"As long as it is verified by our appraiser and valued at over 100,000 Magic Stones, any item can be put up for auction! Would you like our appraisal service, honored guest?"
Almost mechanically, the maid recited this passage, clearly not the first time she had said it to someone. Her recent clientele were all of this sort.
"Take me there!"
Following that, he followed the maid to a few specialized private rooms.
Along the way, he even sensed the wizard arrays buried beneath the floor and the concealment runes on the walls.
The security here was far stricter than outside, and there was even a Rank 3
After a door was pulled open, a small reception room was inside. The maid respectfully invited Leylin to sit down first.
"Honored guest, please wait a moment. I will immediately fetch an appraiser to serve you!"
"Mm." Leylin nodded slightly, watching the young woman leave.
A short while later, the door opened again, and an elderly man with a full head of silver hair and a face lined with experience walked in.
"Honored guest, I am Theron, a Rank 2 Appraiser!" The old man bowed his body slightly.
"Hello." Leylin responded with a faint smile, gesturing to the seat opposite him, inviting the appraiser to sit down.
In the Central Continent, appraisers were also ranked, and this Rank 2 Appraiser already possessed the aura of a Rank 2 Wizard. Yet he could still behave with such respect, which was quite rare.
Moreover, the man's hands were covered with various marks, suggesting great experience.
Once Theron sat down, his gaze at Leylin also carried a hint of surprise.
The Blue Mountain Auction was about to begin. All manner of guests appearing was not strange, but based solely on aura and appearance, he could judge that this wizard was very young, yet he carried a fog about him that even Theron couldn't penetrate. That was quite rare.
Perhaps, with this guest this time, he might even see some rare treasures.
The appraiser touched a ring on his finger, a flicker of anticipation passing through his mind.
"I am an Apothecary. I wish to sell some potions here!"
Leylin said bluntly.
There were certainly things on him far more precious than potions, but those were reserved for bartering and other forms of exchange later on. Only these potions, refined during his spare time, were suitable enough to sell here.
Over a hundred years—nearly half of Leylin's current age—an Apothecary Grandmaster of his caliber had accumulated a truly terrifying quantity of finished products.
"I didn't expect the customer to be an Apothecary!" Notta's eyes lit up. No matter where one went, a master proficient in potion-making and alchemy was always afforded special treatment.
"However, I'd like to explain the auction house's rules to you first. Our auction only deals in high-grade potions and above. If you wish to sell mid-grade potions, unless they're one of the few particularly rare varieties, you'll need to meet a certain quantity threshold..."
After a moment's thought, Notta laid out the relevant particulars.
"Don't worry, I'm well aware!" Leylin smiled and swept his hand across the table.
Silver light flickered, and once the spatial disturbance subsided, the red tabletop was already heaped with test tubes of every conceivable color.
"This... this many!"
Notta's eyes went wide in an instant. After identifying a few of the contents, the last trace of composure drained from his face: "And they're all high-grade potions!"
"Heh..." Watching the old man lose his cool so thoroughly, Leylin smiled kindly. In truth, these represented only a small fraction of his output over the past century—more than enough to shock the man senseless.
"Mind you, these are the results of several centuries of work..." Outwardly, Leylin spoke with pride, tinged with a wistful sigh.
"My lord is actually an Apothecary Grandmaster!"
Now Notta's voice carried an unmistakable tremor.
An Apothecary Grandmaster was afforded special treatment even among the great powers. Their rarity across the Central Continent was nothing short of terrifying. One need only look at the Ring of the Ouroboros—boasting three Morning Star Wizards and standing as a top-tier force on the Central Continent—yet possessing no more than five Apothecary Grandmasters, to understand the full picture.
"This... these..."
Cold sweat streamed down the appraiser's forehead, and a look of deep embarrassment crept across his face.
"I'm terribly sorry, honored customer! This transaction has exceeded my authority. Please wait just a moment..."
At the Blue Mountain Auction House, he was merely a rank-and-file appraiser. A task of this magnitude—receiving an Apothecary Grandmaster—would normally never fall to someone of his standing.
"Then I'd appreciate it if you hurry," Leylin said evenly, his expression betraying neither pleasure nor displeasure.
"Yes, sir!" Facing an Apothecary Grandmaster of unknown origins, the appraiser dared not be negligent and immediately withdrew.
"Looks like the status of an Apothecary Grandmaster is quite useful here in the Central Continent!" Leylin smiled and stroked his chin.
The other party did not keep him waiting long. Almost the very minute the old man stepped out, a polite knock sounded at the door once more: "Honored guest, may I come in?"
"Please!" Leylin smiled, and then he saw the appraiser who had just left pull the door open with a respectful expression, ushering in a middle-aged Western noblewoman.
"Allow me to introduce myself — my name is Thelane, Thelane Ockett! Manager of the Blue Mountain Auction House. I will be personally handling all of your business!"
This beauty called Thelane was like a ripe peach, with every part of her radiating a seductive allure. Her surname, moreover, caught Leylin's attention.
Not only that, though she too used some kind of secret technique to conceal her aura, the Chip's scan revealed that this woman was in fact a powerful Rank 3 Wizard!
Click! Nota bowed and respectfully exited the room, closing the door behind him as he left, as though he were nothing more than a doorman.
"I wonder how I should address you, my lord?"
Thelane looked at Leylin, whose face was hidden, and at the unfathomable aura he kept concealed. Curiosity showed on her features.
"You can call me 'Bloodhand'!" Leylin unceremoniously pulled out one of his old aliases.
"Hehe… very well, Lord Bloodhand. How would you like to sell these potions?"
Thelane swayed her serpentine waist, swept a sleeve aside, and settled into a seat before Leylin with languid grace. Every movement of hers seemed perfectly natural, carrying an air of politeness yet all the more stoking the flames of desire in a man.
"This woman is a true enchantress — she could rival Xiling from the Dark Periphery!"
Leylin sighed inwardly, though his voice betrayed not a trace of emotion: "Tell me your proposals."
Thelane's brow creased for a moment before quickly smoothing out: "Since the gentleman wishes to hear them, Thelane will first explain our auction house's rules. For ordinary guests, we offer two auction methods!"
"First!" Thelane raised one jade-white finger. "These potions can all be put up for auction. Regardless of the final transaction price, our Blue Mountain Auction House takes a ten percent commission! Of course, if the auction ultimately fails, you will also need to pay us a storage fee!"
"Second, our auction house purchases the potions directly from you at a price benchmarked against the market rate! After that, what we do with them is no longer your concern. If you need Magic Stones urgently, this is the option for you!"
Leylin nodded. The second method was clearly designed for Wizards who were looking to amass a large amount of capital to compete for certain items at auction.
But a straightforward purchase would normally be priced below market. Their willingness to buy at full price was likely driven not only by the rarity and value of these potions, but also by their interest in his identity as an Apothecary Grandmaster.
"Of course I'd like to sell as quickly as possible, so I'll have enough Magic Stones to use at the auction! Since you're this sincere, I'll naturally go with the second option!"
Leylin said. Although selling at auction might yield higher profits, the payment wouldn't come through until after the auction ended, and Leylin didn't want to wait that long.
"That's wonderful! Purchasing such a large quantity of high-grade potions will be a great boost to my performance metrics. Theslan thanks you, sir…"
Theslan giggled, seemingly paying no attention to the small mountain of rare potions piled on the table before her.
"I estimate the total value of these potions at ninety-eight million Magic Stones! Does the sir have any objections?"
Theslan's next words caught Leylin slightly off guard.
But he quickly relaxed. On their territory, with these potions having sat on the long table for so long, it wouldn't be difficult for them to appraise them using their detection technology.
No wonder she hadn't been looking at the table much since entering. So this was why.
"A very fair price!" Leylin nodded.
He had, of course, done his own valuation of his goods. This price was clearly based on market rates — it was even slightly above.
"Ordinary clients who conduct transactions exceeding fifty million Magic Stones at our Blue Mountain Auction House automatically become VIP guests, entitled to numerous conveniences… But a first-time client who breaks straight past the VIP threshold like yourself, sir — that's truly rare!"
Theslan smiled, her blue eyes radiating a charming light, as if trying to peer through the veil to see Leylin's true face.
She clapped her hands.
The door swung open, and a maidservant walked in carrying a tray.
On the red tray sat a purple-gold card and a black leather pouch.
"This is the payment and our VIP credentials! Please verify them, sir." When it came to business matters, Theslan reverted to her serious expression.
Leylin stepped forward without ceremony to inspect everything, particularly the Magic Stone crystals — the Chip continuously scanned their purity and quantity. Only after confirming nothing was missing did he nod.
"Actually, there are two more things I'd like to trouble you with."
After the transaction was completed, Leylin didn't leave immediately. Theslan remained at his side with a pleasant smile, showing not a trace of impatience.
After the two of them talked in circles for a good while, Leylin finally spoke up.