Chapter 108 - The Jealous Princess
His hand stayed still in hers, not pulling away, but not holding on either.
"Mm," he said, already glancing back toward the stage. "The imperial inheritance. Right."
He nodded, eyes still fixed on the scroll, already calculating his next move.
"But that painting is a great treasure as well," Lin Fan added, his voice low with intense concentration. "My instincts in these matters are never wrong. You know it very well. We cannot simply let it go."
The Princess looked at him, a subtle jealousy rising in her chest. They were completely alone in this private room, shielded by the dark screens of the array where no eyes could reach them. In the grand imperial palace, surrounded by constant guards, watchful maids, and her father’s endless surveillance, sharing such an intimate space was nearly impossible. She had dreamed of these quiet moments.
Yet, even now, Lin Fan was giving all of his attention to the faded ink scroll below, rather than to her.
For a moment, something cold brushed against her chest. He was not even listening to her, but she was sure that he was just under immense pressure, she told herself. He had to prove himself to the royal court, and the burden of securing their future was heavy. He was doing all of this for them. Yes, that was the only reason.
"I understand," she said softly, squeezing his passive fingers. "But we must be careful with our funds. I have already sold many of my personal items. The final treasure will require everything we have."
On the stage, Elder Feng smiled as the bid was registered. "Seventy thousand from Room Two. Do we have seventy-five thousand?"
"Eighty thousand," a merchant on the floor called out.
"Ninety thousand," Ling Muyu’s voice projected from Room Seven. She had a keen interest in historical artifacts, and a work by Master Wan Go was worth collecting.
Inside Room Two, the Princess pressed her token. "One hundred thousand."
"One hundred and ten thousand," Ling Muyu countered calmly.
"One hundred and twenty thousand," the Princess bid, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked at their remaining ledger.
In Room Nine, Su Ming watched the bidding rise. He leaned forward, focusing his Essence Sight.
Su Ming’s vision bypassed the restrictive formation with ease. He stared at the unrolled scroll. Beneath the ordinary ink landscape, the starry patterns began to shift. Ethereal lines of golden light rippled across the paper, forming a complex network of tiny seals. The golden runes hummed, and Su Ming felt a faint resonance stir within his Void Dragon Soul.
This was no ordinary painting. It held secrets of space and time laws beneath the ink and complex seals invisible to normal eyes.
’I have to get it,’ Su Ming thought. He was beginning to wonder how to master and comprehend space and time-related laws to understand the Thunder-Fire Seed and his own soul constitution to refine his foundation.
It was the perfect item to aid his comprehension of space-time laws.
He reached for his token and spoke into the array. "One hundred and fifty thousand."
The sudden jump of thirty thousand spirit stones silenced the hall. The scholars and merchants on the floor looked toward Room Nine in disbelief. That room was dominating the auction once again.
In Room Eight, Shen Tianyu gritted his teeth, his hand slamming against the wooden table. "That Room Nine again! They have taken the seeds, the core, the alchemical slip, and now they dare to contest the painting? Do they have an endless mountain of spirit stones?"
"Calm yourself, Young Master," the advisor beside him warned. "Let them waste their money. Our targets lie elsewhere. Let them exhaust their funds."
Inside Room Two, the Princess stared at the communication screen, her fingers hovering over the bidding token.
"Lin Fan," she whispered, looking back at him. "Room Nine just bid one hundred and fifty thousand. If I bid higher, we might not be able to secure the imperial inheritance. We must keep our funds intact. I... I cannot bid anymore."
Lin Fan stared at the dark screen of Room Nine, his jaw tightening. A deep, instinctual resentment flared in his chest. Every time a good treasure appeared, that room interfered. Yet, he knew the Princess was right. Without the final map, his plans for the imperial inheritance would fall apart.
"Fine," Lin Fan gritted out, his voice tense. "Let them have it. But we must secure the map."
The Princess let out a sigh of relief and withdrew her hand.
"One hundred and fifty thousand spirit stones, going once," Elder Feng called out, his gavel raised. "Going twice."
*Bang!*
"Sold to Room Nine," the auctioneer announced.
In Room Nine, Su Ming relaxed into his chair. The painting was his. He had spent a massive portion of his funds, but his harvest was already exceeding his expectations.
***
On the stage, Elder Feng raised his hands, a broad smile stretching across his face as he looked around the packed hall. The excitement in the room was palpable.
"Honored guests," Elder Feng announced, his voice booming clearly over the murmurs. "Our grand auction is slowly drawing to its conclusion. Only three items remain in our vaults today. Each one is a pinnacle treasure of its kind. Let us proceed to the first of these final three."
The assistants quickly cleared the space, replacing the display stand with a heavy stone pedestal. Two attendants walked forward carrying a large, bronze artifact. It was a massive cauldron, its surface covered in ancient green luster and deep cracks that threatened to split the metal apart. Yet, as it was placed down, a thick, sweet scent of ancient herbs and spiritual pressure rolled over the front rows.
"This is the Kongtan Broken Cauldron," Elder Feng announced, his voice filled with pride. "Though cracked, it remains an authentic treasure of the Green Lotus Valley. The Alchemy intent sealed within the metal can stabilize spiritual flame and enhance the success rate of high-grade pill refinement. The bidding starts at one hundred thousand spirit stones."
In Room Nine, Su Ming looked at the massive bronze vessel and checked his remaining spirit stones. Having spent one hundred and fifty thousand on the painting, he had barely fifty thousand left. He could not even place a bid.
Yet, he felt entirely satisfied. He had already secured the good things from the auction. He leaned back, enjoying watching the others struggle.