Chapter 459: Distinguished Guest! |
Chapter 459: Distinguished Guest!
During his previous visit, Jiang Chen had lacked the funds to buy everything he wanted.
This time, he did not want to miss out, so he found a seat and settled in.
“Why do a Jade Dew Spirit Bud and a Four Seasons Fruit Tree pop up every now and then?”
“And why do they only sell one sapling at a time? Aren’t they just stringing us along?”
“Could there still be survivors from the Jade Dew Sect?”
All around the hall, people were murmuring among themselves.
Everyone was not only interested in these two rare spirit plants, but even more curious about the identity of the mastermind selling them.
However, the Wintergreen Auction House, backed by the Shen Clan, went to great lengths to conceal customer information and protect their identities.
…to this day, their owner and origins remained unknown, making the entire affair seem incredibly mysterious.
Jiang Chen sat upright, looking no different from the Rogue Cultivators around him, but he quietly released his Divine Sense, sweeping it across the entire auction house.
However, he found nothing. Or rather, he gained no useful information.
A short while later, the auctioneer began the bidding.
They auctioned one sapling at a time.
Because the Four Seasons Fruit Tree commanded a lower price than the Jade Dew Spirit Bud, it was brought out first.
Jiang Chen still remembered how he had spent 300 Mid-grade Spirit Stones to acquire one last time.
He had not expected the price to rise so much over the years; the bidding had actually climbed to over 400.
Seeing that only a few bidders remained, he decisively called out, “500 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Instantly, the remaining bidders fell completely silent.
When no one raised the price further, the auctioneer promptly announced, “Congratulations to this Immortal for acquiring the item at 500 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Without a single moment’s pause, the auction immediately proceeded to the second sapling—the even rarer Jade Dew Spirit Bud.
This was a type of tea tree.
If Jiang Chen remembered correctly, during his last visit, a member of the Lei Clan had spent over a thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones to win it, even going so far as to publicly reveal his identity to pressure the crowd into backing down.
It was easy to imagine the frenzy this sapling would provoke.
Fortunately, Jiang Chen was no longer the man he had been years ago.
With his current wealth and personal strength, buying such an item was mere child’s play.
The auctioneer declared loudly, “The starting bid for the Jade Dew Spirit Bud is 300 Mid-grade Spirit Stones! Each subsequent bid must increase by no less than 30 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
Jiang Chen gave a slight nod. “The price really has gone up.”
If the Four Seasons Fruit Tree had increased in value, the rarer Jade Dew Spirit Bud would naturally follow suit.
“400!”
“500!”
“650!”
The moment the bidding opened, the price immediately doubled.
Jiang Chen was not in a rush; he simply waited patiently.
Only when the price neared 900 did the number of bidders begin to thin out.
When it soared to 1,200, the remaining group was cut in half again.
By the time it reached 1,500, fewer than five people were left.
However, both the bidders in the main hall and those in the private boxes were gritting their teeth and pressing on.
Both the Four Seasons Fruit Tree and the Jade Dew Spirit Bud were rare spirit plants capable of being passed down for generations.
If one nurtured them for several decades or even a century, the yield they produced would be worth far more than the current bid.
Just then, a male voice rang out from a nearby private box. “2000!”
The moment those words were spoken, all the onlookers widened their eyes in shock.
The few who still intended to bid instantly grimaced, their expressions turning ugly.
Seeing the entire hall fall silent, the auctioneer immediately asked, “Are there any more bids?”
Jiang Chen deliberately waited a moment, and upon confirming that no one else was stepping forward, he finally spoke. “2100!”
The voice from the private box immediately shot back. “2200!”
Jiang Chen followed without missing a beat. “2300!”
He did not raise the price by much, only adding 100 each time.
Although he was wealthy, he was not a fool. He had no intention of being taken advantage of.
He already had so many rare spirit plants in his portable space. Gaining one more Jade Dew Spirit Bud would be nice, but losing out on it wouldn’t hurt him either. He wasn’t particularly invested in the outcome.
Suddenly, the bidding war was reduced to just the two of them. It was simply a matter of who would fold first.
In no time, the price reached 2,500.
For a mere sapling, this was already an astronomical sum.
The person in the private box hesitated for a moment before calling out, “I am…”
Jiang Chen gave him absolutely no face, cutting him off before he could even finish his sentence. “2600!”
That instantly silenced the other party, rendering them unable to utter a single word.
The auctioneer announced excitedly, “Congratulations to this Immortal for acquiring the Jade Dew Spirit Bud sapling for 2,600 Mid-grade Spirit Stones!”
He had spent a total of 3,100 Mid-grade Spirit Stones to acquire two rare spirit plant saplings.
In the past, when he was strapped for cash, he never would have dared to imagine such a thing.
However, this time, it was not just the beautiful receptionist who approached him, but also a mature, poised female Manager.
Her hair was neatly combed into a simple round bun, held in place by an ebony hairpin wrapped with several loops of thin red cord at the end.
She wore a dark green beizi over a fine moon-white cotton blouse.
Her deep blue skirt draped elegantly, stopping right at her ankles.
She appeared to be around thirty years old and was slightly taller than the average woman. She spoke with a polite and courteous demeanor. “Esteemed Immortal, I am Manager Wen of the auction house.”
Jiang Chen cast her a sidelong glance. “Is there a matter you need to discuss?”
Manager Wen quickly replied, “Because you have spent over 3,000 Mid-grade Spirit Stones in a single visit, you have been elevated from a regular guest to a Distinguished Guest. You are now entitled to the privileges of a private box.”
Jiang Chen smiled. “Is that so?”
Manager Wen gestured toward the second floor. “Would you like to head up now?”
Jiang Chen gave a slight nod. “Alright.”
Manager Wen immediately beamed. “Please follow me.”
Without delay, the three of them made their way toward the private boxes.
Their designated room was located on the east side of the second floor. The interior space was not particularly large.
To the left, near the entrance, sat a plush, long bench.
In the center were two rosewood chairs separated by a small tea table.
Potted plants emitting a faint fragrance were placed in the corners.
At the front of the room was a window concealed by a thick curtain. As soon as they entered, the beautiful receptionist pulled the curtain back, providing a clear view of the auction floor below.
Overall, the privacy was decent, though the soundproofing left a bit to be desired.
At that moment, Manager Wen produced a token. “This is the exclusive token for the Distinguished Guests of our auction house. In the future, so long as you present this, you may enter freely, enjoy various privileges and discounts, and even receive advance notice of our auction catalogs.”
The token was about the size of a palm and slightly thicker than a typical jade pendant.
Its main body was crafted from polished ebony, the wood so dark brown it was nearly black, with a dense, fine grain. The edges were bound in a half-finger-wide band of matte white iron, faintly engraved with delicate cloud motifs.
Jiang Chen reached out and took it, noting a slight, textured unevenness under his fingertips.
On the front, the character for ‘Auction’ was carved in intaglio.
The back was unadorned, save for a shallow, rough indentation in the center—about the size of a fingernail—inlaid with a polished Low-grade Spirit Stone.
Jiang Chen tried injecting a trace of Magic Power into it, and it immediately emitted a soft white glow.
The light was not blinding; it was just enough to illuminate a hidden pattern on the back.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed an incredibly fine, zigzagging line.
Manager Wen explained, “The path of the zigzagging line is unique to every token. Only our auction house staff can verify it, ensuring it cannot be forged.”
Jiang Chen turned it over in his hands a few times before nodding. “It is indeed quite well-made.”
Manager Wen suddenly sent him a voice transmission. “You are our 666th Distinguished Guest.”
Jiang Chen was momentarily taken aback. “Uh.”
Then, Manager Wen pointed to the beautiful receptionist beside her. “If you require anything at all, you may ask her.”
The receptionist flashed a sweet smile, blinking her large, watery eyes.
Jiang Chen ignored the display. He simply sat down and asked, “What is next on the block?”
Manager Wen immediately replied, “The next lot is a highly unusual item recovered from the depths of the Dark Forest. It is said that many Demon Beasts and hunting parties died over it!”
