txolops Chapter 13 Auction
Chapter 13 Auction
The Mountain and Sea Pavilion floats above the northern section of Tiandu Street on Kuixing Island. It is made entirely of deep-sea jade and green stone, and has a warm and lustrous emerald green color, resembling an inverted jade pavilion.
The attic has three floors. The ground floor trading hall is spacious and bright, with dust-repelling beads embedded in the walls and non-slip cloud-patterned stone bricks on the floor. Countless low-level cultivators shuttle here, their eyes greedily scanning the monster materials on the shelves.
The second floor is a small auction hall, divided into two levels. The lower level has seats that can accommodate more than a hundred people, while the upper level is divided into more than ten VIP seats by jade screens. At this moment, it is filled with Foundation Establishment cultivators with powerful auras.
The third floor is the most secluded, with only four elegant rooms shrouded in mist. It is the exclusive trading place for Core Formation elders and top VIPs, as well as the office of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion manager. The pavilion is always shrouded in a light golden protective aura, and cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage will feel waves of pressure when they get close.
At this moment, in a private room on the third floor, Cao Lu, the manager of Shan Hai Ge, was standing by the railing.
He was dressed in a dark purple brocade robe, with a thin face and a pair of triangular eyes that revealed the shrewdness of a merchant. His fingertips gently rubbed the storage bag at his waist.
As one of the three managers of the Six Linked Halls on Kui Xing Island, Cao Lu, despite only being at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, has managed the operation of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion for decades and holds considerable weight in the island's cultivation world. Even ordinary Core Formation cultivators have to give him some face.
Looking down at the endless stream of people on Tiandu Street and the long queue at the entrance of Shanhai Pavilion, Cao Lu smiled with satisfaction.
He turned to the young deacon standing behind him, his voice deep and authoritative: "Tell the men below to be alert. This is an annual auction; if any trouble is caused, you'll be in big trouble."
The young deacon bowed immediately, his tone respectful yet tinged with awe: "Elder, rest assured, I have followed your instructions and arranged two more groups of Foundation Establishment cultivators to guard the area than in previous years, increasing the patrol density by 30%. With you personally overseeing things, Elder, even if they had a few more lives, they wouldn't dare to be so foolish as to come to the Mountain and Sea Pavilion and invite trouble."
Cao Lu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the "Pavilion Guardian Token" floating in the private room. His expression grew more serious: "There are quite a few good items at this auction, especially that level-five demon beast cub. It's likely to attract a lot of covetousness. It's always good to be cautious. Once the auction begins, activate the 'Mysterious Water Yin-Yang Array.' Before the auction ends, no cultivators are allowed to enter or leave the Mountain and Sea Pavilion. Anyone who causes trouble will be killed without exception."
"Yes! I will go and give the order right away!" The young steward accepted the order and transformed into a streak of light, rushing towards the second-floor auction house, leaving Cao Lu alone in the private room, gazing intently at the brightly lit Tiandu Street.
"Young Master, Young Master, are we really going to the auction house?"
Daya hugged the round bubble tightly in her arms, her little face flushed with excitement, and her big, bright eyes looked up at Han Xiaoliu.
This is the third time she has asked this today.
Ever since she heard that the young master was going to take her to the auction, she was so excited last night that she couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, her little head already filled with fantasies about all sorts of strange and wonderful treasures.
But her mother said that the young master had lied to her, which made her sad for a long time, and her little mouth was so pouty that it could hang an oil bottle.
It wasn't until she received a positive reply from the young master that she regained that joy.
But after a while, her mother would come over again, saying in that ambiguous tone, "Silly girl, the young master is just teasing you. Auctions are so dangerous, why would he take you there?"
At first, the girl would cry when she heard lies, her eyes red like a little rabbit. Later, she would only feel sad for a moment. In the end, she didn't even believe everything her mother said. Instead, she went to find Han Xiaoliu, staring at him with her clear eyes, determined to get a definite answer.
Yu Niangzi was also enjoying deceiving Daya incessantly, watching her daughter go back and forth between herself and Han Xiaoliu for confirmation, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Daya trusted Han Xiaoliu and her mother, so she foolishly believed everything. She could only repeatedly ask Han Xiaoliu to confirm the authenticity of the news. Her earnest yet confused little face made Yu Niangzi unable to help but laugh.
"Silly girl, we've arrived." Han Xiaoliu stopped and pointed to the emerald green pavilion floating in mid-air ahead, her tone carrying a hint of helpless smile.
Daya looked in the direction he was pointing and saw the three gilded characters "Shan Hai Ge" shining brightly in the sunlight. She cheered and spun around in place with Bubble in her arms, her face beaming with a smile even brighter than the spring sunshine.
Han Xiaoliu turned around and gave Yu Niangzi, who was laughing hysterically behind him, a disdainful look.
Today, she was wearing a light blue dress, her face lightly veiled, revealing only her curved eyebrows and eyes. She was laughing heartily, her shoulders trembling slightly, clearly enjoying watching her daughter being amused by her.
"Is it fun to lie to your own child?" Han Xiaoliu thought to himself, but the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.
But then I thought: the Jade Maiden with her veil on is even more charming; her partially obscured features and smiling eyes exude an indescribable allure. She would definitely be even more alluring in a purple lace nightgown!
Snapped!
Han Xiaoliu quickly slapped himself in the face, forcing his mind to return to the right path.
I'm still a six-year-old kid, I need to be innocent!
He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the inappropriate thought, but a suspicious blush involuntarily rose on his face.
Lady Yu seemed to have sensed something. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, before she resumed her mischievous smile.
"Let's go, young master," Lady Yu said softly as she walked gracefully to Han Xiaoliu's side, "the entrance has already begun."
Han Xiaoliu nodded without saying anything, but took the lead and walked towards the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
At the entrance of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, there were already many cultivators queuing up. Han Xiaoliu, along with Daya and Yu Niangzi, mingled in the crowd and slowly walked into the pavilion.
At the entrance of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, two maids dressed in matching outfits stood with their hands at their sides. They had beautiful faces and, although their auras were weak, they had reached the Qi Refining stage.
"This is a single customer, please come this way." A maid stepped forward, her voice clear and pleasant.
Upon hearing this, a monk dressed in a gray robe took out a bronze plaque engraved with the character "叄" from his robe and handed it over.
The maid took the token, carefully examined the number on the bronze plaque, and after confirming that it was correct, returned it with both hands. She then bowed gracefully to the cultivator and respectfully said, "This way, Immortal Master." After saying that, she stepped aside and led the cultivator through a dazzling archway to his seat on the second floor.
Daya stood on tiptoe, looking curiously at the cultivator being led away, then at the bronze token in his hand, her little face full of envy.
She subconsciously tugged at Han Xiaoliu's sleeve, leaned forward, and asked curiously in her childish voice, "Young Master, will we also have pretty ladies leading us inside later?"
Looking at Da Ya's eager expression, Han Xiaoliu didn't know how to answer for a moment, and could only vaguely say, "Probably!"
Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes lit up even more, and she pressed on, "Do we have that sign?"
Seeing her daughter's naivety, Yu Niangzi couldn't help but smile and deliberately interjected, "Da Ya doesn't have any, so Da Ya can't go in."
As they spoke, the group arrived at the massive white jade gate of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.
The guards at the entrance glanced at Han Xiaoliu and saw that although he was a child, his aura was steady. They dared not be negligent and could only do what they were supposed to do.
Upon hearing her mother's words and seeing the imposing guards at the door, Daya panicked.
Her face flushed red instantly, her eyes quickly filled with tears, her lips trembled, and she gripped Han Xiaoliu's sleeve tightly with both hands, as if it were her last lifeline.
She stamped her feet helplessly, wanting to cry but not daring to cry out loud, only making "woo-woo" sobs. Her anxious and helpless appearance was just like that of an abandoned kitten.
Seeing this, Han Xiaoliu's heart softened, and he quickly opened his mouth to comfort her. However, when the words reached his lips, he had a teasing intention, so he only moved his lips without making a sound.
Daya looked at him with teary eyes and a blank expression.
Helpless, Han Xiaoliu had no choice but to exaggerate and repeat it a second time, even pointing at Yu Niangzi and making a "funny" face with his mouth.
This time, Da Ya finally understood. Han Xiaoliu was saying, "She's lying to you."
"Mother, you lied to Daya again!" The little girl was stunned at first, then burst into laughter through her tears, and angrily shouted at Lady Yu. Her silly and angry appearance was exactly like that of a wronged little fool.
This sight made Han Xiaoliu and Yu Niangzi burst into laughter.
Daya didn't know they were laughing at her. She just saw her mother and the young master laughing, and she happily laughed along with them. Her previous grievances and unease vanished instantly.
For her, happiness seems to be an instinct. As long as the people around her are happy, she will be happy too, as if there has never been any real gloom in her world.