Chapter 27: Ice Spirit Herb

Hearing this assessment, a flicker of embarrassment crossed the auctioneer's face, but it was undeniably true. Although water-source ore was rare—appearing only near waters rich in spiritual energy—the spiritual essence within it was impossible to absorb. Even if one were to win it at auction, it could serve as nothing more than a decorative ornament.

Despite the auctioneer's enticing rhetoric, those who had persisted until now remained rational; they would not squander their spirit coins on a whim. The atmosphere grew somewhat cold, and the auctioneer, skipping further pleasantries, proceeded with the standard process.

"A single piece of water-source ore. The starting bid is fifteen thousand spirit coins, with minimum increments of one thousand. The bidding begins now."

As the auctioneer finished speaking, the venue was filled with hushed whispers, yet no one placed a bid.

"It's just a piece of waste rock. Setting such a high starting price—isn't this clearly a scam? Who among those sitting here is a fool?"

"Even if she stood there stripped bare, it might not be worth that much. It's a pure swindle."

"Whoever wants to bid can do it; I certainly won't. I'm not throwing my money away on this."

Though the voices were low and scattered, the auctioneer caught some of the remarks and could only manage an awkward, forced smile. In the grand private boxes, the power players exchanged glances, all shaking their heads in unison. They had come prepared for the final, show-stopping items and had no intention of wasting their funds on a piece of waste rock, so they all chose to remain silent.

"Since there are no bids, this piece of water-source ore will go unsold," the auctioneer declared. She seemed to have anticipated this outcome and did not take it to heart. Just as she was about to call for the ore to be removed, a voice suddenly rang out from the corner.

"Fifteen thousand spirit coins. I'll take it."

Everyone turned to look and saw a slightly handsome youth in white. Who else could it be but Qin Liang?

"Qin Liang? Does he even know what 'waste rock' means? He actually dares to bid on this?"

Some were baffled, feeling that Qin Liang was being far too reckless. Spending fifteen thousand spirit coins on a piece of waste rock—what a total sucker!

"As expected, even after manifesting a Dao root, he cannot hide his inherent foolishness," Li Hongcai sneered in a low voice. In his eyes, Qin Liang remained as dull and witless as he had been years ago. Jiang Hai frowned but remained silent, merely surprised that Qin Liang could produce such a large sum of spirit coins.

Beside him, Jiang Yutong's expression was complex. As she gazed at the young couple, she felt a strange, inexplicable sense of envy. Ever since she had been favored by an elder of the Star-Moon Sect, she had become the celebrated genius of the family. Yet, it seemed that from the moment she refused her marriage, those admiring gazes had gradually shifted toward her sister.

"Could I really be wrong?" Jiang Yutong felt lost for a moment, but her gaze soon hardened. "I am no weaker than my sister. There are plenty of fine men in this world; Qin Liang is not necessarily the most brilliant of them all."

In another private box, Hua Zhiqiao frowned to herself. "Could this also be the intent of that master?" The waste rock was useless to Qin Liang, yet he had bid on it; it was highly likely he was acting under the master's instruction.

Meanwhile, in the boxes belonging to the Wang and Feng families, several individuals could not help but sneer, their mouths stretching into wicked grins. It was this very youth who had crippled their family's second young master and third young miss. Now, they were eager for Qin Liang to consume the waste rock and have his meridians burst—that would truly be a laughingstock. After all, if he brought it upon himself, it would be a rather embarrassing affair to spread.

The auctioneer on stage smiled, her seductive gaze sweeping over Qin Liang. "Fifteen thousand, going once... going twice... going three times. Sold!"

Qin Liang secured the item with ease, secretly relieved. If anyone else had bid, his pockets would not have been deep enough. As he handed over the spirit coins, Jiang Xuehan was surprised to realize her fiancé was not short on money. The ore was only the size of a fist, densely covered in water ripples. The spiritual essence had long since fused into the stone, making it nearly impossible to extract on its own.

"When we return, I'll have the Heaven-Desolation Cauldron give it a try. If it succeeds, I might be able to perform the fifth spirit refinement," Qin Liang mused, tucking the item into his Qiankun bag with satisfaction.

For the remainder of the event, Qin Liang and Jiang Xuehan simply watched. The items were all prohibitively expensive; a single Origin-tier weapon started at twenty thousand and was driven up to over one hundred thousand spirit coins.

"The owner of this auction house is truly the wealthiest merchant in Sulfur City," Qin Liang could not help but marvel. With every item priced well above market value, it would be strange if they weren't rich.

Finally, Qin Liang saw the grand finale item: the Ice Spirit Grass. This was the key ingredient for the Cold-Repelling Pill he had prepared for Jiang Xuehan. He stared at the medicinal herb with burning eyes, and though he tried his best to conceal it, Jiang Xuehan noticed.

"If you want it, I'll go ask Father to bid for it," Jiang Xuehan said, about to run toward the family box.

Qin Liang pulled her back. "Let's just watch the show. After the auction ends, I'll give you a surprise." Though puzzled, Jiang Xuehan chose to trust him and sat back down.

The Ice Spirit Grass lived up to its name; its few leaves were crystal clear like shards of ice, exceptionally brilliant. A hazy, frigid mist swirled around it, resembling an ice dragon coiling and dancing.

"The starting bid is ninety thousand spirit coins, with minimum increments of one thousand."

As the auctioneer finished speaking, everyone tensed up. After a brief silence, the voice of Wang Sheng came from the Wang family's VIP box: "Ninety-one thousand spirit coins."

The crowd was astonished. The Wang family was truly one of the three great clans; their wealth was immense. In the Feng family's box, Feng Qingyu's expression was unsightly and conflicted. He was struggling over whether to bid. Currently, the Wang and Feng families were in a partnership aimed at the Jiang family. If he entered the bidding now, their alliance would fall apart, and the Jiang family would inevitably reap the benefits.

Just as he was hesitating, Luo Qian's voice sounded from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's box: "Ninety-two thousand." His tone was flat, filled with confidence.

Wang Sheng narrowed his eyes and added in a deep voice, "Ninety-three thousand spirit coins."

The City Lord's Mansion remained silent, as did Geng Zi'an and the others from the Weapon Refinement Workshop, none willing to join the fray. Seeing this, Feng Qingyu backed down, a curve forming on his lips as he muttered to himself, "Fight it out, then. Once you've both drained your funds, the final prize will be mine."

What followed was a duel between Wang Sheng and Luo Qian, with both sides taking turns bidding, neither willing to show weakness. Wang Sheng remained aggressive, his tone growing increasingly agitated, though he kept his remarks strictly to the bidding. Luo Qian's tone remained calm as water, unswayed, as if victory were already in his grasp.

Since the Wang family refused to be sensible, he would bid until the end. If necessary, he would even secure a line of credit with the auction house; given the influence of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion's main branch in the capital, the auction house would surely agree. In terms of raw combat power, the Wang family might be the local tyrants, but when it came to financial reserves, he had no fear of them.

"One hundred and fifty thousand."

Luo Qian continued to bid with indifference. Hua Zhiqiao's expression remained unchanged, making it difficult to discern her true emotions. For a first-grade medicinal herb, this price was already astronomical. Yet, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion showed no sign of retreating, demonstrating a confidence in their wealth second only to the auction house owner himself.

Seeing the family head ready to continue, an elder beside him hurriedly warned, "Master, you must not. The Spirit-Transforming Pill is more important; there is no need to waste our wealth here."

Wang Sheng calmed down, his eyes turning cold. The teacup in his hand cracked as he said in a chilling voice, "Myriad Treasures Pavilion, I, Wang Sheng, have noted this grudge. It is not yet your place to run wild in Sulfur City."