Auction, Part 6

A cultivator with tattered clothes stood at the end of the inner VIP room. His face was covered in wrinkles upon wrinkles, and he had almost no teeth left.

The few that remained were yellowish-brown.

He wore a wooden wine gourd at his waist and constantly fiddled with two copper coins in his hand, the friction between them producing an unbearable scraping sound.

Despite his ragged attire, he was an absolute peak Qi Refining cultivator, known as “Old Man San.”

The Nine Heavens Pavilion managers were extremely respectful towards him. Although he possessed considerable cultivation, he only loved drinking himself into a stupor and then wandering around.

The Nine Heavens Pavilion managers lived in constant fear, not of him offending someone, but of someone foolish offending him, provoking his Qi Refining rage and causing bloodshed.

Qi Liwei, seeing such a powerful cultivator standing at the end of the corridor, was not surprised or frightened.

She merely kept her gaze straight ahead and continued walking forward at a steady pace.

Although her cultivation was only Foundation Establishment, it was only temporary.

Given her background, becoming a peak Qi Refining cultivator, or even Spirit Transformation, was only a matter of time.

Furthermore, as long as she bore the surname Qi, she would never fear anyone.

The direct descendants of the Qi family never showed their faces, but this young lady often purchased items for Daozi and stayed by his side. The Nine Heavens Pavilion staff were all familiar with her.

Even though their blood ties were somewhat distant, she represented Daozi’s reputation, so they dared not underestimate her.

She was extremely noble, and in the minds of these managers, she was even more esteemed than the true young lady who had disappeared without a trace.

The managers who surrounded her hurriedly blocked the space between the two, continuing to walk out with Qi Liwei, fearing that the two might clash.

Perhaps it was a case of “what you fear most is what will happen.” Old Man San’s eyes swept over Qi Liwei slightly. The copper coins he was constantly fiddling with suddenly stopped.

Qi Liwei’s brow furrowed, and her steps halted. Her voice, tinged with thinly veiled anger, asked, “What are you doing?!”

Old Man San chuckled. His cracked lips curled upwards, revealing yellow teeth. “I am merely carrying out my lady’s orders to inspect carefully.”

The managers around were all shrewd; they knew immediately what had happened.

It must be that their young lady had ordered Old Man San to thoroughly check for any lurking ghostly beings.

As a result, this old man, who feared nothing, had scanned the Qi family young lady with his divine sense.

Just one point: the vast difference in cultivation between the two, with the higher-level cultivator scanning the lower-level one, would not be detected. Old Man San was at peak Qi Refining, just a step away from Spirit Transformation.

The fact that the Qi family young lady could still detect him implied she must possess some high-level magical artifact for preventing intrusion.

Seeing this, the manager hurriedly said, “Grandpa San, I just sent someone to bring you fine wine to your room. Shouldn’t you go and see if it suits your taste?”

Old Man San’s gaze swept over Qi Liwei. He had already scanned her from head to toe with that glance.

Since he found no trace of any ghostly beings possessing her, he didn’t press the issue further. He just smiled and patted his neck, returning to his room, “Indeed, indeed!”

The manager hurriedly apologized with a smile. “Miss Qi, this…”

The other party looked at him coldly, her anger unabled.

The manager sweated profusely, not knowing how to appease her anger, when suddenly the door to the adjacent VIP room opened.

A girl in pink and a girl in white emerged, escorting a girl in red.

The moment the latter appeared, even the way she walked seemed to brighten, radiating splendor and extravagance.

There was no need to say it; this person was undoubtedly the other troublesome young lady, the eldest daughter of the Tang family.

Tang Yueling said impolitely, “Apologies require proper etiquette. Who are you trying to dismiss with just a few words?”

Qi Liwei’s gaze paused slightly, unsure why this person was suddenly standing with her.

“I heard the Nine Heavens Pavilion’s treasure vault is full of rare and exotic treasures.” Tang Yueling said with a smile. “This Cold Moon Carp Pearl is probably not even worth mentioning among them. I don’t believe there aren’t any better ice-attributed spiritual items inside.”
After speaking, she looked at Qi Liwei meaningfully. “Nirvana rebirth. A Tier 3 spiritual item is probably not enough.”

She thought that unlike the blockhead Tian Ning, who truly distinguished everything clearly and without compromise, if she were in her position, she would have definitely devoured the entire Qi family to compensate.

Since the pseudo-core was inextricably linked to the Qi family, it was only natural that the Qi family should compensate doubly.

Qi Liwei had always been at odds with Tang Yueling, her brows furrowed, listening to her words with alertness.

But when the topic of ice-attributed spiritual items came up, her expression stiffened, then she seemed to understand, and turned her gaze to the Song family manager.

The Song family manager could only say, “I need to seek instructions from my superiors…”
Qi Liwei sneered and turned to leave. The Song family manager quickly said, “Please follow me to the treasury, Miss Qi.”

Tang Yueling then smiled with satisfaction and leisurely returned to her VIP room.

However, Wu Cuiyue scanned the surroundings but did not find the Immortal of Fate.

She presumed it had been hidden by the Song family in a concealed location.

She understood and said no more, merely selecting spiritual items that were extremely suitable for her troublesome junior sisters and instructing the manager to pack them all.

She had the Taixu Sword intent protecting her internally. Old Man San could never see through her origins.

Back then, her entire clan had been massacred. She herself was also a blood-soaked corpse.

If not for the Taixu Sword intent protecting her, even with the resentment of her entire clan as sacrifice, she would have long since perished before she could transition to ghost cultivation.

In a corner unseen by anyone, Cui Yue’s fingertips casually tapped the tabletop, as if out of impatience. Tiny spiritual energy overflowed, slowly drawing a talisman.

She watched for a moment, then without hesitation, chose the “dotting the eye” technique.
The talisman formed.

She wasn’t the only one who wanted the Immortal of Fate and the Song family’s treasure vault. Entrusting professional matters to professional people, even theft was the same.

She only knew that she had seen the end result. This operation was auspicious; everyone would get what they wished for.

There was no point in sitting here any longer. The cultivators in the outer area were still arguing incessantly over the precious items presented by Song Yunzi.

Su Qing stood up and left.

The attendant standing nearby immediately stepped forward and said softly, “Guest, are you perhaps looking to leave early?”
Su Qing nodded. “Precisely. Please retrieve the items I bid on. I have an urgent matter to attend to.”

In principle, auctions did not allow early departure for easier management.

But principles were meant to be broken. As long as one had some connections or spirit stones, they could smooth things over.

Su Qing had neither connections nor spirit stones.

The manager’s gaze subtly swept over the number plate in her hand, and he smiled knowingly, his tone becoming even more affectionate.

“Please follow me, guest.”

Guided by the manager, Su Qing bypassed several corridors.

As she walked, she carefully observed, and indeed, found similar “eye” symbols on the walls in several corners, peeking out.

She pretended not to see them, walking forward unknowingly.

The manager walked in front and to her left, looking back from time to time to see if she was following.

The smile on his face pressed the sides of his mouth into deep lines.

Su Qing frowned, feigning annoyance. “Why is it taking so long? I gave you my money, and you gave me yours, so we’re even, right? Why go so far!”

Upon hearing this, the manager became even more reassuring. “This is actually for your safety, honored guest. Please don’t worry; we’re almost there.”

He quickened his pace. Before long, he led Su Qing into a quiet room at the back.

“Please wait here for a moment, honored guest. I will notify the person in charge of settlement.” The person smiled and specifically asked, “Does the guest require additional escort services? If so, it’s best to inform me now so I can arrange for someone.”

Su Qing looked at him for a moment, then feigned impatience and sat down, suppressing her breath and saying, “No, hurry up.”

Perhaps sensing her anger, the manager apologized with a smile and quickly pushed open the door to leave.

As the door closed, the room returned to silence.

Su Qing looked around. She saw that this small room was elegantly decorated and thoughtfully equipped with an incense burner.

Tendrils of incense mist mingled with spiritual energy, and a deep inhale brought supreme enjoyment.

Of course, it would have been even better if there were no additives in the incense.

Although she didn’t know why, ordinary illusions and sorcery were useless against her.

However, she could vaguely sense something unusual.

Since the other party had deliberately chosen to use illusions, it proved they intended to use soft tactics and wouldn’t resort to forceful means right away.

After walking around the room a few times, Su Qing chose a spot and sat down.

Initially, she crossed her arms, seemingly unable to suppress her anxiety.

It wasn’t until about another quarter of an hour passed that she seemed to calm down under the influence of the incense, her breathing becoming long and steady.

It was at this moment that the door slowly opened.

The manager who had guided her earlier pushed open the door and led another person in.

This person wore a string of copper bells at their waist, which jingled with a long, clear sound with each step.

This person was an illusionist from the Nine Heavens Pavilion, responsible for handling dirty work that couldn’t be seen by others.

The manager instructed him meticulously. His voice was very low, almost inaudible, but Su Qing could still hear it clearly.

“You shall inquire about this person’s background and life story, and then erase this memory and implant a new one.

The illusionist’s voice was hoarse. “I’m familiar with it. You don’t need to instruct me. I know what I’m doing.”
The manager nodded and pushed the door shut, leaving.

The hallucinogenic herbs in the incense were only for calming the mind.

Their effect, at most, was to relax the body and lower defenses.

However, when combined with the guidance of the copper bells and the control of the illusionist, it was extremely easy to drag a person into an illusion.

Those who fell victim to the illusion would have their memories blurred during this period, becoming hazy and almost responsive to any question.

The Nine Heavens Pavilion commonly used this tactic to extract the background and life story of those under its spell.

If the target possessed treasures, and their background was easily exploitable, they could then arrange for someone to intercept them after the auction.

Possessing treasures brought disaster. Such deaths were not uncommon in the cultivation world.

No one would suspect the powerful and influential merchant guild.

However, there was no airtight wall in the world. Even the most covert actions would eventually reveal some flaw.

Moreover, the Nine Heavens Pavilion was powerful and had seen all sorts of treasures.

Therefore, they didn’t use this method often, unless the item was truly extraordinary.

How it was extraordinary, the subordinates did not know.

They only followed the orders from above.

Su Qing thought it was impossible to extract information about the Ten Rakshasa Blood Flower Array from them. 

Su Qing heard the illusionist approaching step by step.

She could smell the unique herbal scent on him, likely also used for hypnosis.

As he walked, the copper bells at his waist jingled rhythmically with his steps, like invisible arcs circling around her head.

A hoarse voice slowly came. “Fellow Daoist, can you tell me why you bought these fragments? Do you know their origin, or do you already have a corresponding inheritance?”

Su Qing remained silent for a moment.

The bell sounds washed over her like a tide, forcing her to speak a falsehood. “What origin or inheritance? I bought these fragments solely for artifact refining.”

“So that’s how it is.” The illusionist asked again, “May I ask, Daoist, where are you from? Life in Tianque City is quite difficult, with rice being expensive. Do you have any support?”

“No particular support. I’m just a rogue cultivator. Fortunately, I have some skill in artifact refining, which is enough to earn a living.”

The illusionist’s expression grew somewhat contemptuous, a hint of pity appearing in his eyes. ‘A foolish person, with no backing and yet involved with such a treasure. I can only say their fate is not good.’

However, there were simply too many unfortunate people in the world; one more wouldn’t make much difference.

With this thought, the illusionist had already determined her fate and casually asked, “So, you’re relying solely on yourself to fight your way through?”

Su Qing’s earlobe twitched slightly. She detected an ominous aura rapidly approaching. Her entire body tensed. Her initially vague gaze instantly became clear. She looked behind him.

The illusionist felt displeased. ‘This person is not right. Could she have woken up?’

‘Impossible. These are secret techniques; I’ve never failed before.’

The illusionist frowned, shaking the copper bell in his hand more urgently, forcibly pulling Su Qing back into an illusion. “What are you looking at?”

It was at this moment that the door was suddenly burst open. A flash of saber light shot through, directly aiming at the illusionist and Su Qing.

Su Qing was prepared.

Her figure flashed, instantly moving several meters away.

However, the illusionist, caught between her and the attacker, was not so lucky.

The entire shoulder of the attacker, along with their head, was cleanly sliced in two by this saber light.

Flesh moved on the blade. With a “thud,” it crashed to the ground, splashing scarlet blood flowers. The copper bells in his hand also fell to the ground along with his head, stained with viscous blood.

Precisely because the illusionist’s body was cut in half, Su Qing could see the person standing at the doorway without obstruction.

The other party was dressed in black, with a face as pale as paper, eyes slanted long, and a pervasive aura of sinister energy.

At this moment, he was intoxicatedly licking the blood from the saber blade.

“Indeed, this fresh lifeblood is incomparable to any jade delicacy.”

This was an evil cultivator, and not a low-level one, at least Nascent Soul.

Su Qing summoned Man Qing Sword and held it before her, ready to fight for her life.

The other party’s aura pressed down on her like a heavy mountain.

Her entire body was stiff, her joints felt frozen, and her spiritual energy was in complete disarray.

Under the invasion of Nascent Soul’s might, she was utterly defeated.

Fortunately, her foundation was solid, and she was enthusiastic about body tempering, refining herself into something as strong as an iron wall.

Only then could she maintain her moves without distortion at such a critical moment, thus blocking the strike from the Nascent Soul cultivator.

The price was her tiger’s mouth cracking, blood oozing out.

The blood line slid down the silver-white blade of Man Qing Sword.

Worst of all, the humerus and radius bones in her arm snapped, stuck in the flesh. Her arms felt like rubber sleeves.

The pain was excruciating, but that was a minor issue. Holding her sword to attack again was extremely difficult.

Although her recovery ability was astonishing, and these minor injuries would heal quickly, the evil cultivator probably wouldn’t give her time to recover.

Setting aside all these matters, the most distressing thing was the high-tier magical artifact the person was using.

The blade resembled a crescent moon, radiating spiritual light, and was indestructible.

The point where Man Qing Sword collided with it shattered into pieces like her arm bone, falling all over the ground.

“Not dead?” The evil cultivator’s eyes gleamed, suddenly showing great interest. “Few people, no, there shouldn’t be any Foundation Establishment cultivators who can withstand my attack. You must have some incredible treasures on you.”

In times of crisis, the mind becomes clearer.

Su Qing’s earlobes twitched. Her vision narrowed, allowing her to see the expression on the evil cultivator’s face clearly.

She heard her own calm voice say, “This is Nine Heavens Pavilion territory. Aren’t you afraid the Song family will seek retribution if you act like this?”

“Heh heh.” The evil cultivator’s nostrils quivered slightly, as if scoffing silently.

He couldn’t be bothered to answer Su Qing’s question.

Instead, he pressed forward step by step, his eyes full of thick malice. “This seat doesn’t know any tricks with copper bells. It seems easier to search your soul than to make you speak.”

Although he felt there was something strange about this person, a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator against a Nascent Soul cultivator, no matter how capable, couldn’t make any waves.

So he moved his feet, his figure like a ghost, flashing before Su Qing again. He raised his hand and grabbed her neck with such force that it felt like he was directly snapping her head off.

Furthermore, a ball of blazing divine sense overflowed from between his brows, aggressively rushing towards Su Qing’s Sea of Consciousness. She had finally waited for the right opportunity.

It was finally close enough—this was the only chance.

But she could kill even Spirit Transformation cultivators; why couldn’t she kill a mere Nascent Soul?

The moment the other party’s cold fingers touched her neck, before her finger bones could even contract, Su Qing met his eyes—eyes that conveyed victory.

Her divine sense in her Sea of Consciousness condensed into a sword first, shooting out like lightning, piercing through the ball of divine sense between his brows, and directly stabbing into his Heavenly Aperture, occupying his Sea of Consciousness.

This sword of divine sense was irresistible, yet incredibly fast and sharp. Before the evil cultivator could react, his Sea of Consciousness was instantly scraped and churned upside down.

“……”

The evil cultivator’s eyelids twitched, his throat moved up and down.

The fear and terror in his eyes hadn’t even clearly surfaced before his pupils dilated by a full circle, scattering into his eyes.

With his master dead, the curved saber instantly lost all its spiritual light, becoming dim and falling to the ground.

Su Qing, disgusted, yanked the evil cultivator’s hand from her throat, flipped him over, and threw him to the ground.

Gripping her sword with blood-soaked hands, she forcefully thrust it into his dantian, heart, and Sea of Consciousness before feeling somewhat relieved.
A cultivator reaching Nascent Soul gained an extra life compared to Golden Core.

Even if their physical body was destroyed, the Nascent Soul could still escape and find a suitable physical body to possess again, to become human once more.

However, the ruthlessness of divine sense attacks lay precisely here.

The moment Su Qing seized the opportunity, she directly destroyed his soul, shattering his Sea of Consciousness, and along with it, the divine sense stored within was also broken into countless pieces.

With no soul left, how could a Nascent Soul escape and become human again?

It was good that he died completely, saving him from harming more innocent people.

Actually, the Nascent Soul within a cultivator’s body was also a top-grade spiritual item for forming a Nascent Soul.

Evil cultivators and demonic cultivators particularly favored such blood items, as they were generally more common than spiritual items that grew in harsh environments.

Furthermore, those condensed by the human body were easier to digest and absorb, resulting in twice the effect with half the effort.

In some cultivating families, if an elder’s cultivation stagnated and their lifespan was nearing its end, they would leave their Golden Core or Nascent Soul to their descendants as nourishment, solely to help the family quickly produce new successors and avoid the family falling into ruin due to the absence of protection after their death.

However, Su Qing couldn’t accept this, so she completely destroyed the evil cultivator’s Nascent Soul.

Although he couldn’t die any further, who knew if the Nascent Soul, if left behind, might be reborn from the grave and return?

After finishing the job, she finally let out a breath, realizing her body was weak and aching everywhere.

Her temples throbbed, and her vision flickered with white light.

But she herself wasn’t important. After being repaired, she would become even stronger.

Injury was a gain.

But Man Qing Sword was shattered—damn evil cultivator!

After Su Qing thoroughly inspected Man Qing Sword from head to toe, inside and out, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The blade had cracks, but the places where they appeared were already oozing silver liquid, beginning to self-repair.

Su Qing picked up the curved saber.

Although its spiritual essence was lost and it could no longer be used, the raw material remained unchanged; it must be a top-quality spiritual ore.

She let out a cold laugh and threw it into her storage bracelet, then carefully put Man Qing Sword away.

A child who was injured must be well-nourished.

After finishing all this, she didn’t even have time to meditate and rest.

She took a bottle of Replenishing Pill.

The itch and pain of growing bones and flesh were more unbearable than the injury itself, but Su Qing was used to it.

She didn’t even frown, pushed open the door, and walked outside.

The outside must have been in chaos.