Chapter 112: The Beginning of the Auction

“You mean he not only knows your identity as a Charm Tribe member but also understands the Heart Technique of the Tongxin Charm Art?” Yun Zhongtian rose unconsciously and muttered to himself, “No wonder your Tongxin technique has improved so much since you returned.”

“Yes,” Yun Keke did not deny it.

It seemed that Wen Hong knew even more about Lin Xiaobao; otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to offend the Long family so severely just for Lin Xiaobao. After some thought, Yun Zhongtian said, “You two stay here; Keke will make the final decisions regarding the auction. I will go to the second private room to apologize.”

Yun Zhongtian was indeed a man who could take responsibility and let go. Considering that Lin Xiaobao could be of help to the Yun family, he immediately thought of apologizing to him. Since Lin Xiaobao’s identity was not simple, becoming Yun Keke’s master might not be a bad thing. At this moment, he could no longer see Lin Xiaobao merely as a junior of the fifth stage of the Postnatal realm.

“Yun Zhongtian requests an audience with Young Master Lin!” The auction had not yet begun. Lin Xiaobao was busy sweeping up the pastries and fruits in the VIP room. He had spent over half a month refining the shattered Chaos Mirror fragments without taking a single bite, and his stomach was growling. Just then, Yun Zhongtian’s voice came from the door.

“Please come in!” Lin Xiaobao swallowed the mung bean cake he had just stuffed into his mouth and said.

Yun Zhongtian pushed open the door, glanced around the hall, and said, “I have been shortsighted; please forgive me, Young Master Lin!”

“At this moment, your presence here shows you already know about Keke and me,” Lin Xiaobao wiped his mouth and said, “Since that’s the case, we are all family now, so there’s no need for formalities, right?”

“Thank you for your generosity, Young Master Lin!” Yun Zhongtian cupped his fist in gratitude, secretly holding Lin Xiaobao in higher regard. He hadn’t expected someone so young to possess such subtle thoughts.

In truth, Lin Xiaobao wasn’t that extraordinary. When Yun Zhongtian requested the meeting, Lin Xiaobao had already communicated with Yun Keke through the master-servant contract and naturally learned everything that happened in the sixth private room.

“After the auction, I’ll visit Keke’s elder brother at the Yun residence.” Not only Lin Xiaobao but even Elder Mo was somewhat curious about this mutated, cultivatable Charm Tribe member. Encouraged by Elder Mo, Lin Xiaobao naturally wanted to investigate further.

“Thank you, Young Master Lin!” If Lin Xiaobao had said this earlier, Yun Zhongtian might have been disdainful. But now, he seemed to see hope.

“Although I am Keke’s master, I believe we should treat each other more as friends. From now on, just call me Lin Xiaobao. How about I call you Uncle?” Lin Xiaobao smiled.

“I dare not!” Yun Zhongtian quickly declined.

“There’s no need for that. Regardless of your attitude toward me, I will ensure the rise of the Yun family. I also need the support of the Charm Tribe,” Lin Xiaobao said earnestly.

“In that case, I won’t be coy anymore. I’ll follow your arrangements,” Yun Zhongtian immediately declared. Of course, he did this considering Lin Xiaobao’s identity and his knowledge of the Tongxin Heart Technique. If Lin Xiaobao made decisions that affected Yun family interests, that would be another matter—after all, Lin Xiaobao was only Keke’s master, not the master of the Yun family.

“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. The long-awaited auction is now starting...” As the host from the Carefree Pavilion stepped onto the stage, the auction finally commenced.

“The auction has started. You may leave now,” Lin Xiaobao said, not liking to have someone unfamiliar by his side, even though Yun Keke had explained a lot about Yun Zhongtian, and Lin Xiaobao’s impression of him had improved. At this moment, he preferred being alone.

“Then I’ll take my leave!” Yun Zhongtian no longer perceived Lin Xiaobao’s words as arrogant but rather as natural. He stood, bowed, and quietly left, gently closing the door behind him.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere downstairs at the auction was gradually stirred up by the host’s witty remarks.

All VIP rooms were on the second floor, but the Carefree Pavilion had taken great care to ensure each VIP room had a clear view of every corner of the auction hall.

“Alright, no more idle talk. Let’s begin today’s first auction!” The host paused as if to whet everyone’s appetite before announcing, “The first item is the Bright Pill! Any Postnatal warrior at the peak of the ninth stage who takes this pill will be able to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and take a giant step into the Innate realm!”

As the host spoke, a young woman stepped out from backstage holding a tray. On the tray was a jade bottle, clearly containing the Bright Pills.

“This bottle contains ten pills. The starting price is fifty thousand gold coins, with a minimum increment of ten thousand!” The host took the tray and awaited the bidding war from the audience.

“Seventy thousand!”

“One hundred thousand!”

“One hundred and thirty thousand!”...

The auction had just begun, and bidders were already active. The Bright Pill could break the barrier between Postnatal and Innate warriors. Any family obtaining it and giving it to their juniors could rapidly increase their clan's strength.

However, those in the private rooms held back. As one of the four great families of the Blood Victory Empire, their foundations were deep. Almost every family had a group of alchemists, so a pill of this grade did not pique their interest.

In the end, the Bright Pill was sold to a second-rate family from Bloodwind City for two hundred thousand gold coins.

The next few items up for auction, while surpassing the realm of warriors and appealing to those in the Spiritual Path, failed to capture Lin Xiaobao’s interest. No one in the other private rooms made a move to compete.

No wonder Yun Keke spoke as she did! The auction had been going on for more than an hour. Although the items from the Carefree Pavilion were decent, they did not meet the standards of someone like Lin Xiaobao, who had been mingling with Elder Mo and Elder Wu.

It seemed they had to wait for the Treasure Exchange Conference at the Xuanyang Hall. Perhaps that would be the real gathering for cultivators. Losing interest in watching further, Lin Xiaobao planned to leave. Rather than wasting time here, he might as well stroll the streets. Although he had been in Bloodwind City for almost a month, he had never seriously wandered around.

Just as Lin Xiaobao reached the VIP room’s door, about to push it open and leave, his entire body suddenly felt as if frozen by a spell, standing there motionless.

At that moment, a dull, black iron shard appeared on the host’s tray below. The iron piece had no luster. If it had been found on the street instead of at the Carefree Pavilion’s auction, no one would have glanced at it for three days and nights.