On the fifth floor, in Li Shu's room.
"Young Pavilion Master, why would Miss Ling want to buy back her own things at a high price?"
Li Shu smiled, "How could she buy it back? She's digging a pit for the Wei family."
"Ah?"
"Just wait and see." Li Shu offered no explanation.
*
In Chairman Wei's private room.
Wei Yujia clenched his fists, unable to contain his rage, and slammed his palm onto the table, shattering it into pieces.
A nearby maid stepped forward and said with a smile, "Chairman Wei, please compensate."
Wei Yujia wanted to tear the maid apart, but he couldn't afford to offend the Liuyun Pavilion. He could only suppress his anger and say, "Understood."
The tipsy woman on stage waited for a while. Since no one bid, she smiled and said, "The Spirit Flower Fruit's price has now reached one thousand yellow crystal coins. Are there any further bids? If not, this Spirit Flower Fruit will be purchased by Miss Ling at the price of one thousand yellow crystal coins."
"Great Uncle, this Spirit Flower Fruit cannot be bought by Ling Luoyi," Wei Chutian said.
Ling Luoyi was currently a Grade Four top-tier alchemist, and her mental power was already not low. If she obtained the Spirit Flower Fruit, the recent humiliation of their Wei family would be impossible to wash away.
Wei Yujia knew this as well and said, "This item must remain in the Wei family's possession."
If it were bought by someone else, they might use it to exchange for top-tier elixirs, and it would eventually fall into Ling Luoyi's hands.
"One thousand one hundred yellow crystal coins."
"Two thousand yellow crystal coins."
"Two thousand two hundred yellow crystal coins."
"Five thousand yellow crystal coins." Ling Luoyi took a bite of the fruit in her hand and said, "Chairman Wei, has your Beast Tamer Guild encountered any issues recently, or has something happened to the Wei family? Why are the bids so meager today?"
"Miss Ling is so generous, it seems the Ling family is quite wealthy recently."
"Not really, the business of the Ling family's Pill Pavilion is doing quite well."
"Even so, such a large sum of yellow crystal coins must have emptied out the Ling family. Moreover, even if Miss Ling acquires it, can she take it back to the Ling family?"
A threat?
Such acts as killing for treasure were not uncommon. Were they planning to kill her and steal her treasure?
"Chairman Wei, do you think I'm that foolish, not to consume such a good item immediately and instead carry it around? Furthermore, Chairman Wei, it seems I am the only one in the Ling family who needs this item."
Wei Yujia's brain, filled with rage, regained a sliver of reason. Indeed, the only one in the Ling family who needed the Spirit Flower Fruit was her, as an alchemist. It was useless to anyone else.
He had indeed intended to kill her and steal the treasure, but as she said, if she ate it as soon as she got it, what was the point of stealing it?
The royal family had already begun to target their Wei family. With their current strength, coupled with the lifespan of their ancestor, they could not resist the royal family.
He had to obtain this Spirit Flower Fruit. If he couldn't kill her for it, then he could only bid for it.
Wei Yujia made up his mind and shouted, "Five thousand five hundred yellow crystal coins."
"Seven thousand." Ling Luoyi took out another fruit and ate it with a 'crunch, crunch.'
The maids serving nearby looked at the fruit in Ling Luoyi's hand, then at the Spirit Flower Fruit on stage that had attracted everyone's covetous gaze. They realized that the Miss Ling, who was currently eating the Spirit Flower Fruit that had fetched such a sky-high price, was eating it as if it were an ordinary fruit.
Wei Yujia gritted his teeth, "Seven thousand five hundred."
Ling Luoyi yawned, feeling a bit tired, "Ten thousand."
Wei Yujia stood up abruptly. Ling Luoyi watched with amusement.
This old man had good health, to not have died of anger from this.
Wei Yujia wanted to say something, but he knew that anything he said would only make him more enraged, so he closed his mouth.
Taking several deep breaths, he said, "Twelve thousand."
Immediately after, Ling Luoyi's voice followed, "Fifteen thousand."
"Twenty thousand!"
Ling Luoyi seemed to hear the sound of Wei Yujia spitting blood.
"Fifty thousand." Ling Luoyi whispered, "It seems the Wei family is not doing well. They are so hesitant with such a small amount of money, so indecisive."
Ling Luoyi spoke softly, so others didn't hear her, but Wei Yujia did.
Wei Yujia roared, "One hundred thousand!"
Ling Luoyi smiled in satisfaction and said, "It seems the Wei family is indeed worthy of being the head of the five great families. Luoyi admires you."
Zui Niang, hearing that Ling Luoyi would not bid further, struck the auction hammer and announced, "Congratulations to Chairman Wei for successfully acquiring the last item of this auction."
As the auction hammer fell, the auction concluded.
Ling Luoyi, seeing that her objective for the day had been achieved, stood up to leave.
"Master, why didn't you just extort more?" Guan Yue asked, puzzled.
She had already extorted so much, why not extort a little more?
"If I extorted any more, I wouldn't be able to."
"Ah?"
"He only brought this much. If I bid any higher, he wouldn't be able to produce it."
Guan Yue suddenly understood and said, "Master, you looked into his storage ring."
"Is that not allowed?" Ling Luoyi asked nonchalantly.
"Of course, it is. You are enemies."
"We're going home. This journey will not be peaceful," Ling Luoyi said, sensing the sounds outside.
"Miss, they're here."
The coachman driving for Ling Luoyi today was Ling San.
Ling Luoyi said, "No need to mind them, continue driving."
"Yes."
Although Ling San didn't understand, he was merely a guard and would obey his master in all things.
Sensing the assassins approaching, Ling Luoyi threw a talisman. Before the assassins could react, they lost their lives.
Ling Luoyi knew who had sent these people without needing to ask, so there was no need to keep any alive.
With a loud 'boom,' the sky inexplicably unleashed a bolt of lightning.
Ling Luoyi looked up and met an eye in the sky for a moment. That eye then shifted away.
Going home.
Ling Luoyi stretched lazily.
The next morning, Qingqing, the personal maid of Ling Luofu, arrived with a wooden box.
Qingqing bowed first and said, "Eldest Miss, this is the entrance ticket prepared by my young lady. Before my young lady went into seclusion, she instructed me to give it to you after the Liuyun Pavilion auction."
Zhu Shuang accepted it.
"Your young lady has been in seclusion for so long, is she alright?"
"Replying to Eldest Miss, my young lady is fine."
"That's good. Remember, on the seventh day of next month, you must call your young lady out."
"Yes."
"You may leave now."
"Yes."
Qingqing bowed and left.
"Zhu Shuang, go to the Ling family auction house and sell the entrance ticket. Proceed according to the plan."
"Yes."
Zhu Shuang left with the box.
The Ling family auction house was founded by the Ling family's eldest madam. As it was the only thing left by the eldest madam, despite the Ling family's decline over the years, they had never considered selling it.
However, the auction house had been closed for ten years, and this year, her daughter was reopening it.
The Ling family was currently the focus of much attention, so the news of the Ling family auction house's reopening quickly spread, along with the list of featured auction items.
The Wei family also learned of this news, and along with it, the news of the Qingming Longevity Pill.
Wei family study.
"Are you telling the truth?!" The Wei family head was very shocked. How could the Ling family possibly have such a thing?!
"Father, it's news passed on by someone we planted near Ling Luoyi. It should be accurate," Wei Chutian said. Although he was also very shocked, this was the news brought back by their death warriors.
Death warriors, even in death, would not betray.
The Wei family head calmed down and said, "Who else knows about this news?"
"Currently, only us. Father, regardless of whether this news is true or not, we can bring more money on the seventh day of next month. If it's fake, we won't lose anything; but if it's true, we must bid for the Qingming Longevity Pill."
"Mm. Tian'er, you will immediately prepare all the usable crystal coins of the Wei family."
"Yes, Father."