Chapter 61: A Crimson Loss!

Soon, Jin Buhuan caught sight of Xiao Yang, who was leisurely munching on sunflower seeds. He hurried over, his face full of apology.

"Young Master Xiao, something came up unexpectedly and I’m late. I sincerely apologize!"

Xiao Yang looked up at Jin Buhuan without another word, and produced a bottle of white liquor.

"Three cups as punishment!"

Jin Buhuan froze for a moment, inwardly groaning. This wasn’t a dinner table—where did the idea of punishing oneself with three cups come from? What bothered him even more was where Xiao Yang had gotten the liquor, since Wanbao Hall didn’t sell alcohol. Though his mind was filled with confusion, Jin Buhuan steeled himself and drank three cups in succession.

"Impressive, Lord City Master!"

Xiao Yang was a bit taken aback. The city master was truly straightforward; there were three types of cups: large, medium, and small. Jin Buhuan didn’t hesitate, grabbing the biggest one and downing three cups of white liquor—one and a half jin in a single breath, his expression unchanged. Remarkable.

"Ha! Young friend, you jest. This is nothing; Master Zhao is the real heavyweight."

He glanced at Zhao Wude, whose face changed slightly.

"I can’t drink, I’m a lightweight," Zhao waved his hand hurriedly. He was already in his nineties. Even though his body could easily handle a jin or two thanks to his martial prowess, he had a flaw—when drunk, he tended to behave wildly. Normally, that wouldn’t matter, but he dared not do so in Xiao Yang’s presence.

"Master, everything is ready. We can begin," came a sudden chime from Xue Yong’s badge. He quickly covered it, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry, everyone, I have other matters to attend to and must take my leave."

"That’s fine, go ahead. Don’t forget my discount," Xiao Yang nodded, still remembering the ten percent off. To him, that discount was paramount.

"Of course! I’ll personally handle your discount, and won’t make any mistakes," Xue Yong replied. If it were only Zhao Wude, he could be a little bold, but the arrival of the city master had truly startled him. Jin Buhuan was, after all, the ruler of Beimo City. To see him walk in and accept a three-cup penalty without question—very few people in the entire Beidou Kingdom could command such respect. He began to suspect that this Young Master Xiao’s background was enough to make even the royal family wary. Still, he wouldn’t ask. His priority now was to forge a good relationship with Xiao Yang.

"That’s good."

After Xue Yong left, the city master came closer, smiling at Xiao Yang.

"Young friend, is there anything here you fancy?"

Xiao Yang’s brow twitched. It seemed the city master intended to pay for him. Instantly, Xiao Yang perked up.

"Not at the moment, I’ll take a look when it begins."

He’d come in such a rush, he knew nothing about the auction items. He didn’t dare to simply make a random selection, fearing he’d pick something worthless and lose out.

"Very well. If you see anything you like, just let me know," Jin Buhuan said with a smile.

Everyone present immediately sensed the implication—he was offering to cover Xiao Yang’s expenses. Yet no one made it explicit.

At that moment, an image appeared on the crystal screen before them. A stunning young woman stepped out, her voice rich and magnetic.

"Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend. I won’t waste words—shall we begin?"

Every sentence she spoke made the hearts of the men in the audience race. Below, voices rose in adoration.

"Miss Nalan, say a few more words! I love your voice!"

"Yes! Miss Nalan, stay and talk with us!"

Nalan Fangya merely smiled softly and stepped off the stage, prompting sighs of disappointment.

Backstage, Xue Yong called her over.

"Fangya!"

"Uncle Xue, is something the matter?"

Seeing her fatigue, Xue Yong felt a pang of concern. She was the orphaned child of his friend, whom he’d adopted to take care of. Nalan Fangya had shown extraordinary talent; every time she took the stage, just a few words were enough to excite the men. This made them far more likely to get carried away during the auction.

"Fangya, I’ve found you an ideal husband," Xue Yong declared, startling Nalan Fangya. She looked up in disbelief, hoping he was joking—but this time, he was serious.

"I just met a young man. If you follow him, your life will be nothing but glory and prosperity."

Xue Yong had been pondering ever since he left the private room, growing more and more alarmed at Xiao Yang’s possible background. Getting close to him would be an opportunity for both himself and Nalan Fangya. He hoped to match the two.

Nalan Fangya’s talents were well known in Beimo City. From Wanbao Hall’s humble beginning to becoming the city’s leading establishment, she had contributed enormously. Frankly, without Nalan Fangya, Wanbao Hall would never have reached its current heights.

"I’ll consider it," Nalan Fangya replied, hoping to stall. Whenever this topic came up before, she’d always used this tactic, and within three days Xue Yong would forget about it.

But this time, she underestimated Xue Yong’s determination.

"Fangya, don’t fool me. I truly have your best interests at heart. Miss this chance, and you may regret it for life!"

Xue Yong was anxious. Years ago, he’d studied with an old Taoist and could vaguely sense people's virtue. He saw that Xiao Yang was not a wicked man; indeed, there was a hint of righteousness between his brows. Such a person’s character was assured.

"I…"

Nalan Fangya looked troubled, wanting to refuse from the bottom of her heart. She also had a touch of pride—her man should at least be an invincible champion, a Martial King. She did not wish to muddle through life as an ordinary person by marrying someone without greatness.

"Enough hesitation, I’ll take you to meet him," Xue Yong said, pulling her toward Xiao Yang’s private room. Nalan Fangya knew she wouldn’t be able to avoid it this time. She resolved to make things difficult for this man, so he would retreat. If he refused, Xue Yong couldn’t blame her. She steeled herself for what was to come.

On the crystal screen, an auction item appeared. Coincidentally, Xiao Yang recognized it.

"Bright Silver Stone."

It was a fist-sized chunk of bright silver stone. He hadn’t given it much thought, but the auction price shocked him. The bids flashed rapidly: two thousand, three thousand, three thousand nine hundred taels. The final price broke four thousand taels.

"This must be an anomaly," Xiao Yang mused, his expression turning odd as he kept his eyes fixed on the screen.

Soon, a new item appeared. Xiao Yang scanned it.

Name: Crimson Blood Pine
Quality: Rare
Description: Indestructible, the perfect choice for forging doors
System Buyback Price: Fifteen thousand energy units

The auction price was instantly surpassed, rising rapidly to thirty thousand taels. The final hammer fell at thirty-two thousand taels. Xiao Yang suddenly realized he’d suffered a huge loss. The system’s buyback was only half price!

A crushing loss, his heart bled.

A small oversight, and Xiao Yang calculated he’d lost at least three hundred thousand taels. He hadn’t expected the system’s rate to be so low.