“So it was them who saved Mo Yi!” Ling Hu’s face surged with fury.
“As expected!” Lin Xiao’s expression also hardened slightly, his gaze towards Peng Du carrying a trace of icy coldness.
At that moment, Peng Du’s bid left Lin Xiao somewhat perplexed.
According to Qing Yun, wasn’t that fake map and key something Peng Du had secretly orchestrated for the auction? The price was already nearing its peak, yet now he’d called out such a high bid?
Turning to Qing Yun, Lin Xiao saw the same deep confusion etched on her face. It seemed she too couldn’t fathom what Peng Du was up to.
But judging by this display, it didn’t feel like a simple price hike!
At that point, as the group approached, the guards maintaining order on all sides showed visible awe.
The Mo Alliance members seated in the auction hall all stood, casting welcoming glances towards Mo Yi.
Mo Yi nodded back with a smile, silencing the Mo Alliance members as they sat back down.
When the group reached the front of the auction hall, they stopped.
Adjusting his robe, Peng Du turned to survey the crowd, a sinister smile creeping across his face. He spoke, “Everyone, my city lord’s mansion is quite interested in this item too.”
Then his gaze shifted towards Huang Yuan’s booth, and he chuckled, “Of course, treasures go to the highest bidder. If anyone offers more, my city lord’s mansion will step back gracefully. This is the highest price we can muster.”
From Peng Du’s tone, it was hard to tell if he was brimming with confidence or issuing a veiled threat.
“Could he be trying to drive the price higher? But isn’t that a bit risky?” Lin Xiao mused, puzzled.
Beside him, Qing Yun’s hands clenched tight. If no one else bid, and the map and key fell back into Peng Du’s hands, her plan would falter. Even if she shouted the truth, no one would believe her.
Surely they wouldn’t think Peng Du was peddling fakes to himself?
But if that were the case, Peng Du’s scheme would backfire spectacularly, digging his own grave and dragging trouble right into the city lord’s mansion.
Even if the Jun Zang map and key ended up with Peng Du, it wasn’t without countermeasures.
The atmosphere froze for a while. Peng Du’s intent was clear: ninety Martial King primal pills was the city lord’s mansion’s ceiling. Just one more pill, and the Jun Zang map and key would go to someone else.
“Ninety-one!” Finally, after a long silence, Huang Yuan’s icy voice rang out again, his clear tone echoing through the auction hall, laced with blatant menace.
From his tone, it sounded as if he’d lash out at anyone daring to bid again, city lord’s mansion included.
“Kongyuan Valley’s reserves are indeed impressive. My Black Wind City lord’s mansion won’t bid further!” A look of relief spread across Peng Du’s face.
“That bastard was bluffing—he was driving up the price after all!” Inside the booth, Ling Hu let out a startled cry, barely suppressing a curse.
“Truly cunning. With one move, anyone unaware would never suspect him!” Lin Xiao and Qing Yun instantly understood.
From Huang Yuan’s booth came no reply to Peng Du, just a cold snort, clearly showing his irritation.
The Jun Zang map and key had already been pushed to a steep price. Peng Du’s entrance had jacked it up to ninety-one, enough to enrage anyone.
And this was their limit.
“Let’s see who dares to bid higher!” Huang Yuan’s chilling gaze swept the room. Sure enough, no one else showed intent to bid.
Fen Nan, overseeing the auction, was stunned by the figure. Ninety-one Martial King primal pills was staggering—enough to fuel several breakthroughs for a Martial King.
“Anyone else bidding?” Fen Nan asked, scanning the crowd. The hall stayed quiet; it seemed no one could top this price.
After a long pause, Fen Nan finally spoke, “If there are no further bids, then this Jun Zang map and key will belong to…”
“Wait!” Just then, a young man’s voice cut through from one of the booths. Everyone’s expressions tightened, their eyes darting towards the source.
Someone was bidding now?
And from a booth that hadn’t made a single offer until this moment?
“Lin Xiao!” As the voice rang out, Mo Yi’s face in the hall hardened, though a cold, sinister smile soon followed. He thought to himself, “Heh, he really came to the auction. Daring to bid now—he’s courting death!”
From another booth, a wave of icy killing intent spilled out.
It came from none other than Huang Yuan, his fury palpable.
“Um, I’ll bid!” Lin Xiao’s voice sounded calmly, “One… second-tier beginner spirit core.”
*Crackle!*
The scene froze, as if plunged into dead silence.
To compete for the Jun Zang map and key, the price had soared to ninety-one Martial King primal pills, turning the hall into a frenzy.
And now, someone dared to bid just one? And a second-tier beginner spirit core at that?
Everyone wondered if their ears had deceived them.
*Crackle! Crackle!* Waves of killing intent surged towards Lin Xiao’s booth, the crowd’s anger almost tangible.
“This is an auction. For Your Excellency to bid like that—isn’t it a bit too disrespectful to our auction house and everyone here?” From the stage, Fen Nan’s furious voice boomed.
All eyes fixed on the booth, eager to see who this bold figure was.
Bidding like that was a blatant disruption of order.
“Everyone, it’s not that I disrespect the auction, nor everyone present,” Lin Xiao said in an unhurried tone.
“Then what is it?” Huang Yuan’s voice, dripping with killing intent, echoed across the hall, carrying the air of someone ready to strike.
“Because that thing is worth only one second-tier beginner spirit core,” Lin Xiao’s calm voice reached every ear.
“The Jun Zang map and key worth just one second-tier beginner spirit core? Do you take us all for fools?” Huang Yuan’s enraged roar erupted. The window of his booth shattered, revealing his furious face to the crowd.
“It’s not that I think you’re all fools, but that someone does,” Lin Xiao replied, his voice tinged with a faint laugh. “That Jun Zang map and key—it’s fake!”
“Heh heh, a fake Jun Zang map and key—surely one second-tier beginner spirit core is more than enough to buy it?”
His words struck like thunder in everyone’s ears, silencing the entire hall.
The Jun Zang map and key—fake?
