The next item up for auction was a collection of weapons, armor, and basic tools for scholars, such as spiritual paper and other rare items. It might seem amusing, but spiritual paper is actually quite valuable. The trees used to produce it are extremely rare and can only be found in dangerous areas deep within the forest.
Interestingly, being a scholar in this remote, mundane region—the Low Peak Mountain—is not looked down upon. In fact, scholars are respected for their dedication.
Xenon had no interest in bidding on these items until something caught his attention—a pen called the Oracle Pen. It was an exquisite and elegant pen, the kind every scholar would desire. And Xenon wanted it too.
"5 gold coins!"
"10 gold coins!"
"20 gold coins!" a young woman's voice suddenly called out.
The voice came from VIP Room No. 2, belonging to the Narhan Clan. Naturally, the bidder was Katrina, the daughter of the Narhan Clan's patriarch.
It seemed the young lady had her eyes on the Oracle Pen as well.
The scholars bidding on the item could only lower their heads and withdraw. None dared challenge the Narhan Clan.
Inside the black-tainted VIP Room No. 2, the Narhan Clan Patriarch turned to his daughter.
"Katrina, do you really need that pen?" he asked.
Katrina immediately shook her head. "It's for Sister Iris, Father," she explained. "She asked me to buy it for her."
The patriarch nodded in understanding. His niece Iris was a genius scholar, and anything she desired was worth acquiring.
Confident that no one else would challenge her bid, Katrina relaxed. After all, the only ones interested in the pen were scholars, not other powerful clans. But then—
"500 gold coins!"
The words echoed through the hall, stunning everyone. Katrina's eyes darted to the direction of the voice.
It came from the silver-privilege section, where a young man dressed in luxurious robes sat calmly.
"600 gold coins!" Katrina gritted her teeth as she placed a new bid. She had planned to save her funds for later items but now found herself forced to spend 600 gold coins on the Oracle Pen. It wasn't by choice—it was for Sister Iris.
Her sister had only given her 100 gold coins for the bid, assuming it would be enough. Who could have predicted someone would bid 500 gold coins for an item worth no more than 30?
"1,000 gold coins!"
Xenon's voice rang out again, silencing the entire hall.
The crowd was stunned.
This young man was unbelievably wealthy. At first, they thought he spent 1,000 gold coins earlier on the Springbloom pear out of necessity, but now he was bidding the same exorbitant amount for a pen worth a fraction of that price!
Even the city guardians and elders turned to look at Xenon. None of them, despite their wealth, would spend so recklessly.
Katrina was at a loss.
"Father, can you help me with this?" she pleaded.
The Narhan Clan Patriarch sighed and turned his gaze toward Xenon.
If it were only for his daughter, he wouldn't have bothered with something so trivial. However, this Oracle Pen was for his niece, and her background was no simple matter. Though she was merely a scholar and not a martial practitioner, her father specifically the patriarch's older brother—was a powerful figure.
"Young friend," the patriarch said calmly, addressing Xenon, "could you grant us this Oracle Pen? If you do, the Narhan Clan will be deeply grateful. We can even forge a friendship between our clans."
Xenon turned to look at the Narhan Patriarch. Slowly, he raised his hand—then extended his middle finger.
"Fuck you."