Chapter 4831 — Fierce Bidding

The white-bearded elder immediately took over the podium, working the crowd into a fervor. "Ladies and gentlemen, today marks the first day of the Grand Auction—the Merchant Guild Auction Hall, to be precise. That is to say, every item on offer today has been provided by the various guilds. I urge you all to keep your eyes sharp, for what you see today cannot be bought in any of their shops. Miss this village, and there will be no such shop again!"

At these words, looks of eager anticipation duly spread across the crowd. If such goods were normally available for purchase, they would hardly have gone to the trouble of trekking all the way to Baha for the auction.

"The first lot of this session comes from the Grand Metropolis of the Nobles: a set of ten Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs, all of superior quality, starting at one million spirit jade," the white-bearded elder announced.

A stir ran through the floor below. This was the rare-as-a-phoenix Morning Star Grand Auction, all right. Other auctions opened with a few run-of-the-mill lots to warm things up; this one led straight off with something of such weight—ten superior-grade Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs, goods that ordinarily could not be bought even with spirit jade in hand!

Watching the crowd's astonishment, Steward Hao in Box Twelve could not help wearing a smug look. For this grand auction, the Grand Metropolis of the Nobles had gone to no small pains, and only after great difficulty had they managed to assemble this set of superior-grade Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs. They were determined to win the qualification to partner with Morning Star Academy!

Never mind that several guilds had joined forces against the Hong Clan Merchant Guild—once the Hong Clan was brought down, they would all be rivals to one another as well. To expend such effort and still fail to seize the partnership in the end would be to draw water with a bamboo basket, all for nothing, and make a wedding dress for someone else.

"One million one hundred thousand!" a man in merchant's garb in the crowd called out eagerly. Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs were a fairly common pill, but they had no fixed price and fluctuated widely with the market—especially superior-grade ones. At a hundred thousand apiece, they were simply unobtainable in normal times; at two hundred thousand, you would still need luck on your side.

"One million five hundred thousand!" A voice rang out from Box Ten.

Heads turned. By rights, personages of the caliber who occupied VIP boxes should have little need for Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs. It was ordinary disciples like them who wanted the pills—only a pity they lacked such deep pockets. Had the elixirs been auctioned one by one, they might have stood a fighting chance; auctioned as a set of ten, they could only gaze on and sigh.

In fact, if spirit jade were the sole consideration, past experience showed that selling them individually was the more profitable course. But the Grand Metropolis of the Nobles was set on using this occasion to make its name, and so naturally disdained to haggle over such trifles.

"Two million!" This time the voice came from Box Four.

Another wave of astonishment swept the hall—not because the sum was so high, but because the identity of the speaker was no trifling matter. Though the true face behind it remained unknown, a place in Box Four said everything.

The moment Box Four spoke, not a soul below dared bid again; even Box Ten, which had spoken earlier, beat a silent retreat, evidently unwilling to offend such a party over a single set of Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs.

In the end the set sold for two million spirit jade, falling into the hands of Box Four. At this outcome Steward Hao was beside himself with frustration, propping his forehead and at a loss for words.

He had prepared several other lots, but this set of Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs was the one he valued most. In his calculations, even if it failed to reach three million, it should have fetched at least two and a half million; instead, Box Four's sudden intervention had lopped a full five hundred thousand off the price, leaving him on the verge of tears.

"It's fine, it's fine—two million is still a rare and rousing opening success. Counting the other lots, the total should reach at least five million, enough to crush the other guilds!" Steward Hao could only console himself thus.

And indeed it went as he expected. The next five lots all came from the Grand Metropolis of the Nobles. Though none caused the sensation of ten superior-grade Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs, not one was common goods, and together they brought in a colossal five million three hundred thousand—his projected target reached at last, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next lot comes from the Wantong Grand Gathering: a single seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir, starting at one million two hundred thousand spirit jade!" the white-bearded elder announced.

A gasp of amazement swept the hall, and even Wei Zhao, who until then had shown no reaction, let out a faint sound of surprise.

As an alchemist, Wei Zhao of course knew the seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir. It was among the rarer of all seventh-grade pills, capable of restoring, within a short time, the injuries and true qi of a formidable cultivator at the Mystic Ascension stage. Back when Leng Rufeng had fought him for half a month on end, he had taken one—without it, he could never have held out.

Wei Zhao had merely been mildly surprised; in Box Twelve, Steward Hao's eyes nearly started from his head. He had been quite sure his ten superior-grade Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs were a rare and formidable stroke, never imagining that the Wantong Grand Gathering would quietly produce a seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir!

A sense of profound foreboding rose in Steward Hao's heart. There was only one, true—but to a Mystic Ascension cultivator, this seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir was nothing less than a second life, far more alluring than his Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs. And looking over the whole hall, it was precisely those Mystic Ascension experts in the VIP boxes who were the true moneyed mainstay of the bidding!

"Two million!" Box Six's opening bid chilled Steward Hao to the bone—by the heavens, that already matched the final price of ten Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs.

"Two million three hundred thousand!" Box Four again.

"Two million five hundred thousand!" This time, however, Box Six had no intention of backing down; on the contrary, it looked determined to win.

"Three million!" Box Four bid once more.

The whole hall stared in unison, struck dumb with awe. Even for a seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir, three million spirit jade was an out-and-out astronomical sum. Just who was sitting in Box Four, to be so utterly indifferent to spirit jade?!

"Three million one hundred thousand," Box Six said after a moment's hesitation.

"Three million five hundred thousand." Box Four immediately raised the stakes by a wide margin. Now not only was the crowd stunned into silence—Box Six had lost its temper as well. In the end this seventh-grade Great Restoration Elixir, like the ten Nurturing-Infant Golden Elixirs before it, fell into the hands of Box Four.

Box Four truly was a big spender! Wei Zhao shook his head with a wry smile. Though it had bid only twice from start to finish, both bids had been lavish strokes; the others were not even in the same league. It seemed that from here on, whatever Box Four set its sights on, the rest would find it hard to compete. (To be continued.)