On the central circular platform, under the watchful eyes of the crowd,
Though he concealed it well, everyone present was a shrewd observer. Not a single person failed to catch the flash of delight in his eyes.
The earlier bidding war between Rooms Alpha-Three and Beta-Two over the Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill at the auction was still fresh in everyone's minds. When they saw Ye Jian's reaction, many immediately understood — the First Inn must have offered the very Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill they had won at the auction.
This was truly playing to his tastes. Ye Jian had shown intense interest in that Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill before, and with such a pill in hand, it could genuinely move him. In that moment, many of the other bidders secretly cursed themselves. Had they known this earlier, they would have fought tooth and nail for that Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill — using it as bait, it might have been enough to secure a Seventh-Rank resource.
The elder from the Danxia Auction House wore a bitter smile. None regretted it more than he did. They had put that Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill up for auction, only to have the First Inn turn it around and use it as a bargaining chip to compete against them for the Primordial Yang Mystic Ginseng. It felt very much like dropping a stone on their own foot.
On the platform, Ye Jian composed his expression and returned the majority of the spatial rings, keeping only two.
One of them was unmistakably
Yang Kai felt a surge of excitement. He knew he was only one step away from success. The fact that Ye Jian had kept his spatial ring meant the Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill had truly moved him. This confirmed that he genuinely cherished his son.
It wasn't hard to understand, either. That young man had condensed Sixth-Rank power, which meant he had the potential to directly advance to the Sixth-Rank Open Heaven Realm in the future. He was Thunderclap Hall's hope for the future! A worthy investment!
The tension Yang Kai had been holding finally eased. His greatest fear had been that the Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill wouldn't be enough to move Ye Jian. If that were the case, then two hundred and twenty million Opening Heaven Pills probably wouldn't be competitive either.
Now he only needed to defeat the remaining opponent to get his hands on the Primordial Yang Mystic Ginseng! But first, he needed to figure out who owned that other spatial ring!
Before Yang Kai could think it through, Ye Jian let out a bitter laugh on the platform and gave a slight cupped-fist salute to the elder from the Danxia Auction House. "To be honest, between these two rings I've kept, the one from the Danxia Auction House is higher in value."
Yang Kai's eyes widened in realization — that other ring actually belonged to the Danxia Auction House.
But thinking it over, it made sense. After all, the Danxia Auction House had already known about the Primordial Yang Mystic Ginseng's existence when Ye Jian had used it as collateral. They could probably guess that he had brought it along to participate in the trade fair.
Since they had advance knowledge, the auction house would naturally have come prepared. Offering something that could tempt Ye Jian was only to be expected. In contrast, the others had learned of it suddenly and with little time to prepare — they would find it difficult to compete with the Danxia Auction House. Only Yang Kai, by catering to Ye Jian's tastes and catching them off guard, stood a chance of putting up a fight.
Among all the bids, the Danxia Auction House's offer was the highest in value.
Ye Jian then shifted his tone. "However, the First Inn's Madame Lan does possess something I'm interested in. My apologies, but I choose Madame Lan's side."
The elder from the Danxia Auction House nodded. "Trade is free. Brother Ye, please don't feel troubled." He regretted even more having put that Heavenly Origin True Seal Pill up for auction. Though it had fetched an extremely high price, Seventh-Rank resources were not something money could buy. This auction had essentially handed a golden opportunity to the First Inn on a silver platter.
Ye Jian then turned to the proprietress and cupped his fists. "Madame Lan, while I would prefer to choose your offer, I do have one request."
The proprietress gave a slight nod. "Hall Master Ye, please speak."
Ye Jian said, "I know that Madame Lan purchased many Sixth-Rank resources at the auction earlier. I would like those Sixth-Rank resources, and any shortfall I'll make up with Opening Heaven Pills. What does Madame Lan think?"
The proprietress paused briefly, and after receiving Yang Kai's transmission, replied, "Of course!"
Though Yang Kai was reluctant to part with those Sixth-Rank resources, for the sake of the Primordial Yang Mystic Ginseng, he couldn't afford to be stingy. Sixth-Rank resources could still be purchased at major auctions — Seventh-Rank ones could not. Compared to that, this price was well worth paying. Even if he took a loss, it didn't matter.
"Excellent!" Ye Jian smiled and nodded.
Just as Yang Kai was secretly celebrating, believing the matter was settled, he heard Senior Brother Guo speak up beside him. "Brother Ye, wait. I'd like to make one more bid."
On the platform, Ye Jian's expression turned troubled. "To be honest with you, Brother Guo, I have my own reasons for choosing Madame Lan's side. Even if your offer were to exceed hers, I'm afraid I still might..."
Senior Brother Guo smiled faintly. "The choice is naturally yours, Brother Ye. But why not take a look at my offer first? You may find it more to your liking."
Beside him, Yang Kai glared at the man furiously, wishing he could draw the Azure Dragon Spear and stab him right through the heart!
He had long known this bastard harbored ill intentions and would likely ruin his plans — but he hadn't expected it to actually come to this. Suppressing the rage in his heart, he transmitted to the proprietress, "Can the trade fair really work like this?"
The proprietress frowned as well. "The trade fair operates on complete freedom. Nothing is forbidden."
Yang Kai gritted his teeth, secretly vowing that if it came to it, he would throw every last Opening Heaven Pill he had into the bid. He would not fail to obtain that Primordial Yang Mystic Ginseng! He refused to believe that Senior Brother Guo could produce something worth more than a billion!
On the platform, Ye Jian didn't want to give offense, so after a moment of hesitation, he nodded. "Very well then. Brother Guo, please!"
Senior Brother Guo immediately produced a spatial ring.
Under Yang Kai's anxious gaze, Ye Jian examined the ring. After a moment, he furrowed his brow, wearing an expression of difficulty in making a decision.