Chapter 45

Chapter 45: The Elixir Auction

Shortly after Mu Yuanfeng left the auction house, they began their vigorous promotion.

Rumors of the Soul Breaking Pill being auctioned at the Yueyue Auction House stirred quite a commotion.

Many attendees from the recent major auction at the Jiyue Auction House remained in Mo City. The news of the elixir auction drew their attention instantly.

For a peak Nine-Star martial artist, being stuck at a certain level for years or even decades wasn't uncommon. A single Soul Breaking Pill could incite these martial artists to turn on one another out of sheer desperation.

Lan Ruofeng was in a foul mood. His family had entrusted him with 500,000 spirit stones to acquire the elixir from Mu Yuanfeng, but he'd already spent 50,000 of it.

Lan Ruofeng had planned to start with a 350,000 offer, apply some pressure, then increase to 450,000 to secure the elixir. However, to his astonishment, Mu Yuanfeng handed it to the auction house.

"Ruofeng, are you upset?" Zhuang Yu inquired.

Lan Ruofeng chuckled, "Not at all!"

Zhuang Yu said gently, "Ruofeng, if something's bothering you, you can share it with me. I'm here for you."

Lan Ruofeng nodded, "I understand."

With furrowed brows, Lan Ruofeng pondered. His guarantee to bring back the elixir now seemed like an uphill battle, given that the starting bid was at 450,000 spirit stones.

Seeing Lan Ruofeng's gloomy demeanor, Zhuang Yu mused: It's likely due to the elixir. Why would Mu Yuanfeng rather auction it than sell it to Ruofeng, a prominent member of the Lan family from Jing City?

If Mu Yuanfeng were to sell the elixir to Lan Ruofeng, the Lan family would undoubtedly owe him a favor. Such opportunities to have the Lan family indebted are rare. Should I encounter Mu Chen, I'll make sure to persuade him.

If it were still the original Mu Chen, maybe, with three bowls of Zhuang Yu's enchantment soup, he might have actually persuaded Mu Yuanfeng. But now, there's no chance.

…………

"Shitou, have you heard about the Soul Breaking Pill?" Chen Da inquired with a furrowed brow.

Ye Shi furrowed his brow, thinking: The day Lan Ruofeng spoke with Mu Yuanfeng, it seemed to be about the Spirit-breaking Pill. Mu Yuanfeng looked quite distressed.

"I'm not entirely sure," replied Ye Shi.

Chen Da frowned, "It's peculiar. The Mu family seems to be in turmoil."

Ye Shi looked at Chen Da in confusion, asking, "Why do you say that?"

Squinting, Chen Da remarked, "Muyuanfeng handed the pill to the auction, but the Mu family seems to be amassing spirit stones, possibly to buy the pill."

Ye Shi's eyes widened in disbelief, "How is that possible? Auction houses aren't charitable. They usually take a 10% commission. Mu Yuanfeng sells elixirs, and the Mu family buys them."

Chen Da shrugged, remarking, "That's why I said the Mu family seems to be in turmoil. It appears they want to give the elixir to Mu Yuanhang. The relationship between the two brothers is quite delicate now."

Scratching his head, Ye Shi pondered whether Mu Yuanfeng's decision to give the elixir to the auction was due to his dissatisfaction with the Mu family. He wondered about the current situation and if Mu Chen would be implicated.

"Uncle Chen, is the Spirit-breaking Pill valuable?" Ye Shi inquired curiously.

Chen Da nodded, "Of course, it's worth 300,000 spirit stones. Once it's auctioned, it won't go for less than 1 million spirit stones."

Ye Shi's eyes widened, exclaiming, "That much?"

Chen Da affirmed with a nod, "Indeed. What did you expect?"

Ye Shi blinked, lamenting, "I could never earn that much in my entire life."

Chen Da shook his head, "Let the Mu family's higher-ups worry about it. It's none of our business. Let's move in first."

Ye Shi nodded, "Sounds good."

"Shitou, Young Master Muchen is here," Amu announced as he entered.

Ye Shi's eyes darted around, "He's here? Why's he here?"

Mu Chen walked in nonchalantly, asking Ye Shi, "Are you packed? Once you're ready, come with me."

"I'm packed; I don't have many things," replied Ye Shi casually.

Extending his hand, Muchen said, "Hand them over."

Skeptically, Ye Shi asked, "Can you handle it?"

Mu Chen grabbed Ye Shi's luggage and placed it in his spatial ring, waving at Ye Shi with a smug expression.

Ye Shi, looking at Mu Chen's ring, said with envy, "That's so convenient!"

Gently stroking the ring, Muchen explained, "This ring only has a cubic meter of space. Once I earn some money, I'll get you a bigger one."

Ye Shi smirked, "When will that be? A spatial ring costs thousands of spirit stones. You just know how to spend."

Mu Chen: "…"

"Shi, don't underestimate me! I'm currently learning alchemy. Do you know what that is? It's a skill that can make you rich!" Mu Chen boasted.

Ye Shi nodded, "Yes, it can make and burn money. Don't think I'm unaware. You've used up so many spiritual herbs and haven't successfully refined a single pill, wasting quite a bit."

"Shi, in reality, I can now refine pills. My father said I have a talent for it," Mu Chen said with a pout.

Ye Shi smirked, "Really? Your father is too kind, comforting you even when you perform so poorly."

Mu Chen: "…"

Chen Da stood off to the side, trying desperately to catch Ye Shi's attention with meaningful glances. But Ye Shi, engrossed in confronting Mu Chen, didn't even notice Chen Da's increasingly frustrated signals.

"Let's go." Mu Chen said, taking Ye Shi's hand.

As Mu Chen led him, Ye Shi thought, "Once he holds hand, just follow obediently."

Lan Ruofeng and Zhuang Yu were walking on the street when they saw Mu Chen leading Ye Shi by the hand.

Zhuang Yu watched the scene unfold, his eyes involuntarily narrowing. It appeared that Ye Shi and Mu Chen were growing closer. What was Mu Chen thinking? Was there really a need for such an elaborate act?

Ye Shi felt an inexplicable revulsion when he looked at Zhuang Yu, but a strange sensation arose in his heart when he saw Lan Ruofeng.

"Young Master Chen," Zhuang Yu called out to Mu Chen instinctively.

With a hint of impatience, Mu Chen asked, "What is it, Young Master Zhuang?"

Zhuang Yu hesitated, "I just..."

"Ye Shi has agreed to stay at the Mu residence. I'll take him back," Mu Chen stated matter-of-factly.

Zhuang Yu frowned slightly, sending a reproachful look at Ye Shi.

Unlike Zhuang Yu's other companions, Ye Shi showed evident... disdain towards Zhuang Yu.

Wrapping his arm around Mu Chen's, Ye Shi affectionately said, "Let's go, Mu Chen. Remember you promised me roasted suckling pig for lunch?"

Seeing Ye Shi's eager eyes, Mu Chen thought, "Is Shi trying to act cute? He's adorable."

"Mr. Zhuang, we have other matters to attend to. We'll be leaving now," Mu Chen stated coolly.

Zhuang Yu couldn't help but retort, "Mu Chen, there are plenty of ways to get your grandfather's attention. You don't have to demean yourself like this."

Confused, Mu Chen asked, "What are you talking about?"

Wanting to avoid further entanglement, Ye Shi pulled Mu Chen's hand, "Let's go. I'm hungry."

Hearing Ye Shi's words, Mu Chen immediately dismissed Zhuang Yu from his mind, "Sorry, we have to go."

Ye Shi wrapped an arm around Mu Chen's, leaning affectionately on his shoulder. Turning around, he made a face at Zhuang Yu.

Zhuang Yu stared at Ye Shi's smiling face, his complexion fluctuating between pale and flushed. Was Ye Shi trying to challenge him? Such an odd-looking fellow dared to defy him? Mu Chen had never treated him with such intensity before.

Lan Ruofeng stared at Ye Shi's retreating figure, feeling a pang of jealousy, as if something of his was being taken away.

Out of Zhuang Yu's sight, Ye Shi quickly let go of Mu Chen.

Mu Chen felt discarded by Zhuang Yu, like something used and then thrown away.

"Mu Chen, there are many ways to get your grandfather's attention. You don't have to belittle yourself. What did Zhuang Yu mean by that?" a puzzled Mu Chen asked Ye Shi.

Ye Shi nervously twiddled his fingers, "How would I know what he meant?"

Mu Chen shook his head, "Let's not think about him. Zhuang Yu is, after all, the protagonist, and their thoughts are always different from others."

Seeing that Mu Chen didn't pursue the matter further, Ye Shi sighed in relief, though he still felt uneasy inside.