Longevity Grass!

Targeted by the pressure, Wang Heyang crashed to his knees with a loud thud, his head smashing so hard against the floor that it cracked the bluestone into a deep crater! The woman lifted her foot, planted it onto his face, and looked down at him, speaking slowly. Her vermilion lips parted, her voice eerily calm. "You probably don't even know my name. Listen closely, because I'm only saying it once. "My name is Qianqiusui, and I am the master of Yunding. "Either pay up, or get lost!" *Thump!* With a flick of her leg, she sent Wang Heyang flying dozens of feet. He only came to a halt after smashing right through the wall. Afterward, without sparing him another glance, the woman turned and walked away. Yet as she left, she cast a glance downward, murmuring in her heart, *What an interesting little fellow.* Below, Li Guanqi kept his head bowed, his face pale with shock! The moment that woman appeared, she had detected the strand of divine sense he had sent out and pinpointed him with absolute precision. That terrifying spiritual pressure... Li Guanqi could not even fathom her aura. Caught in her overwhelming might, his wisp of divine sense had felt like a lone leaf tossed on a vast sea—utterly insignificant. "One hundred thousand, going once! Are there any higher bids?" Struggling to haul himself to his feet, Wang Heyang grew frantic and shouted in panic, "Someone come here! I'll pay! Hurry!" A steward who had long been waiting outside stepped in and said in a low voice, "Young Master Wang, for the items you previously bid on, you must pay a total of ninety thousand spirit stones." The steward was potbellied, his eyes narrowed into slits. Wang Heyang scowled in fury. "How can it be that much?!" No wonder he was panicking. Relying on his privilege of only paying a ten percent default penalty, he had driven up the prices recklessly. Little did he know that Li Guanqi had orchestrated this whole trap. Even if he only paid the default fee, it would be enough to make his flesh bleed! "One hundred thousand, going twice! This is a top-grade spirit tool, with a market price outside of no less than one hundred and thirty thousand! Is there truly no one else bidding?" By now, the woman on the stage was growing anxious. Selling it for a hundred thousand was a genuinely losing proposition. The steward watched Wang Heyang with a beaming smile, neither speaking nor rushing him. Wang Heyang's expression shifted through several shades of color. Finally, he flung out a storage bag and cursed under his breath, "Take it! Take it!" "One hundred and ten thousand!" Han Qiu's eyes lit up, and she called out at once, "Honored Guest Number Two Hundred and Fifty bids one hundred and ten thousand! Does anyone wish to raise the bid?" Already seething with rage, Wang Heyang snapped, "Stop fucking calling out 'two-fifty'! Can you give this la—give me a different number?!" Having finished counting the spirit stones, the potbellied steward smiled pleasantly. "I am terribly sorry, Young Master Wang. Once a paddle number is assigned, it cannot be changed." Li Guanqi slowly raised his paddle and said, "One hundred and fifty thousand." He was nervous as well. He only had two hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones on him; if that proved insufficient, he would have no other choice. Wang Heyang was likewise calculating the spirit stones in his possession. If the final item was exceedingly precious, its starting price would likely be two hundred thousand. With so many factions driving up the price, it would probably surpass four hundred thousand in no time! In other words... if he wanted to stall for time, the spirit stones he had on hand... Gritting his teeth, Wang Heyang growled viciously, "One hundred and eighty thousand!" Hearing that, Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes and calmly said, "Two hundred thousand." This time he only raised it by twenty thousand, intending to test Wang Heyang's bottom line! Sure enough, Wang Heyang hesitated much longer this time. On the stage, Han Qiu was thoroughly flushed with excitement, crying out, "Guest Number One Hundred and Eighty-Eight bids two hundred thousand!" Wang Heyang stared coldly below, his expression twisted in agonizing inner turmoil. He did not know whether he would be able to secure the final auction lot. His funds were already stretched dangerously thin. If he kept driving up this price, he might not even last long enough to stall for time during the final lot—he would be priced out before he even got the chance. In the end, Wang Heyang ground his teeth and said in a heavy voice, "Two hundred and ten thousand!" Without even waiting for the auctioneer to speak, Li Guanqi raised his paddle and casually said, "Two hundred and fifty thousand." Wang Heyang slammed both fists against the windowsill and cursed furiously, "Damn it!" Those final fifty thousand spirit stones became the straw that broke the camel's back. He had money—in fact, he still had five hundred thousand spirit stones in his hands! Yet he did not dare place another bid. The reason was simple: he feared that if he bungled this task, the Sixth Elder would kill him! The woman on stage pitched the item passionately for a good while, but the crowd below remained completely unmoved. Inside his sleeves, Li Guanqi's fists were clenched tight. Finally, Han Qiu had no choice but to complete the count, bringing the hammer down with a loud bang. "Congratulations to Guest Number One Hundred and Eighty-Eight for winning this Blue Crystal Glazed Cauldron at two hundred and fifty thousand!" The moment he heard those words, Li Guanqi let out a long sigh of relief. Upstairs, furious curses and the sound of smashing furniture erupted! Wang Heyang slumped into his chair, spitting with venomous hatred, "You dogs! I will track you down if it's the last thing I do!" Beside Li Guanqi, Ye Feng leaned back in his seat, murmuring, "That was thrilling! Hahaha, big brother is amazing!" Cao Yan smiled faintly and said nothing. Just the array formation carved inside that cauldron made it worth far more than that price; it was just that no one here had the eyes to recognize its true value. Before long, a maidservant approached the three of them and asked politely, "Greetings, honored guests. Would you like to complete the transaction now, or wait until the auction concludes?" Li Guanqi thought for a moment, stood up, and said, "Now." He was led to a quiet private room, and soon after, a gentle knock came at the door as someone delivered the cauldron. Handing the pre-counted spirit stones to the chubby steward, Li Guanqi watched as the fat man nodded with a beaming smile. "The count is complete, honored guest. Please put away your item. "If you wish to continue attending the auction, turn right outside the door, and that hallway will lead you back to the main hall." Cloaked entirely in his black robe, Li Guanqi nodded slightly. Noting those withered, wrinkled hands, the fat steward withdrew with a perfectly natural expression. Noticing the man's reaction, Li Guanqi smiled inwardly. It seemed his disguise was holding up well. When he returned to the second floor, both Cao Yan and Ye Feng were frozen in place. Seeing him return, Cao Yan turned, drew a deep breath, and whispered in a heavy voice, "Big brother... it's Longevity Grass!" Li Guanqi stiffened instantly and snapped his gaze toward the high stage! A jade-green spirit herb was radiating rich vitality, its refreshing fragrance drifting throughout the hall. A stir instantly rippled through the crowd. Just then, a gray-haired elder suddenly materialized on the stage. The elder was gaunt, his cloudy eyes slowly sweeping over the surroundings, a faint yet terrifying pressure rippling from his body! The elder's presence spoke for itself: a Nascent Soul realm mighty figure was standing guard right beside the stage. This immediately doused the wicked thoughts harbored by many in the room. Li Guanqi shrugged somewhat helplessly and murmured, "Longevity Grass... What a shame... We're too poor!" Even so, he intended to watch who would ultimately claim it. After all... He had already sensed several rather unfriendly auras gathering in the air.