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In the martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty, where swordsmen were as numerous as clouds, Ximen Chuixue was like a dazzling star, unmatched by anyone.
Although people in the martial arts world often compare Ximen Chuixue, Dugu Yihe, Huo Xiu, and others, many believe that only Ye Gucheng, the lord of Baiyun City overseas, is qualified to compete with Ximen Chuixue.
Such a top-notch swordsman not only spread his name throughout the martial arts world of the Ming Dynasty, but also became a household name among masters in other places.
The moment he appeared, the audience erupted in applause and cheers.
"Ximen Chuixue?"
"I've heard of your name; it's certainly well-known."
"I just don't know if, in actual combat, he'll be like Murong Fu—all show and no substance."
The Marquis of the Underworld gave a cold laugh.
Murong Fu was speechless. He simply couldn't stay in the Ascending Heaven Pavilion. Even lying down, he could get shot.
"Then you make the first move."
Ximen Chuixue drew his longsword, its aura intimidating and piercing straight to the heart.
Feeling immense pressure, Minghou and Yueji immediately launched simultaneous attacks, striking Ximen Chuixue from the left and right sides respectively.
A war is about to break out.
Sikong Zhaixing looked at Lu Xiaofeng and asked, "Aren't you Ximen Chuixue's best buddy? Why don't you go and lend a hand?"
Lu Xiaofeng's gaze fell on the toothless old servant beside Xu Fengnian, and he said in a low voice, "As long as that person doesn't make a move, Ximen Chuixue is bound to win."
Sikong Zhaixing followed Lu Xiaofeng's gaze, her face filled with disbelief.
He couldn't see anything special about this cleft-mouthed, always-smiling old servant.
"What if he plays? Can Ximen Chuixue handle it alone?"
Sikong Zhaixing asked another question.
Lu Xiaofeng shrugged, looking helpless: "If he goes on stage, even if I go up to help, I'm no match for him. So whether I go on stage or not makes no difference."
Is this old servant really that capable?
Chapter 13 Bidding
Sikong Zhaixing was genuinely shocked this time. After thinking about it, she realized it made a lot of sense and nodded, saying, "That's right. How could the Crown Prince of Beiliang go out without top-notch experts protecting him?"
At this point, Old Huang kept sighing.
Ximen Chuixue's swordsmanship made his blood boil, and he really wanted to go up and have a match with him.
But when he thought about his current identity, he could only forcefully suppress this impulse.
Xu Fengnian didn't notice Lao Huang's unusual behavior, and just looked at Nangong and said, "Why don't you go up and give it a try?"
Nangong replied expressionlessly, "I am no match for him."
Xu Fengnian shook his head: "It seems that in the end, I'll have to rely on myself."
Just then, Ximen Chuixue's sword energy crisscrossed, directly blasting Minghou and Yueji away.
After that, no one dared to challenge him again.
Ye Ruoyi stepped forward, her gaze sweeping across the entire room, and said softly:
"Since no one else is going to challenge it, the Silver Heavenly Secret Token will belong to Ximen Chuixue."
"Next, we will decide who owns the Golden Heavenly Secret Token."
"Starting bid: 10,000 taels of silver."
As soon as Ye Ruoyi finished speaking, a group of wealthy people immediately started shouting excitedly.
"I'll offer thirty thousand taels of silver!"
"You think you can get the Golden Heavenly Secret Token for 30,000 taels? I'll offer 60,000!"
“I’m offering 90,000, which is all I have, just to ask the celestial oracle for a divination.”
The heroes of the martial arts world were dumbfounded, never expecting these wealthy merchants to be so crazy.
He was willing to spend more money than he could earn in several lifetimes just for a chance to have his fortune told.
Xu Fengnian picked at his ear, and after everyone's bidding slowed down, he lazily said:
"Xu Fengnian, the heir apparent of Beiliang, will contribute one million taels of silver."
One million taels of silver?
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.
Those wealthy people had been asking for a lot of money, but the highest amount they ever offered was only 160,000 taels.
At this price, even the wealthiest merchants would have to think twice, as the increase would only be a few thousand taels.
After all, the Golden Heavenly Secret Token is only an opportunity to seek divination, and there will be other costs to pay later.
The wealthier a person is, the more shrewd they are; they had already assessed the value of this Heavenly Secret Token long ago.
But Xu Fengnian's move stunned everyone.
Is there really such a bidding process?
"Hmph, I heard that the Crown Prince of Beiliang is an idiot, and seeing him today, it's definitely true."
"I heard that Xu Fengnian has mental problems. When the emperor died and the whole country was in mourning, he stayed at home watching operas."
"Spend a million taels of silver to buy a Heavenly Secret Token? Has Xu Fengnian lost his mind?"
"I think Xu Fengnian is not only the number one fool in Beiliang, but also the number one in Liyang, and the number one in the world."
"It's a pity that the kingdom that the King of Beiliang conquered was ultimately squandered by this good-for-nothing son."
"If I were the King of Beiliang, I would have been furious to death long ago if I had a son like this."
"You don't understand the world of the rich. One million taels is nothing to the Crown Prince of Beiliang!"
Although no one raised the price, the discussions continued, mostly sarcastic and mocking.
Spending one million taels of silver to buy a Heavenly Secret Token is a foolish act no matter how you look at it.
But Xu Fengnian didn't care at all.
That's the effect he wanted.
It allows one to obtain the Heavenly Secret Token while simultaneously making oneself appear more like a fool—a double win.
However, just when he thought the matter was over, a voice suddenly interrupted him:
"I'll offer two million taels of silver."
The hall was silent.
Two million taels of silver? That's double the original one million?
Everyone turned to look at the person who made the bid.
Even Xu Fengnian looked surprised, and asked with a roguish grin, "Who are you? How dare you try to steal from me?"
The bidder, with eyes closed, spoke with an elegant demeanor and gentle tone:
"I am from the Hua family of the Great Ming Dynasty, Hua Manlou."
"I have no intention of offending Young Master Xu, but this Heavenly Secret Token is of utmost importance to me. Please forgive me, Young Master Xu."
These words caused another uproar in the audience.
The Hua family, the richest family in the Ming Dynasty.
This is no ordinary tycoon; he is a massive conglomerate whose wealth rivals that of a nation.
When it comes to power, the Hua family can't even compare to a single finger of Bei Liang.
But if we're talking about money, the combined wealth of the five Beiliang tribes doesn't even match that of the Hua family.
But no one expected that such a good family like the Huas would produce a spendthrift son.
Hua Manlou had no other choice.
The Hua family was the mastermind behind the Datong Baochao (a type of ancient Chinese currency).
The counterfeit money issue has become a big deal, with hundreds of thousands of taels of counterfeit money circulating in the market every day.
Not to mention that if the matter is exposed, the resulting run on the bank might bankrupt the Hua family.
Two million taels of silver is nothing compared to the potential losses the Hua family might suffer.
The atmosphere in the hall became even more lively.
Many martial arts heroes are watching Xu Fengnian closely, wondering if he will continue to raise the price.
Xu Fengnian frowned.
He was just pretending to be a fool; he wasn't actually a spendthrift.
Two million taels of silver is not a small sum for Beiliang.
After all, the annual tax revenue of the three prefectures of Bei and Liang is only tens of millions of taels, and they still have to support hundreds of thousands of troops and cover various expenses.
Xu Fengnian felt it was worth spending one million taels to buy the reputation of a fool; any more would not be worth it.
However, this matter cannot be directly expressed.
Xu Fengnian pretended to be angry and said loudly, "Old Huang, how much money do you have left?"
Old Huang also cooperated by saying, "Young master, we left in a hurry this time and only brought one million taels of silver notes with us."
"What? I was planning to raise the price even further!"
"Write back to me immediately and have my father send five million taels of silver, no, ten million taels!"
Xu Fengnian said in an exaggerated manner.
Old Huang nodded repeatedly: "Young Master is right, then let's not argue this time."
This performance was extremely effective; without spending a penny, he gained the title of a super idiot.
Ye Ruoyi saw through Xu Fengnian's insincerity, rolled her eyes slightly, and said softly:
MM Racing