Chapter 78: Auction Insights
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
The ordinary seats at the Black Water City Auction were the first to sell out. This wasn’t due to a lack of seats; on the contrary, the ordinary section always offered the most seating. As a result, six entry points for the ordinary section had long lines stretching outside.
In contrast, the entry point for the premium seats—where Yu Zhao and Chen Tian Dong were headed—had only a few people in line. After joining the queue, the two soon entered the auction hall through the designated passage.
This auction featured a layout where the exhibition stage was centrally placed, with all seats fanning out in a circular arrangement around it. The front two rows were VIP seats, designed with extravagant luxury and spacious comfort. Behind them were the premium seats, followed by the ordinary section. The vast difference in the arrangement made it easy to distinguish between the seating areas.
At this moment, the expansive auction hall was bustling with noise. Many cultivators were already seated in both the ordinary and premium sections, passionately discussing the items to be auctioned that day.
“Why are they here?”
While Yu Zhao was looking for her seat, she overheard Chen Tian Dong muttering under his breath. Following his gaze, she spotted three familiar figures in the second row of the VIP section.
Young Master Fan had gone all out with his attire today, donning an elaborate set of luxurious clothing that made him stand out in the crowd. Whether it was due to preconceived impressions or not, Yu Zhao could sense his smugness just from the way he carried himself.
“Most cultivators appearing in Black Water City around this time are here for the auction,” Yu Zhao remarked plainly.
Chen Tian Dong chuckled. “You’re absolutely right, Senior Yu. I just didn’t expect them to be in the VIP section.”
Coming from a cultivation family himself, Chen Tian Dong could easily discern that, despite Young Master Fan’s ostentatious display, his actual background wasn’t particularly noteworthy—likely even less prominent than the Chen family. That he could afford a VIP ticket genuinely surprised Chen Tian Dong, making him second-guess his earlier judgment.
Yu Zhao smiled faintly but didn’t bring up the events that had transpired when purchasing the tickets. Naturally, Chen Tian Dong had no idea this was linked to Yu Zhao. Since their tickets were purchased at different times, their seats were in separate areas. After locating their respective spots, the two parted ways and settled into their seats.
To Yu Zhao’s right was a cheerful young girl with a round face, at the seventh level of Qi Refinement, who immediately struck up a conversation upon seeing her. Introducing herself as Meng Yue, the local cultivator was brimming with excitement about the auction, even detailing its various procedures with familiarity.
“Sister Yu, is this your first time attending the Black Water City Auction? It’s my first time too! I heard this event is bigger than the previous ones. I had to plead with my family for ages to let me come!” Meng Yue’s enthusiasm was palpable.
Though Meng Yue was cautious not to reveal too much about her family background, her demeanor, speech, and attire made it evident she came from a well-off lineage. In contrast, she seemed far more suited to the label of a true noble cultivator than someone like Young Master Fan.
“I also heard the highlight of this auction is a Fourth-Grade Alchemy Recipe. Many people are coming just for that,” Meng Yue whispered conspiratorially.
Yu Zhao raised an eyebrow, intrigued. She had occasionally heard about auctions offering a single Fourth-Grade Pill but never an alchemy recipe of this rank. Even within the Green Wood Sect, renowned for alchemy, such a recipe was incredibly rare and strictly withheld from anyone outside the Pill Hall.
Yu Zhao could already imagine how intense the bidding war for this item would be.
“Sister Yu, you’re not here for the alchemy recipe, are you?” Meng Yue asked suspiciously, noticing Yu Zhao’s calm reaction.
Yu Zhao shook her head.
Meng Yue let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, even patting her chest for emphasis. “Thank goodness! Sister Yu, you mustn’t join the fight for that alchemy recipe—it’s too dangerous.”
She wrinkled her nose as if recalling something unpleasant, her excitement briefly dimmed by the thought.
Her emotions came and went quickly. Before long, she had completely forgotten about the Fourth-Grade Alchemy Recipe and was happily chatting with Yu Zhao about other auction items.
Time slipped by with her lively chatter. Just as the auction was about to begin, the once-quiet auction hall grew noisy once more.
“The Zhang Family! They’re finally here!”
“Even the head of the Zhang Family has come. Could there be some extraordinary treasure in this auction?”
“Is that the Young Master of the Zhang Family? What a remarkable young man!”
“…”
In Black Water City, it’s often said: “Those near the water get the moon first.” Most attendees at the Black Water City Auction were local cultivators like Meng Yue. Naturally, when the strongest local family appeared, the atmosphere grew electric.
Four members of the Zhang Family attended the auction. Leading the group was a lean, sharp-eyed middle-aged man. Closest to him was a confident young man bearing a striking resemblance to him.
The four walked straight into the hall and took their seats in the first-row VIP section. They remained silent, their expressions solemn.
Meng Yue whispered earnestly, “The Zhang Family is the top-ranked family in Black Water City. Their ancestor is said to be just one step away from forming a Nascent Soul.”
Yu Zhao, however, had already gathered information about the Zhang Family from other sources. In addition to their elusive ancestor, the Zhang Family boasted two Golden Core cultivators, one of whom was the family head. Moreover, their Young Master was considered the most promising talent in Black Water City to break into the Golden Core stage, further elevating the family’s influence.
Surprisingly, when the Zhang Family took their seats, they left three spots in the center of the VIP row vacant, sparking speculation among the attendees.
“Strange. The Wei Family, Wang Family, and Zhao Family are all here. Who else could those seats be for?”
Meng Yue began counting on her fingers, puzzling over the identities of the absent guests. When she realized everyone who should be present had already arrived, her confusion deepened.
Yu Zhao’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be…?
Just as the thought crossed her mind, three young men entered from the VIP passageway. Yu Zhao paused, her lips curving into a faint smile. She hadn’t expected to run into familiar faces here.
Among the three, Yu Zhao recognized two. The taller one was named Tian Han, and the burly one was Guo Ming En. Both were disciples of the Green Wood Sect Martial Hall. The last time she saw them was in Dragon Roar Valley, where they had been tasked with protecting Mu Ye.
Back then, Mu Ye had insisted on accompanying Yu Zhao despite the risks, leading to a falling-out with the four Martial Hall disciples. After they had escaped danger, the disciples had sought Mu Ye out again to continue their protection duty, only to be rebuffed by her in no uncertain terms. The situation had been awkward, and Yu Zhao remembered it clearly.
Now, seeing Tian Han and Guo Ming En again, she instantly recognized them.