The auction was about to start, and amidst the enthusiasm of the blue-clad auctioneer, several items were quickly auctioned off at high prices, including the magical core of an eighth-level magical beast.
For mages, magical cores are indispensable for cultivation, spellcasting, and many other aspects.
Although an eighth-level magical core pales in comparison to a ninth-level one, it was still a rare sight in the auction.
Zhao Wan couldn't help but stare, but she refrained from bidding, perhaps because the price was too high, and she didn't want her brother to overspend.
As the eighth-level magical core was sold, Zhao Wan couldn't help but sigh lightly, but being a lively girl, she quickly shrugged it off and moved on. Indeed, she was quite an open-minded girl.
Chu Xuan felt a bit reluctant. After exchanging a mysterious smile with Xiao Yu, who was peeling oranges for him, Xiao Yu nodded understandingly and continued to focus on the auction below.
Zhao Wan kept her eyes glued to the proceedings, even holding the fruits peeled by Xiao Yu without eating them.
One item after another was auctioned off, and Chu Xuan roughly calculated that the total amount bid might already be close to a million gold, with less than half of the auction time elapsed.
Seeing this, Chu Xuan couldn't help but nod in approval.
"Xuan ge..." Suddenly, Zhao Wan turned to Chu Xuan, her eyes flashing strangely. She said, "Are all these people outside so wealthy? I heard from my father and mother that the annual expenditure of so many people in the palace is only three or four hundred thousand gold."
With a slight pout, Zhao Wan added, "As a princess, I only have three thousand gold per month!"
Three thousand gold per month was indeed not much...
Chu Xuan couldn't help but smile wryly. "My dear sister, do you know how much an average family of three spends in a month? Even the better-off ones might only have around a hundred gold! Your three thousand gold is quite a lot!"
"I know! But I just feel like... I seem like a pauper compared to those people out there!"
Zhao Wan gestured around the elegant rooms and the people below frantically bidding.
"They..." Chu Xuan really didn't know how to comfort her.
In his previous life as an assassin, he didn't interact much with ordinary people, and in this life as the Crown Prince, there weren't many people he could comfort.
"Miss Wan..." At this moment, Xiao Yu spoke up, "You can't think like that! Although they may have money, what does that matter? You're the Moon Princess of our Qingyun Empire. In terms of status, even ten or a hundred of them combined can't compare to you, right?"
"Humph! That's right!"
Hearing this, Zhao Wan regained some of her haughty demeanor, raising her chin. "These people better not be making money by exploiting ordinary folks, or else I'll make them know the power of this princess! Hehe..."
"Next, please pay attention. Up next is an eighth-level divine weapon, very short, only two inches!"
At this moment, the auctioneer's voice suddenly rose, drawing everyone's attention to the auction stage.
He took a tray from a woman in a qipao behind him, and then slowly unveiled the red cloth covering it...
Inside the tray was a short blade, indeed only two inches long. It shimmered with a faint blue light, as if it were surrounded by liquid.
Moreover, as soon as this item appeared, it seemed to increase the water attribute energy in the entire auction hall, eliciting continuous exclamations from the crowd.
"So beautiful!"
Zhao Wan admired the shimmering blade, clearly pleased.
However, she didn't notice the fleeting surprise in Chu Xuan's eyes when he saw the blue blade. Almost simultaneously...
"Meow..."
Little White, who had been curled up obediently on the chair, suddenly leaped to the window, gazing at the blue blade in the auctioneer's hand and meowing softly. Its claws scratched the window, showing great excitement.
Fortunately, the window was specially made, so no one from outside could see inside, or they would have been surprised at the sight.
Seeing this, Chu Xuan couldn't help but smile bitterly and glanced at Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu stuck out her tongue and said, "Master, this was arranged by Miss. She..."
"Is that so..."
Chu Xuan really didn't know what to say, but fortunately, this item wasn't too valuable. Even if it was exposed, it wouldn't matter much.
"Alright, Little White, come back!"
Chu Xuan waved his hand, and after a soft "meow," Little White leaped into his arms, continuing to mew plaintively and rubbing its head against Chu Xuan's arm, looking very aggrieved.
"I bid eighty thousand gold!"
"One million!"
"One million five hundred thousand!"
"One million eight hundred thousand!"
... The bidding continued, quickly reaching nearly two million gold.
Chu Xuan listened in astonishment, and Xiao Yu also looked slightly surprised.
Little White, however, didn't care about such matters. It continued to mew plaintively in Chu Xuan's arms, even rubbing its head against his arm, appearing quite pitiful.
"Xuan ge..."
Suddenly snapping out of her astonishment from the bidding, Zhao Wan asked, "Xuan ge, what's wrong with Little White?"
"It's nothing. This little guy just likes to be pampered by me!"
Chu Xuan smiled and rubbed Xiao Yu's ear, saying, "Isn't that right, Little White?"
"Meow..."
Little White, despite its dissatisfaction in the room, continued to meow softly and even jumped into Xiao Yu's arms, licking her hand. Xiao Yu immediately breathed a sigh of relief, wearing a happy smile.
"Alright, don't think too much about it! Shall we leave?" Chu Xuan suggested.
"..."
Hearing the suggestion to leave, Zhao Wan hesitated. This was her first time attending an auction, after all.
"Let's go!"
Finally, Zhao Wan gritted her teeth and made the decision to leave.
The three of them didn't say much more, opening the door of the elegant room and leaving with the farewell of two maids outside.
Outside, the sky had darkened, but it was still as lively as during the day. Many people were waiting outside the auction house, hoping to be the first to know the auction results.
With Chu Xuan holding Little White and Zhao Wan tightly holding his arm, Xiao Yu walked beside them with a graceful smile, as if they were a perfect match, resembling a prince and princess.
However, the journey back home was not so peaceful.
As they walked along a secluded path, Chu Xuan's lips curled up slightly, and he calmly said, "Since you're here, why not show yourselves? It seems you're determined to kill me!!"