Chapter 59 The Auction Begins

At the entrance of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, Master Wu had already been waiting. Upon seeing Jun Wushuang and Lin Mengyao, he hurried forward to greet them.

“Master, everything has been arranged. In half an hour, the pill auction will officially begin,” Master Wu reported, leading Jun Wushuang and Lin Mengyao inside. With him accompanying them, their passage was smooth and unimpeded.

The interior of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion was splendid and magnificent, exuding grandeur beyond compare. Jun Wushuang, having promised Lin Mengyao, now led her on a tour through its halls.

Eventually, they arrived at the auction venue, which occupied the pavilion’s top floor—luxurious and noble, the very epitome of prestige. In such an environment, guests were encouraged to spend extravagant sums with confidence.

“Master, this is the Number One Heaven private box, reserved especially for you by the Prince,” Master Wu ushered Jun Wushuang and Lin Mengyao into the finest suite. Spacious and supremely comfortable, it featured a special crystal wall of spiritual stone: one could clearly see outside, but those outside could not glimpse within, affording the utmost privacy.

“Let’s hope we can gather all the spirit herbs this time!” Jun Wushuang inhaled deeply, his eyes filled with anticipation.

The Pill of Longevity—a bold investment for Jun Wushuang. He could not rely forever on the Command of the Southern Prince; before he had sufficient strength on his own, securing powerful allies was essential.

Mo Xingyun possessed formidable strength and high status, making him the perfect choice. The Prince’s authority provided suppression; Mo Xingyun’s power, protection. With these two shields, Jun Wushuang could resist the threats from the Royal Martial Academy and the Nangong Clan, buying precious time to grow.

“By the way, Master, the Deputy Pavilion Lord of the Apothecary wishes to become your disciple!” Master Wu quickly revealed the matter concerning Yao Wuchen.

Yao Wuchen? Seeking to become his disciple? Jun Wushuang was momentarily amused. He hadn’t anticipated that sending Master Wu with pills would lead to such developments.

But he had no time to accept disciples. “Decline for me, tell the Prince I’m not ready to take on students,” Jun Wushuang waved dismissively.

He had made Master Wu his servant only to run errands and handle trifling affairs; as for Yao Wuchen, it was better to leave it be.

If others learned that Jun Wushuang had refused Yao Wuchen’s request, it would surely shock the world.

Who was Yao Wuchen? A sixth-grade alchemist from the Holy Land of Alchemy, second only to the Azure Pill King.

Countless people wished to apprentice under him, but he sought to learn from Jun Wushuang—and was rejected. Incredible!

Master Wu, full of admiration, now held Jun Wushuang in even higher esteem.

Soon, guests began to arrive at the venue. All who received invitations to this pill auction were prominent figures in the imperial capital. Yet the flow continued, and the three-thousand-seat hall became insufficient—such was the prestige of the Southern Prince.

“Nangong Qing!” Jun Wushuang peered through the crystal wall and spotted Nangong Qing and his entourage. Though his injuries had stabilized, his face was pale, and his expression dark with anger from earlier events.

As one of the Four Great Clans, the Nangong Clan wielded tremendous power and status; naturally, they would not sit among the common crowd. They entered the Number Six Heaven suite. Jun Wushuang regarded them coldly, marking the Nangong Clan as a target for elimination.

“Master, that is Dongfang Wujie, head of the Dongfang Clan!” Master Wu pointed, introducing him.

“The Dongfang Clan specializes in illusions, masters of myriad deceptive arts—impossible to guard against.”

Another of the Four Great Clans, long allied with the Nangong Clan. Jun Wushuang had only met Dongfang Ming before; based on that encounter, he judged the Dongfangs no better than the Nangongs.

Dongfang Wujie was a hawk-nosed elder, his face shadowed and gaze predatory. He led his clan into the Number Five Heaven suite.

The Four Great Clans always commanded attention. Soon, the other two arrived.

“That is Ximen Piaoxue, head of the Ximen Clan!” Master Wu continued. “The Ximens are renowned sword cultivators; Ximen Piaoxue himself is a Sword King!”

Ximen Piaoxue was an upright elder, radiating sword intent—he stood straight as an unsheathed blade, his presence sharp and fierce.

“And that is Beiming Cang, head of the Beiming Clan. They are assassins, hidden in darkness, rarely seen.” Master Wu, a touch apprehensive, introduced the last clan.

Beiming Cang was a black-robed old woman, slightly hunched, gripping a peachwood cane, coughing at intervals as if frail.

Nangong Qing! Dongfang Wujie! Ximen Piaoxue! Beiming Cang!

These were the heads of the Four Great Clans, wielders of power over half the Great Qian Dynasty. Beyond the royal family, the Four Clans stood supreme.

Jun Wushuang committed their names to memory, knowing that as long as he remained in the capital, he would inevitably cross paths with them.

“The Azure Pill King has arrived!” At that moment, the crowd stirred.

An elder in a blue pill robe entered the auction hall—the Azure Pill King, the foremost alchemist of the Great Qian Dynasty, whose status had gone unchallenged for decades. Even Yao Wuchen, from the Holy Land, was slightly inferior.

That the Pill King himself attended meant these pills were extraordinary indeed.

“Master Wu, do you know the Azure Pill King?” Jun Wushuang noticed a change in Master Wu’s expression and asked.

“To tell the truth, Master, this old servant hails from the Wu Family of Alchemy,” Master Wu confessed, face pale with anxiety.

The Wu Family of Alchemy—wasn’t that the Azure Pill King’s clan?

“If you don’t wish to speak of it, you need not,” Jun Wushuang said, sensing Master Wu’s discomfort—he clearly shared a hidden past with the Pill King. Jun Wushuang did not press him, relieving Master Wu.

That secret, he truly wished never to mention again.

The Azure Pill King entered the Number Three Heaven suite.

Soon, the hall was filled to capacity; not a single seat remained. The pill auction was about to begin.

With a swoosh, a figure ascended the central dais. It was Yao Wuchen, host of the auction.

“I, Yao Wuchen, on behalf of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, welcome you all to this pill auction,” he announced. “I assure you, tonight’s auction will leave everyone satisfied.”

“The pills offered tonight are beyond my own abilities—each one is enough to shake the world.”

“And these pills were all crafted by Master Jun. In my eyes, Master Jun is the greatest alchemist in the Great Qian Dynasty!”

Boom! His words sent the entire hall into an uproar.