As night descended, a figure shot across the sky less than five li from Gutan City. Upon closer inspection, it was Li Xuan, who had ventured out from the mountain peak to gather information.
"If I just barge in like this, Wu Xue might think I'm deliberately provoking him," Li Xuan pondered for a moment. Then, with a thought, the spiritual energy fluctuations on his body became undetectable.
Not only that, but Li Xuan's appearance had also changed. Compared to his previous look, he was an entirely different person.
Since he was here to gather information, Li Xuan took a brief stroll through Gutan City before entering a teahouse, patiently waiting.
As time passed, the tea in Li Xuan's teapot dwindled. However, Li Xuan did not hear any valuable information from the other patrons.
"Could it be that the Wu family isn't targeting me because of the Hai Zi Cave incident?" Li Xuan felt a flicker of confusion.
After all, the obstruction from Wu Xue when Li Xuan appeared was undeniably real. In fact, if not for the abilities of the Shi Jian, he might have already been captured by the Wu family.
"Perhaps the Wu family is acting in secret. Since I can't get any intelligence here, there's no need to linger any longer." Li Xuan shrugged helplessly, then rose and left the teahouse.
"Hurry! The auction at Baoguang Pavilion is about to begin!"
"I have to grab a front-row seat. Even if I can't bid on the treasures, just being closer to Fairy Baoxiang will be enough."
"Haha, brother, you truly are like-minded! Let's go, together!"
"..."
Just as Li Xuan was contemplating where to go next, over a dozen figures suddenly zipped past him. Their discussions, clear as day, entered Li Xuan's ears.
"It seems I'll be able to find out the information I'm looking for soon." Seeing the dozen figures quickly disappear down the street, Li Xuan's lips curved slightly as he murmured.
Li Xuan moved, immediately blending into the crowd.
Soon, on the third long street after turning the corner, a grand building instantly appeared before Li Xuan's eyes.
Above it, the words "Baoguang Pavilion" shone in brilliant gold.
At the entrance of Baoguang Pavilion, everyone stood in a silent queue, not a sound to be heard.
"This Baoguang Pavilion seems rather extraordinary," Li Xuan observed the surrounding queue, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"The entrance fee is fifty high-grade spirit stones per person. If you wish to book a private room, please find a waitress inside the main hall."
As the announcement came from the entrance, Li Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, no special qualifications were needed, otherwise, he would have had to waste some effort.
However, the fact that there was an entrance fee made Li Xuan a little displeased. But this was clearly not the time to dwell on such matters. After paying the spirit stones, Li Xuan entered the main hall.
The main hall was already filled with countless waitresses. However, many spiritual masters headed towards the right after entering, showing no inclination to choose a private room.
Li Xuan glanced around, then pondered for a moment before approaching a waitress.
"Esteemed guest, how may I assist you?"
Xiao Qing, watching the spiritual masters rush towards the auction hall, felt a pang of disappointment but maintained a professional smile. When she suddenly saw Li Xuan approaching, she bowed respectfully and asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.
"A private room, please," Li Xuan replied.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qing bowed to Li Xuan. "Esteemed guest, a single private room costs ten thousand high-grade spirit stones. If you require a more exquisite room, the price will be higher. Which type would you prefer, honored sir?"
Li Xuan touched his nose, a wry smile on his lips. Baoguang Pavilion was indeed sparing no expense.
"Just a single private room will suffice," Li Xuan said. With a thought, ten thousand high-grade spirit stones materialized before Xiao Qing.
"Please follow me, honored guest." Xiao Qing collected the spirit stones, bowed again to Li Xuan with a smile, and led the way.
Following Xiao Qing's guidance, Li Xuan entered from the left and arrived before a room marked with the sign "Earth-grade, Class B, Number Five."
"Please, honored guest," Xiao Qing opened the door and stepped aside.
Li Xuan nodded and walked into the room. Xiao Qing followed him inside and closed the door.
"Honored guest, the auction will begin in fifteen minutes. You will be able to view the proceedings via the projection. Additionally, if you see anything you desire, I, Xiao Qing, can place bids on your behalf."
As Li Xuan sat down, Xiao Qing bowed and said from the side.
"In that case, I will trouble you, Miss Xiao Qing." Li Xuan nodded slightly and surveyed the room, a touch of surprise in his heart.
The room not only had a projection screen but was also equipped with spiritual tea and spiritual fruits. Although it was a private room, its space was not small.
More importantly, there was dedicated service.
Even a humble Earth-grade, Class B private room had such amenities; it was certainly worth the ten thousand high-grade spirit stones.
Thinking that there was still fifteen minutes before the auction began, Li Xuan's thoughts turned to Xiao Qing. "Miss Xiao Qing, are there any particularly precious treasures among the items to be auctioned this time?"
Xiao Qing bowed slightly. "Honored guest, please do not be hasty. If the auctioned items were revealed in advance, it would diminish the elegance of the occasion. I hope you will understand. However, I assure you that our Baoguang Pavilion's auctions will not disappoint you."
Hearing Xiao Qing's evasive answer, Li Xuan shrugged and casually asked, "Gutan City is directly under the Wu family's jurisdiction. The items auctioned here should not attract unwanted attention from certain individuals, right?"
Xiao Qing smiled and nodded, a hint of pride in her expression. "Honored guest, you need not worry. Baoguang Pavilion is owned by the Wu family. The safety of all our esteemed guests is guaranteed. Any individuals who resort to violence within the auction house will be expelled from Gutan City."
"Furthermore, they will be permanently barred from entering any of the Wu family's establishments."
Li Xuan nodded slowly. As one of the Nine Sects, the Wu family's power was far beyond that of ordinary factions. The fact that even a mere waitress possessed such confidence was telling.
Through Li Xuan's subtle inquiries, he managed to gather basic information about the Huayang Continent and the other Nine Sects.
"Miss Xiao Qing, thank you for sharing so much with me. This spirit stone is for your trouble."
As the fifteen minutes were almost up, Li Xuan stopped asking questions, as being too inquisitive might attract undue attention. With a wave of his hand, a thousand high-grade spirit stones flew towards Xiao Qing.
Xiao Qing's eyes lit up, and her gaze towards Li Xuan became filled with warmth.
For an ordinary person, a month's living expenses were no more than ten. If not for her poor family background, why would she work as a waitress at Baoguang Pavilion?
Moreover, the commission for a private room at Baoguang Pavilion was only five hundred high-grade spirit stones.
Li Xuan's reward of a thousand spirit stones was equivalent to the commission from three rooms, making Xiao Qing incredibly excited.
Xiao Qing quickly caught the spirit stones and bowed to Li Xuan. "Thank you, honored guest. If you have any further questions later, I will do my utmost to answer them."
Li Xuan nodded and, with a thought, turned his attention to the screen ahead. The screen had already lit up, indicating that the Baoguang Pavilion auction was about to commence.
"Honored guest, the auction is about to begin. The host for this auction is our Baoguang Pavilion's chief auctioneer, Fairy Baoxiang."
As Xiao Qing finished speaking, a graceful figure slowly walked onto the main stage of the hall on the screen.
"I am Baoxiang, and I am deeply honored by the presence of all esteemed seniors and fellow cultivators. I offer my humble greetings. If there are any shortcomings in my service, I beg for your indulgence."
Fairy Baoxiang approached, bowed slightly to the crowd in the hall and in the private rooms, and then introduced herself.
Li Xuan secretly nodded. Fairy Baoxiang's appearance was indeed striking. Her voice, in particular, was as clear and melodious as a lark's, like a gentle breeze that was incredibly pleasant to the ear. It was no wonder so many people were captivated by her.
Furthermore, the fact that Fairy Baoxiang possessed the strength of the Mingzhi Realm surprised Li Xuan.
"Fairy Baoxiang, we trust you! The items from Baoguang Pavilion are absolutely reliable!"
"Indeed, Fairy Baoxiang! As long as you are hosting the auction, we are satisfied!"
"Fairy Baoxiang, start the auction quickly! We can't wait any longer."
"..."
As expected!
As soon as Fairy Baoxiang finished speaking, the spiritual masters in the hall began to exclaim.
"I believe most of you are not new to Baoguang Pavilion's auctions. Therefore, introductions are likely unnecessary. In a word, the highest bidder wins. Of course, if you lack sufficient spirit stones, you may exchange items of equivalent value with our pavilion."
"Now, let us begin with our first auction item."
Seemingly accustomed to the clamor from the hall, Fairy Baoxiang nodded lightly and clapped her hands.
At the same time, from behind the high stage, a maid carrying a sword box walked forward.
Seeing the fervent gazes of the crowd, Fairy Baoxiang drew the spiritual sword from the box and swung it a few times.
Wisps of fiery light appeared in the air, and the temperature in the hall seemed to rise as the sword emerged.
The sharp sword energy forced even those in the front rows to circulate their energy in defense.
"It's a fire-attribute spiritual weapon!"
"The power of this sword must be immense. If I obtain it, my strength could double!"
"This spiritual weapon is mine!"
"..."
As Fairy Baoxiang sheathed the spiritual sword, the crowd in the hall became visibly excited.
Seeing that the desired effect had been achieved, Fairy Baoxiang smiled gently. "Esteemed guests, this sword is named the Fire Lin Sword, and it is of the Dao Sword level."
"I believe you all understand the importance of a spiritual weapon to us. Furthermore, I have just demonstrated its power. The starting bid for this sword is ten million high-grade spirit stones. Each subsequent bid must not be less than one million."
"Esteemed guests, please."