Heaven's Laws - Lifestone - Chapter 9

“I’m assuming you want to go to the auction house first?” Huifen asked.

“That is my preference, yes. What do you think?” Chao pried.

“It is mine as well. Going to auction with my father was one of my favorite things to do as a child. They can be quite exciting. Master Wang said there will be an auction this morning and one in the afternoon. These are the daily general auctions, so it’s likely there won’t be anything too remarkable. But to have auctions daily, this Emperor’s Auction House must be remarkable itself. They would only put on such an event if it made them money. To hold more than one a day… It’s worth taking a look.”

His wife tapped her lips, and he immediately surrounded them in a sound barrier.

“Why did you buy the necklace for Miss Chun?”

He sensed no ire from her, only concern.

“Even after spending nearly an hour answer our questions when she thought we’d just buy the one pendant, she was kind to us. Buying it for her was nothing to us, but to her it could be life altering.”

“You understand it could’ve also been dangerous for her?”

He placed his hand on top of hers that was already resting on his arm as they walked. “I do. It’s not that I didn’t consider that as well. I just thought it wasn’t an expensive enough piece for most thieves to bother with. It’s just a lesser qi gathering array.”

She swatted at his arm with her other hand. “And that is where you erred. As I said before, I agree with your reason for doing it, but one of the disadvantages of advancing as fast as we have is that it’s difficult to correctly empathize with others. I know you, husband. It’s not a failure of willingness. You’ve practically skipped realms, so your experience is different than other cultivators of the earth and sky realm. Even when you were in the nascent realm I had you looked up in your room and cultivation chamber separate from the rest of the joint sect. For that, I’m sorry.”

“No apology needed. My Huifen just wanted me all to herself.”

“There might be some truth to that.”

There was a touch of sarcasm to her tone. Instead of battling her with a witting quip of his own, he took a different approach. “Your pendant and hairpins look incredible on you.”

She turned away as the blood rushed to her face.

He laughed. “Let’s go.” Lengthening his stride, he hurried to follow the directions Master Wang had given them.

Even with all the traffic, it didn’t take them long to reach the Emperor’s Auction House. It wasn’t associated with the Sun family or the royal house at all. Chao had set through countless meetings over the last week and had detailed information of all the royal family’s business holdings. Emperor’s was an arrogant name, but one the establishment lived up to. It was one of the few businesses with a nine-story pagoda in the capital.

As soon as the building came into view, Chao asked Huifen if it would be too obvious if they flew from there. They agreed to walk a little further. When they were less than half a kilometer, they took to the air an flew toward the top floor.

Out of all the buildings in the area, including those with the highest pagoda’s, the Emperor’s Auction House was receiving far more guests. There was still time before the first auction, but it was drawing near enough to attract a crowd. There was one on the lower non-flying levels and the top level.

Touching down, they shared a glance. It was habit for them to constantly observe the people around them. They’d both noticed that almost every person here was a sky realm cultivator or at least accompanied by one.

Huifen shook her head. Chao grinned back that he understood. They’d be leaving their sashes in place—at least for now.

He shouldn’t have been surprised to see the place decorated in gold and scarlet. Even the lighting existed to emphasize the golden walls and ceiling accentuated by red paint and fabric. It wasn’t nearly as packed as the first floor of Master Wang’s pagoda, but there had to be a couple hundred cultivators browsing. Most of the traffic was heading in one direction. On the far side of the room were two double doors open to a large back room. It was the auction house floor.

A man in a red and black merchant’s cap was coming toward them. Chao watched as he gave them a scrutinizing look. When the man reached them, he bowed deeply at the waste. “Greetings young master. Young miss. The auction will be starting soon. Might I help you find a seat?”

“Yes,” Chao replied eagerly.

“Wonderful. Follow me.” As the man led them toward the open doors to the auction floor, he began to explain. “The items on display here have a set price. If that price isn’t met by the date listed below the price, then the item will be auctioned off. It is then possible to get those items for a cheaper price. Many attend our daily auctions for that chance, however, it’s not always the case that items sell for a cheap price. Sometimes an item might go for a much higher one because more than one party was interested in buying it. We always recommend paying the set price if it’s something you must have. The prices are fair and set according to recent market value. Admittedly, the temptation to get something for a cheaper price is one hard to resist.”

“No wonder you’re able to put on multiple auctions a day,” Huifen replied.

The man looked pleased as he led them to the upper back row of seats. It was a raised up above the rest of the room so that those sitting there could look down on the stage. There were also less seats and they were grouped together. If a large party came to participate, they could sit in the back and have some distance between them and other parties.

Chao sensed it was also used to seat special guests. A glance at Huifen confirmed this. She was much more sensitive to social and political nuisance than he was. That had become even more obvious during their time in the palace. It reminded him of what Sage Yongrui had once told him. That there was a game being played between politicians and cultivators that had been going on since the dawn of time. Everyone was playing it and he would only harm himself if he refused. Now that he wasn’t just responsible form himself, but also his wife, he was trying. The whole thing just seemed disingenuous to him.

They were offered a seat that was close to lining up with the middle of the stage, which was even more suspect. As they took their seats, Chao sent a wisp of sound directly to his wife’s ear. “Do you think they know who we are?”

Since the man leading them hadn’t yet left, she patted down his worry until they were finished speaking with him.

“This jade contains a catalog of our items for sale,” the merchant said, handing it to Chao. “The first section contains what is about to be auctioned off, while the second contains the items being auctioned off this afternoon. And finally, the last and largest section contains items that currently have a set price or the few items for sale that are not to be auctioned off.”

They thanked the man before he left. When he did, a shroud of sound surrounded them, and Huifen responded to his earlier question. “I don’t think they’ve discovered our identities, but, because we didn’t hide our wealth from Master Wang, he probably contacted some friends to let them know we’d be coming. It’s a good business practice. You noticed we had someone approach us as soon as we arrived, while all of these cultivators that appear to be of a higher realm than we are did not. Most probably, they believe us to be from a wealthy family. They want to provide us good service and a comfortable environment to encourage us to spend money.”

“Well, let’s not disappoint them,” he said, motioning toward the jade catalog.

“Just try not to cause a commotion. There are many powerful people present—and I’m not just referring to their cultivation.”

“Yes, my Huifen.”

Her eyes narrowed, but a moment later, she sunk her perceptions into the card jade. He took the opportunity to admire her before doing the same.

Focusing on the first list of items about to be auctioned, he realized he didn’t know what half of the items were used for. It was a problem he was running into a lot recently. It wasn’t a major concern. He had a lot to learn. There was a reason Father Tu’s knowledge and ability was even held in high regard by the Ice and Fire Phoenix Sect.

He focused on the highest price items first. At the top of the list was a qi formation designed to protect a large area like a sect. The one described could easily cover the entire Emperor’s Auction House and defend against sky realm level attacks. It’s price, over a hundred thousand golden taels. There were other defensive formations being sold for much less that were weaker and covered a smaller area. They were still tens of thousands of taels each.

It really put the divine realm formation his father had given to the joint sect into perspective. If they were to sell it, would they even be able to give it a price? It made him wonder about the Ice Phoenix Palace as well. Even without their formation protecting it, it was a divine realm defensive treasure as well.

The next most expensive items were weapons and defensive treasures. The highest rank available were sky realm weapons. They’d originally been listed in the tens of thousands of taels. He had no idea they’d be so pricy. It made sense, though. The sky realm was the highest level most cultivators could dream for. Even that was exceedingly rare. Unless someone had abnormal talent or enough resources, it was impossible to reach it. It reminded him how blessed he was to have Huifen as his wife and the myriads of materials they’d earned by the tip of the sword.

He was looking through the defensive treasures when he saw a familiar name.

Smokey Moss Lilac – A flowery moss that grows on the forest floor in well shaded areas that are rich in nature and earth qi. Its rarity is due to the unique balance of qi that’s necessary for its growth. Commonly used of severe burn patients and is considered a miracle drug for skin conditions. High realm level blood purifier.

Chao then looked at the price and had to stop himself from objecting out loud. He’d grown up collecting Smokey Moss Lilac seasonally. It commonly grew in the Redwood Aurora. They were originally asking two hundred taels per jin. Remembering the straw basket he and his mother had often used to collect wild herbs, it could’ve likely carried three to five jin per load. As a boy, he used to gather a few thousand taels of the moss every season.

He hastily started going through the other herbs and found many he knew well. Not all were pricey, but there were far more of them than he ever would’ve expected. When he felt his wife’s perceptions, he withdrew his own as he quickly calculated how much the herbs in his mother’s garden were worth. Tens of thousands of taels…

He’d never felt like he’d grown up with much wealth. Their cabin wasn’t small, but it was humble compared to richer homes in the cities of the Redwood Aurora. They’d always had every they needed, but rarely would his parents buy him something just because he fancied it. He was also always expected to work. Thinking back, it really did seem like a humble upbringing, but then he remembered their home’s defensive formation was the very same one now protecting the joint sects. Even his own spatial ring he’d carried around as a child had its accessible space limited until his father removed the limitation. Inside was a divine cultivation method as well as tribulation level weapons.

“What’s wrong?” Huifen asked.

He grinned sheepishly. Had he really grown up in one of Lifestone’s richest families and not even known it?

“I’m just realizing how costly some of the herbs in my mother’s garden are,” he replied.

“Oh?”

He directed her to a few of the most expensive.

“It makes sense that you wouldn’t realize it. These herbs probably cost much less where you’re from because they are common to that region. They would’ve had to travel more than a thousand kilometers to reach the capital, though, and some of them might be difficult to store so that they keep their effectiveness.”

“Mmm. I see.”

A derisive sigh sounded from nearby. He glanced past Huifen to see a long-haired young man in a gaudy suit of silver and gold. It’s like he’d been waiting for Chao to look just to turn away in the most cavalier way possible.

The girl next to the man wore a dress with only half of the flare of the man’s suit. Her eyes darted away, but she didn’t incline her head back as the man did.

“Poor country nobles, I suspect,” the man continued jeering. “Why did they have to seat them next to us? Normally, Emperor’s staff is good about where they seat people. I’m going to complain.”

“Master Li, don’t bother,” the girl replied sweetly. “Let them enjoy their position. It’s to be expected by one with your status, but to them, it must be thrilling. Perhaps their enthusiasm might rub off on us.”

“Mmm. Point taken, Lady Hien.”

Chao glanced down the back row which was mostly empty except for a few larger parties and the couple next to them.

“Don’t mind them,” Huifen said in hushed tones. “Most nobles at least act noble, but there are always some that think that acting arrogant is what makes them noble.”

He snickered at her explanation, limiting the travel of their voices. “It’s this Lady Hien that I’m wondering about. The man is in the large success of the earth realm, but she’s an early sky realm cultivator. What do you think? Was she being generous, or also insulting us but in the nicest way possible?”

“As I said, most at least try to act noble. Either case is likely. Possibly both.”

‘Interesting.”

“What’s that look supposed to mean?”

“What look?” He asked.

“You look like you were pleased that they both might be insulting us.”

He smiled even wider. “I’m used to every ice fairy I see having the same cold look. It’s almost impossible to know if they’re being sarcastic or hiding their word’s true meaning. At least, with these two their meaning is a mystery I can solve.”

Seeing her mouth drop open, even if only slightly, he removed his sound barrier and let his laugh carry.

The lustrous young master turned toward him with an obvious sneer.

Chao wasn’t concerned about the man in the least, but it wasn’t his habit of being purposely rude. He kept himself from laughing even louder and grinned kindly at the guy.

“So,” he said, turning back to his wife. “Is there anything you saw that you’re interested in?”

“There is one thing. They have many kilos of qi crystals for sell. They’re often used as currency on the northern continent. They are condensed qi so you can used them to cultivate as well. We should pick up some while we’re here.”

“That sounds handy.”

She frowned. “More than handy. Depending on the quality and purity, one could use them to cultivate all the way to the overlord realm if they had enough. The only problem is that they are formed from heaven and earth qi, so most won’t use them to advance large realms.”

“Oh… Oh. That means?”

“Yes. As long as they are pure enough, you wouldn’t have the same drawback. However, they are rarely perfectly pure and lean heavier toward one element or another. The better ones will probably be sold on their own, while the impure, low-quality ones will be sold in bulk. We could use both.”

Footsteps drew his attention to the stage below. There were two display tables—one on either side of the podium. They were also closer to the edge of the stage so that the podium wouldn’t block the view of those sitting on the sides of the room.

A woman with lurid red hair stepped up to the podium. She had the air of a noble, but there was something playful in the way she looked out at the crowd. She was also a sky realm cultivator…

“Welcome to Emperor’s Auction House’s morning auction,” she announced. “My name is Ou Hop and I will serve as today’s auctioneer. There are a few special items up for grabs that I’m sure a few of our regular guests have had their eyes on.”

As she said it, a potted plant was brought on stage. The plant was obviously some variant of ginseng, but it was the pot carrying it that caught Chao’s eye.

“A jade pot?”

“Mmm,” Huifen replied. “They’re commonly used to transport rare plants that are best stored alive. It helps keep the qi from escaping.”

“Extravagant, but smart.”

He ignored the sneer from their haughty neighbor. For a second, he considered blocking out their conversation for the rest of the auction but thought better of it. It wasn’t actually bothering him. Rather, he was amused.

“Our first item, today, is a century old mountain ginseng. It is being sold by a well-known local family, and its potency has been tested by our inhouse experts,” the woman said. “The bidding will start at five hundred golden taels.”

Chao was a bit surprised by the starting price, but he expected it to sell for many times that. “A century old?”

“It’s said that the longer a plant lives,” Huifen said. “The more potent it becomes. Where a normal ginseng might benefit mortals or lower realm cultivators, after enough time of soaking in rich qi it could benefit higher realm cultivators.”

“That I’m familiar with. I was just wondering our loud where the standard came from. Depending on its location, the amount of qi and type can vary drastically. I remember mother calling herbs decade this, century that, when we’d planted it that very season.”

Her grin was a contemplative one. “I don’t think the normal standards apply to your mother’s garden. I’d only heard stories of cultivating with spiritual energy when I arrived there. I thought they were myths or ancient practices, but since you lived far from where I grew up, I didn’t dwell too much on it. It’s possible some sects and older families have their own methods to advancing herb growth faster than normal.”

“Absurd,” the Young Master Li just a few meters away from them said.

“Five hundred and fifty,” a voice called from the middle of the rows below that were level with the stage.

Chao wanted to say something, but Huifen was ignored the man. She was normally the one quickest to react to such things, so Chao was being extra careful. He wasn’t scared of any of the cultivators there, but he knew he didn’t rightly understand political consequences. The last thing he wanted to do was make it harder on the joint sect in the case they had to reveal who they really were.

When the price reached seven hundred, the young nobleman next to them called out, “One thousand.”

Multiple people on the bottom rows turned to look at who had spoken. Even those who had been bidding lowered their gaze and turned around without bidding any longer. Since when did sky realm cultivators get shrink back so easily?

Chao licked the front of his teeth.

“Sold to Young Master Li Bowen,” the woman called with a melodic tone.

When a few of the sky realm cultivators below clapped, and one even stood and congratulated the obnoxious man, Chao was finally starting to get annoyed.

The next item up for bidding was a sky realm rank sword that was exceptional at channeling wind qi. The item didn’t interest him, and he was curious to see if everyone would stop bidding if anyone on the back row started, or if it was just this Li Bowen.

A few more items passed, and none of them had yet to bid when Huifen said, “I’m going to make an offer.”

“Oh?”

He took a closer look at what was on display on the stage below. It was open chest made of light wood that was full of foggy-white crystals. Some of them had an amber color. “Qi crystals?”

“Minor ones, yes. From what I can see of their color, they’re probably better for trade than cultivation.” She lifted her hand and announced her bid. “Two hundred.”

“Two hundred from the pretty fairy in the back,” Ou Hop acknowledged.

Just a second later, Chao’s question was answered. A sky realm man in black robes near the stage didn’t hesitate to bid even though his wife was sitting in the back.

A jeerful wheeze sounded from their neighbor. Li Bowen called out, “Five hundred.”

Chao scooted forward in his chair, when he felt something sharp suddenly jab him in the ribs. He turned to find Huifen poking him.

“It’s an absurd price,” she said. “I don’t want it for more than three hundred.”

He sat back in his chair, but no longer hid his glare.

The man pretended he didn’t see him, while he made a show of accepting his second winning bid of the day.

Huifen leaned over and whispered. “You’re letting him get to you.”

“I don’t like rude people.”

She giggled. “Sage Yongrui is rude.”

“He’s crude, not cruel along with it. This man uses his station and wealth as a cudgel.”

“So what are you going to do? Out bid him on something we don’t need to prove your point?”

“What? Why would I do that? My wife takes after Father Tu and is very clever with money. There are other ways.”

“Don’t hurt him,” she hissed.

“Why would I do that?”

“Are you going to try to drive up the price? If you want to try, that’s fine, but we aren’t familiar enough with the market to force him to spend a lot for something of little worth. If we reveal our cultivation, he may come out and apologize to us without us even asking.”

“No, there’s other, more entertaining ways.”

“You’re going to embarrass me, aren’t you?”

“Not you.”

“Find, but remember the proverb, ‘To answer the arrogant man in his arrogance is to smear their foolishness on your own face.’”

He nodded. “My wife is wise. And don’t worry. I won’t say a word.”

---

As you can see, this chapter is setting up a very cliche scenario in the genre, but I thought it was appropriate so that our MCs could handle it with their own style. I have a few other ideas that should add a twist or two on the end. We gotta have a few nice rare finds while they're there as well. I hope to have it up and finished tomorrow.

Cheers!