章 33: Yin Restoration Pill, Heaven’s Grace
After the Nan Qing Imperial Family made its bid, nobody dared to speak up for fear of offending the steward. Very quickly, Su Zhen Zhen slammed the auctioneer's hammer thrice, thus sealing the auction. Steward Zhao personally oversaw the transportation of the steel cage, and once the stage had been cleared, everyone released a sigh of relief.
Without much delay, the next item of the auction was revealed on stage, slightly restoring the competitive and exciting mood of the auction. What everyone was thinking regarding the incident with the mutant humans, was unknown. Li Mo Shang noticed Wan Xue constantly murmuring to herself, "plain immoral…", but paid no mind.
When studying with Te Zi Yuan, he had been exposed to the horrific sights of human experimentation and research multiple times, hence he only felt a slight discomfort when observing the two winged humans. Looking back at Wan Xue's mortified countenance, he wondered, was it her that was just unable to comprehend such atrocities? Or was it that he was too numb to it?
As both occupants of Li Mo Shang's private room mulled over their own thoughts, the auction returned to its antiques jewelry and rare treasures. Eventually, Li Mo Shang's divine sword was placed onto stage, instantly breaking him from his reverie. Wan Xue also raised her head, interest piqued; since the auction had started, this sword was the first weapon to be auctioned.
Staring at the shiny, plain steel sword with the flower petals and cranes engraved onto the tang and handle, the audience was trapped in a slight daze before Su Zhen Zhen lightly cleared her throat. Pointing towards the sword, she began introducing it, the contents of which made Li Mo Shang unable from restraining a chuckle.
"This treasure is an unnamed divine sword obtained from the ruins of the ancient Zhou Qi dynasty's Imperial Treasury over a thousand years ago! The forging method is a complete mystery, with not a single hint being displayed anywhere on the blade. However, the performance and quality of the sword is top notch! We will be doing a live demonstration shortly to demonstrate the reason for its label as a divine sword. Perfectly balanced, incredibly sharp, our Treasure Pavilion has received the honor of bestowing a name onto the divine sword. After the auction tonight, this sword will possess the title of 'Winter Leaf', for it is sharp as winter's winds, and light as a leaf!"
At this stage, Li Mo Shang simply wanted to go meet with Appraiser Wu to ask him about the sword's description. He had stated that it was found within the Withered Springs resort's nearby forests, so when did it become the Zhou Qi's Imperial Treasury?
Following Su Zhen Zhen's gesture, the maids carried over a large block of bluesteel before the audience before placing it onto a short pedestal. Next, a martial arts practitioner hired by the Treasure Pavilion stepped forward, grasping the sword passed from Su Zhen Zhen. Holding the sword half a meter above the bluesteel block, he casually let go of the blade before the audience's dumbstruck gaze.
Thunk!
The sword effortlessly slid into the block of bluesteel, easily cutting more than halfway just from the sheer force of gravity. The martial arts practitioner extracted the sword, reversed his grip, then slid the sword into center of the block from a perpendicular angle to the previous cut. Like slicing tofu, the entire block of bluesteel and pedestal was bisected, with a large groove made on the ground.
With a light bow, the martial arts practitioner handed the sword back to Su Zhen Zhen before retreating off the stage. Until Su Zhen Zhen had spoken once more, the audience had yet to break free from their surprise.
Wan Xue couldn't help but stare with constricted pupils; such a sword, wasn't the sharpness basically legendary? That was bluesteel, a material that wouldn't dent even from a bullet fired at speeds exceeding Mach 1!
"As until now, the Treasure Pavilion has confirmed there to be only one sword remaining from the Zhou Qi dynasty! This item's initial price is 13.2 billion RMB, with increments of ten million RMB!"
Boom!
As if adrenaline was pumped into their veins with great quantity, everyone in the audience stood as they attempted to place their bids. Even the lights of the other private rooms were constantly flashing, sending bid after bid.
"Fifteen billion!"
"Seventeen billion! Who would let you buy that at a measly fifteen billion!?"
"Thirty billion! Thirty billion!"
"Forty billion!"
"Fifty-three billion!"
"Screw you poor asses, this father will let you open your eyes! I'm bidding eighty-six billion! You hear that!?"
"…"
Within a mere three minutes since Su Zhen Zhen had released the auctioneer hammer onto the podium, the bidding for the divine steel sword had exceeded a hundred billion RMB. Li Mo Shang's eyes kept twitching as he witnessed a live example of 'dog eat dog'; the audience members were going crazy over the sword, calling out progressively higher bids without much regard.
Was the sword that special? If they knew that he could make an identical sword within an instant, what would happen to him? Besides him, Wan Xue could only stand, staring at the uni-directional glass with her mouth agape in astonishment. Inwardly, she was lamenting at the wealth of the participants for tonight's auction. It couldn't be like this for the competition of the Yin Restoration Pill, right?
"Three hundred and forty billion!"
"Three hundred and forty-seven billion!"
After the amount had passed three hundred and forty billion RMB, the bidding trickled to a slow crawl, with people realizing the value of the final two items of the auction. Although the divine sword was extremely tempting, being able to slice into bluesteel without any pressure, they first needed to possess more than enough money to afford the treasures.
Paying three hundred-odd billion RMB for the sword, who in the auditorium would be able to afford the next few items? Just then, Steward Zhao's voice resounded throughout the auction hall. It was unknown when he had returned.
"Auctioneer Su, I believe that the Imperial Family that hosts the auction has the right to pick a single item?"
The audience broke in a frenzied onslaught of muffled murmurs and whispers. This time, the Nan Qing Imperial Family was overstepping their bounds! First they take the mutant humans, and now the divine sword!? As the crowd silently seethed in anger, Su Zhen Zhen gave a slight bow, her expression apologetic.
"Steward Zhao, I am sorry to inform you that our Pavilion Head has issued a directive decreeing that the last three items this auction are not susceptible to the favorable privilege granted towards hosting Imperial Families. Zhen Zhen is truly unable to assist Steward this time and requests your forgiveness."
Giving a cold snort, Steward Zhao flicked his sleeve before turning to leave. The Treasure Pavilion was an existence that surpassed a single empire's authority, hence he could only silently mourn with helplessness. As if to rub in the salt, the final and highest bid rang out just as Steward Zhao began to depart, nearly making him stumble onto the ground.
"Three hundred and eighty-three billion!"
Amidst the silence, Su Zhen Zhen smiled before slamming the auctioneer's hammer thrice. Tonight, she made a killing! Even if it was only five to ten percent of the total earnings, that was in the billions, ah! With this much money, the horror of the mutant humans could be forgotten.
Beaming, she personally handed the steel sword to the winning bid, before presenting the next item.
"Our auction is finally coming to a close! Excepting our final, mystery item, this item is truly the panacea you have been waiting for! The Yin Restoration Pill! Capable of allowing people to reduce their external aging by fifteen years, as well as bestowing beauty! As only the Li Family would be capable of creating this pill, no one would dare make a counterfeit, much less submit it to our Treasure Pavilion! Do I need to say anything else for you eager ladies and gentlemen? There are three pills, and each one will begin at an initial price of twenty billion RMB!"
Revealing three tiny white pills the size of a mung bean, Su Zhen Zhen revealed a beaming smile as she winked at the audience, increasing the excitement even further.
"Twenty-three billion!"
"Twenty-seven billion!"
The moment Su Zhen Zhen stopped speaking, the auditorium burst into an outrage as bids instantly flew without ceasing, the tension peaking. Thirty, forty, then eighty billion, the bids kept on increasing before Wan Xue could even react in time.
Hands trembling, she gazed at Li Mo Shang with a plea in her eyes, only to find him resting in the recliner, eyes closed as if in sleep. Biting her lip, she could only watch as the first and second Yin Restoration Pill was sold for prices exceeding three hundred billion, a price she could never afford even if everything owned by the Wan Family was liquidated. The third pill's auction began right after, and in the first bid, Wan Xue was unable to put up a fight.
"Seventy billion!"
"Eighty billion!"
"Ninety-three billion!"
"Student Li…" Looking at Li Mo Shang, Wan Xue cried out in a pitiful voice, her misty eyes begging for attention. Opening his eyes and finding another emotional pity trap waiting for him, the disgruntled Li Mo Shang immediately closed his eyes, even imitating heavy breathing akin to deep sleep. With a light cry, Wan Xue could only watch the bid soar towards the heavens, shooting directly towards the three-hundred billion RMB realm like its predecessors.
"Student Li, I beg you, please…" Wan Xue continued trying to persuade Li Mo Shang, ignoring his obvious attempts to dissuade her pleas. Suddenly, as she was about to repeat herself, his eyes sprang open, staring directly at her. With a quiver, Wan Xue anxiously looked towards the window when a cry of "three hundred and twelve billion!" resounded throughout the auction hall.
"Ms. Wan, just why do you seek the pill? Surely it can't be to increase the effectiveness of cosmetic beauty?" Li Mo Shang abruptly asked. Staring directly at Wan Xue's shifty eyes and fidgeting hands, he applied an extremely light spiritual pressure within the private room, giving Wan Xue a moderate headache.
"To save a life…" Wan Xue pleaded. "I need it to save my sister's life?"
"Saving a life?" Li Mo Shang repeated, his tone lofty and indifferent. "The Yin Restoration Pill is a pill that decreases external aging, a pure cosmetic pill. It does no change to the vitals nor vitality of a person, nor does it possess any miraculous healing effects."
Gritting her teeth, Wan Xue lowered her head as shame coursed through her body. Hiding her deep scarlet ears with her long hair, she was about to attempt a different approach when she gave up. Simply sighing, she told the truth. "She wants to start anew, to forget the humiliation from the Huo Imperial Family!"
"Huo Imperial Family? If she forgets that stain, will everyone else forget it as well? Will it not bring more misery if they were to find out that your sister utilized a Yin Restoration Pill to recover her self-dignity and reputation?" Li Mo Shang scowled. "Does she think it is that easy to start afresh in this society? That if you received a blow, a single pill will reset time for you?"
"I…I want to respect my sister's decision. My mother and I have both attempted to convince her to face the world as it is, but we failed." Wan Xue cried. "As family, we just want to reduce her suffering."
"Even if it will bring her suffering in the end?" Li Mo Shang questioned. Standing up, he slowly strode towards the window. "Until what cost will your family continue to protect her under a stained-glass cover?"
"Everything!" Wan Xue cried out. Lightly sniffling, she prevented any tears from falling as she directly stared at Li Mo Shang. "We're family! Of course we'll give her everything!"
Li Mo Shang hesitated, before coming to a decision. Berating himself for always succumbing to this woman's cries and telling himself not to regret it, he walked over to a keypad below the window.
Gently stroking its keys, he quickly typed a number before Wan Xue's dumbstruck gaze. As the electronic cry of "Three hundred and sixty-seven billion!" rang out in the auditorium, Li Mo Shang turned to face the half-kneeling Wan Xue, before lightly speaking. In the auction hall, silence reigned, the previous bidder staring in awe at the bidder who increased the price by more than fifty billion.
"You now owe me three hundred and sixty-seven billion, plus interest." Li Mo Shang said, an amused tone creeping into his usual indifferent voice. "How do you plan on paying it back?"
Before Wan Xue could reply, Su Zhen Zhen's voice rang out once more.
"Here is out final auction item for tonight! Named the Heaven's Grace Pill, it is capable of restoring any physical injury as long as the wound has not completely healed, including lost or amputated limbs! The effects are instantaneous, making it a true life saving pill! Named as the sister pill of the Filial Piety Pill, the Heaven's Grace is a must have for anyone roaming the wild! There is no initial price nor increment restriction!"
If the uproar of the audience during the auctioning of the Yin Restoration Pill or the divine steel sword could be regarded as a human bellow, then the audience's frenzy was akin to the scream of a jet engine. Throughout the public seats and private rooms, people could be calling their respective backgrounds for an increased financial limit, simply to purchase the Heaven's Grace Pill.
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