Auction House.
"Not even... not even for a million gold coins?"
Upon hearing this, Su Fugui could only sigh helplessly and slump back into his seat.
It seemed that some powerful family must have used threats to force the merchant to reserve the item for them.
How despicable!
Meanwhile, on the auction stage.
The auctioneer stood still.
In her trembling hand was the envelope she had received earlier.
On the envelope were just a few short words:
["Leave the Shifu Flower for me. Name your price."]
["Ye Wangchuan"]
No threats, no coercion.
Just a simple sentence.
But to the auctioneer, these words carried immense weight.
The Shifu Flower had to be reserved, no matter what!
This wasn't about money anymore!
This was the Ye family!
And not just any member—this was the sole heir of the Ye family!
Who in their right mind would dare not reserve something for him?
The auctioneer took a deep breath and continued introducing the next item.
...
Time passed uneventfully.
A few unremarkable items were auctioned off, with the crowd on the first floor bidding enthusiastically.
Meanwhile, on the third floor, Ye Wangchuan occasionally intervened to reserve certain items.
It wasn't that Ye Wangchuan particularly wanted these items.
He did this solely to prevent Su Fugui from feeling targeted.
After some waiting, the next item was announced.
"The next item up for auction is a jade bracelet of unknown origin. According to the seller, it was given by a poor boy in exchange for joining a caravan. The starting bid is fifty silver coins."
The auctioneer's voice rang out.
On the second floor.
Su Fugui frowned and took a closer look.
Fortunately, his cultivation at the second level granted him sharp eyesight.
After a few glances, Su Fugui immediately recognized the bracelet.
Wasn't this the jade bracelet his previous self had given away to reach Chang'an?
This bracelet had been with him since birth, though its purpose was unclear.
At this thought, Su Fugui decided to bid for the bracelet.
After all, it was an item from his past life—it might hold some significance.
Even if it was just for sentimental value, it was worth keeping.
With that in mind, Su Fugui immediately began bidding...
...
Three minutes later.
As the auctioneer received another letter from Ye Wangchuan, she quickly apologized to Su Fugui in booth number ninety-nine and withdrew the jade bracelet.
Bang—!
Su Fugui slammed his hand on the table.
The entire room shook violently.
Fortunately, Su Fugui had held back his strength, or the room might have collapsed from the force of his strike.
His eyes burned with anger as he cursed under his breath.
"Twice! Damn it! Are you kidding me?! Can't I buy anything? Is your client's demand to reserve items more important than your merchant house's reputation?"
"My apologies, truly my apologies!"
The auctioneer could only offer helpless apologies.
And to be honest...
The merchant house's reputation paled in comparison to Ye Wangchuan's satisfaction.
After all, the merchant house's ability to operate in Chang'an relied heavily on the Ye family's support.
Gritting his teeth, Su Fugui sat back down.
His eyes swept the room irritably, feeling as if someone was watching him.
"I'll wait for one more. I need to confirm this!"
"If the next item I bid for is also reserved, then someone is definitely targeting me!"
After a moment of contemplation, Su Fugui settled in to wait for the next auction item.
...
Soon, the auction reached its final stages.
"The next item is the last one from our merchant house. I'm sure you've all been eagerly anticipating it!"
"We won't keep you waiting any longer. Let's unveil it now!"
As the auctioneer's voice fell.
Several attendants from the merchant house carried out a large iron cage.
Then, they pulled off the cloth covering the cage.
Inside was a 139.5cm tall golden-haired loli with small fangs and a pair of cat ears.
As the cloth was removed, the cat-eared loli immediately shrank back in fear, huddling in a corner of the cage.
She was utterly adorable, evoking an overwhelming desire to protect her.
The crowd couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
"This is a shapeshifting little demon we encountered during our travels."
"Normally, demons capable of shapeshifting are at least fourth-level or higher, making them formidable beings."
"However, for some reason, this demon appears to still be in its juvenile stage, with strength equivalent to only the first level. We captured it with ease."
"This demon can be raised as a spirit pet for combat or as a personal servant. After the auction, we will provide a contract seal to ensure the buyer's absolute safety. The starting bid is five gold coins!"
As soon as the auctioneer announced the starting price, the room erupted into a frenzy of bidding.
After all, who wouldn't be tempted by such a small, cute, and obedient demon?
While most people weren't interested in her current petite size, she could always grow up!
On the second floor.
Su Fugui watched the scene below with a look of disdain.
He had no interest in the cat-eared loli.
Su Fugui preferred women with perfect, voluptuous figures.
Like the pair of stunning twin maids standing behind him.
Just as Su Fugui was about to gather his things and leave.
"Three hundred gold coins! I'm from the Tang family! You lowlifes, I dare you to outbid me!"
Tang Mengze stood up and shouted, determined to buy the cat-eared loli.
He wasn't a lolicon, but he saw great potential in her.
If he raised her and she grew into a voluptuous beauty, combined with the contract seal, she would be completely under his control...
Heh.
As Tang Mengze indulged in his fantasy.
"Five hundred gold coins."
A mocking voice came from booth number ninety-nine.
Tang Mengze immediately glared in that direction, hurling insults at the occupant of booth ninety-nine.
But Su Fugui didn't care.
Weren't you trying to mess with me earlier, Tang Mengze?
Well, today I'm going to mess with you!
Soon, the bidding war between Tang Mengze and Su Fugui drove the price of the cat-eared loli up to eight hundred gold coins.
And Tang Mengze was truly out of money.
He only had eight hundred and fifty gold coins on him.
This was almost half of the Tang family's entire savings.
This money was originally meant for the Tang family's elder, who was on the verge of breaking through to the second level. Tang Mengze was supposed to use it to buy medicinal herbs to help the elder successfully refine his body.
After all, Tang Rourou had returned from the secret realm empty-handed, having found no rare treasures.
But given Tang Rourou's good relationship with the young master of the Liu family, the elder had let it slide.
Now, Tang Mengze clearly didn't have enough money.
But lack of funds wasn't going to stop Tang Mengze from raising the bid!
He had already made up his mind.
Even if he couldn't win the auction, he would make sure the bastard in booth ninety-nine paid a hefty price for the cat-eared slave!
If it ended up being sold to him and he couldn't pay, he would just rely on the Tang family's influence to smooth things over.
No matter what, he was going to make life difficult for the guy in booth ninety-nine!