Eternal Life: I Can Sell Everything

Chapter 244: Chapter 240: Even Capitalists Cry

Seven Treasures Tower, third floor.

After the auction ended, Song Ciwan and Xie Yunxiang used their auction Tokens to each retrieve a wooden box in the open hall on the third floor. These boxes contained all their earnings from the event.

The wooden box possessed a spatial storage function. Though it appeared to be a small, palm-sized container, the storage space within was at least a cubic meter.

However, this function was single-use. Once the items inside were removed, the expanded space would vanish, and the container would become an ordinary wooden box.

All the Primordial Pearls Song Ciwan and Xie Yunxiang had acquired at the auction would be placed in their boxes. This included the belt Xie Yunxiang had won, which would also be in his box.

Of course, since he had won the belt, its cost would be automatically deducted from Xie Yunxiang’s earnings.

In short, this auction model was simple and hassle-free. Most importantly, by minimizing complex interactions, it lowered the risk of anyone revealing their wealth, thereby reducing the incidence of robberies and murders.

After all, in this bustling crowd, everyone wore identical Black Cloaks and left immediately after taking their box. Who could tell anyone apart? And who could know what treasures another person’s box held?

With no information to go on, there was no basis for a robbery.

If you tried to rob someone blindly, you might get a pauper, which would be bad enough. But what if you accidentally targeted some powerful expert? Would you be tired of living?

Of course, nothing is absolute. The human mind is fickle, and despite all these precautions, it was still impossible to predict what might happen next.

It could only be said that compared to many other places, the Seven Treasures Tower was already exceptionally safe.

At the very least, this level of security justified its commission fees.

Song Ciwan took her wooden box and swept her Spiritual Sense inside. She immediately discovered it contained a full 18,000 Primordial Pearls!

Song Ciwan had put up a total of fifteen Primordial Longevity Pearls for this auction. At the standard market price, one Primordial Longevity Pearl was worth one thousand Primordial Pearls. But this was an auction, so a premium was inevitable.

So, even after the commission was deducted, Song Ciwan still came away with 18,000 Primordial Pearls.

’Not bad at all.’ Song Ciwan even felt that she might not have fetched such a high price if she had tried to sell them privately.

’No wonder the Seven Treasures Tower’s business had spread throughout the commanderies and counties of the Great Zhou. There was a reason its reputation was so renowned.’

As for Xie Yunxiang, he hadn’t yet developed his Spiritual Sense. He shielded the box with his sleeves, cracked it open just a sliver, and peeked inside.

After just one glance, he hurriedly shut the box and carefully tucked it away inside his robes.

He fought to suppress his overwhelming joy, his face tight. Though doubly concealed by his mask and cloak, the brilliant sparkle in his visible eyes was impossible to hide.

Many people were still queuing in the hall. Neither Song Ciwan nor Xie Yunxiang said a word. After securing their boxes, they slipped out of the crowd and quietly departed from the Seven Treasures Tower.

The moon hung high in the sky, a day past its fullest.

Pale, cool moonlight spilled down from the heavens. The Seven Treasures Tower was still bustling with activity, but Song Ciwan and Xie Yunxiang soon left the commotion far behind.

After leaving the Seven Treasures Tower, Xie Yunxiang glanced back and couldn’t resist asking via voice transmission, "Brother Xin, are we really leaving just like this? The auction may be over, but there are still plenty of rare treasures in the tower. Shouldn’t we go check out the first and second floors?"

Such is human nature. Upon acquiring a new fortune, one inevitably develops an itch to spend it.

If you don’t spend at least a little, the urge is hard to ignore.

Take Xie Yunxiang, for example. Though he had always lived within his means and rarely spent large sums of Primordial Pearls, was it because he didn’t *want* to?

No, it was because he didn’t have any!

Not spending money when you finally have it is truly agonizing. He was from a prominent family, after all, and had grown up seeing countless displays of extravagant wealth.

Song Ciwan gave a wry smile. "Brother Xie, if you really have an itch to scratch, there’s no need to hold back. Just go. It’s not as if I can stop you."

Xie Yunxiang scratched his head, abashed. "If Brother Xin isn’t going, I wouldn’t dare go by myself. Brother Xin, let’s go. We’ll leave right now."

He was so sensible. What more could Song Ciwan say?

She said, "Brother Xie, whatever you want to buy, there’s no need to be hasty. If you don’t buy it tonight, you can buy it in a few days. The Seven Treasures Tower isn’t going anywhere."

Xie Yunxiang nodded vigorously. ’That makes sense. You can never go wrong with a little caution. An expert like Brother Xin is always prudent, yet here I am, getting cocky. I must have a death wish, thinking my life is too comfortable.’

Xie Yunxiang was filled with apprehension. He felt his earlier impulse had been completely inappropriate. ’If I had Brother Xin’s strength, maybe it would be excusable to get a little carried away... No, even with Brother Xin’s strength, I must never get carried away!’

’I must learn from Brother Xin. I must walk the path of the Dao with a prudent heart and reflect on myself daily. That is the only way to endure.’

As these thoughts turned in his mind, Xie Yunxiang found his heart calming and his spirit settling. He suddenly felt the bottleneck that had plagued him for so long show faint signs of loosening.

Overjoyed, he whipped his head around to look at Song Ciwan.

The Heaven and Earth Scale manifested, collecting a wisp of energy: [Human Desires: The joy, astonishment, and gratitude of a Qi Transformation Stage Cultivator. Two jin and six taels. Exchangeable.]

Song Ciwan: ...

’What just happened?’

She turned to look at Xie Yunxiang, so surprised that a question was already on the tip of her tongue.

Song Ciwan was just about to ask after Xie Yunxiang’s state of mind when he said, "Brother Xin, I’m not sure why, but I think I’m on the verge of a breakthrough."

A look of pleasant surprise flashed across Song Ciwan’s face. "Oh? You’re breaking through? That’s wonderful! Brother Xie, you can’t delay a breakthrough. It’s best to find a cave mansion. Are you heading to the Wangjiang Cave Mansion? I’ll escort you!"

Seeing how happy Song Ciwan looked, Xie Yunxiang couldn’t help but feel that his Brother Xin was a truly sincere and upstanding person. ’Only a true friend would be this delighted by another’s progress,’ he thought.

He tucked his deep gratitude away in his heart and said quickly, "That would be perfect! Thank you, Brother Xin!"

The Heaven and Earth Scale manifested again, collecting another wisp of energy: [Human Desires: The joy, deep emotion, and gratitude of a Qi Transformation Stage Cultivator. One jin and two taels. Exchangeable.]

Song Ciwan felt a little helpless. ’I’m not a capitalist; I would never drain the pond just to get the fish. But what can I do when the little lamb is so eager to be sheared that it’s practically peeling off its own skin for me!’

Song Ciwan grabbed Xie Yunxiang. A light breeze stirred around them. "Brother Xie," she called out sharply, "Hold the Essence and Guard the One! Focus your mind and senses! Seize this opportunity to break through, don’t let it slip!"

As she spoke, she pulled Xie Yunxiang along, about to float away with him into the distance.

Just then, three figures in sinister masks suddenly leaped out, blocking the road ahead.

One of the three shouted, "Hand over the Void Shadow Box, kid, and we’ll let you live!"

The Void Shadow Box was the name for the wooden container Song Ciwan and Xie Yunxiang had received from the Seven Treasures Tower. All such specially made boxes were called by that name.

The three had been targeting Xie Yunxiang for some time. Although he had done his best to restrain his emotions while holding the box earlier, the faint sparkle in his eyes had still caught the attention of a watchful observer.

Their timing was perfect. Xie Yunxiang’s qi was surging on the verge of a breakthrough. At such a critical moment, not only would he be unable to fight, but his companion would be distracted protecting him.

Among the three masked robbers, one raised his blade and charged forward, another produced a gourd and blew a plume of smoke toward Song Ciwan and Xie Yunxiang, while the third simply raised a hand and threw a Talisman.

Song Ciwan, however, merely paused for a fraction of a second. Without a word, she raised her hand and flicked her finger.