7 Chapter 7: Secret Battle Triggered by the Dragon Fruit

Soon, the Botanical Mage, whom Ross Bansai mentioned, grabbed the dragon fruit and began chanting something. 

A burst of rich green light was injected into the dragon fruit from the mage's hands, and soon, the dragon fruit began to grow rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it grew more than ten centimeters tall. 

Zhou Kun couldn't help but exclaim. However, unlike the nobles who exclaimed in shock of the dragon fruit, Zhou Kun exclaimed because he didn't expect this world to be a magical one.

No one cared about Zhou Kun's thoughts here as gathered from the atmosphere in the entire auction hall, which instantly intensified due to that scene. Everyone broke into an uproar.

In the past, life elements were controlled by the church. All healings and blessings were performed only through the church. If people wanted to purchase some Blessing Water, they would have to pay the church or even submit to the church as their only resort. 

Now that there was a dragon fruit that was about to break the existing monopoly, everyone present was clear about its value without even having to think. 

At this time, there was a knock on the door. It came from the room where the buyer from the Sade Family of Lan City was in. Soon, the waiter reported that the patriarch of the Clauren Family had something to discuss with him.

Cullis Sade frowned and thought, 'What does the old fellow from the Clauren Family want to see me for?' 

Both the Sade and Clauren Families were among the top aristocratic families in Lan City. Hence, they were considered business competitors in some aspects. 

Besides, there had been a marriage tying the two families a few generations ago, but there was a rift in the relationship between these families. Parker Clauren, the current patriarch of the Clauren Family was notoriously stubborn and conservative.

The dragon fruit on the stage had just caused a commotion, yet, he already received the invitation from Parker Clauren. Could it be that he wants to stop me from making an offer? 

At the thought of that, Cullis Sade felt rather amused. Everyone could tell the value of the dragon fruit just now. It was impossible for him to let it go. 

Accordingly, Cullis Sade waved at the waiter, gesturing that he had turned the invite down. 

To his surprise, as soon as he rejected the invite, he heard knocking sounds on the door once again. Before Cullis Sade could even raise his head, he heard the voice of Parker Clauren. 

"The sayings of me being stubborn and conservative have been spreading around the entire Lan City. I'm surprised that you, the patriarch of the Sade Family, has beaten me to it..." 

Ross Bansai, who was on the stage, had no idea of the minor episode that cropped up in the room. However, he knew that the dragon fruit had caused an uproar below the stage.

"The brave adventurer whom I mentioned earlier has brought a total of six dragon fruits from the Flame Dragon's lair. These six dragon fruits will be divided into three pairs for the auction." 

"The auction officially begins. The starting bid for each dragon fruit is 2000 Dragon Crystals. There will be an increment of 100 Dragon Crystals per successive bid." 

"5000!" Someone from the Sade Family's private room yelled and called the first bid. 

"Okay, 5000 Dragon Crystals. The Sade Family has directly offered 5000 Dragon Crystals. They seem to be determined in obtaining the item. Is anyone going to offer a higher price?"

The Sade Family's bidding price was very accurate. 5000 Dragon Crystals was a price that the smaller families of Lan City could not afford. 

After all, there were not many families that could offer 5000 Dragon Crystals for an item during an auction.

It was not that all families in Lan City could not afford to pay 5000 Dragon Crystals, but rather, the auction organized by Ross Bansai was too haste and sudden. The small families could not come up with such a huge sum without touching their assets. 

"6000!" Ross Bansai looked in the direction of the voice. It was indeed an offer from someone in the private room of the Clauren family, the rival of the Sade Family. 

"6500!"

"7500!"

"9000!" Before everyone knew it, the bidding price had already gone up to 9000 Dragon Crystals. 

The Sade Family had been placing higher bids, each quicker than the one preceding it, thus expressing their determination. Perhaps, that was the reason the Clauren Family decided not to continue placing bids. After all, there were a total of three pairs of dragon fruits, and they still had chances. 

"9000 Dragon Crystals, calling once! Is anyone going to call for a higher price?" 

"9000 Dragon Crystals, calling twice!" 

"9000 Dragon Crystals, calling thrice! Sold!" 

"The Sade Family has won the auction for the first pair of dragon fruit at a price of 9000 Dragon Crystals!" 

"Let's congratulate the Sade Family!" 

The participants of the auction exclaimed and were taken aback by the price of 9000 Dragon Crystals, which the dragon fruits were sold for. However, Ross Bansai was not satisfied with that. He estimated the price of the dragon fruits to be about 15,000 to 20,000 Dragon Crystals per pair. 

However. it didn't matter because the real fight had yet to come.

After a short break, the second pair of dragon fruit was sent to the stage. 

"Bidding for the second pair of dragon fruits begins now. The starting bid for each pair is still 2000 Dragon Crystals, with an increment of 100 Dragon Crystals per successive bid."

"7000!" This time the first offer was made by the Clauren family, but the price of 7000 Dragon Crystals caused an uproar amongst the participants as soon as they placed the bid. 

"7000 Dragon Crystal is so expensive!"

"Seems like the Clauren Family is bent on winning the auction for his pair of dragon fruits. Will the Sade Family compete? I wonder." 

"It's hard to say, after all, the Sade Family has already won the auction of the first pair of dragon fruit." 

Before the discussion even ended, the Sade Family had offered a price of 8000 Dragon Crystals. 

"8000 Dragon Crystals, the Sade Family offered a price of 8000 Dragon Crystals, are there any higher bids?" 

"9000!" The Clauren Family bid again, offering the final price of the previous pair of dragon fruits. 

Everyone at the auction shifted their gazes onto the Sade Family, wondering whether they would bid again this time.

"9500!"

"The Sade Family has offered a high price of 9500 Dragon Crystals, which exceeds the final transaction price of the dragon fruits that were auctioned off in the last round. It seems that they are preparing to monopolize these pairs of dragon fruit," Ross Bansai said provocatively, more or less intending to sow discord between the two families. 

"10,000 Dragon Crystals!"

"Wow, 10,000 Dragon Crystals, the Clauren has offered a price of 10,000 Dragon Crystals. Any higher bids?" 

The Sade Family did not place a higher bid immediately. 

However, it was reasonable since 10,000 Dragon Crystals was 1000 Dragon Crystals higher than the price of 9000 Dragon Crystals. 

"10,000 Dragon Crystals, calling once!"

"10,000 Dragon Crystals, calling twice!" 

"Any higher bids?" 

"10,000 Dragon Crystals..." 

"10,500 Dragon Crystals!"

Just when Bansai Ross was bout to drop the hammer, the Birmingham Family placed a bid of 10,500 Dragon Crystals. 

"What..." Parker Clauren, who thought he had a chance to win, slammed his teacup onto the table in exasperation. 

He had just gone to the private room to see the rascal from the Sade Family to discuss the bidding for the dragon fruits.

After all, the value of the dragon fruit was clear and they had estimated that the auction price of the dragon fruits would be between 15,000 and 18,000 Dragon Crystals. In order to prevent unnecessary losses caused by malicious competition, he took the initiative to contact the kid from the Sade Family, in a bid of joining forces with them to win the auction of the dragon fruits. 

They negotiated and settled that each of them would bid for a pair of dragon fruits at a low price, and bid fairly at their own will for the last pair. With this, the dragon fruits would surely be monopolized by the two families.

The first pair of dragon fruits that they had won was the result of the act that they had staged. They had successfully set the price of the dragon fruits at 9,000 Dragon Crystals, which they had agreed upon. 

Earlier, they could see that their plan was about to succeed. Yet, right before the hammer landed, the third party, the Birmingham Family, placed their bid. 

The Birmingham Family was merely considered a near-top-tier family in Lan City. They were wealthy, but they lacked foundation. 

Established nobles like the Sade Family and Clauren Family often looked down on the nouveau-riche like the Birmingham family.

Just now, Parker Clauren stepped into the private room of the Sade Family, and right after he did, a note containing some crucial information was placed on the tea table that the Birmingham Family was seated at. 

"11,000..." Parker said, bidding while gritting his teeth in anger. 

"11,500!" the Birmingham Family called immediately after. There was a strong tension in the air of the auction hall.