Yang Kai and Kang Siran had just taken their seats and chatted for only a short while before three resounding gongs echoed through the great hall. A short-statured elder with white hair and beard suddenly vaulted onto the auction stage.
The man was dressed in a rather eccentric fashion—his robes were rather shabby, his hair a tangled mess, and he had a red, bulbous drinker's nose. A large gourd of green jade hung from his waist, giving anyone who glanced at him the initial impression that he was some beggar who scraped by on the streets.
No sooner had the elder mounted the stage than he let out a hearty laugh. He casually lifted the large gourd from his waist, popped the cap, and took a mighty swig of strong liquor right in front of everyone.
After a few loud glugging sounds, he actually belched—a thunderous, resonant belch—right there in front of the packed hall. His eyes narrowed with an expression of supreme satisfaction, as though he could die at that very moment and have no regrets whatsoever…
A rich aroma of alcohol spread rapidly through the air.
"This…" Yang Kai stared, dumbfounded, his eyes nearly falling out of his head.
He had attended a few auctions back in his home star domain, but the hosts at those events had either been dignified and composed or alluring and glamorous. Not a single one had ever been quite so… distinctive as the elder on the stage.
"Alchemist Yang, you haven't been in Maple Forest City long, so you probably don't recognize him." Kang Siran laughed and, without waiting for Yang Kai to respond, went ahead and explained. "This man is one of the two Vice City Lords of Maple Forest City. Nobody actually knows his real name—everyone just calls him the Drunken Elder, and that's what he goes by."
"He's one of the two Vice City Lords? Doesn't that mean he's in the Dao Source Realm?" Yang Kai was genuinely astonished.
"That's right. He's at the first level of the Dao Source Realm, but his actual strength is hard to gauge. There are rumors that he's no weaker than City Lord Duan in real combat—apparently he can fight above his level too," Kang Siran said.
Yang Kai nodded and chuckled. "Letting him host the auction—do you think that's wise? He already looks dead drunk."
Kang Siran smiled. "Don't let appearances fool you. The Drunken Elder is actually quite well-regarded in Maple Forest City. He's the type who regularly stands up for the weak against the strong and gives away his wealth to those in need. He's a good man."
Yang Kai understood. "If that's the case, then there shouldn't be any problem."
At that moment, the Drunken Elder seemed to finally return to the present after savoring the aftertaste of his liquor. He squinted his small eyes and swept his gaze across the hall. Cupping his fists, he said, "As for who this old man is, nine out of ten of you here probably recognize me. Hmm, but it doesn't matter if you don't—I'm not here to court you. I'm here to host the auction, so stop gawking at me and keep your eyes on the goods instead."
At this, a great many martial artists in the hall burst into laughter. Yang Kai found the man quite entertaining—he carried none of the airs of a Dao Source Realm powerhouse, coming across as easygoing and approachable instead.
"Sigh, this old man is by nature a lazy fellow, so he really didn't want to come to this auction. But the City Lord lured me here with fine wine, and I fell right into his trap. What a sinister scheme—dreadful, truly dreadful! In any case, I'm a man of impatient temperament, so when you participate in the bidding, be decisive. Otherwise, I won't wait around—I've got a nice patch of sunlight to get to." The Drunken Elder spoke rapidly as he paced back and forth across the stage.
At his words, the expressions of quite a few people turned serious.
"Right then. Enough idle talk—let the auction begin!" The Drunken Elder let out a low shout and gestured behind him with one hand.
From the back of the stage, a maidservant from the City Lord's Manor promptly walked forward carrying a jade tray. Resting on the tray was a white porcelain bottle—based on the setup, the first item up for auction was almost certainly some kind of pill.
"One bottle of Spirit Nurturing Pills—three pills total, from the ancient era. Sold as a single lot. Starting price: thirty thousand Source Crystals. Minimum bid increment: one thousand. Begin bidding!" The Drunken Elder finished speaking and waited quietly.
"Spirit Nurturing Pills? They're Spirit Nurturing Pills? They're starting with Spirit Nurturing Pills? Just how many good things are in store for the rest of this auction?"
"I've heard that taking Spirit Nurturing Pills can temper one's Divine Sense, making it far more powerful. I wonder if that's actually true."
"These are Void King Grade superior-grade spirit pills—our Maple Forest City alchemists generally can't produce something like this."
The moment the pills were identified, the martial artists in attendance grew far more enthusiastic. Divine Sense was tied to every martial artist's safety and survival—a powerful Divine Sense could prove invaluable whether one was hiding, fleeing, searching, or locked in combat. Spirit Nurturing Pills were useful to absolutely anyone.
"Thirty-one thousand!"
"Thirty-two thousand!"
"Thirty-five thousand!"
The bidding voices rose one after another throughout the hall, and even the people in the private boxes joined in before long. In short order, the bottle of Spirit Nurturing Pills surged past the fifty-thousand Source Crystal mark.
It wasn't until someone called out sixty thousand Source Crystals that a brief lull fell over the crowd.
"Going once, going twice, going three times—sold! This bottle of Spirit Nurturing Pills goes to the friend who just bid. Please bring the full amount to the backstage area to complete the transaction. Next item!"
The Drunken Elder, who had been standing on the stage with his eyes closed, suddenly rattled off the conclusion of the deal at breakneck speed, not even giving anyone else a chance to react before moving straight on to the next item's auction.
"This…"
"That was way too fast."