Chapter 43: The Auction Begins

Because this underground auction was only a local affair for Qingwu and its surrounding areas, it hardly counted as a major event. Furthermore, the several-hundred-year-old polygonum multiflorum and snow lotus that Zhang Pu desired were considered rather low-level items compared to all he would require on his path of cultivation. The fifty-thousand yuan entrance fee was just that—fifty thousand yuan. Once he set foot on the Foundation Establishment stage and his power soared, making money would become even easier.

Even now, he hardly made an effort to earn money, yet it still found its way to him—simply because he possessed a certain kind of strength. For people like Wu Yu and the others, he overawed with martial prowess; for someone like Zeng Guoxing, it was his skill in healing and saving lives.

Upon achieving Foundation Establishment, not only would his fighting abilities rise to a new level, he would also be able to concoct more advanced pills. In the world of cultivation, refining certain rare elixirs required a commensurate level of strength; otherwise, failure was far too easy. The more advanced the pill, the more demanding the process became.

For now, Zhang Pu entered the underground of Moonlit Manor. The auction was set below ground. Inside, there was already quite a crowd.

The hall was spacious, with the auction stage above and the audience below, like a theater with its performers and their spectators. Zhang Pu quietly took a seat in a corner, unremarkable and unnoticed.

He had calculated things in advance: although he only brought several hundred thousand yuan, he believed that would be more than enough to win the several-hundred-year-old polygonum and snow lotus. After all, the Qingwu underground auction was a modest affair, and while such herbs were rare and often unavailable regardless of price, they were not prohibitively expensive. Zhang Pu knew that at most, it would cost him a little over a hundred thousand—even here in an underground auction.

Had the auction started? Zhang Pu was lost in thought when the lights over the audience dimmed and the stage lights flashed on.

A strikingly dressed, alluring female auctioneer stepped onto the stage. Amidst the dim glow that surrounded the underground auction, her fiery red attire blazed like a living flame—no doubt meant to symbolize the auction’s ever-prosperous business.

Yet despite her allure, Zhang Pu had no interest in giving her a second glance. With a thousand years of life experience in the cultivation world, and having seen countless women across the myriad star realms, he had long grown inured to such displays. In fact, compared with the auctioneers he had encountered elsewhere, this woman was mediocre in both looks and bearing.

All Zhang Pu cared about was whether or not the several-hundred-year-old polygonum and snow lotus would appear, and when they would be brought out. There were certainly rarer treasures up for auction, but for now he was content with these two.

The first lot of the evening was an ancient orchid, with an opening bid of five thousand. Zhang Pu closed his eyes, feigning rest. It seemed no one cared much for the orchid; only a few scattered bids broke the silence. In the end, it went for thirty thousand yuan.

The next lot was a string of red beans, known locally as King Red Bean. Zhang Pu recognized it as an ingredient useful for certain auxiliary formulas at the Qi Refining stage, but he was on the verge of Foundation Establishment and had no use for such things any longer. He had no interest in the King Red Bean, and neither did most of the audience—everyone knew the best items were always saved for last at auctions like these. The King Red Bean was sold off quickly and, unsurprisingly, fetched just five thousand more than the orchid.

Zhang Pu had no opinion on the matter; it simply wasn't his concern. Just as he was about to lapse into quiet contemplation again, the third lot caught his attention—a jolt ran through him at the announcement.

Three-hundred-year-old polygonum multiflorum, precisely what he needed.

The audience stirred a little; compared to the previous two lots, this was of a higher grade. Yet even so, most present did not seem particularly interested. The auctioneer set the starting bid at thirty thousand yuan, the same price the orchid had reached.

Bidding commenced: someone offered thirty-one thousand, another thirty-three. Unlike the previous lots, this herb had a far wider range of medicinal uses, which gave it more value.

With his years of experience in the cultivation world’s many star realms and auctions, Zhang Pu knew better than to show any overt enthusiasm for an item he coveted—lest the auctioneer or competitors exploit his eagerness, driving the price up or even making enemies in the process.

Unless one wished to provoke a rival deliberately, it was sheer folly to wildly raise the bid right after the auctioneer’s opening price. That was the way of arrogant fools convinced of their absolute supremacy. Zhang Pu, now, preferred a low profile; he was still short of Foundation Establishment, and Earth remained a dangerous place for him.

"Thirty-five thousand."

Zhang Pu fervently hoped there would not be too many bidders for the three-hundred-year-old polygonum, as he was determined to obtain it. Just then, he heard a calm voice call out thirty-five thousand.

"Forty thousand!"

Suddenly, a more aggressive voice joined in.

After these two, another voice raised the bid to forty-one thousand. Zhang Pu thought this third bidder was probably just making a normal bid, for when the other two continued, he fell silent.

The first two continued their contest—one raised to forty-five thousand, the other to fifty thousand.

Back and forth they went—fifty-five thousand, then sixty thousand.

Zhang Pu frowned inwardly. What were these two fools up to? No one here should know how determined he was to acquire this herb. Why make things difficult for him? The longer their contest dragged on, the more of his precious funds it would cost.

Yet before he could even finish the thought, the two continued their bidding, swiftly pushing the price to eighty thousand.

By now, Zhang Pu could barely restrain himself from turning to see just who these two determined bidders were.