A Blind Swordsman's Sword Coffin

Realizing Wang Heyang was determined to prevent him from buying anything, Li Guanqi started to wonder just how he’d amassed so much money.

Cao Yan shrugged. “I think he’s an alchemist too. Alchemists are usually loaded.”

As Li Guanqi nodded, his gaze shifted toward a woman in Wang Heyang’s room. She wore heavy makeup and looked to be in her forties, though she’d kept herself in remarkable condition. Her skin was delicate, and her thick hair spilled loosely over her shoulders.

She held a jade smoke pipe in one hand, exhaling a slow plume before glancing at Wang Heyang. “Great Alchemist Wang, you may be an honored guest of our Yunding Auction House, but making offers like that... isn’t it a little unreasonable?”

Wang Heyang’s head snapped toward her, his eyes glinting with lust. Even so, he didn’t dare provoke her. He chuckled. “If I remember correctly, as a guest of Yunding, I only need to pay ten percent of the penalty whenever I violate the agreement, yes? I may have inflated the pill prices, but they were only six or seven thousand spirit stones per bottle.”

Leaning back in his chair, he reached for a handful of spirit fruit and popped them into his mouth.

The woman smiled and exhaled a cloud of smoke. She stood up and said, “In that case, you’d best enjoy your special privileges while they last.”

Then, she took a step forward and disappeared from the room.

Wang Heyang turned to look in the direction where she had disappeared to and muttered under his breath, “One day, you’ll be under me!”

Then, he turned around and shouted, “Seven thousand!”

On the first floor, Ye Feng shot to his feet, but Li Guanqi pulled him back.

“Boss,” Ye Feng burst out, “that bastard’s making it obvious he doesn’t want us to get anything! Shouldn’t the auction house step in? Isn’t this just price gouging?”

Li Guanqi pulled him back and transmitted, “It’s not like he’s from the auction house. Besides, they’d be happy to see him drive the prices up. Whatever. If he loves bidding so much, I’ll let him have his fun!”

He made no further offers on the remaining pills.

Those in the hall assumed he’d conceded, but one thought less of him. After all, Wang Heyang was an alchemist, and few could match his wealth. Most of the attendees were at the Foundation Building Realm, with only a dozen or so Golden Core Realm cultivators.

Having ten or twenty thousand spirit stones to spend was already impressive. This wasn’t a top-tier auction.

“Next, we have the tier-three twin Azure Demon Vine. For Golden Core Realm cultivators, this spirit herb will greatly boost energy and strengthen the body. The starting bid is six thousand low-grade spirit stones.”

Han Qiu held the vine up for all to see. Bidding quickly climbed to seven thousand eight hundred low-grade spirit stones.

Li Guanqi raised his card. “Nine thousand.”

Cao Yan and Ye Feng both looked at him in surprise.

“This will be useful for you two,” Li Guanqi sent to them. “Even if he doesn’t raise the price, it’s worth it.”

He then glanced upstairs.

As expected, Wang Heyang smirked. Confident in his privilege, he made the next offer without reserve. “Twelve thousand!”

The crowd was shocked, and the attendees now understood that Wang Heyang definitely wanted to obstruct that guy on the first floor from buying anything. As long as the guy made an offer, he would surely make another.

The crowd stirred. It was now clear that Wang Heyang meant to stop the man on the first floor, Li Guanqi, from buying anything. The moment Li Guanqi made a bid, Wang Heyang would instantly make a higher bid.

Everyone else dropped out. The price was already well above the herb’s value.

Han Qiu’s eyes lit up. She took a cut from auction sales, so every price hike meant more in her pocket.

She pressed her hands to the rostrum, showing off her figure while ignoring the lustful stares from the crowd. She smiled brightly and said, “It seems Mr. Wang is interested in many of our lots today. Twelve thousand spirit stones! Any other bids? This twin vine, according to our analysis, is far more potent than an ordinary Azure Demon Vine.”

Li Guanqi stayed silent.

Three seconds passed. Han Qiu’s eyes dimmed in disappointment as she raised her hammer, only for Li Guanqi to say, “Twelve thousand and one hundred.”

Her eyes lit up again, and she smiled. “Guest number one hundred and eighty-eight has offered twelve thousand and one hundred! It looks like this herb is a must-have for him too. Any other challengers?”

Her voice captured everyone’s attention, as if laced with magic.

Li Guanqi stared coldly. She knew he and Wang Heyang were at odds, yet she’d deliberately called it a “must-have” to fan the flames.

Tsk, this woman is smart.

Whispers rippled through the crowd. “Does that guy still not understand that Wang Heyang is clearly targeting him? Why keep raising the price like an idiot?”

Another man glanced at the first floor and said, “It looks like he is very interested in this herb, but it’s too bad he’s not rich enough.”

Wang Heyang was initially feeling bored, thinking the trio downstairs would give up on the herb. He had not expected them to be so impulsive. He placed both hands on the windowsill and looked out at the trio far away, then burst into laughter. “Get lost if you have no money!

“Fifteen thousand!”

Li Guanqi smiled faintly and simply waited for the hammer to fall.

But Wang Heyang’s behavior was starting to get on the crowd’s nerves. Every bid from the man on the first floor was instantly countered, no matter the item.

People began to mutter that the man downstairs was being wronged. The complaints grew until Wang Heyang suddenly leaned out the window and barked, “What are you whining about? If you’ve got the money, bid! I’m not stopping you. If you don’t, shut your mouths! You’re all just broke nobodies making noise!”

With an alchemist’s status and a powerful sect behind him, no one dared talk back.

By now, Li Guanqi had tested Wang Heyang over dozens of items and had started to piece something together. A thin, mocking smile tugged at his lips.

More and more items were auctioned off, and Li Guanqi continued bidding, though only on items that they could actually use, forcing Wang Heyang to follow. If Wang Heyang didn’t bid, the item went to Li Guanqi. If he did, Li Guanqi would push him higher, making him think he truly wanted it.

As time passed, the auction gradually reached its final few items.

The young woman on stage smiled and announced, “The next item is a pill-refining cauldron obtained from a secret realm. It is a high-tier spirit cauldron made of blue crystal!”

As the auction neared its final items, Han Qiu smiled brightly. “Next, we have a pill-refining cauldron retrieved from a secret realm—a high-grade spirit cauldron of pure blue crystal.”

Cao Yan’s eyes lit up, and Li Guanqi sat up straighter.

Upstairs, Wang Heyang’s gaze fixed on the stage.

“At last,” he murmured.