Chapter 14 Auction Banter
Chapter 14 Auction Banter
"This is not a manual for the living."
The chief auctioneer stood far back from the open lead lockbox on the wooden stage. A pitch black rotting silk book rested inside the heavy metal casing.
The temperature in the cavern plummeted immediately. A sickening wave of pure Demonic Yin energy rolled over the plush leather seats.
"The Nine Hells Devouring Art," the auctioneer announced. His voice trembled slightly despite his professional training.
He pointed a thick lead gloved finger at the dark relic.
"It was excavated entirely by grave robbers from a collapsed dead zone in the southern wastes. The manual is heavily corrupted by centuries of absolute demonic exposure."
The wealthy criminals in the front rows actively recoiled in their seats. They pulled their heavy cloaks tighter against the unnatural freezing cold.
"I must offer a strict warning before bidding begins," the auctioneer continued nervously. "This manual is completely incomplete. It only contains the first five foundational levels."
A loud murmur of supreme disappointment rippled through the cavern. An incomplete manual was usually completely useless.
"Furthermore it is highly lethal," the auctioneer declared loudly. "Three mortal grandmasters have already purchased this item in previous years. They all died violently just trying to circulate the introductory Qi pathways."
The crowd of hardened assassins and veteran mercenaries erupted into mocking laughter.
"You brought us a cursed suicide note," a massive man in spiked iron armor shouted from the second row.
"Throw it back into the dead zone," another masked buyer yelled. "Only a complete absolute fool would pay for their own execution."
Ye Chen sat perfectly still in the dark back corner of the cavern. He ignored the mocking crowd entirely.
His heart hammered heavily against his bruised ribs. His unique Chaos Body Tempering Art roared aggressively in his veins.
The system interface flickered a bright validating blue in his vision. The corrupted Demonic Yin energy was not a lethal poison to him. It was the exact perfect fuel he desperately needed to forge his fragile bones into iron.
"The starting bid reflects the extreme lethal risk," the auctioneer shouted over the laughing crowd. "Ten thousand Talents."
The cavern went completely dead silent. Absolutely no one wanted to waste their money on a guaranteed death sentence.
Ye Chen raised his hand slowly from the shadows.
"Ten thousand Talents," Ye Chen called out. His voice was completely flat and distorted by the white porcelain mask.
A sudden loud scoff echoed from the absolute center of the front row.
A tall figure stood up abruptly. He reached up and violently tore the heavy gray cloak entirely off his body.
He did not wear a mask. He wanted every single person in the cavern to see his face clearly.
He wore the pristine blue and silver uniform of an Azure Cloud Sect Enforcer. The crest of the Law Enforcement Hall was proudly embroidered on his broad chest.
"Twenty thousand Talents," the Enforcer declared loudly. He turned around to face the entire crowd of underground criminals.
He looked at the masked thieves and murderers with absolute pure disgust. He radiated the heavy and oppressive aura
"I am Enforcer Lin of the Azure Cloud Sect," he announced proudly. "I am acting on direct official orders from Elder Wang and the core disciple Lady Su Rou."
The mention of Su Rou sent a very visible shiver through the underground crowd. Her terrifying reputation for absolute ruthlessness extended far beyond the sect borders.
"This demonic relic belongs in the secure vaults of the Inner Sect," Enforcer Lin commanded strictly. "Anyone who places a bid against me is placing a bid directly against Lady Su Rou."
The Enforcer crossed his arms confidently over his chest. He used his sect authority and his masters' names to completely bully the underground market.
He expected the masked beggar in the back row to cower and immediately withdraw.
Ye Chen stared at the arrogant Enforcer through the eye holes of his porcelain mask..
They publicly executed disciples for practicing demonic arts. Yet they secretly sent their own armed thugs into the black market to purchase those exact same forbidden relics.
"Thirty thousand Talents," Ye Chen stated coldly.
Enforcer Lin snapped his head toward the dark corner. His face twisted into a mask of pure ugly rage.
"You must be deaf," Enforcer Lin snarled across the silent cavern. "I told you exactly who claims this item."
"I am buying a cultivation manual," Ye Chen replied smoothly. "I don't care about your sect. If your master wants it she can bid higher."
The crowd of masked criminals held their breath. Nobody ever dared to publicly disrespect Su Rou in the Capital.
"Forty thousand Talents," Enforcer Lin barked loudly. His face turned a dangerous shade of dark red. "You are courting a very brutal death."
"Fifty thousand," Ye Chen countered instantly without a single second of hesitation.
Enforcer Lin gritted his teeth audibly. The fat proxy merchant had only given him exactly fifty thousand Talents for this specific illicit acquisition. He had absolutely no more funds available.
He desperately wanted to draw his weapon and slaughter the masked beggar right there in the seats.
But the Black Meeting was heavily guarded by elite rogue cultivators. Even an Azure Cloud Sect Enforcer could not survive breaking the strict auction rules here.
"Eighty thousand Talents," Ye Chen suddenly called out. He completely skipped the gradual escalation to crush the Enforcer instantly.
The massive bid echoed loudly through the damp karst cave.
Enforcer Lin stood completely frozen. He was totally outmatched financially. He glared at the masked figure in the dark corner with pure absolute murderous intent.
"You have won the bid, Young Master," Enforcer Lin spat venomously. "But you will never live long enough to open that box."
The Enforcer turned sharply on his heel. He stormed directly up the main aisle and exited the cavern in a blind fury.
The auctioneer cleared his throat nervously on the stage.
"Sold to the gentleman in the white mask for eighty thousand Talents," the auctioneer confirmed quickly.
Ye Chen walked calmly down the central aisle. He untied the heavy leather pouch from his waist and dropped it directly onto the wooden podium.
The auctioneer counted the talents rapidly. He nodded exactly once and slid the heavy lead lockbox across the stage.
Ye Chen grabbed the metal handle. The sheer density of the Demonic Yin energy leaking through the lead made his fingers tingle violently.
He turned his back on the silent staring crowd and walked directly toward the cavern exit.
He ascended the long spiral stone staircase quickly. The air grew steadily warmer as he climbed back toward the surface.
The secret entrance to the Black Meeting was cleverly hidden inside an abandoned and ruined temple on the far outskirts of the Capital.
Ye Chen pushed the heavy iron door open. He stepped out from the spiral staircase directly into the ruined main courtyard of the temple.
The night air was cool and relatively clear. The pale moonlight illuminated the shattered stone statues of forgotten gods littering the tall grass.
He took exactly three steps into the open courtyard.
A sudden and incredibly heavy floral scent completely flooded his lungs. It was incredibly sweet and totally unnatural.
Ye Chen recognized the lethal fragrance instantly. It was the exact fragrance the woman in the crimson dress had used inside the cavern.
"He bought the poison just to trap me," Ye Chen realized instantly.
His Chaos Body Tempering Art roared to life automatically to incinerate the toxin.
A heavy shadow suddenly blotted out the pale moonlight above him.
Enforcer Lin dropped straight down from the crumbling stone roof of the ruined temple. The heavy wind shrieked violently as his body plummeted toward the ground.
The Enforcer wielded a massive steel halberd with both hands. The heavy curved blade glowed with a terrifying concentration of pure blue martial Qi.
He did not bother with any arrogant conversation.
He swung the glowing heavy halberd in a devastating horizontal arc directly at Ye Chen's exposed neck.