Cheng Xiaofan walked into the auction hall with his head held high, following Li Mingxi.
Even though it was broad daylight, the ceiling inside was brightly lit, creating a somewhat dazzling effect. Many people were already seated, and fully armed SWAT officers patrolled the aisles.
There was still over half an hour before the official auction began, and a pair of male and female singers were performing a duet on stage.
These two singers were at the peak of their careers in the music industry, and it must have cost a considerable sum to invite them.
The Dragon Bone Claw was the only item to be auctioned today, with no accompanying artifacts. This was unprecedented in the history of the Jianghu Black Market.
This underscored the special and unique nature of the Dragon Bone Claw!
It was precisely this that attracted the attention of a large number of cultivators.
Just by the atmosphere present, Cheng Xiaofan suddenly felt an invisible pressure on him. The starting bid for the Dragon Bone Claw was bound to be high.
He activated his Dragon Eye foresight and scanned the surroundings.
Cheng Xiaofan wanted to see where the Dragon Bone Claw was hidden.
However, after a full scan, he saw nothing.
Had the Dragon Bone Claw not arrived yet?
"Greetings, esteemed guests of the Jianghu!"
Just then, a beautiful hostess walked onto the stage and said in her professionally sweet voice, "Welcome to the Yuyan Mountain Jianghu Black Market Auction!"
"Yuyan Mountain is a place of beautiful scenery. Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong, during his tour of the south, visited Yuyan Mountain several times..."
"Mingxi, I'm going to sleep for a bit. Wake me up when it's time to bid for the Dragon Bone Claw!" It was already nine o'clock, and Cheng Xiaofan knew that this opening speech would not end in less than ten minutes.
He had just read the auction's promotional leaflet, and after this opening, there would be speeches from official leaders and prominent figures of the Jianghu Black Market.
In addition, the commander of the SWAT team would take the stage to announce safety regulations.
There would also be interludes of song and dance.
Only after the song and dance would the formal auction of the Dragon Bone Claw begin.
Would this transition alone not take more than an hour?
Li Mingxi was clearly taken aback. She thought to herself, "Even at this point, my master still has the mood to sleep?"
And at the auction of the Dragon Bone Claw!
Had Master not slept all night after accompanying guests for drinks and playing mahjong?
However, according to the information gathered by the Jianghu Affairs Bureau, Master did not have a penchant for mahjong.
Uh!
She understood. With such a stunningly beautiful master's wife as Bai Yiling at home, it was normal for him not to have slept well at night!
It was understandable!
It was truly understandable!
"Master, I understand. Please rest assured, I will wake you up when the bidding for the Dragon Bone Claw officially begins!" Li Mingxi could only repeat like a parrot.
"Good!"
Cheng Xiaofan nodded with satisfaction.
He immediately leaned back against the chair and closed his eyes.
"Hoo—"
A long and melodious snore then emanated from Cheng Xiaofan's mouth, spreading throughout the entire auction hall.
Was that a snore?
It was clearly a serenade!
Li Mingxi was jolted and became momentarily mesmerized.
Seeing Cheng Xiaofan's head about to slide off the chair, she quickly held it with both hands, cradling it in her soft and jade-like embrace.
"Wow, isn't that the pretty boy who lives off his woman? Even his snores are so pleasant to listen to?"
"He truly has the capital to be a kept man. Perhaps that beauty is keeping him because she likes his snores."
"I'm impressed. Is this a place for them to flaunt their affection?"
"Beauty, kick that guy away and let me lie in your arms!"
Cheng Xiaofan's peculiar snoring immediately attracted the attention of the surrounding males, and all sorts of comments arose.
"Brother, isn't that Cheng Xiaofan?" a woman's loud voice rang out.
This woman was Yin Ruhua, and the person she called "Brother" was naturally the sect leader of the Black Lion Gate, Yin Tiejiu.
Yin Tiejiu and his group were not far from where Cheng Xiaofan was seated. Under the lights, their faces were clearly visible to each other.
Hearing Yin Ruhua's voice, Yin Tiejiu followed the direction of her finger and immediately recognized Cheng Xiaofan.
Yin Tiejiu was also familiar with Cheng Xiaofan from videos. He knew this fellow had some skill, and the exotic birds and beasts surrounding him had left a particularly deep impression on Yin Tiejiu.
This time, his trip to Yuyan Mountain was not only to seize the Dragon Bone Claw and become the leader of all the major sects and factions in the Jianghu, but also to eventually take possession of the magical birds and beasts around Cheng Xiaofan.
Yin Tiejiu even had a plan: once Zhuxi Village was fully developed, he would directly move his headquarters from the Northwest to Zhuxi Village.
"I didn't expect that Cheng fellow to be here in Yuyan Mountain today!"
Yin Tiejiu sneered with a ferocious expression and whispered to his sister, "To easily take over Zhuxi Village in the future, let's lure this brat to a secluded spot after the auction and kill him in one fell swoop!"
"Brother, he's so handsome, wouldn't it be a shame to kill him?" Yin Ruhua said with some reluctance.
Yin Tiejiu chuckled and said, "Sister, have you taken a liking to this brat?"
Yin Ruhua replied, "Brother, I've liked him since I saw his video!"
Yin Tiejiu laughed, "Alright, then we won't kill him. We'll cripple his cultivation and take him back to the Northwest to consummate your marriage!"
Yin Ruhua chuckled, "Brother, you're the best to me!"
"However, that beauty holding Cheng Xiaofan in her arms, she infuriates me. I will definitely kill her when the time comes!"
"I don't like other women touching my man!"
Yin Tiejiu laughed, "Alright, that woman is yours!"
The two spoke so softly that even those sitting next to them could not hear them. They communicated almost telepathically, as if Cheng Xiaofan and Li Mingxi were already in their grasp and could be dealt with at any moment.
Little did they know that Cheng Xiaofan was not truly asleep.
He was merely using sleep as a guise to send a wisp of his soul into his spatial realm.
Earlier, Cheng Xiaofan's Dragon Eye foresight had failed to locate the Dragon Bone Claw. Now, he wanted to use the power of his spatial realm to search for it.
Upon entering the spatial realm, Cheng Xiaofan stabilized his soul.
He then sat cross-legged on the ground in a state of centeredness, closed his eyes, and used the power of his spatial realm to scan the entire auction hall through his sea of consciousness.
In an instant, centered around Cheng Xiaofan's soul, the spatial realm formed a massive vortex, spinning rapidly.
Although the sea of consciousness was fixed within Cheng Xiaofan's soul, a wisp of spiritual sense, amplified by spatial power, shot out from the spatial realm like lightning.
The spiritual sense pierced through space, and the surroundings of the auction hall instantly became transparent.