Wen Qingye sat high above, looking down on the scene below. He raised an eyebrow and murmured, ’An innate Charming Bone. This woman is rather interesting.’
Some women may not possess the kind of peerless beauty that could topple nations, but their every glance and smile can tug at one’s very soul. They can conquer men from their very core, making them fall head over heels. Such women possess an innate Charming Bone, and the one before them was just such a person.
But an old saying held true: beauty is like jade, and a sword is like a rainbow. Everyone flocks to a jade-like beauty, but a rainbow of Sword Qi can take a man’s life. Both are exceedingly dangerous.
Xu Yuan’s eyes narrowed, staring intently at the woman. "There’s something demonic about her," he said.
Jiechen hastily averted his gaze and took a deep breath. "Amitabha Buddha," he chanted. "One look is enough to see she is no ordinary woman. She is exceedingly dangerous."
Having said his piece, Jiechen sat down cross-legged and began to silently chant the Buddhist Sect’s Diamond Scripture.
"I bid one thousand top-grade Primordial Stones!"
Xu Yuan’s gaze grew increasingly feverish, as if his very blood was about to boil.
Suddenly, a voice echoed throughout the auction hall. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the sound.
It was Xu Yuan!
Everyone stared at Xu Yuan in a daze. Someone from the Daoist School of Non-action was actually bidding on the woman.
As all eyes turned to him, Xu Yuan’s gaze sharpened. His lips parted slightly as he explained softly, "There’s a wickedness that emanates from this woman’s very bones..."
Those present scoffed at Xu Yuan’s explanation. ’So what if she’s wicked? What’s that got to do with you?’
With a faint smile in his eyes, Hai Ning slowly rose to his feet. "I bid two thousand top-grade Primordial Stones!"
BOOM!
Hai Ning’s words were like a stone dropped into a still pond, sending out a thousand ripples.
Xu Yuan was also stunned. His gaze snapped toward Hai Ning’s private room, and his expression immediately soured.
"I bid three thousand top-grade Primordial Stones!"
"I bid thirty-five hundred top-grade Primordial Stones."
Hai Ning remained standing, refusing to back down in the slightest.
Xu Yuan shot to his feet, glaring at Hai Ning. "Sea Venerable," he demanded, "what is the meaning of this?"
Hai Ning’s expression was impassive. "I want this woman," he stated.
Xu Yuan’s face darkened. "The people of Taiyi Pavilion are certainly arrogant," he said in a biting, sarcastic tone.
At that moment, Guu Hongxiu also rose slowly to her feet, laughing loudly. "The Daoist School of Non-action? My Taiyi Pavilion has never seen you as worthy of our notice."
GASP!
The surrounding crowd erupted in an uproar at Guu Hongxiu’s words.
"You bastards! Do you really think the Daoist School of Non-action is afraid of you from Taiyi Pavilion? I hope Taiyi Pavilion has the last laugh..." Realizing he had misspoken, Xu Yuan abruptly changed his tune and shouted, "I bid four thousand top-grade Primordial Stones!"
But Xu Yuan’s words landed in the ears of the crowd, causing a storm to break out in their minds.
No one in the audience was a fool. From Xu Yuan’s unfinished threat, they could all pick up on the subtle clues. ’Has the Daoist School of Non-action thrown its lot in with the Celestial Profound Sect? Or are the two sects planning to move against Taiyi Pavilion together?’
Wen Qingye, whose eyes had been slowly closing, opened them again. He stared at Xu Yuan and Hai Ning with a deep frown, lost in thought.
’What exactly did Xu Yuan’s words mean?’
"Five thousand!" Hai Ning called out again.
Suppressing the rage in his heart, Xu Yuan shouted, "Fifty-five hundred top-grade Primordial Stones!"
"Six thousand!" Hai Ning’s calm voice rang out again.
The surrounding crowd exchanged glances, marveling to themselves. ’As expected of the Super Sects. They can throw around thousands of top-grade Primordial Stones without a second thought.’
The bewitching woman on the stage repeatedly cast flirtatious glances toward Hai Ning and Xu Yuan in the rooms above. Watching her coquettish display, the men in the crowd couldn’t help but feel a spark of raw desire ignite within them.
Wen Qingye watched the two of them, a flicker of suspicion in his heart. ’Xu Yuan is an Inspection Disciple of the Daoist School of Non-action, and Hai Ning is an Inspection Disciple of Taiyi Pavilion. Their attitudes seem to be a subtle display of their two sects’ positions.’
’Is the ever-restless Daoist School of Non-action finally going to make its move? They’re interested in the Azure Dragon Scale... but are they also interested in hegemony over the Eastern Profound Domain?’
’But are they strong enough?’
Xu Yuan gritted his teeth, the fury in his eyes plain to see. "I bid sixty-five hundred top-grade Primordial Stones!"
"Seven thousand." Hai Ning’s voice remained as placid and emotionless as ever.
A disciple of the Daoist School of Non-action behind him couldn’t resist stepping forward to caution, "Brother Xu, I think we should just let it go. It’s not worth spending so many Primordial Stones on a single woman."
If Wen Qingye had seen this man, he would have recognized him as Fang Yu from the Daoist School of Non-action.
"Get lost! My affairs are none of your business!" A cold light flashed in Xu Yuan’s eyes as he roared toward the front again, "Eight thousand! I bid eight thousand top-grade Primordial Stones!"
"Eight thousand! The price for a single woman actually reached eight thousand!"
"Just as you’d expect from a Super Sect... My gods, eight thousand top-grade Primordial Stones! That’s enough for me to cultivate to the Life and Death Realm Fifth Layer!"
"Looks like the Daoist School of Non-action and Taiyi Pavilion are really clashing now. This won’t end so simply. The honor of both sects is at stake."
...
Waves of discussion rippled through the hall as everyone began talking in low voices.
Hai Ning slowly closed his eyes. "I bid nine thousand," he said calmly.
The moment Hai Ning’s words fell, the tense atmosphere was stretched to its absolute limit. It felt as if everyone’s heart had leaped into their throat as all eyes immediately shot toward Xu Yuan.
Suddenly, just as Xu Yuan was about to speak, a placid voice rang out.
"Ten thousand top-grade Primordial Stones."
Everyone froze. Realizing the voice was not Xu Yuan’s, they couldn’t help but look toward the room where the bid had originated.
"It’s him... Wen Qingye? Wen Qingye of the Celestial Profound Sect!"
"He’s joining the bidding too?"
"Ten thousand top-grade Primordial Stones! Now things are getting interesting!"
Hai Ning’s eyes snapped open. He looked toward Wen Qingye’s room to see him sitting calmly by his chair, a faint, mocking smile in his eyes as he looked right back at him.
Hearing Wen Qingye’s bid, a flash of delight crossed Xu Yuan’s eyes, and his gloomy face instantly broke into a wide smile.
"Since Brother Wen fancies her, I won’t take what another man desires."
With that, Xu Yuan slowly sat back down.
"Ten thousand top-grade Primordial Stones! Going once, going twice! Is there another bid? If not, this delicate beauty will belong to the guest in VIP Room Jia-37!"
As Xiaoo Xin spoke, her eyes went directly to Hai Ning.
Guu Hongxiu looked at the faintly smiling Wen Qingye and said coldly, "Wen Qingye. Just as I thought, a lecherous degenerate."
"What’s a little indulgence in one’s youth? I can understand that. But the wealth of the Celestial Profound Sect? I’m not impressed." Hai Ning said with a knowing smile, then rose and shouted, "Eleven thousand top-grade Primordial Stones!"