"Have you heard? The grand finale of this Luoshen Auction House auction is a Shark Pearl! That's a Merfolk's tear! I didn't think those actually existed outside of legends!"
"You said it! Word is it can boost your cultivation and help you instantly achieve Tribulation Transcendence!"
"So what? What does that have to do with the likes of us? Even if you sold me off, I couldn't afford a fraction of the starting bid!"
"Brother Liu speaks the truth!"
"Indeed, indeed. Even if I sold my family's three ancestral homes, we couldn't match a year's income of those great clans and sects."
"Sigh, we'll just go to watch the commotion and broaden our horizons! I've never seen such a legendary treasure before!"
……
Fengcheng, the necessary thoroughfare from East Continent to Yunjing in the Central Continent.
A month ago, Luoshen Auction House released its list of auction items in advance. With the "Shark Pearl" as the grand finale—commanding a starting bid of twenty thousand High-grade Spirit Stones—its announcement immediately captured the attention of major sects and clans across the four cardinal regions of the Cultivation World.
"Coming right up! Fair maiden, the Fengming tea and pastries you ordered are all served!"
With a sweat towel slung over his shoulder and moving as fast as lightning, the waiter shuttled rapidly through the overcrowded inn, making a beeline straight for Jiang Qingyu's table.
"Thank you!"
"You're too kind! Please enjoy your meal!"
Not long ago, Jiang Qingyu had just celebrated her sixteenth birthday when Lord Wuling cast her out of the Wuya Sword Sect to undergo experiential training.
Naturally, considering this was her first time traveling away from home, the one also tossed out the door was her good-for-nothing fox senior brother, who ran his mouth at the slightest provocation.
Ever since Baixin's mental block was resolved, he had been like a wild horse with a broken tether, his personality impossible to reel back in.
"Hey! Wait, wait, wait!" Jiang Qingyu retrieved a High-grade Spirit Stone from her storage ring and called out to the waiter. "Can you tell me a bit about this Luoshen Auction House? If you tell me well, this spirit stone is yours!"
The waiter's eyes lit up. He received the spirit stone with both hands and patted his chest. "Then the fairy has found the right person! I might not know much about other things, but this Luoshen Auction House has been the talk of the town among our guests lately! Ask away, and this little one will tell you everything he knows!"
Jiang Qingyu exchanged a glance with Baixin. "In that case, could you tell us the details about this upcoming auction?"
"Actually, this auction isn't all that rare in itself, because Luoshen Auction House holds a major auction at the end of every third month. The reason this one is causing such a sensation is entirely because of the 'Shark Pearl'!
Judging by the fairy's extraordinary attire, you must be a disciple of some major immortal sect, and I suppose you're here for the Shark Pearl as well?"
Here for the Shark Pearl?
The one Mei Niang had given her back then was still gathering dust in her storage bracelet. If she ever needed one, why would she bypass using that and come to this man-eating auction house instead? Did they think she had too much money burning a hole in her pocket?
Jiang Qingyu did not answer. She merely smiled, took a sip of tea, and said, "Go on."
"It's not that this little one doesn't think highly of you, but the competition this time is simply too fierce. Aside from the six great immortal sects, the five great families, and the reclusive clans—"
The waiter paused for a couple of breaths, looked left and right to make sure no suspicious characters were around, then leaned his waist forward toward Jiang Qingyu and whispered right into her ear, "Evil Cultivators have also been unusually active lately. Yunjing looks calm and peaceful on the surface, but underneath, dark currents are surging! If the fairy truly must go, please exercise extreme caution!"
Hearing the waiter's warning, Jiang Qingyu was somewhat surprised. She curved her eyes into gentle crescents at him. "Thanks for the warning. We'll be careful."
Baixin's feeding program over the years had been a resounding success.
Now in the blossoming years of her youth, Jiang Qingyu had grown noticeably taller. With bright eyes, pearly teeth, and skin as smooth as congealed lard, her cascading waterfall of dark hair was tied up into double buns. In every gesture she was utterly charming and delightful, resembling a porcelain doll sculpted from powder and jade.
Seeing that Jiang Qingyu spoke with such polite courtesy and was so exquisitely pretty, the waiter shyly scratched the back of his head. "Does the fairy have anything else to ask?"
"Eldest Senior Brother?" Jiang Qingyu looked at Baixin.
"I haven't left the sect in quite some time and am not yet familiar with the current situation in the Cultivation World. Might you tell us about these six great immortal sects and five great families?" Baixin thought for a moment and asked.
"In recent years, the six great immortal sects haven't changed much. They are still the sword cultivators of the Wanijian Sect, the Buddhist cultivators of Qingdeng Temple, the beast tamers of the Tenthousand Beasts Pavilion, the sound cultivators of Peach Blossom Island, the Qingxiao Sect specializing in both arrays and talismans, and the medical cultivators of Qingling Valley. Just like in previous years, the Qingxiao Sect leads them."
"And the five great families?"
"The Luo family of Fengcheng in East Continent, the Song family of Tianyuan in West Continent, the Zhou Family of Jiangling in South Continent, the Jiang family of Suyou in North Continent, and the Xiao family of Yunjing in Central Continent.
The five great families each have their own industrial spheres and influences. For instance, the Yunjing Luo family is the back-stage owner of the Luoshen Auction House. And take our own Fengcheng Gu Family, for example—the sect master of the Tenthousand Beasts Pavilion, which is currently one of the six great immortal sects, is actually Elder Gu Fengyun of the Gu family! The people of Fengcheng all share in that great honor!
If the fairy wishes to form a bond with a spirit beast or pet, right around the corner in front of our tavern there is a Tenthousand Beasts Pavilion. That's a shop jointly opened by the Tenthousand Beasts Pavilion and the Gu family. The spirit beasts and pets inside are all top-tier, and they have gentle, obedient temperaments!"
After thanking the waiter, Jiang Qingyu picked up a piece of hibiscus pastry and slowly savored it.
She and Baixin had not descended the mountain this time merely for experiential training; they were carrying tasks.
First, Eldest Senior Brother had broken through his realm, and their master calculated that he had a predestined opportunity in the Northern Realm;
Second, to investigate Jiang Qingyu's lineage.
Jiang Qingyu was already at the sixth stage of New Moon, needing only a single fortuitous opportunity to break through her realm.
In the art of the sword, she could be considered to have achieved initial mastery.
At the age of twelve, she was sent into the Sword Valley beneath the main peak to temper herself. For three years, she lived day and night alongside the one hundred and eight sword intents left behind by predecessors who had cultivated in the Sword Pavilion of the Sword Valley. She comprehended them all and left behind a sword intent of her own.
"Hey! Senior Brother! You have to admit, Fengcheng's hibiscus pastry has a unique flavor. It's delicate, soft, sweet, and delicious! You should try some quickly!"
Baixin rolled his eyes dramatically, refinedly picked up a piece of hibiscus pastry, and took a bite. "We came down the mountain for training, yet you're already indulging yourself—Hmm~?!"
Baixin's eyes lit up. He washed down the pastry with a sip of Fengming tea and took another bite: "Hey! You really have to hand it to them, this hibiscus pastry does taste pretty good!"
"I'm out for training, not to become a vegetarian monk and endure bitter hardships! No matter what, whoever suffers, we shouldn't let ourselves suffer, right?"
Baixin pondered for two breaths, then nodded in agreement. "Mm, makes sense!"
"Senior Brother, why don't we go check out that auction too?" Jiang Qingyu asked, gulping down a mouthful of hot tea.
"Curious?"
"A little." She replied truthfully.
"Alright, let's go take a look then."
The Luoshen Auction House was taking place in three days, and traveling from Fengcheng to Yunjing took only half a day.
They still had plenty of time.
After having a simple breakfast at the tavern, the two decided to head out and stroll around Fengcheng.
As expected of the largest city in East Continent, inside the city gates the streets were lined with dazzling arrays of shops, selling rouge, powder, gorgeous garments, and gold trinkets.
Jiang Qingyu and Baixin walked side by side. The two of them made a remarkably pleasing pair, causing passing pedestrians to cast frequent glances their way.
A delicate-looking young master holding a stick of candied haws bought from a peddler wove through the crowd and walked shyly up to Jiang Qingyu.
"Might the young lady have someone special in her heart?"
Baixin's brow twitched. His own junior sister was still practically a half-grown child, and already peach blossom romance was coming knocking on her door?
Sensing danger, he stepped forward to block the young man behind him, glaring at the youngster with unfriendly eyes.
Jiang Qingyu poked a small head out from behind Baixin's back and answered without a second thought, "I already do!"
The young man looked at Baixin, then back at Jiang Qingyu, and stepped back two paces as if defeated.
Baixin whipped his head around, fixing a pair of fox eyes on Jiang Qingyu as if he wanted to burn a hole right through her.
What the heck?!
His eyes demanded an explanation: When on earth did you get someone special in your heart?
The kid had stayed cooped up in the Wuya Sword Sect all this time, and the total number of men she had ever laid eyes on was only three. Could it be... little Tang Yuan?!
Though Tang Yuan was usually a bit hyperactive, his fondness for Jiang Qingyu was not a whit less than Song Wu's.
Little Three was easy to understand, but Little Four and all that eager fawning...
The child couldn't possibly—at least she shouldn't!
Jiang Qingyu hurriedly used her eyes to stop him: Not him!
Baixin's eyebrows hitched upward, his temples throbbing: If not him, could it be a ghost?!
Catering not at all to this fox whose brain was stuffed with romance, Jiang Qingyu offered an apology to the disappointed young master, saying, "You wouldn't know, young master, but I am actually a sword cultivator."
Upon hearing this, the young master instantly snapped back to reality and cast a meaningful glance at Baixin.
"So that's how it is. I was being presumptuous. Farewell, young lady."
Baixin, who had just mentally played out an entire saga of love and hatred: ......
He just knew it—how could a kid whose thoughts were as straight as a ruler ever grow a love-brained organ like that?
Hmph!
Sword cultivators treating their swords like wives was news that had been around for a day or two.
The young master simply felt it was terribly regrettable. From that fleeting glimpse earlier, he had thought he'd met the love of his life, only to find out the other party was a sword cultivator who had already secretly pledged her heart to a spirit sword!
As for the man guarding beside the young lady—tsk, what a "deeply affectionate soul"!
Sword cultivators were all stubborn mules; who knew, maybe this young lady practiced some sort of merciless sword technique?
Totally unaware that he had been saddled with a brand new title, Baixin's face was as dark as soot.
"Senior Brother! Look! It's the Tenthousand Beasts Pavilion!"
Jiang Qingyu tugged on Baixin's sleeve, pointing excitedly at the Tenthousand Beasts Pavilion the waiter had mentioned earlier.
"There are so many people! Let's go inside and take a look too!"
Dragging an unwilling Baixin along, the two walked into the pavilion.
There were many people buying spirit beasts and pets, yet everyone kept quiet.
In every section, an attendant stood ready to give introductions, selecting the most suitable spirit beasts based on the customers' needs.
The moment Jiang Qingyu came to a halt, an attendant hurried over at the sound.
"Is the fairy looking to pick out a spirit pet?"
Jiang Qingyu looked at these cute, fluffy creatures. One could tell at a glance that these little fellows led pampered lives; plump and round, they lay sprawled on their backs in cages, fast asleep.
They were all domesticated small spirit beasts devoid of feral nature.
Because of their cute appearances, their daily job description consisted of acting adorable and amusing customers, eating, sleeping, and having someone else clean up after them—a wonderfully carefree life.
"Do you have any little beasts? As in, spirit beast cubs?"
"Yes we do, please follow me, you two!"