Young Master Ji San smiled leisurely. "Wang Teng, my boy — Ji here knew long ago you'd pull a stunt like this. Bidding along just now was merely toying with you. Myriad Life Pill? Our Panlong faction has had that for ages. Why would I waste good money here? I hear your Royal Court Great Faction has been raking in quite the dirty fortune these years. If someone's going to play the sucker, I'd say it suits your lot far better. Ha ha ha!"
With Young Master Ji San dropping out, he could act as cool and composed as he pleased.
His words set the entire venue buzzing.
The infighting among these great faction scions was truly something else. Everyone had initially thought Wang Teng was toying with Young Master Ji San — reeling him in like a fish on a line.
Who would have guessed that the real fisherman was Young Master Ji San, while Wang Teng and his lot were the ones being hooked.
What a spectacular show — the perfect slap in the face, followed by an even more perfect counter-slap!
Wang Teng was stunned. Utterly dumbfounded.
He suspected Young Master Ji San's words were pure bluff, but even if the man was just puffing up his chest to save face — so what?
At the end of the day, the one who needed to come up with the money was Wang Teng's side!
True, the Myriad Life Pill had been secretly supplied by the Royal Court Great Faction, but he couldn't exactly announce that he was taking it back!
If word got out, the Royal Court Great Faction would be roasted alive.
Putting up your own merchandise and then jacking up the bids yourself — if that wasn't the mark of a profiteer, what was?
If this impression stuck, his Myriad Life Pill would be branded as a scam before it ever hit the market!
Moreover, if he failed to complete the transaction today, Young Master Ji San would certainly not let it slide!
Wang Teng's face went pale with rage. But helpless, he had no choice but to scrape the funds together. Fortunately, Wang Teng's financial resources were formidable — after several people pooled their money, the 120 million was finally assembled, and his face was saved, barely.
Wang Teng's heart bled at the thought. Of that 120 million, most of it would flow back to his own pockets, but the Lianshan House, as the auctioneer, would take a twenty-percent cut.
Normally, the Lianshan House's commission rate was ten percent. But because Wang Teng had placed the three Myriad Life Pills without wanting to expose the Royal Court Great Faction's involvement, he had opted for an anonymous auction rather than revealing the true consignor.
An anonymous auction meant the consignor's identity was unknown. Because the identity was unknown, the auction house bore additional risk.
So for anonymous auctions, the commission rate was doubled — from ten percent to twenty.
The hammer price was 120 million. A twenty-percent cut meant 24 million.
In other words, the Royal Court Great Faction's little scheme earned them nothing and directly cost them 24 million.
The item was still their own. The money had come from their own coffers.
All they got was a bit of publicity for the Myriad Life Pill, but they had hemorrhaged 24 million for nothing, been thoroughly played by Young Master Ji San, and made absolute fools of themselves!
Wang Teng felt like weeping without tears. He seethed with unwillingness. He had thought he had Young Master Ji San firmly on the hook — hooked good and tight.
But in a flash, the situation had turned on its head, and Young Master Ji San had folded. Just like that, the show Wang Teng had scripted and directed had become a trap of his own making!
He knew Young Master Ji San well. The man might be pretentious, might be showy, might love putting on airs about his refined demeanor — but his scheming and cunning were never supposed to run this deep, nor his acting be this convincing.
The urgency Young Master Ji San had shown in competing for the Myriad Life Pill moments ago had absolutely not been an act.
But then, just like that, how had he given up?
That was what Wang Teng could not fathom no matter how hard he tried.
The auction of the Myriad Life Pill had been full of twists and turns — slaps, counter-slaps, and plot twists coming one after another in a dizzying cascade that left everyone breathless and thoroughly entertained.
With Sikou Nan grimacing as he handed over the payment and collected his goods, this farce finally came to its end.
The biggest winner of all was the Lianshan House.
The young master of the Lianshan House was practically beaming inside. This single transaction, at a twenty-percent commission, meant 24 million.
That was more profitable than robbery.
Two more auction items followed, both extraordinary, with starting bids of six million or above.
However, because these two items lacked the emotional grudge match and scheming of the previous lot, the bidding — while still spirited — lacked that sparks-fly intensity.
Though fierce enough, the overall atmosphere trended toward steadiness.
No matter how the young master of the Lianshan House tried to stoke the flames, the excitement just would not catch.
Clearly, the Myriad Life Pill storm had spoiled everyone's appetite, leaving them somewhat numb.
"The fifth item is quite different from what came before. It is an alchemy cauldron! This cauldron is called the Heaven-Stealing Cauldron — an Imperial-grade artifact, exceedingly rare. It is said to have once been used by a high-level Pill King. Starting bid: twenty million Sacred Ling Shi!"
The young master's announcement reignited the crowd's enthusiasm.
An Imperial-grade alchemy cauldron!
This was a true rarity! Pills might be relatively easy to come by, but a quality alchemy cauldron was exceedingly hard to find. The finer the cauldron, the more precious it was.
The moment this cauldron was announced, the venue erupted in astonished murmurs, and many of the young masters' eyes blazed with covetous light.