Is It Money? . . .
At that moment, the soothing voice of Wan-Er resonated from the Sky No. 1 Room, addressing the anxieties in the room. "My master came out here for a change of pace and leisure. He had no intention of making any purchases. Our actions were solely in response to the excessive behavior of the two great sects. We couldn't tolerate their behavior, so we decided to take action."
Wan-Er couldn't help but chuckle as she continued, "You may not be aware, but it's been a while since Master Bai personally organized an event like this. The fact that he took the time to arrange this spectacle for those two sects is quite a stroke of luck for them."
Her words elicited laughter from the crowd.
"Hahahaha..."
"…Hahaha, you're absolutely right! Lady Wan-Er, that was a brilliant point! Excellent speech!"
Lady Wan of the Clouds had finally lightened the mood, and who could resist laughing along?
Nobody dared not to.
Many of them nearly strained their throats, attempting to convey their genuine appreciation.
"…So, let's continue with the auction as planned. Bid for whatever you desire. The troublemakers are gone, and no one will disrupt the fairness of the proceedings any longer. You shouldn't have any reservations now, should you?"
Wan-Er assured the crowd, "My master and I are here solely as observers. That was the case before, and it remains so now. Please don't be concerned. We might even leave later..."
The crowd erupted in cheers, with words of flattery pouring out of their mouths.
"The illustrious Master Bai!"
"Thank you, Lady Wan-Er! Thank you, Master Bai! You've made this auction peaceful and heartwarming!"
"Master Bai and Lady Wan-Er have put in so much effort for us. I am deeply touched and on the verge of tears..."
"That's right. If it weren't for Master Bai and Lady Wan-Er intervening, the situation would be in utter chaos."
"Indeed, the great sects were becoming far too aggressive. Lady Wan-Er's actions were simply an act of justice. It's quite fleeting. When I return home, I'll host a feast in gratitude for your kindness!"
"Absolutely! Count me in!"
…
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but roll his eyes as he looked at these people. He felt as though ten thousand alpacas were charging through his heart.
"What a bunch of fawning hypocrites!"
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but be astounded by the sudden change in attitude among the attendees. Just moments ago, they were frightened out of their wits, and now they were eager to curry favor. Their obsequiousness and excessive praise left him incredulous, considering their esteemed positions in the Land of Han-Yang.
"What's all this nonsense about 'Master Bai making our auction peaceful and warm'?" Cha Eun Xiao thought to himself. "I did!"
He scoffed at their talk of holding feasts and quickly dismissed it. "Feast? What's the point? You should focus on calming your jittery hearts first. A feast won't change anything."
Despite his disdain, the auction continued as before. It was in full swing, much to the surprise of the auctioneer, Master Guan Wanshan.
"What's gotten into these people?" Cha Eun Xiao wondered. "I merely said, 'supreme-level Bone Ablutionary Dan bead, one piece, starting at…' and they started bidding like mad!"
The bids soared rapidly, and within seconds, the price had already reached a staggering 450 million.
People in the crowd exchanged glances, baffled by the sudden frenzy.
Guan Wanshan, the auction master, was taken aback. He struggled to keep up with the rapid bidding. "450 million is the current price. Anyone willing to go higher? It's a supreme-level Bone Ablutionary Dan bead, a truly rare find... Um, it's a rare find now that we can actually see it. The first bid at 450 million... Going once... Going twice... If there are no higher bids, this dan bead will go to... Wait, what was the last bid?"
The bidding had been so chaotic and swift that even the seasoned auctioneer, Guan Wanshan, couldn't recall who had made the last bid. It had all happened too quickly and chaotically.
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but shake his head at the madness unfolding before him. It seemed some attendees believed that by spending vast sums of money, they might earn a measure of favor from "Master Bai."
"Maybe if I spend a fortune, Master Bai will think I'm clever and take notice of me," he mused, though the idea struck him as absurd.
Cha Eun Xiao couldn't help but entertain some peculiar thoughts as the auction unfolded before him. He considered the possibility that even if "Master Bai" didn't take a particular interest in him, it would still be advantageous if the House of the Chaotic Storms didn't cause any trouble for him.
He pondered, "What if Master Bai doesn't pay attention to those who bid but rather focuses on those who don't? If I abstain from bidding, will that make me stand out too much?"
However strange these musings might be, they didn't deter anyone from aggressively participating in the bidding. They were determined to ensure that "Master Bai" enjoyed the auction thoroughly.
As bids flew in left and right, the attendees seemed eager for Cha Eun Xiao's approval or attention.
"This could be my chance to catch Master Bai's eye," they thought, fostering the hope that they might gain some recognition.
The auction was rapidly becoming a historic event in the Land of Han-Yang, breaking all previous records. Even Wan Zhenghao, the auctioneer, was taken aback by the unprecedented enthusiasm.
He couldn't help but wonder, "What on earth is happening here? I understand that supreme dan beads are valuable, even precious treasures. But this level of demand is unheard of. We've had multiple instances of the same items today, which typically lowers their prices due to oversaturation. For instance, the Bone Ablutionary Dan, with a top price of 300 million, could indeed command a higher price in an auction, but given the number of Bone Ablutionary Dan beads today, it should logically lower the price. Yet, inexplicably, it keeps rising.
"Why has the price gone up so dramatically? A dan bead that's typically valued at 20 million taels is now reaching 100 million. That's reasonable. Fine. But the highest bid for a Bone Ablutionary Dan, which should top out at 480 million, has climbed to 600 million!
"Is this some sort of economic inflation? Has the value of money suddenly plummeted, or have I miscalculated something?"
Wan Zhenghao was left feeling bewildered, as if his head had been struck by mountains of gold. The whole auction was a mesmerizing display of wealth, with everything around him appearing as if it were made of pure gold.
"There are hundreds of dan beads on sale today!" Wan Zhenghao marveled. "The lowest price for these dan beads is 60 million, and the highest is a staggering 2.5 billion. Half of them are worth approximately 700 million each. Is this even about money anymore? What are we talking about here?"