The mysterious cloaked man, no...
The young boy to be more precise, he felt great malice from the old man's plan that was basically forcing him to stay in this dragon's den.
Or even a divine den...
But in a way, he understood the old man's suggestions.
Though, for a person of his great caliber, someone that had survived countless years in the vast cultivation world to be wary and yet in awe for this random expert.
Just how powerful must this mysterious expert be?
For a great person whom had once ruled a distant region, a powerful Nascent Soul expert during his heyday and more, to be fearful...
And when he asked again, the old man simply gave him riddles.
He remembered all too well who he was speaking to.
The voice that lingered in his mind was not just anyone's, it belonged to a figure who, in his prime, had stood at the very peak of the Nascent Soul stage.
An old monster that somehow survived to this day.
This was a man whose presence once forced sects to bow and made kingdoms reconsider their borders.
Someone of that height rarely showed hesitation, so if even he spoke with unease now, then what exactly had they brushed against?
Maybe luck?
Maybe unlucky instead?
But for fortune to exist, there must be misfortune.
Instead, the old man's sigh stretched out within his thoughts, heavy and long.
"I do not know," the old man admitted at last, and there was reluctance in his tone, the kind that showed how rare it was for him to confess such a thing.
Despite his pride and arrogance, he admitted it at last that there were oceans bigger than his, mountains that taller than his!
"And that is reason enough to tread carefully. Remember this well, no matter where you stand, never believe the surface tells the truth"
"In the cultivation world, the water runs endlessly deep. A stone lying plain upon the ground may hide the sharpest blade. A man who looks ordinary may conceal an abyss without bottom."
The boy didn't answer right away.
His lips pressed into a line, shoulders taut, and the faint pull of unease flickered across his expression, "Why do I feel like I am being targeted?"
He looked around, but discovered nothing strange...
"As if... I am being plotted against"
"You are just overthinking it, boy"
Fear wasn't written clearly on his face, but it lingered faintly at the edges, subtle but there.
All he could do was nod.
Unbeknownst to Liam, sitting quietly in his corner, this fleeting conversation had already left its mark.
Between the two, the boy and the old man, and even in the common monks here today, he was labelled as an old monster that had been living in this region for hundreds of years.
He was no longer a youth with uncertain origin.
To their eyes, he had become something else entirely, an ancient, terrifying monster, cloaked in the shape of a young man.
Why the term 'monster' you might ask?
But what more better term should the masses refer to these ancient experts?
If not the word, 'monsters'.
Yet outside of that invisible judgment, the auction did not falter.
In a way, Liam was making a name for himself this way. A reputation even, as an identity that he doesn't really need but welcoming enough since it came to him.
The auction continued after the last item was bought by the mysterious cloaked person aka the boy.
It continued without pause.
One after another, treasures were brought forth under the glow of ceiling lights.
The attendants moved, and the crowd's attention followed without distraction.
A spiritual weapon appeared first, its polished appearance catching the flicker of firelight and sending faint ripples through the air around it. It was a fiery red sword with flaming aura attached to it, a masterpiece that was created by weapon refiner, a master at that of his craft.
The hum it gave off was not loud, like the quiet resonance of a bell struck far away, and finally reaching a person's ears after a period of time.
The bidding rose quickly.
Hands lifted, voices called numbers, and each increase drew sharper focus from the seats around.
After all, such a spiritual weapon can be used up to the foundation building realm. A rare weapon that was hard to come by. For common immortal families, such a weapon could even be considered a family heirloom.
Then came a scroll, unrolled only partway by careful hands of the beautiful host.
Its surface was etched with characters that seemed to shimmer faintly, as though they resisted the light rather than reflecting it.
The auctioneer's voice carried above the murmur, "This is no ordinary talisman! but a second grade talisman! And not only that, this baby can be used up to 10 times, containing a casual attack of a mid-stage foundation building realm expert!"
When the crowd heard this, everyone immediately blew up!
Gasps followed.
Some covered them with forced calm, others didn't bother to hide it.
Having such a powerful mean to defend oneself would be crucial, especially a talisman that carried the casual attack of a foundation building monk. By the general knowledge, this talisman was extremely hard to come by even in the open market due to it's rarity.
Next were cases of lacquered wood, their seals broken to reveal herbs drawn from the great wilderness in the center of the region.
The moment the lids lifted, fragrances spilled outward, subtle at first, then sharper, laced with energy that made the air itself feel richer.
The aura of life they carried seemed to ripple faintly through the hall, and even those who had no intent to bid leaned forward slightly, drawn closer by instinct alone.
As for the grade of these treasures?
Naturally the auction house wouldn't bring out first grade herbs or medicinal plants for their auction, that would be such a poor move to brush the 'luxury' reputation for the Purple Cloud Pavilion's name.
Excitement built, layer upon layer.
Voices overlapped, numbers leapt without hesitation, and the hall began to feel alive with its own restless beat. Where one bid ended, another rose without pause. Where one man faltered, another pressed forward.
By the time the procession reached its midpoint, the wealth already exchanged was staggering.
The amounts spoken aloud eclipsed the revenue of the whole chamber, and what had shifted hands in just this short span surpassed everything earned in the past month combined.
Ilya's smile couldn't be hidden anymore in the room, giggling even, bobbing her head side to side.
Liam noticed this, but he showed no joy nor sorrow, but a plain look the same as always.