Chapter 160: Making a Bid

In the silent auction hall, Ye Cheng's voice sounded exceptionally loud.

Many people turned their gazes toward a youth who was relatively unfamiliar to them.

However, some recognized him and pointed, saying, "That's the young man in black from this morning in front of the restaurant, the one who made Wild Wolf back down in defeat."

Clearly, those people were present and remembered the situation vividly, describing the morning's events to those around them who had no idea.

Hearing this, most people looked at Ye Cheng with an added trace of astonishment. They found it hard to imagine that a youth who looked so unassuming, even somewhat delicate, could actually force a figure like Wild Wolf to retreat with tact.

Making Wild Wolf, a renowned expert at the Lesser Elemental Realm in Poison Dragon Town, bow his head—the difficulty of such a feat could well be imagined. Unless this youth's strength was at least on par with the former, the realization of such a possibility secretly startled everyone.

"Even Wild Wolf avoided his sharp edge?" Holding a folding fan and striking a suave pose, Shang An frowned slightly upon hearing about the morning dispute between Ye Cheng and Wild Wolf. He turned to Hai Chao, leaned close to his ear, and asked in a low voice, "Didn't you say this brat was only at the peak of the Blood Qi Realm?"

"He is at the peak of the Blood Qi Realm, that's correct. But this brat's combat prowess is absurdly high. Back then, Tie Muqing still fell into his hands even after burning his blood Qi. Now, half a year has passed, and his strength has undoubtedly grown further. Even I have no idea where his true limits lie anymore."

Hai Chao's expression was not looking very good at the moment. The stronger Ye Cheng became, the less likely his eldest brother would be to make a move against him, leaving Hai Chao with no way to settle the old scores.

"Eldest brother, are you planning to make a move against this brat?" Remembering the possibility that his brother might hesitate to cross paths with Ye Cheng due to the latter's strength, Hai Chao asked hurriedly.

"Make a move? Why wouldn't I? It's just that this brat's strength cannot be underestimated; he's not an easy opponent. We need to plan carefully. Otherwise, capsizing in a drainage ditch and losing both the troops and the princess is simply not worth it."

Shang An lightly tapped his folding fan, casting a calculating gaze at Ye Cheng. Then, shifting his eyes away, he landed them on Liu Yan, who was sitting beside Ye Cheng, exuding a natural, playful charm with a fiery figure. Icy words slowly escaped his lips.

"If I don't let that brat understand his place, my heart won't feel at ease." The tone was cold enough that even Hai Chao beside him unconsciously shivered.

Although Ye Cheng looked significantly younger than Liu Yan, in the world of martial artists, as long as one cultivated blood lines, their lifespan would begin to extend. With every breakthrough to a new realm, longevity would increase dramatically.

Therefore, between men and women, as long as the age gap was not ridiculously wide, it was entirely possible for them to be together. In Shang An's eyes, this Ye Cheng was simply a rival who could snatch Liu Yan away and pose a threat to him.

Meanwhile, in a remote corner of the auction hall, Wild Wolf sat alone. His expression, however, was dark and gloomy to the extreme, and his gaze toward Ye Cheng was filled with killing intent.

"Damn it, this little bastard. I, Wild Wolf, have ended up as a stepping stone for him to make a name for himself. Let you be smug for a little longer; when my eldest brother returns, I will certainly make you regret what happened today!"

"Haha, this is an era for the young. Since the little brother has taken a fancy to this item, how could this old man have the face to compete with a junior?"

Old Feng was currently feeling depressed over his momentary impulse that was about to saddle him with another baffling expense. If no one else outbid him, he would have to spend thirty low-grade spirit stones to buy a piece of junk brass that even a commercial firm like the Wright Auction House couldn't make heads or tails of. When all was said and done, it was a bit of a loss.

Therefore, Ye Cheng's bid instantly brought him joy, and he naturally expressed his forfeiture right away.

"Hey, hey, little brother Ye Cheng, spirit stones are extremely precious, you know! Sister knows you might come from a prominent family and are a bit of a nouveau riche, but you shouldn't just throw money away like this. Even a major firm like Wright can't figure out the origins of this bronze scrap, let alone unlock its secrets. Buying it is just a waste. At the end of the day, it's just a pile of trash—why spend money unjustly like that?" Seeing Ye Cheng make a move, Liu Yan widened her pretty eyes and quickly advised him. She actually had quite a favorable impression of the youth and didn't want to see him treated like a fattened sheep and butchered for no reason.

If Ye Cheng's bid had merely been in worldly silver, she might not have stopped him. But with this bid, he was throwing out over thirty low-grade spirit stones—enough to purchase a high-grade spiritual weapon. How could she just stand by and watch? To be honest, spending more than thirty low-grade spirit stones on a useless piece of scrap brass made even her heart ache a little.

"Sister Liu Yan, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Besides, now that this price has been called out, I suppose the Wright Auction House won't let me back out of my word," Ye Cheng said with a slight smile upon hearing Liu Yan's words, fully understanding her well-intentioned persuasion. He then turned toward Old Feng, cupped his fists, and said, "Then I must thank Senior Old Feng. In fact, I am quite curious about this item myself."

From the earlier discussions around him, he had learned that the gray-robed elder was none of other than the head of the Feng family in Poison Dragon Town. Furthermore, this Feng family seemed to have some existing conflicts with the Hai family.

Residing in the same region, disputes arising from conflicting interests were inevitable. Ye Cheng well understood the principle that two tigers could not share the same mountain.

Besides, he held no warm feelings toward the Hai family either.

"Haha, little brother, you speak straightforwardly. I like that." Old Feng laughed heartily. He didn't overthink it, assuming for a moment that Ye Cheng must be a wealthy scion from some influential place, for whom spending a sum to buy a strange and rare novelty was a common occurrence.

"Oh! This little brother has bid thirty-one low-grade spirit stones. Are there any higher bids?"

The purple-robed middle-aged man's voice echoed throughout the hall, carrying a hint of satisfaction. Even if the bronze scrap had been bought by someone for ten low-grade spirit stones, he wouldn't have been surprised. But now, the situation was turning out much better than he had anticipated.

In the end, no one responded. The bronze scrap ultimately belonged to Ye Cheng.

The auction continued.

Yet Ye Cheng had to admit that the efficiency of this auction house was quite impressive. The bidding had only just concluded, and the item was immediately brought through the backstage by a dedicated attendant straight to Ye Cheng. Ye Cheng retrieved thirty-one low-grade spirit stones and handed them over.

"You spend money quite decisively... Truly a little tycoon!" Liu Yan muttered, pouting her red lips as she watched Ye Cheng take the spirit stones out from his spatial ring.

She naturally possessed a spatial ring herself, but it was something she had only been able to afford after saving for several years.