Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Lin Ming was dumbstruck, and even after he sat down again on his chair blankly, he didn’t utter a single word for a long while. He knew that he was done for because the Deputy General Manager, who was in the First VIP Lounge, had witnessed everything.
As they observed Hu Wangui in the VIP Lounge, the crowd couldn’t help but sigh. This person was so sinister and ruthless, that he set a plan in motion to try to utterly destroy Lin Ming’s Ten Thousand Demons Pavilion!
If Lin Ming just lost the treasures contest at this auction, the Ten Thousand Demons Pavilion’s prestige and business would only suffer slight losses and wouldn’t be affected too greatly. However, if he ended up becoming a target of Hu Wangui’s oppression like this, the Ten Thousand Demons Pavilion would become the laughing stock of the whole city, thus losing its prestige.
Such a matter’s consequences would be dreadful! As such, it would have been better for the Ten Thousand Demons Pavilion’s owner to never have participated in the auction!
Yu Linglong and Fei Hang’s expressions became gloomy, and they couldn’t help but feel anxious and frightened. They never had much confidence in their chances in this auction, and now, things seemed even more hopeless. As for Hu Wangui, he had come here fully prepared, and they weren’t capable of dealing with him.
Master Gao looked at Lin Ming with pity before he shook his head and said, “According to my appraisal, those two Golden Wind Divine Sparrow’s claws have identical grades, so there isn’t any difference between them. The bidding will start now. As there is not starting bid price, the one who bids the most for them will get them. Sirs, please start!”
Everyone started competing for the items at the same time, and their value in the purchasers’ eyes could be discerned instantly. As Golden Wind Divine Sparrows parts had extensive uses, many people were vying for them.
However, strangely enough, even though they were similar Golden Wind Divine Sparrow’s claws at the same grade, most purchasers still focused on the Demonic Treasure Pavilion’s golden claw. The reason for this was because they trusted the product that auctioned off by the Heavenly Eagle Group’s owner more.
Even though Master Gao had already stated that they were similar, the people were all skeptical and felt that they couldn’t be sure whether the Demonic Treasure Pavilion had ordered the Heavenly Eagle Group to hand over a defective claw to the Ten Thousand Demons Pavilion. This, of course, was just their suspicion, and it was also the reason why Lin Ming’s defeat was foreordained.
In the end, the Demonic Treasure Pavilion’s golden claw was sold for eighty crystals, which was a high price for just a single part of a demonic beast. As for the Red Blood Palace’s golden claw, it was sold for fifty crystals, which was just an ordinary price for it. However, as this was an auction with an intense and competitive edge to it, it was strange for it to have ended up being sold just for its normal price.
Upon witnessing this scene, the hearts of many Red Blood Palace’s members shuddered. The Red Blood Palace’s Auction House’s Pavilion Master Xiao Yao, who was in the First VIP Lounge, couldn’t help but sigh.
He then said, “Lin Ming was too careless.”
Pavilion Master Xiao Yao was speaking to the person next to him. However, while he was standing, that person was sitting. If Su Yu was present, he would surely recognize that person because it was the Deputy General Manager, who he had met when he had just arrived in Tianya City.
The Deputy General Manager nodded calmly. “Replace him. He has had an easy and comfortable life for so long, and he is no longer suitable to have a leading role in the industry.”
Pavilion Master Xiao Yao nodded, then ordered his trusted aid to pass down the order.
Hu Wangui was satisfied to hear this. He looked at Yu Linglong,and revealed a meaningful smile.
“Please bring over the fourth product.” Master Gao’s expression was as indifferent as before as he spoke calmly.
At this time, two women ascended the stage leisurely. They were both clad in thin robes, and their flesh could be faintly seen through them. They were quite alluring.
Both those women had a pretty appearance and outstanding facial features, luminous eyes, and a mesmerizing charm. They were both beautiful women, the likes of which were rarely seen here.
Many ardent gazes among the audience focused on them at once. The crowd also understood that the restaurants industries’ success relied heavily upon their dancers. However, both of these dancers from each side were at the same level.
It would be difficult for Hu Wangui to beat the Red Blood Palace’s restaurants industries because, although beauties weren’t necessarily numerous, they were also not necessarily rare. Hence, if Hu Wangui could find them, so could Yu Linglong!
Many Red Blood Palace’s members were reassured to see the matched beauties. They felt confident that this round would end as a tie, and they wouldn’t end up losing once again, not like in the demonic beast materials’ contest!
However, Hu Wangui curled up the corners of his mouth and revealed a mocking smile as he quickly asked before Master Gao started assessing them, “Are the Red Blood Palace’s restaurants using women’s charms alone to attract attention? Since that’s the case, why don’t they just go ahead and turn their establishments into brothels?”
Yu Linglong clenched her fists in secret, but spoke calmly as she asked, “What are you trying to say?”
Hu Wangui revealed a sinister smile. “Hehe, I never said that I wanted to auction a dancer. I disdain using such despicable means!”
Hu Wangui clapped, and the woman clothed in thin clothes belonging to the Central Prefecture’s side took out a jade gourd from her sleeve. The gourd had a yellow liquid within it, which was emitting a mesmerizing fragrance.
“What I’m auctioning is wine, not people!” Hu Wangui declared as she revealed a carefree smile.
The crowd returned to their senses after hearing this. Apparently, Hu Wangui was using a shady plot once again!
Before the start of the auction, he had hinted many times that he would choose a dancer proficient in melodies, but in the end, when Yu Linglong found a dancer as beautiful as his, he had quickly changed his story, stating that he was actually auctioning some famous wine!
He wanted to use this matter to tarnish Yu Linglong’s restaurant’s reputation. It was obvious that he had sinister motives.
No one present had expected such a scene to occur, and they all couldn’t help but feel embarrassed on behalf of the Red Blood Palace. After all, two of their great shopkeepers had fallen into their enemies trap, and it wasn’t even a brilliant scheme! As such, the crowd’s impression of the Red Blood Palace’s shopkeepers couldn’t help but turn for the worse.
However, Yu Linglong was still as composed as before, and a crafty smile blossomed on her face as she said, “Well… That’s really coincidental, as what I wanted to auction is also wine! Of course, not people! It’s the Lifeless Sword Prefecture’s Wine Immortal’s secret wine. He already sent his gifted disciple to Tianya City to become my restaurant’s First-Grade Wine Master. Sirs, if anyone wants to have a taste of the Wine Immortal’s excellent wine, feel free to pay a visit to my restaurant.”
The crowd went into an uproar. They couldn’t believe that Yu Linglong still hid such a trump card!
The Wine Immortal’s name was well-known. He was proficient in making all kinds of marvelous wines.
In fact, people were willing to spend their whole family’s fortune just to taste a mouthful of this wine. So, of course they were shocked by the fact that his gifted disciple was working in a restaurant!
“Well, Shopkeeper Hu? Are you satisfied with my product? Or… Have you also bribed that disciple and lured him to your side, planning to use him to ridicule me?”
Hu Wangui squinted his eyes and looked at Yu Linglong. “Hehe, Shopkeeper Yu, you are really shrewd and scheming!”
Hu Wagui’s voice then suddenly changed in tone, “However, do you think that I’m not prepared for it?”
Hu Wangui then looked at the crowd and smiled. “I don’t dare claim that my spiritual wine is better than the Wine Immortal’s wine. However, it’s a wine that is made from a recipe that was found in some ruins from ancient times. Hence, it isn’t something that a mere disciple can brew.”
He then said, “The wine that I want to auction off is called ‘Eight Treasures Brew,’ and one would need to spend three years just to brew a single drop of it. It’s extremely precious, and tasting just a single mouthful of it will make you feel like you have become an ascending immortal! Sirs, if you are interested in it, why don’t you have a taste of it?”
The crowd went into an uproar once again! The news of an ancient wine’s brewing recipe was indeed shocking!
Master Gao wore a solemn expression as he started introducing the two spiritual wines. As everyone expected, Hu Wangui’s spiritual wine was identified as being an ancient spiritual wine that was recorded only in the ancient books.
Its long-term consumption could purify one’s fleshly body, and it also had many other magical effects. Although Yu Linglong’s spiritual wine was pretty good and was rarely seen in the whole Jiuzhou, it still couldn’t rival an ancient spiritual wine. Hence, it was obvious that Hu Wangui would get an overwhelming victory in this auction between the two items once again.
Yu Linglong’s face became dark, and she clenched her jade-like fist tightly. She wasn’t willing to accept this. Even though she had done her best, she had still suffered a defeat in the end.
Hu Wangui was greatly pleased with this, and he laughed at her. He then said, “Well, Shopkeeper Yu, I already stated that if you work as a dancer, your restaurant’s business will surely flourish! I would surely come to cheer for you! Haha!”
Yu Linglong was infuriated. She had imagined that she would catch Hu Wangui off guard in this auction and be able to humiliate him. But, in the end, she was the one that was humiliated instead!
She was distraught and filled with anxiety, and she could only reprimand him coldly, “What are you so pleased about? The three great industries are headed by the elixir industry, which is the most important and brings the greatest profits. The profits of the demon beast materials and restaurants industries couldn’t rival even a third of elixirs industry’s earnings.”
This was indeed true. It wasn’t like many people needed precious demonic beast materials, and only a few martial artists were fond of loitering in restaurants! However, all martial artists needed avery kind of elixir.
In fact, they would all frequently consume them in great quantities. Even magical treasures, weapons, cultivation techniques, demonic beasts’ materials and the like couldn’t rival them. In summary, elixirs had the most extensive uses and were essential products for all martial artists.
Half of the profits that factions gained from their industries came from the elixirs industry alone. Regardless of which faction wanted to set foot in Tianya City, they could do without having demonic beasts’ materials stores or restaurants, but they would surely not give up on elixir stores!
The Red Blood Palace and the Central Prefecture’s industries had many fights, but they were mostly regarding elixirs. Whoever managed to dominate the elixir market would manage to get the most profits. So, the next round was the round of the auction that the people were most concerned about.
Upon hearing her, Hu Wangui just laughed in disdain. “Elixirs? Ha! How can incompetent trash like Fei Hang compete against my Hall of Celestial Spirits? If he doesn’t take our elixirs like the Pure Blood Pills, the Spiritual Nourishment Pills, and the Exquisite Powder, which can be found everywhere in the streets, you’d better not put your hopes in him!”
Hu Wangui knew clearly what kind of person Fei Hang was, and he also knew that he didn’t have any fighting spirit. He was a person, who didn’t mind cruelly ripping off his colleges just to preserve his store’s position as a high-grade elixir store. He simply couldn’t help but look down upon him.
Yu Linglong was infuriated. “Stop acting this arrogantly! His product still hasn’t started being bid upon, so how can you know that Fei Hang didn’t prepare for it?”
Hu Wangui said with a smile, “Hehe, Shopkeeper Yu, please don’t get angry. If you end up harming your body, I will be blamed for it!”
It seemed like his gaze was capable of penetrating Yu Linglong’s VIP Lounge and seeing her. Then, to add insult to injury, he had just teased her in public!
“You’re shameless!” Yu Linglong replied indignantly.
“Please, bring over the fifth product,” Master Gao requested calmly.
Two maids went up to the stage at that moment, each of them carrying a plate. The plate in the hands of the maid on the left side had a transparent jade gourd that had a pill with black color mixed with white inside of it.
Its white portion formed a divine dragon picture, while its black part formed a magnificent phoenix picture. It was really a beautiful sight, and no one could recognize it.
The maid on the right side was carrying three jade bottles, which all were filled with a different type of pills. When the crowd had a closer look at them, they couldn’t help but look at each other in dismay, and they all wondered…
Pure Blood Pills, the Spiritual Nourishment Pills, and the Exquisite Powder… Aren’t those the Heavenly Fragrance Elixir Store’s best selling elixirs? What does Shopkeeper Fei mean by doing this?
Upon witnessing this, Yu Linglong was so infuriated that her whole body shivered. She clenched her jaw and glared at Fei Hang, who was sitting next door.
She then asked, “Did you go crazy? You unexpectedly took out those three elixirs? Didn’t you prepare anything else?”
Hu Wangui laughed disdainfully. “Hehe, it isn’t out of my expectation! Didn’t I say that this good-for-nothing knows just how to harm his own people, while he will just bear his enemies’ assaults? He just knows how to protect himself! He doesn’t care about others at all!”
Yu Linglong’s face became hot and she felt ashamed. She was infuriated.
Fei Hang was strangely calm. “Shopkeeper Yu, you don’t need to get angry over this. Just let the enemies act arrogantly like they want. New elixirs don’t necessarily represent good sales volumes. The Pure Blood Pills, the Spiritual Nourishment Pills, and the Exquisite Powder are our most basic elixirs, and they have been selling well until now. So, no one and nothing can affect them.”
Fei Hang then added, “There is obviously a reason behind this. It’s because their effects are good and they are offered at a suitable price. This is the most important aspect, as one can’t persist for long just by depending solely on new products.”
Fei Hang’s words seemed reasonable and logical.
