Yu Nian was taken aback for a moment, then coughed softly as if choked.
Although the two had clearly understood each other's feelings, she really didn't expect Feng Chengyuan to be so straightforward. It made her a bit overwhelmed.
Yu Nian avoided Qi Rongsheng's inquisitive gaze and whispered to Feng Chengyuan, "...Let's talk about it when we get home."
Feng Chengyuan's eyes curved. He reached out and gently ruffled Yu Nian's hair, then really didn't say anything more.
Everyone walked into the inner venue. Instead of sitting in the special private seats arranged by the yellow - clothed female demon, Yu Nian led Feng Chengyuan and Qi Rongsheng to find an unremarkable corner to sit down.
Their seats were neither too close nor too far from the auction stage. They could clearly see everything on the stage and perfectly hide among the ghosts.
Yu Nian carefully surveyed the surroundings. The Star - Picking Tower had a hollow - out design. The first floor was a not - very - large hall, which was soon filled with people. Looking up, the second and third floors were all special private rooms. The people sitting inside should be powerful figures from all walks of life.
Five minutes later, the surrounding lights gradually dimmed. A male and a female demon walked onto the auction stage with beaming smiles.
They were the auctioneers of this event. One of the demons was eloquent, and the other was extremely beautiful. With just a few words, they enlivened the atmosphere of the auction.
"Thank you all for your support and for coming to the Star - Picking Tower Auction House. Today, we have several rare treasures for you to appreciate..."
Feng Chengyuan quietly surveyed the surroundings and whispered to Yu Nian, "There are people from all walks of life in this auction house. Won't there be any cases of killing people to seize treasures?"
Yu Nian silently curled the corner of her mouth and sneered, "There will surely be no trouble inside the auction house, but it's hard to say once you leave this place."
Before coming to the auction, Yu Nian had heard that this place was not as conservative as the righteous path. There were all kinds of rare items, including secret cultivation methods, demon beasts obtained through underhanded means, and sinister magical artifacts... In short, the ghost market sold whatever people could think of and even things people couldn't.
Moreover, the goods didn't have fixed prices. The only principle followed was - the highest bidder wins.
"The first treasure, the Blood Soul Bracelet," the male auctioneer lifted the red cloth on the first tray. A blood - red bracelet was lying quietly in the brocade box, with a strange red light flowing around it under the illumination of the lights.
As soon as this treasure appeared, it immediately caused a stir among the ghosts present.
"The first item is such a big deal! It's actually the Blood Soul Bracelet!"
"The Blood Soul Bracelet has long disappeared, right? I didn't expect to see it here. I've really made a great gain this time!"
...
As soon as the bracelet appeared, it was immediately snatched by the people below the stage. Finally, it was bought for a hundred gold coins.
Qi Rongsheng frowned in confusion, "A shabby bracelet is worth a hundred gold coins? How much is that in cash! Do these demons have so much money that they don't know where to spend it? How extravagant!"
Yu Nian squinted her eyes and explained in a low voice, "The person who gets this bracelet can raise special beings such as ghostly souls and blood ghosts in it, and can also use this bracelet to absorb blood energy and rapidly improve their strength. Anyway, it's a sinister and harmful item."
The next few items were spiritual herbs and pills. Qi Rongsheng wasn't interested, and Yu Nian was even less enthusiastic. She absent - mindedly stroked Huang Shisi Niangzi's fur.
In less than half an hour, the previous treasures had all been bought at high prices. The venue was noisy for a long time, but the auctioneer didn't present the fourth magical treasure.
The demons were naturally impatient. Seeing this, they scolded.
"What are you waiting for? Didn't you say there would be a highlight today? Hurry up and show it to us!"
"Yeah, stop beating around the bush!"
Facing the noisy urging, the female auctioneer smiled mysteriously, "Everyone, please be patient. This fourth treasure is extraordinary. If you haven't brought enough money, you can leave first."
Then the female auctioneer lifted the red cloth. An ordinary - looking machete was placed in the middle of the tray.
The moment they saw this thing, the ghosts immediately burst into laughter.
"What is this? A pig - killing knife?"
"Has the Star - Picking Tower run out of treasures to sell? Are they using this scrap metal to fool us?"
...
The female auctioneer said calmly, "This is not just a pig - killing knife. It has a great origin. A hundred years ago, there was a powerful Taoist master in the Taoist sect, known as the Venerable Xuande. This treasure was forged by her and is called the Heaven - Splitting and Pig - Slaying Knife."
As soon as these words were said, not only did the ghosts fall silent, but Yu Nian was also stunned for a long time. Not to mention that she had no impression of this knife at all, just the name... Pig - Slaying? Didn't it still mean killing pigs?
The ghosts below the stage were not easy to fool. They immediately started to make a ruckus.
"I've heard of the name of the Venerable Xuande, but this is the ghost market. Why are they selling something from a dead Taoist priest?"
"Yeah, what am I going to do with this deadly weapon if I buy it? Cut myself?"
"And this knife looks so dull. It doesn't look like a magical treasure at all..."
Facing all the doubts, the female auctioneer smiled calmly, "As the saying goes, the greatest skill appears clumsy. This is the characteristic of the Venerable Xuande. Don't be deceived by the fact that it's a Taoist magical artifact. It's the pinnacle work of the Venerable Xuande, one of the top - grade spiritual artifacts. It can kill anyone who stands in its way, whether it's a person or a Buddha!"
After listening to the auctioneer's introduction, greed flashed in the eyes of the demons. The name of the Venerable Xuande was too resounding. Even if they couldn't use this knife, it would be good to buy it back as a display to show off.
Thinking of this, the demons began to bid one by one, increasing the price by a thousand gold coins each time. Gradually, the noisy little ghosts around fell silent and watched intently as several demon lords and weapon forgers competed in the bidding.
Amid the hubbub, only Qi Rongsheng remained silent.
The moment he heard the name of the Venerable Xuande, Qi Rongsheng was greatly shocked.
His eyes were fixed on the knife without blinking, with a light of reverence and expectation in his eyes.
This was... the knife forged by his idol with her own hands?
The craftsmanship, the choice of materials, the appearance... Although they were all a bit ugly, his idol must have had her own reasons!
As the number one fan of the Venerable Xuande, Qi Rongsheng felt that he was bound to get this knife.
Yu Nian stared at the knife for a while longer and finally had a bit of an impression.
It was indeed made by her when she was young. However, it was just a little thing that Xuande made casually during a weapon - forging class.
To put it simply, it was like a scrap piece of paper in a classroom assignment. Yu Nian didn't take it seriously at all.
This knife was indeed a bit useful back then. It was very handy for killing monsters and demons.
However, after her death, these magical artifacts lost their spiritual energy supply and were no different from scrap iron. They were far from as mysterious as the female demon had described.
Thinking of this, Yu Nian looked thoughtfully behind the curtain on the second floor.
Why did this old knife, which should have disappeared in the long history, suddenly appear here? And why was it being sold just when she was present?
Who was the person behind the ghost market? What was his relationship with her in her previous life...
Just as Yu Nian was thinking, she heard Huang Shisi Niangzi whisper, "My mistress, is that really the divine weapon forged by the Venerable Xuande?"
Yu Nian didn't deny it, "It's just a scrap of iron. You can pick one up on the street at random."
Hearing this, Liu Mo couldn't help but let out a "puff" of laughter and mercilessly mocked, "Then these demons still regard it as a treasure. Whoever buys it will be a big fool..."
Yu Nian nodded. When she casually turned her head, she saw Qi Rongsheng, who was rubbing his hands and eager to try.