Starting with a beautiful woman's private doctor

Then, a maid carried a tray covered with a red cloth onto the stage.

After the auctioneer took the box, he placed his hand on it but did not open it immediately.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last item in this auction, and also the only ritual artifact today."

As soon as he finished speaking, the air in the auction hall tightened.

Some people had already started packing up to leave, but upon hearing this, they all sat back down.

Chu Nan's gaze fell on the brocade box. He had just been about to get up, but the auctioneer's words "magical artifact" made him stop.

Qian Xinya was also somewhat surprised, "I didn't expect that there would be magical artifacts up for auction at the pre-auction event, which wasn't listed in the catalog."

Chu Nan casually replied, "It was added at the last minute, wasn't it?"

His senses were activated the moment the brocade box was brought out.

But that brocade box prevented my senses from penetrating, as if it were separated by a layer of something.

You can vaguely sense something there, and that thing has a strong aura, but you can't figure out what it is.

Chu Nan had already given up hope for today's auction, but this strange occurrence actually energized him.

The auctioneer lifted the red cloth, the lights went out, and a jade gourd was revealed.

It is slightly larger than an adult's palm, and is entirely emerald green, but the color is dark, and the surface is covered with grayish-white mottled patterns.

Judging by its appearance alone, it's really not very good.

One of the wealthy men in the room was visibly taken aback. "This thing dares to call itself a magical artifact?"

The remaining ordinary people were about to start discussing, but when the gray-robed old man in the front row let out a soft "Eh," they all shut their mouths.

The old man had been resting with his eyes closed since he entered the hall. Now that he opened his eyes, his gaze lingered on the gourd for several seconds, and his brows slowly furrowed.

Chu Nan also noticed several other people.

The two martial arts masters in the middle row sat up straight almost at the same time.

The middle-aged sorcerer in the last row, dressed in a gray-blue Tang suit, also opened his eyes a crack.

Their senses weren't as sharp as Chu Nan's, but the faint layer of aura clinging to the gourd's surface couldn't escape the notice of someone who had truly practiced it.

"The origin of this item is unknown. It is only known that it is an old item that came from the Qing Dynasty imperial court. The starting price is five million, and each bid must be at least one hundred thousand more."

The auctioneer didn't offer much explanation and simply announced the start of the auction.

The first person to raise a sign was an old man in a maroon Tang suit, who said, "Five million five hundred thousand."

This kind of attire is quite common in the antique circle of Beijing, but Chu Nan could tell that the old man had no cultivation at all and was just an ordinary collector.

His offer of a price was less about understanding the intricacies of the trade and more about being prompted to buy it upon hearing the words "magical artifact."

"Six million."

This time it was a young woman with exquisite makeup, dressed head to toe in designer brands, and wearing a bracelet with excellent clarity.

A middle-aged man sat next to her, looking down at his phone the whole time; he was clearly the one in charge.

After all, the woman's untrained excitement was too obvious, like someone who had just seen a limited edition item in a luxury store.

"Six million five hundred thousand." The old man in the Tang suit added another sum.

Prices are climbing slowly and steadily, like a frog being boiled in lukewarm water.

Several truly skilled individuals have not yet made a move.

As the price continued to rise, the old man in the gray robe closed his eyes again.

Seemingly finding it unworthy, the remaining outsiders also remained inactive.

After all, today is just a warm-up; the real good stuff is yet to come.

Most of the extraordinary individuals are there to scout ahead and pick up bargains; they'll save their money for the official auction.

It's true that this gourd has a strong aura, but its origin is unknown, and the restrictions are thick, so its specific grade cannot be determined.

You spend a lot of money to gamble on an unknown, and if it turns out to be useless, then the money is wasted.

So when the price climbed to eight million, there were only three or four ordinary people left in the competition.

The young woman held up her number sign more and more hesitantly, while the old man in the Tang suit started taking off his glasses to wipe the lenses, clearly calculating the bill.

"Ten million."

Suddenly a loud voice rang out; it belonged to a young man.

He sat on the right side against the wall, half of his face hidden in the shadows. He had broad shoulders and was taller than the person next to him even when he was sitting.

The sleeves of the black coach jacket were casually rolled up to the elbows, revealing bulging veins on his forearms. His hands were spread out on the armrests, large like palm-leaf fans.

He hadn't looked at the stage until the price was called out, at which point he slowly raised his eyes.

Seeing the puzzled look on Chu Nan's face, Qian Xinya said softly, "The Jin family."

During his trip to the capital, Chu Nan learned about the situation there, including the Jin family.

The Jin family is also one of the four major families, located in the same part of Dongcheng as the Qian family, one in the south and one in the north.

The Qian family is involved in real estate and finance, while the Jin family is involved in mining and security.

One was a former nobleman who thought the other was vulgar, and the other was a family of martial arts masters who thought the other was too old-fashioned. They could be said to dislike each other.

However, to exaggerate a bit, the Jin family has a private army, so when it comes to actually fighting, no one would easily provoke the Jin family.

"Eleven million."

The old man in the Tang suit gritted his teeth and followed suit, sweat already beading on his forehead.

Kim Sungyeol ignored him and turned his head to whisper something to the person next to him.

Chu Nan listened intently and realized that they weren't talking about gourds at all, but rather discussing which performers should be invited to sing at the Jin family patriarch's birthday banquet in a few days.

"Fifteen million."

Kim Sung-yeol raised his sign again, speaking in a very casual tone.

The old man in the Tang suit finally stopped talking. He took off his glasses, wiped them twice with a soft cloth, and then silently placed the number plate on his lap.

The young woman also stopped, her excitement completely overshadowed by Kim Sung-yeol's imposing presence.

That's how auctions work.

When money comes into play, the difference in confidence becomes immediately apparent.

For an ordinary person, spending ten million to buy a favorite item is an enormous sum that requires gritting their teeth and stamping their feet.

But for the Jin family, this might just be a fraction of what their young master made at the mahjong table that night.

"Sixteen million."

A young man in an old-fashioned long gown held up a sign.

Chu Nan looked over and saw that the cultivator was at the Transformation Realm level, with a very steady aura. He must have come to exchange items for his elders.

Kim Sung-yeol glanced at him. "Eighteen million."

"Twenty million."

Another extraordinary person made a move. He was a lean man in his thirties with an ancient jade pendant hanging from his waist. Judging from his aura, he was at the peak of the Transformation Realm, just half a step away from the Core Formation Realm.

Kim Sung-yeol began to lose his patience, slamming his hand heavily on the armrest. "Twenty-five million!"

There was a moment of silence in the auction hall.

The two extraordinary individuals hesitated simultaneously, exchanged a glance, and both saw a hint of retreat on each other's faces.

It's true that this gourd has a strong energy, but it's really not worth spending 25 million to gamble on something whose intricacies are not even clear.

Moreover, if you waste your ammunition in the pre-auction phase, you'll be left with nothing but empty eyes when the official auction begins, if you want to snag the real gems.

Moreover, they are here today to pave the way, not to compete with the local powerful families.

So they tacitly agreed not to bid anymore. As for the gray-robed old man, he didn't open his eyes again from beginning to end, as if he had really fallen asleep...