Manager Wan’s face was ashen, his body trembling like a leaf in a cold wind, unable to stop no matter how hard he tried.
“Young… Young Master, thank you for sparing my life, the gold… I’ll have it prepared immediately.”
His voice quivered, as if he were submerged in an ice cellar.
Manager Wan’s sudden change in attitude left the auction house clerks utterly baffled.
But a few martial artists with decent cultivation understood what had happened.
Though Ling Xiao’s aura was fleeting and hard to catch, martial artists at the Martial Vein Sixth Layer could still sense it.
“Seventh Layer Martial Master! How old is he!”
One Sixth Layer martial artist nearly collapsed, muttering in shock.
He had seen Martial Master realm experts before.
After all, this was Yunkong City, where Martial Masters were not uncommon, but a Martial Master who looked only fourteen or fifteen was unheard of.
Those nearby who overheard were equally stunned, their eyes wide.
Moments ago, they had called him a little kid, urging him to go home, never imagining that this “kid” in their eyes was far stronger than them.
“Thank you all for speaking up for me earlier.”
Ling Xiao cupped his hands in gratitude, words of thanks were still necessary, after all, their words had been in his favour.
As a former beggar, this warmed his heart.
“No, no! It’s what we should do!”
They hurriedly waved their hands.
Ling Xiao smiled at them, then found a seat and sat down, looking at Manager Wan, “My time is tight, when can the gold be ready?”
“Young Master, rest assured, the gold is in the auction house’s vault, but might you…”
Manager Wan now spoke with utmost caution, terrified of offending Ling Xiao and being killed with a single strike.
“Doubting whether I have goods worth ten million taels of gold?”
Ling Xiao smiled, casually waving his hand, producing a high-grade top-tier martial arts manual.
“I have four top-tier martial arts manuals, plus a large quantity of Gang Qi Pills, silver, herbs, advanced martial arts, intermediate martial arts, and more. Want me to take them all out for you to see?”
“It’s not convenient here, please come to the VIP room, Young Master, we’ll have someone appraise them. As long as the value is sufficient, you can take ten million taels of gold, but do you need a beast cart to transport it?”
Manager Wan replied with a fawning smile.
“No need for a beast cart, and the VIP room is too small, this place is spacious enough, have your people come here to appraise.”
As he spoke, Ling Xiao began pulling out martial arts manuals, silver, gems, Gang Qi Pills, and a vast array of items from his Mountain and River World.
The sheer volume of goods wouldn’t fit in a VIP room.
The auction house clerks began appraising the value, and Manager Wan even called in two Seventh Layer Martial Masters, as top-tier martial arts weren’t something ordinary martial artists could price.
Seeing these items, the onlookers couldn’t help but swallow hard.
Good heavens, top-tier martial arts, and four or five manuals at that.
For these martial artists, such manuals were rare treasures, yet this young Martial Master was exchanging them for gold?
Though gold was valuable, how could it compare to top-tier martial arts?
“Oh, and a few low-grade storage rings, appraise those too, I only want gold!”
Ling Xiao needed to cultivate the Nine-Turn Golden Body Technique to its highest level and would continue to consume gold, so preparing more was wise.
Low-grade storage rings, though precious, were useless to him.
As for Ling Yixue and Leng Mei, having become disciples of Master Baiyun, they received storage rings as gifts from Lin Ze.
He had no need to give them any.
“Exchanging storage rings for gold!”
One martial artist stood up.
“Young Master, I’ll pay one million taels of gold for one of your storage rings!”
“I want one too.”
“Me too!”
Low-grade storage rings weren’t supposed to be so costly, but their rarity and importance to martial artists made high bids reasonable.
“This is Tianren Auction House, it’s not your turn to bid. Young Master, you have six low-grade storage rings, how about one hundred twenty thousand taels of gold each?”
Manager Wan feared Ling Xiao but not the other martial artists, especially now with Martial Masters protecting him, he was even less afraid.
“Fine.”
Ling Xiao cared about gold, and since the auction house offered more, he’d sell to them.
“But is your gold reserve still sufficient?”
“Young Master, rest assured, this is just one of our auction houses in Yunkong City, Tianren Auction House has three other branches, we can muster twenty million taels of gold without issue.”
Manager Wan said confidently.
Gold was nothing, the Ninja Clan had seized several gold mines in human territory over the years, they weren’t short of it.
“Good then.”
Ling Xiao sipped tea, waiting for the appraisal.
After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea.
“It’s calculated, Young Master, your items, including the low-grade storage rings, are worth nineteen million four hundred fifty thousand taels of gold. Our vault has eleven million taels, and a gold cart has brought ten million taels, more than enough.”
Manager Wan said with a smile.
This was a massive deal.
“Good, I’ll take the gold.”
Before Manager Wan could process his words, Ling Xiao waved his hand, and the ten million taels of gold on the cart vanished.
“So the guest has a high-grade storage ring, no wonder.”
Manager Wan, unaware of the Mountain and River World, assumed Ling Xiao had a high-grade storage ring, how else could he store ten million taels of gold at once?
He and the two Martial Masters then took Ling Xiao to the vault to retrieve the remaining nine million-plus taels of gold.
“Safe travels, Young Master!”
Watching Ling Xiao leave, Manager Wan grinned from ear to ear.
But moments later, his face darkened, and he said to the two mid-stage Seventh Layer Martial Masters beside him, “You two, follow him.”
He slid his hand across his throat, making a killing gesture.
Of course, the onlookers didn’t notice this or hear his words.
But when the two Martial Masters suddenly left the auction house, even a fool could guess what was afoot.
Manager Wan wasn’t the only one with designs on Ling Xiao.
Wealth stirs the heart.
Nearly twenty million taels of gold, plus a presumed high-grade storage ring, what a tremendous temptation.
“Leng Mei, stop hiding, come out.”
After walking some distance, Ling Xiao shook his head with a wry smile.
He had long sensed Leng Mei following him into the city but hadn’t called her out until now.
Now that he was heading back, it was fine to do so.
“Young Master, you’re being followed.”
Leng Mei appeared and immediately said.
“I know.”
Ling Xiao merely smiled faintly, he had called Leng Mei out partly because he feared she might be ambushed, staying by his side would be much safer.
Leng Mei was visibly surprised, the ones tracking Ling Xiao were Seventh Layer Martial Masters, split into four groups.
These people were strong and skilled at tracking, yet Ling Xiao had noticed them long ago.
