Seeing the two walking straight toward them, one of the four young women stepped forward three paces, gave a slight bow, and said, "Welcome, sirs. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Xiao Wu said, "This is the auction house, right? We'd like to go in and have a look."
The young woman looked slightly surprised. She hadn't looked down on them because of their age, but guests like these two were certainly a first for her. Still, she replied patiently, "I'm sorry, but may I ask — do either of you have an auction qualification certificate?"
Xiao Wu blinked. "An auction qualification certificate? What's that?"
The young woman smiled faintly. "Only guests who hold an auction qualification certificate may enter the auction house to participate in bidding. The certificates are divided into several tiers, and the minimum threshold is ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. In other words, you need proof of assets totaling at least ten thousand Gold Soul Coins to participate in bidding. It's a necessary measure to prevent malicious bidding. Please understand."
Xiao Wu turned to look at Tang San. "Brother, do you have ten thousand Gold Soul Coins?"
Tang San shook his head with a helpless expression. Although he had earned a fair amount of money from his dueling matches, ten thousand Gold Soul Coins was still far too large a sum for him.
Seeing the disappointment on Xiao Wu's face, Tang San couldn't help but ask, "Is there no other way to get in?"
The young woman said, "There is another situation in which entry is permitted. If you're selling something, you can also enter the auction house. However, the item must be appraised by one of our Tiandou Auction House's specialized appraisers. If its value exceeds one thousand Gold Soul Coins, it qualifies to be put up for auction. Should the auction succeed, we take a ten percent commission on the final sale price."
Selling something? Tang San and Xiao Wu exchanged a glance. A thought struck Tang San, and he reached into his breast pocket, drawing out an object.
It was a small black box, roughly palm-sized, fitted with a hasp and clasp. The entire box was lacquered black, its surface covered with a layer of fine, tiny holes.
"Then we'll auction this," Tang San said, giving the small box a little shake.
"What is it?" The young woman didn't dismiss the item just because Tang San had produced it. Having worked here for a while, she knew that the stranger and more peculiar an object looked, the more valuable it could sometimes be.
Xiao Wu put on a mysterious air. "Don't you have appraisers? What you say doesn't count — just hand it over to an appraiser and see if it's worth anything."
The young woman realized she had overstepped and quickly made a welcoming gesture. "Please, follow me." With that, she took small, quick steps and headed into the auction house.
Inside, the auction house didn't feel gaudy or ostentatious. The floor was made of milky-white marble, and the surrounding walls were adorned with all manner of relief sculptures. The reliefs used few colors, lending them a clean, crisp elegance. Besides the reliefs, there were also display cases built flush against the walls, showcasing porcelain vases, pieces of armor, and other exhibits. If they hadn't known what this place was, Tang San and Xiao Wu might have mistaken it for a museum.
The young woman leading them displayed strong professional poise. Every ten paces or so she would pause, make a welcoming gesture, and guide them precisely in the right direction. She led them all the way to a room beside the main hall, above which hung a sign bearing the characters for "Appraisal."
Inside the room was a row of desks. Behind them sat eight appraisers of varying ages, all clad in long black robes, busily examining various items.
The young woman addressed Tang San and Xiao Wu. "This is the appraisal room for ordinary items. I'll need you to briefly explain the features of your item." As she spoke, she brought them to the appraiser on the far left and handed the small box over.
"Appraiser Number One, pardon the interruption. These two distinguished guests would like to submit this item for auction."
The appraiser instinctively took the iron box. His gaze fell upon it, and a look of surprise immediately flickered across his face. He turned it over once, examining it from all sides, then said, "Forgive my ignorance — may I ask what this is? The craftsmanship is remarkably precise. I'm not sure of its function?"
Tang San smiled faintly. "I call it the Sand-Shooting Shadow. It's a weapon."
"A weapon?" The appraiser was even more surprised. He had never seen such a compact weapon before. He had initially been somewhat dismissive upon seeing that Tang San and Xiao Wu were merely a pair of youths, but he now set that prejudice aside. "Could you demonstrate it for us?"
"Here?" Tang San took the Sand-Shooting Shadow back from the appraiser's hands. "This thing is poisoned. I don't think this would be the best place for that."
At the word "poisoned," it wasn't just the appraiser in front of them who took notice. The other seven appraisers nearby all turned their gazes toward the pair, their expressions filled with surprise.
Appraiser Number One looked somewhat troubled. "If you can't demonstrate its function, we won't be able to assign it a valuation. Our auction house has a dedicated area for testing weapon capabilities. How about we go there so you can show us?"