Lan Rui turned to Wei Xin, eyes fixed thoughtfully on the bidding floor.
"Sister Wei, how much do you think is the ceiling price for those talismans?"
Wei Xin paused to consider, her fingers lightly drumming the armrest. "For a standard high-grade First Rank talisman, the market price can reach a hundred spirit stones. But this is a Sword Talisman, it's a far more valuable offensive type. Its base price alone is about a hundred and fifty spirit stones each."
She tapped the table softly. "There are three of them. You can bid up to six hundred. Anything above that would be overspending."
Lan Rui nodded, his expression steady. Then, without hesitation, he spoke clearly.
"Five hundred!"
The hall fell quiet for a brief moment. Not because of Lan Rui's presence, though seated in a private room, he was still a mere Qi Refining cultivator, but because the amount was substantial. For most loose cultivators, five hundred spirit stones was a significant fortune.
Yet the stillness didn't last long. Among the crowd, A refined man clad in a pristine daoist robe made his bid. He carried himself with composed confidence, a well-known figure among the loose cultivators.
"Five hundred and ten!" the man called out, his voice calm and confident.
Wei Xin leaned closer and whispered, "That's Lin Guobin. Ninth layer of Qi Refining Realm. He's well-known among the market community runs a successful hunting team composed solely of late-stage cultivators. He's earned a good reputation."
Lan Rui glanced down at the man but remained indifferent. Status meant little in this hall when influence and strength did the talking. He calmly raised the bid again.
"Five hundred and fifty."
Lin Guobin narrowed his eyes slightly, then lifted his hand once more.
"Five hundred and sixty!"
But this time, he did more than bid. He stood up, facing Lan Rui's private room on the first floor, and offered a respectful cupped-fist salute.
"Fellow Daoist," Lin Guobin said earnestly, "I truly need those talismans. Might you be willing to give me some face and allow me to have this item? I'll certainly compensate you for your courtesy."
Lan Rui was taken slightly aback by the public plea. He turned to Wei Xin for guidance. But before he could even speak, she shook her head firmly and gave him a subtle gesture continue.
With that, he turned back to the hall and calmly raised his voice.
"Six hundred."
The crowd gasped.
The crowd murmured as silence again swept the hall, this time heavier than before.
Whispers rose like ripples on water, filled with disdain, pity, and curiosity all were directed toward Lin Guobin.
"Who does he think he is, trying to negotiate with someone in a private room?" someone scoffed at him
"He might be a local figure, but he's clearly out of his depth."
"Poor guy... He lost the bid and probably offended someone he shouldn't have," someone else muttered with sympathy.
Lin Guobin heard every word. Though he maintained his composure, his fists clenched slightly as he returned to his seat in silence.
"Six hundred going once!" the auctioneer declared.
"Going twice…"
"Going thrice…"
"Sold! Congratulations to Private Room 102!"
With a graceful smile, the auctioneer closed the black box and handed it to an assistant.
Moments later, a maid arrived at their private room, holding the box carefully. Lan Rui accepted it, opening the lid to briefly inspect the Sword Talismans. The sword qi lingering within them confirmed their authenticity. Satisfied, he closed the box and set it aside.
"I'll pay now," he said simply, tapping his storage pouch.
He knew he had the option to pay now or at the end of the auction, but he chose not to delay.
With a flick of his sleeve, he placed six hundred spirit stones neatly on the table. The maid quickly verified the amount before collecting them with a polite bow.
"Thank you for your purchase," she said softly, and then left the room.
Lan Rui returned his gaze to the stage, but the current item being auctioned failed to pique his interest. Instead, he frowned and turned to Wei Xin.
"Sister Wei, can people just… do what Lin Guobin did earlier? Try to pressure or plea for others to give up their bids?"
Wei Xin nodded. "Yes, within limits. Direct requests like his are allowed. But the auction house has strict rules. If someone tries to intimidate, threaten, or release spiritual pressure to coerce others, they're immediately disqualified and escorted out, possibly even blacklisted."
She gave a pointed glance toward the stage. "If you had complained right then, Lin Guobin would have been removed. But since he made no threats and acted with courtesy, they allowed it. Sometimes people really do want to negotiate for an item they desperately need."
Lan Rui nodded, finally understanding.
'So that's why they didn't stop him. If I had complained, Lin Guobin might've been kicked out right away.'
Lan Rui mulled this over. "But why would he think I'd give him face? Does he have some hidden background?"
Wei Xin shook her head, brow slightly furrowed. "I doubt it. He's always been independent. In fact, the Crimson Blade Gang once tried to recruit him, but he rejected them. If he had backing, we'd have heard. I think he just overestimated himself."
Lan Rui hummed thoughtfully and returned his attention to the auction. Several items were interesting, but not worth bidding on. He simply observed, occasionally exchanging quiet thoughts with Wei Xin.
Then, after an incense stick's worth of time, a shift occurred.
The auctioneer stepped forward, this time holding a jade slip in her hand an object that immediately drew Wei Xin's full attention.
"This is a Second Rank Herbalist inheritance," the auctioneer announced.
Her expression, always cool and composed, changed subtly. Her eyes narrowed with anticipation, and she leaned slightly forward in her seat.
Lan Rui noticed. "Sister Wei, what's that inheritance slip about?"
She hesitated for a moment before replying, her voice a little softer than before. "Do you remember all those talisman manuals you've been collecting?"
He nodded.
"This is similar, but much more precious. An inheritance slip isn't just a manual. It's the accumulated knowledge, insights, and experience of a true master in their profession, recorded directly into a jade slip. Most cultivators who reach mastery do this before the end of their lives, hoping to pass their legacy down."
She looked back at the stage. "A talisman manual teaches methods. But an inheritance reveals a lifetime of understanding personal techniques, insights, failures, successes. If this slip is genuine, it might contain information on thousands of herbs, their uses, rare processing methods, and possibly even Second Rank pill recipes is not out of question."
Lan Rui's expression grew solemn. He could now see the value, and why Wei Xin's excitement had slipped through her usual calm demeanor.
On stage, the auctioneer raised her voice to match the moment.
"This Second Rank Herbalist Inheritance Slip is a copy of complete record retrieved from the vaults of the fallen Feng Family. It is an orthodox legacy, and had already been verified by our appraisal experts. Let the bidding begin!"
"The starting price is one thousand spirit stones!"
.....