area51novel 19. Northwest Situation
19. Northwest Situation
"Three and a half million gold coins!"
"Three million eight hundred thousand gold coins!"
"Four million gold coins!"
Bidding was incessant. Xiao Yan knew that the Yin-Yang Profound Dragon Pill he gave to Xun'er was worth a full twenty million gold coins. Although his Qi Sea Rejuvenation Pill was not as good as the former, the Northwest Region was not comparable to the Black Corner Region. Being close to the Myriad Beasts Gathering would further increase the value of such pills that directly affected the body.
"Junior brother, may I bid on this pill?"
Xiao Yan looked at the eager Su Zhang and couldn't help but laugh. "Senior brother, there are still many good things to come. There's no need to rush. We alchemists don't buy our own medicine."
Hearing this, Su Zhang had no choice but to give up, but added, "Your pill is easy to sell; a big fish will bite soon."
As if to confirm Su Zhang's words, when the price rose to eight million, the VIP room number six, which had not made a move before, announced the figure.
"Ten million!"
On stage, Xue Ningyi smiled and said, "Thank you for the bid from VIP number six: ten million gold coins! This is currently the highest price!"
However, what puzzled Xiao Yan was that after VIP number six made a bid, the others fell silent. Xiao Yan had seen from the previous auctions that there were quite a few people in the ordinary seats with assets of one or two tens of millions.
Xu Chengze, still reclining calmly, noticed Xiao Yan's confusion and explained, "Young friend Xiao Yan, are you familiar with the major powers in the Northwest Region of this continent?"
Xiao Yan nodded slightly and said, "There are six super powers in the Northwest Region of the Continent, divided into one alliance, two sects, and three beasts. The alliance is the Alliance of Heroes, the two sects are the Noble Sect and the Profound Pattern Sect, and the three beasts are the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, the Lion Nether Sect, and the Elephant Rhinoceros Mountain."
"That's right. VIP rooms number one through six are reserved for these six major powers. The Lion Nether Sect just made a move in room number six, so the person who stepped forward first will be resented by the Lion Nether Sect. We need someone to break the deadlock."
Xu Chengze raised his hand, and the door suddenly opened, with a maid entering in response.
"An increase of two million."
Then the maid went out to announce the bid: "Alright, the VIP in room number three has bid twelve million gold coins!"
"Twelve million three hundred thousand!"
"Twelve and a half million!"
The bidding restarted, with Xu Chengze taking the initiative to break the deadlock, which stirred something in Xiao Yan's heart. Although he had a close relationship with Xu Yingwu and was Su Zhang's senior brother, Xu Chengze's action just now indicated his recognition of Xiao Yan. Of course, the bidding rate gradually decreased, as around twelve million was already close to the true price of this pill.
Then VIP room number six made another move, offering "15 million gold coins".
Xiao Yan clicked his tongue and said, "The Beast Gathering is indeed a great time to make money."
Inside VIP room number one, a handsome man in a flowing robe reclines comfortably in a chair, surrounded by two beautiful maids in revealing clothing. His hands roam freely over their bodies, especially their prominent breasts. Given the scant clothing, the man's actions create a tantalizingly explicit scene. The two maids are flushed with eroticism, their breaths coming in soft gasps.
Behind the man stood a man in gray and four elderly men. Although there were many chairs around, the five of them showed no intention of sitting down.
The four elders' eyes revealed extraordinary respect and wholehearted submission. The gray-robed man's eyes occasionally flashed with jealousy and resentment, but most of the time his expression remained obsequious. If Zi Yan were present, she would surely remember that this gray-robed man was a member of the Xuanwen Sect, with whom they had previously clashed.
Suddenly, the handsome man asked one of the four elders, "Elder Liu, how much have we prepared this time?"
The elderly man surnamed Liu behind him responded, "Is the young master interested in this pill?"
"A top-grade sixth-rank pill is quite rare, barely worthy of me, Lu Zhi," the handsome man said calmly.
Although the handsome man spoke with extreme arrogance, the four old men behind him showed no sign of anything amiss.
Elder Liu stepped forward, gestured a number next to Lu Zhi, and said, "According to reliable intelligence, apart from the last item, the sect leader also specifically instructed on one other thing. Apart from that, young master is free to do as he pleases."
Lu Zhi smiled and waved his hand, signaling the woman on his left to come out and offer her price.
"Sixteen million gold coins!"
"VIP number one has bid 16 million gold coins. Is there anyone bidding higher?" Xue Ningyi asked with her signature smile.
"Tsk tsk, the Xuanwen Sect has made its move." Xu Yingwu exclaimed.
Zi Yan, who was chatting and laughing with Xun'er, suddenly asked, "Why is this damn Xuanwen Sect ranked first?"
"Although it's said to be one of the six major powers, the Xuanwen Sect has risen at a terrifying speed in recent years, and it's showing signs of becoming the leader of the Northwest Region, so it's ranked first? How come, Ziyan, you've dealt with them before?"
"Hmph, I taught that rude Xuanwen Sect brat a lesson."
"Rude? That must be Lu Chen, the second-in-command of the Xuanwen Sect. He is indeed an arrogant fellow."
Zi Yan scoffed, "Next time I see him, I'll show him what I'm capable of!"
Although Zi Yan held the Xuanwen Sect in utter contempt, its influence was undeniable. She immediately acquired the Qi Sea Rejuvenation Pill for 16 million gold coins.
Xiao Yan couldn't help but sigh at how these people really didn't care about money; a typical seventh-grade pill might only cost this much. After the pill auction ended, Xue Ningyi gave a slight apology and went backstage to rest before a new host was assigned.
Today's auction is of extraordinary significance; the truly valuable items are all coming up later, so as usual, Xue Ningyi needs to save all her energy for then. However, the auction didn't feel lackluster after Xue Ningyi's departure; on the contrary, one interesting item after another was brought out, some of which were even unheard of.
However, Xiao Yan hardly spent any money to buy anything, because Su Zhang would immediately bid on anything his junior brother showed interest in, and due to the Echoing Sect's reputation, very few people dared to raise the price. So, within three hours, Xiao Yan acquired over a dozen good items, and only after clearly stating his intentions did Su Zhang stop.
Xiao Yan felt a warmth in his heart. Su Zhang's actions were indeed impeccable. He himself wasn't really Yao Lao's disciple, and he wouldn't have felt anything special if he had simply thanked Yao Lao. Yao Lao's actions back then were also casual. However, Su Zhang's behavior truly deserved the saying, "A drop of water in need is repaid with a spring of water."