My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late! Volume 2 – Chapter 5
"What was providing water to someone crawling out of a desert? This is!"
Staring at the words "First Chapter of the Body Cultivation Manual: [Essence Integration Body Tempering Art]" displayed on the screen, Yan Anle swallowed hard. The fierce competition for the final lot of the auction had nothing to do with him.
Finally, those 100 Years of Bitter Cultivation can be put to use! he thought, excited.
[Immortal Clan System] could not suppress her distaste. [Damn, that's cheating! Myriad Worlds, the auction is not yet over! If any of the Lords or the Main System find out, you'll be in for a reckoning!]
As she did not communicate this to Myriad Worlds privately, Yan Anle heard it loud and clear. His brows furrowed. "Myriad Worlds, is this true?"
[Myriad Worlds] was as silent as a dead fish.
Yan Anle's expression darkened. "Myriad Worlds...!"
The Auction House-type System's voice sounded like a prodigal daughter coming back to tell her father she had squandered her inheritance. [Host, about this...] she argued. [Based on the preliminary impact on the guests present and the forces behind them, the results of the mission are as easy to predict as can be. You have been itching to cultivate for so long. So, I...]
She trailed off, and Yan Anle's eyes glinted in realization. An indelible warmth spread through his aged heart, but he was still decisive. "Still, we should not cut corners like this."
He closed his eyes before adding, "If, as Immortal Clan said, your superiors find out and put you under house arrest or something, who would I cry to?"
[...Fine,] Myriad Worlds said through gritted teeth. [It's just a couple more minutes anyway.]
Immortal Clan voiced her agreement, [Exactly.]
Deep within Yan Anle's Primordial Spirit, Myriad Worlds' avatar's expression twisted, and she glared at her rival through the void. "You...!"
As such, Yan Anle resumed paying attention to the auction below.
"45 Mid-grade Spirit Stones? Goodness! He raised it by 2,000 Low-grade Spirit Stones just like that!"
"Who is that big shot?"
"That is the Third Young Master of the Gu Clan: Gu Yuben!"
"Hiss~! The Gu Clan! One of the top clans under the Great Yan Clan! No wonder!"
"I seem to recall that there was a time this Third Young Master Gu was counted among the prodigies of the younger generation."
"That's right! He reached the Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment before the age of fifty! A prodigy! However, he failed Core Formation more than once. Since then, his fame has declined."
While the majority discussed it like this, Ji Fan's and the Crimson View Sect disciple's expressions were unfriendly.
The latter snorted coldly and said, "Gu Yuben, your clan has provided you with many resources since you hit your bottleneck, but you have made no progress. Now, you want to waste this precious treasure? Keep dreaming!"
Ji Fan was right behind him. "Exactly! After swallowing all those treasures and failing to form your Core—"
"Bold!" Fifth Young Lady Gu jumped to her feet, an aura of Seventh Level Foundation Establishment radiating from her. "How dare you speak such drivel?!"
Ji Fan chuckled in disdain. "What? Can't bear the shameful truth, so you want to bully us with your superior cultivation base?"
"You bastard!" A sword appeared in Gu Fifth Young Miss's right hand, and she took an attacking stance, channeling a technique.
Ji Fan's eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath. This bitch! She is actually attacking!? That's against the script!
The Crimson View Sect disciple and Third Young Master Gu reflexively channeled their own Spiritual Qi, ready to intervene, but they were a step behind a third party.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone present—Yan Anle included—Gu Yujun remained stationary in mid-air. Foundation Establishment cultivators could ride weapons once they learned a sword-riding technique; however, Gu Yujun's weapon was in her hand, not beneath her feet!
Her lips parted, but no words came out. Her facial muscles twitched violently, and her whole body showed signs of struggle, but it was all for naught.
Before anyone could regain their composure and comment, a majestic female voice echoed throughout Prosperity Abode.
"You are not in a fish market. Restrain yourself. As this is your first offense, I shall let you off."
The words were delivered with great calm, but the invisible pressure that accompanied them left everyone's hearts feeling anything but. Yan Anle recognized that voice, even though it was far colder and more dignified than the version he was used to.
"Myriad Worlds?" he probed.
[Myriad Worlds] giggled and said, [Host, this is the way the auction house automatically enacts the Rules you establish. How is the automated voice? Very domineering, right?]
Yan Anle had to agree. Although the pressure the voice placed on him and the staff was the least, he had felt it nonetheless. "Domineering. Very domineering."
As [Myriad Worlds] laughed, pleased, [Immortal Clan System] aired her thoughts. [Master, you seem not to have let them know what they should and shouldn't do. Letting them learn as they go like this, I'm afraid...]
She trailed off, and both Myriad Worlds and Yan Anle slipped into silence.
Yan Anle smacked his lips. "How could I forget something so important?"
[Myriad Worlds] promptly suggested, [Master, I can send Rule Books alongside the invitations.]
Yan Anle's eyes lit up for two seconds, then dimmed. "How much would that short me?"
[Myriad Worlds] replied, sounding aggrieved. [Master, am I that kind of money-grubbing system in your eyes?]
Yan Anle was struck speechless by her sniffle. "You... You are a high-ranking system! How can you cry?"
He could not help but wonder, Is there something about me that makes women want to cry? First Dou E and now... Hiss!
[Immortal Clan] did not miss the chance to taunt [Myriad Worlds]. She said with a chuckle, [Myriad Worlds, doing this, aren't you afraid that besides "Myriad Worlds Bandit System" you will wear another hat? Like "White Lotus System"?]
[Myriad Worlds] immediately dropped the act and snapped back, [Immortal Clan! Don't slander me! Where did you see me being a White Lotus?]
[Immortal Clan] merely giggled, refusing to reply.
The interaction between his systems prompted Yan Anle's left brow to jump slightly. Why does it seem like the harmony between these two has already been fed to the dogs? How many days has it been since I bound to them, and it's already like this?
Now, he was not too sure whether being bound to two systems was a blessing or a curse. These two would likely be in his head throughout his pursuit of the Immortal Dao, after all!
As for Gu Yujun, she trembled all over as she sat down, looking like a mortal doused in ice-cold water during the winter.
"That pressure... It seems to be above Core Formation," someone remarked in a shaking voice.
"As expected, this Prosperity Abode is not a small place!" added another.
Several others joined in as well. Gu Yuben's expression was solemn as he held his sister's hand. "Yujun, I keep telling you; don't be impulsive."
"Third Brother, I..."
His grip tightened. "Shh. Don't say any more. I understand that you were upset on my behalf. It's fine."
Ji Fan's face, which had gone pale upon realizing that the Gu Fifth Miss was going to make a move against him, regained its color. His lips curled upward. "Some people can't discern where and where not to act on a whim. It truly opens one's eyes."
The Crimson View True Disciple shot the Ji Young Master a look that said, "You're still goading them?"
The Gu siblings responded with looks that could kill. Some other guests could not help but gossip about his behavior, but Ji Fan acted like he could not hear them.
Meanwhile, Pan Ting brought down the gavel. "45 Mid-grade Spirit Stones! Going once!"
"Going twice!"
"Going thrice!"
"Sold!"
She clapped and looked in Gu Yuben's direction. "Congratulations to guest No. 4 on securing this item!"
The Gu siblings' expressions took a one-eighty-degree turn for the better, while Ji Fan's looked like that of someone who had swallowed a fly.
Pan Ting did not end the auction just like that. She said, "If our Dear Guests want to leave, all you have to do is hold the invitation card and will it. However, please do not be in a hurry to leave. Join me in welcoming the Auction Master onto the stage."
Her words naturally caused ripples in everyone's hearts. The Auction Master—what cultivation base would he or she have? To come out just for juniors like them...
Recalling the pressure that accompanied Gu Fifth Young Miss's reprimand, they could not help but feel awe. Those who had just risen from their seats, or were about to, planted their rear ends back onto their seats.
Yan Anle brought his hand before his face, and a mask appeared in it. He stepped out of the VIP room after donning it. Dou E had been standing outside the door the entire time, like a loyal guard with a mask of her own.
Like Pan Ting and the other staff, the system had provided them with Dao Robes to not only protect them but also mask their true appearance and cultivation bases. Yan Anle's was predominantly black with yellow embroidery, while Dou E's formed a contrast in a base of white dyed with light blue.
As they climbed down the steps, Yan Anle felt the weight of many stares. They congealed into a boulder on his heart, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he subtly swallowed. He was never one for public speaking—or anything of the sort—but this was the first auction.
His teeth dug into his bottom lip until he got to the stage. When he turned to the audience, almost two hundred scrutinizing gazes met his. He remained silent for almost a whole minute, forcing the entire audience to quiet down while he struggled to settle the heavy thumping of his heart.
When his lips finally parted, his first words were, "Thank you."
He paused, then continued, "Thank you all for honoring Prosperity Abode with your presence. I am Lord Prosperity, the owner of this establishment."
Strange, he thought. With every word he spoke, he became more comfortable.
"I did not write a long speech or anything like that. I just want to say a few things," he told them. "First of all, as you all have seen in today's auction, we do not put up subpar items. All Pills will at least have Pill Veins, and Herbs will not be 'almost a Thousand' or 'almost Ten Thousand' years old. This will not be unique to just this launching auction, but all subsequent ones. So, you can look forward to that."
The guests were visibly moved by this. Some started to whisper, excited.
"That brings me to my second point—" He paused for a few seconds before continuing, forcing them to quiet down. "Items that are put up for commission will be strictly scrutinized. Items with unverifiable origins or ordinary quality will be denied entry."
Someone said, "As it should be!"
Another added, "Agreed!"
Some frowned slightly, but they were few and far between.
Yan Anle paced back and forth on the stage. "Of course, while most people will be turned down, there is a benefit for those whose items are accepted. For instance, we will be taking no transaction fees."
Predictably, the crowd was thrown into another frenzy. The corners of Yan Anle's lips curved slightly. Commission does not count for Myriad Worlds Auction Points. In that case, why not trade it out for a competitive edge against competitors?
Speaking of competitive edges, Yan Anle had more where that came from. "That's not all. In the near future, our Auction House will be holding an auction every day."
This time, it wasn't just the guests who were floored. The twenty-odd staff, Pan Ting, and even Dou E were stunned. To promise to provide such top-quality treasures—Perfect-grade Pills and Potions, extremely rare herbs, and so on—at every auction was already something for an auction house that came out of nowhere. And now, it was going to happen every day?
Doubt was inevitable.
"Lord Prosperity, is this true?" Someone summoned the courage to ask, though their voice was somewhat shaky.
"It is," Yan Anle glanced in their direction and nodded. "What need is there to lie to you? At the end of the day, all those who manage to get the invites will be able to verify."
Gu Yuben's eyes glinted strangely after "Lord Prosperity" said this. He seemed to grasp something. He raised a hand, and once Yan Anle nodded, he asked, "Senior, how can we get invitations to future auctions?"