Chapter 34

The auctioneer continued stirring the crowd’s enthusiasm. As he spoke, the private rooms gradually brightened until they had returned to their original brightness. Meanwhile, the main hall remained dim and hazy, ensuring a contrast that made the private rooms feel all the more luxurious.
Once the warm-up was over, the real auction began. The auctioneer eloquently introduced the first item, and Luo Han flipped to the corresponding page in the catalog. Seeing the starting price, she was speechless.
A hundred thousand lower-grade spirit stones.
Spirit stones, as the name suggested, were stones infused with spiritual energy, serving as the most widely accepted currency in the immortal realm. They were categorized into four grades: lower, middle, upper, and supreme. The higher the grade, the purer the energy within, and the more valuable they became.
In casual speech, “spirit stone” usually referred to lower-grade ones. Officially, the exchange rate between each tier was 1:1000, but in reality, the rates were far from equal. A single middle-grade stone could be easily exchanged for a thousand lower-grade ones, but a thousand lower-grade stones weren’t enough to buy a middle-grade one—the real exchange rate could inflate to 1:1200 or more.
Between middle-grade and upper-grade stones, the disparity was even greater. As for supreme-grade stones, no one would ever part with them—no amount of money could buy one.
A single lower-grade spirit stone had decent purchasing power. Based on the price of spiritual rice, one stone could buy ten bushels. Even when purchasing artifacts—a known major expense—carrying five to six thousand lower-grade spirit stones was enough to browse with confidence in an artifact pavilion.
Yet here, the opening bid was a hundred thousand. To someone still struggling at the survival level like Luo Han, this was daylight robbery.
She found the price outrageous, but Ling Qingxiao didn’t even blink at the number. In the blink of an eye, the bids had skyrocketed to three hundred thousand and ultimately settled at six hundred and fifty thousand lower-grade spirit stones.
Luo Han, having no money, found it amusing to watch the rich throw theirs around. She even commented with ease, “The competition for this one wasn’t that intense. It only went up a few times before everyone else dropped out.”
“It’s just a bottle of pills—nothing special,” Ling Qingxiao replied. “The first few items are just warm-ups. The real treasures come later.”
That made sense. The organizers wanted to drive up the final prices, so they wouldn’t bring out their best items too soon. Keeping the high rollers engaged throughout the event might encourage them to make additional impulse purchases. If they played their trump card too early, people might just leave.
Sure enough, the next few items, while valuable, weren’t irreplaceable. After watching a couple of rounds, Luo Han started losing interest.
Until the sixth item.
The air in the auction house changed noticeably—people sat up straighter, their spirits lifting. They all knew what was coming.
The Crane Orchid was finally about to be auctioned.
As the mid-event highlight, it had been teased long enough to whet everyone’s appetite. The auctioneer, aware of its significance, launched into an elaborate speech, fanning the anticipation to its peak.
Luo Han perked up as well. She pulled out the communication talisman she had received at the entrance and excitedly tugged on Ling Qingxiao’s sleeve. “It’s finally here. Guess what Ye Zinan wrote in his bid?”
Ling Qingxiao’s eyes softened slightly with amusement as he gave her a knowing glance.
Truth be told, both Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao had already guessed the truth. But without evidence, it wasn’t something they could assert outright.
Luo Han opened the message talisman. A glowing line of text quickly unfolded before her:
"No. Both are still in my possession. None have been passed on."
Ye Zinan had worded it vaguely, cautious of potential interception. He didn’t mention the Crane Orchid by name, but it was more than enough.
As expected. Absolutely unsurprising.
To bolster credibility, the auction house had specifically claimed this specimen came from this year’s yield in the Biyun Secret Realm. Everyone believed it. It sounded logical.
And yet, precisely because it sounded logical, that made it all the more fake.
There were only ten Orchids in the entire Biyun Secret Realm: four had been refined by Ling Qingxiao, two were in Ye Zinan’s hands, and the remaining four...were still nestled safely in the pendant around Luo Han’s neck.
The one displayed on the auction platform?
Not. Officially. Recognized.
Right now, the auctioneer had practically screamed himself hoarse. With a dramatic flourish, he whipped away the red silk cloth, revealing the glowing orchid beneath.
“A fully mature, once-in-a-lifetime Orchid! Starting bid: one thousand mid-grade spirit stones! Bidding begins now!”
The moment his voice dropped, the bidding erupted. In the blink of an eye, it soared past five thousand mid-grade spirit stones.
Meanwhile, Luo Han lounged back in her seat, utterly relaxed. She even leaned toward Ling Qingxiao with an exaggerated air of contemplation.
“From this angle...it really does look convincing. I wouldn’t be able to tell, either.”
“I’ve heard,” Ling Qingxiao replied calmly, “there’s a type of Hundred-Spirit Grass from the Northern Sea. Its normal form looks nothing like this, but its mutated variant is easily confused for a Crane Orchid. This is likely that.”
Luo Han sighed dramatically and scooted closer to whisper, “So...which of these voices do you think is Ling Zhongyu’s?”
Ling Qingxiao gave her a long-suffering look, his tone lightly reproving. “Petty schadenfreude is not the mark of a gentleman.”
“I’m guessing it’s that guy—the one bidding every round. I’ll put ten stones on it. Want to bet?”
Of course, Ling Qingxiao wouldn’t stoop to that. This behavior clearly clashed with his principles—but oddly, he didn’t find it irritating at all.
Luo Han simply lived...joyfully. Her world was bright, clear, warm. She fought for herself, and for what was right. She glowed—with both light and strength.
Without realizing it, a faint smile had tugged at the corners of Ling Qingxiao’s lips. Ever since meeting her, smiling seemed to come...easier.
In the end, Ling Qingxiao didn’t scold her—he simply deepened his tone just a little. “No gambling. You’re still young, and you shouldn’t be exposed to that.”
The orchid eventually sold for a whopping 9,800 mid-grade spirit stones.
The winning voice? The exact one Luo Han had guessed earlier.
She tsked in regret. “See? If you’d just bet with me, I’d have won ten stones.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I’m not being ridiculous. I’m being very serious.” Luo Han shifted her posture, propping her chin on her hand. “One mid-grade spirit stone equals one thousand lower-grade ones. That means in the time it took to sip some tea, Ling Zhongyu just burned through 9.8 million.”
She paused. The number hit her full force. Luo Han inhaled sharply. “Nine million...eight hundred thousand. My dress only cost a thousand. Did he get a stipend for this trip? Is that his own money?”
She turned to Ling Qingxiao, hoping for some shared outrage or disbelief.
He didn’t so much as flinch.
Luo Han’s heart skipped a beat.
In that moment, she realized something had changed. Their friendship...had crossed into a new, dangerous territory.
She tested the waters: “You think that’s Ling Zhongyu’s whole fortune?”
Ling Qingxiao looked genuinely confused. “Of course not. That’s barely anything.”
Barely anything, he said.
Luo Han clutched her chest and leaned back in her seat, telling herself very seriously:
It’s fine. Money is fleeting. Spirit stones are just another form of energy. I’m above such things.
She, the supposed Heavenly Dao, was working a full-time cosmic job just to scrape by. Meanwhile, this man sat next to her casually dismissing 9.8 million like it was pocket change.
The pain. Right in the soul.
Ling Qingxiao sighed softly, helplessly. “It truly isn’t much.”
“Please,” Luo Han whispered, “I beg you. Just stop talking.”
While she was busy recalibrating her worldview, a few more lots were auctioned off. The excitement in the room had noticeably dulled after the orchid. Most attendees were zoning out, waiting for the finale.
Finally, the auctioneer raised his voice, nearly cracking it:
“Ladies and gentlemen, our final item of the evening—Bodhi Spirit Dew!”
The previously fatigued room instantly reignited. There was no need for fanfare—everyone knew just how precious Bodhi Spirit Dew was.
Wood aligned with life. And the Bodhi tree...was the ruler of all flora. Anything tied to it had the power to calm the heart, still the mind, and turn death into life.
Bodhi Spirit Dew was a treasure among treasures.
Its healing powers alone were priceless. But what made it truly irreplaceable was the sacred resonance within it—Brahma intent—which could suppress inner demons and dispel calamities.
In the later stages of cultivation, inner demons were the deadliest foes. No amount of spirit stones, talent, or fortuitous encounters could save you once you hit that wall. It was your own mind that would undo you.
How many legendary cultivators had shaken the heavens...only to sit in meditation for centuries, never advancing, and eventually turning to dust?
Anything that could soothe a heart demon—even just a little—was enough to make the strongest powers fight to the death.
The auctioneer knew this. He didn’t waste time with flowery speeches. He simply held up the gavel and declared:
“Three drops of Bodhi Spirit Dew, starting at 100,000 mid-grade spirit stones. Bidding begins!”
He barely finished speaking before someone shouted:
“Three hundred thousand!”
First bid, and it already tripled.
No one hesitated. Another voice immediately followed:
“Five hundred thousand!”
The final round had truly begun.
The bidding outside surged back and forth, but only Luo Han sensed something was off. “This spiritual liquid…”
Was it the one she was thinking of?
Ling Qingxiao nodded slightly. “That’s right.”
Luo Han froze for a long time, barely able to believe what she had done. “Fifty thousand mid-grade spirit stones for just three drops of spiritual liquid...And I drank bottles of it like water?”
She slumped back into her chair, shut her eyes, and completely shut down. Seeing her like this, Ling Qingxiao spoke softly. “It’s alright. Using it for yourself is always the best option.”
“No, it’s not!” Luo Han’s heart bled. “I didn’t use it—I drank it! If I had known it was this expensive, how could I have treated it like a meal replacement?”
The more she thought about it, the more devastated she felt, especially as the price outside kept climbing higher. Luo Han covered her eyes, unable to bear the weight of this revelation.
Ling Qingxiao sighed and, for the first time ever, reached out to pat her head. “Alright, it’s fine now. If you don’t want to listen anymore, we can leave.”
Luo Han truly didn’t want to hear any more. She put her hands down, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me it was so expensive?”
“I thought you didn’t care.”
“I do!” Luo Han clutched her chest, feeling like she couldn’t breathe. “Who would willingly embrace poverty when they could live in luxury?”
Her heart ached, but what was done was done—there was no use dwelling on it. Saying it out loud made her feel a little better, and she was about to get up and leave when she noticed Ling Qingxiao hadn’t moved.
Surprised, she asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Wait a little longer.”
Outside, the bidding had slowed, settling at sixty thousand mid-grade spirit stones. Without any warning, Ling Qingxiao suddenly pressed the ranking bell and said, “Eighty thousand mid-grade spirit stones.”
The private rooms had built-in voice-masking formations, so the voice that projected outward wasn’t his actual voice. But his calm and cold cadence still sent a chill down Luo Han’s spine.
She was utterly stunned. When the external transmission ended, she hurriedly sat back down beside Ling Qingxiao and whispered, “What are you doing?”
“You care about it, so I’ll buy it back for you.”
“Are you crazy?” Luo Han was at a complete loss for words. “That many spirit stones! Just for three drops of spiritual liquid? It’s not worth it!”
“It’s fine.” Ling Qingxiao remained indifferent.
At that moment, someone else raised the bid. Ling Qingxiao patiently waited. Just when everyone thought he had backed down, he pressed the bell again.
“One hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones.”
The bidders outside were clearly startled. Many turned to look toward the source of the bid—private room number nine on the third floor.
That room had been silent the entire time, unnoticed by everyone. Who would have thought that at the very end, a dark horse would suddenly appear?
Ling Qingxiao had immediately raised the price to one hundred thousand, scaring off most of the competition. Of the few bidders left, only one still hesitated before calling out, “One hundred and one thousand mid-grade spirit stones.”
Watching others bid had been entertaining, but now that it was their own money on the line, Luo Han could barely breathe from the tension.
Ling Qingxiao pressed the bell again. “One hundred and fifty thousand.”
Luo Han held her breath entirely.
The auctioneer struck the gavel once.
The second time.
Finally, with a voice breaking from excitement, he shouted, “One hundred and fifty thousand mid-grade spirit stones, third call! Sold! Congratulations to our honored guest in private room nine for winning the final auction item—the Bodhi Spirit Liquid! This is an unprecedented miracle, setting the highest single-transaction record of the year! And what’s more, our guest only bid three times before concluding the intense price war…”
As the auctioneer’s impassioned voice carried on, Luo Han was just beginning to feel the aftermath of her shock. “Why did you jump so high? He only bid one hundred and one thousand, but you went straight to one hundred and fifty thousand! That’s a huge waste of money.”
Ling Qingxiao, however, shook his head. “It wasn’t. His expected budget was around one hundred and thirty thousand. If I had gone with one hundred and forty thousand, he would have gritted his teeth and followed. But one hundred and fifty thousand was just the right amount to make him hesitate.”
Luo Han was stunned. “How do you know his budget was one hundred and thirty thousand?”
“From his tone, his bidding frequency, and the increments he raised by.”
As he spoke, Ling Qingxiao reached for Luo Han’s veiled hat and placed it on her head. “Someone’s coming. Put on your cloak.”
Luo Han quickly covered herself up. Once she was properly concealed, Ling Qingxiao deactivated the formation.
The auction house’s host entered with the Bodhi Spirit Liquid in hand. Upon seeing Ling Qingxiao, he visibly froze before quickly putting on a smile. “So it was the Second Young Master. No wonder the bidding was so precise. If it’s you, then it all makes sense.”
Ling Qingxiao nodded coolly. Such a large transaction required his personal appearance. After all, this was Tianzhao City—his family’s territory. Even if someone was tempted by greed, they would have to consider whether they could actually walk away alive.
After verifying the spirit liquid, Ling Qingxiao accepted it, ensuring it wasn’t a fake like Ling Zhongyu’s.
The host, an experienced businessman, remained all smiles. “I must say, Second Young Master is quite the rare guest. You purchased the spirit liquid—could it be for your breakthrough?”
“No.”
Ling Qingxiao was never one for pleasantries. His voice was cool, his measured tone making even the most shocking statements sound like simple facts.
“I don’t need assistance to advance.”
The host’s smile stiffened. “Then, might I ask…”
Why on earth did you spend so much money on it?
“For a certain young lady who was feeling down,” Ling Qingxiao replied casually, storing the bottle in his sleeve.
At that moment, a servant returned with Ling Qingxiao’s token. The host, ever the shrewd businessman, quickly adjusted his demeanor and handed it back with an even warmer smile. “Ah, I see. Second Young Master truly has a generous heart. If you ever need anything in the future, please consider our humble establishment.”
Ling Qingxiao gave a slight nod. “Thank you for your trouble.”
After a few more polite exchanges, the host excused himself, knowing Ling Qingxiao disliked crowds. As soon as the private room’s door closed again, Ling Qingxiao placed the porcelain bottle beside Luo Han.
Luo Han: “……”
"That little friend...is it really her?" Luo Han knew that Ling Qingxiao meant a younger friend, but when she heard it, it sounded odd to her.
"Why add such strange descriptions to 'friend'?" Luo Han glanced at the porcelain bottle containing the spirit liquid, but still didn’t reach out for it. "You'll need it for cultivation later, so you should keep it."
"No need," Ling Qingxiao said. "Compared to the medicine you used to save me, this is nothing."
"Wasn't that a deal?" Luo Han blurted out. After saying this, she noticed Ling Qingxiao's gaze. She helplessly shrugged. "That’s what you said. I saved you, and in exchange, you protect me for a thousand years. This alone covers it."
"Then consider it a gift from me." Ling Qingxiao stood up, straightened the veil on her pavilion, and said, "Let’s go."
The porcelain bottle, worth one hundred and fifty thousand middle-grade spirit stones, was thrown onto the table by Ling Qingxiao, as if to say, "If you don’t want it, I’ll just leave it here." Luo Han had no choice but to pick it up.
She followed closely behind Ling Qingxiao out the door. By now, most people had already left. They entered a dim corridor and were soon transported outside.
This exit was far from the auction venue, and not far away was a bustling street. The lively atmosphere felt unexpectedly safe. Luo Han breathed a sigh of relief, quickly removing her cloak and changing out of her auction attire.
When she took off the black cloak, she realized her dress was faintly glowing in the night. The glow was very subtle, like the light reflected from snow on a quiet night.
Her dress still fluttered with snowflakes, shining faintly, the chilly light sparkling. At this moment, they were in a dark alley, not far from a busy street. Luo Han and Ling Qingxiao stood face to face, snowflakes still drifting on her dress. She felt a little embarrassed and said, "I didn’t expect it to be this extravagant."
"How could it not be?" Ling Qingxiao smiled lightly and said, "It looks beautiful."
When someone who looks good says something, it’s always true. Luo Han dazedly nodded, unconsciously following Ling Qingxiao as they walked. They turned out of the alley, and before them, the street stretched out, brightly lit with sparkling lights. The crowds were bustling, with occasional calls from street vendors, lively and filled with the smell of fireworks.
It felt like a completely different world from the auction.
Luo Han, surprised, looked down the long street. "So this is what the night in Tianzhao City is like?"
The scattered lights gathered, resembling a galaxy, with each star a moving light. This was the first time Ling Qingxiao had seen such a scene. Usually, when he came to Tianzhao City, it was always during the day—arriving and leaving immediately. He had never stayed until night.
They stood at the street corner, attracting too much attention. Even the usually indifferent Ling Qingxiao felt uneasy under the gaze of so many people. He turned to Luo Han and suggested, "Let’s walk a little further."
There were too many people staring if they stayed here.
Luo Han nodded. She and Ling Qingxiao walked forward side by side. After they blended into the crowd, although Ling Qingxiao’s appearance still stood out from the entire street, it wasn’t as noticeable as before. Luo Han suspected that if Ling Qingxiao stood there for a few more minutes, he would block the entire street.
Walking in the cool night was perhaps the most relaxing thing. Luo Han’s mood gradually calmed. She was influenced by the surrounding environment and couldn’t help but buy a lamp.
To match the scene, this lamp was also themed with ice and snow. A crystal-clear ice sculpture shaped like the moon, inside of which a white rabbit was slowly grinding medicine. Luo Han held it and couldn’t help but justify herself, "It’s too childish. I actually prefer a more mature style."
Ling Qingxiao chuckled softly, "I know."
He paused, then added, "It’s beautiful."
Luo Han raised an eyebrow, turned around, and asked with a smile, "The lamp is beautiful, but what about me?"
Ling Qingxiao smiled lightly and nodded, "You’re beautiful too."
In fact, he was talking about her. The outfit suited her perfectly—radiant with every step, silent snow falling.
Luo Han didn’t expect Ling Qingxiao to give her such a compliment. She paused, then felt a little embarrassed.
They walked side by side on the street, with lights shining ahead and the sounds of families reuniting behind them. Lanterns rose from the city, as if they were tied to a rope, pulling the lights of the entire street up to the sky.
Luo Han looked up towards the lanterns, then extended her hand and pointed to the faint outline in the night sky. "Look, Zhongshan."
Ling Qingxiao stopped with her and also looked. Luo Han quietly gazed for a while, then softly said, "So Zhongshan is this beautiful at night."
Ling Qingxiao didn’t speak, but he also felt the same. This was the first time he thought Zhongshan looked beautiful. Maybe it was the night mist, or perhaps his mood was peaceful.
Or perhaps...it was because someone was by his side.