BTTH : Treasure Exchange System

After a while, the middle-aged man returned with an elderly figure by his side.

The old man wore a green robe, with a cauldron emblem on his chest. The emblem had two silver lines, glowing with a noble aura.

"Sir, allow me to introduce this distinguished guest. This is Master Guni, the primary manager of our auction house. He is a two-star Da Dou Shi and also a second-grade alchemist," the middle-aged man respectfully introduced, his tone filled with enthusiasm.

Hearing the name "Guni," Xiao Se, beneath his black cloak, was slightly taken aback. He quietly assessed the old man in his mind. His expression carried the pride typical of alchemists, though his cultivation hadn't yet reached the three-star Da Dou Shi level as it did when he first appeared in the original story. It seemed that Ya Fei hadn't arrived yet.

While Xiao Se discreetly observed Guni, Guni was also sizing him up. The figure was not tall and somewhat thin, and though concealed by the black cloak, some details were still visible, such as the specialized gloves on his hands.

In Guni's mind, he speculated: Could this be a short, skinny old man? Of course, if he knew that Xiao Se was only eleven years old, turning twelve in a month, his jaw would have probably dropped in shock.

The middle-aged man bowed to Xiao Se, then carefully picked up the jade bottle from the table and handed it to Guni.

Taking the green jade bottle, Guni brought it close to his nose and gently sniffed. A refreshing fragrance greeted him. His old eyes squinted as he poured out a drop of milky white liquid, suspending it in his palm.

Staring intently at the liquid, Guni raised two fingers and drew out a small silver needle. The needle emitted a faint trace of Dou Qi as he slowly stirred it into the liquid.

As time passed, the pride on Guni's face gradually faded, replaced by a solemn expression. After a moment, he returned the liquid to the bottle and looked at Xiao Se with newfound respect. Turning to the middle-aged man, he said lightly, "This gentleman's claim is true. The liquid is indeed second-grade."

Hearing this, the middle-aged man breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Xiao Se once more, his expression was filled with even more reverence and gratitude. "Sir, are you intending to auction this spiritual liquid?"

"Yes, arrange the earliest possible auction time for me. Also, prepare these medicinal ingredients for me. Deduct the cost from the auction proceeds." Xiao Se nodded and handed over a list.

"Of course, that won't be a problem. Sir, please take this token and head to the Heaven-grade Auction Room No. 1, where an auction is currently taking place. We will also prepare the ingredients you requested." The middle-aged man smiled, accepting the list and handing over a black iron token.

"Mm." Xiao Se casually took the token and followed a servant out of the room.

Watching Xiao Se's departure, the middle-aged man turned to Guni and asked in a low voice, "Master Guni, is he truly an alchemist?"

"Yes, his spiritual sensitivity is exceptionally sharp. There's no doubt about it," Guni nodded slightly. He glanced at the list in the middle-aged man's hand and fell into contemplation. Some of the ingredients on the list were meant for refining third-grade pills.

Under the servant's guidance, Xiao Se arrived at the Heaven-grade Auction Room No. 1.

Finding a secluded corner, he sat down and cast his gaze toward the auction stage. After only a glance, Xiao Se lost interest. Although the auctioneer was a beautiful woman, she was not Ya Fei.

That mature allure, the seductive voice that could make a man's bones turn to jelly—this woman simply didn't have it.

However, Xiao Se's attention was soon drawn to the three individuals sitting in the main seats.

In the center sat Xiao Family's patriarch, Xiao Zhan. To his left was the head of the Jia Lie family, Jia Lie Bi, and to his right was the head of the Ao Ba family, Ao Ba Pa.

After the female auctioneer finished introducing the benefits of the Foundation-Nurturing Spiritual Liquid, the entire auction house quickly heated up.

The ability to enhance the cultivation speed of Dou Disciple was an irresistible temptation for many attendees who were at that stage of their cultivation.

"I bid ten thousand."

"I bid eleven thousand."

"Twelve thousand."

The bidding continued incessantly.

"I bid twenty thousand." When Jia Lie Bi spoke up, the bidding gradually slowed.

"Heh, old Jia Lie, are you planning to use this for your son?" Ao Ba Pa, sitting on the right, chuckled teasingly.

Hearing this, Jia Lie Bi frowned and replied coldly, "So what if I am?"

"Oh, nothing. I just thought I might use it for my son. He's due to break through to Dou Zhe in a few years. Even if he doesn't need it, my grandson could use it," Ao Ba Pa said with a sarcastic smile and then raised his voice to bid, "Twenty-one thousand."

"You…" Clearly annoyed, Jia Lie Bi's lips twitched, and in one breath, he raised the bid to thirty thousand.

"Thirty thousand."

"Thirty-one thousand."

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the two had raised the price to forty-one thousand, leaving the others in the auction house shocked.

"Fifty thousand." Suddenly, Xiao Zhan, who had been silent until then, spoke.

The noisy hall fell silent. All eyes turned to Xiao Zhan, including Jia Lie Bi and Ao Ba Pa, who were startled by the sudden high bid.

"Heh, it seems Patriarch Xiao plans to give this to that so-called 'greatest genius of Wu Tan City in a hundred years.' But I heard that this genius has been crippled, reduced from a Dou Zhe to a mere Dou Disciple fourth stage. He likely can't even absorb the liquid's energy now. Who knows when he'll return to being a Dou Zhe? By that time, the spiritual liquid might have already lost its efficacy." Jia Lie Bi sneered.

Xiao Zhan glanced at Jia Lie Bi and calmly said, "Your son is crippled too, isn't he?"

"You…!" Jia Lie Bi's mouth twitched, and he fell silent.

Seeing the argument, Ao Ba Pa smiled and shrugged, deciding to withdraw. His son's talent was even worse than Jia Lie Ao's. At twenty years old, he was only at the seventh stage of Dou Disciple, with no hope of breaking through to Dou Zhe in the next three years. So there was no rush for him.

But Xiao Zhan wasn't finished. He continued, "My son Xiao Yan may have lost his Dou Qi, but at least he can cultivate it back. Your son Jia Lie Ao, on the other hand, has lost his lower parts. They won't grow back, will they? Hahaha!" Xiao Zhan burst into laughter.

Xiao Zhan's conversation with Jia Lie Bi wasn't exactly quiet. In fact, it was more like a shout, loud enough for everyone to hear. Jia Lie Ao had been castrated the previous day, and with the Jia Lie family trying to keep the news under wraps, not many people knew about it.

Now, everyone in the auction house heard it clearly.

Everyone now knew that Jia Lie Ao had been castrated.

"Haha."

"Jia Lie Ao was castrated? Is that true?"

"It's true. I was there. I told you earlier, but you didn't believe me. Now that Patriarch Xiao said it, you should believe it!"

"Hahaha, even that playboy had his day."

The crowd's laughter and discussions about Jia Lie Ao filled the hall. Xiao Yan's loss of Dou Qi was completely forgotten in light of the new, more scandalous news.

There was nothing more dramatic than someone losing their "manhood."

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