Chapter 28: Auction
"The crowds were tightly packed, like a surge of people."
In Yunzhong City, Lin Jiang looked at the crowd in front of him and couldn't help but feel amazed. This centennial celebration had attracted countless cultivators to come. It made Yunzhong City extremely crowded.
How crowded did it get? All the restaurants and inns in Yunzhong City were completely full, even the ones that were temporarily converted and the homestays were also full. Some of the restaurants and inns outside of Yunzhong City were also full.
In the streets, there were so many people, even in normally quiet areas. The guard teams in Yunzhong City couldn't patrol on foot anymore. They had to use flying patrols instead. The Nascent Soul cultivators who were guarding the city remained alert at all times. They constantly scanned the entire city with their senses to deter any troublemakers.
The spring came for the street vendors. When Lin Jiang arrived at the big market, Zhang Ruifeng and his sister, along with the beautiful young woman, had their stalls filled with people. It seemed that they were doing really well.
Lin Jiang took out a special pendant and immediately people started asking about its price. This pendant, called a spiritual talisman, was considered a top-quality item at this big market. It was even better than the ones used by more advanced practitioners. Those items were usually not found at the market and were mostly traded in official stores.
Soon, Lin Jiang's stall was also crowded with people. He attracted a big group who were interested in his product. Naturally, Lin Jiang didn't want to lower the price. Bargain deals were more common in official stores and didn't really apply to him and other small vendors.
In less than two hours, Lin Jiang sold all the hundreds of spiritual talismans he had prepared, so he decided to call it a day.
"Taoist friend Liu, the city of Yunzhong is now overcrowded, mostly by people at the Qi Refining Period. Their demand for food has skyrocketed. I suggest you go back and bring some food to sell. You might make even more money. You can give it a try."
Lin Jiang was ready to leave, and kindly mentioned to the beautiful young woman, "Haven't you noticed how all the food vendors at the market are extremely busy?"
"Oh no, how did I forget about this?"
The beautiful young woman slapped her head and suddenly felt enlightened. Even if she sold all those talismans and similar items, she wouldn't earn many spirit stones. But the demand for food was much higher. Even cultivators in the Qi Refining Period had to eat, just like ordinary people. With hundreds of thousands of Qi Refining Period cultivators coming in, this would take a long time.
"Thank you, Brother Jiang."
Zhang Ruifeng, who was standing nearby, also heard it. He immediately thanked Lin Jiang with a beaming smile. He accepted it faster and quickly ran off, probably to tell his family. Tomorrow he would sell food.
Lin Jiang smiled and then left. Selling food would definitely be more profitable, but he wasn't planning to do it. The reason was simply laziness. Food service was always tiring.
Lin Jiang went to find the second-hand traders to buy information. During the grand festival in Yunzhong City, there were thousands of businesses, each offering their own preferential measures and holding numerous auctions. Some were organized by several businesses together, while others were held by a single business. For example, Duobao Pavilion, supported by the Cloud Sword Sect, had the strength to hold large-scale auctions without the need for alliances.
It was precisely because there were so many auctions and the like that a new business emerged: the second-hand traders who bought and sold information. They would specifically visit various businesses and then consolidate their activities to sell to those in need. It wasn't expensive, just one spirit stone.
"Duobao Pavilion three-day event details..."
"Four Seas Trading Company joins seven businesses..."
Lin Jiang got some news and started reading it carefully. He couldn't participate in most of the activities of the major trading companies because they required a certain status called "Qi Refining Period." Even if he went, he wouldn't be able to afford anything. The auctions for items of "golden core" and "Nascent Soul" levels would start from tens of thousands of spirit stones, which he couldn't afford to join.
Lin Jiang focused on the "Qi Refining" and "Building foundation" levels. There were many activities for this level since there were a lot of people at this level in the cultivation world. With more people, there would be more profit.
"On the sixth day, there will be a special auction for martial arts and secret techniques, which is what I need. But I need to prove my qualifications, which is five thousand spirit stones."
Lin Jiang quickly found the information he needed. Eight medium-sized trading companies, led by the Four Seas Trading Company, would hold an auction for martial arts and secret techniques on the sixth day.
These companies had even come up with a way to screen precise customers by checking their qualifications. If you didn't have money, then don't get involved. However, Lin Jiang was fine in this regard. He had brought about fifty thousand spirit stones with him. In the past two years, he had struggled to make ends meet, but recently, he had made a small profit and had over forty thousand spirit stones. After selling off the spiritual talismans in his possession, fifty thousand would barely be enough.
Moreover, he had some valuable items with him. He still had the Green Rock Pill given by Lin Ying, which he hadn't sold yet. Lin Jiang had inquired about the price of the Green Rock Pill. It was very expensive, and most of the time, people traded items for it instead of using spirit stones. If it were to be calculated in spirit stones, it would be worth at least eighty thousand or more. Perhaps at the auction, it could even sell for a higher price.
On the second day of the festival, Lin Jiang sold all of his spiritual talismans early in the morning and then went to the Duobao Pavilion. However, he had changed his appearance and disguised himself as a newcomer to give the impression that he was coming for the first time. He declared that he had items to auction.
When the Duobao Pavilion heard that Lin Jiang had the Green Rock Pill for auction, they became enthusiastic. The responsible steward checked the information and decided to include the Green Rock Pill in today's auction.
This way, Lin Jiang got a ticket to tonight's auction and participated in the Duobao Pavilion's auction for the day.
The grand auditorium, which can accommodate 500 people, was completely full. Lin Jiang sat in the corner, watching the auction on stage. There were many great items being auctioned, which made Lin Jiang drool with desire. Unfortunately, he couldn't afford to buy anything.
This auction was mainly attended by Foundation Building Period cultivators, with only a few Qi Refining Period cultivators present. The items being auctioned were mostly in demand by Foundation Building Period cultivators, so naturally, the prices were high.
"Now, we will proceed to auctioning the first highlight item. It is a Green Rock Pill. I believe everyone knows the effects of the Green Rock Pill. It can extend one's lifespan by twenty years and its medicinal effects can surpass most other longevity treasures. Even if someone has taken some common longevity treasures, this pill can still be effective."
"This pill has been appraised by an expert from Duobao Pavilion. Its medicinal effects are well-preserved, though twenty years may not be guaranteed, eighteen years should definitely be achievable. So, we will start the bidding at a minimum price of seventy thousand spirit stones, with increments of no less than one thousand spirit stones. Let the auction begin."
"Seventy-five thousand."
"Seventy-six thousand."
"Eighty thousand."
As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, people immediately started bidding. Lin Jiang had owned this Green Rock Pill for quite some time, so some of its medicinal effects had worn off, but not by much. More than ninety percent of its effectiveness remained.
The key was that longevity treasures were extremely rare. Whether it was a faction or an individual, most people who had such treasures would keep them for personal use. After all, no one would want to have fewer years of life. That was why the number of these treasures circulating in the market was extremely scarce.
In the blink of an eye, the price rose to a hundred thousand spirit stones. At this point, there were only three people still bidding, but their offers were not as fierce. They were adding a thousand each time.
When the final price reached one hundred and twenty thousand, no one shouted any more bids. It wasn't worth going any higher, as nobody knew if there would be any more treasures available.
However, in the end, Lin Jiang only got a hundred and fourteen thousand spirit stones. The remaining six thousand were taxes and fees, split between the auctioneer and the bidders, totaling twelve thousand, which was ten percent of the total cost.
Holding the spirit stones, Duobao Pavilion's people escorted Lin Jiang through a secret passage. This was to protect Lin Jiang, otherwise he would surely be targeted. During festivals like this, Yunzhong City would have many criminals and who knew how many people would be waiting outside, hoping to prey on unsuspecting victims.
If one were to venture outside the city after a few months, there would probably be a mountain of bones. This was the brutality of the cultivation world. Even though it was dangerous, it could not stop the surging crowd of people. It was still uncertain whether these people were robbers or easy targets.
On the third day, Lin Jiang already heard discussions about the tragic events outside the city at the crowded market. There were already hundreds of bodies discovered by Yunzhong City guards alone.
"Taoist friend Jiang, the outskirts of the city have been too dangerous these days. Can I seek refuge at your place for a few days?"
The beautiful young woman, with her enchanting eyes, timidly looked at Lin Jiang. She lived outside the city and had to commute daily, which was extremely risky.
"I'm sorry, Taoist friend Liu, it's not very convenient."
"Taoist Friend Jiang, I simply desire a place to settle, with no other intentions."
"Go ask Zhang Ruifeng, his sister Zhang Ruifang also lives alone, you can share with her."
Lin Jiang refused again, he didn't consider himself a noble person and couldn't play the role of Liuxia Hui. Living together as a man and a woman, accidents were bound to happen.
Lin Jiang felt he had his limits, he would never get involved with someone close to him. Besides, he knew the nature of this beautiful young woman. If he got tangled up with her, he might not be able to escape. There was a beautiful forest in front of him, why hang himself on one tree?
Rejected several times, the beautiful young woman stomped her foot in anger. But Lin Jiang remained firm, so she didn't have the courage to continue bothering him. She really went to find Zhang Ruifeng, who immediately agreed, but he wanted money. He wouldn't do it without money.
On this day, Lin Jiang quickly sold out the spiritual talismans. He had prepared stock for two weeks, but it sold out in three days. Lin Jiang regretted not preparing more. This kind of prosperous time only came once in a lifetime. If this opportunity was missed, the store would be gone.
Fortunately, there were still plenty of materials for drawing symbols. Lin Jiang immediately rushed back home and started working overtime on drawing symbols. What the heck was he drawing? He was drawing money.
In the blink of an eye, several days had passed. The auction for Four Seas Trading Company's secret martial arts techniques began. Lin Jiang arrived at the auction venue early, ready to acquire an advanced martial art tonight.
