Chapter 751: All Is Ready
On the other side, Wei Tiantong’s trusted elder was
destroyed by the combined forces of Wei Zhi, Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng. Wei
Tiantong’s son, Wei Xiu attempted to escape, but no such possibility existed
while he was enveloped inside the emperor domain. He too was killed by Elder
Feng with a single palm strike. Elder Feng was a person who abhorred evil, and
his fury had been completely ignited this time. It was when Wei Tiantong had
urged Pill Master Yu to activate the poison formation that both Elder Feng and
Elder Zhuo realized that they actually hadn’t been informed about this
beforehand despite being allies. This also meant that Wei Tiantong might very
well have been planning to take both of them out once he had dealt with Wei
Tianxiao! How could Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng possibly show mercy after
understanding this?
After they eliminated Wei Xiu, they joined the battle
against Wei Tiantong and sealed off all of his possible paths of retreat. Since
they were already planning to clean house, it was only natural to eliminate
their enemies completely! If Wei Tiantong was allowed to escape today, he would
definitely grow to become a threat again in the future. With Wei Tiantong’s
abilities, he might very well collude with House Wei’s enemies and return to
harm them in the future. Wei Tianxiao was already stronger than Wei Tiantong to
begin with, and now the three elders had completely sealed off any chance of
escape. Although Wei Tiantong struggled at death’s door and displayed a level
of combat power beyond his limits, it didn’t change the fact that he was still
in great danger. It didn’t take long before he was struck a couple of times by
his attackers.
“Wei Tiantong, you colluded with House Wei’s enemies and
attempted to bring harm to your own family. Are you still trying to resist even
now?” Wei Zhi yelled as he attempted to break down Wei Tiantong’s will with
words.
Wei Tiantong suffered repeated blows. His hair was
disheveled, his body covered all over with blood, and he looked more like a
trapped, despairing beast than the sixth level emperor realm cultivator he was.
The graceful bearing he used to display so easily as the person with the second
most highest authority in House Wei was long gone. Wei Tiantong continued to
scream madly while struggling like a doomed beast. "Damn you, heavens! I
refuse to accept this! I am not in any way weaker than him, so why is he the
victor in the end? Why?!”
Wei Tiantong really couldn’t accept this outcome. Before
they’d departed for the meeting today, he’d thought through his plan and felt
that it was perfect and multilayered. Be it in brains or brawn, he was certain
that he could toy with Wei Tianxiao and Wei Jie to their deaths. He never
imagined that he would be the one eventually toyed to death instead!
On the outskirts, Elder Zhuo said coldly. "Wei
Tiantong, how can you possibly compare to our house lord? You have ambition,
but not the ability to realize your ambition. You have skill, but not the heart
to use it at the right place. What else do you have? Are you stronger than our
house lord in terms of martial strength? Is your failure of a son better than
young master Wei Jie? You’re not even as kindhearted and generous as our house
lord! You claim that you are better than our house lord, but at what, exactly?”
“Wei Zhuo, you two timing bastard! I’ll haunt you even in
death!” Despite his final struggles, Wei Tiantong was still ultimately
suppressed.
Soon after, Wei Tianxiao and the three family elders came
over to shower Jiang Chen with thanks. "Pill King Zhen, we must thank you
for your Half-step Immortal Elixir Pill, or the consequences would’ve been
unthinkable.”
Wei Jie had also just cleaved that Pill Master Yu in half
before walking over to thank Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen didn’t claim the credit,
however. They were all in the same boat after all. Everything he did was not
just to help House Wei, but also himself. “Everyone, it is not time yet to feel
relieved. Judging from that Pill Master Yu and Wei Tiantong’s words, Pill
Master Yu was obviously a spy sent over from the Majestic Clan. Although these
people have all been eliminated, the Majestic Clan may not necessarily decide
to give up just like this!” Jiang Chen sounded the alarm for everyone.
Wei Tianxiao’s expression was dark. "The Majestic Clan
is acting more and more outrageous lately. They’ve stretched their fingers so
far that they reach even into House Wei.”
The Majestic Clan’s ambition is an open secret. This is
obviously a sign that they are declaring war against the Coiling Dragon Clan!”
Elder Zhuo also sighed.
“It would seem that the competition to become the number one
clan will only grow more and more intense in the future,” Elder Feng also
nodded.
The look in Wei Tianxiao’s eyes was deep as it fell on Elder
Zhuo and Elder Feng for a very long time. Finally, he spoke seriously.
"Elder Zhuo, Elder Feng, the threat in our family is temporarily removed
after this battle, but there are still some things that I must say now as the
house lord. No matter what happens, House Wei will not change their allegiance
to the Majestic Clan. Even if the Coiling Dragon Clan falls from the limelight
in the future, even if the Coiling Dragon Clan fell from the number one clan to
the last ranking clan, House Wei will never abandon the Coiling Dragon Clan
unless they’ve thrown us out the door themselves!”
His tone was exceptionally firm when he said this.
Elder Zhuo sighed softly. "House Lord, we didn’t harbor
any such thoughts from the beginning. We just had an agreement with Wei
Tiantong to rent the shop in Farmer God Market to House Tong. Thankfully, we
managed to redeem ourselves in the end and stop from committing such a huge
error. We had absolutely no intentions of turning traitor against the Coiling
Dragon Clan, much less submit to the Majestic Clan.”
“Elder Zhuo is correct. I, Wei Feng will never commit such a
treacherous act. House Lord, the reason House Wei was able to become a ninth
rank aristocratic family is largely due to the Coiling Dragon Clan’s aid.
Although the Coiling Dragon Clan has been slightly low key as of late, this may
just be an act to fool their enemies. They may yet soar to the heavens and
stand above all other clans one day!” Elder Feng also expressed his open
support of Wei Tianxiao’s decision as the house lord.
Wei Tianxiao felt much better after hearing Elder Zhuo and
Elder Feng’s declarations. The grave internal threat, Wei Tiantong, had been
eliminated, and Elder Feng and Elder Zhuo had changed their stances from
neutral to supporting him, the house lord. House Wei had finally regained its
order. As long as House Wei stood together, they feared no one at all.
Wei Tianxiao was feeling very cheerful, but he hadn’t
forgotten that Jiang Chen was the one who’d contributed the most to their
success. He smiled and came over to take Jiang Chen’s hand. “The greatest
contributor in regaining order in House Wei is without a doubt Pill King Zhen.
Don’t you think so, everyone?”
Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng both nodded.
“Pill King Zhen not only possesses brilliant, heaven defying
skills, but is also a highly capable person who managed to turn the tides
against Wei Tiantong. I thoroughly bow to him.” Elder Zhuo had accepted Jiang
Chen from the bottom of his heart. His grandson Wei Mo had improved noticeably
after he had obeyed Jiang Chen’s secret ‘prescription’ for the past two days. After
consuming Jiang Chen’s pills, even the gods looked like they were on Wei Mo’s
side as his grandson began showing signs of a breakthrough.
As for Elder Feng, he hadn’t believed in Jiang Chen’s
abilities at all at the beginning, but now he too was impressed from the bottom
of his heart. Not only had his disciple Mu Ge recovered under Jiang Chen’s
treatment, his cultivation had even progressed. Not only was the elder
thoroughly admiring of Jiang Chen, he was also immensely grateful for the pill
king’s assistance. “House lord, you were saying that Pill King Zhen intends to
work with our House Wei? What exactly do you mean by that? I’m truly looking
forward to it,” asked Elder Feng.
“Come, let’s discuss things inside.” Seeing that the dust
had settled and knowing that there would be no obstacles whatsoever in the path
of cooperation with Jiang Chen, Wei Tianxiao couldn’t help but feel very
cheerful.
The death of Wei Tiantong meant that the six great leaders
in House Wei had dwindled down to four. Since Jiang Chen shared a great
relationship with all four leaders, this also meant that their partnership was
confirmed in a joyous atmosphere. House Wei would be responsible for providing
the shop and raw materials for the pills, while Jiang Chen would be responsible
for providing the technique and manpower. All income would be split fifty
fifty. If this deal had been brought up before the Wei Tiantong incident, it
would’ve been very difficult for Jiang Chen to convince either Elder Zhuo or
Elder Feng to enter into this agreement with his current identity of an unknown
second rank pill king.
But after witnessing Jiang Chen’s abilities with their own
eyes, both Elder Zhuo and Elder Feng had become a diehard fan of ‘Pill King
Zhen’. Moreover, the plans Jiang Chen had outlined for his pill shop also
convinced everyone in House Wei and showed them a bright, perfect future. It
was only a short while ago that Jiang Chen’s Half-step Immortal Elixir Pill had
played an absolutely critical role in the suppression of Wei Tiantong. If Jiang
Chen hadn’t told them to consume the pill earlier, they would’ve suffered a
great disadvantage under the effects of Pill Master Yu’s poison formation. It
was obvious that this Half-step Immortal Elixir Pill was much more effective
than the traditional version. There was no doubt that this pill would herald a
bright future if it was released to the market.
Jiang Chen also passed on the first list of necessary
ingredients to House Wei. They agreed to officially open the shop in half a
month. House Wei would be responsible for marketing and promotion, while Jiang
Chen would be responsible for refining the pills.
…...
Inside the main residence of the Majestic Clan. The Majestic
clan lord had summoned a few of his aristocratic family house lords for a
meeting. “So Wei Tiantong was just useless trash in the end.” The clan lord
sighed softly, his voice revealing a hint of disappointment.
“Father, something’s not quite right here. According to my
understanding, Wei Tiantong should’ve easily taken control of the situation, so
why did he have the tables turned against him all of a sudden? There must be a
deeper reason behind this.” The clan lord’s son, Wang Teng, was the first to
speak up.
“I shall send someone to investigate into this matter, of
course. However, Wei Tiantong’s failure has disrupted our plans, especially in
regards to House Wei’s shop in Farmer God Market. I was planning to use that
shop to do a little something special, but now that Wei Tiantong has failed, it
is highly unlikely that Wei Tianxiao would ever rent that shop to us,” Clan
Lord Wang Ting pondered.
“In my opinion, there’s no need for us to show them too much
courtesy. If they will not submit to us willingly, then we should force them
to.” The suggestion given by the lord of House Tong was incredibly aggressive.
The lord of House Sikou, Sikou Yuan, also echoed this
suggestion with expectant eyes. "Clan Lord, perhaps we should put on a
show of force for House Wei and teach them a lesson or two.”
House Sikou and House Wei were ancient enemies to begin
with, and House Sikou had been suffering from bad luck recently. They still had
no leads whatsoever from the Myriad Puppets Pavilion robbery, and this failure
had caused a bit of anger to accumulate in Sikou Yuan’s heart. His anger might
subside a little if his sworn enemy, House Wei would suffer some misfortune as
well.
Wang Teng also looked eager. "Why don’t you leave this
to me, father? I guarantee that I’ll force their obedience in full.”
The clan lord mulled over the suggestion for a moment, but
ultimately shook his head. "Teng’er, small skirmishes are of no importance,
but if you were to oppress House Wei openly, the Coiling Dragon Clan won’t just
sit by and watch it happen. After all, House Wei is one of their central
supporters.”
Wang Teng seemed to agree with his father after thinking
over the matter for a bit, but his eyes glittered with his next question.
"Father, what on earth is that Coiling Dragon Clan planning?”
The Coiling Dragon Clan had always been the indisputable
number one clan in the entirety of Veluriyam Capital. Their status in Veluriyam
Capital was as high as one could imagine, and although they had been extremely
low key for the past few years, they were still the premier clan in Veluriyam
Capital in many people’s eyes. The Majestic Clan might be hotly ambitious, but
even they didn’t dare to tear down all pretenses of cordiality before the time
was right. However, it was extremely odd that the Coiling Dragon Clan, the
foremost clan in Veluriyam Capital, would act so low key for the past few
years.
Despite their thirst to become the top clan in Veluriyam
Capital, even the internal ranks of the the Majestic Clan weren’t sure why the
Coiling Dragon Clan had acted so low key. Because of this, the Majestic Clan
was wary despite their eagerness to replace the Coiling Dragon Clan’s position.
Chapter 752: The Veluriyam Pagoda
Both the House Tong and Sikou were diehard loyalists to the
Majestic Clan, and understandably wanted it to replace the Coiling Dragon
Clan's position in the capital.
"Clan lord, I hear that the lord of the Coiling Dragon
Clan has entered a bottleneck in his cultivation which he cannot progress past.
His lifespan cannot increase, and he has been fully focused on a breakthrough
in recent years to do so. Is this rumor true?" The lord of House Tong
asked probingly.
Sikou Yuan nodded as well, "I have heard of this rumor
also. The Coiling Dragon clan lord is at his wit's end, and his strength has
almost left him entirely. There are several others with the qualifications for
the next clan lord, accompanied by much internal strife. The Coiling Dragon
Clan has no energy to focus on the affairs of the Veluriyam Capital. Is all of
this true?"
Though they were only ninth-ranked houses, they were still
privy to a few secrets of the great clans. Information about the Coiling Dragon
Clan's lord occasionally circulated the upper echelons of the Veluriyam
Capital, but its authenticity was never known. They wished to receive a
definite answer from the Majestic Clan's lord, but they were doomed to
disappointment. A faint smile hung on the Majestic Clan lord's face, its
meaning uncertain.
"Clan Lord?" The lord of House Tong was unwilling
to give it up.
The lord of the Majestic Clan spread his hands, his lips
curved slightly. "Next year, the Veluriyam Pagoda opens once again. All
seven of the emperors must attend the ceremony. The same is true for all the
leaders of the notable factions. All rumors will be confirmed or not then.”
The Veluriyam Pagoda? The expressions of all present tensed
at those words, a sense of fascination surfacing. The symbol of the Veluriyam
Capital, the Pagoda held the empyrean decree and relic that had belonged to the
Veluriyam King of yore. The light and miracles from the Veluriyam King had
shone upon the fortunes of the Veluriyam Capital for a hundred thousand years.
Every resident of the capital held the Pagoda in highest faith and regard. It
was the ultimate totem in their hearts. However heinous or benevolent one was,
the Pagoda was held as a mark of pride. The people's hearts were universally
filled with fervor and fanaticism towards it. The Veluriyam Pagoda commanded
unshakable devotion from the Capital.
The Pagoda opened for a single year every sixty years.
During the entire period of its opening, the Capital celebrated their grandest
and most festive holiday. From the Titled Great Emperors at the top to the
ordinary peasantry at the bottom, everyone was filled with anticipation for the
year in which the Pagoda opened. The Pagoda was composed of a main pagoda and
two ancillary pagodas.
Standing at the very center of the city, the main pagoda was
sacrosanct and inviolate. No matter what vantage point one was at in the capital,
the sacred Veluriyam Pagoda rising to the heavens from the center of the city
was always visible. The two ancillary pagodas flanked the main pagoda from the
left and right.
One was the Pill Pagoda, and one was the Martial Pagoda.
True to their names, the Pill Pagoda opened for those advanced in pill dao, and
likewise the Martial Pagoda, for martial dao. The opening of the Veluriyam
Pagoda was split into three stages.
The first stage was the opening of the Pill Pagoda.
The second, the Martial Pagoda.
Only the third stage was the opening of the main pagoda.
Not everyone had the right of entry to the three pagodas.
There was a grueling series of contests, filtering away the chaff at every
layer, until a limited number of such privileged candidates arose. This sort of
competition was very fierce, largely because of the extremely controlled
availability of entries as well as the timeframe—threescore years was a long
time.
To receive the right of entry was a paramount glory. Not
only that, but the ability to cultivate inside the pagoda was a great reward as
well. One day within was equivalent to a fortnight without. Thus, all of the
pill and martial dao geniuses of the Veluriyam Capital saw the Pagoda's quota
as a superb honor. Their energy was fully saved up in order to secure a spot.
Both the house lords of Tong and Sikou were uncommonly
elated at the news of the Pagoda's opening. The Majestic Clan lord's gaze swept
past their faces. "The geniuses from the Coiling Dragon Clan have taken
first place in the last three consecutive terms. That is the reason they are
considered the foremost clan of the Veluriyam Capital. If we are to overtake
the Coiling Dragon Clan, we must completely crush them in the competitions to
enter the Pagoda. Otherwise, the thought of becoming the foremost clan is
nothing but hot air."
Infected by emotion, the house lords present all rushed to
express their loyalty.
"Let the clan lord bear witness, all the geniuses of
House Tong will fully exert their strengths!"
"We at House Sikou will not hold our faction
back!" Not wishing to fall behind, the other house lords thumped their
chests as well in guarantee.
Finally, the Majestic Clan lord settled his gaze on his son,
Wang Teng. "Teng'er, I leave the matter of House Wei in your hands.
However, you must remember, before we shed all pretenses with the Coiling
Dragon Clan, you cannot openly use force. Instead, you must use your wits, so
as not to leave a source of gossip." The Majestic Clan lord was quite
satisfied with his son. He wished to use this as an opportunity to test him, to
see if his son was worthy of weighty tasks.
…...
As time passed, the day for the grand opening of Taiyuan
Tower approached ever closer. Jiang Chen's time passed in a very fulfilling
manner. He would spend at least half his days on training his fellow sect members
from Regal Pill Palace to become professional pill masters. After witnessing
them firsthand, his peers all held Jiang Chen's pill dao skills in heartfelt
reverence, and they were wholly grateful for his tutelage. They learned with
great haste and concentration.
This was also to their great fortune. The Jiang Chen from
his previous life would not even accept them as herbal apprentices, much less
tutor them personally. Shen Trifire's fire constitution revealed its advantage
now. His increase in ability could only be described as miraculous, and he
almost seemed to match the Elder Yun Nie of yesteryear. Jiang Chen was very
satisfied with his speed.
Rong Zifeng and Ouyang Chao closely followed after Shen
Trifire. However, though they were quite talented as well, Shen Trifire still
forged ahead. Jiang Chen did not demand much more of them. Difficult work must
be slowly trudged through. There were many days ahead of them, and under his
guidance, it would be more difficult for them not to progress. "Trifire,
your talent is outstanding and greatly surprising to me. I hope that in three
months, you can become skilled enough to pass the pill king test in Veluriyam
Capital."
"Pill king?" Shen Trifire was mildly taken aback.
Jiang Chen grinned slightly. "Don’t be surprised. I say
these words to you alone. Though Rong Zifeng and Ouyang Chao are reasonably
talented as well, I doubt they will be able to pass the pill king test even in
three more years. But you… you are different. In terms of talent, yours is
comparable to Mu Gaoqi's. Though his natural gifts are measurably better than
yours, what is lacking in natural temperament may be made up through learning.
In particular, your talent in this area is exceptional, and I look forward to
your future achievements in the art of pill dao." His speech was almost
like that of a senior to a junior.
However, Shen Trifire didn’t feel uncomfortable in the
slightest. How could he not see Jiang Chen’s talent after all this time? Jiang
Chen's pill dao knowledge was more vast than all of the elders at Herbal Hall
put together! The skills that Jiang Chen had showed at the Regal Pill Palace
were only the tip of the iceberg. How laughable that he had tried to challenge
Jiang Chen at the time with the bet and the pill competition. It’d ended in
embarrassing loss, but he was only thankful it hadn't been worse.
Shen Trifire was sure by now that though Jiang Chen was only
senior brother by name, he should be treated as a venerated master, perhaps
even a forefather of pill dao. Following Jiang Chen would result in a future
brighter than Regal Pill Palace's by a hundredfold!
"Trifire, I have only one thing to ask of you. No matter
how great your accomplishments in the future, never forget that you are a
disciple of Regal Pill Palace. You have a mission to restore the Palace.
Perhaps it is not yours alone, but you must remember it eternally."
"Senior brother Jiang Chen, that Shen Trifire is here
today is completely thanks to Regal Pill Palace. A man must show gratitude, how
would I forget the sect's nurturing kindness? As long as I still draw breath, I
will not forget the sect!"
"Very good," Jiang Chen nodded, "I hope you
quickly grow capable enough to stand on your own feet in the Veluriyam Capital.
That would lighten my burdens a bit."
Jiang Chen was helping his fellow sect members entirely out
of moral considerations. He had no interest in a life of babysitting. If Shen
Trifire could become strong enough to maintain Taiyuan Tower on his own, he had
no qualms about letting Trifire take charge while he worked behind the scenes.
Jiang Chen took out two pill bottles, placing them on the
table. "There are two pills here. One is the Origin Doubling Pill, and the
other is the Holy Screening Pill. The Origin Doubling Pill allows you to raise
your cultivation level within the origin realm without limitation once, and the
Holy Screening Pill will give you a thirty to fifty percent increased chance to
breakthrough to the sage realm!"
Shen Trifire was overjoyed. His eyes rolled wildly, glowing
with excitement as he seemed to think of something.
"Trifire, if you wish to attain the title of pill king,
your martial dao ability must be at least sage realm. You are only eighth level
origin realm, so you cannot do so without outside help. I hope these two pills
are of help to you!"
Refined from Firstcloud Dew, the Origin Doubling Pill had
been given to Jiang Chen from Elder Yun Nie himself, three of them in total.
One had been used by Jiang Chen himself, and another was given to Lordmaster Ye
Chonglou. Jiang Chen had wanted to give the last one to Gouyu, or perhaps Xue
Tong and the rest. But the ensuing changes in circumstance meant that he never
had the chance to give the pill away. Now, Shen Trifire would make the most use
of this remaining Origin Doubling Pill. As for Gouyu and Xue Tong, Jiang Chen
would make it up to them through other ways.
Shen Trifire's face was flushed red, his heart filled with
eagerness and gratitude. There were a few hints of shame as well, upon
remembering his opposition of Jiang Chen at the Palace. In that instant, he was
at a loss for words. Buying popularity was not Jiang Chen's intent. He was
giving Shen Trifire these two pills out of realistic considerations, not
because he wished to be repaid.
“Do well. I hope that you'll reach sage realm earlier rather
than later, and obtain a pill king's token. With that token, no one will
underestimate you anywhere in the world."
"Senior brother, I am slow of tongue. You need only see
my actions!" Shen Trifire nodded emphatically.
Smiling, Jiang Chen patted Trifire's shoulder before he
walked outside. He was greeted with the sight of Wei Jie's arrival.
"Brother Zhen, I have some good news and some bad news.
Which would you like to hear first?" Wei Jie opened with a playful
question.
Jiang Chen started, glancing at Wei Jie in surprise. Playing
a trick like this... he seems in a good mood!
Chapter 753: An Astonishing Secret
“Let's have the bad news first,” Jiang Chen responded with a
faint smile.
Wei Jie tittered, scratched his head, then spoke with a wry
smile, “Let me give the good news first, because the bad news is related to the
good news.”
Jiang Chen shrugged, “Stop with the nonsense, don’t waste
time.”
Wei Jie laughed mischievously. He knew Jiang Chen wasn't
truly angry, but he still didn't leave the other hanging any further. He said,
“The good news is, the number one auction house in the Capital is going to hold
an enormous auction tomorrow. I hear there will be quite a few good items on
sale.”
“What about the bad news then?” Jiang Chen frowned.
“The bad news is, our house is only allotted two
participating seats.” Wei Jie was obviously somewhat depressed when talking
about it.
“What kind of auction is so upscale that even House Wei is
only allowed two seats?” Jiang Chen found it hard to fathom. Since it was a
large-scale auction, with House Wei's status inside the Capital, they shouldn't
have been restricted to so few seats.
Wei Jie responded dejectedly, “This auction's main theme is
related to pills. Our House has had a rather weak presence when it comes to
pills in the recent past, so it's normal to be overlooked on the invitation
list. Giving us two seats is already a show of respect for our status as a
ninth-ranked noble house. Our House doesn't have any pill kings, so no one
would cry foul even if they didn't allot any to us at all!”
Related to pills? Jiang Chen felt a twinge of interest when
he heard this. The number one auction house in the Capital and an immense
auction related to pills. Just these two things made Jiang Chen perk up with
interest. He wanted to establish himself in the pill business inside the
Capital, so a gathering like this was one he couldn’t miss no matter what. He'd
already visited various shops in the Farmer God Market, but he could only
observe and get to know part of the situation. Some details still required
long-term observation before he could grasp them. This auction would be a
perfect opportunity to observe the Capital's pill world.
Wei Jie noticed Jiang Chen's interest and hurried to say,
“Brother Zhen, my father intends to give you one of these two seats no matter
what happens. Only...”
“Only, I'm not your House's guest pill king, so you're also
afraid it'd be hard to justify, correct?” Jiang Chen said, a hint of a smile
floating on his lips. In fact, he was aware House Wei very much wanted to
invite him to remain as a guest pill king. They were merely too embarrassed to
ask him for now.
Wei Jie chuckled mischievously. “Brother Zhen, this thing is
really a little hard say upfront. I already mentioned it to you last time, our
House had a pill king before, but he passed away because of some old affair.
So, every pill master in the Capital knows now there's some danger in assuming the
post of guest pill king in our House. That's the reason why... our House didn’t
dare request it of you.”
Wei Jie had already previously mentioned this matter. Jiang
Chen had thought it curious back then, but hadn't inquired too much. After all,
he hadn't known much about House Wei back then, and wasn't much interested in
becoming a guest pill king. Since he was working with House Wei nowadays, and
also had some understanding of the house, Jiang Chen actually thought he
wouldn't object to becoming House Wei's guest pill king. Only, he didn't
understand what kind of danger there could be in assuming the position.
Would the noble houses use pill kings as scapegoats in their
conflicts? However, what did Jiang Chen have to fear even so? In contests
between pill kings in the world of noble houses, he was truly unafraid of
anyone. When it came to pill making, the pill king who could trounce him
utterly probably hadn’t born yet on the Divine Abyss Continent.
“Young master Jie, you should know me by now. I'm not one to
fear trouble, I only fear a lack of sincerity,” Jiang Chen faintly said.
Wei Jie froze, then hurried to explain, “Brother Zhen, we're
absolutely not hiding this from you on purpose. It's just too awkward, too hard
to ask you upfront.”
“What do you mean?”
Wei Jie thought for a moment then heaved a sigh. “With
regards to this matter, our House in fact suffers from a great injustice. The
reason why our House is in such an awkward situation is also related to it. You
should be aware that we have thrown our lot in with the Coiling Dragon Clan.
The reason why we became a ninth ranked aristocratic house, thanks to their
assistance and protection. So our House is faithful and true to Coiling Dragon,
our loyalty unwavering...”
Jiang Chen frowned, “Please get to the point.”
Wei Jie said with a wry smile, “Brother Zhen, this thing
involves a secret. After I tell you, please never ever spread it around, or
else all hell will break loose.”
Jiang Chen gave a slight nod.
“I have to start first by mentioning a secret of the Coiling
Dragon Clan. Several decades ago, rumors developed that the clan lord of the
Coiling Dragon Clan was at a bottleneck with his cultivation. the Coiling
Dragon Clan's clan lord is also the most senior and aged amongst all clan lords
in the Capital. Rumors have it that he's already past three thousands year old,
while his cultivation has actually stopped at ninth level emperor realm. He's
missing a step and can't rise to the realm of a great emperor.”
“The realm of great emperor?”
“Indeed. At the pinnacle of the emperor realm, one further
step forward takes you to the great emperor realm. However, this step is one
countless ninth level emperor realm powerhouses have failed to cross even after
a lifetime of struggles. the Coiling Dragon Clan's master is one of them. If he
could cross this step, then he would be the eighth great emperor in the
Capital. But if he can't cross it, then it's very possible he can't even
maintain his clan's position as first in the Capital. Such is the ruthlessness
in the world of martial dao, even more so in the Veluriyam Capital. A single
step away, yet a thousand miles apart.”
Wei Jie heaved a sigh, his voice lamenting as he went on.
“The Coiling Dragon Clan lord couldn't surmount this step even after trying
many secret methods. On a certain day ten years ago, he had the premonition
that his cultivation would dissipate within a few decades. The dissipation of
cultivation is the portent of life is drawing to a close.”
It wasn't something Jiang Chen was unfamiliar with. An emperor
realm’s cultivation dissipating was something he'd already seen inside the
ruins in the Paramount Realm back in the Myriad Domain. Cultivation dissipating
was the cruelest thing for a powerhouse of martial dao, and also the most
inexorable thing. It signified life drawing to a close, that the cultivation
accumulated throughout a whole life time would become fleeting as clouds when
all was said and done.
Back when he’d been cultivating in the four great sects
inside the sixteen kingdoms, Jiang Chen had once seen a Redscaled Firelizard
tormented by a group of fire crows with lowly cultivation. Cultivation
dissipating was akin to a tiger out of its mountain cave, trapped on flat
plains. As inexorable as the sun setting in the west, as merciless as the finals
days of a glorious hero.
Back in the Myriad Domain, the Great Cathedral’s Sacred
Elephant head Xian Wentian had been nearing the end of his predestined life and
was soon going to see his cultivation dissipated. That was the reason why he
spared no capital to desperately buy a Longevity Pill. Xiang Wentian had been a
mere ninth level sage realm, yet he still spared no cost and latched onto an
opportunity to prolong his life. He wouldn't let go of it no matter what. He
turned hostile to whoever tried to compete with him.
Meanwhile, the Coiling Dragon Clan lord was a ninth level
emperor realm cultivator. He was a great figure ruling the roost and riding the
herd even in the whole of the Upper Eight Regions. Each and every one of his
gestures were naturally even more far-reaching. One had to lament no choice but
to lament when such a personage's cultivation dissipated.
And so, Jiang Chen could understand Wei Jie's sigh. This
House Wei truly has bad luck. They aligned themselves with the Coiling Dragon
Clan, then the clan lord's lifespan drew to a close. They follow the Great
Emperor Peafowl, but Emperor Peafowl's direct disciple, young master Fan, also
passed away. This House Wei must have stepped on some dog shit to have such a
halo of bad luck.
“Young master Jie, what's the relation between what you just
said and your house's pill king?” a distracted Jiang Chen asked, his train of
thought coming back to the original issue.
“It's related, highly correlated,” Wei Jie said with a sigh.
“Back then, the various noble houses under the Coiling Dragon Clan were all
dimly in the know. They all wanted to offer some contribution. Alas, it was
because of our House's eagerness to render service and gain merit that we
trusted our guest pill king too easily back then. Maybe that guy went mad
trying to fawn to a superior. He actually said he had some way, or maybe he was
hopeful he could help the clan lord postpone the arrival of his cultivation
dissipating...”
Jiang Chen understood the gist of things after hearing this.
It sounded like House Wei had been conned by that hasty guest pill king. That
was the reason why they found themselves in such a situation today, forsaken by
all. So many things had happened, yet the Coiling Dragon Clan hadn’t even
offered a word of sympathy. With House Wei's status as a ninth ranked
aristocratic house, they shouldn't have received such a cold shoulder. It
turned out that this was the problem!
“That pill king must have made a mess of things?” Jiang Chen
said with a sigh.
Wei Jie's smile was bitter, “Not only he made a mess of
things, he even somewhat aggravated the clan lord's situation! From there on,
our House had also fell from grace in his wake. There are even people who said
our House did it on purpose. There are those who wrongly accuse us of following
orders from the Majestic Clan...”
“It's really hard to reason with them even if you're innocent.”
Jiang Chen was actually a little sympathetic with House Wei's bitter
experience. It was just like yellow mud dropping onto one’s trousers. It was
viewed as shit, even if it wasn't.
“Isn't it?” Wei Jie also felt a little wronged. “Our House
is so loyal and true to the Coiling Dragon Clan, how could we be following
Majestic Clan orders?”
“Did you investigate that pill king?” Jiang Cheng was
curious. Even though there's surely no issue with your House, you can't
guarantee there wasn't any issue with that pill king.
“There shouldn't have been any issue with that pill king
either. After all, he'd been in our house for more than a hundred years. If
there'd been a problem with him, it should have come to the fore long ago. No
matter how treacherous the Majestic Clan is, they still couldn't have planted a
pill king in our House a hundred years beforehand, could they? Have you ever
heard of such a far-reaching plan?”
That matter was clearly to be an unsolved case. Jiang Chen
hadn't seen it with his own eyes, so it was difficult for him to draw any
conclusion from a few words from Wei Jie. Moreover, all this was water under
the bridge. There was no medicine for regret, even if they talked about it over
and over again. Jiang Chen didn't plan on looking into ancient matters of the
past.
“So how did that pill king die in the end?” This was Jiang
Chen cared about. “Did the Coiling Dragon Clan order his execution?”
Wei Jie was dejected, “What's truly depressing is that we
don't know either how on earth that pill king died. He just suddenly died one
day in the streets.”
“How could that be?” A conflicted expression emerged on
Jiang Chen's face, “That's even more detrimental to your House.”
“Isn't it?! Him dying an obscure death, some people said our
House did it to prove our innocence to the Coiling Dragon Clan. Some people
also said that the Coiling Dragon Clan secretly gave the order, as not to make
us lose too much face. Some others said the Majestic Clan were the one who
dispatched people to do it, to strain the relations between our House and the
Coiling Dragon Clan. All these sound credible, and they made our House's
situation more awkward day by day! Alas...” Wei Jie was often sighing now that
his words had reached this part.
Obviously, the series of blows that House Wei suffered after
that matter had greatly damaged the House's vitality. They were caught between
the Coiling Dragon Clan's suspicions and the Majestic Clan's threats
interspersed with cajoling. House Wei was truly struck between a rock and a
hard place, pressured on all sides.
Jiang Chen finally understood where House Wei's awkward
situation came from. No wonder no pill king was willing to come to House Wei.
Who'd dare to? Who knew, one might well suddenly die in the streets one day,
and one wouldn't even know if one had been wiped out by the Coiling Dragon Clan
or by the Majestic Clan, one’s death a puzzling, unsolved affair!
“Brother Zhen, I'm not trying to explain anything, and I'm
even less trying to rope you in. These matters have been buried in our hearts
and minds for truly too long. I grew up in such awkward circumstances, so I
have a deep feelings about it. A grand scion of a noble house like me might not
even have it as easy outside as a son from a lesser house!”
Chapter 754: Long Xiaoxuan About to Break Through
Wei Jie's mood had clearly been agitated. He seemed a little
emotional. Jiang Cheng could understand Wei Jie's dejection. House Wei had been
collateral damage in this matter from the very beginning, the most innocent of
victims. The Coiling Dragon Clan lord might have been somewhat affected, but as
a man with his cultivation on the eve of dissipating, it would take a
heaven-defying method to reverse fate.
“Young master Jie, in your situation, you should in fact
clearly explain yourself to the clan lord.” There were only so many suggestions
Jiang Chen could offer.
“The clan leader is magnanimous. He is aware of our House's
loyalty. However, those beneath him don't share the same views. People in the
clan, and also the noble houses under the clan's banner were jealous of our
House's status to begin with. They wouldn't pass by an opportunity to supplant
us. They slander and suppress us again and again. Even if we're innocent, their
wagging tongues make us guilty.”
Jiang Chen was also aware of the effects of slander.
Situations like these truly couldn't be explained away with a few words. House
Wei's awkward situation wasn't one that could be overturned with the wave of a
hand.
Wei Jie suddenly thought of something, his eyes betraying a
little hope and eagerness. “Brother Zhen, I heard that back then in the Myriad
Domain, you once refined a pill called the Longevity Pill that can prolong
someone's life for five to eight hundred years. Is that true?”
Jiang Cheng laughed in spite of himself. This Wei Jie's schemes
truly reached far enough, he even accounted for the Longevity Pill. He shook
his head with a soft sigh. “The Longevity Pill is only useful for cultivators
at the sage realm, it's of no use to cultivators at the emperor realm. It might
even worsen the situation instead.”
Hearing it might worsen the situation, Wei Jian couldn't
help but be reminded of his House's previous pill king's disaster. Once bitten,
twice shy. His expression suddenly froze. “Is it absolutely useless?”
“It might possibly be somewhat useful, but there's a greater
probability of side effects occurring.” Jiang Chen knew Wei Jie was very keen
on seizing the opportunity to restore their relationship with the Coiling
Dragon Clan. Only, it wasn't something he could achieve with the Longevity
Pill, because the Longevity Pill was only suitable for sage realm cultivators.
There was actually a pill that could extend an emperor realm cultivator's life.
It was called the Pine Crane Pill. Jiang Chen even had one of the two main raw
materials required: the first sky-level spirit plant he'd obtained from Mt.
Rippling Mirages—the Invisible Chameleon Cloudpine. That pine's cone was one of
the main materials required to refine the Pine Crane Pill.
As to the other ingredient, it was a Goldencrown
Cloudcrane's heart, also a spirit beast very hard to come by. The Goldencrown
Cloudcrane might not be the Invisible Chameleon Cloudpine's match when it came
to rarity, but when comparing them one to one, a Goldencrown Cloudcrane's heart
was even more precious than a Invisible Chameleon Cloudpine cone. After all,
one Invisible Chameleon Cloudpine could produce many pine cones, while a
Goldencrown Cloudcrane only ever have one heart.
Of course, this thing was a mere passing thought in Jiang
Chen's mind. He didn't even plan on refining the Longevity Pill, to say nothing
of an earth shattering pill like the Pine Crane Pill. His identity would
inevitably be exposed as soon as he refined the Longevity Pill. It was hard to
tell how many people would keep a close watch on him by then. Not to mention
that the Pine Crane Pill was a pill at least ten times more valuable than the
Longevity Pill. With Jiang Chen's status and identity, he simply couldn't
handle everything the Pine Crane Pill would bring with it. Even House Wei
wouldn't be able to. This matter might be somewhat possible only if Jiang Chen
were to cooperate directly with the Coiling Dragon Clan.
However, no one could read a man's heart. Jiang Chen had
already suffered once because of the Longevity Pill. It was unrealistic to ask
him to take out the Pine Crane Pill now for no rhyme or reason. Let alone,
amongst the materials needed to refine this Pine Crane Pill, the Goldencrown
Cloudcrane's heart wasn't easy to collect at all. He had no desire to leap into
a quagmire of his own volition.
“Then, Brother Zhen, will you sell Longevity Pills in
Taiyuan Tower? If you sell it, I fear you'll be immediately recognized. It'd be
detrimental to you.”
Jiang Chen shook his head, “I will refine the Longevity Pill
in the future, but the time isn't ripe yet.”
“It's better this way. The Veluriyam Capital might be
formidable, but it's still hard to guard against the Eternal Celestial Capital
and the Ninesuns Sky Sect secretly causing trouble.” Wei Jie nodded in
understanding.
That was one of the reasons why Jiang Chen rather
appreciated Wei Jie. At the very least, this young man knew discretion, knew
the importance of things, knew when to advance and knew when to retreat. He
wouldn't force someone into something. He could put himself in the other’s
shoes and think from their point of view. That was a virtue rarely seen from
the scions of noble houses. “Young master Jie, tell your father when you go
back that if your house doesn't find me lacking in qualification, I'm not
opposed to being House Wei's guest pill king.”
Wei Jie was overjoyed when he heard. “Brother Zhen, are you
serious?”
Jiang Chen smiled faintly, “Do you think I'm someone to
speak recklessly?”
Wei Jie slapped his thigh. “That's great! I never dared to
ask you upfront out of fear I'd implicate you. But in fact, you might not
necessarily be in such a great danger.”
Jiang Chen smiled. “I came all the way here from the Myriad
Domain. Do you think the path was lacking in danger? Am I not still here
anyway?”
“That's true, but you still need to be on your guard. How
about I send you my personal butler and protector Qixia so he can act as your
bodyguard?” Wei Jie suggested.
“No need for that.” Jiang Chen waved it off, his refusal
firm. Wei Qixia might be a powerhouse at the first level of the emperor realm,
but Jiang Chen truly had no use for him. If there were a situation he himself
couldn't handle, then one more Wei Qixia would also be useless.
Their conversation concluded, Wei Jie went back home in high
spirits, carrying good news with him. The benefits of having Jiang Chen as
their House's guest pill king was obvious for all to see. House Wei was going
to break away from the awkwardness of not having a pill king, while his House's
pill business would once again go back on track. Everything was developing in a
favorable direction!
Wei Jie felt his entire body overflowing with enthusiasm and
motivation. His feelings for Jiang Chen nowadays were almost akin to adoration
and blind trust already. In particular, that scene Jiang Chen had defeated Pill
Master Yu had made Wei Jie realize even more deeply that this genius from the
Myriad Domain, who'd hacked his way through a mountain of corpses and blood,
would also one day illuminate the Capital with his extraordinary abilities.
He’d been fortunate enough to meet such a genius. It that wasn't luck, then he
didn't know what luck was. House Wei might still be in a difficult spot for
now, but Wei Jie firmly believed that they was bound to soar in Jiang Chen's
wake, ascending like a boat rising with the tide.
…
Jiang Chen was about to cultivate after seeing off Wei Jie
when Long Xiaoxuan transmitted a message to Jiang Chen, “Young master Chen, I
think I'm going to break through to the emperor realm. You better find a place
and make some preparations. Dragons breakthroughs come with a vast aura and
momentum, so I don't want to do it in the center of the Capital.”
Jiang Chen didn't know if he should be happy or worried
instead at the sudden news. He was happy because Long Xiaoxuan was finally
breaking through after spending so long at the pinnacle of the sage realm. The
dragon was definitely going to make a terrific hired thug as soon as he entered
the emperor realm. With the dragons' innate dominating power, Long Xiaoxuan
could probably face a powerhouse at the fifth or sixth level emperor realm head
on without falling downwind even at initial stage emperor realm, He might even
withstand a later-stage emperor realm at the seventh level without suffering
defeat.
After all, for the lineal descendants of the dragons, the
higher their cultivation, the stronger the power of their bloodline would
manifest, and the more ridiculous their fighting power would be. It wasn't an
exaggeration to say that Long Xiaoxuan would increase his fighting prowess
tenfold in the blink of an eye after breaking through to the emperor realm.
His thoughts distracted for a moment, Jiang Chen then
composed himself. He asked, “Brother Long, about how far off are you?”
“Somewhere between a month and three. Maybe even closer.”
Jiang Chen thought a moment. Taiyuan Tower's grand opening
was in three days. He would be relatively freer after that. When the time came,
he would find a remote spot, deploy a concealing formation and suppress as much
as he could the signs of Long Xiaoxuan's breakthrough. Otherwise, the dramatic
heaven and earth phenomena during a dragon's breakthrough would certainly
attract attention from all parties. He didn't want Long Xiaoxuan to stir up a
hornet's nest.
Jiang Chen nodded. “Leave it to to me. After you break
through to the emperor realm, your cultivation in the secrets of dragon
shapeshifting should also come to fruition. By then, you can transform into
human shape and move about in broad daylight inside the Capital without needing
to worry like now.”
Long Xiaoxuan snorted softly, “This world full of mundane
temptations might not be to this dragon's liking anyway.”
Dragons were ever like thus, haughty, posers. Jiang Chen
didn't believe Long Xiaoxuan would ever come to dislike the mortal world. He chuckled
mischievously, “We'll see when the time comes whether you like it or not. Don't
tell me you want to be always hiding. Isn't that really boring?”
“Don't delay with the preparations,” Long Xiaoxuan snorted,
but he didn't say anything further.
Wry disgruntlement mingled with happiness in Jiang Chen's
sigh, “I never thought I would be fated to a life of playing nanny. I have to
worry about my fellow sect disciples, and now that it's over, I have to worry
about these guys instead.”
Long Xiaoxuan breaking through the emperor realm was good
news when all was said and done. It would have spared him a lot of trouble when
he came to the Capital if Long Xiaoxuan had already broken through to the
emperor realm back in the Myriad Domain. Jiang Chen silently sighed with
emotion. In spite of himself, his thoughts veered to those people from the
Regal Pill Palace. He wondered how they were now.
He hadn't heard a word from Palace Head Dan Chi. Elder Yun
Nie and Mu Gaoqi were certainly still in Veluryiam Capital, but he didn't know
whether House Sikou had sold them or kept them for themselves. This was also a
matter he had to investigate as soon as possible. If House Sikou were using the
two themselves, then he had to rescue them no matter what. Apart from Mu Gaoqi
and Elder Yun Nie, there was also sister Ling Bi'er. Back the in the Regal Pill
King Palace, when the several of them had separately returned to their own
dwellings, Jiang Chen had been surrounded, Shen Qinghong captured, but Ling
Bi'er had seized an opportunity to run away. He wondered where was Ling Bi'er
nowadays?
Jiang Chen was rather concerned about Ling Bi'er. He knew
that this frosty senior sister of his had tacitly pledged her heart to him
already. Back then in that desperate situation in the Paramount Realm, Ling
Bi'er clearly could have hoped to make good her escape alone, but she didn't
run away by herself. Jiang Chen wasn't a dunce. How would he fail to see these
feelings? Their friendship was something Jiang Chen had no reason whatsoever to
disregard, to say nothing about the feelings between man and woman.
Apart from Ling Bi'er, there was also her father and her
younger sister. The two of them should have come to the Veluriyam Capital and
met up with him, but neither of them had arrived even after so long. Jiang Chen
was also somewhat worried. Only, he had so many things vying for his attention
at present. He was too busy to inquire about Ling Su and Ling Hui'er. He could
only hope that they would arrive safe and sound, that the Eternal Celestial
Capital or the Ninesuns Sky Sect hadn’t captured them. It would be enormous
troubles otherwise.
Jing Chen mused for a moment, but he simply had too many
things to attend to. So he simply stopped thinking about them, sat down
cross-legged, and started cultivating. He hadn't stopped his cultivation during
these days. With the assistance from countless Heroic Sage Pills, his
cultivation pace was blistering. He'd lacked resources before, but his
cultivation speed had been frightening even back then. Now that his resources
were abundant, his cultivation speed would naturally be surging. There were
already faint signs of him breaking through the fourth level of the sage realm.
“Who knows. I might well first break through to the fourth
level before Brother Long's breakthrough!”
Chapter 755: Face Slapping At the Auction
Wei Jie cheerfully arrived at Jiang Chen's residence the
dawn of the second day. "Brother Zhen, father was up the entire night with
happiness when he heard that you were willing to become a guest elder for House
Wei. He has already prepared to announce the news on the opening day of Taiyuan
Tower, as the icing on the proverbial cake. Announcing that you're joining
House Wei to all here in the capital and opening the store on the same day…
we'll make a grand ceremony out of it!" A joyous expression danced across
his face. He was clearly in good spirits.
"Compared to Taiyuan Tower's opening, the ceremony is
of lesser importance. Preparations must be made, lest a few select stubborn
ones come to cause trouble," Jiang Chen smiled back.
"Father has thought of this as well. Certain
precautions are already being put into place. Brother Zhen, the auction will
start soon. Here are a hundred thousand saint spirit stones, as a token of our
sincerity to you. Perhaps it will be useful at today's auction. I have word
from father that I can call for up to five hundred thousand saint spirit
stones, as long as it is something Brother Zhen wants!"
Five hundred thousand saint spirit stones was equivalent to
five million origin spirit stones. It was a princely sum. Jiang Chen could feel
Wei Tianxiao's sincerity. It seemed that House Wei had been wholly impressed by
his actions during the conflict with Wei Tiantong. The generosity in House
Wei's goodwill was no longer simply enticement—it veered towards appeasement
now. Having done so many things for House Wei, Jiang Chen was perfectly
comfortable in accepting the money. He was neither embarrassed nor hesitant. He
accepted the gift with a faint smile. "Young master Jie, please make sure
to give your father my thanks when you return."
"What is the point in thanks? You deserve it. The
auction begins fairly early, so we should depart right now!" Wei Jie
chuckled. Still engaged in conversation, they departed for the auction.
Joined Ridges Auction House, or Joined Ridges Pavilion, was
the uncontested top dog of the auctioneering business in Veluriyam Capital.
Accordingly, it was located within the most bustling market in the city—the
Farmer God Market. Upon arrival, the duo discovered that the market was clearly
even busier than usual. The auction seemed to have attracted quite a few
people. Though not everyone could enter, that had no effect on the high
passions of those present. Even without going inside, it was still good to
experience the atmosphere from the door. Potential gossip about the secrets of
the upper classes was even better.
The two of them encountered some of Wei Jie's acquaintances
on the way there. Jiang Chen astutely noticed they were polite but distant,
whether by happenstance or on purpose. The situation facing House Wei was ample
cause for caution. Close association with the house certainly had the potential
to draw indirect heat. This distant behavior was not unusual to Wei Jie.
The two soon came to the entrance of Joined Ridges Pavilion.
The auction house's porter was very gracious, and didn’t trouble them solely
because they were from House Wei. They were cordially escorted inside after
handing in their invitation, an act that fully showed the establishment's
equanimity. The experience raised Jiang Chen's opinion of Joined Ridges. This
was the appropriate attitude that a leading member of any industry in Veluriyam
Capital should have. Mistreatment due to background would have put Joined
Ridges Pavilion's purported history into doubt.
Past Joined Ridges' doorway was an expansive courtyard. Many
who came to participate in the auction were gathered here in twos and threes.
Evidently, no one was permitted to go further before the auction's formal
commencement. It was one of Joined Ridges' rules, one that no one was in a
position to criticize. Besides, the courtyard was not simply a place to be
idle. Various amenities were amply scattered around, alongside a liberal
provision of snacks and refreshments. Seating was also adroitly placed
throughout the area, organically blending in to the overall aesthetic.
"Let's find a place to wait a while. It'll be some time
still before the auction begins." Wei Jie scanned the surroundings and beckoned
to Jiang Chen after finding a comparatively empty spot.
Just as Wei Jie was about to take a seat on a chair, a
nearby person suddenly stumbled. The drink in his hand spilled outwards as he
stumbled, splashing towards Wei Jie with a mind of its own. His reflexes swift,
Wei Jie gracefully sidestepped, avoiding the liquid just in time. Only the tips
of his shoes were sprinkled, but the remainder caught the chair he was about to
sit in.
"My apologies, my apologies." The person
apologized incessantly before curving his mouth into a sudden smile. "Ho,
isn't this House Wei's young master?" The man speaking was a youth, and
looked a little younger than Wei Jie. He had a babyish face, but the negligent
flash of a lazy smile tipped Jiang Chen off. He was definitely not as easy to
get along with as he appeared.
"Younger brother Tong, your house is ninth-rank, right?
Did you not have enough to eat? Is that why you can't even walk straight?"
Wei Jie frowned.
The youth was the son of House Tong's lord, Tong Kun.
Tong Kun’s smiling face changed in a heartbeat as it sank.
"Young master Wei, have you brushed your teeth this morning? Your mouth is
rather foul."
How could Wei Jie not see that Tong Kun was here
intentionally to pick a fight? He sneered back, "Tong Kun, I have no
interest in squabbling with a beardless youth like you. If you're still up for
it, then wait until we're outside Joined Ridges Pavilion, I'll be around
anytime."
It could be seen that Wei Jie had no love for Tong Kun.
House Tong was a major faction under the Majestic Clan, and so they stood on
different battlelines. In fact, it could be said that they were directly
opposed. The fact that Tong Kun had deliberately tried to soil his clothing was
something Wei Jie could figure out with his big toe. If he engaged Tong Kun
here, then Wei Jie himself would be likely to lose face next. Thus, he didn’t
dawdle on the topic, cleanly cutting off the conversation. Wait until we're out
of Joined Ridges Pavilion. Saying that was sufficiently forceful, but also
placated Joined Ridges. It showed the auction house great respect.
Even Jiang Chen recognized the deftness of his words, his
eyes appraising Wei Jie. He had always thought Wei Jie was too soft, and lacked
authority and dominance. Now, it seemed that Wei Jie only expressed his
dominance in front of enemies. He’d merely refrained from showing it to Jiang
Chen. To be honest, Jiang Chen quite admired this kind of dominance. In this
situation, harmony and conciliation would have caused Jiang Chen to dismiss the
youth. This kind of obvious provocation wasn’t something that could be resolved
via placating the enemy.
Sure enough, Tong Kun was unsure how to respond to Wei Jie's
retort. At this time, another youth clad in silver robes came over. His
expression was cold and imperious, his eyes indifferent. He was the heir of
House Sikou, Sikou Nan.
"Wei Jie, long time no see. Your temper seems to have
grown." Sikou Nan scrutinized Wei Jie from top to bottom, a challenge in
his inspecting gaze. He acted as if this was the first time they'd met. Rubbing
his forehead in pretense, Sikou Nan slowly declared, "If I remember
correctly, today's auction relates mainly to pills. Does House Wei have a
presence in that industry that they can speak of? Or are you here just to watch
the show?" The words were quite malicious, meant to destroy House Wei’s
standing and cause them to lose face.
Tong Kun didn't simply stand by, either. "Brother
Sikou, the reason they're here is to remind us they still exist despite their
awful showing in pills! Otherwise, the entirety of Veluriyam Capital would
probably forget that there was still a ninth-ranked aristocratic house called
House Wei, hahaha!"
Sikou Nan laughed as well, "Younger brother Tong, your
words are easily misleading."
"Misleading how?"
"People might be misled into thinking that House Wei has
an unearned reputation, and are unsuited to being counted a ninth-ranked
house," Sikou Nan chuckled.
"You can't say that it's misleading. If we're talking
about pills alone, then does House Wei have a right to be here? They haven't
had a pill king for so many years now, no? Joined Ridges Pavilion is generous
enough in their willingness to give House Wei some face, but when all is said
and done, isn't it just a handout? Otherwise, a house with no pill king would
definitely be disqualified from attendance. I hear that many eighth-ranked
houses with pill kings of their own are greatly wanting for invitations, but
haven't received any! I wonder, does this situation count as an example of
'occupying the toilet without doing the business'?" Tong Kun barked in
laughter.
The duo's banter caused those around them to erupt in
raucous laughter. Though the subject of their conversation wasn’t relevant to
the onlookers, it was still a fun spectacle to see a full-on brawl between
ninth-ranked house scions. What bystander was scared of a good show?
Wei Jie was enraged. A feeling of shame crept up his heart.
He was about to fire back a retort when he heard Jiang Chen's soft laugh.
"House Sikou and House Tong are certainly occupying toilets and doing
business, alright. Two dense and smelly results are walking in front of me
right this moment… how unappetizing."
The crowd crowed in even greater laughter at these words.
Jiang Chen had compared Tong Kun and Sikou Nan to shit! The rapidly escalating
war of insults attracted attention from people that had paid no heed to the
goings-on here before. Whose sharp tongue was this that lashed the young
masters of Houses Tong and Sikou so? The roars of mirth caused Sikou Nan and
Tong Kun to turn crimson with deep shame.
"And who are you, kid? There’s no room for lessers when
their masters are talking." In anger, Sikou Nan automatically assumed that
Jiang Chen was Wei Jie's servant.
"As I thought, heaps of shit lack even basic eyesight.
If I were you, I would stay in the latrines. There's no reason to show off your…
ah, qualities… to other people," Jiang Chen sighed.
Wei Jie took the opportunity to follow up. "Sikou Nan,
Tong Kun, my words are the same as before. I’ll take you on anytime after we're
out of Joined Ridges Pavilion. Also, wash the idiocy out of your eyes. This
here is a pill king that House Wei invited, and our honored guest, not some
servant. Remember, don't tell such stupid jokes next time—House Wei has a guest
pill king!"
Sikou Nan and Tong Kun were stupefied. They had greatly
ridiculed House Wei's lack of a pill king only moments ago and used that as a
basis to claim the house had no right to be here. But in the blink of an eye, a
guest pill king of House Wei had appeared. It was a biting slap to the face.
The pair’s faces smarted with pain as they stood here, momentarily lost for
words.
Chapter 756: The Young Lord of a Clan
Just when the situation was looking a little awkward, a new
disturbance suddenly started from the crowd. A path automatically appeared in
the crowd. A young man dressed in expensive brocade walked over while being
escorted by several guards. Jiang Chen immediately recognized this young man at
first glance. It was the Wang family descendant he’d seen back at the entrance
to House Wei’s shop, the son of the Majestic Clan lord. No wonder he had showed
up in such a high profile manner!
“You’re here, Brother Wang. This House Wei boy is a savage!
I think he needs a good beating,” Tong Kun shot a malicious glare at Wei Jie.
The young lord of the Majestic Clan slowly walked over. He
carried with him the bearing of a superior, so much so that even Jiang Chen was
secretly inwardly surprised. This young lord of the Majestic Clan actually
seemed to be as powerful as the Ninesuns Sky Sect’s true disciple, Cao Jin!
If the descendent of a clan could possess the cultivation
level of one of the ten true Ninesuns Sky Sect disciples, then what about the
seven emperor’s successors and the true emperor level young lords of Veluriyam
Capital? For a moment, even Jiang Chen was impressed by Veluriyam Capital’s
strength. He had only a vague idea as to how much stronger Veluriyam Capital
was compared to a first rank sec for the longest time. It was only now that
there was a real comparison that he understood it for real.
Although the young lord of a clan possessed great status,
they were ultimately incomparable to the greatest young geniuses of Veluriyam
Capital. The seven emperors were the rulers of Veluriyam Capital, and the young
lords beneath them should be the true greatest geniuses in the entire Veluriyam
Capital. If this was true, then Veluriyam Capital’s strength seriously wasn’t
empty talk.
Although Wei Jie’s seventh level sage realm cultivation was
quite impressive, his bearing and radiance was overshadowed by this Majestic
Clan young lord. This Majestic Clan young lord was obviously well versed in
creating an atmosphere for himself. The moment he appeared, he immediately gave
off the aura of a protagonist and caused everyone around him to give way before
they realized it. This alone showed that this Majestic Clan young lord was no
ordinary person. One had to know, only the successors of the seven emperors and
the emperor level young lords were normally qualified to receive such
treatment.
“Wei Jie, isn’t it?” The young lord of the Majestic Clan
swept a glance across Wei Jie. “Are the likes of House Wei planning to cause
trouble at Joined Ridges Pavilion? Take a look at yourself in the mirror. Don’t
bring trouble down on yourself,” Once done, he immediately walked past Wei Jie
as if the latter was made of thin air. The young lord couldn’t even be bothered
to lift an eyelid.
This scene angered Wei jie so much that he was one moment
away from spitting blood. What do you mean bring trouble upon ourselves? It was
the Majestic Clan’s dogs who were causing trouble? This is the pot calling the
kettle black!
Jiang Chen was so angry that he smiled in response too. He
had seen plenty of shameless bastards such as the Eternal Celestial Capital and
the Ninesuns Sky Sect. But he had to admit that he had never seen someone quite
as shameless as Wang Teng until today. He actually inverted the facts and
accused Wei Jie of being the troublemaker who’d brought trouble on himself. “A
thief’s bite sinks three inches into the bones. Did you learn something new
today, young master Wei? The pot is calling the kettle black!” Jiang Chen
sneered. His words were so loud that everyone present looked stunned by the
outburst.
Is this guy really a House Wei pill king? How bold is he to
openly contradict a clan’s young lord? Isn’t he just making himself miserable?
As expected, Wang Teng’s footsteps came to a sudden halt. However, he didn’t
turn around as he frowned and yelled, “Who the hell are you to speak out of
turn?”
“Who the hell are you then? Since when are you qualified to
point fingers at House Wei business? Are you a judge? Or are you the master of
Veluriyam Capital?” Of course Jiang Chen wasn’t going to back down from this
confrontation. He had seen people at least ten times better than Wang Teng.
There was simply no way that a show off like Wang Teng was going to intimidate
him.
Wei Jie obviously hadn’t expected Jiang Chen to stick by him
so strongly. Now that things had come to this, he dared not showed weakness
either, “Wang Teng, House Wei is not your subordinate. You’ve gotten the wrong
family if you’re in the mood of scolding people. Anyone present today who isn’t
blind would know that we aren’t the ones who picked the fight. If you’re
planning to slander our House Wei and sully our name, then I can tell you that
you’ve made a mistake.”
Wei Jie’s attitude caused great satisfaction among the
crowd. The fight is on. Rumors were rife now that House Wei was planning to
rebel against the Coiling Dragon Clan and pledge allegiance to the Majestic
Clan instead. Although the news didn’t sound all that likely, there were some
rumors that were pretty plausible. Now it would seem that this was not the
case.
Wang Teng’s expression darkened, “Oh? Are you going to teach
me how to behave, Wei Jie?”
Wei Jie was just about to speak when Jiang Chen stopped him
and smiled faintly in response, “Whether you want to behave as a man or as a
dog has nothing to do with us, so please keep your decision to yourself. If
you’re that eager to flex your muscles, you may do so after your family has
become the master of Veluriyam Capital, but that act is completely pointless
for the nonce. We aren’t the type to suffer your nonsense. This is Joined
Ridges Pavilion, and not even you can act as you like here.”
Wang Teng’s expression turned stiff. He seriously didn’t
expect someone with a silver tongue like Jiang Chen to show up in support of
Wei Jie. He had thought that he would be able to overwhelm Wei Jie with the
momentum he had built. At very least, he thought that silencing Wei Jie
wouldn’t be a problem at all. However, not only had his plan had ended in utter
failure, he had even been ridiculed by his opponent and shamed greatly.
Wang Teng’s face chilled, and he was just about to scold
Jiang Chen and Wei Jie when another person suddenly walked over. His tone was
indifferent, “I see you haven’t grown up at all since we last met, Wang Teng.
What, is it really that fun to flex your muscles at those beneath you? Is it
really that enjoyable?”
Everyone at the scene fell silent when he said these words.
Another great figure had shown up. He was young lord Ji San of the Coiling
Dragon Clan. He was also one of the most outstanding young genius besides the
young lords of the seven emperors in Veluriyam Capital!
Young lord Ji San’s sleeves danced gently in midair, and he
appeared both charismatic and charming as he waved a paper fan in his hand. He
was dressed in a set of loose, elegant robes that gave him a graceful and
prominent appearance. When Wei Jie saw young lord Ji San, he went forward and
greeted him politely, “Wei Jie greets young lord Ji San.”
Young lord Ji San was a member of the Coiling Dragon Clan,
and he was at the very least Wei Jie’s boss in name. It was impossible for him
to sit by and do nothing when he saw this. House Wei was the Coiling Dragon
Clan’s subordinate in name no matter what. If he, a member of the Coiling
Dragon Clan, were to sit by and do nothing while Wang Teng bullied House Wei,
then it wouldn’t just be smearing House Wei’s reputation, but the Coiling
Dragon Clan’s too. Therefore, young lord Ji San had absolutely no reason to
overlook this confrontation.
Wang Teng himself seemed to realize that he would gain the
upper hand now that young lord Ji San had arrived. Therefore, he sneered and
said, “Ji Ole Third [1], House Wei nearly killed your clan’s old man, but I see
that doesn’t stop you from protecting your subordinate.”
He was naturally referring to the old incident where House
Wei’s former pill king had caused the Coiling Dragon Clan clan lord’s illness
to worsen. Anyone else might not know about this, but Wang Teng wasn’t ignorant
of the incident.
Young lord Ji San said coldly, “If you want to fight, then
all you need is to say the word. I’ll keep you company as long as you like. But
do keep those empty outbursts to yourself, Wang Teng. I can’t bring myself to
stoop that low.”
One must say that none of these clan members were easy
pickings. Young lord Ji San had forgone bickering and challenged Wang Teng to a
fight the second he noticed that the situation was disadvantageous for him. He
couldn’t be bothered to talk nonsense with Wang Teng, and his method of dealing
with him was simple, violent and direct. By now, the members of other clans had
shown up as well, and the members of Joined Ridges Pavilion soon showed up too.
“Please, both of you, show the Joined Mountain some face.
Today’s auction is about to begin. You can vent all your grievances on the
auction instead. I am sure that everyone will look forward to it.” This
mediator was none other than the young lord of Joined Ridges Pavilion.
He was close acquaintances with both people, so he couldn’t
take either sides. Left without a choice, he could only act as the mediator
between the two. Thankfully, Joined Ridges Pavilion’s reputation possessed some
measure of weight, and be it the Coiling Dragon Clan or the Majestic Clan, none
of them were willing to offend such a heavyweight without good reason. Young
lord Ji San raised a cupped fist salute, “I shall give Joined Ridges this
face.”
Wang Teng sneered at did the same, “I have no intentions of
causing trouble at Joined Ridges Pavilion either.”
Joined Ridges’ young lord chuckled, “Thank you for your
understanding. The auction is set to begin, so please come into the hall! I
hope that you’ve all brought enough spirit stones, and that you will spend them
happily, hahaha!”
This young lord of Joined Ridges Pavilion was obviously the
type who was very good at doing business. He was also good at speaking in
public, and he gave off a very smooth air.
Young lord Ji San cast a glance at Wei Jie and nodded. He
didn’t say anything else and walked into the hall. Wei Jie himself understood
that there was no need for him to explain anything to young lord Ji San in this
situation, so he smiled at Jiang Chen once and the two entered the hall
together.
There was great meaning behind the auction’s seat
arrangements. The seats of the great clans, ninth rank aristocratic families
and eighth rank aristocratic families were all reasonably arranged. No one
could pick any fault from the arrangement even if they wanted to. House Wei’s
seat was among the ninth rank aristocratic families, and they were considered
as one of the more famous families too.
Since the participants of this auction were all forces of
Veluriyam Capital, the organizers didn’t bother too much with privacy. They
hadn’t prepared any private, secret rooms for any powers either. There were
some important auctions in which processes were managed with tight security. In
those type of auctions, every power that participated in the auction would be
given a private room. This was to keep the participants separate and protect
their safety. Today’s auction didn’t need such a measure, however.
The auction quickly began after everyone had taken their
seats. To everyone’s surprise, the young lord of Joined Ridges Pavilion had
made a rare appearance as the host of the auction. This demonstrated just how
much effort Joined Ridges Pavilion had put into making this auction grand.
“Everyone, today’s auction is a little rushed, but we’ve notified all reputable
powers in Veluriyam Capital,” The young lord smiled as he spoke with a clear
and bright voice, “There are plenty of things that will be auctioned in today’s
auction. My only hope is that you’ve all brought enough spirit stones to show
off the grace of wealthy powers to us Joined Ridges!”
Jiang Chen sent a message to Wei Jie, “Is anyone from the
seven emperors attending this auction?”
Wei Jie shook his head, “The seven emperors sit high and
above their thrones, and they very seldom get themselves involved in the
worldly matters of Veluriyam Capital. The same goes with their successors. The
seven emperors can obtain their successors anything they want, so they don’t
need to worry about such matters at all.”
Jiang Chen gave the thought a moment and agreed with Wei
Jie. The successors of the seven emperors were the topmost existences in the
entire Veluriyam Capital. There was no need for them to fight for the things
they needed personally.
Where would one find a resource in the entire Veluriyam
Capital that wasn’t earmarked for their needs first? They only needed to ask if
they wanted anything, there was no one beneath them who dared withhold the goods
they requested. It was at this moment the young lord of Joined Ridges spoke up
once more, “Today’s auctioned item is a space lockdown glyph. The initial price
of this item is one million saint spirit stones. All bids must not be lower
than increments of ten thousand saint spirit stones.”
Chapter 757: Three Longevity Pills!
Space lockdown glyph? That set the crowd on its ear. An
escape glyph was an item commonly seen in auctions, but a space lockdown glyph
was a rare treasure. They seldom appeared in auctions. But the first item of
the day was already a space lockdown glyph. Didn't that instantly elevate
today's auction to a whole new level? Even Jiang Chen was rather surprised.
A space lockdown glyph was much more valuable than an escape
glyph of the same grade. The first item on auction was already so luxurious, it
seemed today's auction would be a high class one indeed. However, Jiang Chen
still didn't have much interest for this space lockdown glyph. He did have the
one million saint spirit stones, but he wasn't planning on spending them like
this. Not to mention, this was merely the starting bid. The price would
increase further afterwards.
Indeed, just as he expected, all the rich folk in the
Capital were quite crazy. Crazed bidding swiftly drove the price above the two
million mark. Jiang Chen couldn't help but admire these people’s pockets. Back
then, one Longevity Pill selling for ten million spirit stones had caused a
brouhaha across the whole Myriad Domain. Ten million spirit stones was the
equivalent of a mere million saint spirit stones. Those moneybags though,
they’d casually raised the price to two million!
Jiang Chen was hard pressed to discern which one was more
precious out of a space lockdown glyph or a Longevity Pill, but if he had to
choose one, he'd certainly choose the latter. After all, the Longevity Pill
could prolong one's life. That was an advantage no glyph or talisman could
replace.
The emergence of the space lockdown glyph instantly ignited
the atmosphere. The bidding very quickly stormed past two point eight million.
In the end, a noble house's scion won the space lockdown glyph for a steep
three million. Jiang Chen quietly clicked his tongue in surprise. This was
really too extravagant. Squandering three million on just a whim? Saint spirit
stones at that! It was the same as thirty million spirit stones! He even saw
the winner brim with excitement, as though he felt’d he won this glyph on the
cheap! Jiang Chen suddenly had to reevaluate a ninth-rank noble house's
financial resources.
It seemed that even the Joined Ridge Pavilion's young master
wasn't very satisfied selling a space lockdown glyph for three million. Jiang
Chen heard him say, “Ladies and gentlemen, this space lockdown glyph was a mere
appetizer, it seems your appetite haven’t been whetted yet! In that case, I
hope our second item will be enough to put you in the mood!” He then
deliberately left them hanging for a moment, sweeping his eyes through the
crowd and back, a slight smile floating on his lips. Only then did he loudly
say, “The second item, three mid-rank Longevity Pills! I trust everyone here
has heard of the famous Longevity Pill. These pills come from the Myriad
Domain. The news of their existence stirred a storm of blood in the Myriad
Domain, while the sect possessing them suffered an even worse fate of complete
annihilation! Haha, I'm not painting an exaggerated slaughter, I'm merely
emphasizing the value of these pills to all of you. One Longevity Pill can
extend the life of someone at the sage realm for five to eight hundred years.
Reversing time, divine craftwork! One could even say it wrestles fate away from
the heavens. Such a miraculous pill, I would like to ask all of you, can you
feel its lure?”
Indeed, the scene rumbled with commotion as soon as the
crowd heard the name Longevity Pill. All the participants started to whisper
amongst themselves. This pill's fame was clearly too resounding. It could turn
back time and extend one's life. It was something extremely tempting for
anyone. Only the cream of the Capital was present at the scene, and the
majority of them could hope to break through to the emperor realm. They
wouldn't possibly always stay in the sage realm. However, the two mere words
“prolong life” were enough to make anyone crazy, to say nothing of all the
rest.Since ancient times, “death” was what men feared the most, whether for
mortals or for cultivators. Prolonging one's life, pursuing immortality, that
was almost everyone's dream. Cultivators defied the heavens and changed their
own fates. Apart from their thirst for formidable martial power, their quest
for immortality was also eternal. From scions of great clans to sons of noble
families, all of them wore solemn expressions.
Everyone had more or less heard about the Longevity Pill,
and they also knew the Myriad Domain's Regal Pill Palace had been ruined
because of it. It was impossible for a matter like this not to spread around
the Capital. In particular, the Veluriyam Capital had been abuzz with the
matter about the Eternal Celestial Capital and the Regal Pill Palace. Those
present were all people of stature and power and had naturally heard about it.
All of them felt their heart suddenly tremble when they
heard the Longevity Pills had made their way to the Veluriyam Capital. Even if
they couldn't use them themselves, everyone felt their hearts racing at the two
words “prolonging life.” Even if they couldn't use the pills, it would still be
pretty good if they could buy a few and study them back home. They'd make a
fortune if by any chance they could decipher this pill's recipe. Sage realm
cultivators were too many to count in this word. Who didn't want to extend
their lifespan? One could imagine the value of this pill even blindfolded!
It’s value didn’t merely lie in prolonging life. For the
Veluriyam Capital, it had an even greater business opportunity, a tremendous
opportunity! Even Coiling Dragon's young master Ji San frowned, his heart
stirred. Countless thoughts came and went in his mind. Longevity Pill, prolong
life for five to eight hundred years! Ji San couldn't help but be reminded of
his clan's lord! The clan master's life was drawing to a close, his cultivation
soon to dissipate!
If they could obtain this Longevity Pill and delay it...
Though it was a pill for the sage realm, it might not be entirely useless for
the emperor realm. They didn't need five to eight hundred years. Even fifty to
eighty years were enough! As long as they had time, the clan master could hope
to break through the pinnacle of the emperor realm and stride into the great
emperor realm. As long as he achieved the realm of a great emperor, his life
would automatically be extended!
After all, three thousand years was the minimum lifespan for
a great emperor. Most of them could live for five or six thousand years. Some
ancient great emperor had even lived past ten thousand years old. Ji San felt a
rush of excitement all of a sudden. Only, while those thoughts churned in his
mind, he seemed to sense someone secretly observing him from the side.
As soon as the faint feeling came to him, Ji San detected it
came from Wang Teng, Clan Majestic's young lord! Ji San feigned ignorance, but
his thoughts were grave. This Wang Teng must be aware of our Clan's situation.
The kid must have realized my intention already. He probably won't stop at
anything to bid against me! As though he were facing a mortal enemy, Ji San
inwardly came to a firm resolution. He had to win these Longevity Pills no
matter how much money he had to waste.
Meanwhile, Wei Jie was also a little curious. Fortunately
enough, everyone's attention was drawn away. No one could possibly be attending
to him. As a result, no one noticed the inquisitive glance Wei Jie stole in
Jiang Chen's direction.
Jiang Chen extended his consciousness and swept it through
the Longevity Pills on the stage. He was also secretly taken aback. None of
these three Longevity Pills carried the slightest sign of his own refining. In
other words, these three pills were not his own handiwork. He also remembered
that out of the three pills he'd given to Palace Head Dan Chi back then, one of
them was lower rank, the other two mid rank. The lower rank pill had been
handed over to Honored Master Tian Ming from the Dark North Sect a long time
ago. The palace head hadn't fallen into the Eternal Celestial Capital's
clutches either, so they couldn’t have seized the other two pills. Did that
mean that the Eternal Celestial Capital had refined these three pills on their
own? Jiang Chen couldn't help but admire the Eternal Celestial Capital's
efficiency. This manufacturing speed was simply astounding.
He’d left the recipe with the Regal Pill Palace while he
spent two years in the restricted area inside the Ancient Crimson Heavens Sect
on Mt. Rippling Mirage, but the sect hadn't been able to refine the Longevity
Pill even after these two years. Meanwhile, how long had the Eternal Celestial
Capital obtained the recipe? They refined it already, and they’d even taken it
to the Veluriyam Capital to test the waters! One had to admit that the
foundations of a first rank sect were indeed formidable. It wasn't something
the Regal Pill Palace could match.
Looking at the quality of these three Longevity Pills,
though there was still some differences with a mid-rank Longevity Pill that
Jiang Chen would refine himself, they were nevertheless genuine mid-rank pills.
Seeing the inquisitive glance Wei Jie snuck his way, Jiang
Chen shook his head faintly and transmitted, “The Longevity Pill's recipe has been
seized by the Eternal Celestial Capital. These are pills the Eternal Celestial
Capital brought here to test the waters. They have nothing to do with me.”
Seeing his own exclusive recipe seized by the Eternal
Celestial Capital, seeing them refine the Longevity Pill and auction it right
beneath his eyes, it was the same feeling as having his things snatched away
and paraded right in front his face. One could imagine the depths Jiang Chen's
anger. However, he’d never imagined even Joined Ridges Pavilion would attach
such high value to a few Longevity Pills. And judging from all those these
bidders' reactions, it seemed all of them also attached great importance to
these pills?Isn't it merely extending the life of sage realm cultivators? Can
they be under the impression it can also be used for the emperor realm? Jiang
Chen had a little trouble understanding why these people would value it so
strongly. In Jiang Chen's memory from his former life, the Longevity Pill's
recipe wasn't any extraordinary recipe. After all, the horizons of his former
life far surpassed these.
The auction house young master was clearly whetting
everyone's appetite on purpose. He arrayed the three pills in his palm and
displayed them several times in every direction. Only then did he smile and
say, “I trust everyone already has a preliminary understanding of these
Longevity Pills. Now, let's begin the auction. The starting bid for these three
Longevity Pills is five million saint spirit stones.”
Five million? Jiang Chen was slightly taken aback when he
heard this number. Five million saint spirit stones, that was a whole fifty
million origin spirit stones! Back when he'd auctioned a low-rank Longevity
Pill, the Great Cathedral head’s Xiang Wentian had paid ten million origin spirit
stones, but that was due to there being only one of them, leading to crazed
bidding. Meanwhile, the starting price for these three middle-grade Longevity
Pills was already five million saint spirit stones. Even per pill, the price
was above sixteen million origin spirit stones! And this was merely the
starting price. Even twice that number might not account for the final winning
bid.
What intense profit! All of a sudden, Jiang Chen realized
why these people would all be glaring at the pills like tigers eyeing their
prey. As it turned out, they weren't merely thinking about its life-prolonging
use, but also about the business opportunity they represented! Three pills had
already created such a situation, then if they were to be mass produced, it
wouldn't be making a profit anymore, but daylight robbery!
With a secret wry smile, Jiang Chen finally understood the
twists and turns of these people's thoughts. The Longevity Pill was a mere
ordinary pill for him, but for the entire cultivation world, it was without a
doubt a restricted pill difficult to acquire. What was a restricted pill? It
simply meant an exclusive possession, one that couldn't be sought, only
stumbled upon.
“I bid six million!” Tong Kun of House Tong lifted high his
placard, a faint smile on his face. He'd instantly upped a million as soon as
the bid began.
“Seven million!” Sikou Nan wasn't to be outdone.
Wei Jie was thoroughly dumbstruck when he heard these
numbers. Since when had Tong Kun and Sikou Nan become so generous? These two
guys had about the same status as Wei Jie. All of them were sons of noble
houses. The money might not be an amount a noble house's son couldn't afford,
but their outspoken boldness had already surpassed the style befitting noble
house. Wei Jie was at a complete loss all of a sudden. The only thought he had
was that the world had gone mad. He couldn't make any sense whatsoever of what
he was seeing!
Chapter 758: Wang Teng's Sinister Scheme
“Ten million!” An extremely resonant, unmistakable voice
rose at the scene. One could immediately recognize young master Ji from the
Coiling Dragon Clan. With this bid, the competition became even more crazy. A
leap from seven million straight to ten million! Many noble sons had been eager
to give it a try, but such boldness instantly made them throw the flag down in
surrender. Are you kidding, ten million! It wasn’t something an average son of
a ninth rank aristocratic house could usually afford!
On top of that, judging from young master Ji's attitude, he
was clearly determined to win no matter what. His air and manners suggested he
would do in anyone who had the gall to go against him. Joined Ridge's young
master was flushed with delight when he heard that price. He said, smiling,
“Young master Ji's boldness is without compare, instantly catapulting the price
to ten million. This extravagance is worthy of the number one heavyweight among
all the heavyweights in our Capital! However, is there only one heavyweight in
town?” His words were very unsubtle, extremely provocative, even. However, as
the foremost auction house, they weren’t afraid of offending anyone.
Indeed, at his goading, another son of a great clan promptly
called out, “Eleven million.”
“Very well, eleven million. The Steelwing Clan bids eleven
million! That right there is the style of our Capital's heavyweights. Any more
bidders?”
Without even sparing a glance for his opponent, young master
Ji lifted his hand and spoke, “Fifteen million!”
Everyone present was a wealthy dandy of a top-rate faction
in the Capital. Who would be afraid? The temperament of a young master was
clearly surfacing in young master Ji. A figure at his level would naturally not
blame the young master of the Linked Ridge Pavilion for fanning the flames.
That was what the auction business was all about to begin with. Nothing he did
would be excessive. On such an occasion, the weapons one fought with were precisely
boldness, wealth, and who possessed the strongest charisma. All of them were
young masters from top-rate factions. It was a contest of ne’er-do-wells, and
everyone was a troublemaker. Who was afraid of anyone?
“Haha, fifteen million. Worthy of clan that held the spot of
number one in our Capital for more than a hundred years in succession! There's
simply no one who can obstruct this style, this bearing, this wealth!” Seeing
young master Ji so obliging, the auction house's young master sighed in admiration
and publicly proclaimed the Coiling Dragon Clan as the number one clan. His
words weren't incorrect in any case. Indeed, in the Capital, the Coiling Dragon
Clan was still the number one clan in name.
However, public ranking was one thing and what everyone
thought in private was another. But in any case, the Coiling Dragon Clan was
still the foremost clan in name. This was something no other clan could openly
contest.
Only, these words had obviously made the Majestic Clan's
young master a little unhappy. As an underling, Sikou Nan immediately lifted
his arm as soon as he saw Wang Teng’s expression sour. “House Sikou bids
eighteen million!”
This bid created a commotion. House Sikou? House Sikou was a
mere ninth ranked aristocratic house, were they openly challenging a great
clan? It was a fight between scions of great clans, what was the trivial House
Sikou butting in for? However, folks quickly understood.
House Sikou's efforts were all for the sake of the Majestic
Clan. They were embarrassing the Coiling Dragon Clan on purpose! In their
opinion, the Majestic Clan's young master was clearly the one who wanted to
bid, but Wang Teng was for some reason, not acting personally. Instead, he was
letting his subordinate do it in his stead, thereby grossing out young master
Ji. Young master Ji, aren’t you a picture of poise and elegance? I'll embarrass
you and make you compete with my Clan's underlings, I’ll infuriate you and make
you look like a clown! This Wang Teng was extremely sinister.
Even Jiang Chen could tell that from his position in the
rear. This Wang Teng was definitely embarrassing young master Ji on purpose by
making House Sikou vie over the three Longevity Pills. On top of that, it was
obvious Wang Teng had struck young master Ji's soft underbelly. He knew the
young master was determined to obtain the Longevity Pills no matter what, so
Wang Teng was bidding like a madman, forcing young master Ji to constantly
raise the price and act like a foolish wastrel. Jiang Chen frowned. He might
not have much feeling for young master Ji, but Wang Teng's actions were even
more repulsive.
“Brother Zhen, you were saying that the Longevity Pill
really is useless for emperor realm cultivators?” Wei Jie had noticed the
problem therein. Seeing young master Ji's attitude, he knew he wanted to use
the pills to postpone the hour of the clan master's cultivation dissipating.
“There's no much use. There's a greater probability of side
effects occurring,” Jiang Chen's answer was very firm.
“Then, should I tell young master Ji?” Wei Jie was a little
hesitant, because there was now a clear split between House Wei and the Coiling
Dragon Clan after the matter of the pill king. He wasn't intimate with young
master Ji either. The young master might not believe him if he were to speak at
a time like this. If by any chance young master Ji's thoughts took a crooked
turn, he might even think Wei Jie was preventing him from obtaining the
Longevity Pill on purpose. Then, he'd buy even more strongly into what people
said about House Wei being the Majestic Clan's agent. As a result, Wei Jie was
a little conflicted. He didn't want young master Ji to be taken advantage of
and be made to endlessly raise the price, but he didn't to be misunderstood
either.
Jiang Chen saw Wei Jie’s expression wholehearted devotion
and knew he was brimming with House Wei's sense of loyalty. He glanced at young
master Ji's determined attitude. Secretly smiling wryly to himself, Jiang Chen
transmitted his voice, “Wei Jie, do you think young master Ji will listen to
you? He definitely won't listen to you if you tell him now that Longevity Pills
are useless for the emperor realm, and he'll even be suspicious of your
motives. Do you feel confident you can convince him? Besides, this young master
Ji doesn't look like someone short on money to me. Let him bleed a little,
waste some money. It doesn't matter.”
Wei Jie heaved a sigh. “It's not a matter of money. Young
master Ji is indeed not lacking in money. Even at ten times the price, he could
clench his teeth and still pay it out. But right now, these people are clearly
making fun of him on purpose and forcing him to constantly raise his bid.
They're making him dance like a monkey!”
Wei Jie apparently felt his words were a little
disrespectful to young master Ji, but the present scene was indeed like a
circus. Everytime the young master upped the bid, the gazes gathered on him
were all very conflicted. There was derision, sympathy, and also resignation.
It was obvious that since the bidding price had reached such a step, it wasn't
a bidding war anymore, but a grudge match.
Unfortunately, young master Ji couldn't even admit defeat,
or he would become the object of ridicule. A grand scion from the Coiling
Dragon Clan unable to beat even the son of an aristocratic house? If rumors
were to spread out, where would he hide his face?
However, if they were going to increase their bids with no
end in sight...The price was already close to thirty million, and the bidding
war wasn't showing signs of stopping any time soon. At present, the other sons
of great clans had already stopped bidding and switched to watching to the
current act as spectators instead, watching young master Ji and Wang Teng’s
fiery and explosive contest.
On the Coiling Dragon Clan's side, young master Ji hadn't
called upon his underlings. There were several noble families under the clan's
banner, House Wei as well, but they didn't dare intrude without the young
master’s order. Jiang Chen had an increasingly strange feeling about the
situation. Wang Teng's attitude was very odd. If he were trying to embarrass
young master Ji, then his goal had already been long accomplished. Why was he
still driving up the price so wantonly? Was it truly for a mere three Longevity
Pills? For the Majestic Clan, bidding forty million for these three pills was
already far beyond their true value.
In Jiang Chen's opinion, they were simply driving up the
price on purpose. “What on earth is this Wang Teng plotting?” Jiang Chen
frowned. His feeling was that there was definitely something else to Wang
Teng’s bidding other than simply opposing young master Ji.
Only, what on earth was Wang Teng's real scheme? Though
Jiang Chen knew that guy had his motives, he couldn't still piece them together
no matter how hard he racked his brains. Wang Teng was presently feeling free
and leisurely, quite proud of himself while enjoying young master Ji's
expressions. From the very beginning, the Majestic Clan had been the one who’d
brought out the three Longevity Pills to test the waters. He’d also drove up
the price on purpose to take advantage of young master Ji's sense of urgency.
First, he’d embarrassed young master Ji, humiliating his
archenemy.
Second, he was naturally magnifying the allure of the
Longevity Pill, making it the center of attention and a popular topic in the
Capital. The reason was that the Eternal Celestial Capital had already made the
Majestic Clan the exclusive retailer for the Longevity Pill! After this
auction, the pill would be publicly available for sale! Wasn't this the best
form of advertising today? After the Longevity Pill's public launch, the price
certainly wouldn't be as high as in the auction.
When the time came, young master Ji would find out that the
Longevity Pills he'd bought at a sky-high price were something from his
archenemy to begin. The entire Coiling Dragon Clan would lose all its prestige
at that time. They would turn completely into a foil for the Majestic Clan to
soar to new heights. One had to admit that Wang Teng's plan was extremely
sinister, killing several birds with one stone. Meanwhile, young master Ji had
no choice but to fall into the trap! Wang Teng was greatly pleased with
himself.
“I bid fifty million!” The usually poised and elegant young
master Ji was starting to to lose his temper at Sikou Nan's constant price
raising. He was well aware Wang Teng was embarrassing him on purpose. However,
he still had no choice but to push through and continue bidding.
“Fifty five million.” The more he raised the price, the more
relaxed Sikou Nan appeared to be, as though House Sikou was the true first
moneybags in the Capital. How could he not be relaxed? No matter how much he
raised the price, he wouldn't have to pay anything at the end in any case!
After all, this thing belonged to his house’s master to begin with! Besides, he
didn't think young master Ji would give up.
“Sixty million!” Young master Ji finally had a little
trouble holding his anger in check. “Wang Teng, if you want to grab it, then
come fight with real swords and spears. What’s the meaning of hiding behind a
sidekick?”
Jiang Chen sighed silently when he saw young master Ji's
manners. Wang Teng has finally succeeded pissing this young master off. Just as
he thought, Wang Teng smiled easily, “Old chap, you must be imagining things. I
don’t have the slightest interest in these Longevity Pills. I wonder though,
why do you cling so fiercely to them? If you don't have the money, how about I
have Sikou Nan give you one to play with after he wins the bid?”
He'd simply grasped his tone, manners, and cadence to
perfection and sent a vicious slap to Young master Ji's face. Even Jiang Chen
had a little trouble sitting still. When he saw Wang Teng's proud and smug
face, and thought back to the fact that the Longevity Pill was his own thing
that this wretch was using to face-slap another with, Jiang Chen also started
to grow angry. Trying to slap his face are you? Then I will make you fail!
With a turn of his thoughts, an idea occurred to Jiang Chen.
The price was still climbing as his thoughts swirled, flaring past seventy
million in the blink of an eye. At this rate, it was thundering straight to a
hundred million. Even though young master Ji had money, everyone thought he
really was being a good-for-nothing this time. The real value of these three
Longevity Pills was capped at ten million saint spirit stones at most. One
would be a stupid dandy to pay any more than that. And judging from Wang Teng's
attitude, he clearly wanted to turn young master into a fop unparalleled in the
whole of the Capital! His side was incredibly excited and expectant at the
moment, looking forward to mercilessly crushing the young master of the Coiling
Dragon Clan under their boots.
Chapter 759: Face Slapping and Counter Face Slapping
Indeed, young master Ji couldn't stop midway; he could only
keep riding the tiger. How could he be ignorant that this was an act with Wang
Teng as the director? The goal was to make him lose his composure, make him
fight over the Longevity Pills for ten times their worth, and to give him a
vicious slap on the face. However, Ji San had no other choice.
He was also aware that these Longevity Pills might not be of
any use to the clan lord. Only, even one chance in a million was still a hope.
He didn't want to let go of that hope. After all, Coiling Dragon's clan lord
had tried countless methods during these years, but the only thing he’d gained
for his efforts was disappointment, more disappointment, and endless, boundless
disappointment. As for the Coiling Dragon Clan, once celebrated as the
undisputed foremost clan, it was now in imminent danger.
Various influences and factions within the clan were already
engaged in an endless power struggle, trying to take advantage of the clan
lord’s imminent demise to seize his seat. Meanwhile, the aristocratic houses
under the Coiling Dragon Clan were also uncertain which path they ought to walk
in the future. There was no sense of security for any of them. One could say
that though the Clan wasn't engulfed in chaos yet, it wasn't far from it. As
soon as the clan lord's cultivation started dissipating, the clan was bound to
enter a chaotic struggle for power and influence. This was a foreseeable future
that no one would be able to prevent.
Young master Ji was an outstanding figure amongst the
younger generation in the clan, but he was young after all, his experience
shallow. He didn't have the qualifications to take over as the clan lord.
Hence, his fate was also bound to experience stormy waves. This proud clan
scion, blessed by the heavens, might very well become a sacrificed pawn in the
internal struggles of power.
This was what young master Ji least wanted to face. On a
public level, he didn't wish for the Coiling Dragon Clan to fall into chaos and
break to pieces. On a private level, he didn't wish to become a scapegoat in
his clan's internal struggle. For that reason, he wouldn't give up these
Longevity Pills even if they offered but the tiniest shred of a hope. No price
would make him give up.
A contest of wealth? Then let's fight with wealth! Being
derided as a useless dandy? Then he might as well be one this one time! Being
schemed against by Majestic Clan's young master? Then let him strut for a
while! Ji San clenched his teeth, and upped the bid once again, “Eighty
million!”
Sikou Nan laughed, “Hehe, ninety million!”
This was a pure contest of pride now. Sikou Nan upped the
ante without even blinking, making the crowd secretly sigh with admiration.
Joined Ridges Pavilion's young master had to be one of the happiest. This
terrific price was also a bolt out of the blue for him and he was most
delighted with the situation. The higher the price, the greater the share for
their auction house!
Wang Teng suddenly smiled, “Old chap, we all know you're
rich. One hundred million, do you dare?”
It made young master Ji regain his composure instead. His
determination to win was already firm as steel, so he didn't appear as restless
as before. “One hundred million.” Three faint, indifferent words, but they
revealed young master Ji's resolve to push onwards.
Sikou Nan giggled, “One hundred twenty million.”
This caused a storm at the scene. Sikou Nan was well on his
way to make a mortal enemy out of the Coiling Dragon Clan. Even if your faction's
a trusted confidant of the Majestic Clan, you still don't need to act like
this, now do you? Are you so dead certain that you’re on the same side with the
Coiling Dragon Clan?
Wei Jie's face clouded, foul-mouthed words coming out his
mouth as he swore something or another. Clearly, he felt a bone-deep hatred for
the Majestic Clan and House Sikou at the sight of this situation. Were it not
for his words carrying little weight due to his low status, he would even be
tempted to interfere. Only, he knew that with his rank and identity, he would
be more of a hindrance at a time like this and would make young master Ji
dissatisfied instead.
Jiang Chen threw a faint glance in Wei Jie's direction,
glanced at young master Ji, then looked again at Wang Teng's proud and
complacent air. He was also feeling very ticked off. He couldn't let Wang Teng
keep acting so high and mighty. Jiang Chen couldn't sit still any longer! At
present, if there was still one person left who could turn the situation
around, it was Jiang Chen. He originally had no desire to be involved in this
matter. It was just that he felt very unhappy when he saw Wang Teng looking like
he was dead certain he had young master Ji by the neck. Wang Teng, how will I
possible tolerate you using my Longevity Pills to act tough? Steeling his
resolve, Jiang Chen decided to go into action.
“Wei Jie, whether you can restore your relationship with the
Coiling Dragon Clan today will depend on how you take advantage of the
situation!” Jiang Chen said, transmitting his voice to Wei Jie.
Jiang Chen had already sent a message to young master Ji
before Wei Jie could react “Young master Ji, Wang Teng is deliberately toying
with you today. I have an upper rank Longevity Pill in my possession. I only
ask ten million saint spirit stones of you.”
He wasn't making this up out of nowhere. He had indeed
refined another cauldron of Longevity Pills afterwards. After giving three of
them to Palace Head Dan Chi, he'd kept some of them himself. One of them was
precisely a Longevity Pill of the upper rank variety. It was much more
outstanding compared to these mid rank ones. Jiang Chen also knew that, were he
to tell young master Ji that the Longevity Pill were useless for emperor realm
cultivators, the young master would never believe him at a time like this.
Instead, young master Ji might believe him yet if he said he had a Longevity
Pill.
Sure enough, young master Ji froze, then looked in the
direction of the voice. His eyes stayed a moment on Jiang Chen, then looked at
Wei Jie beside him. Though Wei Jie hadn't heard the contents of Jiang Cheng's
words, he was likely aware that Jiang Chen had gone into action.
Jiang Chen transmitted his voice to Wei Jie next, “Young
master Wei, if you dare use your House as guarantor, then there's an
opportunity to restore your relationship with the Coiling Dragon Clan today. Do
you have this courage? Everything rests on it.”
Just as Wei Jie was pondering this, young master Ji
transmitted his voice to Wei Jie as expected. “Wei Jie, is the one beside you a
new guest pill king of your House? Is it true that he has a Longevity Pill?”
Hearing this, Wei Jie immediately understood Jiang Chen's
intention. He was immensely grateful. He knew Jiang Chen was taking out his own
Longevity Pill to reverse the current situation. He was also inwardly admiring
of Jiang Chen's quick thinking. Young master Ji was certain not to believe them
if they'd told him that the Longevity Pill was of no use. Instead, using a
Longevity Pill to convince him would be a hundred percent effective.
Understanding Jiang Chen's intention, Wei Jie also understood that Jiang Chen
meant for him to vouch for his House’s new guest pill king.
He immediately responded with a solemn vow, “Young master
Ji, I am willing to vouch on my life that Pill King zhen truly has a Longevity
Pill. If there is any deception, House Wei is willing to submit to any
punishment. House Wei and the Majestic Clan are enemies that cannot live under
the same sky, we are loath to see young master Ji played and made fun of by
them. The heavens and the earth are witness to House Wei's loyalty.”
There was no insincerity whatsoever in Wei Jie's words.
Young master Ji couldn't help but take them seriously. To tell the truth, the
Coiling Dragon Clan harbored suspicions about House Wei after the drama with
House Wei's pill king. That was the reason why they'd given the house the cold
shoulder. Young master Ji's first reaction to Wei Jie's words today was
skepticism.
However, they didn't seem false upon looking at Wei Jie’s
expression and hearing his tone. Young master Ji was tempted. If he withdrew at
a time like this, confidently and leisurely, then it would no doubt be the best
way to strike back at Wang Teng. He could even buy an upper rank Longevity Pill
at a cheap price afterwards, so why squander his money and be the foolish
buyer? However, he was also afraid that if by any chance the information turned
out to be false, it would sever this thin strand of hope! Who knew when the
Longevity Pill would appear next?
The previously always firm and decisive young master Ji was
suddenly a little hesitant as to what to do. Seeing him hesitate, Jiang Chen
faintly spoke once more. “Young master Ji, if you're distrustful even of your
most loyal subordinates, then the Coiling Dragon Clan will truly be one day
supplanted by the Majestic Clan, and you will be the only ones to blame. You
are a grand scion of the number one clan, surely you can't be afraid of being
deceived by us?”
Young master Ji frowned when he heard. A decision arose in
his mind. They heard Wang Teng's voice again just then. “Heh heh, who would
have thought we would one day see the wealthy and extravagant young master Ji
also cower in fear. Old chap, tell this brother if you're short on money.
Lending you thirty or fifty million won’t be a problem.”
Young master Ji gave a long, lengthy peal of laughter. He
didn't even spare a glance for Wang Teng. His eyes fell straight on Joined
Ridges Pavilion's young master instead. “How much did they bid earlier?”
The auction house's young master responded with a smile, “A
hundred and twenty million.”
Young master Ji slapped his thigh. “Alright, then let them
have it! Have them pay on the spot and take the items away. Be sure they don't
cheat and renege on their bid, otherwise this young master will suspect your
auction house of conniving with them to maliciously drive up prices and disrupt
the normal bidding process.”
This unforeseen turnaround had truly happened too suddenly.
Did that mean that young master Ji was throwing in the towel? His free and easy
manners didn’t give off the resentful feeling of one who’d been defeated at
all! Everyone at the scene was confused. Was it young master Ji toying with the
Majestic Clan, or the Majestic Clan making a fool of young master Ji instead?
Why was the plot so hard to follow?
Joined Ridges Pavilion's young master was slightly surprised
when he saw young master Ji give up. But he was already very, tremendously,
absolutely satisfied with the price they'd already reached. However, Sikou Nan
was struck dumb. They'd never imagined young master Ji would give up all of a
sudden. Their bottom line had been to reach two hundred million before letting
go. From their understanding of young master Ji, two hundred million was
definitely a sum he could afford. However, young master Ji had put the lid on
at a hundred and twenty million already? That wasn’t young master Ji's style.
Didn't he want to obtain the Longevity Pills and use them to prolong the
Coiling Dragon clan lord's life?
Even Wang Teng was stupefied, to say nothing of Sikou Nan.
Young master Ji's sudden withdrawal threw all their plans into disarray! It was
young master Ji who wasn’t willing to let them go now. He asked with a faint
smile, “What? You were bidding so enthusiastically a moment ago, are you
reneging on your debt now? Are you trying to slap Joined Ridges Pavilion's
face?”
Bidding and concluding the transaction on the spot, this was
the rule the auction house had set for this auction. Sikou Nan truly had a
little trouble sitting still. He hadn't brought so much money with him.
Moreover, they didn’t have so much money as to throw it away by spending so
much for three Longevity Pills, no matter how wealthy House Sikou was. They
were still smarting from the robbery at House Sikou's Myriad Puppet Pavilion,
and funds had been a bit short lately.
If they were to lose another hundred twenty million here,
then it would be fuel on the fire for House Sikou. Sikou Nan made a beseeching
signal at Wang Teng with a plaintive expression. Wang Teng's face was also
drained of color. He'd been counting his eggs before they'd hatched, so the instant
reversal quite ticked him off. He spoke with a grim smile at young master Ji,
“Old chap, it seems you aren't concerned in the least about your clan lord's
matter! You’re cowering at a mere hundred twenty million?”
Wang Teng's tone was one that was wholly unreconciled.
Chapter 760: The Skysnatcher Cauldron
Young master Ji smiled easily, “Little brat Wang, I was
fully aware you would come up with this trick, I played along with your bidding
just now merely to tease you. What Longevity Pill, our Clan obtained it a long
time ago already! What need do I have to squander money here for no reason? I
hear that your Majestic Clan has earned quite a fortune with underhanded
methods these years, so I think you guys are better suited the part of being
the foolish buyer, hahaha!”
With young master Ji's sudden withdrawal, he could posture
any way he wanted. His words immediately caused an uproar. Sure enough, there
were schemes a-plenty between the scions of great clans. Everyone thought at
the start that Wang Teng was the one toying with young master Ji, baiting him
hook, line, and sinker like a fisherman. But no one imagined the one fishing
was young master Ji instead, and the Majestic Clan had been the ones reeled in
like a sucker!
This spectacular play had been a perfect face slapping and
counter face slapping! Wang Teng was struck utterly dumb. He was very dubious
about the truth of young master Ji’s words. However, what about it even if
young master Ji was merely putting up appearances? He was the one who needed to
fork the money!
Though the Majestic Clan had been the ones to secretly
supply these pills, he still couldn't openly say that he was taking them back,
could he? Their Clan would down in spittle if word of this got out! What was
this if not dishonest business in maliciously raising the price of his own
auction items?
If everyone was left with such a bad impression, they would
be labeled as unscrupulous, dishonest businessmen before they even launched the
Longevity Pill. On top of that, young master Ji was obviously not going to let
go of him before he completed the transaction today!
Wang Teng's face turned white from anger. He had no choice
but to pool the money. It was fortunate that Wang Teng had deep pockets. The
several of them could still pool together the one hundred twenty million and
avoid losing shame.
His heart was bleeding. Though the greater part of this
hundred twenty million would go back into his pocket, Joined Ridges Pavilion
would still take their twenty percent commission from it. The auction house’s
share was usually ten percent. However, as to not expose Majestic Clan itself,
Wang Teng hadn't provided his real name when putting the three pills up for
auction. Instead, he'd chosen an anonymous auction.
An anonymous auction was when the consigner's identity was
hidden. Because the consigner's identity was hidden, the auction house would
shoulder some risk. That was the reason why the auction house's commission was
double in the case of an anonymous auction, the ten percent becoming twenty
percent. The final price was one hundred twenty million, so the twenty percent
share amounted to twenty four million. In other words, the Majestic Clan had
lost twenty-odd million for their troubles in offering up the pills for sale
and then taking them back. The items came from their clan, while the money also
came from their clan. Apart from some advertising for the Longevity Pill, they
squandered twenty two million for absolutely nothing, and they'd even been
cruelly toyed with by young master Ji, making a disgrace of themselves.
Wang Ten really felt like crying, even though he had no
tears. He wasn’t willing to accept this! Young master Ji was someone Wang Teng
understood very well. This guy liked to posture, attract attention, and affect
some elegant style, but his schemes weren’t sophisticated and his acting
nothing to sniff at. The sense of urgency young master Ji had just moments ago
when competing for the Longevity Pills had definitely not been an act. What’d
made him suddenly give up out of the blue? This was what completely puzzled
Wang Teng, no matter how hard he racked his brain.
The auctioning of the Longevity Pills had experienced twists
and turns, all kinds of face slapping and counter face slapping. The plot had
come fast and furious, overwhelming the crowd, making them shout with pleasure
and satisfaction. The curtains finally closed on this farce after Sikou Nan
finalized the payment with a bitter face and took away the items. Joined Ridges
Pavilion had ended up the biggest winner. Its young master was secretly
beaming, his face simply radiant. He'd gotten twenty percent from this sale
alone, twenty four million! This was even wilder than daylight robbery!
Two items followed after the pills. Both of those items were
uncommon, both their initial bids starting above six million. Only, neither of
these two auction items aroused private grudges or various schemes, so no
sparks were seen during their auctioning. The bidding was also very intense,
but as a whole, the proceedings tended towards the smooth. No matter how hard
the auction house's young master fanned the flames, the atmosphere fell a
little short. The previous dispute had clearly spoiled everyone's appetite
already, making them a little numb.
“Our fifth item is different from the previous items. It's a
cauldron for pill refining. This pill cauldron is called the Skysnatcher
Cauldron and is emperor realm, something very seldomly seen. It was allegedly
once been used by a high-level pill king. The bidding starts at twenty million
saint spirit stones!” The young master's word once against set the crowd's
enthusiasm ablaze.
An emperor realm pill cauldron! That was an uncommon item!
One had to remember that while pills were easy to find, pill cauldrons were
rare goods. This was particularly true for good pill-refining cauldrons which
were even more of a rarity. The scene was in uproar as soon as the cauldron
appeared. The eyes of quite a few younger generations were shining bright with
desire.
Wei Jie couldn't help but feel self conscious. He'd
previously given Jiang Chen a million saint spirit stones, and also promised he
could make the call for bids below five million. However, the level of this
auction had clearly exceeded House Wei's estimations. Five million was only an
appetizer here! The starting price of this emperor real pill cauldron was
twenty million already! This sky-high price was simply astounding!
However, considering it was an emperor realm pill cauldron,
this price was high, but not excessive beyond reason. One could read the
restlessness and eagerness on the faces of many. Everyone was very much looking
forward to it. Even Jiang Chen felt a rush of excitement. He'd refined pills
for so many years, but the only good pill cauldron he'd ever had was one of
Regal Pill Palace's five treasures, the Skyweave Cauldron. In the Myriad
Domain, the Skyweave Cauldron was indeed an outstanding cauldron amongst all
the outstanding cauldrons. However, now that he was in the Veluriyam Capital,
its level was clearly lagging a little behind.
Now that he saw this emperor realm treasure, the relic of a
high-level pill king, he could tell with a single glance that this cauldron was
at least two levels above the Skyweave Cauldron. I should actually fight for
this cauldron. It was the only one of the five items in which Jiang Cheng
actually felt temptation. Twenty million saint spirit stones would have been an
astronomical number for Jiang Chen back in the Myriad Domain, far from what he
would have been able to afford. However, he'd gathered the rings of roughly
four thousand persons after the battle at Infant Shriek. Converting the spirit
stones he had on hand to saint spirit stones, he had quite a few hundred
millions. Twenty million was naturally something he could afford!
“I bid twenty one million!”
“Twenty three million!”
“I'll bid twenty five million!”
“I'm bidding thirty million...” The rich folk of the Capital
were once again exhibiting their domineering temperament, as though the prices
they quoted weren't in saint spirit stones, but rather in common stones one
could pick up anywhere off the street. Such an imposing style didn't even leave
Jiang Chen a window with which to quote a price. When he very slowly bid thirty
two million, three or four persons immediately upped the price, shooting the
price to forty million in a few blinks.
Madmen, what a bunch of madmen! Jiang Chen swore silently.
It wasn't that he lacked money, but with his present status, if he were to bid
too high a price, it would be difficult to avoid undue attention. Competing
with a bunch of descendents from the great clans? To say nothing about his
present status as a mere second level pill king, even House Wei that Wei Jie
represented might not be able to afford it.
There was nothing Jiang Chen could do. All those bidding were
from great clans. In such a vast Capital with territories spreading over
millions of miles, the resources were innumerable, but those who controlled the
vast majority of those resources were still the twenty eight great clans, and
only those twenty eight clans. One could deduce from this that each great clan
was fully deserving of the title of a local king. Those scions of great clans
could bid any amount they wished as long as they felt it was appropriate.
Otherwise, the previous three Longevity Pills couldn't have
shot to a hundred twenty million. It had ended as a battle between the Majestic
Clan and the Coiling Dragon Clan, but it had indeed been a straight competition
between scions of great clans in its early phase. It was the same for Skysnatcher
now. These guys were bidding with extreme frenzy because they liked it, because
they felt it was appropriate. It was far from the imaginary scenes where a long
time brewed between each bid.
Jiang Chen was inwardly depressed. It wasn't that he
couldn't afford it, but it'd truly be unwise to compete on wealth with these
fellows. The most crucial thing was that as an outsider, he would attract
attention in seconds if his attitude was too flamboyant. It would be too easy
to attract enmity. Inspiration suddenly struck. His eyes stopped on young
master Ji San. There was a helping hand readily available, why not make use of
it?
“Young master Ji San, I'm determined to obtain the
Skysnatcher. Lend me your name and help me bid for it. I will account for all
the expense later. The price for the upper rank Longevity Pill is still as we
previously agreed on!”
With young master Ji helping him bid, he wouldn’t need to
expose his own wealth and wouldn't attract enmity. Jiang Chen's sudden
inspiration was a bright chess move.
What Jiang Chen didn't expect was while young master Ji had
still been somewhat skeptical of him before, the young master suddenly believed
Jiang Chen wholeheartedly after hearing this request. If he didn't truly have a
Longevity Pill, then he wouldn't dare order Ji San about even as House Wei's
guest pill king. Young master Ji's temperament of a wealthy scion suddenly
flared, his bold daring suddenly soaring. He said in a loud voice, “I'm in a
good mood today, I fancy this cauldron. Fifty million. I will fight all
challengers to the bitter end!”
This sudden outburst of imposing momentum routed quite a
few. Everyone had already witnessed his imposing dominance back when he'd bid
against Sikou Nan. No one was keen to butt heads with this god of pestilence.
If by any chance this young master Ji were to become angry and raise the price
to insane levels, if it ultimately fell in their own lap, wouldn't they look
like a fool just like Sikou Nan? All of a sudden, the voices previously bidding
faded away one by one. They couldn't afford to offend the Coiling Dragon Clan
for one, and secondly, Sikou Nan served as an example that still lingered in
everyone's mind. The scene instantly became absolute silence. There were still
two who wanted to keep bidding, but they were also wavering with indecision.
The previous scene of young master Ji flipping the situation onto Sikou Nan's
head had obviously left shadows in everyone's hearts.
