Master Dong nodded and said with a smile, "Since that's the case, I'd be honored to accept."
He then opened one of the porcelain bottles, and a rich fragrance immediately wafted out.
"This is... Essence of True Love Flower Dew! My heavens! It's actually Essence of True Love Flower Dew!!"
Master Dong was so shocked that he almost dropped the porcelain bottle.
Zi Linling smiled and nodded, "Then please, Master Dong, name your price!"
Master Dong took a deep breath, suppressing his shock. "This Essence of True Love Flower Dew is the essence of the True Love Flower, extremely precious and a sacred item for healing. For you to possess such a thing, it is evident that you are a person of great fortune. May I presume to ask, besides these two bottles, do you have any more?"
Zi Linling shook her head with a smile. "As Master Dong said, this item is extremely precious. To have two bottles is already a gift from heaven. How could I harbor greed?"
Of course, she would not tell Master Dong that she had a True Love Flower in her nascent world, from which she could collect the dew at any time.
Master Dong chuckled wryly. "You are right, young lady. It was I who was greedy. How about this, if you wish to sell these two bottles of Essence of True Love Flower Dew directly to our merchant association, I will immediately pay you thirty million high-grade spirit stones, transferred to your black gold VIP card. What do you say?"
Zi Linling pondered for a moment and said, "I'd rather consign it for auction!"
A hint of pain flashed in Master Dong's eyes, but he smiled. "Since you've decided, then let's set the starting bid the same as the ten-thousand-year-old Nine-Curved Acacia Vine, fifteen million high-grade spirit stones. Our association will take a twenty percent commission."
"No, we'll only take fifteen percent, with the condition that if you have any good items to trade in the future, you will prioritize our Nine Regions Merchant Association. How does that sound?"
Zi Linling smiled. "Agreed, it's a deal!"
"It's a deal!"
Master Dong was overjoyed. He had just secured a major client for the merchant association.
"Young lady, please give me your black gold VIP card, and I will handle the consignment procedures for you. Just like the ten-thousand-year-old Nine-Curved Acacia Vine, I will advance you twenty million high-grade spirit stones."
"Alright!"
Zi Linling replied, and readily handed over the black gold VIP card she had just put away to Master Dong.
Master Dong took it and said, "Please wait a moment, young lady."
He then turned and left.
After another ten minutes, he returned.
He handed the black gold VIP card back to Zi Linling. "Twenty million high-grade spirit stones have been credited to the card. Please keep it safe."
"Thank you!"
Zi Linling took the black gold VIP card, put it away, and said.
Master Dong then presented a receipt. "This is the consignment receipt for the two bottles of Essence of True Love Flower Dew. Please keep it."
"Thank you!"
Zi Linling took the receipt, put it away, and thanked him again.
"Oh, right, Miss Zi, I've also adjusted the commission for the ten-thousand-year-old Nine-Curved Acacia Vine to fifteen percent for you," Master Dong said.
Zi Linling replied, "Thank you very much! In that case, we shall take our leave!"
"Farewell, young lady! I'll escort you!"
Master Dong personally escorted Zi Linling outside the Nine Regions Merchant Association. After bidding her farewell again, he returned to his post once Zi Linling and her entourage had departed.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
With only an hour left until the auction began, the entrance of the Nine Regions Merchant Association was already packed to the brim.
When Zi Linling and her companions arrived, they saw a long queue at the entrance.
She frowned and was about to ask Shen Liuxing to join the queue when she heard a familiar voice, "Young lady, you've arrived!"
Zi Linling looked up and saw Master Dong walking towards her.
She quickly greeted him, "Master Dong, we meet again!"
Master Dong laughed heartily, "Young lady, I've been waiting for you. Please follow me!"
With that, he turned and led the way.
Under Master Dong's guidance, Zi Linling and her group bypassed the long queue and entered the Nine Regions Merchant Association through a side door.
"Young lady, this is the express lane. I've asked someone to escort you to a private room!"
Master Dong said, then waved to a waiter not far away.
The waiter, seeing Master Dong wave, hurried over and respectfully asked, "Master Dong, what are your orders?"
Master Dong said, "Xiao He, escort these distinguished guests to private room number two and attend to them well. Do you understand?"
The waiter named Xiao He quickly and respectfully replied, "Yes, Master Dong!"
Then, she turned to Zi Linling and her companions and said, "Distinguished guests, please follow me!"
Zi Linling nodded at Master Dong and then left with Xiao He.
Meanwhile, outside, chaos had erupted.
"Why don't those people have to queue?"
"Exactly! Why can they go straight in without even showing their VIP cards?"
"That's right, the Nine Regions Merchant Association is unfair!"
"Yes! The Nine Regions Merchant Association must give us an explanation!"
"..."
"Hmph!"
An old man, around Master Dong's age, appeared at the front of the queue at some point, his face stern. "Why? You ask why? If you can get Old Dong to personally attend to you, I'll let you use the express lane too!"
"Old man, is the Old Dong you speak of the chief appraiser of the Nine Regions Merchant Association, Master Dong?" someone in the crowd asked loudly.
The old man rolled his eyes impatiently. "That's right! It's him! If you can gain his favor, you can also have him escort you in, and you won't have to queue!"
The restless crowd immediately quieted down.
Master Dong, the chief appraiser of the Nine Regions Merchant Association, was as proud as a peacock. How could ordinary people possibly hope to achieve such a status?
Meanwhile, Zi Linling, Xuanyuan Xun, Rong Guang, Shangguan Yulin, and Shen Liuxing, led by Xiao He, quickly arrived at private room number two.
"Everyone, the auction will officially begin in half an hour. If you find it noisy, you can activate the soundproofing barrier of the private room. Shall I activate it for you?" Xiao He asked with a smile.
"After activating the soundproofing barrier, will we still be able to know the situation of the auction outside?" Shen Liuxing asked with a frown.
Xiao He smiled and said, "Yes, you will! Distinguished guests, please look here."
She then activated a large screen on the wall and continued, "This large screen can synchronize the auction scene from outside to here. And if any of you wish to bid, you can tap this bell."
Xiao He said, pointing to a protrusion on the table in front of Zi Linling.
"Mmm! Thank you, Xiao He. Please activate the soundproofing barrier for us," Zi Linling said with a smile.
She not only wanted to block out the noisy sounds from outside, but more importantly, she wanted to conceal her identity.
If she were to bid on the Ancestral Dragon's essence blood, many people would undoubtedly want to kill her. She intended to maintain an air of mystery so that others could not find trouble with her.