Chapter 4126 — A Slap in the Face
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Three thousand five hundred spirit jades," Wei Shenjin said through gritted teeth.
"Four thousand spirit jades," Wei Zhao called out, still calm and composed, his expression utterly unruffled, showing not the slightest sign of distress.
Spirit jade was hardly in short supply for Wei Zhao to begin with, and now that he had the Heavenly Pill Pavilion—a money-making machine that raked in tens of thousands of spirit jades a day—he was richer and more free-spending than ordinary folk by far. A mere few thousand spirit jades was nothing to him.
"Five thousand spirit jades!" Wei Shenjin shot back, unwilling to yield, and then, before Wei Zhao could bid again, he stepped to the edge of his pavilion, clasped his hands, and declared: "I am Wei Shenjin of the Snow Sword Sect. My wife has taken a liking to this top-grade spirit jade and wishes to use it to make a pair of wedding ornaments. I beg all you heroes to show forbearance and grant me this convenience."
At these words the crowd exchanged glances. The Snow Sword Sect was no small sect on the Central Island, and the very fact that it had been granted the pavilion marked Jia Fifteen was acknowledgment of its strength and standing; ordinary people could not afford to offend it.
Moreover, Wei Shenjin had put it that way, and any sensible person would likely give him face. This top-grade spirit jade was, after all, nothing of vital importance, and to provoke a powerful rival over a piece of showy but insubstantial jade was simply not worth it.
The auctioneer on the stage frowned at the sight. Wei Shenjin's conduct was a flagrant breach of their auction rules; if everyone learned to do the same, they might as well abandon public auctions altogether and settle everything privately.
But the man was, after all, a distinguished guest of the Jia rank, and the fact that this top-grade spirit jade could fetch such a high price of five thousand spirit jades had far exceeded their expectations. So they simply turned a blind eye.
Just as everyone thought the matter was over, Wei Zhao spoke up slowly, his tone casual and indifferent: "Five thousand one hundred spirit jades."
Wei Shenjin, who had thought the prize already his, froze on the spot, his face turning unspeakably ugly.
The rest of the crowd, meanwhile, murmured among themselves, secretly marveling at Wei Zhao's identity. Truly worthy of one who could sit in the pavilion marked Jia Twelve—his backing was so deep he did not even regard the Snow Sword Sect as worth noticing.
Wei Shenjin had only just finished speaking, and at once the fellow bid five thousand one hundred. Before, the bids had climbed five hundred at a time; now he suddenly raised by a mere hundred. This was a slap in the face with not the least attempt at concealment—who on earth was this young man?
"Look, the one sitting beside him is Cai Zhongxuan of the Five Elements Merchant Guild. Could this young man be one of theirs?" someone sharp-eyed in the crowd remarked.
"I've been to the Five Elements Merchant Guild often enough lately, and I've never seen this fellow," another chimed in with speculation. "Could he be a disciple from the Pill Hall? The Pill Hall and the Five Elements Merchant Guild are one and the same—it's quite possible!"
"I say this fellow's just a greenhorn who doesn't know the ways of the world," someone else scoffed. "Even if he truly has backing like the Pill Hall, who slaps a man's face in public like that? Wei Shenjin's backing is nothing to sneeze at either. Once they're out of the auction, a little dirty work in the dark, and no one the wiser—and this fellow is finished." R1152