Chapter 35 The Auction is in Progress
"Take a look, everyone," the auctioneer said, drawing people's attention to the front. "Here's a treasure we found in some ancient ruins. We also picked up a few rare soul tools with it."
He slipped on a pair of clean, white gloves and lifted a metal sphere from a tray. The thing was about the size of a grapefruit, covered in weird, indecipherable lines.
"Problem is, we still haven't figured out how to open it," he admitted, sounding a bit regretful.
That got the crowd going.
"What's the point of auctioning something we can't even open?"
"Even if this came from an ancient site, why bother if it's just a paperweight?"
"Don't waste our time—move on to the next item!"
But the auctioneer pressed on, ignoring the grumbling.
"The starting bid is 10,000 gold soul coins, with each new bid at least 1,000 higher. Please, if anyone's interested."
People just kept muttering. Not a single paddle went up.
Upstairs, in a private room, everyone was staring at the orb—then looked away, uninterested.
"Your Highness, this thing came from an ancient ruin. It might contain secrets for making soul tools. Are you really letting it go so easily?" Dugu Yan asked, surprised.
Yin Xuan glanced over too. Crafting methods for soul tools had been lost for ages, which means the ones around now are simple and not very common. Most storage soul tools still come out of old ruins, just like Dugu Bo's Ruyi Baibao Nang, or Tang San's belt—Yu Xiaogang, Flander, and Liu Erlong dug that up while exploring. Heck, probably half the junk in Flander's shop came from ruins. It's not like this stuff just falls out of the sky.
Xue Qinghe let out a soft sigh. "Yeah, I've heard about it. But even after plenty of study, no one's managed to open it safely. And there's no way we'd force it—might ruin whatever's inside."
He shrugged. "I worried I'd wreck it myself, so I decided to auction it off. But from the look of things, nobody wants it anyway."
I didn't find that surprising.
And then—a quiet voice called out, stopping the crowd's low buzz.
"Twenty thousand gold soul coins."
Just like that, everyone in the hall snapped their heads toward VIP Room No. 2.
The girl by the railing was so startled she turned to look at the middle-aged man who'd spoken. Xue Qinghe glanced up too.
"Someone's feeling rich," Dugu Yan whispered. "They're actually bidding ten thousand more for a metal ball nobody can open!"
She couldn't help but admire it. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School really was loaded.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School could rival a country in wealth," she said.
Xue Qinghe locked his gaze on VIP Room No. 2. "Makes sense if it's them."
Dugu Yan nodded. "Mystery solved."
"VIP Room No. 2 bids 20,000 gold soul coins," the auctioneer announced, sounding relieved. "Anyone want to offer more?"
Silence followed. No one tried to match it, and not just because of the price. Positions in the hall mattered—a simple color-coding system marked five tiers of guests in the main area (red, black, purple, yellow, white), but the private rooms upstairs were on another level entirely.
"Congratulations to VIP No. 2," said the auctioneer, clearly a lot happier now. He rapped his little hammer three times and hurried on to the next lot.
"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School just isn't worried about a few thousand gold soul coins," Xue Qinghe said with a light smile. "Why not bring home something connected to soul tools? Study it for a while."
"They can afford to." He sounded almost envious.
Yin Xuan, though, was thinking of something else. "Violence has its moments," he said quietly. If it was up to him, there's no way he would've let a mysterious thing like that just sit untouched. If he couldn't open it, he'd have found a way—one way or another.
Xue Qinghe just smiled, leaving the thought alone.
The auctioneer introduced the next lot with a little flourish. "Now for a masterwork—a dress that took three years to make."
Suddenly, the house lights dimmed, and the room focused on the stage. A radiant pinkish-purple gown appeared, shimmering under the spotlight.
"This gown's made from genuine ice silkworm silk," the auctioneer continued, "with 101 golden sword dragon scales for extra protection. It's set with 365 matching gems and topped off by 16 amethysts."
He delivered the price without missing a beat. "Bidding starts at 100,000 gold soul coins, minimum increase of 10,000."
She didn't seem worried about selling it. Most guests were hardly lacking for wives or concubines.
In VIP Room No. 2, a young girl pressed closer to her father. "Daddy, that dress is so pretty! Buy it for me?"
He just grinned. "Of course, honey."
Yin Xuan stared at the dress, deep in thought. He remembered his promise to Dugu Yan—he'd said he'd buy her something, and he hated to break his word. Besides, this dress really did suit her; purple dresses and cheongsams were her thing.
Dugu Yan noticed his troubled look. Leaning in, she whispered, "Half of Grandpa's savings are safe with me. Don't worry about the price, just win it for me!"
Yin Xuan nearly jumped. He looked at her, and she only smiled back.
Xue Qinghe, watching the two of them, smiled too. He stepped to the railing and called down, "110,000 gold soul coins."
The middle-aged man in Room No. 2 was about to answer, but froze when he realized who had called out the bid.
"Qinghe?!"
Everyone in the hall recognized him. Suddenly, nobody dared raise the price any higher.
"Teacher, I didn't expect to see you here," he said, looking at the room. "Rongrong, it's been a while."
Ning Rongrong smiled, playing along. "Brother Qinghe, are you buying this dress for me?"
Xue Qinghe shook his head. "Sorry, not this time. But if you want, I'll have that craftsman make you another one just like it."
Ning Rongrong's smile faded instantly. "Then I won't serve Brother Qinghe tea next time he visits!" She stamped her foot and stormed back inside.
Ning Fengzhi just smiled and retreated, wondering how he'd cheer his daughter up now.
Yin Xuan and Dugu Yan traded glances, both a little surprised. Then they looked at Xue Qinghe, who faced them with a wry look.
"Don't look at me like that," he said, grinning. "The dress isn't for me. I'm just bidding on your behalf."