PCJ – Chapter 717 The Auction

The Xu Auction House had indeed undergone a qualitative transformation. Every item in this auction could rightfully be called a masterpiece. Each piece attracted fierce competition from the guests, and almost every item fetched astonishing prices. Here, money seemed to have become nothing more than a number.

Although she was the “princess” of the Xu Auction House, Xu Xiaoting was still dumbfounded by the prices:
“How are there so many rich people?”

“If they weren’t super-wealthy, how could they even get an invitation to the Xu Auction House? If it weren’t for Uncle Xu, I wouldn’t have been able to get one either,” Zhang Jiaohua said.

“If you want to come, would my parents not let you in?” Xu Xiaoting said.

“Exactly. That’s why I had to sneak in through Uncle and Auntie’s back door.”

Soon, the ancient sword was placed on display. The moment it appeared, it radiated an extraordinary aura. Even from the private room, Zhang Jiaohua could feel the cold energy it emitted. Within its blade, it seemed to contain an unstoppable force.

“Master, we must take this sword!” Kong Fangzhou said excitedly.

“Take it!” Zhang Jiaohua nodded.

Luo Aiqi began introducing the sword:
“This ancient sword is said to have been forged by the famous master Ganjiang. After a mysterious warrior killed the King of Chu with this very sword, it was buried in the Tomb of the Three Kings. Later, it was retrieved, and it is said to be the legendary Ganjiang Sword. The story may sound strange, but it’s not entirely baseless. Look here—these are replicas of the paired Ganjiang-Moye swords, which you may find familiar. See how strikingly similar they are to this treasure. We have examined this sword and found its dating to match the supposed era. Its sharpness is astounding—sharper even than some alloy blades produced with modern technology. It cuts iron like mud, without exaggeration. I can guarantee this is definitely not a modern reproduction… The starting price is 500,000 yuan, with minimum increments of 1,000.”

Luo Aiqi himself didn’t think much of the sword. With modern technology, one could forge better blades than this mysterious relic. Even if proven ancient, its value shouldn’t be overly exaggerated—unless it could be definitively proven to be the Ganjiang Sword. But with the current evidence, there was no way to prove that.

Not being a cultivator, Luo Aiqi couldn’t see the sword from the same perspective as Zhang Jiaohua and Kong Fangzhou. For them, even if it really was Ganjiang’s sword, its historical significance wasn’t the point. What mattered was its material—the mysterious substance it was made from.

At first, bidding was lukewarm.

“Five hundred and ten thousand.” Someone lazily called out a bid.

It was Liu Xiucen, who quite liked the sword, though he felt it was only worth that much.

Surprisingly, no one else followed up.

Luo Aiqi grew anxious:
“Five hundred and ten thousand! A sword possibly forged by Ganjiang! Worth taking a gamble. Alright, 510,000 once…”

He looked around, but no one seemed interested.

“510,000 twice…” Luo Aiqi said dejectedly. A dead spot in such a lively auction was embarrassing.

“510,000, twice…” he repeated helplessly.

“520,000.” Just then, someone stood up with a new bid.

And so it began.

“530,000!” Liu Xiucen was annoyed—had that man not spoken, the sword would already be his.

“540,000,” the new bidder said lazily.

Liu Xiucen was fuming. Why did this person have to oppose him? What he wanted wasn’t even the sword itself, but face. He hadn’t managed to win anything so far, and this sword he really wanted to secure.

“600,000!” Liu Xiucen suddenly raised the bid by 60,000, hoping to scare his opponent off.

“700,000.” To his shock, the other bidder casually jumped another 100,000.

Liu Xiucen inhaled sharply. He could afford 700,000, but the sword didn’t seem worth that much. If he raised only 10,000 more, it would look pathetic, but raising another 100,000 would push him to 800,000. He wasn’t broke, but his liquid funds were limited. If he recklessly bid for the sword, he would strain his finances. And judging by his opponent’s demeanor, 800,000 still wouldn’t win it.

“850,000!” Liu Xiucen braced himself and added 150,000 in one go.

The atmosphere instantly grew heated—everyone thought the true bidding war had begun.

“Master, should we make our move now?” Kong Fangzhou asked.

“Yes. No need to waste more time,” Zhang Jiaohua said, finding the drawn-out process boring.

“Ten million!” Kong Fangzhou suddenly called out.

The entire auction house fell silent. It was like flipping the table—completely sidelining the two previous bidders. Liu Xiucen quickly backed off; at that level, he couldn’t compete.

“Ten million? Could it really be the Ganjiang Sword?” someone whispered.

“Even if it is, so what? Who can prove it? That guy must be rich and foolish. There’s no other explanation.”

“Twenty million!” A guest who had been sitting quietly in the corner suddenly stood up.

Zhang Jiaohua’s eyes flashed with sharp light.

Kong Fangzhou turned to him: “Did we bid too rashly just now?”

Zhang Jiaohua shook his head: “No. That man also saw the sword’s true nature. He must be one of us.”

Kong Fangzhou glanced at the stranger: “I don’t recognize him. Could he be from one of the Three Holy Lands?”

“Doesn’t matter. This sword is too important for us. No matter the cost, we must win it,” Zhang Jiaohua said firmly.

“Thirty million!” Kong Fangzhou immediately raised by another ten million.

The hall fell silent again—everyone holding their breath, witnessing this thrilling duel.

The man in the corner hesitated for a moment, then calmly bid: “40 million.”

Kong Fangzhou didn’t hesitate either and raised the price straight to 100 million. He wanted to end this quickly.

An ancient sword usually fetched a few million at most, but now this one had soared to 100 million. The shock in the auction hall was indescribable.