Bai Feng cleared his throat awkwardly. It was his first time at an auction, and he had been eager to experience the thrill of bidding, only to forget about the professionals around him.

But the bids had already been placed, and Yu Yao could only shake her head and sigh, “Well, 120 mid-grade spirit stones isn’t a total loss, but if there’s another fool willing to bid, you should back off. It’s not worth it beyond this point.”

No sooner had she finished speaking than a voice from another box on the second floor called out, “150 mid-grade spirit stones.”

Yu Yao: “…?”

Where did this fool come from? Who would still be willing to spend so much on a pile of junk?

Bai Feng silently lowered his bidding paddle, realizing that the voice belonged to none other than the son of fortune from the second-floor box.

He couldn’t help but mutter, “What’s wrong with this son of fortune? Why does he only bid when I do? Does he have a thing for swooping in at the last moment?”

Meanwhile, the son of fortune, Li Ming, smiled as he set down his bidding paddle. For some reason, he felt inexplicably cheerful.

Of course, he wasn’t targeting Bai Feng on purpose; he had noticed something hidden within that broken bow, which prompted him to raise the bid at the last moment.

The person who had just bid 120 spirit stones must have noticed it too, but lacked the confidence to continue. Otherwise, they would have kept bidding.

“I didn’t expect to find something so interesting at a regular auction. It’s a pity others can’t recognize its value!”

Just as he thought he had it in the bag, another voice rang out from the second floor: “Two hundred.”

Li Ming frowned immediately. He glanced in the direction of the bid and saw it wasn’t the person he found annoying.

Could it be that his competition with that person had drawn attention from others?

So he raised the bid again, “Two hundred and one!”

The voice responded without hesitation, “Three hundred.”

“... Three hundred and two!”

“Four hundred.”

Li Ming couldn’t help but clench his fists. Who was this guy?

He sensed that this time, it wouldn’t be so easy to win.

In the bidding box, an elderly man was advising a lavishly dressed young man, “Young Master, spending so many spirit stones on this junk isn’t worth it!”

“It might not be junk. Otherwise, why would someone be willing to pay three hundred and two?” The young man fanned himself lightly, a wealthy smile on his lips. “Besides, even if it is junk, it’s just a small amount of money.”

“Hey? You’re still bidding? Jing Lao, bid ten top-grade spirit stones for me!”

Jing Lao: “…”

(Spirit stones are traditionally valued at a ratio of 100:1, meaning one hundred low-grade equals one mid-grade.)

---

Chapter 95: Is It My Fault?

“Fifty top-grade spirit stones once! Fifty top-grade spirit stones twice! Fifty top-grade spirit stones three times! Sold!!!”

Hearing that outrageous final price, Bai Feng and Yu Yao exchanged glances. The starting price was only thirty mid-grade spirit stones—how many times had it multiplied?

“Who is this fool? Fifty top-grade spirit stones could buy a whole bunch of junk from the Fallen Immortal Battlefield!” Yu Yao couldn’t help but murmur, “Could it be that there’s a secret hidden inside?”

“Who was that bidder who raised the bid by ten top-grade spirit stones?” Bai Feng’s lips twitched. This person had some guts to compete with the son of fortune.

Though they ultimately lost, they still made the son of fortune spend a lot more money!

“It’s the Li family from Beiyan City.” Yu Yao popped a piece of pastry into her mouth to calm her nerves, chewing as she speculated, “They must have been attracted by the portable formation plate. Otherwise, the Li family wouldn’t have come all this way to participate in such a small auction.”

Bai Feng: “…”

So this is all my fault?

Wait!

Just as he was processing this, he heard the system chime:

【Ding! Detected that the host has skillfully orchestrated a situation, causing the Li family and Li Ming to compete against each other, significantly dampening Li Ming’s arrogance. Reward: Luck Value +100, Fire Attribute +10.】

“…”

I knew it!

On the other side, Li Ming was equally displeased as he glared at the Li family box. Because of this person, he had wasted a lot of money for no reason.

He hoped the spirit tool he was consigning would earn him some profit.

In the Li family box, the elderly man urged, “Young Master, we really can’t raise the bid anymore. We came for the formation plate, not to waste money on this meaningless junk!”

“Tsk!” The young master of the Li family could only shake his head in frustration. “If I had known, I would have brought more pocket money. How dare a nobody, who doesn’t even show his face, go against my Li family! If this were in Beiyan City…”

Jing Lao quickly interrupted, “Shh, Young Master, don’t say that. Recently, an elder from the Tianjian Sect is in Xuanguang City.”

“I know. I’ll let him off this time.”

The young master waved his hand and turned his attention back to the next auction item.

---

After that, the auction proceeded without any surprises, and Bai Feng took the opportunity to buy some rare materials.

However, to outsiders, this auction seemed a bit strange. The bidders were all from the first floor, while the second floor remained almost silent.

“There are still three items left in this auction, and each one is a heavyweight, the highlights of this event!” The auctioneer stepped back a couple of paces, extending his hand to grasp the thick cloth behind him, slowly pulling it down to reveal spirit tools resembling rings and earrings hidden beneath.

“This is a combination-type fifth-grade spirit tool. When combined, its power rivals that of a sixth-grade tool. It can withstand a full-force strike from a Nascent Soul, and the power contained within can repel a Transformation stage cultivator and severely injure a Nascent Soul. Moreover, wearing it regularly can accelerate your cultivation speed. Whether for personal use or as a gift for a partner, it’s quite suitable. I believe everyone understands the value of combination-type spirit tools, so I won’t elaborate further. The starting bid is one hundred top-grade spirit stones!”

“One hundred and fifty!”

“Two hundred!”

“This spirit tool is mine, Chen wants it for three hundred!!”

As soon as the auctioneer’s voice fell, a bidding war erupted, even from the second-floor box that had been quiet until now.

‘This spirit tool must be the one the son of fortune is consigning.’

Bai Feng watched the spirit tool on the table with great interest. If it weren’t made by the son of fortune, he would have considered competing for it.

“Oh! This guest bids 514 top-grade spirit stones. Is there anyone else?”

“514 top-grade spirit stones once, 514 top-grade spirit stones twice, 514 top-grade spirit stones three times, sold!!”

“Ha, this guy is a bit unlucky!” Yu Yao chewed on her pastry, her mouth seemingly never stopping since the beginning. “If it weren’t for the portable formation plate, this set of combination-type spirit tools could have fetched a higher price. I was expecting it to go for over six hundred.”

Bai Feng silently turned to Yu Yao, “... Senior Sister, just enjoy your pastries and stop talking. Be careful not to spray crumbs over here.”

It’s fine if it’s low, but don’t say it out loud!

What if the system hears it and gives me more luck value?

【Ding! Detected that the host has skillfully orchestrated a situation, causing Li Ming to suffer a small loss. Reward: Luck Value +50, Talent +5.】

“…”

Damn!!

“Next up are the last two auction items of this event, the real portable formation plates.” The auctioneer smiled, “Many of you might be curious if such formation plates really exist. I believe experiencing it is more useful than any explanation, so…”

He pulled out a pair of white gloves from his pocket, and at the same time, a maid dressed in a black-and-white outfit approached, her long skirt brushing against her knees, her slender legs wrapped in white stockings, and her upper body revealing just enough fabric to hint at deep curves.

In her hands, she carried a round plate covered with a thick red cloth, and as she appeared, a wave of cheers erupted.

Bai Feng stared at the maid for a moment before turning to Yu Yao, “You really have some ideas!”

“Hehe, isn’t the effect quite good?” Yu Yao smiled proudly. “The moment I saw this outfit, I thought it was perfect for an auction.”

“Actually, it would suit a tea house too,” Bai Feng thought of a maid café, but since there was no café here, a maid tea house would do just fine. “Imagine if the tea house staff wore maid outfits and greeted customers with, ‘Welcome home, Master.’”

Then he picked up a pastry from the table and gestured, “It would be best to have pastries that can be filled with jam, so the maids could squeeze out a heart shape on the pastries and then make heart gestures at the customers… Why are you staring at me?”

Yu Yao looked at Bai Feng, resting her chin on one hand, her expression strange. “Junior Brother, what do you think about all day? Or do you like this kind of thing?”

“Bro, you like this kind of stuff?”