Chapter 599
"One thousand Xuanjing, five mountains of gold."
"?"
Qiao Ziyu glanced at the Gu worm, which had turned purple.
This thing, Li Mo also wanted it?
...
P.S.: I'm a bit stuck on my writing today; my thoughts feel all over the place. I hope my cold isn't a sign of something worse...
---
**Chapter 694: Is That Buddha's or Mine?**
As everyone knows, Xiao Li has little interest in money, no real concept of it, and certainly no strong desire for it.
In his past life, he earned two thousand eight hundred a month, and it’s still the same now.
The reason he just called out a bid was simple.
Qiao Ziyu had been sparring with him, so when the other person called out, he instinctively raised his bid.
Only after he did so did he remember that this item seemed to have appeared in the memories of the Ice Boulder.
"What is this 'mountain of gold'? Is it a euphemism for some heavenly treasure?"
"It seems, my friend, that you’ve been living deep in the sea and don’t quite understand this."
"Indeed, I’m not familiar with such heavenly treasures..."
"No, what I mean is, you don’t understand Li Shaoxia."
"?"
"Is this your first day meeting Li Shaoxia? This cold, calculated way of measuring—who else could do it but him?"
The Qizhen Haishi attracted visitors from all corners of the Jianghu, many of whom had a vague understanding of this wealthy, fortune-favored figure.
Thus, the Jianghu guests from overseas learned from them.
The mountain of gold was, quite literally, a mountain of gold.
"Uh, Li Shaoxia, how much gold are we talking about here?"
The second shareholder of Dongzhu Tower asked with a wry smile.
He was well-versed and adept at quickly assessing the value of various items, and he was a whiz at accounting.
But... this method of measurement? He had never seen anything like it.
"About three or four stories high, roughly the size of Dongzhu Tower," Lan Tian recalled.
"How do you know that?" the second shareholder asked, taken aback.
"Li Ge used the mountain of gold to cure my fear of clusters," the mermaid princess Lan Tian replied.
After all, her tears were pearls, and she had previously worried that Li Mo might not have enough money, even asking if she should bring him some sea anemones.
A mountain of gold... fear of clusters...
The crowd was even more bewildered.
At this rate, was gold even worth anything?
Those in the Jianghu who had hoarded large amounts of gold felt their legs go weak, as if the sky were falling. If Li Shaoxia's stockpile hit the market, wouldn’t their hoarded gold just be a pile of scrap metal?
But they couldn’t blame themselves.
After all, who could have imagined that one day, the price of gold could be reduced to that of scrap metal? Gold had been a stable commodity for thousands of years, capable of being refined into pure gold.
"Is there anyone else who wants to raise the bid?"
Lan Tian's voice echoed in the silent hall.
"I..."
Qiao Ziyu instinctively wanted to call out again, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in his throat.
Another pig's trotter was shoved into his mouth, blocking his throat.
Logically, he should have been furious at this sudden and bizarre experience.
But seeing the terrified eyes of the elder steward, cold sweat began to pour down his back.
Calling out a bid without being able to pay the price had serious consequences.
That wouldn’t just be his personal issue; as the young master of Lingxi Sect, the entire sect would face repercussions from the forces behind Dongzhu Tower.
"Cough... cough! Can Li Mo really come up with that much money?" Qiao Ziyu coughed violently, incredulous. "Didn’t the intel say he was nearly broke?"
"The message was from my direct disciple; I’ll hold him accountable when I return," the elder steward frowned.
But he didn’t know.
His unfortunate disciple had gone to the imperial capital to verify the information.
And everyone knew where the most reliable news came from.
So that unlucky fellow went to Fengyue Xiaozhu, where the storyteller seemed to know a lot about the Liqun Swordmaster, planning to lure him into an alley and tie him up for a thorough interrogation...
...
In the distant imperial capital.
On the outskirts of the city, in a sparse, desolate area.
There was little vegetation here, usually devoid of people, and now a large, unsightly pit had been dug.
A few people stood by the pit.
Huang Dong was shoveling dirt into the pit, mixed with a powder that could dispel odors, nourish plants, and vanish into thin air as the plants grew.
Xiao Qin released his spirit sense, scanning the surroundings.
Murong Xiao was sitting cross-legged, turning a wooden fish in his hands while chanting a rebirth mantra.
One kept watch, one handled the burial, and one recited scriptures for the deceased—an impressive coordination.
Two words: professional.
"Ah, a monk’s compassion knows no bounds."
After finishing the chant, Murong Xiao sighed, "This is my first time doing this, and I’ve broken a precept today."
"It’s not a big deal; he won’t know who struck him down when he died. As a wandering soul, your chanting is a good deed," Huang Dong said, patting the dirt to make the transplanted flowers and plants look natural.
"Yeah, don’t mention dogs; even Old Xiao’s nose wouldn’t pick up any scent."
"Hey?"
Xiao Qin jumped down from a tree.
So now, among Li’s good friends, he was the only one who couldn’t fight, right?
"The Lingxi Sect might still investigate. I have to disappear from the imperial capital; I actually liked this identity..."
Huang Dong sighed, but his expression wasn’t one of sorrow.
"Li’s about to get engaged; we should go and celebrate with a drink."
"Right, we need to bring back news from the Lingxi Sect. They have big plans and won’t let this go easily."
"I’ll ask the abbot for a leave; by the way, monks have no possessions. Can you lend me some money for a gift?"
"Lend? We’re brothers; I’ll just toss it into the merit box later."
"Ugh... does that count as my contribution or Buddha’s?"
...
Meanwhile.
"Since no one else is bidding, this 'Return to the Void' map will finally belong to my gold master."
"Please, those who bid on the treasures, line up to pay. Let’s settle the transaction on the spot."
Lan Tian took out a small hammer and tapped it twice, adding a sense of ceremony.
Li Mo also had his own sense of ceremony as he took down the Xumi item and handed it to his employee.
The necessary formalities had to be observed; he couldn’t skip the process just because he was the sole major shareholder.
Now, the other shareholders of Dongzhu Tower were no longer just financial investors; they were technical partners, providing management and influence, receiving dividends that were no less than before.
Seeing him take out the Xumi item to pay, Qiao Ziyu felt a bit better, as if he had swallowed a fly.
"Although I didn’t gain anything from this Qizhen Haishi, and my two hundred Xuanjing went down the drain, at least Li Mo had to part with some cash..."
"What do you mean, part with cash?" a voice interrupted beside him.
It was the second shareholder of Dongzhu Tower.
"Ah, it’s the big boss! Hahaha, we’ve supported Dongzhu Tower this time; please keep us in the loop for any future treasures."
The elder steward smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.
He felt that Dongzhu Tower had made a profit off Li Mo, thanks in part to Qiao Ziyu’s bidding.
"Uh, first of all, I’m not the big boss anymore."
The second shareholder shook his head with a strange expression and added, "If we’re talking about support, you two are the ones supporting the real big boss."
"Who is that?"
"Weren’t you just raising the bid against him?"
"?"
Qiao Ziyu and the elder steward leaned back slightly, looking up.
They saw Lan Tian just take the Xumi item, check it, and hand the auction item to Li Mo, saying:
"Transaction settled."
Then she returned the Xumi item filled with money:
"Gold master, the money earned from this auction is also in here."
She stuffed the money she collected from others back into the Xumi item and handed it back to Li Mo.
With this handover.
The mountain of gold remained unchanged, but the Xuanjing seemed to be piling up like a small mountain.
...
P.S.: This is the first time I’ve written this late; my little brain is feeling a bit foggy.
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**Chapter 695: Money Not Ordinary, Lingxi Sect's Plan!**
The auction at Dongzhu Tower was nearing its end, the large pearl atop the building casting a soft glow, illuminating the seaside at dusk.
Li Mo had completed his transaction with Dongzhu Tower.
About half of the items on the list had made their way into his pockets, along with the money. He planned to store the heavenly treasures in the Clear Abyss Sect's vault.
"Hmm?"
As he took back the Xumi item he had handed over, along with the one containing the auction items, Li Mo furrowed his brow.
"What's wrong? Is something missing inside?" Qian Bufan asked nervously.
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