The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

Chapter 290: Chapter 289: A Loss? Not a Loss.

Shangguan Bei smiled indifferently, his expression one of utter disdain.

Now that the Shangguan Family had spoken, who would dare to make another offer? This Muddy Water Black Lotus was destined to be his. He sat in his Grandmaster’s Chair, picked up a cup of fragrant tea, and gently blew on the surface, the very picture of calm composure and absolute control.

"One million Primordial Stones!!"

Suddenly, Sun Qing’s voice rang out, tinged with surprise. Shangguan Bei froze, the teacup halfway to his lips, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Who is it? Who dares to oppose my Shangguan Family?!"

Shangguan Bei’s eyes were glacial. The tea in his hand instantly turned to ice. He rose slowly and walked to the front of his pavilion, gazing toward the Elegant Pavilion that had made the bid. His pupils suddenly shrank. With a cold snort, he said, "To think it’s him! Lin Liyu!"

That Elegant Pavilion was the very same Qingxin Pavilion that countless people wished to enter, but none were able to!

"I never expected Tower Master Lin to also contend for this Muddy Water Black Lotus. It is quite a surprise to me," Shangguan Bei’s indifferent voice slowly rang out.

Inside the Qingxin Pavilion, Lin Liyu looked rather stunned.

He then turned to Qin Ya with a wry smile and said helplessly, "Young Friend Qin, it seems Shangguan Bei thinks I’m the one bidding against him for the Muddy Water Black Lotus."

Qin Ya gave a faint smile. "It’s fine. Let him think that."

Lin Liyu nodded and called out, "Heh, my apologies for spoiling Patriarch Shangguan’s fun. However, I am also quite interested in this Muddy Water Black Lotus. It seems I will have to bid against you for it."

"Heh, this is an auction. The highest bidder wins. You are too polite, Tower Master Lin."

After a moment of deliberation, Shangguan Bei called out, "One million, one hundred thousand Primordial Stones. Tower Master Lin, it just so happens that I am also determined to obtain this Muddy Water Black Lotus."

Inside the Elegant Pavilion, Lin Liyu glanced at Qin Ya.

Qin Ya stated coolly, "Bid two million Primordial Stones!"

Lin Liyu jumped in shock. ’Two million Primordial Stones! That’s already far beyond the value of this Muddy Water Black Lotus! Even the entire fortune of a Celestial Human Perfection Martial Artist doesn’t add up to that much!’

But Lin Liyu didn’t question Qin Ya’s decision and relayed the bid.

"Two million Primordial Stones! Your move, Patriarch Shangguan!"

HISS—The crowd at the auction drew a collective sharp breath. A price of two million Primordial Stones was far beyond what most of them could ever afford.

"Good heavens, Tower Master Lin is certainly lavish."

"Tsk, tsk. And to think there are still several items to be auctioned. For Tower Master Lin to just spend two million Primordial Stones, his pockets must be incredibly deep."

"But Tower Master Lin isn’t an Alchemist. What would he want with that black lotus?"

Inside his Elegant Pavilion, even Shangguan Bei was taken aback by Lin Liyu’s bid. ’He never expected Lin Liyu to place so much importance on this Muddy Water Black Lotus?’

At that moment, Shangguan Hao approached him. "Father, something is strange," he said.

"Speak."

"From what I know, Tower Master Lin is no Alchemist. Why would he bid on this Muddy Water Black Lotus, and so aggressively at that?" Shangguan Hao said.

"Are you suggesting he’s just driving up the price?" Shangguan Bei said coldly.

"Lin Liyu’s Heaven-Reaching Tower and the Four Seas Auction House are both under the Worldwide Business Association. It’s not impossible that he’s bidding on behalf of the auction house to drive up the price and increase the Association’s profits," Shangguan Hao said coolly after a moment’s thought.

"Hmph. That old fox," Shangguan Bei snorted.

Seeing that Shangguan Bei seemed inclined to stop bidding, Master Ming grew anxious. He stepped forward and said, "Patriarch, we absolutely cannot give up on this black lotus!"

Shangguan Bei considered this for a moment, then turned to the old man. "Master Ming, if we acquire this black lotus, what are your chances of successfully refining it into a Poison Pill?"

"Well... about a twenty to thirty percent chance," Master Ming said, hesitating.

Shangguan Bei fell silent. In other words, even if he raised the bid and won the Muddy Water Black Lotus, it might prove useless. He would just be wasting a huge sum of Primordial Stones.

"Two million Primordial Stones! Are there any higher bids?"

Just then, Sun Qing’s voice echoed through the hall. Master Ming gritted his teeth and said, "Patriarch, three million Primordial Stones. If it goes over three million, we walk away."

"Fine!"

Shangguan Bei agreed, then called out his bid: "Three million Primordial Stones!!"

At his words, the crowd was stunned by the price. They never expected Shangguan Bei to increase the bid by a full million Primordial Stones at once. It was outrageous!

"Ha! Tower Master Lin, I am determined to win this Muddy Water Black Lotus!"

Shangguan Bei’s voice rang out, filled with a resolve that left the crowd speechless. They hadn’t expected him to be so fixated on a black lotus. All eyes turned to the Qingxin Pavilion, waiting in anticipation. Would Lin Liyu bid again?

Inside his Elegant Pavilion, Shangguan Bei stared intently at the superior Qingxin Pavilion. What he had just said was merely a ploy to create the illusion of his obsession with the black lotus. It was also a test for Lin Liyu. ’If he’s not trying to drive up the price, my declaration should make him back down. If he is just trying to raise the price, then this is the perfect chance to trap him and make him pay for it.’

"Three million Primordial Stones! Is there a higher bid?"

Just then, a maidservant walked out of the Qingxin Pavilion, holding a placard high in the air. Written on it was a number that left everyone speechless... Four million!

"Holy shit, they actually bid four million!"

"I’ve never seen such an expensive lotus in my entire life."

"From two hundred thousand to four million—that’s a full twenty-fold increase!"

"Oh my god. The rich really can do whatever they please."

In his Elegant Pavilion, Shangguan Bei’s face was grim. "So Lin Liyu really was just trying to drive up the price, going all the way to four million Primordial Stones. Does he really think I, Shangguan Bei, am such an easy mark?" He then cracked a smile. "Perfect. He tried to get clever and ended up outsmarting himself. The four-million-stone lotus is all yours."

Beside him, Master Ming sighed, utterly disappointed.

"Four million Primordial Stones... Sold!"

Once the price was finalized, Shangguan Bei laughed. "Ha, while the Muddy Water Black Lotus is precious, for Tower Master Lin to spend four million Primordial Stones on it... that seems like a losing bargain."

His tone was dripping with schadenfreude. Only then did the crowd realize that Shangguan Bei’s determined act from before had all been a bluff.

"No loss at all. Thank you for your generosity, Patriarch Shangguan."

Lin Liyu’s voice floated out, without the slightest trace of disappointment. This made Shangguan Bei suspicious and uncertain. ’Could it be he genuinely wanted the black lotus?’

"Hmph. He’s just putting on a brave face."

Shangguan Bei snorted coldly. "He’s probably seething with anger right now."

"And now, let’s see the next item up for auction."

In the Qingxin Pavilion, Qin Ya smiled faintly. "So, Shangguan Bei was trying to trap us. A pity for him, but this amount of money is insignificant compared to how useful the Muddy Water Black Lotus is to me."

If there was anyone in the world who could bring out the full potential of the Muddy Water Black Lotus, there was no one but Qin Ya.

"Shangguan Bei would never have dreamed that someone like you exists in this world, Young Friend Qin." And Lin Liyu meant every word of that; it was no mere flattery.

In his eyes, Qin Ya was an absolute prodigy of his generation.

A talent unmatched in all of history.