Listening to the bidding outside, Song Wanníng and Liu Xingzhi sat in their private room, their expressions less than pleasant.
From the moment they entered Lanyuan, there had been only one corridor leading in or out. Both of them deliberately suppressed their cultivation to avoid drawing attention or arousing suspicion. They waited patiently, and after more than an hour, the map they'd been waiting for was finally brought to the stage.
"Everyone here's a regular guest of Lanyuan, so you should all know our rules," the host said cheerfully. "The maps appear randomly in our auctions, so those of you here today are truly lucky!
Today's map was obtained by Lanyuan several centuries ago, but we've never been able to unlock its secrets. With no other choice, we've decided to auction it off today in hopes of finding someone destined to uncover its mysteries."
As he spoke, the host unveiled a map placed on a silver tray, half-covered by a red cloth.
When Song Wanníng extended her divine sense, she could only see a small section of the map. It was densely filled with markings, impossible to decipher at a glance. Her brows lifted slightly. This time, it seemed she'd have to decode it herself.
Lanyuan sure knew how to spin a story.
The cultivators below were visibly stirred. The more mysterious an item, the greater the chance of a hidden opportunity. Who knew, maybe they were the "destined ones."
Soon, the bidding began in full swing.
Song Wanníng didn't make a move at first. She waited until the price had risen to a high point and only a few bidders remained before she finally spoke. "Five thousand high-grade spirit stones!"
Her sudden call silenced the entire auction hall, even the host froze.
After all, high-grade spirit stones contained exceptionally pure spiritual energy, and very few were willing to use them for simple purchases. Now Song Wanníng had casually thrown out such a hefty bid.
Liu Xingzhi stayed quiet, but he reached into his storage bag and placed a pouch of spirit stones on the table.
Song Wanníng had ascended less than ten years ago and had been traveling nonstop since then, so it was obvious she didn't have that much wealth.
He'd cover the cost.
When the pouch hit the table, Song Wanníng shot Liu Xingzhi a brief glance and gave him a faint smile. He, as always, showed no emotion, simply staring at the map below in silence.
"Five thousand high-grade spirit stones, once!"
"Five thousand high-grade spirit stones, twice!"
"Five thousand high-grade spirit stones, three times!"
"Congratulations to this Daoyou for winning the map!"
With a thud of the auction hammer, the map officially became Song Wanníng's.
Most of the people here were loose cultivators. Who'd willingly spend that much on a map with an unknown purpose? So, naturally, no one dared compete with her.
The attendants quickly brought the map over. Liu Xingzhi tossed the spirit stones forward, then used a wave of his sleeve to draw the map into his hand from across the room.
"Thank you for your patronage, honored guests!" The attendant bowed with a smile and left with the spirit stones.
While the auction hall moved on to the next item, Liu Xingzhi had already unrolled the map on the table.
At a glance, this one was entirely different from the last. The paths were twisted and uneven, covered with strange symbols and no indication of names or landmarks.
Song Wanníng rested her chin on her hand, staring at the map, deep in thought. "If it's meant to guide someone somewhere, the method to unlock it shouldn't be too difficult."
A faint glint flashed through Liu Xingzhi's eyes as he began testing the map. He tried several common methods—water, fire, even heat from spiritual energy—but none worked. Finally, he pricked his finger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the parchment.
The map flickered, light flashing faintly across its surface, and then the markings began to shift and rearrange. Slowly, it transformed into a readable map.
The two exchanged a look, both wearing the same exasperated expression.
Lanyuan's little trick was full of holes.
But those loose cultivators below hadn't noticed a thing. Even if they had, most would still gamble on the chance it might lead to treasure.
That was human nature.
With the map in hand, they didn't leave immediately. They lingered in the room, making a token bid on another item to keep up appearances.
When the auction ended and the crowd dispersed, they deliberately approached Lanyuan's staff, claiming they wanted to consign some pills for auction and needed to meet the person in charge.
"This…"
The attendant looked troubled. "Our shopkeeper said she's entertaining important guests today and isn't available to meet others…"
Before he could finish, Song Wanníng pulled out a ninth-grade pill.
The attendant's eyes lit up instantly, practically glowing as he stared at it.
Ninth-grade pills were extremely rare. Even grandmasters of alchemy were reluctant to trade them—most cultivators would never even see one in their lifetime. And now, someone had just offered one up like it was nothing.
He rubbed his hands together excitedly. "M-may I ask how many pills the honored guest wishes to consign?"
"I have two bottles of this grade," Song Wanníng said coolly, lifting her chin. "If Lanyuan's sincerity satisfies me, I'll leave both for auction." Her tone carried an arrogant edge, and she looked thoroughly pleased with herself.
The attendant found nothing odd about her attitude. Bowing quickly, he said, "Of course, honored guests, please follow me to the third floor. I'll fetch the shopkeeper right away."
He hurried off, and the two of them sat down in the private room, scanning their surroundings.
Lanyuan's décor was simple but elegant, exuding a faint tranquility. The most common decoration around them was purple bamboo. Song Wanníng glanced at it curiously just as the sound of hurried footsteps approached.
"Oh, honored guests! My apologies for keeping you waiting!"
The shopkeeper swept into the room with exaggerated warmth. Her eyes quickly assessed the pair before settling greedily on the pill bottle.
Since both of them had disguised their appearances, concealing their striking looks, they didn't draw much suspicion. She uncorked the bottle and took a light sniff, her eyes immediately lighting up.
"Are the honored guests planning to consign the entire bottle? Lanyuan never cheats our clients—we only take a twenty-percent cut, far less than other auction houses!"
She plopped into a seat, her tone overly eager, and poured them each a cup of tea. Song Wanníng acted slightly impatient, asking about the potential selling price again and again.
The shopkeeper had already learned that the two of them had purchased the map earlier, so seeing their anxious demeanor, she quickly pieced things together. Two higher-level loose cultivators, most likely, who'd stumbled upon a valuable bottle of pills by chance and gotten overconfident. That would explain why they'd been reckless enough to spend so many spirit stones on a useless map.
Her eyes gleamed with calculation, and her smile grew even warmer. "Please rest assured, honored guests. We'll sell it at the highest possible price. You'll never lose out with us.
This is our Lanyuan message talisman," she said, handing Song Wanníng a jade slip. "Once your pills are sold, we'll send word immediately. You can come back to collect your spirit stones then."
Of course, she already thought to herself, "you'll never get the chance to use it."
"Good, then I'll wait for your good news," Song Wanníng said with a bright smile, standing up to clasp the shopkeeper's hands warmly.