“Junior Sect Master, you still need to eat! Getting angry will only ruin your mood, and it won’t change a thing!”
The old butler tossed away a pig’s trotter and chuckled lightly. “We take losses sometimes; we’ll just find a way to get back at it.”
“I wonder what Ke Mo is here to buy at the auction…”
Qiao Ziyu patted the mysterious object in his bosom.
Inside, there were eight exquisite crystals, a long-time accumulation from their sect.
“Junior Sect Master, take a look at this.”
The old butler flipped his hand and pulled out a half-transparent glass vial containing a bug.
“When did you get your hands on a food essence bug?”
This was no ordinary bug; it was a peculiar type that posed no danger but was surprisingly sneaky. It could sense emotions and change colors based on their intensity—quite similar to certain rare sea silks, which is why it was fed with high-quality sea silk for many years.
“With this, we’ll know what Ke Mo truly desires.”
The old butler grinned.
“Awesome! With this, we can inflate the price of what he desperately wants! That grievance with those eight exquisite crystals will surely be avenged!”
…
“What’s the first auction item again?”
Ke Mo entered the venue and took a seat in the front row next to Elder Qian.
The place was packed, probably with six or seven thousand people. In fact, many more were interested in the auction, but only a few made it through the door.
Each attendee received a small jade-colored token upon entry. If they spotted something they liked, they could raise it and shout out their bid.
“Welcome to the Eastern Pearl Building’s auction! This year we’ve unearthed several ancient artifacts from the depths of the sea. We have plenty of rare treasures to satisfy everyone!”
Up on stage was Lan Tian, dressed in a light blue sea silk dress, with her blue hair styled in a bun.
“Isn’t this girl a bit camera-shy in crowded places?” Qian Bufan wondered aloud.
This shark girl didn’t seem to thrive in the spotlight; last time she held ‘golden mountain subsidies,’ she was so nervous!
“I thought she was just shy at first, but then I realized it was more than that.”
Ke Mo shook his head, helplessly explaining, “She… actually suffers from a fear of crowds; especially when she sees a lot of people all bunched up together.”
Qian Bufan: “?”
What kind of disease is that?
He had never heard of it, but it didn’t seem too hard to grasp…
“How did you manage to ‘cure’ her?”
“Oh, I showed her my mysterious object.”
“Does that even work?”
“Inside, it’s packed with gold.”
“….. Miraculous therapy, little Mo.”
Qian Bufan glanced at the much more confident Lan Tian on stage, suddenly feeling that this method of treatment was remarkably sensible.
“The first auction item is a fish pearl from the deep-sea Axolotl! Wearing it can enhance physical strength, making it a holy grail for hidden training. You can also crush it to greatly boost your physique for a short time!”
“The starting bid is eight exquisite crystals.”
Lan Tian unveiled the red cloth and seriously introduced the item.
This caught the attention of quite a few people.
Everyone wants to be a bit stronger, and hidden training is one of the most grueling practices! Even if this item isn’t cheap, many were intrigued.
“So, does he want this item?”
Qiao Ziyu turned to ask the old butler sitting next to him.
“The food essence bug hasn’t changed color…”
The old butler looked puzzled. Didn’t he hear Ke Mo was supposed to be physically strong, always working on his physique?
Yet the bug was staying white, meaning Ke Mo wasn’t interested at all…
“Ke Mo makes his first bid! Eight exquisite crystals.”
At that moment, Lan Tian’s voice chimed in from above.
“If he’s not interested, why is he bidding?”
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Qiao Ziyu and the old man were a bit confused. Was the food essence bug malfunctioning?
Though they didn’t know why, since Li Mo wanted it, he wasn’t about to let him off easily.
“Junior Sect Master of Lingxi Gate, bids nine exquisite crystals!”
“Li Shaoxia bids….”
“Junior Master of Lingxi Gate bids….”
At first, many people participated, but gradually it boiled down to just these two shouting bids at each other.
In the end, Li Mo pondered and chose to back down.
He didn’t really need that item; his physique was already solid, and he only wanted to toss it into the Qingyuan Sect’s warehouse.
“Looks like Qiao Ziyu is intentionally raising the price against us?” Qian Bufan remarked.
“No need to worry about him.”
Li Mo had anticipated this.
“Hmm, a point for us.”
Qiao Ziyu felt a sense of satisfaction.
“Boss, that thing is only worth fifteen exquisite crystals at most, and you just… paid thirty!”
The old butler sighed. “Better not be impulsive; wait until you bump into something he truly desires before you act.”
The corners of Qiao Ziyu’s mouth, which had just lifted, stiffened, leaving him with no choice but to nod.
“The fifth auction item is a pair of Jade Locks.”
The jade locks come in two pieces, which can be combined or separated, resembling a yin-yang fish form that sparkles brilliantly.
Then Lan Tian continued her introduction: “This pair of jade locks is an ancient treasure from the ruins. The Yang lock can strengthen the body and improve physique; the Yin lock can absorb the world’s energy, accelerating training. However, they cannot be used simultaneously, but both are rare treasures.”
“The starting bid is ten exquisite crystals.”
The food essence bug remained white.
Yet Li Mo still placed a bid this time, securing them for ten exquisite crystals.
Quickly onward, the third and fourth items came up.
Most of the items in the front were weapons, manuals, and rare treasures—none of which piqued Li Mo’s interest.
Qiao Ziyu didn’t bother to outbid him anymore; he just made casual purchases.
Not just Qiao Ziyu, but everyone else was dumbfounded—why was Li Shaoxia buying everything?
Most folks at the auction had clear targets; after all, they were working within a budget…
What kind of family did Li Mo have? Did he just buy one of everything?
Was he not worried about running out of budget and ending up with nothing he actually wanted?
“What in the world is he interested in?”
Qiao Ziyu was starting to get flustered.
Just then, the old butler whisper-shouted beside him:
“The food essence bug has changed color!”
Ding! That little white bug, about the size of a thumb, was rapidly morphing—turning green, then blue, then purple, and finally red!
Red like it was about to explode!
This indicated that Li Mo’s cravings had peaked!
“What in the world is making him so excited?”
Qiao Ziyu quickly glanced up at the stage.
Lan Tian happened to be introducing the next item:
“Three-thousand-year-old sea silk, which has developed a spirit—one of a kind, only this one! The starting bid is three exquisite crystals.”
Not expensive at all.
In fact, most people in the audience weren’t interested; after all, it was just a case of rarity—nothing too special.
Looking at the bug that looked ready to burst into flames.
“?”
A question mark popped up above Qiao Ziyu’s head.
What on earth was this issue? Why did Li Mo want this thing so badly?
