My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late! Chapter 23
The group had just arrived on the flight of stairs that led up to Bliss Sanctuary's third floor when Yan Anle suddenly halted. He felt like a peaceful horse who had been innocently grazing when it was suddenly struck by twelve bolts of rainbow-colored lightning.
But seriously, what had he just heard? There was a cost for turning on the Rules? A mid-grade Spirit Stone per Rule? And it wasn't even forever but lasted only 20 hours? Hey, that wasn't even a whole day!
'Nine hundred and ninety-nine Spirit Stones per activation…'
'Multiplying the result by the number of auctions I will hold in the future…'
'What an outrageous operating cost!'
'Hey, system, why don't you just change your name to "Myriad Worlds Bandit Lair" and reward me for stealing and robbing!?'
[Myriad Worlds] started to explain, [Host, there is no need to panic just yet. I am not blackhearted. Actually—], but was quickly interrupted.
"Young Master," Dou E probed him. "What's wrong?"
Only at this point did Yan Anle snap out of his trance, recalling where he was. He had been too stimulated by the system's outlandish pricing.
"It's nothing serious, Dou E." He blinked multiple times in quick succession and placed his right hand on his chest. "It's just... I don't know why but, just now, I had this ominous feeling in my heart. Like something bad is about to happen. Hmm, perhaps it was just my imagination."
While that was not the reason why he had halted just then, his excuse was not false.
Dou E's eyes narrowed. "Young Master, sometimes our fleeting premonitions are actually spot-on. How about we hurry back now and return some other day?"
Pan Ting had a contemplative expression on her face. It is unclear what was going through her mind at the time. Fu Tan, on the other hand, was startled. 'This old man's sense of danger is actually so high!'
If it wasn't for some telling signs like tripping on the stairs and Dou E's apparent concern and vigilance, she would have believed that he was a senior hiding their cultivation base either due to personal quirk, hiding from foes, or dealing with injuries.
This is because cultivating the Immortal Dao connects one to the Heavenly Dao. This allows one to vaguely perceive fortune and misfortune—of themselves or those with great karmic ties to them—even without threading the path of Divination and pursuing the Fate Dao.
Yan Anle glanced at Fu Tan and Pan Ting. The latter seemed calm but curious while the former seemed a bit nervous. Shortly, he returned his gaze to Dou E and shook his head. "No need. If the worst comes, we can still run into 'that place' for safety."
It only took a moment for Dou E to deduce where 'that place' was.
"But, Young Master…." She seemed to have some reservations but swallowed them and nodded. "Mm-hmm."
For the rest of the way, [Myriad Worlds] quickly filled him in.
[Host, as I was trying to say earlier, you do not need to fall into despair just yet. I am an honorable and dignified system; I won't wring you unreasonably.]
[Yes, every Rule would consume a mid-grade Spirit Stone upon activation, allowing it to run for 12 hours before the need to be refueled, but those 12 hours can be paused.]
'Paused?'
[As long as there are no customers within the mobile Secret Realm, all Rules will be temporarily suspended until the next time customers enter.]
'That way, if each auction lasts, let's say, an hour? Then every refuel will allow me to hold a dozen auctions?'
[That is right, Host. Though, realistically speaking, adding the waiting time before the auction officially commences and the time after the auction—during which the customers may interact with each other or reach out to forge connections with the House—an hour would not be enough. Two hours is a more sensible estimate.]
'Humph! That is still a lot of Spirit Stones. Almost a thousand Rules, remember? That is still about a thousand mid-grade Spirit Stones per half dozen auctions. Bluntly speaking, that is a hundred thousand low-grade Spirit Stones!'
[Myriad Worlds] was momentarily silent before sighing, [Host, it seems you still do not understand the prospective earnings that would line your pockets if you hold successful auctions and increase the prestige and level of the auction house.]
Yan Anle: 'Eh… That's right. If I still lack money after getting a business-oriented system for an extended period of time, would I not be the shame of transmigrators?'
[Myriad Worlds] fed him a spoonful of good news, [Host, there is also a beginner benefit in this function as well.]
Yan Anle was curious. 'Oh? Do tell.'
[Myriad Worlds] told him, [The Host will be allotted 50,000 Myriad Worlds Auction Points that can only be used on the Operation Management function.]
'I get a subsidy?' His mood brightened. 'Haha, that's good! Very good, system!'
[Myriad Worlds] chose this moment to tell him, [By the way, this is just the price for now that Core Formation is above the ceiling of the Secret Realm. As you level up the auction house, thereby increasing its cultivation base ceiling, the price per Rule will also increase correspondingly.]
'Uh…' Yan Anle barely restrained himself from cussing and mulled it over. Soon, he felt that it was actually quite reasonable. 'My income will only snowball as I do business with higher cultivation realms, so I will be able to afford it. Besides, it would cost more energy for the system to maintain those Rules.'
[Myriad Worlds] said, seemingly relieved, [I am glad we are on the same page now, Host.]
[Immortal Clan System] chuckled, [Sister, I think you should say things at once from now on. Driving our Host to hell and back like this is not good for his heart.]
At the same time, the group arrived on the third floor. Yan Anle, Dou E, and Pan Ting's expressions changed once they stepped in as the floor seemed deserted. It had not been up to an incense stick of time since the former two were up there.
Where had everyone gone? It would have been one thing if it was only the customers, but even the courtesans were out of sight. The black-robed transmigrator subtly glanced at Fu Tan. She could not completely conceal her unease.
'Myriad Worlds, be ready to activate the spatial gate. Even if I do not give the signal. As long as you deem either Dou E or me to be in danger, just open it as close to us as possible.'
A candle lit up in his mind. 'Would it be possible to open the spatial gates directly beneath our feet?'
[Myriad Worlds]: [...Yes, Host. I can do that.]
Yan Anle released a breath he did not know he was holding, relieved. Then, possibly to lighten the mood or probe, or both, he said, "Miss Fu, it seems that this sister of yours holds quite the status here."
"Haha. Mr. Yan's eyes are like torches." Fu Tan bit the inner walls of her cheeks. "Actually, the Sanctuary Master dotes on that sister a lot. In fact, she made an exception of reducing her monthly quota by half."
A miniature Fu Tan giggled on her left shoulder, wearing dark makeup, 'Even you did not know you were so talented at weaving falsehoods and putting on a show, right?'
Fu Tan swallowed, thinking, 'That senior won't hear these words of mine and turn me into blood paste, right? She would understand. Right?'
Yan Anle was a bit surprised. "She would not happen to be the Sanctuary Master's or her friend's relative, would she?"
Fu Tan's eyes widened and she almost jumped to cover the gray-haired man's mouth. Yet, she restrained herself and forced a small laugh. "Mr. Yan knows how to joke. How could the Sanctuary Master bear to do that? Those of us who are here are only here because we have no safer or better choice. Or we were sold in."
There was a brief moment of palpable silence as the emotions hidden behind those words sank in. Pan Ting showed an especially forlorn expression. Soon, Fu Tan chuckled and shattered the stifling tension. "Alright, Mr. Yan, we are almost there. This way, please."
Yan Anle and the other two trailed after her until they came before a certain door down the hallway. He guessed, based on the room's secluded location, that it was a room belonging to the best of the best courtesans of the third floor.
'It could even be the floor manager's.'
Fu Tan gave the door one long knock followed by three short ones and announced, "Sanctuary Master, I have returned with Mr. Yan."
Yan Anle drew in a deep breath. 'The Sanctuary Master is present? What exactly is with this situation?'
Suddenly, the door clicked open and a woman's dignified voice came from within the room, "Enter."