Chapter 89 (The Eighty-Nine Chapters)

Chapter 89 (The Eighty-Nine Chapters)

Auction hall.

Lou Yuqing found a seat and sat down. Not long after, a commotion came from the upstairs corridor. The people around her, who had been talking quietly, immediately turned their attention to the noise.

"Xie Wenheng of the Baiyan Sect has arrived!" someone exclaimed.

As soon as Xie Wenheng appeared, the chatter in the hall ceased, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief only after he entered the private room surrounded by his entourage.

Upon seeing this scene, Lou Yuqing thought to herself that these people were so afraid of the Baiyan Sect that the sect must be unruly and do all sorts of evil deeds.

Just as everyone fell silent, a clear and elegant female voice came from another private room: "Where Young Master Xie goes, it is often as if no one is there. I have great respect for your unique secret technique."

Everyone in the hall gasped in shock: "Who is this woman? How dare she speak so disparagingly of Xie Wenheng? Isn't she afraid of incurring retribution?"

"I can tell you're not from Baiyan City. She's Hu Ruofeng, the second young lady of the Hu family. With the entire Hu family as her backer, what's there to be afraid of!"

How can the Hu family contend with the Baiyan Sect?

"You're quite ignorant about this. The two families were planning a marriage alliance, with Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruoyan, the eldest daughter of the Hu family, as the intended partners. Their relationship was quite good."

"So it looks like they've fallen out?"

"Xie Wenheng is surrounded by beauties, and he even coveted the most beautiful woman in Baiyan City. As a result, he was rejected by her, and the two families have had a lot of friction lately."

Lou Yuqing: I see.

Just as she realized what was happening, Xie Wenheng smiled coldly, waved aside the servants around him, and came to the front of Hu Ruofeng's private room: "I, Xie, have a heart that cherishes women. Since Miss Hu admires me so much, then I will be generous and pass on this secret technique to you. What do you think, Miss Hu?"

As he spoke, his aura exploded, his spiritual energy surged, and the sound of bones cracking could be heard, as if he was about to challenge him.

"Why not!" Under such pressure, Hu Ruofeng not only did not back down, but also opened the door of the private room and invited Xie Wenheng in as a guest.

Xie Wenheng wasn't worried about being scammed and went straight inside.

"Smack!"

The door was closed, blocking the view of those who wanted to watch the spectacle.

Lou Yuqing heard them sigh with regret several times. In fact, she also felt a little sorry. The exciting part was about to begin, but they were turned away.

As a professional gossip enthusiast, who could possibly resist this!

With that in mind, she opened the gossip panel.

[Source: Xie Wenheng (Price changed by 2000 points)]

[Source: Hu Ruofeng (Price changed by 1000 points)]

3000 points, bought!

Lou Yuqing, who already had 10,000 points of gossip value, decisively bought the gossip about the two of them. Upon seeing the text on the panel, she briefly crashed.

Meanwhile, the auction officially began.

The auctioneer began his opening remarks with great enthusiasm: "Welcome, fellow Daoists, to the auction house in White Rock City! Today's items for auction include cultivation techniques, elixirs, magical artifacts, spiritual plants, and talismans..."

[There's another big scoop]

A mocking female voice suddenly rang out.

Caught off guard, the auctioneer froze, suffering a major setback in his career—something that would have been unthinkable in the past.

His eyes widened. Who was behind this?

But before he could utter a word, he found himself unable to open his mouth.

The guests in the lobby and the private rooms also fell silent. When they heard the woman's voice, they wanted to discuss her, but suddenly they were bound by an inexplicable force.

All was silent.

The auctioneer wiped the cold sweat from his brow, averting his gaze with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty, and tried to remain calm as he said, "I will be the one to explain the auction to you all. If you come across any items that catch your eye, you absolutely mustn't miss them..."

Who would have thought that Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng would do such a thing in a private room?

The mysterious female voice spoke in a sly tone, as if she were saying something shameful.

The auctioneer paused again.

What?! What did he hear?!

He looked at the guests in the hall in a daze and found that they were all staring at Miss Hu's private room, their eyes gleaming with gossip.

"..."

To be honest, he was also very curious.

Xie Wenheng was almost engaged to Miss Hu, so how did he get involved with Miss Hu the Second? And didn't Miss Hu the Second look down on him and even mock him in front of everyone?

Wait, I can't think about it anymore!

The auctioneer shook his head, his face resolute. Not a single item had been sold, and this had happened. He couldn't let this woman cause any more trouble!

Otherwise, if this continues, the auction house will be utterly disgraced.

"Elder Cai, we hope you will take action and bring the thief who is disrupting the order to justice!" the auctioneer said telepathically to an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a monk's robe.

The white-haired old man suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them: "You should preside over the auction first, and don't let this person ruin the auction house's carefully prepared items."

The auctioneer gave a wry smile. With this incident, everyone's interest in the auction items had greatly diminished. He hoped that Mr. Cai could capture the woman as soon as possible and eliminate the negative impact she had brought.

The white-haired old man's powerful divine sense enveloped the entire auction hall. As long as the woman made a sound again, he would be able to catch her immediately!

Just then, Lou Yuqing muttered to herself.

Why is everyone staring at Hu Ruofeng's private room? Did they discover that Xie Wenheng went in and, instead of fighting with her, they were having sex?

[They claimed to be imparting secret techniques, but in reality, the moment they entered, their passion was ignited, and their clothes were scattered all over the floor. Tsk tsk tsk, how lustful they are!]

Lou Yuqing was afraid of getting a sty, so she didn't turn on the audio-visual content. But just reading the text was like reading a pornographic novel, as if she were actually there.

Everyone's pupils dilated in shock: Holy crap!

They had considered that it might be that kind of thing, but because it seemed so far-fetched, they didn't really believe it.

But now, this voice has directly torn away the fig leaf, telling them that this is exactly what they thought!

— Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng secretly got together in the private room despite having so many people outside!

This news was truly explosive. Whether it was true or false, the crowd immediately erupted in excitement, pointing and whispering about the private room. They discovered that as long as they didn't mention the mysterious female voice, they could still speak.

"The auction has already started, but Xie Wenheng is still lingering in Hu Ruofeng's private box. This must be something serious!"

"I think so too. Hu Ruofeng kicked everyone out of the private room before he went in, which means there were only the two of them in the room. Could it be..."

"Xie Wenheng puts on a respectable act, so it's not surprising that he would do such a thing behind people's backs. I think that if Miss Hu rejected this marriage proposal, she must have discovered that her younger sister and Xie Wenheng were having an affair."

"That's right, they've been hooking up for a long time."

On the night Xie Wenheng proposed to Miss Hu, Hu Ruofeng drowned her sorrows in alcohol, displaying the allure of a drunken beauty that captivated Xie Wenheng.

The two were deeply in love and their marriage was arranged.

Lou Yuqing listened to everyone piecing together the truth from their own words, a look of surprise appearing in her eyes. Then she nodded, it seemed that everyone had a pair of discerning eyes.

However, Hu Ruofeng is not Hu Ruoyan's biological sister.

The former was the daughter of his second wife, while the latter was the daughter of his first wife. They were half-siblings, so their relationship was naturally not very harmonious.

These words only added fuel to the fire.

At this point, someone suggested forcing their way into the private room, saying that would make everything clear at a glance. Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room immediately became strange, because everyone had had this thought in their minds to some extent.

However, due to the power of the auction house and the intimidating influence of the White Rock Sect, they only talked the talk but took no action.

Even so, everyone's attention remained focused on the couple, hoping someone would break down the door of the private room and let them witness the unspeakable scene.

After all, the idea of ​​catching someone in the act of adultery is ingrained in almost everyone's blood.

The auctioneer watched this scene with great anxiety. According to the usual pace, the first item should have been sold by now, but even if he tried to explain it, it would definitely have no effect.

"Old Cai?"

The auctioneer looked to the white-haired old man for help.

But the white-haired old man's confidence vanished, replaced by a solemn expression. Just as the woman's voice rang out, his divine sense swept down like a net, but to his astonishment, he could not perceive the woman's presence at all.

Seeing the old man's ugly face, the auctioneer dared not utter a word. He knew that Elder Cai had failed. Could this female thief's cultivation be higher than Elder Cai's?

Having no other option, he notified the auction house's higher-ups, and while everyone was engrossed in watching the drama unfold, the auction house quietly activated its detection array.

At the same time, a white light suddenly appeared on the auction stage.

The auction house owner appeared, a smile playing on his lips, his gentle voice soothing the anxious hearts of the crowd: "Fellow Daoists, you have come to my auction house to acquire fine items. Please don't concern yourselves with trivial matters. To put your minds at ease, I will announce the final items for the auction in advance, which are..."

"Heavenly Heart Pill!"

"Demon-Slaying Sword!"

"Wuji Gong!"

Every time the auction house owner announced a final item, it caused a huge uproar in the crowd.

"The Heavenly Heart Pill, this is a divine pill! Cultivators below the Golden Core stage can break through to the next level without any obstacles after taking it, and it also has a strong auxiliary effect on cultivators who want to break through to the Golden Core stage!"

"Hmph, what is this pill? It is utterly useless before the Demon-Slaying Sword. Since the passing of Master Zangfa, fewer and fewer of his works have been left behind. If I could obtain this sword, I could roam the world freely!"

"Ignorant child, with the Limitless Skill, all other treasures must yield. Do you know who its previous owner was? He was an unparalleled master who had never been defeated since he began cultivating and who roamed the continent!"

Lou Yuqing felt a surge of excitement upon hearing this. If she were to bid on it, could she take it out of the small world? She hadn't yet recouped the cost of the spirit stones she had spent on the auction.

The auctioneer looked at the restless crowd and slowly exhaled. These three treasures were not originally the highlight of the auction. If the situation hadn't been so difficult to control, he wouldn't have brought them out so easily.

Just then, Hu Ruofeng's private room door opened.

The auctioneer's heart skipped a beat, and he nervously looked at the crowd. Sure enough, they were drawn to the commotion above.

"The Heavenly Heart Pill is something I, the young master, am determined to obtain. Let's see who dares to compete with me!" Xie Wenheng's sinister gaze swept across the entire scene, expecting that those who met his eyes would lower their heads as usual.

Then, something unexpected happened.

Instead of avoiding his gaze, they all wore strange expressions, as if they had seen something incredible.

Xie Wenheng reflexively looked himself over. Apart from his clothes being a little disheveled, there was nothing wrong with him. Moreover, this minor flaw could be attributed to his fight with Hu Ruofeng.

Thinking of this fiery, alluring woman, his heart stirred again, and he longed to pin her down and make love to her again, experiencing the thrill of this kind of wild lovemaking for the first time, a unique kind of excitement.

Looking at the satisfied expression on his face and the distracted look on his mind, the auctioneer was in despair. Unless you were a fool, no one could tell that he had just finished!

Can't you guys tone it down a bit?!

The auctioneer roared inwardly in dissatisfaction. "Why does this have to happen? It's just tarnishing their auction house's reputation and bringing them bad luck!"

"Thank you, Young Master Xie. I am also very interested in the Heavenly Heart Pill. Whether you can obtain it from me depends on your ability." Hu Ruofeng walked out of the private room, seemingly making a tough statement, but upon closer inspection, one could see the spring-like blush on her brows.

Another key figure in the incident then appears.

Everyone's eyes lit up immediately, and a strong desire to investigate arose. Judging from the appearance of the two people, what the mysterious female voice had said was obviously true.

Although the final item is very attractive, the melon is also delicious. It's not too late to bid after you've finished enjoying this melon.

Moreover, most of them are just there to make up the numbers, and even if they covet the final piece, they won't be able to get a shot. In that case, they might as well just watch the show.

The two parties involved were completely unaware that their shameful acts had been exposed.

Xie Wenheng snorted coldly: "I, Xie, will certainly not disappoint the Second Miss. Also, I will go to the Hu family to get revenge for your sister's humiliation of me in the future!"

"Xie Wenheng, don't go too far! My sister is the most innocent one. If you dare to hurt her, I will never let you get away with it!" Hu Ruofeng said righteously.

Everyone: "..." Such great acting skills.

Judging by their appearance, one might think they were irreconcilable enemies, but the truth is that they had been secretly exchanging favors and engaging in filthy dealings for some time.

Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng exchanged a few more words, then looked at each other meaningfully before returning to their respective private rooms.

Privately, everyone was already in an uproar.

The voice transmission was incredibly fast: "Xie Wenheng is too shameless. Doing this kind of thing in broad daylight. I had heard that he was usually licentious, but I never expected him to be so reckless."

"Hu Ruofeng is disgusting too. She actually fell in love with a man who had a grudge against her sister. Poor Miss Hu, she was betrayed by this pair of scoundrels."

The next instant, Lou Yuqing's inner voice suddenly rang out.

By the way, how much time had passed between Xie Wenheng entering and leaving the private room?

[It seems like it's been about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea?]

So... that's all he's capable of?

Upon hearing this, everyone wore gloating smiles. They tried hard to suppress their laughter because of various considerations, but finally couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

— Xie Wenheng is no good!

They were eager to announce this joyous news to everyone in the city with great fanfare.

Don't be fooled by Xie Wenheng's swaggering manner, which makes him seem like he can sleep with several women in one night. He's actually not good at it!

Lou Yuqing shook her head with a sigh.

[Those female cultivators who submitted to Xie Wenheng had it tough too. Despite the short time and poor experience, they still had to find ways to praise him. They deserved to earn that money.]

The laughter from the guests in the hall immediately grew even louder.

Xie Wenheng kicked his subordinate's leg impatiently: "What are these idiots laughing at? Why hasn't the auction started yet!"

The subordinate hurriedly said, "I'll go ask right away."

The maid fell silent upon hearing his question.

What are they laughing at? Of course, they're laughing at his young sect leader.

On the other hand, the auction house owner was also completely baffled; he couldn't understand how things were going.

Upon receiving the message from his subordinates, he immediately replaced the original final item in the auction, thinking that this arrangement would appease the guests. However, the effect was not as pleasing as he had imagined.

They burst into laughter for no reason. Is Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng's affair really that funny?

Auctioneer: "..." To be honest, he also wanted to laugh.

But noticing his boss's gloomy expression, he wisely remained silent.

The auction house owner's expression turned ashen at the thought of the two adulterers messing around in the private room. He had originally planned to settle accounts with them after the auction, but now it seemed he had to deal with it immediately!

"Xie Wenheng, Hu Ruofeng, get out of this auction house! You are not allowed to set foot in this auction house again!" The auction house owner shouted angrily at the two private rooms.

If they are allowed to stay any longer, the auction house will soon become a place of pleasure for adulterous lovers, which he absolutely cannot tolerate.

As for the Baiyan Sect and the Hu family behind them, so be it if they are offended; they don't even care about them!

Seeing the auction house owner's domineering actions and the powerful aura emanating from him, everyone's smiles vanished and their expressions turned solemn.

Lou Yuqing also sat up straight, her mind quieting down.

She hadn't expected the auction house owner to be so confident, daring to provoke even the powerful Baiyan Sect. Indeed, to be able to open an auction house here without having to share profits with local forces showed just how strong he was.

"I have never offended you, what do you mean by this!" The door to the private room burst open, and Xie Wenheng stormed into the corridor, confronting the auction house owner.

“My daughter has always had a peaceful relationship with the auction house, why do you want to drive her away?” Hu Ruofeng then walked out of the private room, her face showing both shame and anger, as well as confusion.

The auction house owner, too lazy to say anything to them, waved his sleeve and swept the two men and their men outside the auction house. Then, he calmly addressed the crowd, "Those who don't know what's good for them, leave. The auction is now officially open!"

His voice carried boundless authority, dispelling all distracting thoughts and leaving the hall completely silent except for the sounds of heartbeats and breathing.

Everyone stiffened and composed themselves.

The auctioneer took a deep breath and introduced the first item with professional terminology: "Nine-leaf clover, which blooms one leaf every hundred years and matures only after nine hundred years, has the effect of purifying the mind and suppressing demons, whether taken raw or refined into elixirs..."

As they listened to his eloquent words, everyone gradually forgot what had just happened and focused their attention on the spiritual plant that was within their grasp.

But they all knew in their hearts that this matter was far from over. Once the auction ended, news of what had happened here would quickly spread throughout the entire city.

At this moment, Lou Yuqing was eager to bid on the items, wondering if she could bring them out of the small world if she won the bid. If she lost money, it would be a great loss.

Outside the small world.

When the scene switches from the Hu family home to the auction house, it shows the auction house owner kicking people out.

Lingzhu Zhenren frowned in confusion. She had designed the map of this small world, and she remembered that the auction house owner had not appeared at all. Why was he suddenly coming out to drive people away?

This plot point involves the hidden relationship between Xie Wenheng and Hu Ruofeng. The disciples will find out the truth by following them.

But... things seem to be in chaos.

Seeing Lou Yuqing flash by in the image, Master Lingzhu was extremely annoyed. With that girl's supernatural abilities, this matter was definitely exposed.

Because of the limited screen time, she was unaware that Lou Yuqing had spent spirit stones to cover the costs and had her eye on the three final auction items.

Of course, it's impossible to take it out. The foundation of the small world is made of illusion, and everything inside is fake.

The auction house scene flashed by, then shifted to a dark, shady mine.

Gu Bugai sighed: He could only see half a breath of his little apprentice.

Sword Master Chengfeng didn't see the junior. He shifted his gaze to the two battlefields of the Golden Core cultivators. Compared to the other small worlds where the battles were proceeding at a lukewarm and methodical pace, their battles were already raging fiercely and spectacularly.

There are two requirements for registering for the Golden Core competition: first, one must have reached the Golden Core realm in cultivation; second, one must be under one hundred years old. Those who meet the requirements are all elite disciples of the seven sects, totaling fewer than two hundred people.

The small worlds created by these Golden Core disciples simulated the demonic calamity fifty years ago and the beast tide twenty years ago, respectively.

The task instructions are very simple and straightforward: [Fighting among yourselves is not allowed. Points will be calculated based on the number and level of demonic cultivators/monsters killed, and the top ten in each category will be selected.]

It may seem like all you need to do is kill, but in reality, there's no shortage of intrigue and backstabbing everywhere. In the past, both the demonic calamities and the beast tides had spies. If you were to be tricked and killed by one, you would be out of the running for the second arena battle.

At this moment, most of the higher-ups of the Seven Sects focused their attention on these two small worlds, not only because their personal disciples were in them, but also because their inner resonance was stirred—they were all witnesses to the events of that year, and seeing this familiar scene naturally evoked a myriad of emotions.

A flash of white light appeared, and disciples were continuously eliminated.

Surprisingly, most of them were disciples from the Foundation Establishment competition area, while it was the Golden Core competition area, where the battles were more intense, that rarely eliminated anyone. This was certainly due to the rules, but it also showed that although the other small worlds seemed calm, the actual competition was no less fierce.

At the mineral vein.

Clang!

Listening to the sounds of miners digging outside, the foreman sat leisurely in his armchair, sipped his tea, stroked his mustache, and smiled smugly: "This is life."

Suddenly, a dark figure entered the room. Startled and enraged, he looked up at the filthy miners before him and slammed his fist on the table: "What do you think you're doing? Trying to rebel?! Get back to the mines now!"

The miner smiled, but beneath his kind exterior lay a chilling aura: "I don't know how to mine. Why don't you demonstrate for me?"

"Men, seize her!" The steward tried to resist but found himself unable to move. Sensing danger, he shouted outside.

But he didn't receive any help. The spiritual energy attack that the opponent flicked out with a flick of their finger grew larger and larger in his eyes, and finally passed through his body, ending his life.

Si Nidie put her hands on her hips and said, "You're finally dead. You dared to whip me, this is what you get. And to prevent you from tipping me off, you were bound to die anyway."

Upon entering the small world, she was forced to mine non-stop. She mined for half a day, and in a daze, she thought she had done something wrong and was being punished by Captain Wei by being ordered to mine.

Ultimately, it's because the quest hints given by the small world are too inhumane!

You are a mining slave of the White Rock Sect, searching for snow lotus. Your current task is to explore the mineral vein.

To complete this task, she endured whippings while mining, and learned of Snow Lotus's whereabouts from a drunken overseer. Only then did the second phase of the task begin: investigating the White Rock Sect.

Now that the mission was accomplished, this guy couldn't be allowed to live. There was a sleeping potion she'd added to the tea; after just one sip, his spiritual energy was rendered useless. His death was well-deserved.

Si Nidie changed out of her miner's clothes and transformed into a disciple of the Baiyan Sect. The overseer said that the Baiyan Sect Master's herb garden had snow lotuses, and as long as she could successfully infiltrate the herb garden, the mission would be accomplished.

Finally, after putting on the disciple token, she checked it again and found no flaws. So she avoided the mineral vein formation and headed towards the White Rock Sect.