My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late!
Volume 2 – Chapter 4.
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Completely oblivious to the happenings outside the Secret Realm, Yan Anle continued to watch his first auction with rapture.
The one wearing the Crimson View Sect's white robes with red designs commented, "Just the first item is already like this, I wonder what the final ones will be like."
The fellow from the Ji Clan, Ji Fan, agreed, despite their previous argument, "Perhaps, it will even be a Three-Star, or at least, Half-Step Three-Star item."
The chess-loving Gu Yujun glanced at her brother, "Third Brother, it seems that not everyone got advanced information about the final item."
Gu Yuben, who had just taken a sip of the tea served by the staff, had his eyes closed as he savored it.
Soon, he swallowed the last drop of the tea in his mouth, and opened his eyes, "Fifth Sister, this Spirit Tea is amazing! You should try some!"
When he met her stare, he remembered that she had recently said something to him and cleared his throat.
He told her, "Fifth Sister, perhaps only those who had the potential to purchase it were informed what the final item was. As for how they decided that–"
His sister guessed, "Cultivation base?"
Gu Yuben added, "Financial capability could have been taken into consideration as well."
- - -
Pan Ting calmly walked back and forth on the stage as she continued her performance with flair.
"Honored Guests, the next lot on this auction is something I believe almost every lady present will be interested in. Gentlemen who wish to pursue ladies are welcome to bid as well."
The staff brought the next veiled tray onto the stage under everyone's curious and expectant gazes.
Pan Ting unveiled it to reveal a translucent pill bottle. She did not uncork it to prove its authenticity as she did the first.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you, a bottle of Perfect-quality Tenth-grade Beauty Pills!"
Most of the guests gasped.
Someone exclaimed, "Another Perfect-quality pill?"
Another added, "It can't be that all the pills and potions this auction house sells are Perfect-quality, right?"
A third one smacked his lips in wonder, "The alchemist, or alchemists, behind this auction house must be at High-grade Three-Star for him to pump out Perfect-quality Tenth and Ninth-grade Pills like this."
Pan Ting–temporarily Hua Yue–did not mind them. She continued flawlessly, "There are 5 Pills in this bottle and taking each of them can freeze the looks of someone at the Qi Refining stage for anywhere between ten and thirty years."
She added, "As you know, it is less effective the higher one's cultivation base when they take it. Though, it is still effective on Early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, it will only have effect for five years at most."
A female cultivator shouted, eager, "Miss Hua, hurry up and give us the starting price!"
The curve of Pan Ting's smile deepened subtly as she brought down the gavel, "The starting bid for this bottle of pills is 50 Spirit Stones! Each increase must be at least 10 Spirit Stones. Begin!"
That female cultivator directly raised the stakes, "Eighty Low-grade Spirit Stones!"
The bid continued until the price reached 170 low-grade Spirit Stones.
A certain young man could not help but shake his head, "170 Spirit Stones for a Tenth-grade Pill? Women are really–"
Before he could finish, the companion he brought along covered his mouth, "Brother, please don't speak rashly. If you anger a powerful Senior, our heads won't continue to stay on our necks!"
Pan Ting–Hua Yue–eventually started the countdown, "180 Low-grade Spirit Stones Going once! Going twice! Go–!"
"190!" Someone cut in.
The one who was about to win for 180 Spirit Stones flashed the new bidder an ugly look, "Sister, I am from the Hundred Flowers Sect. Can you give me some face? I will owe you a favor."
- - -
Yan Anle raised a brow at this. He could not help but wonder, "This kind of behavior–pressuring others with one's background. Should I interfere?"
[Immortal Clan System] aired her opinion, [Host, this kind of thing is bound to happen anywhere there is hierarchy–not just among cultivators. Even mortals have a divide.
Even if you restricted it from happening here, what can you do if they decide to attack the other party outside?]
"The cultivation world is indeed…" Yan Anle frowned as he trailed off, then exhaled audibly.
[Myriad Worlds] said, [Host, there is indeed a Rule that can allow you to crack down on this but its Penalty and Strictness levels were set to only 3 by me. Would you like to change it?]
"No need." He folded his arms and probed, "Myriad Worlds, I wonder if we can implement an anonymity format? Like giving guests special masks or something."
"Special Robes may also be given as well. So that they do not appear here in their Sect's or Clan's uniform."
[Myriad Worlds] spoke with pride, [Of course it can be done, Host! Though, it will cost you a sum.]
He did not drop the idea, "We can retrieve them after each auction if they are too pricey to hand out new ones every time."
- - -
As for the Hundred Flowers Sect disciple and that last second bidder, the latter caved in the end.
"Tsk, tsk. Some may call her a coward but I think she made a smart choice." Someone commented.
Another sighed, "Of course, she surrendered. To go against someone from the Flourishing Sects or Great Clans when you aren't one of them–you must have been born with ten, no, a hundred more guts than others."
Most agreed.
The auction continued on with items of varying worth.
There were only over two dozen lots in the auction but some of the lots were a repeat of the previous lot, only upgraded.
For instance, the third lot was a bottle of Ninth-grade Beauty Pills instead of Tenth-grade ones. These would be effective for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
This strategy could not be helped. Yan Anle really did not have so many items he could auction. Most of them came from his Beginner Gift Box.
The system had only provided him with three items as subsidy for his first auction, one of which was the final lot.
"And now, for the twenty-seventh and final lot for today–" Pan Ting announced. "Honored Guests, I present to you a stalk of Hundred-Year-Old Resting Bull Grass!"
This announcement stunned the crowd.
Gu Yuben clicked his tongue in wonder, "It is really that item!"
Pan Ting explained, "For those who are unaware, the Resting Bull Grass is the core ingredient of one of the best variations of the Dao Enlightenment Pill."
"Dao Enlightenment Pill!" someone exclaimed, shocked.
"This pill, once taken, will push one into a state of enlightenment." Another added, "During those few hours or days, cultivation will be as easy as drinking and eating. There will be no bottlenecks! There are even geniuses who have crossed a whole Major Cultivation Realm after taking it!"
"Damn, what a treasure!"
Pan Ting did not show it, but she was inwardly rattled as well. Her knees still felt a bit weak.
Yan Anle had not told her, Dou E, or the other staff about the final item until just now.
Among the guests, only the Late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators like Gu Yuben were notified earlier.
Pan Ting continued her explanation, "And as you know, the older the grass used in refining, the better the potential quality and grade of the pill produced."
"With this thousand-year-old one, it should be more than sufficient to refine a Dao Enlightenment Pill suitable for even Early-Stage Core Formation cultivators!"
"Honored Guests, the base bid for this stalk of Grass is one thousand low-grade spirit stones. Every increment in the bid must be at least one hundred low-grade spirit stones."
"Bidding starts now!"
Gu Yuben did not rush to bid. He leaned back in his seat and clasped his hands.
Ji Fan glanced sideways, "This Brother from the Crimson View Sect, how about we pool funds to acquire the stalk? When the pills are refined we can split them."
The Crimson View Sect disciple wore a thoughtful expression as he listened to someone shout "17 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
Then, he made up his mind, "Alright, Friend. Let's do it."
"Good!" Ji Fan smiled and rejoined the bid with renewed confidence. "25 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!"
This direct leap in the bid left those with weaker financial power a bit speechless.
Each mid-grade Spirit Stone was 100 low-grade ones.
Raising the price so arbitrarily like that was too ruthless!
They could only give up.
Everyone believed the stalk would end up in the Ji Young Master's hands.
Pan Ting picked up the gavel and her lips parted to begin the countdown.
Until, Gu Yuben raised his hand. His voice was very casual, "28 Mid-grade Spirit Stones."
Everyone's heads turned in his direction.
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A/N: For those who are wondering, all named characters with some character depth, irrespective of how small, like the Gu Siblings, Fu Tan, Ji Shentu, Pei Wuxin, Manager Pei, Ji Yuanlan, and the like, have a very great possibility of reappearing multiple times in the plot. Some might even be related or connected to each other.