Chapter 29: Picking Up Bargains

Jiang Fan awkwardly averted his gaze. “I only admire her business acumen,” he said, “I don’t have any other intentions.”

Xu Youran’s face was stern. “I’m not doubting you,” she said. “I’m doubting Chen Siling. It seems she likes you a bit too much.”

For Jiang Fan’s sake, she was willing to drive out the Zhu family. What exactly would make Chen Siling go this far for Jiang Fan?

Jiang Fan replied, feigning innocence, “I don’t understand it either.”

Xu Youran glanced sideways at Jiang Fan, utterly baffled. “I don’t know what she sees in you either,” she said. “Don’t let her approachable demeanor fool you; she has very high standards when it comes to choosing a future husband. I truly didn’t expect her to like you *this* much.”

Jiang Fan’s lips twitched. Why hadn’t he realized before how sharp-tongued she could be? She didn’t need a single curse word to do it!

After Chen Siling concluded her opening remarks, she decisively unveiled the red cloth covering the first tray, revealing a spirit herb known for prolonging life. It was rarely sold on the market. Jiang Fan finally understood what it meant to be a “lady of wealth”! Though it was only worth 100,000, the ladies of wealth, eager to flaunt their status, disregarded the fact that the price had already surpassed its market value, bidding fervently. It ultimately sold for a high price of 150,000.

Chen Siling was so delighted she couldn’t stop smiling, casting another grateful glance at Jiang Fan. Without the Youth-Restoring Pill attracting them, gathering so many ladies of wealth for the auction would have been nearly impossible. An ordinary spirit herb certainly wouldn’t have fetched the exorbitant price of 150,000.

Next, she successively presented several rare items. She was very clever, selling not only treasures women desired, such as high-grade rouge and skin-whitening elixirs. She also thoughtfully included treasures for the elderly, men, and children, including longevity-enhancing spirit herbs, kidney-tonifying pills, and height-promoting elixirs. The ladies of wealth were also very willing to pay. The reason was simple: by appeasing their families with these purchases, they could then lavishly spend on the Youth-Restoring Pill without argument!

By the time the eighth item was auctioned, Chen Siling had already netted five hundred thousand taels of silver. This was equivalent to the Chen family’s entire income from the previous year! She was overjoyed! The increased prestige for the Chen family from this auction was significant, not to mention the astronomical sum of actual silver acquired. But she also understood the importance of knowing when to stop.

She then unveiled the ninth item: the highly coveted Youth-Restoring Pill, desired by all the city’s ladies of wealth!

Chen Siling’s eyes gleamed shrewdly. “I won’t introduce this bottle of Youth-Restoring Pill in detail,” she said. “Please allow my mother to explain it to everyone.”

Liu Qinmin, utterly transformed, stood in a light red gown. With subtle makeup and simple jewelry, she looked years younger, almost as if she were in her twenties. Her appearance stunned many of the ladies of wealth.

“Is that Mrs. Chen? Impossible! We saw her just two days ago; she didn’t look like this!”

“That’s Liu Qinmin, isn’t it? They must have gotten it wrong.”

“My goodness, she doesn’t just look ten years younger; she looks over twenty years younger!” Zhang Yuxiu exclaimed. Even having witnessed Liu Qinmin’s transformation firsthand, she still barely recognized her. This made her even more excited. She shouted, “No need for an introduction! I’ll buy it for two hundred thousand taels of silver!”

An opening bid of two hundred thousand?

Wang Yingfeng was taken aback; she had only brought three hundred thousand, thinking she might be lucky enough to secure it. Gritting her teeth, she decided to try, “Three hundred…”

Before she could finish, a determined voice rang out.

“Four hundred thousand!”

It was the City Lord’s wife! She bid aggressively, her eyes burning with fervor as she looked from Liu Qinmin to the Youth-Restoring Pill.

“Five hundred thousand!”

Another elderly woman from a prominent family bid without hesitation!

“Six hundred thousand!”

“Seven hundred thousand!”

“Eight hundred thousand!”

As the price continued to climb, Chen Siling’s jaw dropped. She murmured, “This is insane!” She truly couldn’t fathom how a single Youth-Restoring Pill could possess such immense power!

Wang Yingfeng stared blankly, clutching her meager three hundred thousand taels of silver, a bitter taste in her mouth. She had severely underestimated the Youth-Restoring Pill’s allure.

“One million!” Zhang Yuxiu declared, an astonishing price that left everyone stunned.

Zhu Jianshen, beside her, was dumbfounded. He urgently exclaimed, “Mother! Are you mad?! One million! Even the Zhu family couldn’t afford that! To spend that much just for a beauty pill is an absolute financial disaster!”

“You shut up!” Zhang Yuxiu, her eyes blazing, scanned the room. “Anyone else?”

One million was simply too much; even the City Lord’s wife hesitated considerably before reluctantly giving up. If she was reluctant, one could imagine the others. They all gritted their teeth and painfully conceded.

“One million one hundred thousand! Young Master Jiang bids one million one hundred thousand!”

But just then, Jiang Fan, seated in the front row, casually raised his bidding paddle, his legs crossed. After all, the Youth-Restoring Pill was his to begin with. He could bid any amount; at worst, if no one competed, the pill would simply return to his possession.

Upon hearing Jiang Fan’s bid, Zhu Jianshen angrily retorted, “Do you even have the money to bid here?”

Chen Siling frowned, speaking up for Jiang Fan. “Whether a guest has the funds is something our Treasure Pavilion verifies with the bidder afterward,” she stated. “We do not tolerate reckless bidding at Treasure Pavilion. After all these years, I believe no one would dare cause trouble here.”

The ladies of wealth nodded in agreement. At such a high-stakes auction, causing trouble would be akin to having a death wish.

Chen Siling continued, “One million one hundred thousand, going once…”

“One million two hundred thousand!” Zhang Yuxiu declared, glaring at Jiang Fan and gritting her teeth. One million two hundred thousand was already becoming a burden for the Zhu family. They would have to sell off some assets just to raise that much money.

“One million three hundred thousand! Young Master Jiang bids one million three hundred thousand!” Chen Siling excitedly announced, looking at Jiang Fan’s raised paddle.

Zhang Yuxiu erupted in fury; this man was clearly trying to antagonize her. She was tempted to give up and teach Jiang Fan a harsh lesson, but recalling Liu Qinmin’s transformation, she hardened her resolve. “One million four hundred thousand!” she announced. “If you outbid me again, it’s yours!”

Jiang Fan pursed his lips and stopped bidding. He only had precisely one million three hundred thousand taels of silver on him.

Zhu Jianshen, however, sank to the ground, his eyes dimming. “One million four hundred thousand!” he gasped. He never in his wildest dreams imagined that this one pill would cost one million four hundred thousand! This had severely depleted the Zhu family’s resources! One million was already their absolute limit. The additional four hundred thousand was truly crippling! And this extra four hundred thousand was paid because Jiang Fan had maliciously driven up the price!

Chen Siling was incredibly surprised and promptly completed the transaction.

However, the bidding was not yet over. Chen Siling then pulled back the red cloth from the final item, revealing a three-foot-long piece of wood, as thick as an arm. It was entirely charred black, with clear remnants of lightning strikes. Many people recognized it.

“Lightning-struck wood? Can this even be considered a collector’s item?” questioned one of the ladies of wealth. Lightning-struck wood is essentially the charred remains of a tree struck by lightning. While it has some value, it’s generally not high. It’s not particularly rare on the market; one could find it at several material shops.

Chen Siling said, “Distinguished guests, there’s a reason I’ve saved this for last. My grandfather personally witnessed a towering tree that had gained sentience, actually capturing passing travelers and absorbing their blood. A five-colored heavenly lightning bolt then struck it, burning it until only this fragment remained. It’s certainly different from ordinary lightning-struck wood, but my grandfather researched it for many years without discovering anything conclusive. If any of you distinguished guests feel a connection to it, you are welcome to purchase it and continue the research yourself.”

Upon hearing this, many of the ladies of wealth, losing interest, began to rise and take their leave. In a blink, more than half the attendees had departed. Chen Siling gave a wry smile; it seemed this piece of lightning-struck wood was unwanted.

“My fiancé bids one hundred thousand,” Xu Youran reluctantly announced just then. Jiang Fan, standing beside her, held up a bidding paddle for one hundred thousand taels of silver, his eyes fixed on the lightning-struck wood with a hint of astonishment. He could hardly believe it. The “Thunder-Patterned Spirit Wood” described in *The Art of Primordial Souls* actually existed!