The First Summoner - Chapter 59

“All right.”

Shen Yan nodded.

Jiang Xianyue studied her. “Yanyan, are pill formulas the only thing you want to bid on? I have some myself.”

“I want to bid on one myself.”

“Since you’ve said so, I’ll respect your choice. If I treat you too well, you’ll suspect I have an ulterior motive.” Jiang Xianyue smiled, then added, “I came to this auction to buy a few rare spiritual herbs and medicines.”

Something occurred to her. “Have you read any books about spiritual herbs?”

“A few.” Shen Yan remembered that she had read all the books on the subject in the Shen family library.

“Do you have a pill furnace?”

“Not yet.”

“After the auction, I’ll take you to buy one from a shop in the imperial capital.”

Shen Yan nodded. “Good.”

As they spoke, the auction began.

An elderly man in a gray robe appeared on the circular stage. Benevolent-looking and smiling faintly, he announced, “Welcome, honored guests, to the Xuanwu Auction.”

Applause immediately thundered.

Almost everyone showed their support. Of all the small kingdoms along the border of the Pingze Western Region, only Xuanwu Kingdom possessed an auction house.

Its status needed no explanation.

Shen Yan’s attention shifted to the crystal screen. The image swept across the many seats on the first floor, and she spotted Shen Xue’s party.

Without Jiang Xianyue, Shen Yan, Hongri, and the others would likely have sat there as well.

Jiang Xianyue asked curiously, “Yanyan, is that your older sister, Shen Xue?”

Shen Yan’s eyes darkened. “I have no older sister. Shen Xue is my enemy.”

Jiang Xianyue froze, then quickly guessed part of the story. She glanced at Shen Xue several times. In truth, she had disliked the woman at first sight. Shen Xue seemed far too calculating.

Her smile deepened. “Then how do you plan to get rid of her?”

Hongri and Yinyue listened in alarm. They clearly had not expected the Jiang family’s young lady to speak so directly.

They watched Shen Yan nervously.

“Before I leave Nanxiao Kingdom,” she answered blandly.

Both maids were stunned.

Tan Zhuang interjected, “Do you need Uncle Dazhuang’s help, Yanyan?”

Their hearts pounded even harder.

Killing intent flashed through Shen Yan’s eyes and vanished.

“No, Uncle Zhuang. I want to deal with her myself.”

“Very well.” Tan Zhuang smiled, approval warming his eyes.

As expected of Tianhao’s daughter!

Only then did Jiang Xianyue take closer notice of him. She regarded him warily and concluded his strength must be considerable.

…

The gray-robed auctioneer had already begun the bidding.

The first item was a Yellow-rank longsword with an opening price of one hundred taels of gold. Few people competed, and a young cultivator won it for two hundred and thirty.

Other items followed.

Although Shen Yan had little interest in them, she listened carefully to every introduction.

About fifteen minutes later, the auctioneer raised a bottle of skin-restoring ointment.

“Most cultivators care little about scars, but too many inevitably harm one’s appearance. This ointment was refined by our auction house’s third-grade master alchemist and is absolutely guaranteed. The bidding begins at one thousand taels of gold!”

Many female cultivators’ eyes lit.

“Eleven hundred!”

“Twelve hundred!”

“Fifteen hundred!”

“Two thousand taels!”

The hall fell silent.

Shen Xue had made the final bid. A gentle, proper smile rested on her lips, and she calmly nodded when others looked her way.

The ointment was valuable, but two thousand taels already exceeded what most people thought it worth.

The auctioneer smiled. “Any further bids?”

No one spoke.

“Two thousand once! Two thousand twice! Two thousand—”

A woman’s voice came from a second-floor room.

“Two thousand one hundred!”

Shen Xue’s smile froze. She looked toward the central room on the second floor, nails pressing into her palm. She had been so close!

The wound left when the Soul-Severing Spirit Vine struck her face in Lingyan Forest had not completely healed. Despite all the costly medicines she had applied, a faint scar remained on her cheek.

Anyone standing close could see it.

The auctioneer looked toward her. “Will anyone bid again?”

Seeing Shen Xue’s disappointment, Lu Shaohuai said tenderly, “Xue’er, I won’t let anyone take what you want!”

He raised a hand. “Two thousand five hundred!”

Shen Xue looked at him gratefully. “Thank you, Shaohuai.”

Nangong Jin ground his teeth. He had merely reacted too slowly, or Lu Shaohuai would never have gained a chance to show off.

“Hmph. A mere twenty-five hundred,” he said sourly.

“Two thousand six hundred!” the pleasant voice called again.

Recognition changed Shen Xue’s expression. “That’s Sister Yan’er’s voice…”

Tears welled in her eyes.

“Why must Sister Yan’er target me at every turn?”

Seeing his beloved woman cry, Nangong Jin flew into a rage. He hated that worthless Shen Yan and immediately shouted, “Three thousand taels!”

The hall erupted.

Everyone stared at them. The ointment was worth at most two thousand, yet they had raised it to three!

“That’s Nangong Jin, Crown Prince of Nanxiao Kingdom. The woman in white is Shen Xue, the Shen family’s eldest young lady!”

“Shen Xue is a genius, and her younger brother Shen Huai is even more exceptional…”

“I heard that worthless Shen Yan severed ties with the family. What a joke!”

“Did the Crown Prince spend three thousand taels for Shen Xue? As expected of His Highness.”

Once Nangong Jin’s reason returned, regret struck him. But the admiring discussion soothed the pain of the expense.

Shen Xue’s lips curved with pleasure.

Then—

“Three thousand one hundred taels!”