The first batch of fifty bottles had gone for an astonishing five million silver taels and two coppers.
The hall had erupted in gasps, and even Tang Yuan, the rotund auctioneer, looked as if he were about to faint from sheer joy. His fat cheeks glistened with sweat and excitement, his stubby hands trembling as he struck the table with the hammer once more.
"Next! The second batch of fifty bottles of Heavenly Wine!" He roared, chest puffed out, his voice thick with pride.
The crowd leaned forward in anticipation. The scent of the wine still lingered in the air, a mesmerizing, intoxicating fragrance that tugged at everyone's heartstrings.
Just a whiff made their throats dry, their palms itch, and their purses loosen.
A deep, resonant voice rose from the crowd. "This person bids one million silver taels for those fifty bottles. I don't know who else will increase the price?"
Hai Chen Feng stood with composed confidence, his sharp eyes sweeping across the room. His presence alone was enough to silence the noise. He was a Sky Xuan master, so no one dared mock his bid.
A few murmurs rippled through the crowd before another voice that was sweet, soft, yet commanding, cut through the air.
"I bid one million five hundred thousand."
The words seemed to shimmer.
All heads turned as one towards the owner of the voice.
Princess Ling Meng sat poised in her seat, her jade-like fingers resting elegantly on the table, her expression calm and detached. The faintest flush colored her cheeks, and yet her eyes held the steady light of someone who would not yield.
The crowd erupted in whispers. 'The Princess herself… bidding for wine?'
Behind her, the two black-robed men's eyes flickered with intrigue. Even they, battle-hardened and composed, could not resist the allure of the heavenly fragrance wafting from the stage.
Hai Chen Feng laughed softly, the sound pleasant yet edged with pride. He cupped his hands toward the Princess. "Since Her Highness is bidding, this Hai will not compete. I shall wait for the next round. I doubt anyone will dare to bid against me then, hmm?"
The corner of Tang Yuan's lips twitched as he raised his hammer. "Princess Ling Meng bids one million five hundred thousand silver taels for the second batch of fifty bottles! Any higher bids? ...No? Going once! Going twice!... Sold!"
Bang!
The hammer hit the table with a satisfying crack. Tang Yuan's entire body shook with delight. To him, that sound was more beautiful than music, as it was the sound of silver pouring into his coffers.
Upstairs, Jun Mo Xie was laughing so hard that his shoulders shook. His long eyes narrowed to mischievous slits. "That Fatty Tang really leaves me speechless. He just shouted that Princess Ling Meng is getting married!"
Pfft-!
Jun Wu Yi spat out his tea, coughing violently as he glared at his nephew. "You damned brat! He shouted bid, not wed! Do you ever stop twisting words?"
Jun Mo Xie shrugged innocently, his lips curling in a wicked grin. "I must have misheard. The atmosphere's just too lively."
Jun Wu Yi groaned, wiping tea off his robe. "Misheard my foot… you could twist Buddha's chanting into an insult."
Down below, Tang Yuan was already preparing the third batch when a stately voice echoed across the hall.
"This Prince has taken a fancy to this commodity. I bid six hundred thousand for this fine wine."
It was the sound of the First Prince himself.
Tang Yuan froze mid-motion, and his round face twitched violently. 'Six hundred thousand?'
The first batch had gone for five million, the second for one and a half million, and now this? His mind screamed in disbelief. 'Is he trying to rob me blind in broad daylight?'
He bit his tongue to keep from blurting it out, though his inner thoughts were a storm. 'This guy's not here to buy but he's here to show off! Using his title to scare bidders away! Shameless!'
The First Prince smiled grandly, sweeping his gaze across the room. "Well then, does anyone wish to bid higher? Please, don't be shy. This Prince won't mind in the least."
'Won't mind?' Everyone's expression turned stiff.
What the First Prince truly meant was, 'I'll destroy anyone who dares.'
The silence stretched until a deep, composed voice broke it.
"His Highness speaks the truth," Hai Chen Feng said smoothly. "The price should indeed rise higher. Therefore, I bid one million silver taels, as before."
The First Prince's smile widened, though his eyes glinted with amusement. "Gang Leader Hai truly has an admirable spirit. Then this Prince shall bid one million five hundred thousand."
Hai Chen Feng hesitated, his fingers tightening slightly before he exhaled and sat down.
And so it went.
For the next sixteen batches, the same pattern repeated.
Hai Chen Feng would open with a bold bid, only for someone else, often a noble, sometimes a merchant, to swoop in at one and a half million.
The rhythm of it almost became a melody: bid, raise, hammer, applause.
Each hammer strike from Tang Yuan sent ripples of silver through the air, and his laughter grew greedier each time.
By now, nine hundred bottles were gone.
Those sitting in the back rows shifted restlessly, scratching their heads and whispering. They longed to bid, but who among them dared to challenge nobles and princes?
"Not much is left now…" One merchant muttered under his breath, regret heavy in his tone.
Meanwhile, at the far end of the hall, General Dugu Wudi's face had turned so dark it looked carved from black stone. His jaw clenched so tightly that one could almost hear the grinding of his teeth.
'It's over… this time, I'm truly finished!'
The first nine hundred bottles alone had raked in thirty million taels.
Thirty million!
And every tael meant one thing that his debt had deepened.
'Seventy million!'
At this rate, when the auction ended, it would surpass seventy million silver taels. Even if the Dugu Family sold everything they owned from their estates, their weapons, to their armor and it still wouldn't be enough.
A cold bead of sweat rolled down his temple. A thought crept into his mind, dark and terrible.
'Would I have to use my daughter to settle this debt?'
His fists trembled under the table. 'No. Impossible. I'm Dugu Wudi! I'd rather die than…'
But the thought persisted, gnawing at his resolve. His chest tightened as the room's laughter echoed around him, mocking him, suffocating him.
'The mighty Dugu Family, reduced to paying debts with their daughter… what a joke that would be. "They couldn't afford their wine," they'll say. "They had to send their daughter to clear the debt!"'
His fingers dug into his palm until blood welled up.
Upstairs, Jun Mo Xie leaned lazily against his chair, the faintest curve tugging at his lips as he watched the chaos below.
His eyes shimmered with quiet amusement. "Heh… the curtain hasn't even lifted yet. The real show… is only beginning."
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
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