Chapter 337 - 334: Winning the Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers
Chapter 337: Chapter 334: Winning the Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers
Time passed amidst a chorus of bids and the sound of falling gavels.
The auction was more than halfway through, and the items appearing grew increasingly valuable, making the bidding all the more fierce.
A faint scent of gunpowder began to fill the air as some bidders clearly grew heated during the competition.
"The next auction item."
Jin Buyi’s voice rose, laced with a touch of incitement.
"It is a three-hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng King! This ginseng contains a vast essence of qi and blood. It has miraculous effects for cultivating Body Hardening Techniques, replenishing lost qi and blood, and even breaking through a Body Refining Barrier!"
"The starting bid is eight hundred thousand taels! Each increment must be no less than fifty thousand taels!"
The appearance of the Blood Ginseng King caused a slight stir, even in the private rooms on the second floor.
A Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure that could replenish qi and blood and aid in breakthroughs held immense appeal for any Martial Artist.
"Eight hundred fifty thousand!"
"Nine hundred thousand!"
"One million!"
The price quickly broke one million and continued to climb.
In the end, it was sold for the high price of two million six hundred thousand taels to a guest in a second-floor private room with a hoarse voice.
Fang Han remained silent. While the Blood Ginseng King would be beneficial to his Cultivation of the Xuanwu True Skill, it was not essential.
His goal was clear, and he was unwilling to spend too much on other items, lest he run short of funds when the time came.
After a few more precious Elixirs and rare minerals were sold, the atmosphere in the hall gradually intensified.
Jin Buyi scanned the entire hall, the smile on his face growing wider. He knew the real main event was about to begin.
"Everyone, next up is one of the three grand finale items of this auction!"
His voice was loud and resonant, tinged with excitement.
The entire hall fell silent in an instant, all eyes fixed intently on the high platform.
Another Maid came on stage, holding a long, narrow Jade Box.
The Jade Box was pure white, as if carved from a single piece of Cold Jade, and it emitted wisps of cold air.
Jin Buyi carefully opened the Jade Box. A cool, strange, and faint fragrance, as if carrying the essence of moonlight and the forest, instantly spread out, refreshing the spirits of all present.
Inside the Jade Box, nestled on a bed of deep blue velvet, lay an object about a foot long and shaped like a deer antler.
It glowed with a silvery-white luster, its surface marked with natural spiral patterns, and its tip forked like a tree branch.
Under the lights, the silver antler seemed to shimmer with a moon-like halo, looking exceptionally mystical.
"This is a shed antler from a Howling Moon Spirit Deer."
Jin Buyi’s voice was filled with admiration.
"Its effect can greatly improve a Martial Artist’s Talent in Body Techniques, providing an immeasurable boost to their cultivation! It is an exceedingly rare treasure that one can only hope to encounter by chance!"
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the private rooms on the second floor before he announced loudly:
"Starting bid—three million taels! Each increment must be no less than one hundred thousand taels!"
As his voice fell, a moment of silence descended upon the hall, immediately followed by an explosion of bids!
"Three million one hundred thousand!"
Near the front of the first floor, a slender old man with a sharp gaze was the first to call out.
"Three million three hundred thousand!"
From another direction, a middle-aged man dressed as a wealthy merchant followed closely.
"Three million five hundred thousand!"
This time, the voice came from a second-floor private room, sounding somewhat aged.
The price climbed rapidly, soon surpassing five million taels.
At this price point, the bids from the main hall on the first floor dwindled, turning the auction into a contest between the private rooms on the second floor.
"Five million three hundred thousand."
A cool female voice called out from one of the private rooms.
"Five million five hundred thousand."
Another private room. The voice was flat, yet filled with determination to win.
"Five million eight hundred thousand."
The cool female voice sounded again, raising the bid without hesitation.
Fang Han gently tapped his fingers on his knee. ’It’s time.’
"Six million."
He spoke, his voice traveling through the beaded curtain of his private room, steady and clear, betraying little emotion.
"Six million one hundred thousand."
The cool female voice called out again.
"Six million three hundred thousand."
The flat voice from before followed up once more.
"Six million five hundred thousand."
Fang Han raised the bid again, the increment still substantial.
Low murmurs rippled through the hall, and many eyes turned toward the few private rooms that were bidding.
"Six million six hundred thousand."
There was a longer pause this time from the cool female voice. Clearly, this price was putting some pressure on her.
"Six million eight hundred thousand."
The owner of the flat voice also seemed to be feeling the pressure.
"Seven million."
Fang Han’s voice remained steady, but this time he directly increased the bid by two hundred thousand.
This price clearly made the other two competitors hesitate. The Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers were good, but seven million taels was already an astonishing sum.
The silence lasted for several breaths.
"Seven million one hundred thousand."
The flat voice sounded again, but its tone was no longer as steady as before.
"Seven million three hundred thousand."
Fang Han continued to bid without hesitation. He had brought ten million taels and had plenty of confidence.
The private room of the flat voice fell silent.
"Seven million three hundred thousand, going once."
Jin Buyi began the count, his gaze sweeping toward the private room from which the cool female voice had come.
There was no response from within the private room.
"Seven million three hundred thousand, going twice."
Still, silence.
"Seven million three hundred thousand, go—"
"Seven million five hundred thousand!"
The cool female voice, as if gritting her teeth, called out a new price.
"Eight million."
Fang Han jumped in almost the instant her voice faded.
This time, he raised the price by a full five hundred thousand taels! It was a display of his determination, an attempt to crush his opponent in one fell swoop.
As expected, this price silenced the entire hall for a moment.
Eight million taels of silver, just for a spirit antler to improve one’s Body Technique Talent—was it really worth it? That was something to seriously consider!
There seemed to be some movement from the private room of the cool female voice, but in the end, no further sound emerged.
A sharp glint flashed in Jin Buyi’s eyes as he shouted three times:
"Eight million, first call! ...Eight million, second call! ...Eight million, third call! Sold!"
BANG!
The wooden gavel fell with a crisp sound.
"Congratulations to this honored guest for winning the Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers!"
Fang Han let out a soft breath, his wildly beating heart finally starting to calm down.
The Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers were crucial for improving his Body Technique Talent; he had to have them.
However, he wasn’t completely calm.
Because in the instant the gavel fell, he could feel at least five faint yet sharp auras, like invisible tentacles, sweep over his private room.
A few of them carried undisguised scrutiny and investigation, while one or two even held a chilling intent.
The auction wasn’t over. Jin Buyi had already begun to introduce the second grand finale item—a top-level grappling-type Martial Arts Secret Manual called the Celestial Spirit Demon Subduing Hand.
It was said that once cultivated to the stage of Great Success, one could shake mountains with their bare hands. The starting bid was a high four million taels.
Immediately after, the third grand finale item was presented: a long saber named "Duanyue."
The blade was dark red with faint blood-colored patterns. It was a weapon at the level of a Top-grade Magical Artifact, exuding a menacing aura. The starting bid was five million taels.
The bidding frenzy sparked by these two items was even greater than that for the Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers, with prices soaring to a jaw-dropping level in the tens of millions of taels.
In the end, the Celestial Spirit Demon Subduing Hand was sold to a mysterious person in a private room for twelve million taels.
And the Duanyue Saber fetched the astronomical price of thirteen million five hundred thousand taels.
Fang Han merely watched from the sidelines from beginning to end.
For one, he had no need for them. For another, his remaining funds wouldn’t allow him to participate in such bidding anyway.
Most of his thoughts were now focused on how to leave safely.
The auction finally came to a close amidst a sea of gazes filled with excitement, regret, or burning desire.
Jin Buyi offered a few pleasantries and then announced the end of the auction.
People began to file out, and the first-floor hall grew noisy.
The guests in the second-floor private rooms, however, appeared much more composed and were in no hurry to leave.
Fang Han remained seated in his private room. As a guest who had won a valuable item, someone from the auction house would come to handle the exchange.
A moment later, a Steward arrived with two guards whose auras were heavy and composed.
After receiving Fang Han’s permission, the Steward entered alone, a professional and respectful smile on his face.
"Congratulations, honored guest, on winning your desired item. Here are your Howling Moon Spirit Deer Antlers. Please inspect them."
The Steward placed a foot-long Cold Jade Box on the small table and opened it, revealing the very same antler shimmering with silver light.
The cool, strange aura spread out once again.
Fang Han examined it carefully, confirming it was identical to the one shown on stage and that the Jade Box was well-sealed, which would preserve its Spiritual Energy to the greatest extent.
He nodded, took out the prepared silver notes from his robes, counted out eighty Datong Money Shop notes each with a face value of one hundred thousand taels, and pushed them forward.
The Steward took the silver notes, counted and inspected them with quick professionalism, and after confirming they were correct, his smile became a little more sincere.
"The amount is correct, and the notes are genuine. The item is now yours."
"In addition, this is a VIP Card from our commerce association. With this card, you can enjoy a small discount when purchasing items at any branch of our Golden Scale Commerce Association. We welcome your patronage again."
The Steward handed over a small token, neither gold nor wood, engraved with a golden scale pattern.
Fang Han accepted it and put it away casually. The token might be useful, but he had no time to examine it closely right now.
"Honored guest, since you have purchased a valuable item, would you like me to have someone escort you out through a side door?" the Steward asked with a smile.
This was a form of protection the auction house offered to winners of valuable items, though, of course, it only extended to escorting them out the commerce association’s main gate.
"I’d appreciate that."
Fang Han carefully closed the Cold Jade Box, wrapped it in a thick cloth he had prepared, and strapped it to his back alongside his Cloud Splitting Sword.
The Steward summoned a trusted guard and gave him a few quiet instructions.
The guard then led Fang Han through another secret passage behind the private rooms. After many twists and turns, they arrived at a small door on the side of the building.
Outside the door was a relatively secluded alley.
"Mr. Fang, this way, please."
The guard bowed.
Fang Han gave the guard a slight nod and stepped out the door.
A cool night wind blew against his face. The alley was dark and deep, with only the faint lights and sounds of the main street audible in the distance.
He got his bearings. This was the area leading to his inn, but he would have to cross several streets and alleys to get there.
Without hesitating, he set off, moving in the direction of the inn.
His steps seemed ordinary, but the Heart Method of the Wind and Cloud Escape was already circulating secretly within him, and he had suppressed his aura to the absolute minimum.
He also activated the Spirit Smelling Technique, and information from all scents within a radius of several dozen zhang flooded his senses like a tide.
He had gone no more than a hundred zhang, passing through two short alleys, when he paused just as he was about to turn onto a slightly wider street.
From the shadows of the street ahead, four figures slowly emerged, blocking his path.
On the rooftops to his left and right, two more figures appeared on each side, sealing off the space above.
Behind him, three more people followed at a leisurely pace, cutting off his escape route.
Nine people in total.
All were dressed in tight-fitting black clothes, their faces covered with black cloths, revealing only their fierce or greedy eyes.
They held various weapons—sabers, swords, hooks, and chains—that reflected a sinister, cold light under the dim moonlight.
They released their auras without restraint, which descended upon Fang Han like invisible shackles.
The two leading them had the most powerful auras—both were Fourth-Grade Martial Artists!
The other seven were all skilled experts of the Fifth and Sixth Grade.
Such a lineup, in any given place, would be enough to wipe out a small family or gang.
Clearly, Fang Han had been targeted.
The auction house’s secret passage was indeed secret, but it obviously couldn’t fool some of the local kingpins.