Real and Fake

"One thousand one hundred Spirit Stones."

Qian Qi raised a single finger, his tone laced with provocation.

"One thousand five hundred Spirit Stones," Ning Fan immediately countered.

"One thousand six hundred Spirit Stones."

Qian Qi added another hundred.

Ning Fan's expression instantly darkened. Qian Qi raising the bid by a mere hundred Spirit Stones at a time was an outright provocation.

"Friend, don't just add a hundred at a time. Be a little more generous," the stall owner chimed in.

"I will bid two thousand Spirit Stones. If you are truly interested in this item, add another five hundred, and I will gladly give it up."

Ning Fan stared fixedly at Qian Qi as he spoke.

Qian Qi stared deeply back at Ning Fan, a contemplative gleam flickering in his eyes. Two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones was no small sum to him.

However, in Qian Qi's mind, any Ancient Treasure that caught Ning Fan's eye had to possess immense hidden value.

"Two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones."

"This item is mine!!!"

Gritting his teeth, Qian Qi finally made his decision. With a flip of his wrist, a storage ring appeared in his palm. He tossed it to the stall owner, then snatched up the broken sword to examine it carefully.

"Congratulations, friend, on obtaining a treasure! I wish you great fortune, perhaps you've even gambled an Earth-grade treasure!"

The stall owner happily accepted the storage ring, checking the sum of Spirit Stones inside.

Even though this broken sword only sold for two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones-five hundred less than his initial asking price-the stall owner had deliberately called out an outrageous number to leave room for those interested in Treasure Gambling to bargain.

After all, just a moment prior when Ning Fan was leaving, the stall owner had been willing to let him pick any Ancient Treasure for a mere five hundred Spirit Stones.

Selling the broken sword for two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones had the stall owner delirious with joy.

Qian Qi gripped the broken sword. The many Yin Yang Peak disciples behind him immediately crowded around, eagerly observing this Ancient Treasure worth two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones.

At normal market prices, two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones could buy a decent Yellow-grade High Grade Magical Artifact. With just a few more Spirit Stones, one could even purchase a Mystic-grade Magical Artifact.

Yet Qian Qi had spent such a staggering sum only to acquire a broken sword.

Was it truly worth it?

A flicker of doubt rose in Qian Qi's heart. The broken sword was thickly coated in ancient rust, exuding a weathered, archaic charm.

As for spiritual energy...

It had some.

But not much.

Qian Qi simply could not discern its true value, so he could only stow the broken sword away and turn his gaze back toward Ning Fan.

But the moment he saw Ning Fan's expression, Qian Qi's heart sank heavily.

Where was the impatience and flustered panic from before?

Ning Fan wore a faint smile, regarding Qian Qi with utter calm. He showed absolutely no signs of shame or anger at having his desired object snatched away.

Qian Qi's stomach dropped. Could it be that Ning Fan had been playing him all along?

No, impossible!

Qian Qi shook his head, violently dispelling the thought. Ning Fan was definitely forcing a calm facade; he had to be furious on the inside!

Ning Fan couldn't be bothered with Qian Qi. His gaze fell upon a small stone on the stall mat, and he slowly asked,

"Stall owner, this item is also five hundred Spirit Stones, right?"

The stall owner did not answer immediately. Instead, he looked toward Qian Qi. Seeing Qian Qi's face alternating between green and pale white, clearly showing no intention to compete, the stall owner finally replied.

"That's right. Five hundred Spirit Stones and you can take it directly," the stall owner said.

Compared to letting it rot in his hands, selling it for five hundred Spirit Stones was still a good thing.

"I bid six hundred Spirit Stones!" Qian Qi suddenly interjected.

Ning Fan looked at Qian Qi with a deeply complex expression. There was no anger, resentment, or any other negative emotion in his eyes. Instead, his gaze seemed to be asking, 'Why don't you ever learn?'

That look made Qian Qi's heart sink, and he stubbornly shook his head.

"What? I'm just bidding!"

"One thousand Spirit Stones," Ning Fan said as light as the breeze, casting a detached glance at Qian Qi.

"I'm out," Qian Qi suddenly declared. He crossed his arms over his chest, a smug look on his face, clearly thrilled to have finally tricked Ning Fan.

"Sigh."

Ning Fan exhaled, his eyes full of helplessness. Ignoring Qian Qi, he turned back to the stall owner.

"One thousand Spirit Stones for this stone, and you throw this in too."

Ning Fan raised a hand, pointing at a dusty little cauldron in the corner of the stall. Compared to the other Ancient Treasures, this small cauldron lacked any significant ancient charm, and its spiritual energy was practically nonexistent.

A single glance marked it as a mortal object.

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

The stall owner hesitated. The small stone had already been bid up to one thousand Spirit Stones. If Ning Fan demanded another item thrown in, wouldn't that still average out to a mere five hundred Spirit Stones per Ancient Treasure?

"Suit yourself. If you won't throw it in, forget it."

Ning Fan turned as if to leave.

"Hey!"

Right at that moment, Qian Qi suddenly called out to stop Ning Fan.

"Junior Brother Ning, that's not right! We've already set a bid, how can you just walk away?!"

He had finally managed to 'trick' Ning Fan.

Why wasn't Ning Fan paying up?

Ning Fan looked back at Qian Qi as if staring at a complete idiot.

"Is this an auction house?"

Qian Qi shook his head.

"Then there you have it. Who made the rule that a bid means you must buy? We simply had our eyes on the same thing and competed with our offers. Now, I don't feel like buying it anymore."

"What are you going to do about it?"

Ning Fan spoke with absolute self-assurance.

Qian Qi was speechless.

The stall owner was dumbfounded.

He could actually say that?!

Wasn't this just acting like a shameless rogue?!

But upon careful thought, the logic was perfectly sound. If this were a formal auction, a bid was a binding purchase. There was no room for regrets.

If someone dared to back out, never mind forfeiting their deposit, they could be blacklisted, or even beaten half to death.

Any faction capable of hosting an auction naturally possessed the strength to maintain order.

But this meager street stall was entirely different.

If Ning Fan simply refused to buy.

What could anyone do about it?

"Wait, just now I..."

Hearing this, Qian Qi immediately tried to protest.

Truthfully, the moment the bid hit two thousand five hundred Spirit Stones, Qian Qi had already started to regret it. If he had known he could just back out, he wouldn't have bought it either!

Ning Fan shrugged, his eyes perfectly innocent.

It wasn't his problem that Qian Qi had actually bought it.

Right?

"Are you selling or not? If not, I'm leaving," Ning Fan said.

"Alright, alright."

The stall owner barely had to think. He waved his hand, gesturing for Ning Fan to hand over the money. At the end of the day, it was still an average of five hundred Spirit Stones per Ancient Treasure.

Moreover, that small cauldron was the item the stall owner despised the most. It was entirely too inconspicuous. If it hadn't genuinely been excavated from an ancient battlefield...

It wouldn't even have the right to be displayed on this mat.

Besides, Ning Fan had just goaded someone into a massive sale for him. If he calculated the average price across all three Ancient Treasures, the profits far exceeded the stall owner's wildest expectations.

It wasn't a loss at all.

Ning Fan tossed down a small cloth pouch, then swept the mysterious small stone and the little cauldron into his storage ring.

He turned and walked away.

Qian Qi stood frozen in place, watching Ning Fan's departing back.

The next moment.

A voice echoed from directly behind him.

"Qian Qi."

"Is the list of names finalized? Why are you idling around here?"

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