TRWSB – Chapter 90 A Dispute During The Auction

The auction proceeded in an orderly manner. Qi Shaorong showed little interest in most of the items on display, and those he was interested in were either too expensive or fiercely contested, leading him to give up.

After more than forty lots had been auctioned, the atmosphere in the auction hall began to cool down.

“Next, we have the Snow Yan Flower up for auction. This flower can rejuvenate the skin, delay aging, and keep one youthful. Its effects are well known among the ladies present, so I won’t elaborate further. The starting bid for the Snow Yan Flower is 50,000 gold coins. Let the bidding begin,” the auctioneer announced.

Qi Shaorong’s eyes glowed with excitement. “Aheng, get it.”

Qi Heng nodded. “Understood.”

Shen Yuan glanced at Qi Shaorong with a strange expression and asked, “Young Master Qi, are you afraid of aging too?”

Qi Shaorong smiled. “Not particularly.”

Shen Yuan scratched his head. With higher cultivation, aging slowed significantly. Given Qi Shaorong’s talent, aging shouldn’t be a pressing concern for him.

The Snow Yan Flower, with a starting bid of 50,000 gold coins, quickly soared to over 200,000 gold coins. Qi Shaorong couldn’t help but marvel at how lucrative the women’s market was in any world.

Yi Chuxue’s face flushed red with frustration. She had come specifically for the Snow Yan Flower, but her bids were swiftly drowned out by the frenzy of higher offers.

Mu Xuelan noticed Yi Chuxue’s grim expression but refrained from adding insult to injury. Although she was also tempted by the Snow Yan Flower, her financial situation prevented her from joining the bidding.

“400,000!”

Mu Xuelan frowned and glanced toward the upstairs private boxes. “That sounds like Zhuang Hao’s voice. I didn’t expect Young Master Zhuang to be interested in the Snow Yan Flower!”

Yi Chuxue pursed her lips. She believed she knew Zhuang Hao well enough to assert that he typically wouldn’t care about the Snow Yan Flower. His participation likely meant someone else desired it.

Mu Xuelan looked at Yi Chuxue and said, “Chuxue, maybe Zhuang Hao is bidding on the Snow Yan Flower for you.”

Yi Chuxue felt both angry and hopeful at Mu Xuelan’s sarcastic remark. If Zhuang Hao really were bidding on the Snow Yan Flower for her, it would be wonderful.

…

The auction house delivered the Snow Yan Flower to Zhuang Hao’s private box, and Zhuang Hao casually tossed it to Qi Shaorong.

The Snow Yan Flower was encased in a glass dome, with spiritual liquid and crystals at the base to nourish it.

Qi Shaorong examined the Snow Yan Flower and nodded. “This is quite a remarkable item! It seems Yi Chuxue participated in the bidding too, but unfortunately, she’s too poor to afford it.”

Shen Yuan looked at Qi Shaorong. “Fourth Young Master Qi, what are you planning to do with it?”

Qi Shaorong shrugged. “I’m thinking of trying to refine it into high-end cosmetics.”

High-end cosmetics? Shen Yuan’s heart skipped a beat. Shen Manwu had once speculated that Qi Shaorong might have connections to the Qingcheng Cosmetics Shop.

Shen Yuan stared at Qi Shaorong. “Cosmetics?”

Zhuang Qian furrowed his brow and asked suspiciously, “Fourth Young Master Qi, are you also making cosmetics? You seem to know everyone. Do you happen to know the owner of that black shop?”

“Black shop?” Qi Shaorong asked.

Shen Yuan nodded. “Yeah! Qingcheng Cosmetics Shop is a black shop! The owner is a heartless, greedy scoundrel! Everyone agrees on that!”

Qi Shaorong: “…”
Zhuang Hao: “…”

“Ah Qian, shut up,” Zhuang Hao commanded sharply.

Zhuang Qian looked aggrieved. “Big brother, what’s wrong?”

Zhuang Hao glanced at the frustrated Zhuang Qian, silently thinking: What’s wrong? I’m stopping you from courting death.

Qi Shaorong observed Zhuang Hao and Shen Yuan’s expressions and mused inwardly: As expected, my connection with the Qingcheng Cosmetics Shop has been exposed. It seems both the Zhuang and Shen families know something.

One auction item after another was presented until finally…

“The next auction item is a Level Five Wood Element Magician with a Wood Spirit Body, offering immense benefits to those who engage in dual cultivation with him.”

Qi Shaorong clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with cold light.

Down below, Yi Fan, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, radiating a chilling aura.

The auction staff brought out Mu Tingxuan, whose cultivation had been suppressed. Zhuang Hao stared at the person on the auction stage in surprise. Mu Tingxuan’s face was veiled, revealing only his smooth forehead and serene, autumn-water-like eyes.

“This person doesn’t seem disfigured. Could there be a mistake?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Qi Shaorong shook his head. “No, it’s him. His face is scarred beneath the veil. If Tingxuan weren’t disfigured, he would be stunningly beautiful. Unfortunately… Tingxuan wasn’t willing to let me remove the scars for him.”

While Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong conversed, the bidding had already begun.

Zhuang Hao was about to raise his paddle when Qi Shaorong stopped him. “Don’t interfere.”

Zhuang Hao looked at Qi Shaorong and asked, “Aren’t you going to save him?”

“This is a perfect opportunity for someone else to shine. Besides, whatever amount is bid, minus the four percent auction fee, will end up back in his hands anyway,” Qi Shaorong replied casually.

Zhuang Hao, hearing this, refrained from acting. However, his heart sank. Qi Shaorong’s words indirectly confirmed that the deaths of the Mohe Mercenary Group were his doing. Recalling how Qi Shaorong had reacted when he first mentioned the group, it seemed Qi Shaorong had known someone would act against them.

Feeling the warmth of Qi Shaorong’s hand pressing on his own, Zhuang Hao’s heart fluttered.

Shen Yuan, watching the interaction between Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong, felt a twinge of jealousy.

He and Zhuang Hao had always been close friends, and Shen Yuan prided himself on understanding Zhuang Hao. Yet, the conversation between Zhuang Hao and Qi Shaorong now left him utterly baffled.

Shen Yuan lowered his head, pondering Qi Shaorong’s remark about the auction proceeds returning to their original owner. The recent annihilation of the Mohe Mercenary Group came to mind. Could the perpetrator also be participating in this auction?

“One million!”

The bidding, which had been hovering around tens of thousands of gold coins, suddenly skyrocketed, silencing the room.

Shen Yuan glanced below. “It’s Qian Mian! That guy is a Water Element Magician. Water nourishes wood, and wood nourishes water. This Wood Element Magician would indeed be immensely beneficial to him. I didn’t expect such a serious-looking person to also be interested in dual cultivation.”

“One million and Qian Mian!”

Shen Yuan was taken aback. “Someone else is bidding as well.”

A sinister voice rang out. “You, my friend, don’t be deceived by the auction house. This person’s face is ruined—he’s a hideous monster, completely unsuitable for dual cultivation. Auctioneer, why not remove the veil and let everyone see his true face?”

The auctioneer’s expression shifted.

“There’s no need. One million two hundred thousand,” Yi Fan said coldly before the auctioneer could respond.

“Fine, fine! Kid, you’re dead set on opposing me. If you’re willing to let the auction house fleece you, I won’t stop you,” Elder Yanxin said darkly.

“Who is that old man?” Qi Shaorong asked.

“Elder Yanxin, a troublesome poison alchemist,” Shen Yuan replied.

Qi Shaorong paused. “A poison alchemist?”

“Yes, it’s said Elder Yanxin enjoys using humans to refine his medicines. A Wood Spirit Body is incredibly enticing to him,” Shen Yuan explained.

Qi Shaorong raised an eyebrow. “I see.”

“Judging by the situation, Elder Yanxin doesn’t seem likely to give up easily,” Zhuang Hao remarked.

Qi Shaorong replied nonchalantly, “It’s fine. Qian Mian is stronger than me. If Elder Yanxin really seeks trouble with him, he probably won’t gain much.”

Shen Yuan glanced at Qi Shaorong. “Qian Mian is stronger than you? Qi Shao, aren’t you exaggerating a bit?”

Qi Shaorong looked at Shen Yuan and said, “You’ll understand in time.”

Shen Yuan: “…”

Mu Xuelan turned her head to look at Qian Mian and said, “Qian Mian, it seems you’ve offended Elder Yanxin.”

Yi Fan opened his eyes, coldly glancing at Mu Xuelan. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Qian Mian, you may not know, but Elder Yanxin wasn’t lying to you. That person is disfigured; the face beneath the veil is full of scars. I think you should just let Elder Yanxin have them. Otherwise, you might…” she trailed off, implying a grim outcome.

Yi Fan raised his sharp gaze and fixed it on Mu Xuelan. “Shut up. You talk too much.”

Mu Xuelan’s face flushed red after being scolded by Yi Fan.

Yi Fan ignored her. Yi Chuxue, watching the interaction, chuckled softly. “Tsk, tsk, Miss Mu, you really do enjoy meddling in other people’s business, but it seems no one appreciates it.”

Mu Xuelan clenched her fists tightly, saying nothing.

Yi Chuxue cast a resentful glance at Qian Mian, her thoughts bitter: This guy, who knows where he came from, just spent over a million on some worthless person. Meanwhile, as the eldest daughter of the Yi family, my entire fortune is pathetically small by comparison.

In the Qi family’s private box:

Qi Shaofu stared at Qian Mian in the common seating area and muttered, “That guy’s got a lot of money!”

“Fourth Brother’s gambling winnings from before totaled over thirty million. He gave thirty percent to Hu Feng and twenty percent to this Qian Mian. Of course, he’s rich,” Qi Shaokang said with a touch of jealousy.

Qi Shaofu stroked his chin and couldn’t help but comment, “Fourth Brother is so generous! Following him has great ‘financial prospects.’ Too bad Qi Shaorong doesn’t care about the Qi family or even his own blood brothers.”

“Qi Shaorong is ungrateful. He’d rather benefit outsiders than his own family,” Qi Shaoru grumbled indignantly.

Qi Shaokang glanced at the indignant Qi Shaoru and said, “Enough, Shaoru, stop complaining.”

Looking down at the auction, Qi Shaokang remarked, “This Wood Element Magician is likely not simple. He was captured by the Mohe Mercenary Group and brought to the auction house. Yet, two days ago, the entire Mohe Mercenary Group was annihilated.”

Qi Shaofu frowned. “Annihilated? Why?”

Qi Shaokang shook his head. “I don’t know. No one even dared to collect their bodies. They all died of poisoning, their corpses filled with toxins. No one dared to touch them.”

Qi Shaofu: “…”