My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late! Chapter 13.
The floorboards were made of reddish-brown wood, the pillars and walls of red marble, and the window sills of cream-colored jade. The Spiritual Qi in the air was so dense that even Early and Middle-stage Core Formation beings would be tempted to sit down right where they stood and operate their cultivation techniques; wasting even a single second would feel like a crime.
The furniture was carved from the same glossy cream-colored jade as the window sills, reflecting the tricolor light from gray-colored scented candles hanging on the walls. This was the environment that welcomed Dou E and her Young Master when they crossed the spatial gate.
"This red-colored wood underneath my feet... it's from Small Phoenix Trees! Just one such tree would be fought over by seniors. To cover this entire building's floors with it... Ah!"
"These candles… they aren't ordinary either! They seem to be some sort of incense! Tricolor light… a scent that clears the mind and tempers one's Spiritual Qi… they are High Spirit Incense! To be used here like some common commodity! As expected of a business place built by an Immortal!"
"The roof... the..." Dou E's eyes sparkled, and her marvel grew exponentially with each passing moment.
When Yan Anle entered, the first thing he saw was his maid slapping her thigh and muttering, "It's not a dream, not an illusion. It's real!"
He walked over, his gaze roaming the hall. "Of course, it's all real."
Truthfully, Yan Anle was also greatly shocked. Although he had been unable to cultivate all these years and never roamed the cultivation world, he was no less knowledgeable than others. When he wasn't eating, working out, tending to flowers, or sleeping, books were how he passed the time. After a hundred-odd years of consistent study, even Qi Refining cultivators could not match him in terms of pure knowledge. The same would have been true for Foundation Establishment cultivators, if not for the fact that one awakens Divine Sense at that realm, allowing them to read entire books in moments.
Just then, a bell-like sound echoed in his mind.
[Ping!] [Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Congratulations, Host! You have completed the first of the Startup Chain Missions: "Auctions Aren't Held on Streets"! You have received the following rewards: Key to the [Myriad Worlds Warehouse], Key to [Auction House Structural Management], and [1 "One-Day Core Formation Helper" Summon Card!]
Yan Anle's eyes widened. 'The rewards section merely stated I would receive "generous rewards." A Core Formation slave... ahem, helper, for one day. Such a life-saving card is indeed generous!'
"Young Master, this place is simply amazing!" Dou E ran over to him, flashing a wide, toothy grin. "The extravagance is so unbelievable that even I am tempted to kill you and snatch everything!"
Yan Anle took two steps back reflexively, his nerves tense. "You..."
He turned to the systems. 'Did you guys not say she has an insanely high loyalty rating? Are these treasures, which only catch the attention of those below Nascent Soul, enough to overwrite that?'
[Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Host, do you have a misunderstanding about cultivators? To Foundation Establishment cultivators, Nascent Soul experts may be called "seniors," but they are actually more like gods. A casual wave of their hand could wipe out thousands of Foundation Establishment disciples.]
[Immortal Clan System]: [That's right. However, Host, this little girl's loyalty values are still intact. She must just be teasing you.]
Proving the [Immortal Clan System] right, Dou E covered her mouth and chuckled at Yan Anle's retreat. "Fufu~ Young Master, did I scare you?"
"I..." he started, but he couldn't find the words. He trusted her, but the words of [Myriad Worlds] reminded him of the unpredictability of the human heart. He had heard so many absurd but true stories that even seeing a mother sacrifice a child for her cultivation would not surprise him.
Finally, Dou E could not bear to tease him anymore. She ran to his side, wrapping her arms around his left arm and clinging to him intimately. "Okay, okay, Young Master. I'm sorry for scaring you. Forgive me?"
The transmigrator exhaled audibly; he had been holding his breath without realizing it. "Just... don't do it again."
Dou E's smile widened as she raised one hand in a pledge. "I swear on my daggers!"
Yan Anle rolled his eyes internally. "Let's tour the place."
"Mm." Dou E nodded.
Time flew by like a migrating bird, and soon they stood on the stage together, finished with the tour.
"Young Master, my eyes have really been opened today," Dou E commented. "Once this auction house is opened to the public, it won't take long for its name to spread far and wide. Right, Young Master, have you thought of a name, or did the Business Immortal already give you one?"
Yan Anle thought, 'Right, a name. Surely, I can't literally name it the [Myriad Worlds Auction House]. The system even provided an "Auction House Name" section in the status window.'
He stroked his chin, muttering as he sifted through ideas. "Yan Anle Auction House… No, just Anle Auction House..."
Dou E chimed in, "Young Master, how about: Dou E Abode?"
Yan Anle flicked her forehead. "Dou E Abode? Do you hear yourself?"
'Back then, I just casually gave her that name because she reminded me of "The Injustice to Dou E," and I've gotten used to it over the years. But to name my money tree after it… Eh, it feels a bit ominous.'
Dou E caressed her forehead and pouted, complaining in an aggrieved tone, "What? Young Master, is my name that bad? Not beautiful? But you are the one who gave it to me!"
"Hey, when did I say your name isn't beautiful?" Yan Anle sighed, coaxing her. He cooked up an excuse on the spot. "It's just that this is a venture initiated by my Immortal Master. If I were to so blatantly name it after my loved ones, wouldn't that be a bit excessive and risk offending him?"
Dou E bought the excuse. "That... that makes sense." She apologized, "Sorry, Young Master. I didn't think it through."
Yan Anle told her it was alright, then pondered aloud, "Your suggestion has shown me the light. The establishment doesn't necessarily have to have the words "Auction House" in it. Hmm... how about Prosperity Abode?" He turned to Dou E. "How does that sound?"
"Prosperity Abode? Anle... Prosperity...." Dou E muttered, soon realizing the connection. "Young Master, you...!"
"Haha," Yan Anle laughed it off. "Esteemed Master likely won't fault me for this little detail. At the end of the day, the name sounds sensible."
Dou E turned away from him and huffed, arms folded. Meanwhile, a bell-like sound echoed in Yan Anle's mind.
[Ping!] [Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Congratulations, Host! You have completed the Hidden Mission: "Even Dogs Have Names"! Rewarded with [100 Years of Bitter Cultivation]! Can be assigned as Host desires.]
Yan Anle was stunned. "This... doesn't this automatically compensate for all the years I've been unable to cultivate?"
[Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [Host, all you have to do is strive to fulfill the duties of an auction house owner, and your rise is assured.]
[Immortal Clan System] snorted. [I have hidden missions too! Host, all you have to do is fulfill your duties as a Clan Founder and ascension to immortality will be like crossing the road.]
Seeing his excitement, Dou E was naturally curious. "Young Master, what happened?"
She thought, 'The last time he was like this was when he choked on a fish... that time... Gasp! Could it be...?'
Yan Anle, still unable to restrain his smile, pulled her into a hug, repeatedly saying, "Hundred years! Hundred years!" as if he had lost his mind. Once he calmed down, he let go of his maid and turned to the system. 'System! Use it all immediately!'
[Myriad Worlds Auction House]: [All of it?]
'Yes, yes!' Yan Anle responded, wondering, 'Since I have Immortal-grade Spirit Roots, what cultivation realm will I reach? Dou E only has a Low-grade Spirit Root and reached the Foundation Establishment Second Layer within a century. Me? Golden Core? Nascent Soul? Haha! This is the life of a transmigrator! Like a pay-to-win player!'
Alas, [Myriad Worlds] gave him an error message. [Unfortunately, Host, you can't bury anything without a hole.]
Yan Anle: "...?"
[Myriad Worlds] clarified: [Host, you have yet to comprehend any techniques. There is no direction to invest those Years of Bitter Cultivation into.]
Yan Anle glanced at his status window and found that it was indeed the case. 'That... kind of... makes sense. Hmm, no, wait. Isn't there that Dual Cultivation Technique?'
[Immortal Clan System] stepped forward. [Host, are you forgetting something? You currently have no wife! Even if you comprehend it, using up those cultivation years will only harm you.]
'It will harm me?' Yan Anle's brows jumped.
Dou E noticed her Young Master's sudden silence and shifting expressions. 'He must be communicating with the Immortal.'
[Immortal Clan System]: [Host, all dual cultivation techniques involve the exchange of Yin and Yang. If you lost 100 years of your Yang Qi without an equal amount of Yin to complement it, what do you think would happen?]
'Drained of 100 years of Yang Qi...' Yan Anle gulped as he imagined himself turning into a skeleton. 'So, what do I do now? Do I have to wait until after the auction when I've earned points to buy a cultivation technique?'
As for borrowing again? He considered it but gave up the idea instantly. He didn't want it to become a habit. Still, he sighed. 'How will the guests take me, a host without cultivation, seriously? Dou E taking charge is also out of the question, as she is only a Second Layer Foundation Establishment, unless...'
[Myriad Worlds Auction House] finished the thought for him: [Restricting your first auction to only Qi Gathering fellows is not a bad idea. Take it as a practice session. You can even include martial artists. Although they usually only afford silver and gold coins instead of Spirit Stones, the system will still count it as points. Besides, they count as free advertisement.]
Yan Anle pursed his lips. He was indeed overly eager to start with a big splash. 'Forget it, then. I should focus on completing the Startup Missions. There should still be two remaining: "Staff Wanted" and "First Impressions Matter." Staff...'
He turned to Dou E. "I am considering hiring some workers for this place. What do you think?"
"Workers?"
"Mm. With my current cultivation, standing on the podium to take charge of the auction would not be good. Even if I had the cultivation, I have no experience hosting. There is also the matter of receiving and catering to guests."
"About this... hmm." Dou E pondered.
"Doesn't the clan have a mission board? Maybe we could post it there?" Yan Anle suggested.
"No!" Dou E had an instinctive resistance to the idea.
Yan Anle was startled. He blinked three times successively before probing, "Dou E, you…"
Realizing how exaggerated her instinctive reaction was, she blushed slightly and scrambled to salvage the situation. "Young Master, I just feel that the Young Master should keep this opportunity to yourself, kept under wraps as much as possible. As they say, the crime of a weak person is owning a treasure."
Yan Anle, still a tad greener than his maid in terms of life experience, argued, "Dou E, I do not feel that is quite right. Although the clan and I have not had much interaction in recent times, that is because I chose to remain in my courtyard, distancing myself from them. My mother brought me into this world; that is a grace that can never be repaid. Allowing the clan to reap some benefits would be a way to repay some of it. Besides, the more resources the clan gets, the stronger it will become, and in turn, I would have a stronger backing when I go out to roam the cultivation world."
Dou E felt a bit distressed. 'That logic actually kind of makes sense… except the clan has already abandoned you long ago! They look down on you!'
While Yan Anle continued, "All these years, haven't they still sent resources over? They still treat me as family despite previously being a cripple. Dou E, you should not be ungrateful. All these years, most of the resources you used—were they not from the clan? Knowing that you are by my side, they showered you with sufficient Spirit Stones, Talismans, and pills every month, did they not?"
Dou E was pushed to the edge this time. 'What is the point of hiding it from him any longer? With this Immortal Opportunity, he will soon go out and discover the truth.'
And just like that, she spilled the tea. "But that is not true! Young Master, I lied! The clan abandoned you long ago!"