Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Ten thousand gold coins were not much for the nobles present, but this was only the beginning. Each bid increased by two thousand with no upper limit.

As the atmosphere heated up and the price kept rising in fierce competition, it would unknowingly reach an enormous figure.

But when the bidding had just reached twenty-four thousand, a sudden steep offer froze the heated scene.

"I'll take this—I'll pay fifty thousand gold coins!" The man who spoke these words, his jowls quivering with fat, overflowing a seat meant for two. His eyes burning with determination, fixed on the items on the stage.

His fingers interlaced and rubbed together, as if feeling the delicate texture of the glass cup.

Ed, standing on the stage, nervously gulped at the sudden silence below, his heart growing anxious.

Was the first treasure really going to be taken so easily? Thinking of the reserve price set by Lord Holy Son, sweat poured down Ed's face in streams.

Ning Chan stood in a corner outside the auction platform, quietly observing everything. The death notebook in his mind flipped open, listing this man's crimes—from "minor" offenses like casually whipping passersby on the road to major crimes like murder, arson, and molesting young girls.

With so many capital offenses, what kind of death should he grant him?

After today, he would obtain a large sum of money anyway. Losing one "business associate" wouldn't be a problem.

Still, he wanted to see if the auctioneer he had recruited could turn this situation around.

Before Ning Chan had recruited Ed as the auctioneer, he had been a swindler beaten within an inch of his life.

Though from a declining family, Ed had managed to navigate high society by carefully crafting his image.

Using the identity of a powerful foreign aristocrat, he had convinced people to willingly hand over their wealth to him.

The reason he was beaten was that he had tried to swindle a minister from that very country.

The minister, well-versed in the nobility of his homeland, knew there was no such person as Ed.

Fortunately, the minister was in a hurry to attend to other matters. Seeing Ed wasn't breathing, he ordered him thrown out.

In truth, Ed had only been knocked breathless by a single blow. As he was dragged away, he must have hit something, because he came to.

So when he heard footsteps approaching, Ed sneaked a glance at the person's attire. Seeing it wasn’t the same group of guards, he quickly cried out, "Help!"

Then, Ed was taken to Lis Church, where he received basic medical treatment.

Once he could move again, he went to the confessional to admit his sins. Only after seeking divine forgiveness did he receive further treatment.

At first glance, Ning Chan had thought Ed's flamboyant attire was some new noble trend he was too "country bumpkin" to understand. But it turned out the man had dressed that way deliberately—to avoid being recognized after his scams.

Understanding this, Ning Chan mused that it was no wonder Ed had painted his face so gaudily. Once that makeup came off, who would recognize him?

After staying at Lis Church for a while, Ed's face had even filled out. Enjoying the comfortable life there, he wanted to find an excuse to stay.

If the church needed money, he still had some savings he could contribute.

Since the man was so eager to work, why would Ning Chan stop him? If he was silver-tongued, then let him host the auction—legitimately lightening people's wallets.

Ed, now entrusted with high hopes, took a steadying breath to calm his nerves. A slight smile playing on his lips as he spoke, "This gentleman offers fifty thousand gold coins. Does anyone bid higher, ladies and gentlemen?"

"This glass vessel is modeled after vessels used by the gods themselves. By winning it, you too can experience divine luxury."

"As sacred relics, wouldn’t you like to know what miraculous benefits drinking from them could bring to your health?"

"When I count to three, if no one offers a higher bid, this treasure goes to Baron McCann White."

Ed placed a budding rose into the glass pitcher as he spoke, then took the hot water kettle from under the table and poured it in.

The crowd watched as the flower swiftly unfurled its petals, blooming into its most magnificent form in the boiling water.

The vibrant hue of the flower seeped into the water, dyeing it a honeyed color.

Ed held the pitcher high, tilting its spout slightly downward, letting the honeyed stream poured into a glass cup, creating tiny splashes.

The ripples weren’t just in the water—they stirred the restless hearts below.

Ed lifted the glass cup, bringing it to his nose for a delicate sniff, his blissful expression making everyone burn with envy.

Did they really think fifty thousand gold coins would cut it to take this treasure home? Who did they think they were underestimating?

"I bid sixty thousand! And that flower—how much? I’ll take the lot!" Darren had figured there was no rush since this was only the first item, and there might be better ones later. But after hearing the auctioneer’s words, he decided money was no issue—he’d buy it all!

His territory had two gold mines, one of which he’d kept hidden for himself. He certainly wasn’t short on funds.

"Sixty-five thousand. I’d like to buy this for my wife. She’d go wild for it," Bonnie said, knowing Darren was easygoing and wouldn’t take offense at being outbid.

Though Bonnie claimed it was for his wife, playing up their happy marriage, only he truly knew what he intended to do with it.

Darren believed Bonnie’s words and didn’t mind being outdone. After a few more rounds of bidding, he gave up.

If Bonnie ended up winning, he could always sweet-talk Bonnie into lending it later, right?

In the end, Bonnie walked away with the glass teacup set for one hundred twenty thousand gold coins.

Bonnie knew very well that out of everything at this Charity Sale, the only one he could realistically win was this first one.

When the next items came up, Bonnie thought, *Just as I expected.*

Ning Chan had put up for auction mass pig farming techniques, soap-making techniques, ice and ice cream production, ten new gourmet recipes, and even blueprints for a horseless carriage.

In other words, whoever acquired these items could rake in endless profits from them.

They were spending pennies to make a fortune!

It was said that soap was a simplified version of the sacred soap. To obtain the sacred soap’s formula, buyers didn’t need to make a second purchase—they only had to distribute the regular soap nationwide, ensuring its use from nobles to commoners, and then they could collect the sacred soap recipe from the church.

The soap was already quite good, a huge step up from their old bath beans. But after seeing the fragrant, exquisitely crafted sacred soap, they were itching to get the regular soap everywhere fast.

The man who won the soap-making method had initially planned to inflate prices and make a fortune. Now, all he cared about now was smelling divine.

No noble disliked being clean and exuding a pleasant fragrance. If he could use sacred soap every day, he’d be the belle of every ball.

And those beauties—once they knew he had such treasures—would surely flock to him, eating out of his hand!

Imagining such a delightful future, Simon resolved to price the soap affordably, just a copper over cost.

In the end, those who secured their "merchandise" were flushed with excitement, while the losers looked downright miserable.

What was the point of traveling all this way if not for the grilled meats, pies, and monster ice creams?

Hmm… better not think about it—their stomachs were growling again.

Those chefs were church personnel too—if only they could just take them home!

Watching them agree to grab a bite at a certain shop later and maybe talk business regarding the items just shown, Ning Chan flicked his fingertips, hoping someone would last till they got home.

When displaying the ice cream earlier, Ning Chan had placed them all on a stand, letting them choose which one they wanted.

To demonstrate the ice cream's safety, Ning Chan even had the guards of these people sample a small piece first.

But damn it, there was no escaping—while others would remain unharmed, he’d probably be the only one not walking away with the pig-raising secrets.

His ice cream didn’t come without a price.