Inside the white jade box lay a pill the size of a longan, its surface a vibrant emerald green. A tantalizing fragrance wafted gently from it, filling the air.
"Qi Gathering Powder!"
The crowd stared at the green pill, their bodies jolting in surprise as gasps echoed through the auction hall.
Young men and women widened their eyes, their heated gazes fixed intently on the jade box.
Sitting beside Xiao Yan, Xiao Mei unconsciously licked her rosy lips, her eyes glued to the pill without even blinking.
"All right, no more unnecessary chatter. The starting bid for the first Qi Gathering Powder is two hundred thousand gold coins," Ya Fei announced, her jade-like hand gently closing the white jade box.
Though her quoted price caused a brief silence in the hall, it wasn't long before a young man—already tempted by the pill and utterly captivated by Ya Fei's every move—shouted out an offer in haste.
"Two hundred thirty thousand!"
He raised the price by a full thirty thousand.
After his bid, the self-proclaimed handsome youth flashed what he thought was a charming smile at Ya Fei, though his eyes were glued to her voluptuous chest.
Ya Fei sneered inwardly at his shamelessness but maintained her flawless smile. "Any higher offers?" she asked sweetly.
"Two hundred forty thousand."
"Two hundred fifty thousand."
"Two hundred sixty thousand."
After a brief lull, the room burst into a frenzy once again, and voices began bidding up the price rapidly. The young man's face turned increasingly embarrassed, and when the bid climbed to three hundred thousand, he could only retreat awkwardly to his seat.
Chen Mo remained calm, showing no interest in joining the bidding war, merely observing with an indifferent expression.
Soon, after half an hour of fierce bidding, the first Qi Gathering Powder had reached a jaw-dropping price of four hundred thousand.
The bidder was none other than Xiao Zhan, and judging by his expression, he was determined to win it at all costs.
Chen Mo finally acted, gently tapping the right armrest of his seat.
Seated to his right was Obapa, who flinched slightly at the sound. But upon catching Chen Mo's gaze, he instantly understood.
Obapa had originally thought that Chen Mo bore no grudges—clearly, he'd thought wrong.
"Five hundred thousand," Obapa declared loudly, raising the bid by an entire hundred thousand in a single breath to show his loyalty to Chen Mo.
I told you to bid him up and make him bleed, not bleed yourself!
A jump of a hundred thousand? Who the hell would dare follow that?
Sure enough, the entire hall fell silent.
Countless eyes turned to Obapa, and even Jia Lie Bi stared at him like he was a fool.
Xiao Zhan cupped his hands and laughed politely. "Patriarch Obapa is indeed generous. I'll let you have the first Qi Gathering Powder."
Ya Fei asked if there were any higher offers. When none came, she pointed toward Obapa with a bright smile.
"Congratulations to Patriarch Obapa for winning the first Qi Gathering Powder for five hundred thousand gold coins."
Completely oblivious, Obapa cupped his hands to those around him, then subtly shot a glance at Chen Mo, as if to say, Did I do good or what?
He had merely assumed that Chen Mo didn't want Xiao Zhan to win the item.
Chen Mo covered his forehead with a sigh. I just want some peace and quiet...
Obapa's expression froze.
When the second pill came up for auction, Chen Mo subtly signaled Jia Lie Bi.
Just like Obapa, Jia Lie Bi instantly understood.
But he really did understand.
During the bidding war with Xiao Zhan, Jia Lie Bi carefully pushed the price up, step by step, until it reached an astonishing four hundred seventy thousand.
"Four hundred eighty thousand," Xiao Zhan said through gritted teeth, his expression dark as he glared at Jia Lie Bi.
As the two clashed, Ya Fei maintained her ever-charming smile, her gaze toward them not unlike someone looking at two plump sheep ready for shearing.
In the end, the second pill was sold to Xiao Zhan for four hundred eighty thousand.
With both Obapa and Xiao Zhan bleeding heavily from their purchases, neither family had the strength to bid on the remaining pills.
Thus, Jia Lie Bi easily took the third one for a flat four hundred thousand.
But with Obapa having made such a ludicrously high first bid, Xiao Zhan didn't feel like he had lost too much in comparison.
As the auction came to a close, night had fallen.
Backstage – Private Room
Chen Mo met with Ya Fei again.
Ya Fei handed over the earnings from this auction, minus the handling fee, along with the leftover profits from the previous sale—a total of one million two hundred seventy thousand gold coins.
This time, Chen Mo didn't make any excuses and accepted the gold coins directly.
This simple act surprisingly earned him a bit more favor in Ya Fei's eyes.
Ya Fei also handed over the materials for Dou Practitioner-level pills she had gathered in recent days.
Chen Mo stored the materials in his spatial ring, then transitioned smoothly into the next phase of his plan.
Taking a sip of tea, he smiled and asked, "Do you know why I keep having you conduct these auctions for me?"
Ya Fei blinked and played innocent. "Didn't you say you were short on money?"
Chen Mo chuckled, and Ya Fei followed suit. As a businesswoman, she naturally understood that things weren't that simple.
So, he's laying his cards on the table now?
Ya Fei smiled. "And why is that?"
"I'm investing in you—or rather, the future you. I need someone, or some faction, to handle affairs on my behalf."
Chen Mo put down his cup and continued, "And after observing you these past few days, I believe you're up to the task. You could also consider this my attempt at recruiting you."
Chen Mo was well aware that Ya Fei didn't hold much power within her clan. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been exiled to a peripheral city like Wu Tan City.
If it weren't for her potential value in a marriage alliance, she likely would have been completely marginalized already.
Yet Ya Fei was proud and ambitious. She wanted to build something of her own, to take control of her fate—even within her family. But lacking strength and connections, she could only rely on her beauty and wit to navigate these treacherous waters.
That's why she would never pass up an opportunity to form powerful alliances.
Chen Mo had waited until now to make his move because he didn't want to come off too abruptly.
After spending time together, Ya Fei had grown accustomed to Chen Mo and witnessed his abilities firsthand.
Everything was progressing exactly as Chen Mo had planned.
He was confident that Ya Fei wouldn't refuse.
Upon hearing his words, Ya Fei was stunned. She felt as though he had seen right through her.
But when she came to her senses, her heart was filled with joy. She had long wanted to draw Chen Mo in, but didn't know what could possibly entice a Tier 4 Alchemist.
Now, the opportunity had arrived—hand-delivered, no less. She had to seize it.
If she missed this chance, she might never get another.
Seeing her expression, Chen Mo smiled and stood up, extending a hand. "Pleasure doing business."
Ya Fei hesitated for just a moment, then reached out her hand as well.
[Ding! Favorability +4. Received 5 Favor Points. Intimacy Bonus Triggered: Obtained a Saint-Grade Lower-Tier Spiritual Tool — Divine Scale Heart Armor (Couple's Set)]
"Couple's set? There are two of them?"
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