Dominator Emperor

”Go on,” Li Qiye said slowly. His calm words carried an unquestionable authority.

As Li Qiye looked at her, Chi Xiaodie’s heart trembled. For some reason, her resolve suddenly crumbled. ”Fine, I’ll bid!” she snapped.

Amid the buzz of discussion from the other buyers, Chi Xiaodie called out to the auctioneer, ”If the Wooden Ruler starts at three thousand Saint Venerable Essence Jade, I’m willing to make the opening bid.”

Her sudden bid of three thousand Saint Venerable Essence Jade made many of the buyers in the room turn to look at her. Three thousand Saint Venerable Essence Jade was no small sum—a price far too high for a mere souvenir.

”Three thousand Saint Venerable Essence Jade for a souvenir Wooden Ruler? Are you insane? Is this piece of junk worth that much?” Li Qiye exclaimed with an exaggerated expression as he looked at Chi Xiaodie.

Chi Xiaodie was instantly filled with rage. She was supposed to be acting along with Li Qiye, and now he was mocking her. How could she not be furious? She shot him a vicious glare and snapped, ”What’s it to you? I like collecting souvenirs! I’ll buy what I want, how I want!”

Their little squabble made those not in the know truly believe they were a couple having a lover’s quarrel. Finding it amusing, they chuckled to themselves.

”If you like it, why don’t I win it for you?” Seizing the opportunity to curry favor, Sima Longyun immediately spoke up.

Chi Xiaodie shot him a cold glance and said, ”I can buy the things I like myself! Your Nu Xian Sacred Country isn’t the only one with money!”

Getting shut down so harshly by Chi Xiaodie left Sima Longyun rather embarrassed. He could only give a dry laugh.

”My dear, if you like it, let me buy it for you,” Bing Yuxia unexpectedly chimed in with a wide smile. ”A girl like a golden canary—noble and feisty. My favorite kind. How about I win it for you?” With that, she turned to the auctioneer and declared, ”Three thousand Great Sage Essence Jade. I’ll take the Wooden Ruler.”

”That’s insane!” Bing Yuxia’s bid immediately sent the crowd into an uproar. Three thousand Great Sage Essence Jade for a simple Wooden Ruler? This was a classic case of having more money than sense. But what could anyone do? She hailed from the Bingyu Palace, and as its successor, she was indeed extravagantly wealthy.

Even though Sima Longyun wanted to buy the Wooden Ruler to win over Chi Xiaodie, he lost all his fight when Bing Yuxia casually bid three thousand Great Sage Essence Jade. If he were to spend that much on a wooden ruler—even on the off chance he could actually produce that sum—his elders would skin him alive when he returned. The truth was, three thousand Great Sage Essence Jade was a massive fortune for a disciple of his generation, even for one from the Nu Xian Sacred Country!

The auctioneer immediately bellowed, ”Three thousand Great Sage Essence Jade! Do I hear a higher bid?” After Li Qiye’s little stunt, he had thought the ruler would never sell for even three thousand Saint Venerable Essence Jade. Bing Yuxia’s bid was a golden opportunity he couldn’t pass up.

”They’re mad,” the other buyers present muttered, shaking their heads. They completely gave up on the idea. Spending three thousand Great Sage Essence Jade on a useless Wooden Ruler was simply too crazy.

’What’s with this girl, dressing up as a boy all day?’ At this point, Li Qiye wanted to curse. He was trying to snag a bargain, but Bing Yuxia had ruined everything. His plan was now in shambles!

Bing Yuxia, however, paid Li Qiye no mind. She stared right at him, her lovely eyes twinkling with amusement, and said languidly, ”I happen to like it. Does this Brother Dao have a problem? I find this Miss Chi here to be quite beautiful and captivating. I wonder if she might be interested in being a guest at my Bingyu Palace?” As she spoke, she raised a brow, adopting the very image of someone trying to flirt with Chi Xiaodie.

Chi Xiaodie was left speechless. Bing Yuxia was obviously a beautiful woman, yet she insisted on dressing like a man and flirting with other women!

”What a load of crap!” Li Qiye put on a boorish display, rolling up his sleeves. ”Son of a bitch! A phony like you dares to fight me for a woman! Three thousand Great Sage Essence Jade? I bid four thousand! As long as Miss Chi likes it, I don’t care how much money I have to throw down!”

”He’s completely unhinged! This kid has a serious death wish, daring to provoke the successor of the Bingyu Palace like that!” Seeing Li Qiye’s behavior, the buyers in the room couldn’t help but break into discussion.

Another buyer commented, ”It’s as the saying goes: a newborn calf isn’t afraid of a tiger. The kid’s probably a rookie who’s just set out into the world. He’s hot-blooded and doesn’t know his own limits, which is the only reason he’d dare to provoke the Bingyu Palace.”

”Four thousand! Four thousand! Do I have a higher bid?” Hearing Li Qiye’s offer, the auctioneer immediately started his spiel. ”Four thousand! For a mere four thousand, you can win the fair lady’s heart and take her home! It’s absolutely worth it!”

As for Chi Xiaodie, the ”heroine” at the center of this storm, her cheeks flushed scarlet. She never imagined things would spiral this far out of control.

”A nobody like you thinks you’re worthy of her? Why don’t you take a good, long look at yourself?” Seeing a nameless upstart trying to steal his woman, Sima Longyun was filled with rage. ”I bid five thousand!” he said coldly.

”Ten thousand. I’ll bid ten thousand,” Bing Yuxia said, still completely at ease. She glanced at Sima Longyun and added languidly, ”Do you dare to make it twenty thousand?”

Provoked by Bing Yuxia, Sima Longyun’s nerve failed him. In truth, his five-thousand bid had been a reckless, emotional decision, his judgment clouded by jealousy. Spending five thousand Great Sage Essence Jade on a wooden ruler was already insane; now that Bing Yuxia had raised the stakes, he had no intention of continuing.

”Since Miss Bing is so fond of this Wooden Ruler, I shall not stand in your way.” Sima Longyun cupped his fist, maintaining a graceful demeanor. It was the perfect way to both back down and save face.

”Ten thousand! Ten thousand Great Sage Essence Jade!” the auctioneer immediately seized the opportunity to bellow. ”Are there any higher bids?”

”Are you still going to bid?” Bing Yuxia looked at Li Qiye, raising a brow as she spoke with a wide grin. A great beauty dressed in men’s clothing—her provocative expression had a charm all its own.

”Damn it all! What’s a woman like you doing trying to fight me over another woman!” Li Qiye cursed, his posture boorish. ”I’d rather lose money than lose face! Twenty thousand! I’ll match it!” ’Inwardly, he was cursing this girl out. She’d completely ruined his good fortune. He could have gotten the Wooden Ruler for a pittance, and now the price was astronomical!’

”Utterly insane!” At this point, everyone in the room was dumbfounded. The other buyers all shook their heads. This was no longer an auction; it had devolved into a lover’s spat fueled by jealousy!

”You’ve lost your mind!” Even Chi Xiaodie couldn’t bear to watch any longer. Twenty thousand Great Sage Essence Jade for a Wooden Ruler like this? It was beyond ridiculous.

However, in the eyes of the others, Chi Xiaodie’s outburst looked like she was worried about her beloved’s finances. This was especially true for Sima Longyun; his expression turned absolutely glacial, and a terrifying killing intent flickered in his eyes.

”Twenty thousand! Twenty thousand Essence Jade! Do I have a higher bid?” The auctioneer was ecstatic. He was, of an course, hoping this jealous squabble would only grow more intense.

”Oh, you’re quite the character.” Bing Yuxia watched Li Qiye, her eyes brimming with a smile. ”I suppose,” she said languidly, ”I’ll have to bid thirty thousand now?”

Li Qiye was instantly furious. ’He could have bought this for next to nothing, but now this girl had to stick her nose in and ruin everything.’ His grand bargain was officially a bust.

”You’re a girl, so what the hell are you doing making a scene here? If you were a man trying to pick up women, I wouldn’t have a problem with it. But you’re a girl fighting me over another girl! Have you got nothing better to do? Stop pretending to be a man all day. Go back to your Bingyu Palace, go to Taiwang Ridge, and go look at the Heaven-Cutting Stele. That’s what a girl is supposed to do!” Li Qiye snapped, his gestures coarse.

However, the moment Li Qiye mentioned ”Taiwang Ridge” and the ”Heaven-Cutting Stele,” Bing Yuxia’s heart jolted. Her gaze sharpened instantly as she stared coldly at Li Qiye.

”This kid is too arrogant, provoking the Bingyu Palace like that.” Seeing how rudely Li Qiye spoke to Bing Yuxia, the onlooking buyers were all stunned.

As for Sima Longyun, he sneered inwardly. ’This ignorant fool actually dares to provoke the Bingyu Palace. He’s just asking to die.’

However, just when everyone expected Bing Yuxia to fly into a rage, she suddenly smiled. It was a smile of incomparable, kingdom-toppling beauty. But because she was in men’s clothes, it stirred a strange, indescribable feeling in all who saw it.

”Very well. I appreciate the virtue of helping others achieve their goals. Since you are so set on buying this item to win the fair lady’s heart, I’ll let you have it,” Bing Yuxia said with a dazzling smile.

Li Qiye rolled his eyes. If it weren’t for this girl stirring up trouble, he would have bought the Wooden Ruler for a rock-bottom price ages ago.

”Twenty thousand! The highest bid is twenty thousand! Anyone else?” Seeing that Bing Yuxia wasn’t bidding again, the auctioneer called out.

”It’s just madness.” Of course, none of the other buyers were going to pay such a price for a Wooden Ruler. Only a madman would do such a thing.

Some buyers grew curious, murmuring, ”Where did this kid come from? Twenty thousand Great Sage Essence Jade is no small sum.”

Anyone who could casually throw around that much Essence Jade was definitely no ordinary Cultivator, a fact that piqued the curiosity of several important figures in the crowd.

In the end, the Wooden Ruler was sold to Li Qiye, and the auction drew to a close. As the crowd of buyers began to disperse, one couldn’t help but remark with disappointment, ”What a shame. The Medicine King we were all expecting never appeared!”

Sima Longyun was seething with rage, but he maintained his graceful facade as he departed. He bid farewell to Chi Xiaodie with an invitation: ”I wonder if you might have time to be a guest at our Nu Xian Sacred Country? I would be honored to act as your guide.”

Chi Xiaodie clearly had no time for Sima Longyun, so Chi Xiaodao quickly jumped in to smooth things over. ”Brother Sima, we will certainly pay a visit to your esteemed country when we have the time.”

Sima Longyun finally left, but not before shooting Li Qiye one last cold glare. Li Qiye, however, couldn’t be bothered to even look his way.