Martial Deity Remnant Jade

"Forget it, this auction has lost its meaning. Let's go," Li Yi sneered and turned to leave. "Wait a minute, young man," Elder Snake's voice was calm, "Since we're here, there's no need to leave so quickly. Despite being small, this auction house does have its fair share of treasures. Those mercenary group leaders are here; there must be something of interest. Let's just wait and see." Li Yi frowned slightly, then nodded and stepped back, leaning against the wall and continuing to observe the unremarkable auction.

The woman on stage seemed to have regained her composure and continued auctioning various items, including high-grade weapons, equipment, and various magical beast cores. Then, two more scrolls of martial arts techniques were brought out, all of the Xuanwu level, failing to pique Li Yi's interest. The leaders of the mercenary groups, however, seemed to have received some news, as they fiercely competed for these scrolls, elevating the auction's atmosphere to a climax. Finally, as time passed and afternoon approached, just when everyone was almost dozing off, the woman clapped her hands and said, "Alright, everyone, it's about time. Today's highlight of the auction has come... Many of you are here for this item, aren't you?"

Her gaze briefly lingered on the leaders of the mercenary groups before she smiled and gestured. Four black-clad figures escorted a maid pushing a small cart covered with an iron box onto the stage, then quickly retreated. The woman walked over to the box, tapped it lightly, and the box slowly opened to reveal its contents. A powerful and rich surge of Yuanqi emanated from the box, revitalizing everyone present. When they regained their senses, they saw the woman holding a fist-sized, translucent jade box emitting a strange light. The Yuanqi seemed to be emanating from it, hinting at its extraordinary nature.

"What is this?" Li Yi frowned.

"To think that such an item would appear in such a small place," Elder Snake's surprised voice echoed in Li Yi's mind. "Young man... we must try to get our hands on this item!"

Li Yi, sensing Elder Snake's excitement, asked, "Is it that good?"

"It's average..." Elder Snake replied vaguely, "But let's hear her explanation."

This mysterious jade box and its contents puzzled everyone, yet they all sensed its uniqueness, especially the mercenary group leaders whose eyes lit up, clearly aware of its value. The woman on stage maintained her smile and said, "Although many here know what this is, there are surely many who do not. For fairness, let me explain... This item inside is the legendary Martial Deity Remnant Jade!"

The crowd erupted in excitement, with many eyes turning blood-red with desire. If not for the presence of the four Dou Shi (Warrior) experts guarding the stage, many would have rushed forward. Martial Deity Remnant Jade? Could it really be?

Satisfied with the reaction, the woman continued, "As everyone knows, this Martial Deity Remnant Jade, like the commonly seen scroll fragments, has been passed down for an unknown time. However, unlike scroll fragments, each piece of Martial Deity Remnant Jade might contain information about an extremely powerful technique, method, or even the location of a divine weapon. It might also dramatically increase one's strength! Of course, these benefits come with a chance. There's also a high possibility that the jade contains nothing... So, those interested in bidding should be prepared. We at Naga Auction House guarantee that since obtaining this item, we have not opened it. What exactly is inside, we can only guess... If you're interested, feel free to bid!"

This time, the woman didn't even set a starting price, simply looking expectantly at the crowd.

"Fifty thousand gold coins!" "A hundred thousand gold coins!" "Get out of here! You think a hundred thousand is impressive? One hundred and thirty thousand!" "One hundred and seventy thousand!" Almost instantly, the price of the Martial Deity Remnant Jade skyrocketed. But the bidders were not ordinary mercenaries; they were those seemingly calm mercenary group leaders. However, Li Yi was not overly concerned about the heated scene. He was slightly shocked and eventually let out a sigh, "To think that the Martial Deity Remnant Jade would appear here... It's unimaginable... The seller is foolish. If they had taken it to a big city, the price would probably have been even higher."

Elder Snake chuckled, "The main reason such a good item ended up here is likely because it's contraband. No one dares to sell it in big cities. It only becomes valuable in a place like this, full of mixed characters. Also, there's a chance that this piece is just a worthless stone with nothing inside."

"Are you certain?" Li Yi asked.

"It's just a possibility..." Elder Snake replied.

"So, what about this item?" Li Yi frowned. Although he had some money, it was only about a couple of hundred thousand, which probably wouldn't be enough to compete for the jade.

"Of course, we need to get our hands on it. Even if we have to fight for it, we must try. Aren't you the best at this sort of thing?" Elder Snake said lightly.

Li Yi nodded, "Let's try to win the bid first. Let's save effort where we can."

"Do you have that much money?"

"I should have," Li Yi sneered, pulling out a palm-sized jade token from his Storage Ring. "This should allow me to withdraw a million gold coins... This is a generous gift from Ye Qingma, how could I waste it?"

"Three hundred and eighty thousand!" In the brief moment of Li Yi's conversation with Elder Snake, the price of the Martial Deity Remnant Jade had already soared to an astonishing three hundred and eighty thousand! But before anyone could react, a cold laugh rang out, "Enough! I'm tired of playing this game with you all! Eight hundred and fifty thousand gold coins!"

The bid from Feng Niangzi caused a series of gasps. "Damn that woman!" "Where did the Tianfeng Mercenary Group get so much money?!" "She's too ruthless!" Feng Niangzi's bid immediately raised the stakes, and the woman on stage also appeared satisfied, wisely not resorting to the same tactic as before. If Feng Niangzi backed out, the auction house would face a huge loss. Just as she was about to declare the jade Feng Niangzi's, a calm voice slowly spoke, "Not everyone silent is uninterested... Little girl, be more careful next time... I'll take it for one million!"

This bid stunned everyone. Seeing Li Yi as the bidder, the woman on stage took a breath, "One... one million, any higher bids?"

Terrifying glares turned towards Li Yi, including Feng Niangzi's resentful gaze. But after her previous battle with Li Yi, she hesitated and eventually gave up. Without Feng Niangzi's competition, no one could outbid Li Yi. The woman on stage reluctantly declared the deal closed amidst her charming smiles.

In a refined room at the side of the auction house, Li Yi, holding a cup of tea, didn't drink it but tapped on the table, surrounded by two maids who dared not speak. Soon, soft footsteps approached, and a woman walked in. It was the heavily made-up woman from the auction, now in a white dress and looking much more charming. She sat next to Li Yi, her ample chest inadvertently brushing against him. Li Yi subtly moved away and said, "If you had tried to raise the price with a stooge again, I wouldn't have minded making you suffer another loss."

Her face changed slightly at Li Yi's words, but she soon laughed softly, "Sir, you're right. My apologies... So, I've taken the liberty to gift you these items as an apology... Everything you won in the auction is here..." She placed a jade box glowing with a strange luster on the table and several porcelain bottles beside it.

Li Yi nodded, inspected the jade box to ensure it was genuine, and then said, "The items are correct... But a million gold coins isn't a small number, so I don't have that much money on me..."

Before he could finish, the woman's face stiffened, and Li Yi felt several strong presences enveloping him...