Chapter 81: Malicious Bidding
This novel is translated and hosted only on bcatranslation.
“So what if she’s Master Qing Yan’s disciple? Just wait and see.”
Wang Qian forced himself to sound confident, earning flattery from Tian Han and Guo Ming En. Slowly, the tension on his face eased, and the arrogance hidden in his expression surfaced once more.
Following the purple small pot, several rare treasures appeared, sparking frenzied bidding before ultimately being claimed by individuals seated in the VIP section.
An hour later, Yu Zhao finally saw the item she had been eagerly anticipating—Supreme Essence Water.
“Supreme Essence Water is harvested from an extremely frigid region. It is colorless and tasteless, epitomizing yin and gentleness. It is the top choice of water-element cultivators for crafting artifacts. The jade bottle contains fifty drops of Supreme Essence Water. The starting price is thirty high-grade spirit stones, with each increment no less than one high-grade spirit stone…” Fu Rong explained in detail while standing on the auction stage.
The Supreme Essence Water was the second-to-last item in the Black Water City auction, serving as one of the highlights of the event. Its rarity was self-evident.
Before Fu Rong’s explanation even ended, someone couldn’t wait to bid.
“Thirty-five high-grade spirit stones!”
“I bid thirty-eight!”
“Forty…”
The bidding war, predominantly among the VIP section, became intense. Barely had one person called out a price when another followed closely, driving the value past fifty high-grade spirit stones in no time.
Wang Qian, being a dual fire-wood spiritual root cultivator more suited for alchemy, had little interest in Supreme Essence Water. His focus lay on the Fourth-Grade Alchemy Recipe. Thus, he listened to the escalating bids with a relaxed demeanor, his eyes half-closed.
But when Yu Zhao’s cool voice rang out, his eyes snapped open, and he sat bolt upright.
“Eighty high-grade spirit stones,” Wang Qian declared as he raised his paddle for the first time.
Fu Rong’s smile widened, brimming with delight. “Our distinguished guest in Seat One has bid eighty high-grade spirit stones!”
The majority of those seated in the VIP section were affluent families from Black Water City and nearby regions. They had already received prior information about the identities of Wang Qian and his companions.
Upon hearing Wang Qian’s bid, those initially interested in competing hesitated.
It wasn’t just about whether they dared to offend Wang Qian. Eighty high-grade spirit stones was already pushing the limits of what they deemed worthwhile. Moreover, the ultimate highlight of the auction was still to come. Spending too much energy on Supreme Essence Water now would mean losing the opportunity to bid on the Fourth-Grade Alchemy Recipe.
Backing down at this point would be seen as a gesture of respect toward the Green Wood Sect, potentially easing competition later.
After weighing their options, the bidders who had been fervently raising prices earlier shook their heads and gave up on Supreme Essence Water.
Just as everyone thought it would fall into Wang Qian’s hands, Yu Zhao raised her paddle once again. “Eighty-eight high-grade spirit stones.”
The room fell silent, only to erupt into murmurs of shock.
Eyes turned toward Yu Zhao, astonished. It was clear the VIP families were deliberately conceding to Wang Qian, yet someone dared to go against the tide. Was this courage or folly?
“Sister Yu…” Bright Moon looked at Yu Zhao with concern.
Yu Zhao shook her head, reassuring her not to worry.
“One hundred high-grade spirit stones!”
Instead of anger, Wang Qian seemed delighted. He had feared Yu Zhao wouldn’t raise the stakes. He had no practical use for Supreme Essence Water; his goal was simply to frustrate her.
Among those present, only Tian Han and Guo Ming En seemed to grasp his intent. While they felt pleased, they couldn’t help but look down on him.
Wang Qian might act fearless outwardly, but his reluctance to directly confront disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect was obvious. He could only use such petty tactics to express his dissatisfaction.
Coward.
At first, Yu Zhao hadn’t realized Wang Qian was intentionally targeting her. But when the price of Supreme Essence Water climbed far beyond its value and Wang Qian still showed no signs of backing down, it dawned on her that he was deliberately driving up the cost. His motives, however, were unclear.
Yu Zhao’s gaze turned cold. “One hundred sixty-six high-grade spirit stones. If Seat One bids any higher, I will withdraw.”
Wang Qian’s face stiffened.
Yu Zhao’s unexpected low offer had clearly caught him off guard, leaving him unsure whether her words were a deliberate provocation or a sincere gesture.
Tian Han and Guo Ming En hesitated to push Wang Qian further. They feared Yu Zhao might withdraw, leaving the Supreme Essence Water in Wang Qian’s hands, and that failure could lead to Wang Qian’s ire directed at them instead. Thus, they remained silent, leaving the decision to him.
“Phew…”
After a brief pause, Wang Qian exhaled deeply and shook his head at Fu Rong, signaling his withdrawal from the bidding.
Wang Qian reminded himself to quit while he was ahead. He had already pushed Yu Zhao to nearly double the initial price, and continuing could risk turning her into a long-term adversary.
A flicker of surprise crossed Fu Rong’s eyes before she smiled and congratulated Yu Zhao on successfully winning the Supreme Essence Water.
Yu Zhao’s expression remained calm, but the atmosphere among the others was far from serene. Those who had interacted with her, such as Young Master Fan and Chen Tian Dong, now regarded her with mixed emotions.
Meng Yue, being more straightforward, didn’t overthink the matter. She simply felt happy for Yu Zhao, her small dimples faintly visible as her smile grew.
“Distinguished guests,” Fu Rong’s voice rang out, “we now come to the final item of today’s auction. I believe many of you are here specifically for this. Even I, Fu Rong, was astounded when I first learned of it.”
“Presenting the final treasure of the Black Water City Auction—a recipe for the Dispelling Evil Pill, a fourth-grade alchemy recipe.”
Boom!
The hall erupted like oil sizzling in a hot pan.
Some impatient attendees even stood up, their eyes fixated on the tray brought forth by a female cultivator.
Fu Rong continued, “The Dispelling Evil Pill clears the mind and enhances clarity, reducing the disturbance of heart demons and increasing the likelihood of breakthroughs. Rest assured, this recipe has been verified for authenticity by an esteemed Master Alchemist.”
Wang Qian’s gaze burned with fervor.
The Black Water City Auction had consulted an elder from the Green Wood Sect to validate the recipe’s legitimacy. Wang Qian had spent a significant fortune obtaining this crucial piece of intelligence.
Though the Green Wood Sect possessed recipes with similar effects but less resource consumption, the sect valued those recipes more highly. Thus, they had little interest in the Dispelling Evil Pill recipe.
But for Wang Qian, a mere disciple of the Pill Hall with great ambitions, acquiring a fourth-grade recipe would be monumental. It was the reason he had traveled to Black Water City, determined to claim the recipe.
“The bidding for the fourth-grade Dispelling Evil Pill recipe starts at one thousand high-grade spirit stones, with each increment no less than ten.”
“One thousand spirit stones! This already exceeds Black Water City Auction’s previous record of eight hundred eighty-eight spirit stones!”
“Did you not hear? This is a fourth-grade alchemy recipe! In the hands of a skilled Master Alchemist, it could easily repay itself.”
“Where did the Black Water City Auction even acquire such a recipe, and why would they sell it?”
Most cultivators present were self-aware enough to realize they couldn’t compete in such a high-stakes auction. While many were intrigued by the recipe’s origins and curious about its eventual buyer, they knew better than to entertain hopes of obtaining it themselves.