Chapter 583: Auction and Talisman Gifting

"May I ask, are the effects of these Heavy Talismans, perhaps..."

Pei Li bowed slightly, and after obtaining permission, he stood up and asked in a low voice.

He acted with extreme caution, fearing that he might anger the host and be subjected to the same process of being sent away immediately.

The host, who was Zhou You, smiled, "Didn't you all see it just now?"

The guests present were stunned for a moment, then realized—it was... the method by which Qiu Dajun had disappeared.

This was far too interesting.

"Heavy Talismans: one breath for a thousand miles, difficult for flowing light to chase, designated location; consuming one Heavy Talisman allows for direct arrival."

"Unrestricted by wild hills, treacherous rivers, or valleys, and requiring no consumption of Qi and blood, they can be called essential items for home and travel."

Although he spoke humorously, none of the guests could laugh; such powerful items, could they even afford to buy them?

Moreover, hearing the effects of the Heavy Talismans, if they could be used to reach any place, wouldn't that make the world's cities and fortresses exist in name only, and any tight defense become a paper-thin decoration?

This was yet another treasure that overturned the world's perception, on par with the Storage Pocket.

Many people with keen senses had long discovered that this world had changed, becoming unfamiliar, as if a great many strange and peculiar things had suddenly sprung forth.

They hadn't encountered one or two such things in half a lifetime, yet they had occurred one after another in these short few years.

Buy, must buy, absolutely must buy.

Previously, when the Storage Pocket appeared, many people had already missed out; this time, happening upon the Heavy Talismans, they absolutely could not miss out.

"100,000 taels of gold + 50,000 taels of silver."

The first bidder was still slightly cautious, adding less than 10,000 taels of gold, but there was no helping that.

A stack of 9 could not be split and had to be sold as a bundle; any bid had to be multiplied by 9, which was quite substantial.

After Pei Li finished asking and sat down, his gaze turned to Hai Li'er and Pavilion Master Chang; these two were the financiers this time, and whether to follow up or not depended on their intentions.

Hai Li'er and Pavilion Master Chang did not hesitate, nodding directly to indicate they were determined to obtain this batch of Heavy Talismans.

With this exchange, the price per Heavy Talisman had already risen to 150,000 taels of gold, meaning that to buy the whole bundle, one had to offer a true 1.35 million taels of gold.

In other words, the bidder had to provide nearly 700 tons of pure gold.

This world was still too wealthy; if it were on Earth, any country that could produce this much gold from its treasury would at least be considered one of the five major powers.

It was conceivable that once this batch of Heavy Talismans was sold, Zhou You's net worth, estimated in silver, would reach an unprecedented tens of millions level.

Subsequent bids began to involve collateral, because hard currency in gold and silver was truly insufficient.

Most of Zhou You's attention was on the host's projection, his gaze sweeping across the four corners of the auction house.

Apart from those who were bidding one after another, the gazes of those who remained unmoved held something else; this was an unsettling signal.

Whether it was the Great Medicine or the Heavy Talismans, both were heavy treasures that made all factions covetous.

Once the value of a treasure exceeded the psychological threshold of certain people, then paying with fists and blades became inevitable.

It was foreseeable that after the auction ended, the Su Dafu Auction House would surely become a target for all.

Even noble families would take action to seize the source and channels of these treasures.

"We bid 2 million taels of gold to take the whole lot of these Heavy Talismans."

Pavilion Master Chang saw the opportunity and raised the bid to 2 million in one go; besides rounding it off, it was also to settle the matter quickly.

One had to know that at this point, the bidding had fallen into a slump, with the overall bundle price rising slowly in the 1.6 to 1.7 million range. The guests bidding were either reaching their budget limits or using strategies to slowly lower the rate of increase.

However, Pavilion Master Chang's single bid raised it directly to the 2 million gold level, which was 20 million taels of silver.

Ninety percent of the bidders immediately lost heart and gave up.

"It's the Fucheng Rare Treasures Pavilion, wealthy and imposing, and behind them is, hmm..."

Once Zhou You heard this, he realized Pavilion Master Chang's backer was also quite famous; no wonder she could run such a large business in Fucheng.

This little rich woman's strategy worked, and the few remaining bidders also showed signs of insufficient firepower.

Ultimately, the price settled at 2.4 million taels of gold, with Pavilion Master Chang riding far ahead of the pack.

If no dark horse emerged, this batch of Heavy Talismans would surely fall into their hands, and this trip would be complete.

Suddenly, a voice came from a certain corner, "I would like to ask, do the Heavy Talismans work both ways?"

Once this question was asked, many people fell into deep thought—that's right!

Usually, when people travel a thousand miles, it includes the journey there and the return trip; one round trip is called a 'trip'.

Previously, everyone thought the function of the Heavy Talismans was like a carriage, but if one could not return, it was like an arrow shot out that could not be retrieved, and such a high price would not be worth it.

The host answered sincerely, "They cannot return; if you wish to return, you must consume a second one."

A burst of clamor arose, and more than half of the guests lost interest.

Pavilion Master Chang and Hai Li'er didn't care; they knew where this batch of Heavy Talismans would be used, and they didn't worry about the high price, only about not having them.

That voice spoke again, "I noticed that this batch of Heavy Talismans has 9 pieces; one round trip requires a double portion, which means 8 pieces would be the most appropriate, and the extra 1 piece is truly a chicken rib."

As she said this, the person who spoke revealed herself, and it was strikingly a peerless beauty who had never been seen before.

When she stood up, she moved gracefully like a lotus emerging from water; the dust in the air around her felt ashamed and took the initiative to move aside, and a faint light spread out in ripples that were barely perceptible.

The guests whispered to each other, and the sound of conversation increased tenfold.

Because this woman's beauty surpassed everyone on the Beauty Ranking; she simply did not look like a beauty that could exist in the human world.

"Never seen her before, which family's beauty is she?"

"In Chongguang Cheng, there is absolutely no such talent. Hmm, I see, accompanying her are actually the direct sons and daughters of the Xi and Guo families; look at their manner, they are actually serving her as if they are inferior to a superior."

"This woman, could she be from out of town, and with an extraordinary background?"

The powerful guards who had been bidding earlier were actually mostly surrounding the woman, forming a defensive circle.

"Please, little sister, transfer one Heavy Talisman to me; I am willing to pay 500,000 taels of gold."

Hai Li'er frowned slightly, wanting to remind Pavilion Master Chang not to be swayed; this batch of Heavy Talismans was of great importance, and not a single one could be missing. However, Pavilion Master Chang's action was unexpected.

"This elder sister is too polite; I am not a speculator who buys low and sells high, I am truly entrusted by someone to bid for this batch of Heavy Talismans."

"Judging by your extraordinary manner of speech, you are clearly someone of great status; to you, this item is merely a trifle."

"Hmm, for 260,000 taels of gold, I will transfer one to you."

The stunning woman smiled gently, "Many thanks for parting with it."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the legitimate sons and daughters of the Xi and Guo families vied to pay for her, moving the full 260,000 taels of gold before Pavilion Master Chang.

Pei Li and Zhou You exchanged a look, both sharing the same thought: this young woman, Pavilion Master Chang, is formidable! Whether in her discernment, her breadth of mind, or her boldness, she is incomparable to ordinary people; she is truly worthy of being the master of the Rare Treasure Pavilion.

(End of this chapter)