The "Silver Moon Auction Hall" was the beating heart of greed and ambition in Black Rock City. It wasn't just a building; it was a fortress made of polished black marble and darkened glass, standing tall in the city's wealthiest district.
Once every six months, this hall transformed into a true stage, where the most precious treasures were displayed, family fortunes drained
Wei Shen arrived at the auction an hour before it began. He didn't use his "Golden Adventurer's Badge," which would've gotten him a seat in one of the fancy private rooms upstairs. That'd just draw unwanted attention, you know? His disguise for today was that of a mysterious young man, a wandering cultivator with undefined strength and unknown wealth.
Thanks to his new look, his cold confidence, and a few spirit stones slipped to the guard at the entrance, he got a good seat in the spacious main hall. Not in the front rows with the big families' reps, but in the shadows, in a back corner, a spot that gave him a panoramic view of everything and everyone, while keeping him pretty much invisible.
The hall was buzzing with life. Hundreds of cultivators from all over. Wei Shen saw disciples from sects he'd never even heard of, mercenaries with faces scarred from old battles, and merchants with sly smiles and eyes that calculated every single thing. The air was thick with anticipation, and that weird mix of fancy perfumes, suppressed Qi, and just plain, undeniable greed.
From his corner, he spotted his main targets. He saw "Li Jian," the patriarch of the "Li Family," sitting with his two sons and some of the family elders. His face was grim, and his eyes shot daggers whenever he looked in a certain direction. In that direction sat "Wang Li," the patriarch of the "Wang Family," with his genius son "Wang Chen," and a bunch of their strong guards. Wang Li looked arrogant, like always, but Wei Shen, with his experienced eyes, could see the suppressed tension in his grip on his chair armrest.
"The seed... it grew and bloomed in both fields," Wei Shen thought, a faint smile almost appearing on his lips. "Both of them think the other has a secret trump card and plans to humiliate them. Excellent."
Then, in one of the private rooms with dark glass windows on the upper floor, he glimpsed a familiar silhouette for a moment. It was that mysterious woman from the "Dragon Leaf Tea Shop," the one with eyes as black as a starless night. She wasn't sitting alone; an old man dressed in fancy clothes sat with her. "So, she's not just an information peddler," Wei Shen noted. "She's a major player too."
When a huge crystal clock in the center of the hall struck, announcing the start of the auction, silence fell.
A middle-aged woman, wearing an elegant crimson gown, ascended the platform, moving with grace and confidence. This was "Madam Lin," the city's most famous auctioneer, known for her ability to ignite the crowd's enthusiasm and drive prices to crazy levels.
"Welcome, everyone, to the Silver Moon Auction!" she said in a clear, strong voice. "Today, we have a rare collection of treasures that will make your journey here worth your while. Let's begin!"
The auction started with some interesting items. An Earth-grade spirit herb, "Seven Winds Spirit Grass," sold for a high price after fierce bidding between cultivators from two small sects. Then a low-grade spirit sword, but made from rare "Cold Star Steel," was put up, and several mercenary teams competed for it.
Wei Shen watched all this silently, not participating, just analyzing. He studied who was bidding, how much they were spending, and when they stopped. He was building a mental file on the financial strength of every major player in this hall.
Finally, after about twenty items had been presented, Madam Lin said with a wide smile: "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the item many have been waiting for. A piece that carries the legacy of a forgotten sect, and the promise of power and fire. I present to you... the **Azure Flame Scroll**!"
A box made of white jade was brought to the platform. When Madam Lin opened it, an ancient scroll appeared, made of unknown spirit beast hide, emitting a faint heat and a pale blue aura.
"As you know," Madam Lin continued, her voice echoing in the silent hall. "This is the original and complete forging technique of the defunct 'Molten Flame Sect.' An Earth-grade technique, capable of teaching its master how to merge 'Azure Spirit Flame' into their weapons, granting them immense destructive power. The starting price... two thousand low-grade spirit stones!"
The moment she finished speaking, an angry voice shouted from the Li Family's direction. "Two thousand five hundred!"
An arrogant voice from the Wang Family's direction replied immediately. "Three thousand!"
"Three thousand five hundred!"
"Four thousand!"
The fierce bidding war Wei Shen had meticulously planned had begun. The Wang and Li families competed madly, not just for the scroll, but for pride, to prove who was stronger in Black Rock City. Each time one raised the price, the other immediately replied with a higher one, sparks flying from their eyes.
The rest of the audience watched in silent shock, disbelieving of this madness. They knew the scroll's true value, despite its rarity, didn't exceed five thousand spirit stones at most. But the price had already surpassed seven thousand, and it was still climbing.
Wei Shen sat in his shadows, calm, his face showing no expression. He was enjoying the show. Every additional spirit stone one of the families paid was another nail in the coffin of their fortune, an extra weakness he could exploit in the future.
"Eight thousand!" Li Jian shouted, his face red with anger and exertion.
"Eight thousand five hundred!" Wang Li replied with forced coolness, but his hand trembled slightly.
"Nine thousand!"
"Nine thousand one hundred!"
"Nine thousand five hundred!" Li Jian shouted, his voice almost choking. This was pretty much his absolute limit. He was betting his family's entire financial future on this strike.
Silence fell for a few moments. Everyone looked at Wang Li, whose face alternated between anger and cold calculation. He knew this price was insane. But backing down now, in front of his eternal rival, in front of all these people, would be an unbearable humiliation.
"Nine thousand six hundred..." he said in a faint voice, as if struggling to utter the words.
"Ten thousand!!!" Li Jian roared, standing up, his eyes bloodshot. "Ten thousand spirit stones! Do you dare bid higher, Wang?!"
Wang Li froze. Ten thousand low-grade spirit stones. This was a huge sum, a sum that would affect his family's operations for years. He looked at his son, Wang Chen, who shook his head slowly, indicating that the risk was now too great.
Wang Li let out a long sigh, then sank into his chair, turning his face away in suppressed rage. He had withdrawn.
A sick, costly triumph bloomed on Li Jian's face. He had won. He had humiliated his rival. But he was on the verge of bankrupting his family.
Madam Lin raised her small hammer. "Ten thousand for the first time... ten thousand for the second time..."
She was about to end the auction. But at that moment, a calm, clear voice came from one of the private rooms upstairs, the room Wei Shen had been watching.
"Ten thousand and one hundred."
A sudden, oppressive silence fell, heavier than any before. Everyone in the hall, including Wei Shen, turned towards the source of the voice.
Li Jian froze in place, the triumphant smile on his face turning into a mask of shock and absolute disbelief, then into pale despair. He didn't have a single extra spirit stone to bid.
"Ten thousand and one hundred for the first time... for the second time..." Madam Lin said, looking a bit surprised herself. "Ten thousand and one hundred... sold to the honorable lady in room number three!"
She struck her gavel, announcing the end of the bidding for the most important item.
While the hall erupted in astonished whispers and shouts, Wei Shen didn't move from his spot. He still sat in the shadows, his face as calm as ever. He hadn't gotten the scroll, but his plan had succeeded even better than he'd imagined. He had completely drained his two main opponents, made them a laughingstock, and revealed a new, powerful player in the city.
"An unexpected variable... and interesting," Wei Shen thought, his cold eyes fixed on the dark window of room number three. "The scroll isn't in the Wang Family's hands, and that's what matters most. And its new owner... she's not untouchable."
The auction's theatrical performance was over.
And now, it was time to begin his own play in the shadows. He rose quietly, disappearing into the crowd before anyone noticed him.