From the fake emperor to the concubine

This is a huge sum of money; no wonder Mr. Zhou is so nervous.

"How much money does Master Zhou plan to spend on hiring guards?" Zheng Yi asked.

After a moment's thought, Master Zhou said, "If Young Master Zhang is willing to serve as my chief bodyguard, I am willing to offer 500,000 spirit stones as a reward. If Young Master Zhang can ensure my safe departure from Qingyun City, I will add an additional 100,000 spirit stones as a token of my gratitude."

"Five hundred thousand plus one hundred thousand, a total of six hundred thousand spirit stones?" Zheng Yi said.

“Exactly,” Master Zhou nodded. “What does Young Master Zhang think?”

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment.

Six hundred thousand spirit stones—that's a very generous reward. He'd only earned a few hundred thousand spirit stones in over a month hunting demonic beasts. Now, he could earn six hundred thousand just by working as a guard for a few days; it was a very worthwhile deal.

But he didn't agree immediately. Instead, he asked, "Mr. Zhou, I have a few questions."

“Young Master Zhang, please ask,” said Master Zhou.

"First, how long will the auction last?"

"Three days," said Master Zhou. "The auction will begin on the first day of the third lunar month and end on the third. The thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom is the grand finale item and will be auctioned on the last day."

"Secondly, when does Master Zhou plan to leave Qingyun City?"

"After the auction, Mr. Zhou plans to leave that same day and return to the core area overnight," said Master Zhou. "The journey from Qingyun City to the core area takes approximately three days. Mr. Zhou hopes that Young Master Zhang can escort me all the way until I safely arrive at the Zhou Family Trading Company."

"So, it will take a total of six or seven days?" Zheng Yi said.

"More or less," Master Zhou nodded.

Zheng Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "Six hundred thousand spirit stones is too little."

"Huh?" Master Zhou was taken aback.

"Think about it, Master Zhou," Zheng Yi said, "how much is a thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom worth? Five million, even eight million spirit stones. Such a precious item will inevitably attract countless covetous eyes. Among them might even be a Great Ascension Realm expert. To risk fighting a Great Ascension Realm expert for only six hundred thousand spirit stones is far too little."

Master Zhou's expression changed slightly.

He knew Zheng Yi was right. A thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom was indeed extremely precious and could attract the covetous eyes of a Mahayana Realm expert. If they were to encounter a Mahayana Realm expert, 600,000 spirit stones would certainly not be enough.

"How much does Young Master Zhang want?" Master Zhou asked.

“One million.” Zheng Yi held up one finger. “One million spirit stones. I guarantee Master Zhou will arrive at the Zhou Family Trading Company safely. If he encounters any danger along the way, I will take full responsibility.”

"One million?" Old Master Zhou gasped.

The price was much higher than he had expected. But considering the value of the thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom and his own life, one million spirit stones didn't seem like too much.

“Fine!” Mr. Zhou gritted his teeth. “One million it is! As long as Young Master Zhang can guarantee my safety, I’ll accept this price.”

"Deal." Zheng Yi nodded.

The two signed a contract on the spot. Master Zhou paid 500,000 spirit stones as a deposit, and the remaining 500,000 would be paid after the mission was completed.

"Young Master Zhang, the auction begins on the first day of March," said Master Zhou. "I am staying at the 'Moon Gazing Inn' in the south of the city. Please come and meet me then."

“Okay,” Zheng Yi said.

The two discussed some more details, and then Mr. Zhou took his leave.

After Master Zhou left, Miss Hongyu smiled and said, "Congratulations, Young Master Zhang, you've earned one million spirit stones."

"I must thank you for the introduction, young lady," Zheng Yi said.

"You're too kind, young master," said Miss Hongyu. "However, you must be careful. The thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom is no ordinary thing; there are bound to be many people eyeing it."

“I know,” Zheng Yi nodded.

He already had a plan in mind. This escort mission would not only earn him a million spirit stones, but also provide an opportunity to build connections with the Zhou Family Merchant Guild. If he did well, it would make entering the core area much easier in the future.

After leaving the Jade Pavilion, Zheng Yi returned to his residence and told everyone about what had happened.

"One million spirit stones?" Zheng Bowen's eyes widened. "Patriarch, that much money?"

“Yes, it’s much more profitable than hunting monsters,” Zheng Hongzhi exclaimed.

“However, this money isn’t so easy to earn,” Zheng Yi said. “The thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom is priceless, and there are bound to be many people eyeing it. This mission might involve encountering formidable enemies, so you need to be prepared.”

Everyone's expressions turned solemn, and they replied in unison, "Yes!"

"The auction isn't starting for another ten days or so," Zheng Yi said. "In the meantime, continue hunting demonic beasts and accumulating resources. At the same time, intensify your cultivation to improve your strength. You should be able to come in handy if needed."

"Understood!" the crowd replied.

Time flies, and it's already the first day of March.

Qingyun City was exceptionally lively that day.

The streets and alleys were packed with people, and cultivators of all skin colors and attire could be seen everywhere. Some were dressed in luxurious clothes, clearly wealthy merchants; others wore tight-fitting clothes and long swords at their waists, obviously guards from various factions; still others had mysterious expressions and shifty eyes, and it was unclear what they were up to.

The auction was held at the "Tianbao Pavilion" in the city center, a magnificent nine-story building that was the largest auction house in Qingyun City.

Zheng Yi arrived at Wangyue Inn early in the morning to meet up with Master Zhou.

Master Zhou was dressed exceptionally formally today, in a magnificent brocade robe and a jewel-encrusted hat, clearly a wealthy man. Beside him, besides Zheng Yi, stood four guards, all at the Integration Realm.

"Young Master Zhang, you've arrived." Master Zhou greeted Zheng Yi warmly upon seeing him. "I'm entrusting today to Young Master Zhang."

"Don't worry, Mr. Zhou," Zheng Yi said. "With me here, I won't let anyone hurt you."

Upon hearing this, Master Zhou felt somewhat relieved.

The group left the inn and headed towards Tianbao Pavilion.

A long queue had already formed in front of Tianbao Pavilion, all people who came to participate in the auction. Master Zhou took out a golden token, showed it to the guard at the door, and was immediately invited into the inner hall.

“This is a VIP token,” Mr. Zhou explained. “With this, you don’t need to queue, and you can enter the VIP box instead of squeezing in with the ordinary people.”

Zheng Yi nodded and followed Master Zhou into Tianbao Pavilion.

The interior of Tianbao Pavilion is lavishly decorated, filled with valuable calligraphy, paintings, and antiques. At the center of the hall is an auction stage, surrounded by concentric circles of seats that can accommodate thousands of people. Above the hall are VIP boxes for the wealthy.

Mr. Zhou's private box was on the third floor, with a great view, offering a clear view of everything on the auction stage.

The group entered the private room and sat down. Soon, maids brought tea and snacks. "The auction is about to begin," said Master Zhou. "Today's items are mainly ordinary ones; the thousand-year-old Blood Spirit Mushroom will be auctioned on the third day. Young Master Zhang, don't be too nervous, take a rest first."

Zheng Yi nodded, but did not let his guard down.

His divine sense quietly probed out, scanning every corner of the Tianbao Pavilion.

He quickly spotted several suspicious individuals.

Those people were scattered throughout the hall, seemingly ordinary, but Zheng Yi could sense the powerful aura hidden within them. Several of them had even reached the peak of the Integration Realm, only one step away from the Great Ascension Realm.

"As expected, there are experts here," Zheng Yi thought to himself. "It seems this auction is no ordinary event."

Just then, a clear gong sounded on the auction stage.

"Distinguished guests, welcome to Tianbao Pavilion!" An elderly man in a magnificent robe stepped onto the auction stage and announced loudly, "The annual Qingyun City Auction is now officially open!"

On the auction stage, the old man cleared his throat, looked around, and wore a professional smile.

"I am Sun He, the chief auctioneer of Tianbao Pavilion, and I will be presiding over this auction today," he said. "Without further ado, let's begin. Please take a look at the first item."

As soon as he finished speaking, two maids carried a tray onto the stage. On the tray was an exquisite jade box. The lid was open, revealing what was inside—a vibrant green spiritual herb that emitted a faint fragrance.

"This is a 500-year-old Azure Cloud Grass," Sun He introduced. "Azure Cloud Grass is the main ingredient for refining the 'Concentration Pill,' and it has miraculous effects on cultivators in the Nascent Soul Realm breaking through bottlenecks. The starting bid is 10,000 spirit stones, and each bid must increase by at least 500 spirit stones."

As soon as he finished speaking, a chorus of bids erupted in the hall.

"Eleven thousand!"

"Fifteen thousand!"

"Twenty thousand!"

Zheng Yi stood in the corner of the private room, quietly watching the auction below.

He wasn't interested in the Azure Cloud Grass; his cultivation had long since surpassed the Nascent Soul Realm, and the Spirit Condensation Pill was useless to him. However, he still carefully observed the bidding process, wanting to understand the rules of the auction.

The Azure Cloud Grass was eventually sold for 35,000 spirit stones to a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a blue robe.

"Congratulations to this guest!" Sun He said with a smile. "Next up is the second item."

The second item was a high-quality flying sword, with a starting bid of 50,000 spirit stones. This flying sword attracted a lot of attention, and the bidding was extremely fierce, eventually selling for 120,000 spirit stones.

The auction proceeded one item after another.

As Zheng Yi observed, he secretly noted down those who were the most aggressive bidders. He discovered that truly powerful buyers rarely made a move easily, but rather waited until something they really wanted appeared before placing an offer. Those who frequently bid, on the other hand, were mostly representatives of smaller, less powerful groups—generous spenders but lacking in discernment.

"Please take a look at the fifteenth item," Sun He's voice rang out again.

This time, a golden suit of armor was brought up. The armor was exquisitely crafted, covered with intricate runes, and was clearly no ordinary item.

"This is a 'Diamond Body Protection Armor,' personally crafted by Li Huoyun, a renowned weapon-refining master from the Tianyuan Domain," Sun He introduced. "This armor can withstand a full-force attack from a peak Nascent Soul cultivator and is completely immune to attacks from those below the Divine Transformation Realm. The starting bid is 500,000 spirit stones, with each bid increment no less than 50,000 spirit stones."

“Five hundred thousand?” Old Master Zhou said in a low voice from the side. “That’s not cheap.”

Zheng Yi nodded, his gaze falling on the armor.

Five hundred thousand spirit stones is indeed not cheap, but the armor's defensive capabilities are truly astonishing. If his men could wear such armor, their safety would be greatly enhanced.

However, he only thought about it and had no intention of taking action. His primary task now was to protect Master Zhou and prevent any unforeseen complications.

"Six hundred thousand!" A deep voice came from the next private room.

Zheng Yi looked in the direction of the voice and saw a burly man in a purple robe, with a face full of scars and fierce eyes; he was clearly not a good person. Behind him stood seven or eight guards, each strong and imposing.

“That’s Zhao Tianxiong, the leader of the ‘Purple Cloud Gang,’” Master Zhou said in a low voice. “The Purple Cloud Gang is the largest gang near Qingyun City, with considerable power and influence in both the legitimate and underworld circles.”

"A gang?" Zheng Yi raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” said Master Zhou. “The gangs and sects in Tianyuan Domain are different. Sects emphasize tradition and rules, while gangs are more flexible and do all sorts of business. The Ziyun Gang ostensibly deals in spiritual herbs, but it is said that they also engage in smuggling and robbery behind the scenes.”

"No wonder." Zheng Yi nodded, feeling a bit more wary of Zhao Tianxiong.

“Seven hundred thousand!” another voice rang out.

The bidder was a young man in a white robe, with a handsome face and elegant demeanor, who looked like a young master from a prominent family.

“That’s Bai Yutang, the young master of Baiyun Manor,” Master Zhou continued. “Baiyun Manor is the largest sect near Qingyun City, specializing in training guards and assassins. Many wealthy merchants hire guards from Baiyun Manor.”

"Eight hundred thousand!" Zhao Tianxiong bid again, his voice tinged with anger.

"Nine hundred thousand!" Bai Yutang retorted, not to be outdone.

The two went back and forth, and the price kept rising, soon exceeding one million spirit stones.

No one else in the hall bid, and they watched the two compete quietly.

"One million two hundred thousand!" Zhao Tianxiong said through gritted teeth.

“One million three hundred thousand!” Bai Yutang smiled slightly, remaining calm.

Zhao Tianxiong's expression grew increasingly grim. He glared fiercely at Bai Yutang, but ultimately did not continue bidding.

"One million three hundred thousand spirit stones! First time! Second time! Third time! Sold!" Sun He slammed the gavel down. "Congratulations to Young Master Bai of White Cloud Manor!"

Bai Yutang nodded slightly, a faint smile on his face.

Zhao Tianxiong had a gloomy face, seemingly lost in thought.

Zheng Yi observed this scene and secretly noted it down. It seemed that Bai Yutang and Zhao Tianxiong had some kind of grudge between them.

The auction continues.

The next few items were all spiritual herbs and magical artifacts, with prices ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. Zheng Yi observed quietly, gaining a deeper understanding of the prices in the Tianyuan Domain.

"The twenty-third item is something very special," Sun He's voice suddenly became mysterious, "Please take a look."

Two maids carried in a black box covered with sealing runes, which exuded an eerie aura.

Sun He carefully opened the box, revealing its contents—a jet-black bead. Something seemed to be flowing within it, giving it an eerie appearance. (End of Chapter)