Chapter 104. Rank 8 [4]
The banquet continued without further incident.
The earlier disturbance caused by Qin Xishu gradually faded into the background as music, laughter, and conversation once again filled the Lin Estate.
Guests toasted one another, merchants discussed future partnerships, and cultivators exchanged stories of their travels.
Even Qin Xishu kept her promise.
She remained quietly at her seat, speaking politely with those who approached her while making no attempt to draw near Lin Zhaoyue.
Only after everyone had eaten and drunk their fill did the servants begin clearing the tables.
The lively chatter slowly quietened and everyone knew what came next.
Lin Xuan slowly rose from his seat and instead of leaving Lin Zhaoyue behind, he simply scooped her into his arms.
She naturally wrapped an arm around his neck, showing not the slightest intention of getting down.
Some of the younger guests couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
Ignoring the amused gazes around him, Lin Xuan calmly walked onto the elevated platform with Lin Zhaoyue still in his arms, wrapped around him like a human jacket.
The moment he stepped onto the stage, the entire banquet hall fell silent once more.
Lin Xuan smiled faintly before sweeping his gaze across the hall.
"I believe, everyone has been waiting long enough."
A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd.
"Then, without further delay. Let the auction begin."
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the banquet hall.
Many of the guests had come for this very moment.
The banquet itself had been magnificent, but compared to the Pure Quality pills...
Everything else paled in comparison.
Lin Xuan gently raised a hand, and the applause gradually subsided.
An attendant stepped onto the platform carrying a jade tray.
Resting upon it were three crystal bottles, each containing ten flawless Golden Core Pills.
Even before the bottles were opened, the dense medicinal fragrance drifted across the banquet hall.
Many of the Golden Core cultivators unconsciously straightened in their seats.
Their eyes never left the pills.
Lin Xuan smiled faintly.
"As everyone already knows, today’s auction consists of Pure Quality Golden Core Pills."
He lifted one of the bottles.
"Each bottle contains ten pills. The quality has already been verified by the Royal Envoy himself."
As he spoke, the envoy nodded slightly.
"This envoy can testify that Patriarch Lin speaks the truth."
The acknowledgement from the royal envoy caused the final traces of doubt in everyone’s hearts to disappear.
Lin Xuan continued.
"There are only three bottles available and as for the rules, they’re very simple. Each bottle will be auctioned separately."
"The highest bidder wins and there is no reserve price."
The words "no reserve price" immediately stirred the crowd.
No reserve price?
That meant the bidding would be determined entirely by demand.
Lin Xuan slowly swept his gaze across the audience.
"I trust everyone present understands the value of Pure Quality pills. Therefore, I won’t waste everyone’s time explaining their effects."
A few guests laughed.
Indeed, anyone qualified to attend today’s banquet already knew exactly what they were bidding on.
Lin Xuan placed the bottle back onto the jade tray.
"In that case..."
He looked around the hall one final time.
"The auction for the first bottle of Pure Quality Golden Core Pills begins now."
In an instant bids began to be raised.
"One hundred thousand spirit stones!"
"One hundred and twenty thousand!"
"One hundred and fifty thousand!"
"Two hundred thousand!"
The price soared almost instantly, each bid drowning out the last as the entire banquet hall erupted into a frenzy.
Not a single person wanted to let the first bottle slip through their fingers.
"One million spirit stones."
Everyone instinctively turned toward its source.
It was an elder of the Shangguan Family.
He sat upright with an indifferent expression, as though spending one million spirit stones was nothing out of the ordinary.
The banquet hall fell briefly silent.
Many people exchanged helpless smiles.
As expected of a Rank Seven clan.
Only a force of that caliber could bid such an astronomical sum without even changing their expression.
The representatives seated nearby immediately cupped their fists.
"Congratulations, Elder."
"It seems the first bottle already belongs to the Shangguan Family."
The elder merely smiled faintly in response.
On the stage, Lin Xuan nodded before raising the auction hammer.
"One million spirit stones, going once."
"One million spirit stones, going twice."
Just as everyone thought the first bottle had already found its owner—
"Two million."
A clear, youthful voice drifted across the banquet hall.
The hall instantly fell into complete silence.
Even Lin Xuan paused with the hammer suspended in midair.
Every head snapped toward the source of the bid.
The one who had spoken was a little girl.
She appeared to be no older than eleven or twelve years old, dressed in elegant white robes embroidered with silver clouds.
Several guests stared blankly at her.
Then, someone’s eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait... Isn’t that Xu Qingyue?"
The name immediately sparked another uproar.
"The prodigy daughter of Xu Wenyuan?"
"What is she doing here?"
Just then, a deep voice suddenly rang out.
"Patriarch Lin."
Lin Xuan looked toward the speaker. It was Shangguan Zhengda.
The elder slowly rose to his feet before cupping his fists.
"Please forgive this old man for interrupting the auction."
His tone remained courteous.
"However, according to auction custom, a bidder should possess the means to honor their bid."
His gaze shifted toward the young girl dressed in white.
"Young Lady Xu appears to have arrived alone. I believe it would only be fair for Patriarch Lin to verify that she truly possesses two million spirit stones."
Several guests quietly nodded.
Although no one doubted the prestige of the Xu Family, the bidder before them was still a child.
Without an elder accompanying her, there was no guarantee she had the authority to spend such an enormous fortune.
Lin Xuan nodded slightly.
"Elder Shangguan raises a reasonable point."
He turned toward Xu Qingyue and spoke politely.
"Young Lady Xu, please do not misunderstand. Our auction follows the same rules for every guest. When placing a bid, the bidder must be able to produce the corresponding funds."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Furthermore, because you are still a minor, the Lin Family cannot accept your bid unless a trusted elder is willing to stand as your guarantor."
No one present found fault with his reasoning.
Lin Xuan slowly raised the auction hammer once more.
"If these conditions cannot be met..."
Just before he could bring the hammer down, a gentle voice drifted through the banquet hall.
"I’ll be her guarantor."
Everyone instinctively turned.
Qin Xishu slowly stood from her seat.
Her expression remained as relaxed as ever.
She smiled toward Lin Xuan before looking at Xu Qingyue.
"I’ll act as her supervising elder."
Without another word, she casually removed a spatial ring from her finger and with a flick of her wrist, the ring traced a graceful arc through the air before flying toward the stage.
Lin Xuan caught it effortlessly and Win Xishu smiled.
"Patriarch Lin. Go ahead and inspect it, If there’s not enough inside..."
She shrugged nonchalantly.
"You can pretend I never spoke."
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"But if there is..."
She glanced toward Xu Qingyue.
"Our bid remains, two million spirit stones."
The entire banquet hall fell silent once again.
Lin Xuan clicked his tongue inwardly.
So much for not causing trouble, he thought as he extended his spiritual sense into the spatial ring to inspect its contents.