Chapter 59: There’s Nothing I Can’t Buy

Chapter 59: Chapter 59: There’s Nothing I Can’t Buy

Holding the invitation, Feng Si walked up and smoothly entered the Jade Tower Scripture. Inside the double doors, the space was clean and bright, filled with the scent of pine.

A sub-female in gray at the entrance immediately approached, glanced at her invitation, and then bowed, leading her to a small table.

Feng Si did not remove her cloak. Using the bright light, she tilted her head to survey the auction house.

The hall was already more than half full. Her seat was in the middle of the main floor. The upper level likely held private rooms, their views obscured by beaded curtains.

Directly ahead was a raised, semi-circular display stage. Since the auction had not yet begun, it was completely empty.

Feng Si had arrived fairly early, but others had come even earlier. They were already in the midst of lively discussions. The seats in the hall were close together, and voices from a nearby table drifted over.

"Have you guys heard? Lord Ying Kong has been appearing frequently in Cang City lately. I heard he’s helping that certain individual look for something!" The deliberately lowered voice came from a brown-haired Beastman at the next table, his face full of excitement.

"I asked my good buddy in the City Guard Team. He said the Lord has practically turned all of Cang City upside down several times already but still hasn’t found what he’s looking for." A gray-haired Beastman’s eyes widened as he spoke of the incident.

"It’s probably not for that individual. What do you think the Lord is looking for? What could possibly be in a poor, remote place like Cang City?" The first Beastman turned around to join the conversation.

’That certain individual? Is it related to the Jade Pendant...’

An inexplicable worry began to stir in Feng Si. But the ones speaking were all male beasts, and she didn’t want to attract any attention, so she remained in her seat, listening to their discussion without a change in expression.

"That I don’t know. The Beastmen in the army are tight-lipped and haven’t revealed anything. But didn’t the Qiong Jade Building release news last month that a peerless treasure had been found here? Could it be related to that?" the brown-haired Beastman speculated matter-of-factly.

Feng Si silently lowered her head. ’A peerless treasure? Don’t tell me it’s the Jade Pendant I sold.’

"Definitely not."

The gray-haired Beastman quickly denied it, shaking his head with an air of insight. "Even if it’s precious, it’s just an inanimate object. With Lord Ying Kong’s status, what could he possibly lack? Why would he ignore the Advanced Females and delay his trip to Pantian City?"

"You have to understand, even with the postponement of the New Beast King’s coronation, the annual banquet is still the prime time for females to choose high-level male beast partners. Therefore, Lord Ying Kong is definitely not looking for a female!"

Feng Si rested a hand on the Incubator on her chest, completely uninterested in a banquet that symbolized a female’s status. ’After all, I already have a little one on the way.’

As she was lost in the nervous yet expectant emotions of a new mother, the male beasts’ mention of females caused the tone of their conversation to turn a bit sleazy:

"Yeah... I wish I could score a night with an Advanced Female one day..."

"Pfft, look at your own rank. You think you’re worthy? Unless you manage to buy that green jade tonight. Maybe one of those females would give you a chance for the sake of the gift."

"So much money! I’d better just dream on. A single corner of that Jade Pendant is worth more than I’ll make in a lifetime..."

This exchange struck Feng Si like a bolt of lightning, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on the edge of her cloak.

’Never reveal your wealth!’

’If I win the bid for the Jade Pendant out here and everyone sees me, wouldn’t that be the same as waving a gold block around on the street?’

Feng Si suddenly felt she couldn’t stay in the main hall a moment longer. She immediately stood up, her gaze falling on a gray-clothed sub-female attendant in a corner of the hall, and walked over quickly. "Hello, it’s too noisy in the hall. How can I move to a private room?"

The gray-clothed sub-female turned to look at her.

Here at the Jade Tower Scripture, getting into a private room wasn’t difficult. One simply had to pay a deposit. A seat in the main hall cost one hundred thousand coins, while a private room required a deposit of one million coins. This deposit could then be applied to any winning bids.

But...

’This sub-female wrapped in a black robe doesn’t look very wealthy at first glance...’

Without a change in expression, Feng Si lifted her hand and pressed something into the attendant’s palm.

"You’re in luck. An esteemed guest just sent a servant to return their number." The gray-clothed sub-female smiled, feeling the two thousand coins in their hand.

Next, the gray-clothed sub-female led her to the Steward’s room on the first floor. Feng Si only needed to pay the difference of nine hundred thousand coins to easily secure eligibility for a private room.

Led by the gray-clothed sub-female, she arrived at a private room on the second floor. It was small, like a box in an old European theater. An arched balcony, viewed through a beaded curtain, offered an unobstructed view of the display stage below.

She had just settled onto the sofa when the lights throughout the entire building suddenly dimmed. In contrast, all the lights above the display stage flared to life, illuminating it in minute detail.

8:00 PM

A sub-female in a white suit with lion’s ears walked onto the display stage. Her crisp voice immediately rang through the building:

"Good evening, everyone. Today is the grandest auction ever held by the Jade Tower Scripture. I believe you are all here for the final item, the rare green jade. Don’t be impatient. I will now introduce this evening’s auction items."

As she finished speaking and began her introductions, attendants brought the corresponding items onto the stage one by one for all to see. Item after item was presented, bid on, and sold.

Feng Si lowered her gaze, feeling rather listless. The jewelry, rare foods, Sea Pearls, and decorative objects didn’t move her in the slightest. She was laser-focused, waiting only to buy back her Jade Pendant.

The crowd downstairs, however, was in a frenzy. Starting bids were mostly in the thousands of coins, with increments of two hundred. With such repeated, frantic bidding, the hall was as raucous as a supermarket.

The slip of paper the innkeeper had given her listed the item’s name but not its price. After listening to the bidding below, it seemed to her that the Jade Pendant shouldn’t be prohibitively expensive.

An hour and a half later, Feng Si was growing tired of sitting. The sub-female in the center of the stage suddenly clapped her hands in the air. The crisp CLAP, CLAP instantly silenced the bustling hall.

The sub-female auctioneer stepped to the side of the stage. Eight powerful Beastmen walked up, guarding a sub-female in the center who carried a square box draped in a black cloth. The auctioneer’s voice followed:

"This is a piece of Green King Jadeite that was acquired by chance. It is a pure, solid green without a single impurity, and its carving is a work of Ghost Mansion Divine Craft..."

Feng Si was instantly alert.

’It’s here!’

She got up, walked to the edge of the balcony, and gripped the railing as she looked down.

Below, the black cloth was whisked away. It was... the Jade Pendant she had sold.

The introduction continued:

"As everyone knows, green jade is most often an imperial tribute. For a piece of green jade this large to appear on the market is an absolutely once-in-a-century event. This Imperial Green Jadeite Pendant has a starting bid of 200 million coins, with bidding increments of one million..."

The bidding began.

Feng Si smiled.

’There are 1,023,120,000 coins on my Coin Card.’ She felt completely at ease. ’I’m loaded. What could I possibly not afford!’