He sat in the foremost round chair, and a burly man handed him a blanket to cover himself.
The old man chuckled, placing his cane on his lap, his voice ancient, "Esteemed guests, let's forgo the pleasantries. You're all familiar faces who've come to my secret auction, so you know the rules. We shall now present the first item..."
A burly man produced a wooden case and opened it for all to see.
Inside lay a long sword.
The scabbard was ancient bronze, carved with fish-scale-like patterns, and the hilt bore a green gem.
The burly man drew the sword from its sheath with a clang. Its sharpness flashed, and a chilling aura instantly diffused, biting and piercing. The onlookers stirred. As the burly man swung it a few times, sporadic snowflakes began to drift in the air.
"Ice Soul Snow Sword!" someone with discerning taste exclaimed.
Most of the twenty-odd mysterious guests present were excited. They hadn't expected the first item to be so precious.
Li Tianjue transmitted his voice to Su Luo: "The Ice Soul Snow Sword is a ninth-grade magical artifact, rarely encountered on the market, prized but unavailable. However, it was lost by the sect leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect last month, so acquiring it would be troublesome."
Su Luo knew of the Heavenly Sword Sect. While not comparable to the six major powers, it was still one of the top ten sects in the Northern Nether Empire.
To dare steal the magical artifact of the Heavenly Sword Sect leader required considerable skill. And this mysterious figure named Old Ghost dared to sell it, truly showcasing his capabilities.
Old Ghost said ominously, "Starting bid is thirty million. Only for those who know its worth."
Someone immediately bid, "Thirty-five million!"
"Forty million!"
"Forty-two million!"
Clearly, many guests present, apart from Su Luo and her companions, were interested in the Ice Soul Snow Sword. Whether they knew its origin or not, Su Luo couldn't concern herself with that.
In less than a moment, the sword was acquired by a man wearing a veiled hat for the high price of seventy-four million.
The first rule here was immediate transaction upon purchase.
The man promptly produced a storage bag and handed it to Old Ghost. After confirming the spirit currency count was correct, he received the Ice Soul Snow Sword, then stored it in his storage ring, without a superfluous word throughout the process.
Indeed, this was the secret auction of the black market. Unlike ordinary auction houses with their bustling atmosphere and ostentatious displays, here it was clandestine, like dividing spoils, mysterious and swift, as if they feared leaking any extra information.
Soon, Old Ghost had the second item presented.
It was several high-grade spirit herbs.
Fewer people showed interest, and eventually, it was won by a masked woman for four million.
Su Luo had no expectations for anything else, continuously waiting for the transmission jade pendant she desired.
Half an hour later, as the sixth auction item was brought out, Old Ghost chuckled, "Everyone knows this item – the transmission jade pendant from Penglai Island. There are two in total. I can guarantee their provenance is absolutely clean..."
Upon hearing the starting bid of forty million for each, Su Luo's eyes lit up.
She had expected many people to vie for the transmission jade pendants, given their scarcity and excellent utility. However, she hadn't anticipated that after the two pendants were displayed for quite some time, the room would remain silent, with no one bidding.
Su Luo had intended to bid later, but now the atmosphere had turned cold.
It seemed the other guests' thoughts differed from hers. While transmission jade pendants were convenient, asking someone to spend forty million or more for them was an extravagance few would readily afford unless they were truly wealthy.
"Eighty-one million, I'll take both," Su Luo said in a lowered voice.
"..."
The scene continued in silence, with countless eyes fixed on her. No one expected someone to actually spend over eighty million to acquire two transmission jade pendants. However, bound by the rules, they dared not probe each other's identities, merely glancing before quickly averting their gaze.
With no one else bidding, Su Luo fortunately acquired the two transmission jade pendants at the 'low price' of eighty-one million. After all, she had initially thought each would cost fifty million, but she had found a small bargain in the black market.
Transaction complete, Su Luo received the transmission jade pendants she had long desired.
"Satisfied?" Li Tianjue's voice held a hint of amusement.
"Of course!"
Su Luo gave him a happy glance and carefully sensed the two transmission jade pendants.
These were essentially the mobile phones of the Xuanhuang Continent! The jade quality was excellent, snow-white and fine, crafted from top-grade eighth-grade ore, Dongling Jade. Carved into cloud patterns the size of a palm, and one finger thick, a faint fluctuation could be felt within.
Su Luo soon discovered that each jade pendant bore a set of numbers: one was 1125, and the other was 3876. This indicated their 'phone numbers'.
"Senior Brother, what's your transmission number? Give it to me!" She glanced at Li Tianjue nonchalantly.
"What's the hurry," Li Tianjue's tone was placid.
Having just obtained a new toy, why wouldn't she be eager? If not for the inappropriate occasion, Su Luo would have loved to test its functionality immediately!
Seeing her persistent gaze, Li Tianjue relented. He took one of the transmission jade pendants from Su Luo's hand, his fingertip glowing with a faint light, then handed it back to her, "Done."
He also noted her transmission number – 1125.
"1170... Senior Brother, our numbers are very close." Su Luo committed it to memory, realizing Li Tianjue's transmission number was this.
Just then, Old Ghost's voice rose slightly.
"Esteemed guests, the next item is the final auction piece: a mysterious scroll."
All attention was drawn to it.
Old Ghost then said, "This scroll appears to be a painting from the outside. In the past few decades, it has passed through the hands of more than ten owners. However, within three years of acquiring it, each owner has met a bizarre demise. Some say the scroll carries a curse, others that they were secretly assassinated; the truth remains unknown..."
Su Luo's heart stirred upon hearing this. So mysterious and bloody?
As the two burly men unrolled the scroll, the crowd saw the content of the painting.
It was pitch black, as if ink had been splashed wantonly. In the very center was a single, blood-red eye, like a demon god from hell, soul-stirring and captivating, striking terror into the heart at first glance.
"Hell Scroll! It's the Hell Scroll!" someone exclaimed softly, seemingly having heard of it.
The previously silent room erupted in low murmurs.
The crowd was no longer silent but looked at those around them. It seemed most had heard of this 'Hell Scroll'. However, its origin and purpose were unclear, making the scroll even more shrouded in mystery.
Old Ghost surveyed the crowd, "It seems everyone knows this Hell Scroll is incredibly mysterious, yet no one knows how to use it. I shall say no more. Bid directly if you are interested. The base price is fifty million. We begin now."
"Fifty-five million!" Someone immediately bid.
"Sixty million!"
"Sixty-eight million..."
The bidding surpassed all previous items. In a short while, it reached eighty million.
Even Su Luo was somewhat astonished. What exactly was the purpose of this Hell Scroll? So bizarre and dark, accompanied by rumors of its owners meeting a strange death, and with no known use, yet so many were vying for it?
Suddenly, a voice called out, "Eighty-five million."
Su Luo immediately sensed something and couldn't help but look towards the source, utterly stunned.
This, this, this...
She grasped Li Tianjue's hand beside her, repeatedly signaling with her eyes, "Senior Brother, can you hear that? That's Fourth Brother's voice! How did he get here?"