บท 219: The Auction Begins
Chiyan City was one of the major cities in the Blue Flame Empire, second only to Lan Yan. Due to its crucial location between Lan Yan and the border of the Demon Kingdom, it was one of the central axis cities within the Blue Flame Empire.
In recent days, the flow of people in Chiyan City had noticeably increased. Tonight, the annual Chiyan Auction would be held, making the already densely populated city even more crowded.
Mo Qingkuang, completely cloaked in black, leaned against a railing not far from the central auction house, idly rubbing the ring on his finger while waiting for the auction to begin.
His appearance had undergone significant changes. His entire face had been altered by special methods to become broader, now resembling a square face. Additionally, Mo Fan had padded his nose, making Mo Qingkuang's once high and straight nose appear somewhat flattened, drastically reducing his attractiveness.
With his current look, even those very familiar with Mo Qingkuang would find it difficult to recognize him.
Mo Qingkuang appeared somewhat fatigued. He had traveled by land and, for the sake of secrecy, had not used the teleportation arrays available in major cities. As a result, he had only arrived in Chiyan City that afternoon.
Below, the crowd bustled as the Chiyan Auction was about to begin. People from all over the country and even from the Tianxuan Empire had already started entering the venue, waiting for the event to commence.
"Ancestor, have you found him?" Mo Qingkuang asked inwardly.
He was not only waiting for the auction to start but also hoping to spot Lin Yang.
"No, go inside. He'll be there soon."
Mo Fan extended his spiritual sense to cover a large area around the auction house, carefully scanning but finding no trace of Lin Yang.
Mo Qingkuang nodded. If even the ancestor couldn't find him, there was no point in waiting.
With a light leap, Mo Qingkuang jumped down from the railing and followed the crowd into the auction house.
"Sir, please show your admission ticket." At the entrance, a Martial Master-realm guard stopped Mo Qingkuang, asking for his Chiyan Auction admission ticket.
With a flip of his fingers, Mo Qingkuang produced a crimson token of unknown metal from his storage ring, marked with the number 108.
He had purchased this token at a high price from a scalper after arriving in Chiyan City.
Yes, even in this world, there were scalpers.
The Chiyan Auction, held annually, featured many rare items, attracting people from across the continent. Therefore, admission tickets were in high demand. Some unscrupulous individuals acquired as many tickets as possible through various means and sold them at high prices to those eager to attend the auction without a ticket, thus making an unreasonable profit.
The small token in Mo Qingkuang's hand had cost him a thousand low-grade spirit stones.
Of course, it was a decent VIP spot, providing a private room, complimentary drinks from the auction house, and other services not available to the general public.
Although not as luxurious as the top 100 super VIP rooms, it was still an excellent position, at least saving him from squeezing into the hall with most people.
This was a bad habit of Mo Qingkuang, who had been pampered since childhood. If conditions allowed, he preferred to be above others.
Mo Fan didn't have any particular opinion on this. Lin Yang, on the other hand, wouldn't care about such things. He was relatively poor, meticulously using every resource on crucial matters.
Someone like Mo Qingkuang, spending a thousand low-grade spirit stones on a seat, wouldn't be something Lin Yang would do.
Mo Qingkuang entered room 108 and sat down. Inside the room, there were maids specifically assigned to assist with bidding, pouring drinks, and other services.
If he was interested, they wouldn't refuse to offer additional services either.
Sitting on a soft, comfortable sofa, holding a glass of sweet and rich wine, Mo Qingkuang couldn't help but sigh, "Now this is what life is all about."
Ever since leaving Tiannan City, Mo Qingkuang had been in relentless cultivation, never enjoying such indulgent days again.
Beside him, a young girl stood respectfully, holding a wine bottle in one hand and a fruit platter in the other.
By the girl's side was a small golden bell, specifically used to attract attention when making bids.
All operations were handled by the maid; Mo Qingkuang only needed to speak.
In front of the room was a large floor-to-ceiling glass window that could be opened or closed. This glass had a special function: those inside could clearly see the outside, while those outside couldn't see inside, like the one-way mirrors from Mo Fan's previous life.
This was to protect the bidders' privacy and prevent anyone from following and robbing them after the auction.
"Ding ding ding..." A series of crisp sounds echoed through the venue.
The auction officially began.
The noisy hall gradually quieted down, waiting for the auctioneer to present the first item of the evening.
Through the one-way mirror, Mo Qingkuang saw a voluptuous, charming woman strut onto the stage under a spotlight.
"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the annual Chiyan Auction. I'm Niao Niao, and on behalf of Chiyan Central Auction House, I welcome all distinguished guests," Niao Niao said in a sweet, crisp voice to the crowd below.
Niao Niao was very beautiful, dressed in bright clothes, looking extremely alluring under the lights.
Mo Fan couldn't help but marvel: "So wealthy!"
In this world without electrical appliances, such bright pillar lights must have used countless gems to achieve.
However, Niao Niao's sexy and voluptuous figure didn't captivate the audience below. Most people who came here didn't lack women.
Though Niao Niao was attractive, she wasn't devastatingly beautiful enough to be irresistibly tempting to these people.
"Miss Niao, get started! We're here to buy things," someone shouted from below after a while.
Niao Niao smiled sweetly, unaffected by the urging, and pretended to be sad, saying, "Do you all dislike looking at Niao Niao so much...?"
Without waiting for a response, she continued, "Since that's the case, I won't waste any more words. Please enjoy the first item of today's auction."
From backstage, several sturdy men with obvious cultivation levels carried a large, square object covered with a red cloth onto the stage.
The massive object was a cube, at least three to five meters in length, width, and height.
It was clearly very heavy, as the strong men carrying it looked strained, with bulging veins on their thick arms. When they placed the object on the ground, it made a dull thud.
Everyone could feel the weight of the item, as the stage floor visibly shook upon impact.
Niao Niao stepped forward and gently pulled away the red cloth, finally revealing the first item of the auction to the audience.
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