Xia Tao
As we approached the city, I spotted a massive building ahead—truly gigantic, like a colossal tin can or maybe a covered coliseum. The roof had several platforms that jutted out in the shape of cat ears (anyone who's seen the famous opera house in Sydney might get the picture—those roofs really do resemble cat ears). An unusual structure. The last time I'd seen this city, that building hadn't been there, so it must have been constructed recently, probably just for the auction. Say what you want about this world, but they build quickly and sturdy—that much is undeniable.
We approached one of the upper platforms on top of the building. Aside from us, I noticed a few other clouds floating toward the same area. On the cloud closest to ours, I spotted people dressed in strange, unfamiliar red garments. There were even children with them. Odd—why bring children to an auction? One of the girls in particular caught my eye; she was staring at me with a strange intensity, her expression flickering through a series of emotions—surprise, joy, something close to hatred, and then… utter confusion. A strange girl, indeed. Next to her, another child waved a hand in front of her face, as if snapping her out of a daze.
I felt an odd chill run down my spine as I looked at her. There was no reason for it—I didn't know her. So why did I have this strange, nagging feeling of familiarity? Well, no matter. We'd probably never cross paths again.
"This way, please. These are the special entrances for VIP guests," our guide announced, directing us toward one of the "ears."
As we drifted toward the entrance, Zhen Yinglong leaned over, frowning slightly. "Strange girl. Do you know her?"
I shook my head, still a bit unsettled. "I think not" I replied thoughtfully.
"She seemed like she knew you" Zhen Yinglong murmured, her gaze still lingering on the strange girl.
"Who were they?" I asked the Blue Mist Elder, who was escorting us.
"Judging by their attire, those were people from the Red Forest Mountain Palace. Quite influential neighbors in our region," he replied in a neutral tone, betraying no particular opinion.
We moved inside through the "ear" entrance, a private passage reserved for VIPs. Ahaha, watching Mei stumble along unsteadily was an endless source of amusement. Where was the proud, dignified Mei we all knew? Sneaking up behind her, I placed a hand on her waist and spoke just loud enough for everyone around, including the elder, to hear.
"Is everything all right, Elder Mei? You seem… unsettled today" I said, smiling. She shot me a look of pure, innocent resentment. I hadn't seen that expression from her in ages—utterly priceless.
"Everything is fine, Xia Tao" she replied, voice strained. "Just a bit of… stomach trouble."
Smirking, I subtly amplified the vibration of the little "ornaments" she was carrying, feeling her tense beside me. "Well, then. Onward to the auction!" I declared, striding forward cheerfully as the elder cast a curious glance back at us—and at the silent golem who hadn't uttered a word all morning.
We descended a small staircase and entered a spacious VIP box with a balcony. It was large enough to comfortably seat ten people, offering an excellent view of the stage far below. The perfect vantage point for an event like this.
"Unfortunately, this is where I must take my leave" the elder said, bowing politely. He then turned to the golem, his expression respectful. "Honored guest, would you mind accompanying me? I'll only take a moment of your time."
The golem inclined his head silently and followed the elder out, leaving the rest of us in the VIP box.
Turning back to us, the Blue Mist Elder added "Attendants will be here shortly to explain everything you need to know. I'll return your honored guest shortly." With that, he left the room, the golem following silently behind him. As soon as the door closed, the silence was interrupted by a quiet, muffled groan.
"Ahhh…" The sound was immediately followed by the metallic clink of something hitting the floor, and then another metallic clink a second later. The sudden noise rang out like thunder in the stillness, and for a moment, I was as confused as everyone else. But then, as the realization hit, an uncontrollable grin spread across my face.
Looks like Mei finally couldn't hold on any longer, and something… fell.
I couldn't hold back my laughter. "Ahahahahaha!"
"And what—" Zhen Yinglong began, but Mei whipped around to glare at her, eyes blazing despite the slight tremors still running through her. Ooooh, she was really struggling.
"It's nothing," Mei said, her voice back to its usual steady tone, though her ears were burning red—bright as beets, as were her cheeks.
"Here, let me take care of that" I said with a smirk, summoning the metal balls to me and tucking them away. The room settled into a tense silence, with everyone else clearly baffled by what had just happened. Only Mei and I seemed to understand, creating a strange, awkward atmosphere.
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in" I called out, quickly composing myself.
The door opened, and two attractive young women in the attire of inner-circle disciples entered. Despite our group being dressed in outer-circle robes mostly, they showed no trace of disdain or arrogance in their expressions.
"Good evening, esteemed guests" one of them said politely. "My name is ..., and this is .... We will be your attendants for the evening. If you need anything, please let us know. For now, we'll give you a brief tour of the box."
They proceeded to show us around the VIP box, explaining the various features. Each table and chair had a small compartment where one could channel spiritual energy or press a button to summon assistance. They informed us that once the auction began, we could either watch from the balcony or view a projection on the wall—a kind of "spirit screen." I was genuinely impressed.
They also explained that we wouldn't need to shout our bids like other guests, but we can if we want. VIP boxes had the option to relay bids discreetly through an attendant, who would then communicate them via a specialized artifact. All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the level of comfort and convenience. I'd thought cultivation realms were solely focused on strength and asceticism, but it seemed they made room for a little luxury too, even if just a touch.
They also handed us brochures listing the items up for auction tonight. Shortly afterward, the golem returned and informed us that we'd been allocated a spending limit of 35 million spirit gems from our future sales. We decided to sell two of them strictly for gems, while we'd consider possible exchanges for the remaining two.
Considering that one spirit gem was equivalent to 1,000 spirit stones, the amount felt astronomical. When we first arrived at the sect, we only had the equivalent of a million stones to our name. But then again, we were "country bumpkins" as they say—hailing from a small city where my clan held some influence but nothing major by sect standards. Perhaps this amount wasn't as immense as it seemed; maybe it only felt that way because we weren't used to dealing with sums on this scale. Either way, we'd soon find out.
As I flipped through the brochure, my excitement grew. There were so many intriguing items: a variety of techniques, including sword cultivation and body-cultivation techniques; artifacts from fascinating places like the Black Wasteland; alchemical recipes; and even a few ancient tomes. My eyes practically sparkled with the possibilities.
After a while, one of the attendants returned and announced that the auction was about to begin. She asked if we preferred to participate from the balcony or remain in the lounge and use her assistance for placing our bids.
We decided to go with the latter option. No point in showing our faces if we didn't have to, and why bother with shouting and squinting at the stage when we could handle everything from the comfort of our private box?
A minute later, the lights dimmed, and a beautiful woman in an evening gown stepped onto the stage. A spotlight illuminated her as the rest of the hall fell into a soft darkness.
"Good evening, everyone," she began, her voice smooth and inviting. "My name is..."