Chapter 78: The Young Master of Canglang Pavilion

The nightingale hadn’t meant to fall—Lin Zhan knew that well. The young girl had been waving the auction paddle with determination, prepared not to falter at the crucial moment, yet, alas, she had bungled it.

At the instant Lin Zhan signaled for a decisive bid, the nightingale leapt with excitement, ready to wave the paddle several times in succession, for her young master had instructed her to bid directly to thirty million spirit stones.

But then, her foot slipped, and she fell in a most undignified manner, sending the paddle flying from her hand with a loud thud.

At that moment, her young master called out, “For this unrivaled Book of Immortal Pills, I bid thirty million spirit stones!”

The nightingale scrambled to her feet, glancing sheepishly at Lin Zhan, her face flushed with embarrassment.

“Did you hurt yourself? Oh, it shouldn’t matter—I forgot you’re a Purple Gold Luan. It’d be surprising if you got injured,” Lin Zhan smiled, awaiting to see if the thirty million bid would secure the Book of Immortal Pills.

“Master…” Her eyes brimmed with unshed tears; her body might not suffer harm, but her heart could. Could her master have spared the latter half of his remark?

Thirty million spirit stones instantly pushed the auction for the Book of Immortal Pills to its highest peak.

“My goodness, the first-tier sky pavilion has been silent for so long, and now they make a move—it’s bound to be momentous!”

“Indeed, the first pavilion—every one of them is formidable…”

“Just now, Lei Feiyang, the young master of Thunder Sect, showed his face. It was so dark!”

“That’s right—he thought it was the second pavilion raising the bid again, but it turned out to be the first. Hilarious.”

A fresh round of discussion broke out. For such a miraculous artifact, most lacked the means to compete, but they had plenty of interest.

Uncle Lian waited a few moments; seeing that Lei Feiyang no longer bid, he announced loudly, “If no one else is bidding, the unrivaled Book of Immortal Pills will be sold to Young Master Lin of the first-tier sky pavilion for thirty million spirit stones!”

“Yay!” The nightingale struck a triumphant pose in the box, unable to contain her joy. “Master, we’ve made a stunning entrance!”

Lin Zhan himself was filled with anticipation. He wondered if he could truly comprehend the Book of Immortal Pills, and hoped to acquire it soon.

But he would have to wait until the auction ended to approach the Heavenly Treasures Workshop for payment and collection.

This was only the first item of the second stage of the auction.

“Next up is a special item called the Unmoving Mountain—a suppressive artifact, starting price five million spirit stones…” With the first item finally settled, Uncle Lian breathed a long sigh of relief and hurried on to the next lot.

Lin Zhan settled back in his seat, while the nightingale attentively replaced the teapot with fresh hot tea.

He had no interest in the Unmoving Mountain; his white bone tower sufficed—it could suppress, serve as a hammer, or even a crowbar. He doubted the Unmoving Mountain would surpass it.

Ultimately, the Unmoving Mountain was won by a young man in a standard VIP suite on the second floor for eleven million spirit stones.

The third item was an offensive artifact, named Dancing Sky Ribbon, evidently designed for female cultivators, with a starting bid of six million spirit stones.

Lin Zhan glanced at the nightingale and asked, “Do you need any weapons—perhaps this Dancing Sky Ribbon?”

Her eyes sparkled like stars, a look of delight spreading across her face. “Master, does that mean if I want it, you’ll bid for it?”

Lin Zhan nodded; there was nothing wrong with that.

He was about to stand and observe the bidding for the Dancing Sky Ribbon; if the nightingale wanted it, he would secure it at any price.

“Oh, no, Master, I don’t need any weapons or magical items right now,” the nightingale replied with satisfaction, her face mischievously radiant, as if she’d achieved some clever goal, her heart filled with joy.

“It seems my master is genuinely kind to me, so thoughtful, willing to buy me whatever I desire.”

Lin Zhan, of course, didn’t fully grasp the subtleties of a young girl’s mind. Sometimes, it wasn’t about actually doing something, but simply having the intention—a heart truly willing to act for her. That alone brought happiness, as it did now for the nightingale.

“All right, if you ever need anything, just say so,” Lin Zhan promised without hesitation.

He had shown so many spirit stones before the nightingale not simply to reassure her, but also to display his resources after forming their contract. He hoped she would feel at ease and wouldn’t be anxious or troubled over spirit stones if any situation arose—thus avoiding unnecessary worry.

Since the nightingale had unconditionally entered into a contract with him, becoming his spirit companion, Lin Zhan would treat her as himself.

So, with the nightingale uninterested in the Dancing Sky Ribbon, Lin Zhan abandoned pursuit of the artifact.

Soon enough, the Dancing Sky Ribbon found a new owner.

In the third-tier sky pavilion, beside Zhong Qi sat a woman in red, laughing so heartily that she clung to his neck and pressed a fervent kiss to his cheek. Then, leaning close to his ear, she whispered seductively, “You bought me such a precious Dancing Sky Ribbon—tonight… I shall serve you well…”

Zhong Qi remained impassive, a shadow flickering in his gaze.

The woman, Hong Ying, was his childhood companion, granddaughter of a grand elder in their sect.

According to Zhong Qi’s father and the grand elder, it would be ideal for Hong Ying to be his concubine.

The two had, in fact, been secretly involved for years, and had done everything lovers might do.

Hong Ying was undeniably beautiful, and had cultivated a certain charm technique, which lent her an irresistible allure.

Of course, her charm technique had only ever been employed for Zhong Qi.

Yet, what Zhong Qi contemplated now was beyond her comprehension. As the young master of a sect, he bore the weight of its glory; he had grown up amid fierce competition and endless intrigue. His mindset was far from pure.

At this moment, his thoughts were fixed on tonight’s plan. Even if he failed to win the miraculous item, if he could forge ties with the representatives of the Supreme Pavilion, he might obtain more information about the secret realm. If fortune favored him, perhaps he could gain entry to explore it, which would be perfect.

His sect, Canglang Tower, had become stagnant—like a pool of dead water, losing its drive for development. If it continued, extinction would be inevitable.

Tonight’s scheme hinged on the companion by his side, Hong Ying, his childhood confidante.

“Sometimes sacrifice is necessary,” Zhong Qi mused inwardly. “If I could, I’d rather not have been born into a sect like Canglang Tower…”

He turned his gaze to the auction stage on the plaza.

There, the next item was being unveiled—a jet-black suit of armor, named the Cloud-Devouring Demon Armor!