Immortality Starts With Generosity

To her credit, the Golden Lily Association supervisor did indeed get out. The gold quickly disappeared into a storage bag at her waist and she summoned a subordinate to repair the Silencing formation before finally leaving them in peace.

The auction had not stopped despite the drama in their booth but Chen Haoran certainly was in no mood to continue. Lan Fen instead took over the bidding while he slumped in his chair. His head felt like someone had stared into the sun for hours, concentrated that pain into a bullet, and launched it straight into his skull. Lan Fen wasn’t kidding when she said the difference between realms was immense.

“100 Mortal Rank Qi Assembly Pills, sold.”

“I wonder if that courage of yours is born from your ignorance or a natural confidence,” Lan Fen said.

“What?”

“Few would dare treat a stronger cultivator so flippantly the way you did. Nor would any dangle a such rare treasure in front of them while doing so. "

“Get to your point,” he said. He was already dealing with a blistering headache, he wasn’t in the mood to puzzle her words out.

“A spatial treasure is a rare item even for higher level cultivators to own. Not to mention the immense wealth you’ve shown off with only a Qi realm cultivation base. I have seen people tempted by less.”

“Plenty of rich people come here don’t they? The Golden Lily Association wouldn’t have a business if they robbed their customers like that.”

“In the face of enough benefits, all that matters is a cultivator’s willingness to take the risk. You were lucky that what she saw wasn’t enough for her to damage the reputation of the Golden Lily Association.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, waving her off.

It’s not like he had wanted to show off the storage function of his power in front of the cultivator. It had just been the most expedient way to get the cause of the splitting pain in his head to leave. Although shutting her up and sending her off did fill him with vicious satisfaction. He supposed Lan Fen wasn’t wrong though, the same anonymity that gave him his courage could be used against him as well.

“You got any pain medicine with you? Looking at her with my sense fucked my head something fierce.”

“Perhaps your fearlessness convinced her as well,” Lan Fen mused. She passed him a small green pill. “It is a good experience. It was your first time gazing upon a higher realm unprepared. You will adjust to it in the future.”

He ate the pill and a fresh minty sensation swept away the majority of the pain in his head.

“Was that how it was for you?” he asked, feeling refreshed.

“Yes,” Lan Fen said, suddenly subdued. “That is how it was for me.”

On stage, the auction was wrapping up as the last cloth-covered item was brought on a silver platter. The auctioneer pulled off the covering to reveal a pot within which a bone white lotus was planted.

“Our final product is a Stygian Lotus. Price starts at 5 million gold taels with bidding in increments of 100 thousand taels.”

“Is that thing any good?” Chen Haoran said, changing the topic.

“Quite good,” Lan Fen said, cocking her head to the side. She placed another bid and added to a price that was quickly approaching 6 million taels. “Consuming it makes one’s meridians more robust and increases the toughness of the body.”

“How does that even work? Eating it wouldn’t turn you into steel or something right?” As much as cultivator qi magic had astounded him recently he couldn’t imagine something outright improving the human body like that without some kind of physical alteration.

“It wouldn’t,” Lan Fen said, but the denial was more like a reflexive response than one of surety her tone however slowly became more confident as she spoke. “Our qi already increases our body’s natural durability. The Stygian Lotus only alters the body to more easily accept that enhancement.”

“Must be some enhancement if it’s this expensive,” Chen Haoran said. He was looking forward to what the Stygian Lotus would turn into with the reward boost.

“Nothing so exaggerated, at least it will not put you on the same defensive level as a monster or a proper armor. I suspect they’re bidding more for its effects on their body’s meridians. A cultivator will part with much if it meant permanently increasing their cultivation ability.”

The bids came in slower now but the price still broke the 7 million mark. Lan Fen steadily bid without worry until the others finally gave up with a price of 7.9 million gold taels.

“Sold,” said the auctioneer. “This concludes the auction.”

——————

The Golden Lily Association was just as secretive with handling the transaction as they were with everything else about the auction. First, they had been led to an empty room and left alone to leave the amount owed. Then they were led to another empty room. After the money had been confirmed the Golden Lily Association brought in box after box of purchases and neatly laid them out before leaving them alone once again.

Lan Fen, through her superior sensing ability, quickly confirmed the contents.

“Are you sure?” she said.

“Go ahead,” he replied.

Lan Fen looked back at him several times as if waiting for Chen Haoran to change his mind but eventually waved her hand over the boxes one by one and transferred them into her inventory.

Chen Haoran wished his Gifting power had some kind of notification sound he could hum along to as the reward messages burned into existence.

Received Hundred-Fold: Profound Rank Wintersteel Essence Plate Armor

Received Hundred-Fold: Earth Rank Golden Transmutation Pills

Received Hundred-Fold: Liquid Meridian Earth Mammoth Ivory

Received Hundred-Fold: Profound Rank Qi Congregation Pills

Received Hundred-Fold: 10 thousand-year-old Stygian Lotus

There were only twenty items offered at this auction; minus Lan Fen’s Pure Red Redwood Tree Heart he was walking away with 19 rewards, with the lowest being Profound Rank. Now he just needed to figure out what they do.

They were led out to the tent and were just about to board the carriage when another Golden Lily Cultivator stopped them.

“Honored Customers.” It was the auctioneer, his voice just as robotic and impersonal as it was on stage. Chen Haoran stretched out his sense and felt for his level. Qi realm Eighth-Layer.

“What business do you have with us?” Lan Fen asked coldly.

The auctioneer slightly bowed and presented a purple metal token embossed with a golden lily. An invitation token. Under the flower, the word Gold was carved into the metal.

“This token is given to our highest spenders, with it you are granted more benefits and can participate in the higher level auctions offered by the Association and our partners,” the auctioneer bowed and presented the token to Chen Haoran with both hands. “We of the Golden Lily Association are grateful for your business and look forward to working with you again in the future.”

Chen Haoran shared a look with Lan Fen. He’d be shocked if the supervisor had nothing to do with this. Whether it was presented in good faith was the issue. Lan nodded at him. Without saying anything Chen Haoran took the token and they immediately walked into the carriage. The auctioneer clasped his hands behind and bowed behind them.

Lan Fen didn’t speak at all when they left. Only telling him to follow once they reached where the Golden Lily Association originally picked them up. Chen Haoran kept pace with her through a different equally confusing route until they met up with their carriage, pre-arranged to wait for them in an empty plaza.

It wasn’t until they were seated and on their way back to the estate that Lan Fen pulled off her mask. “Clear.”

“Did you think they were going to follow us?"

“We are weak and wealthy. That they chose not to strike at the venue is credit to their cautiousness. That they chose not to strike at all is credit to our fortune.”

“I really messed up back there then,” he said. He regretted it, super migraine or not he should have controlled himself better.

“We had painted a target for ourselves regardless,” Lan Fen said. “Your performance in front of the supervisor may have been what let us get away without incident. She may have assumed you have a greater background from your behavior.”

“So we got lucky,” he said.

“We did,” she agreed.

“Getting lucky kind of sucks. I should’ve been strong enough to punch her in the face.”

Lan Fen smiled. Her Golden eyes looked as if they were shining in the dark. “I agree.”

“What do you plan to do now?” Chen Haoran asked.

“I plan to start punching people in the face.”