is occupying these private rooms today?”
Huang Manting glanced at him and said indifferently, “Those matters are handled by the servants. I don’t concern myself with such things.”
Seeing Mu Zhi’an suddenly lose interest in her, Huang Manting continued, “However, I could have someone prepare a list for you, but Young Master Mu must first explain what you intend to do with it.”
“I’m looking for someone,” Mu Zhi’an said.
“Who?”
“Miss Huang is asking too much. Our relationship hasn’t progressed to that stage yet.” Mu Zhi’an smiled.
Huang Manting sneered. “In that case, Young Master Mu can think about how to find the person on his own. Search the private rooms one by one. You’ll find them eventually, right? Though by then, the auction will likely have already ended.”
“Miss Huang, helping those in need will brighten your own mood.” Mu Zhi’an persuaded with a smile.
Huang Manting’s delicate eyebrows raised slightly. She sat lazily on the chair, fiddling with a lock of hair, and said lightly, “If it were any other friend asking for help, I would agree. But Young Master Mu and I aren’t that close, are we?”
She paused for a moment, then changed her tone. Swinging her foot clad in black embroidered shoes, she teased, “Or, if Young Master Mu kneels down now and cleans the tip of Manting’s shoe, I might consider it.”
The tip of the beauty’s foot arched slightly, outlining an almost perfect curve. Paired with her flawless snow-white legs under the black skirt, it had a bewitching beauty.
Mu Zhi’an’s gaze inadvertently glanced over, then noticed the playful look in the enchantress’s eyes. He smiled. “You’re getting impatient.”
Clearly, Huang Manting had been aggravated and had completely lost her initial calm demeanor.
Under normal circumstances, there was no way Huang Manting would directly say such things in front of an outsider.
While the two were chatting, the items on stage had been pushed one by one to the front of the stage and sold at high prices amidst Feiying’s charming expressions.
Some items may not have truly been worth that price, but with Lan Feiying’s endorsement, they sold for such high amounts.
“The next item up for auction is also somewhat special. It’s said to be an herbal ingredient dating back a thousand years. Although only a small root remains, if the Rebirth Water can be found, there may be a way to restore its original medicinal properties.”
“The starting price is one hundred spirit stones.”
As soon as she said this, the crowd’s interest immediately waned.
There was an unspoken rule at the Morning Glory Auction House—if the item was worthless or its value was unknown, it would start at one hundred spirit stones.
Many similar items had been auctioned before, and most of them turned out to be junk, not even worth buying as trash.
If every piece of junk that appeared at the auction was some ancient divine artifact, cultivators would have fought over them long ago, leaving no chance for the “protagonist.”
It was precisely because they had been scammed several times in the past and played the fool that the cultivators were now disinterested in such junk.
One hundred spirit stones wasn’t much, but Mu Zhi’an had no intention of being the fool this time.
Putting aside whether this thing was genuine or fake, even if it was real, the value of the Rebirth Water itself was probably not inferior to that so-called “ancient root passed down through the ages.”
The Rebirth Water was located in a forbidden area somewhere in the Eastern Realm. Most cultivators who entered never returned.
In the past, there were a few extremely lucky individuals who managed to leave that desolate forbidden area alive with the Rebirth Water. However, soon after handing it over to the auction house and planning to enjoy their fortune, they met mysterious deaths.
There was a curse in the forbidden area. So far, no one who had entered could withstand the curse and survive.
Upon hearing the three words “Rebirth Water,” the faces of all the guests participating in the auction changed color, losing interest in the root.
Feiying swept her gaze over the crowd below. Seeing their complete lack of interest, she was unsurprised.
With a charming smile, she said, “I will now count down from three. If no one makes a bid, this item will be dealt with as unsold.”
Feiying parted her red lips and said, “Three.”
“One hundred and ten spirit stones.”
A calm voice suddenly rang out from the crowd below. Everyone’s gazes quickly fell upon the youth who had spoken.
Ye Yu of the Ye family!
Mu Zhi’an’s gaze also turned in that direction.
So Ye Yu is also here… I didn’t notice him earlier.
And looking at the changes in him… he has already reached the Qi Condensation stage?
Now this is getting interesting… Mu Zhi’an’s interest was piqued.
Ye Yu wouldn’t bid on this withered root for no reason… The old man in his body must be prompting him.
Huang Manting also glanced over, her gaze landing on Ye Yu.
The Huang family’s young miss’s next step in her plan was to win over Ye Yu before the sect’s assessment.
This genius youth of the Ye family had advanced from the Qi Refining stage to the Qi Condensation stage in just a few short months. Such talent was worth recruiting.
However, Ye Yu and Mu Zhi’an had a poor relationship. If she recruited Ye Yu, she would gradually distance herself from Mu Zhi’an.
Although it sounded a bit masochistic, if it weren’t for Mu Zhi’an toying with her the past two days, Huang Manting would have already begun her plan to recruit Ye Yu.
But because of what happened, after much consideration, Huang Manting ultimately chose Mu Zhi’an.
It wasn’t simply because Mu Zhi’an was intelligent. Huang Manting enjoyed the thrill of conquering others. The more Mu Zhi’an ignored her, the more she wanted to possess him.
In the past, there were quite a few men who tried to play hard to get like this, but after a few exchanges, they all fell at Huang Manting’s feet.
She despised that type of man, not even wanting them to kneel beside her and lick the tips of her shoes.
What she wanted to see was a man who truly had no interest in her, conquered by her, kneeling at her feet like a slave, holding her jade foot and kissing it.
To have the most beautiful man in Tianxuan City as her Dao companion, but secretly be the servant of the Huang family’s young miss, kneeling beside the bed every day, racking his brains to please her… Just the thought of it felt wonderful.
Although this task currently seemed somewhat difficult.
But that was what made it a challenge, wasn’t it?
“Bid one hundred and twenty spirit stones for me,” Mu Zhi’an said to the maid beside Huang Manting.
The maid didn’t speak and instinctively glanced at Huang Manting.
“Hurry up, what are you waiting for?” Mu Zhi’an slapped the maid’s bottom.
The maid glanced at Huang Manting tentatively, her eyes filled with infatuation and respect, as if waiting for Huang Manting’s answer.
“Since Young Master Mu has already spoken, what are you still hesitating for?” Huang Manting replied languidly.
Refusing such a small matter might cause Mu Zhi’an to immediately leave the room, which would be detrimental to her plan.
At the same time, as Ye Yu’s voice fell, many cultivators in the crowd below intentionally or unintentionally glanced at Ye Yu, their eyes carrying a hint of ridicule.
This genius youth of the Ye family, why was he so concerned about this kind of useless junk every day?
Last time it was a bronze fragment, and this time it was a withered root.
Ye Yu paid no attention to their gazes, his eyes calmly fixed on the woman on the stage, suppressing the ardor in his heart.
According to the old man in his body, this root was indeed an ancient herbal ingredient from a thousand years ago, called the Dragon Rising Root. Although Feiying said that Rebirth Water was needed to restore this withered
Dragon Rising Root, that was not the case.
Those born with the talent for alchemy naturally possessed an affinity for plants. As long as the Dragon Rising Root stayed on these alchemists, it could gradually recover. However, this process would likely take hundreds or even thousands of years.
But there was another kind of elixir in this world that could accelerate the recovery of the Dragon Rising Root. In other words, after taking the Dragon Rising Root and refining the corresponding elixir, the recovery of the Dragon Rising Root could be sped up.
These people didn’t understand the value of the Dragon Rising Root.
Ye Yu inwardly sneered but didn’t bother to explain.
Why not seize the opportunity to acquire the Dragon Rising Root at the lowest price?
“One hundred and twenty spirit stones.” At this moment, a crisp female voice suddenly rang out from one of the private rooms.
Ye Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and raised his head to look at the private room that had made the bid.
Judging from the increment of the other party’s bid, they should just be casually joining in the fun… Ye Yu said in a deep voice, “One hundred and thirty.”
“One hundred and forty spirit stones.”
Ye Yu’s smile froze as he realized the other room’s occupant was countering him.
“Two hundred spirit stones!” Ye Yu said.
“Two hundred and ten.” The maid’s calm voice once again came from the private room.
Another slight commotion went through the crowd, and people looked towards that private room, secretly speculating about the identity of its occupant.
Judging by the increments in their bids, rather than wanting the withered root, it was more like they were going head-to-head against Ye Yu.
Ye Yu frowned and shouted again, “Three hundred spirit stones!”
This was the limit of what he could currently afford. Although he had also brought some elixirs he had refined to auction this time, the elixirs had not yet been put up for sale, so he didn’t have that many spirit stones to bid with.
Why is someone always interfering with me… Ye Yu clenched his fists tightly, an anger burning in his heart.
Last time, the bronze fragment was taken by Mu Zhi’an. After he returned, his master told him that the bronze sword Bai Ruoxi had summoned on the martial arts stage had likely evolved from the bronze fragment.
That incident had already filled Ye Yu with resentment. He had never imagined that he would be pushed to such a state.
He clearly knew that the item being auctioned was valuable and that no one else had realized its worth, yet Mu Zhi’an had to pop out and confront him.
If it weren’t for Mu Zhi’an, he should have been the one who was currently unrivaled among his peers…
When Ye Yu thought of this, his hatred for Mu Zhi’an had reached an uncontrollable level. His eyes were fixed on that private room.
