Chapter 59 - 59 56 The Elder in Black

59: Chapter 56 The Elder in Black 59: Chapter 56 The Elder in Black Life Extending Pill! A miraculous pill that can add five years to one’s lifespan! And five years is just the minimum guarantee, who knows, with some luck, you might even live a few more years! Everyone’s gaze turned fervent—who wouldn’t want their life to be extended, especially those wealthy patrons with enormous fortunes, eager to enjoy a few more years of life? Once the news of the Life Extending Pill going to auction spread, many people were already prepared to bleed their coffers dry in an intense competition. In a previous trial sale held by the Spiritual Items Workshop, a few Life Extending Pills were put on offer, and back then many were skeptical of their effects. However, after two persons on the brink of death ingested the pills, they miraculously revived and became spirited, quashing the doubters and causing a sensation that the efficacy of the Life Extending Pill was undeniable. Now, its renown had spread far and wide to other countries, becoming a sought-after panacea that was hard to come by. “How interesting.” Ye Xuan watched the crowd with an eager gaze, anticipating that the scene would become even more fiery once the Life Extending Pills were brought out. “Does the Royal Family also desire these Life Extending Pills?” Ye Xuan glanced at Xia Yuwen, who seemed determined to win at all costs, and turned to Xia Xun with a hint of curiosity. It looked as though all three major families were desperate for the Life Extending Pills? Upon hearing this, Xia Xun nodded, “The elder ancestors of our Royal Family are advanced in years. Father probably wants to secure a Life Extending Pill as soon as possible to extend the elder’s life, rather than risking unexpected occurrences overnight. Indeed, if the elder ancestor were to depart from this world, our Royal Family’s power would undoubtedly be greatly affected.” “I see.” A Martial Sect’s lifespan limit is a hundred years. Even the most tenacious ones can only push on for a year or two at most. When the end is drawing near, all pills become futile. Now that the Life Extending Pill, a pill capable of prolonging life, is available, it’s unthinkable that the Xia family’s ancestor would allow his family to miss this auction. In reality, Ye Xuan personally didn’t see any rush, considering the Life Extending Pill had only been on the market for a short time. Additionally, although it was an Earth-grade Pill, the difficulty of its creation was exceedingly high, making it a rare and precious commodity. Natural scarcity made the pill hard to acquire. Although the Life Extending Pill would never be as common as dirt, with the Royal Family’s power, obtaining one in a few years wouldn’t be a problem, so there was no need to desperately compete at the auction. However, even knowing the underlying reasons, Ye Xuan couldn’t be bothered to point it out. After all, for someone nearing the end of his life, the temptation of the Life Extending Pill was irresistible. Thinking from another angle, what if the Life Extending Pill went out of production in a few years? Who would the elder ancestor of the Royal Family turn to then? “This auction will culminate with the sale of three Life Extending Pills. Moreover, this auction will be personally overseen by Lady Hua Rui, the manager of the Capital’s Spiritual Items Workshop.” The old man heightened everyone’s anticipation before stepping down from the stage, replaced by Lady Hua Rui, who donned a red form-fitting dress. As she took the stage with her mature and voluptuous figure, she further inflamed the atmosphere, adding fuel to the fiery excitement. “This Life Extending Pill is a new pill crafted in collaboration between a mysterious master of the Spirit Medicine World and our Spiritual Items Workshop. The Qi Boosting Powder, which we previously introduced, came from the same master. Everyone has likely seen the effects of the Qi Boosting Powder, and the now-famous Life Extending Pill will definitely not disappoint everyone.” Lady Hua Rui’s smile was enchanting, captivating the hearts of many, leaving them feeling parched and breathless. “Who is this master who could develop such an amazing pill?” someone inquired with curiosity. “The master prefers to keep his identity confidential, and our Spiritual Items Workshop does not overstep boundaries, so naturally, we cannot divulge more,” Lady Hua Rui’s smile was exceptionally alluring, “However, I can tell you that the master’s rank is at least above Heavenly Grade! And his Direct Disciple is among us in this auction hall. As for who it is, I shall leave that for all of you to guess.” The crowd erupted into whispers at Lady Hua Rui’s revelation. The disciple of the master who created the Life Extending Pill was among them? Who could it be? It was clear that forging a connection with this person was imperative. Not only were the others shocked, but even Ye Xuan was taken aback. He had fabricated a master, yet Lady Hua Rui’s words turned more and more outrageous, describing a master of the Spirit Medicine World above Heavenly Grade with vivid certainty, leaving everyone bewildered and irresistibly intrigued. After delivering this statement, Lady Hua Rui subtly glanced towards Ye Xuan. Although not overtly obvious, Ye Xuan could sense something amiss; this woman was truly shrewd. In doing so, she neither revealed his identity, maintaining their agreement, but successfully roused the atmosphere of the venue to its peak. Such a woman required caution. Ye Xuan silently took note, careful not to be outwitted by her unexpectedly. “No more idle talk, let’s begin the auction for the first Life Extending Pill. The starting bid is 150,000 taels.” Lady Hua Rui, having fanned the flames adequately, announced the beginning of the auction with a smile. However, with the announcement of the starting price, the hearts of many eager bidders instantly cooled. Though 150,000 taels of gold was not an astronomical sum, it was certainly not an amount the average person could afford. Before the auction had even started, many had already lost their eligibility to bid. “Hmph, Life Extending Pills, these divine medicines, are not meant for ordinary people to covet,” Jun Wuyan said disdainfully, casting a contemptuous glance at the others, as if the pill’s sanctity was unquestionable. Ye Xuan found this display somewhat amusing—if Jun Wuyan knew that he had supplied the pill, Ye Xuan wondered what face he would make. “160,000!” Despite many losing heart, there were still many who came prepared, and these were the real contenders for the Life Extending Pill. “170,000!” “180,000.” The price escalated rapidly, breaking through the two hundred thousand and three hundred thousand thresholds in succession, reaching an impressive four hundred thousand taels. In the blink of an eye, the calls to bid had dwindled significantly, leaving only the Capital’s three great families still in competition. The auction of the first Life Extending Pill was fiercely contested, but ultimately, the Xia family came out on top, securing it with a bid of four hundred and fifty thousand taels. Shortly after, the second Life Extending Pill went to the Xie family for five hundred and twenty thousand taels. “There’s only one left.” Jun Shan’s eyes narrowed with determination. He was resolved to get his hands on that final Life Extending Pill, no matter what. “Father, rest assured, without the Xia and Xie families contending, the last Life Extending Pill will certainly be ours. Apart from these two major families, no one dares to compete with us,” Jun Wuyan remarked, a hint of coldness crossing his face. “Hmm.” Hearing this, Jun Shan nodded. seaʀᴄh thё Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. His son hadn’t misspoken. Others might manage to snatch the Pill from their grasp, but they would probably not live to enjoy their ill-gotten gains. “Five hundred thousand taels.” After a period of ongoing competition and Jun Shan placing a high bid, the Xia and Xie families eventually gave up on continuing the contest. One Life Extending Pill was sufficient for now; it was enough to give the Jun family a bit of trouble, to drive the price up a bit without clinging to it desperately. Indeed, the lesson taken from Jun Wuyan’s previous experience was clear—if they were to be trapped in a ploy, the embarrassment would be immense. “These guys are at least sensible.” Seeing no further competition for the bid, Jun Wuyan sneered with satisfaction. At this critical juncture, anyone daring to compete with them was signing their own death warrant. “Five hundred and ten thousand.” Just as Jun Wuyan entertained such thoughts, an elderly voice suddenly interrupted, assaulting him like an invisible slap squarely in the face. “Who’s courting death?” Having his bluster rebutted, Jun Wuyan’s complexion soured instantly as he turned towards the source of the voice. The bid had come from an aged man in a black robe, sitting in the back, his face hidden beneath a large hat. “Thinking he could avoid our notice by covering his face? This detestable old man, once the auction ends, we must catch him and imprison him, letting him learn the consequences of opposing the Jun family,” Jun Wuyan seethed internally, having already sentenced the man to his demise. “Five hundred and twenty thousand.” Jun Shan’s expression darkened as well, a flicker of killing intent crossing his eyes, but he persisted and offered another bid. “Five hundred and fifty thousand.” The man in black seemed somewhat impatient, sharply raising the price. “Five hundred and sixty thousand,” Jun Shan managed to refrain from losing his composure. “Six hundred thousand,” the voice of the man in black rose again. “Damn it!” At that moment, Jun Shan finally lost his temper, rising abruptly from his seat, unable to suppress his fury—this old man was truly exasperating! “Father, if we raise the price again, we won’t have enough money with us,” Jun Wuyan whispered a reminder at his side. “Then let’s not compete anymore. Let him have the Life Extending Pill for now, if he can even take it with him.” Jun Shan snorted coldly. This was advantageous as well. Dealing with the man in black directly would save them over five hundred thousand taels of gold. With the Jun family withdrawing from the fray, the man in black found himself without any challengers. Lady Hua Rui on the stage then hit her gavel, announcing the deal. The last Life Extending Pill was knocked down to the man in black for a high price of six hundred thousand taels, marking the end of the auction. As people in the auction hall began to leave in small groups, the man in black, having obtained the Life Extending Pill, made a quick exit from the auction without lingering. Yet the members of the Jun family clearly had no intention of letting him off, and they promptly followed after him, leaving no time to pick a fight with Ye Xuan. “That old man really is rich, but with this act, he has enraged the Jun family; chances are slim he’ll get out of the Capital safely,” Xia Xun said, glancing at the man in black from afar before shaking her head. Without powerful backing, offending one of the three large families, one could guess the outcome. “That’s not necessarily the case,” Ye Xuan chuckled, a spark of light flashing in his eyes. The man in black was most likely not ordinary at all. His aura was extremely obscure; he was probably at least of Martial Sect strength. With Jun Shan’s capabilities, attempting to target him was just asking for trouble.