Chapter 62: The Only Daughter of the Hidden Clan
After Little Chubby’s demonstration, Little Skinny had been waiting eagerly on the other side. In truth, as soon as he took the pill, he felt its remarkable effects: not only was his spiritual energy replenished, but he also experienced a continual sense of purification, his internal energy becoming more refined and robust. All in all, the benefits far surpassed those of ordinary spirit-replenishing pills.
With the two testers sharing their experiences, the auction hall reached an unprecedented fever pitch. Everyone was waiting for Tao Tao to announce the bidding. Every person longed to possess a bottle of these miraculous elixirs!
“You’ve all seen the effects. Now, let’s begin. The starting bid for each bottle of these two types of pills is two hundred thousand. Each bottle contains five pills. Let the auction commence!”
No sooner had she spoken than bids began flying in, whether from those in the private boxes or on the tiered seating—everyone except one. Yes, that would be the young master whose spending limit had been restricted.
The joy belonged to everyone else; for the young master, only loneliness remained.
“Two hundred and ten thousand!”
“Two hundred and twenty thousand!”
“Hey! That gentleman over there bids two hundred and fifty thousand!”
“Oh my! The bigwig in Box One is showing off again—three hundred thousand! Three hundred thousand once, twice, three times! Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Box One for winning the first bottle of Marrow-Cleansing Pill!”
All eyes in the hall turned to Box One. The occupants of Box Two grew restless. “No worries, junior sister. There are still over twenty bottles left. I’ll make sure to get one for you!”
“Thank you. Just do your best,” the girl’s sweet voice replied, making the young man beside her even more determined. The people in Box One always managed to embarrass him in front of his junior sister!
Meanwhile, Tao Tao was already proceeding with the auction for the second bottle of Marrow-Cleansing Pill. The young man from Box Two called out a single price, securing the deal at three hundred thousand!
Seeing the smile on the young woman’s face beside him, the man felt gratified.
“Now, two bottles of Spirit-Replenishing Pills—starting price, still two hundred thousand per bottle. No more words, let’s get started!”
The crowd was abuzz. This time, Ning Xue’er, determined and a bit lucky, won a bottle for two hundred and sixty thousand, while the bigwig in Box Three still bid three hundred thousand.
Tao Tao’s shrewd eyes quickly discerned the intentions of those present, and she merely curled her lips into a sly smile.
Hmph, do you all want one bottle each? Wishful thinking! I’m no fool—I know exactly what you’re up to. Watch me arrange things perfectly for you.
“Next, on the First Floor, we’ll have bundled auctions!”
Only Box Five among the VIP suites had yet to secure a bottle. The person inside frowned slightly, sensing that things might not proceed as everyone had hoped.
Tao Tao continued her explanation:
“Bundled auctions mean four bottles per set. There are eighteen bottles each of Marrow-Cleansing and Spirit-Replenishing Pills remaining, divided into nine sets for auction. Starting bid, eight hundred thousand per set. Let’s begin!”
With the new rules announced, the previously harmonious mood was shattered. This was an entirely different scenario from before. No longer could everyone simply get a bottle at a low cost—it would all depend on one’s financial prowess!
“One million!” Tao Tao couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. It turned out the most lucrative profession was that of an alchemist. Look at these people, raising the price by two hundred thousand with every bid—impressive.
“One million, one hundred thousand!”
“One million, two hundred thousand!”
“One million, three hundred thousand!”
The bidding soared ever higher!
In the end, Box Five claimed the set with a winning bid of two million—a sum an ordinary family could never hope to possess in a lifetime.
Though it felt like a hemorrhage for Box Five, it was well worth it. Four bottles of Marrow-Cleansing Pills—twenty pills in total—were enough to create twenty new prodigies for their family. Truly a worthwhile transaction!
Backstage, Gu Hua watched as the price of the pills multiplied several times over and reached out her wicked claws toward the innocent Little Rascal.
Greedy one, just hand them over!
With one set gone, eight remained, each fetching sky-high prices, fluctuating between one and a half million to two million two hundred thousand, with the final set even closing at two million six hundred thousand!
Shopkeeper Gu Zhou stood dumbfounded. If only Miss Tao Tao had appeared at the First Floor a few years earlier, how much more the previous auctions could have earned! He couldn’t help but grab his ledger and abacus, returning to his old profession.
Moments later, Gu Zhou’s heart wept with broad, streaming tears. “Miss Tao Tao, why didn’t you come to the First Floor years ago? What a loss, what a loss…”
As usual, two lucky bidders were chosen to test the next pills—this time, the Vein-Guarding Pill and the Violet Spirit Restorative. These two types were most effective in the heat of battle.
Tao Tao had the selected pair duel on stage. Observing that neither was fighting seriously, she exchanged a look with Gu Hua, who secretly sent a strand of spiritual energy to one of their hands.
One contestant slipped; the other suffered misfortune. Fortunately, Tao Tao quickly administered a Vein-Guarding Pill. The injured man’s internal organs began to heal, and he exclaimed, “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
The other’s spiritual energy was nearly spent. Tao Tao handed him the Violet Spirit Restorative, and after taking it, he clearly felt his energy replenish, with no noticeable side effects.
“There are ten bottles of these two pills in total. As before, the first two are auctioned individually, then four sets of four bottles each! Starting bid, two hundred thousand per bottle!”
“Two hundred and fifty thousand!”
“Two hundred and seventy thousand!”
This time, there was no holding back. Even a small morsel was worth fighting for—a single bottle was better than letting those other great sects take them all.
“Three hundred thousand!”
“Three hundred and fifty thousand!”
A man gritted his teeth, wrote his final offer on his bidding paddle, and raised it high.
With passion, Tao Tao called out the sum:
“Three hundred and sixty thousand! Three hundred and sixty thousand once, twice, three times! Congratulations, sir, this bottle of Vein-Guarding Pill is yours!”
The prices for the remaining loose bottle of Vein-Guarding Pill and the two bottles of Violet Spirit Restorative were similarly high.
Ning Xue’er gazed at the Marrow-Cleansing Pill in her hand, feeling that ever since she’d let go of her obsessions, her luck had improved considerably.
“Four bundles, starting at eight hundred thousand each—begin!”
The scene was momentarily chaotic, with final prices comparable to those fetched by the first set of Marrow-Cleansing Pills.
“The last two types: Mind-Clearing Pill and Barrier-Breaking Pill. We’ll auction these in sets of five, starting price one million!”
Everyone’s purses were weeping. The First Floor was ruthless this time, but these treasures were of even higher quality than in previous years. Even if they had to pawn everything they owned, they’d still try to compete with the wealthy!
Even if they couldn’t win, they’d at least drive the price up to bleed those rich folks dry!
“This lady bids one million two hundred thousand!”
“Once again, Box Two—one million five hundred thousand!”
A wave of exclamations rose from the audience.
Box One—where Jun Muxuan was seated—displayed a few bold words: “Two million! This tycoon is truly generous!”
Box Two raised again, “Two million five hundred thousand!”
Box One: “Three million!”
A low, pleasant male voice suddenly sounded from Box Two, “Since you want it so much, I’ll leave it to you.”
Though the words were lightly spoken, the challenge was unmistakable.
Tao Tao promptly awarded the first set to Box One for three million.
Several times, Jun Muxuan had snatched away items coveted by Box Two. Though this time it merely cost Jun Muxuan a pretty penny, Box Two’s occupants felt somewhat avenged.
Inside Box One:
“Big brother, have I been played for a fool?” Jun Muxuan asked, feigning ignorance.
Chong Li couldn’t be bothered to respond—not even a glance.
Jun Muxuan, long accustomed to this chilly treatment, didn’t mind. He lounged to one side, crossing his legs. Even if he’d been played, it was no big deal—after all, he had plenty of money to spare.