Chapter 38: Wits in the Bazaar

The Eastern Sea stretched endlessly, its surface veiled in mist. Floating atop the undulating waves was a city—vibrant with activity, its streets teeming with cultivators.

This was the largest market in the cultivation world, the grandest den of extravagance—the Eastern Bazaar.

Towers and pavilions rose in staggered splendor, connected by bridges and bustling with shops. Most goods bore clear price tags, simplifying transactions. Beyond the open stalls were grand auction houses—"trading firms"—dealing in legitimate, high-quality wares.

Then there were the shadowy counterparts—the underground auction houses known as "black markets."

Here, buyers and sellers never met face-to-face. The items traded were often of dubious origin, yet none dared investigate. Such was the black market's rule—and a testament to the formidable power of its unseen masters.

The Eastern Bazaar's premier black market was Haiyun Kingdom.

Two Core Formation cultivators stood guard at its entrance—a display sufficient to deter troublemakers.

As the night auction neared, guests filed in. Many preferred anonymity, their faces concealed by black or white veiled hats. Upon entry, attendants guided them to private chambers.

Two veiled cultivators ascended the steps together. One handed two mid-grade feather coins to the guards, summoning an attendant.

Past two gates lay a square hall. At its center stood an elevated platform adorned with vermilion railings and pillars. Surrounding balconies boasted windows draped in sheer black gauze, obscuring their occupants.

The attendant led the pair upstairs to a compact room—spacious enough for a dozen, furnished with chairs and a table. A foot-long black wooden placard rested on the table, while one wall featured a window overlooking the hall.

No sooner had they seated themselves than maidservants presented immortal tea.

"The night auction commences shortly," the attendant murmured. "Should any item catch your esteemed eyes, raise the placard to bid. Summon me at will."

A nod dismissed him.

Only then did the two remove their veils.

"Crowded," Duan Qingming remarked, setting his hat aside. He poured tea. "Hardly surprising—with such rumors circulating, even exorbitant entry fees won't deter the desperate."

Gu Pinglin accepted the cup. "Do you believe the rumors?"

Duan Qingming smiled. "For you to doubt and personally investigate—I'd wager at least half-truth."

Years had passed since the Fire Sparrow Mechanism incident. Gu Pinglin hadn't anticipated rumors of the Creation Grotto's legacy resurfacing here. Hearing them en route, he'd diverted to verify their validity.

Duan Qingming had witnessed him unlock the Fire Sparrow Mechanism—his skepticism was natural.

"If this clue were genuine," Gu Pinglin mused, "why auction it publicly rather than conceal it?"

Duan Qingming chuckled. "Likely seeking pawns to scout the path."

Gu Pinglin shared the suspicion and fell silent.

Outside, the auction commenced. The hostess—a tall woman in black Daoist robes—introduced herself as Hai Sha, undoubtedly a pseudonym. Her voice was crisp, devoid of coquetry.

Her first offering was a Soul-Entrapping Pearl—a fist-sized, emerald-green orb nestled on crimson silk.

A rare treasure capable of preserving souls for three days, typically employed in life-saving measures. Its opening bid: ten thousand feather coins.

Bidding escalated rapidly. Within moments, it reached fifty thousand—and showed no signs of stopping.

Gu Pinglin observed through the gauze. "Fierce competition."

Duan Qingming nodded. "Between Rooms Nine and Twenty—one will prevail."

Gu Pinglin arched a brow. "Care to wager?"

"Oh?"

"I bet on Room Nine."

Duan Qingming sighed theatrically. "You've left me no choice but Twenty."

Gu Pinglin's lips twitched.

The bidders' identities were discernible from their gestures. Room Nine's occupant wore a white jade ring—Qing Cang Sect's emblem. Room Twenty's bidder sported a wristguard embroidered with bamboo leaves and peonies—the signature of the Wan Family's Floral Realm branch.

Though the Wan Family's wealth surpassed Qing Cang Sect's, their Triple Rebirth Art rendered the pearl less essential. Logic dictated Qing Cang Sect's victory.

As anticipated, at sixty thousand, the Wan Family withdrew. Only Qing Cang Sect and a hesitant Room Seventy-five remained.

Gu Pinglin sipped tea, smug.

"Don't buy it—too expensive," a voice drawled. "Even the Wan Family might balk."

The comment, though quiet, silenced the hall.

"The Wan Family can't afford a mere pearl?" A scoff. Room Nine's curtain yanked aside, revealing a portly young master—no veil, his face a portrait of arrogance. "Who dares mock us?"

Gu Pinglin's stomach sank.

Wan Lai—youngest son of the Wan Family's patriarch, spoiled rotten by his mother. A notorious wastrel, his exploits were legendary. Once, he'd squandered a million feather coins to outbid a rival for a concubine, earning a near-fatal beating from his father—yet remaining incorrigible.

Such a profligate wouldn't tolerate public slight.

True to form, Wan Lai—unable to identify his taunter—flung his placard. "One hundred thousand! Higher, anyone?"

Qing Cang Sect and Room Seventy-five fell silent.

The pearl, though precious, wasn't worth ten times its value—except to a profligate.

Duan Qingming feigned surprise. "Ah, it seems I've won by chance. My thanks."

Gu Pinglin set his cup down sharply. "You interfered."

Eyes crinkling with amusement, Duan Qingming massaged his temple. "You knew Qing Cang Sect was the safest bet yet grabbed it without hesitation. Barring me from intervening—isn't that bullying?"

Gu Pinglin smirked. "And if it is?"

"Nothing." Duan Qingming refilled his cup. "I rely on Junior Brother's protection—how dare I protest? I'll endure in silence."

Gu Pinglin wasn't truly vexed. Accepting the tea, he asked, "How did you recognize Wan Lai?"

"Met him in my youth—recognized his hands." Duan Qingming shrugged. "You weren't wrong. I merely got lucky."

A genuine coincidence. Gu Pinglin narrowed his eyes. "You knew yet let me choose first. Who bullied whom?"

"You always have logic." Duan Qingming smiled. "Had we not encountered him, wouldn't I have lost?"

Gu Pinglin snorted and resumed observing.

Wan Lai, now exposed, dispensed with pretense—his window remained open as he flaunted his presence. Subsequent auctions proceeded smoothly until the finale—a single page resting on a tray.

Hai Sha cleared her throat. "Tonight's final offering..." She paused for effect. "We cultivate a lifetime for one ultimate goal. Yet across millennia, only one has achieved true ascension."

Wan Lai interjected, "Old Man Hundred Streams!"

Hai Sha nodded. "Precisely. Though he transcended, he couldn't bear his legacy vanishing. Thus, he left behind a inheritance—triggered by two mechanisms. The Fire Sparrow is known, but the second's location remained elusive..."

She lifted the page. "You've guessed its contents."

"The other mechanism's clue," Wan Lai scoffed. "You've been touting this for days. Who knows if it's real? Rumor says you've sold it twice already."

Hai Sha remained unruffled. "True. The seller is anonymous—we cannot vouch for its authenticity. But if genuine, knowledge is power. Thus far, only two groups have pursued it. Ponder well—this clue auctions again in half a month."

Wan Lai sneered. "Expect us to pay fortunes for recycled, unverified trash? Think us fools?"

Hai Sha smiled thinly. "Then don't."

"Obviously. I'm no fool." Wan Lai plopped back, smug.

The crowd chuckled—this fool rejected worthwhile goods yet balked at genuine opportunities.

Bidding commenced, swiftly soaring past five hundred thousand.

Gu Pinglin frowned.

The auction was real—likely the clue was too. Was the Ocean Realm Mechanism emerging prematurely?

Duan Qingming mused, "Buy it and verify."

Gu Pinglin eyed him. "With what funds?"

"Simple." Duan Qingming grinned. "Auction me. I'm priceless."

Only rebirth allowed witnessing such shamelessness. Gu Pinglin deadpanned, "Selling you would harm others. Let's go."

Verification required alternative methods.

Duan Qingming asked no further. Donning their veils, they departed Haiyun Kingdom.