So, she really did jack up the price on purpose just to piss off Song Wanníng! But the grin on her face didn't last long. Across the way, there was no movement at all. The other side didn't raise a bid again.
The auctioneer asked three times, and still no one answered.
In the end, the luo han fruit landed in her hands. When the result was announced, Hua Kongque's expression twisted instantly, her neck flushing red from anger.
She'd been played!!!
The realization hit Hua Kongque at once, and a vicious look flickered across her face. She grabbed whatever was nearby and smashed it into pieces.
The other beast cultivators exchanged glances, all with the same helpless look in their eyes.
They were used to it.
After she vented her temper, the luo han fruit was delivered to the private room. Hua Kongque paid with a dark face. The more she looked at the fruit, the more furious she became, swearing in her heart she'd make Song Wanníng pay for this. But when the second item came up, that private room opposite hers bid again!
Hua Kongque's face sank, her anger flaring up once more as she lifted her paddle.
"Wanníng, stop messing around. What if she doesn't bid this time? You'll be stuck with something useless." Liu Lanyi chuckled at Song Wanníng. This girl still held grudges like nobody's business. Offending her never ended well.
"And besides, the peacock clan's influence is huge. If they target us, it'll be a big headache." That clan was powerful. Just the two of them could never resist head-on.
But what kind of person was Song Wanníng? She'd fought members of big clans one-on-one more than once. She wasn't even afraid of the Huo family. Why would she be afraid of the peacock clan?
If she couldn't win, she'd just run!
Either way, if someone made her upset, she'd return it double.
That was just how petty she was.
So, she raised her paddle again.
"With her temper, she'll never let this slide. Whether I offend her or not, the end result's the same. I might as well do what feels good, don't you think, Martial Uncle?"
Song Wanníng's lips curved up. She'd seen plenty of people with Hua Kongque's type of personality. She knew exactly what the woman was thinking, and how to piss her off the most. So no, she wasn't letting up. She fully intended to keep blocking her path.
Liu Lanyi saw Song Wanníng was dead serious and could only sigh helplessly. Her Martial Niece, she could only indulge. And if trouble came, she was strong enough to step in now. She'd never let Song Wanníng get bullied.
Soon, the auction turned into a private duel between the two women. The next few items weren't particularly valuable, but thanks to their bidding war, the prices climbed sky-high.
Everyone else just stared at them like they were idiots. Even if you were trying to spite someone, shouldn't you consider the item's actual worth? This was just burning money for fun!
Hua Kongque kept calculating while bidding, trying to figure out when to stop so she could trap Song Wanníng. But she was ruthless by nature, unwilling to let Song Wanníng off, so the price just kept soaring. When she finally felt the time was right to pull out, what made her want to scream was that Song Wanníng had already stopped bidding!
Once again, Hua Kongque was left with her face twisted, winning another completely useless item all by herself.
The auction house staff were ecstatic. They secretly prayed these two would keep at it, since their profits had already doubled, maybe even more.
Hua Kongque, on the other hand, was on the verge of losing her shape from rage. She knocked over trays of delivered items, then grudgingly tossed out beast stones to pay.
"Miss, maybe we should just stop. There's no need to stoop to her level!"
"Exactly, they're obviously toying with us. We can't let them take advantage!"
The beast cultivators at her side urged her again, worried the peacock clan's dignity would be dragged through the mud if this kept up.
And more importantly, the Beast King's map was crucial. Nothing could go wrong.
But the more Hua Kongque listened, the uglier her face became. She felt a rebellious streak surge up. The more they told her not to, the less she wanted to listen. So, when the third item came out and Song Wanníng bid again, Hua Kongque couldn't resist bidding as well!
She didn't believe she'd lose every single time!!!
Song Wanníng had already predicted this, so she played along once again.
Naturally, Hua Kongque lost again. She nearly went insane, wrecking her private room in a violent tantrum. But this time, she finally calmed down. If she kept playing like this, she might not even get the Beast King's map later.
She shut her eyes and swallowed the rage with great effort.
When she opened them again, only ice remained.
The other side thought they'd won?
Heh, they'd pay with their lives.
Dare to provoke her? Then they could blame their bad luck!
From then on, Hua Kongque went quiet. Song Wanníng quieted too.
The hall lost its entertainment, and people were a little disappointed. But the auction quickly returned to normal, proceeding in order.
Inside their room, Song Wanníng watched the items getting bid away, then exchanged a helpless look with Liu Lanyi.
With the little bit of beast stones they had, they couldn't even dream of competing with these people.
This auction was just a chance to broaden their horizons, nothing more.
Realizing that, the two just sat back to watch the show instead of bidding.
But halfway through, new people walked into the auction hall.
The place fell silent.
Two tall, handsome men entered, refined in manner, striking in appearance.
The moment they showed up, every gaze turned to them.
Song Wanníng looked too, and she had to admit, the two were ridiculously good-looking. They weren't a bit inferior to Liu Xingzhi, maybe even more handsome, with sharper, more defined features.
Their looks instantly reminded her of the peacock clan. That woman earlier had also been a real beauty.
On closer inspection, they did look somewhat similar.
The thought had barely crossed her mind before the two men walked straight toward the opposite private room, sparking a flurry of whispers in the hall.
Why had the peacock clan sent so many people this time? What were they after?
"Wanníng, don't tell me they're here for us?"
Liu Lanyi's first thought was that the peacock clan had brought reinforcements.
But Song Wanníng shook her head. "With that woman's temper, she never even put us in her eyes. Why would she call for help? They must be here for something else."
She was right. The woman never thought they were worth mentioning.
Liu Lanyi thought it over and agreed, dropping the matter. Song Wanníng also paid it no mind, focusing on the auction instead.
In the opposite room, Hua Kongque was shocked and delighted to see her two cousins, but also filled with displeasure. The newcomers were the cousins she'd grown up with. Their bond was close, but her eldest cousin was steady and strict, always lecturing and disciplining her.
Every time she saw him, she felt a shiver of dread.