Through the carefully spun rumors Ilya had spread, most of the guests attending tonight already had a rough idea, there was a high chance the final item would be a puppet.
And it wasn't just any common puppet. Instead, it was a foundation building realm puppet
It wasn't hard to imagine the value.
Just a single early-stage Foundation Building cultivator could already establish an immortal family, rising to become a minor force in the region.
That level of power alone was enough to dominate remote cities and small sects.
Yet now, here was this newly emerged Purple Cloud Pavilion, an unknown force from a previously barren city near the great wilderness, casually selling multiple puppets of that caliber as if it were nothing.
Naturally, that kind of activity stirred attention, and not all of it was friendly.
Some bold third-rate powers, drunk on ambition or perhaps testing the waters, tried to dig into the Pavilion's background.
They approached Ilya directly, pressing her with veiled threats and honeyed words.
It didn't end well.
The moment Liam deployed five mid-stage and one late-stage Foundation Building puppets under Ilya's command, the mood in the city shifted entirely.
The bold cultivators who overstepped were executed on the spot, killed, skinned, and hung from the city walls as a grim display.
A clear message to others: do not test this force.
After that, Liam left the six puppets in Ilya's hands.
To her, they weren't just tools.
She treated them as people, living beings, and made sure to assign them roles suited to their strength.
She gave them proper care, respect, and a place in the system she managed.
But to Liam, they were nothing more than enhanced disposable assets. Tools built for efficiency.
Still, the display of strength had its intended effect. Word spread fast. Many forces that initially wanted to probe further backed off.
Some even started speculating that the Purple Cloud Pavilion wasn't some fledgling group after all, but a disguised second-rate force with a Golden Core powerhouse ancestor behind the scenes.
Even the true second-rate powers in the region started watching closely.
If those rumors turned out to be true, the region's balance of power would shift.
And fast.
An unknown Golden Core Ancestor suddenly popping up, that's bad news for them.
Tonight, the city was more crowded than it had ever been.
Streets were packed with people, most of them unfamiliar faces.
The number of cultivators present had surged noticeably, far more than what was considered normal.
In fact, Foundation Building cultivators, once a rare sight in this city, were now as common as ordinary mortals walking the streets.
But it wasn't surprising. The kind of attention this auction had drawn was enormous.
Dozens of third-rate forces had arrived. Representatives of immortal families, dynasties, sects, even merchants from other chambers of commerce like alchemists and blacksmiths had shown up.
The auction had turned into a regional-level event.
And with that many monks pouring into the city, the original level of public security just wasn't enough.
Worse still, the city lord remained in seclusion, with no updates on whether he was alive or dead.
Some of the new arrivals were clearly testing boundaries, arrogant and daring, behaving with an air of entitlement.
Liam noticed the issue and wasn't pleased.
The state of the city was half-crippled, and it showed.
Without hesitation, he contacted Ilya and called her over to his residence.
There, he handed her ten more Foundation Building puppets to handle the problem directly.
Now, stationed all over the city, those puppets quietly maintained order.
The chaos people might've expected never came.
Instead, there was only calm.
Crowds moved peacefully through the streets. Conversation buzzed in controlled tones. Tension remained, but it was managed, contained under the quiet authority of Liam's arrangements.
Of course it was like this.
The moment she stepped outside, the breeze brushing past her cheek, Ilya gave a silent exhale before raising her hand slightly.
The ten puppets Liam had handed over earlier were already lined up like guards awaiting command, and without hesitation, she dispatched them into the city, each one swiftly taking its post.
Within minutes, those mechanical silhouettes began making their presence known, moving through alleys and across main streets, maintaining order without saying much.
But when they did speak, it was deliberate.
Each arrest, each intercepted commotion came with a reminder:
"By order of the Purple Cloud Pavilion. No reckless behavior will be tolerated tonight. An important event is underway."
It didn't take long for this message to echo throughout the city.
The patrolling puppets were efficient, methodical, and intimidating enough to make anyone think twice.
The name "Purple Cloud Pavilion" kept surfacing, until even the more aloof or arrogant guests began taking note.
To some, it was a display of presence.
To others, it was quiet domination. Either way, the impression was set, and it ran deep.
Especially the way how blatant the puppets let loose with their spiritual pressure. The city was basically shaking under their presence.
Meanwhile, inside the building, Ilya was far from idle.
The atmosphere within the shop was busy.
Workers scurried in and out, their arms full of drapes, candles, and seating charts. Ilya herself stood in the middle of it all, issuing clear and calm instructions.
Her tone wasn't rushed, but it carried enough weight that no one dared to slack.
The venue for tonight's auction was, unsurprisingly, hidden below.
Beneath the very floorboards of the shop, a massive underground chamber stretched wide and deep.
Ilya had considered unveiling this place several times before. There'd simply been no better alternative.
Now, with Liam's firm backing and quiet reassurance, she went ahead and put it to use.
It was a calculated risk, but one she could live with.
At the moment, the chamber was a hive of activity.
Workers moved here and there, heels and boots clacking over stone as they finalized arrangements.
Outside, the line of guests had already begun forming. Clerks in suggestive, skin-baring attire welcomed them with polite smiles and professional courtesy, guiding them down the staircase into the hidden space below.
Ilya stood near the side of the building, eyes scanning the setup one last time.
Her gaze flicked from the windows to the bustling entrance path, then to the newly constructed stairway at the far end, an open stone maw several meters across, carved clean into the ground.
That hole hadn't existed before.
It was the handiwork of one of Liam's guards, a late-stage Foundation Building cultivator, apparently capable of reshaping terrain like it was soft clay.
She let out a soft sigh.
Footsteps approached.
A clerk balanced a tray in both hands as she moved across the wooden floorboards, her heels tapping sharply with each step.
She came to a respectful stop beside Ilya and lowered the tray just slightly.
Without saying a word, Ilya reached out, fingers delicate but steady, and picked up one of the glasses.
In a single motion, she downed its contents, set the glass back, and whispered, "It's a bit overwhelming… my first auction event, and it's already at this scale."
She turned toward the nearby window, her expression unreadable for a moment.
Outside, she watched the incoming crowd flowing past the corner, one after another stepping into the descending staircase.
By the entrance, two middle-stage Foundation Building guards stood alert, checking names and keeping things in line.
No one dared to act out under their watch.
The clerk hesitated briefly, then offered a quiet reassurance. "My lady, don't worry. We've got this. Everyone's prepared."
Ilya looked back at her and gave a small, genuine smile. "It does help, knowing my people have my back. Thank you."
She lifted her hand gently and waved the clerk off. The woman bowed her head slightly, turned, and left without another word.
Then Ilya's voice called out, crisp and direct.
"Uncle Fang?"
A pause, then a quiet answer, close and low: "Here."
From a nearby shadow, a cloaked figure stepped forward, as if pulled into existence from the dark itself.
His movements were so silent, it was like he hadn't walked at all but simply appeared.
Ilya wasn't startled.
She turned to face him, her voice low and serious. "How many forces do we need to keep an eye on tonight? Anyone worth extra caution?"