Eternal Life: I Can Sell Everything

Chapter 241: Chapter 237: The Wind that Swept Through the Auction

Lost in thought, Song Ciwan walked into the Seven Treasures Tower with Xie Yunxiang.

The Seven Treasures Tower was magnificent, which went without saying. What was more interesting was that, besides the many Demon Race girls with rabbit and cat ears scurrying about, there were also various mechanical Puppets draped in colorful silks.

Some mechanical Puppets were deliberately crafted to look like graceful and beautiful young women. Although one could see traces of joined wood or iron on their faces, their figures were voluptuous and well-proportioned, giving them a unique and very pleasant aesthetic.

There were also handsome Puppet youths, all exquisitely made with a distinct style that was both classical and fantastical.

Song Ciwan followed Xie Yunxiang directly to the third floor. Along the way, many people in Black Cloaks walked ahead of and behind them. Hiding one’s appearance was clearly the trend at this auction.

Naturally, if some chose to hide, others did not.

Take Ye Sheng, for example. As Song Ciwan was heading to the third floor, she caught a fleeting glimpse of his figure.

The fluttering hem of Ye Sheng’s robes flashed between the pavilions and then vanished, like a dancing crane, arriving gracefully and departing in solitude.

Besides him, there were other unfamiliar faces Song Ciwan didn’t recognize. Some were alone, while others were surrounded by entourages, carrying themselves with an extraordinary air.

In a place like this, the usually talkative Xie Yunxiang was quiet. He silently led Song Ciwan along. After reaching the third floor, he took out a box and handed it to a Seven Treasures Tower Steward standing behind an octagonal counter.

The Steward smiled and handed Xie Yunxiang a wooden Token. A number was carved on it: Dui-356.

The entire exchange was silent, like a pantomime.

Xie Yunxiang had already instructed Song Ciwan before they entered the Seven Treasures Tower. Without needing another reminder, she also took out a box and exchanged it with the Steward for a Token. Her number was Dui-357.

"Dui" referred to the section, while 357 was the seat number for the auction.

The boxes actually contained Primordial Longevity Pearls. The Seven Treasures Tower, which was hosting the Primordial Longevity Pearl auction, had long since distributed countless special wooden boxes in private.

If a Cultivator with Primordial Longevity Pearls wished to auction them at the Seven Treasures Tower, they could place the pearls in a box, bring it directly to the tower, and exchange it for an auction Token.

This way, the two parties didn’t need much contact. After the auction, the owner of the Primordial Longevity Pearls could use the Token to collect their earnings, and their identity would be protected to the greatest extent possible.

Of course, this system was not without its problems.

The biggest issue was trust. During the exchange of the wooden boxes, neither party opened them to confirm the number of Primordial Longevity Pearls inside. How could one guarantee that the earnings provided by the Seven Treasures Tower after the auction would match the value of the pearls in the box?

There was no guarantee. It was all a gamble on the reputation of the Seven Treasures Tower.

Before entering the Seven Treasures Tower, Xie Yunxiang had said, "Brother Xin, although the Seven Treasures Tower has an excellent reputation and there have been no rumors of any issues, no one can say for sure. Is it that they truly have no problems, or is it possible... that problems have occurred, but have all been covered up?"

The implication was clear: he was explaining the risks of the Seven Treasures Tower auction to Song Ciwan.

’But in this world, what comes without risk?’

It was simply that some risks were not worth taking, while others were manageable enough to try.

Song Ciwan hadn’t said much at the time, simply accepting the box from Xie Yunxiang.

The auction was held in a side hall on the third floor. A sign above the entrance read "Wind Hall." Song Ciwan and Xie Yunxiang stepped inside, crossing the threshold into an elegantly decorated auction hall.

The hall was enormous, its size completely at odds with the building’s exterior dimensions, possessing the wondrous effect of a Sumeru Mustard Seed.

Song Ciwan and Xie Yunxiang found their seats according to their Number Plates. By the time they sat down, the hall was already filled with many people.

A quick glance around the auction hall revealed about seven or eight thousand seats. After a little while, more Cultivators filed in, gradually filling all seven or eight thousand of them!

’So Pinglan City has this many Cultivators—’

But this wasn’t even all the Cultivators in Pinglan City. It was just a tiny fraction of the most outstanding ones.

The dense crowd of people provided a strange sense of security. Lost in such a multitude, one could almost feel invisible.

In the upper level of the Seven Treasures Tower’s Wind Hall, inside the Heaven-ranked Private Room Number One, someone was frowning at the dense crowd below.

The Maid, Lv Yun, knelt at this person’s feet, vowing solemnly, "Young Master, that wicked thief took the Hundred Blades Net. The net bears my, your servant’s, imprint. No matter how he tries to erase it, a trace will always remain. If he dares to come to the Seven Treasures Tower tonight, I will definitely be able to find him!"

The Second Young Master, draped in a luxurious sable cloak, stood with his back to Lv Yun by the private room’s specially made window. His long, black hair cascaded down the snow-white fur. He seemed to be right there, yet also as distant as the horizon.

He exuded an intimidating, unreachable aura that inspired involuntary awe and submission.

Lv Yun swore her oaths, but the Second Young Master remained silent.

After a long moment, Lv Yun’s face had turned pale. Another Maid in a pink dress, standing beside the Second Young Master, sighed in a tone that was both chiding and annoyed. "Alright, you silly girl. What’s the use of just swearing oaths? You said you were going to find that wicked thief, so go find him! How can the Young Master forgive you if all you do is shout about it?"

Lv Yun immediately wiped her eyes and mumbled her assent sheepishly.

Then, without changing her kneeling position, she suddenly struck her chest with her fist!

A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out before Lv Yun, gathering in mid-air and coalescing into a translucent red sphere. Lv Yun’s fingers moved, forming a Finger Technique, as a low, hazy, and mysterious chant came from her lips. It didn’t sound like the language of the Human Race and was very strange: "Abanika Qibulu..."

A HUMMMMMING sound began to spread invisibly throughout the entire auction hall. Before Lv Yun, the translucent red sphere quivered, and countless distorted lines shifted rapidly within it.

In the auction hall, Song Ciwan suddenly felt a stir within her.

For some unknown reason, she was overcome by an indescribable sense of unease. It gave her a sudden urge to use the Great Derivation Birth Skill again, or to activate her Divine Eye Opening, to see the source of this strange feeling.

But Song Ciwan quickly suppressed the impulse.

’The Divine Eye Opening can’t be used lightly. The backlash is too severe. If I were to carelessly invoke a divine power here in the Seven Treasures Tower, it would be like strapping a lantern to myself and shouting for everyone to come look at me!’

’That’s absolutely out of the question!’

’So, how should I deal with this sudden sensation?’

Song Ciwan glanced nonchalantly at Xie Yunxiang beside her. He was excitedly flipping through an auction catalog from his seat, clearly oblivious to what she was feeling.

It wasn’t just Xie Yunxiang. Song Ciwan realized that everyone around her seemed completely unaware, as if no one else felt anything was wrong.

Song Ciwan immediately lowered her head, picked up the auction catalog from her own seat, and began to flip through it as if nothing had happened.

’In an environment where everyone is oblivious, doing nothing is the best way to blend in with the crowd!’