From the fake emperor to the concubine

The young man in purple frowned slightly and looked towards the private room where Zheng Yi was.

“Interesting,” he said softly. “One million six hundred thousand spirit stones.”

"One million eight hundred thousand spirit stones." Zheng Yi continued to raise the price.

The purple-robed young master's expression turned somewhat grim. One million eight hundred thousand spirit stones already exceeded the normal value of the ten-thousand-year-old ice marrow. If the price continued to rise, even if he managed to buy it, it would be a losing proposition.

But he doesn't seem to want to give up.

"Two million spirit stones," he said through gritted teeth.

An uproar immediately erupted in the hall.

Two million spirit stones? Is this guy insane?

"Is it really worth risking your life for just a piece of ten-thousand-year-old ice marrow?"

"It seems these two have a grudge, otherwise they wouldn't be so competitive."

Various discussions arose, and many people watched the bidding war with great interest.

Zheng Yi fell silent.

Two million spirit stones is indeed too high. Although the Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow is precious, it's not worth that price. If we continue to raise the price, it will be a losing proposition.

"Never mind," he thought to himself, "I might as well not sell this piece of ice marrow. There are better things to come."

He did not continue bidding.

"Two million spirit stones. The number one VIP box in the Heavenly tier has offered two million spirit stones. Are there any bids higher?" Zhou Tianxing asked.

Silence fell over the hall.

"Two million spirit stones, once. Two million spirit stones, twice. Two million spirit stones, three times. Sold!"

The Ten-Thousand-Year Ice Marrow was auctioned off to that purple-robed young master for a high price of two million spirit stones.

The young man in purple robes revealed a smug smile as he looked at the private room where Zheng Yi was, his eyes filled with a hint of provocation.

Zheng Yi ignored him and simply waited quietly for the next item to be auctioned.

Next, several more items were auctioned off. One of them was Crimson Flame Refined Gold, which Zheng Yi was interested in, with a starting price of 800,000 spirit stones.

"Eight hundred thousand spirit stones!" someone shouted immediately.

"Nine hundred thousand spirit stones!"

"One million spirit stones!"

The bidding began, and the price was quickly driven up to 1.5 million spirit stones.

Zheng Yi was about to make a bid when he heard a voice coming from the opposite box.

Two million spirit stones.

It was that young man in purple robes again.

Zheng Yi frowned slightly. This young man in purple robes seemed to be deliberately going against him; every time he wanted to buy something, the other party would offer a high price to snatch it away.

"Two and a half million spirit stones," Zheng Yi offered.

“Three million spirit stones,” the purple-robed young master said unhurriedly.

Zheng Yi fell silent.

Three million spirit stones, but the Crimson Flame Refined Gold is worth at most two million. Buying it for three million would clearly be a loss.

"What exactly is this person trying to do?" he wondered to himself. "Is he really trying to oppose me?"

He did not continue bidding, allowing the Crimson Flame Refined Gold to be won by the Purple-Robed Young Master for a high price of three million spirit stones.

The purple-robed young man's smile grew even more smug.

Zheng Yi didn't participate in the bidding for the next few items. It wasn't that he didn't want to buy them, but every time he made a bid, the purple-robed young man would jump in and drive the price up to an absurd level.

"Is this guy crazy?" Zheng Yi thought to himself, somewhat speechless.

He began to suspect that the purple-robed gentleman might know him and be deliberately making things difficult for him. But upon closer reflection, he realized that he was dressed as an ordinary merchant today, so the purple-robed gentleman shouldn't have recognized him.

"Perhaps it's just a coincidence," he thought to himself. "Or maybe this person just enjoys going against people."

He decided to be patient for now and wait until he had something he truly wanted before making a move.

Another hour passed, and finally it was his turn to get what he wanted most.

"The next item up for auction is Xuan Tian Black Jade," Zhou Tianxing introduced. "Xuan Tian Black Jade is a rare mineral containing mysterious Xuan Tian power. It can be used to refine spatial magical artifacts or to aid in the cultivation of spatial techniques. This piece of black jade is of superior quality and is a rare treasure. The starting price is 1.5 million spirit stones, and each bid must be at least 100,000 spirit stones higher."

A waiter carried a piece of jet-black jade up to the platform. The jade was about the size of a bowl, completely black, yet faintly shimmering with starlight, as if it contained a starry sky.

"One and a half million spirit stones!" someone shouted immediately.

"One million six hundred thousand spirit stones!"

"One million eight hundred thousand spirit stones!"

Bidding broke out, but it was less lively than with the previous Eternal Ice Marrow and Crimson Flame Refined Gold. Clearly, not many people were interested in spatial materials.

When the price stabilized at two million spirit stones, Zheng Yi said, "Two and a half million spirit stones."

He added 500,000 this time, just to scare off other competitors.

Sure enough, the hall fell silent as soon as he made his offer.

Zhou Tianxing looked at the third VIP box, "Two and a half million spirit stones. The third VIP box has bid two and a half million spirit stones. Is there anyone bidding higher?"

Zheng Yi looked towards the private room opposite, waiting for the purple-robed young man's reaction.

Sure enough, the purple-robed young master's voice rang out again.

Three million spirit stones.

Zheng Yi narrowed his eyes slightly.

This person is really persistent.

“Three and a half million spirit stones,” he continued to bid.

"Four million spirit stones." The purple-robed young master remained unhurried.

The hall erupted in another uproar.

Four million spirit stones! This far exceeds the normal value of the Xuan Tian Black Jade. What deep-seated hatred could these two have to compete like this, disregarding costs?
Zheng Yi was silent for a moment, then said, "Five million spirit stones."

He added a million this time to show the other party that he was determined to buy this piece of black jade.

The purple-robed young master's expression finally changed.

Five million spirit stones is too high a price. Even if he is the young master of a powerful family, he cannot spend money indefinitely.

He remained silent for a moment, then did not place any further bids.

"Five million spirit stones. The bid from the third VIP box is five million spirit stones. Is there anyone bidding higher?" Zhou Tianxing asked.

Silence fell over the hall.

"Five million spirit stones, once. Five million spirit stones, twice. Five million spirit stones, three times. Sold!"

The Xuan Tian Mo Yu finally returned to Zheng Yi.

He let out a long breath, but his mood was not light.

Five million spirit stones—more than three times the starting price. Although he got what he wanted, the cost was far too high. "Just who is that purple-robed young master?" he wondered to himself. "I'll have to find someone to inquire about him after the auction ends."

The auction continues.

Next was the auction for the Nine-Turn Rejuvenating Grass. This spiritual herb was so rare that it sparked fierce competition, ultimately selling for a sky-high price of eight million spirit stones. Although Zheng Yi also wanted it, he gave up considering his budget.

Finally, the grand finale – the auction of the Heavenly Gang Sword.

"The final item for auction is the Heavenly Gang Sword," Zhou Tianxing introduced. "The Heavenly Gang Sword was the sword of a powerful figure from ancient times, imbued with the power of the Heavenly Gang, possessing immense might. Although the blade is somewhat damaged, it remains a rare magical treasure. The starting bid is ten million spirit stones, with each bid increment not less than five hundred thousand spirit stones."

A waiter carried a jet-black longsword up to the platform. The sword was long and slender, entirely black, with faint starlight flowing within it. There was a thin crack on the blade, as if it had been damaged in some great battle.

"Ten million spirit stones!" someone shouted immediately.

"Ten million and a half million spirit stones!"

"Eleven million spirit stones!"

Bidding was incessant, and the price was quickly driven up to 15 million spirit stones.

Zheng Yi did not participate in the bidding. He was not interested in the sword, and he had already spent most of his budget.

In the end, the Heavenly Gang Sword was sold for 23 million spirit stones. The buyer was a mysterious figure in another private room who never showed himself.

The auction is over.

Zheng Yi stood up, preparing to leave.

He bought two items at the auction: a purple lightning stone and a mysterious black jade, for a total of six million spirit stones. Although it was more than he had expected, it wasn't too bad a loss.

Just as he was about to leave the private room, the door was suddenly pushed open.

A young man dressed in purple robes stood at the door with a playful smile on his face.

It was the same person who had bid against him earlier.

"So you're the VIP guest in VIP room number three?" The purple-robed young man sized Zheng Yi up. "You look quite ordinary, but I didn't expect you to be so wealthy."

Zheng Yi frowned. "What do you want?"

"It's nothing," the purple-robed young man chuckled. "I just wanted to get to know you. It's rare to find someone who can rival me at an auction."

"I have no interest in getting to know you," Zheng Yi said calmly. "Get out of my way."

The purple-robed young man's smile froze slightly, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

"You really don't know what's good for you," he said coldly. "Do you know who I am? I am Han Feiyang, the third young master of the Han family. In this Tianyuan City, no one dares to speak to me like that."

Han family?

Zheng Yi's heart skipped a beat.

The Han family is one of the nine great families, and also Su Wanqing's enemy. This Han Feiyang is actually the young master of the Han family?

"The young master of the Han family?" he said indifferently. "So what?"

Han Feiyang's face darkened. "You..."

Just as he was about to lash out, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Third Young Master, let's go."

An elderly man in a gray robe walked over, looking at Zheng Yi warily.

“Uncle Zhang?” Han Feiyang frowned. “I’m talking to this person right now.”

"This man is no ordinary person," Uncle Zhang said in a low voice. "I observed him for a long time, but I couldn't fathom his cultivation level. With the Third Young Master's current strength, I'm afraid he's no match for him."

Han Feiyang's expression changed, and he looked at Zheng Yi again, his eyes showing more apprehension.

"Who are you?" he asked.

“You don’t need to know,” Zheng Yi said calmly.

He ignored Han Feiyang, pushed him aside, and strode out of the private room.

Han Feiyang wanted to chase after him, but Zhang Bo stopped him.

"Third Young Master, we must not act rashly," Uncle Zhang said. "This man is unfathomable; we should return and report to the patriarch first."

Han Feiyang gritted his teeth and ultimately held back.

"Fine, I'll remember this person," he said coldly. "He'll regret daring to offend the Han family."

Zheng Yi left Tianbao Pavilion and returned to his residence.

He told everyone about today's auction, including his encounter with Han Feiyang.

"The third young master of the Han family?" Su Wanqing's expression changed slightly.

“That’s right.” Zheng Yi nodded. “It seems the Han family wields considerable influence in Tianyuan City. We’ll have to be even more careful when we go out in the future.”

"Master, will Han Feiyang come looking for trouble?" Zheng Bowen asked worriedly.

"It's hard to say," Zheng Yi said, "but even if he comes, I'm not afraid."

He took out the two auction items, the purple lightning stone and the black jade, from his pocket and handed them to Zheng Hongzhi.

"Hongzhi, keep these two items safe. The Purple Lightning Stone can be used to set up a lightning-based array to strengthen the defenses of our residence. We'll deal with the Mysterious Jade later; once I find a suitable craftsman, I'll forge it into a magical artifact."

"Yes, Master." Zheng Hongzhi took the two documents and carefully put them away.

Zheng Yi sat down and pondered the events of the day.

Han Feiyang. Han Family
This force is even more powerful than he imagined. If Han Feiyang really comes looking for trouble, there will probably be a tough battle ahead.

"It seems I must improve my strength as soon as possible," he thought to himself. "Otherwise, I'll be powerless against a behemoth like the Han family."

The next morning, Tianyuan City was shrouded in a thin layer of mist.

Sunlight filtered through the mist, bathing the entire city in a golden glow. The streets gradually filled with pedestrians; the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, laughter, and the clatter of horses' hooves mingled together, creating a lively scene of everyday life.

Zheng Yi got up early in the morning.

He barely slept last night, spending the entire night studying the Xuan Tian Black Jade. The Xuan Tian power contained in this piece of black jade was extremely pure. If he could find a skilled craftsman to refine it into a spatial magic artifact, it would greatly help his future endeavors.

However, crafting spatial magical artifacts requires extremely high crafting skills, which ordinary craftsmen simply cannot achieve. He needs to find a true master-level craftsman.

"Perhaps I should inquire about it," Zheng Yi thought to himself. "Tianyuan City is so big, there should be quite a few weapon refiners. Maybe I can find a suitable one."

With that in mind, he decided to go out for a stroll today, partly to inquire about the weapon refiners, and partly to familiarize himself with the environment of Tianyuan City.

He changed into an ordinary gray robe, put on the human skin mask, and transformed into the face of a middle-aged man before leaving the house.

The weather was lovely today, sunny and with a gentle breeze. Zheng Yi walked down the street, looking around at the shops on both sides.

The streets of Tianyuan City were much wider than those of Qingyun City, and the shops on both sides were much more luxurious. There were all kinds of shops selling pills, magical artifacts, materials, and cultivation techniques, making it dazzling to behold.

Zheng Yi walked around, stopping frequently to inquire about information from shops.

"Shopkeeper, are there any famous weapon refiners in Tianyuan City?" He walked into a shop selling magical artifacts and asked the shopkeeper behind the counter.

The shopkeeper was a plump middle-aged man who was polishing a long sword. Hearing Zheng Yi's question, he looked up and sized Zheng Yi up and down.

"Does the gentleman wish to have a magical artifact crafted?" he asked.

“Yes,” Zheng Yi nodded. “I have a piece of material that I’d like to find someone to forge into a magical artifact.”

"Then you've come to the right person, sir." The innkeeper put down his longsword and smiled. "I know the weapon refiners of Tianyuan City inside and out. May I ask what grade of magical artifact you wish to have crafted?" (End of Chapter)