227: First, they swindle people out of their money, then they take what people want—they're utterly despicable!

The man glanced down at the seductive woman in his arms, slapped her pert backside, eliciting a soft moan from the woman as she leaned limply against his chest.

"Fine, I'll listen to you."

He withdrew his hand, no longer touching the bidding device, but instead staring coldly at the direction of the Sky Box Number One on the screen.

...The auction hall fell silent for about half a minute.

Lin Wei took a deep breath, surveyed the room, and confirmed no one else was bidding before raising the gavel high.

"Three hundred million yuan, first time!"

"Three hundred million yuan, second time!"

"Three hundred million yuan, third time—Sold!"

"Congratulations to the distinguished guest in the Sky Box Number One for successfully acquiring Lot Number 001, the natural top-grade deep purple chalcedony rough stone!"

As the sound of the gavel settled, the dust cleared.

A wave of suppressed murmuring rose in the hall; many people were still stunned by the price.

Soon, the auctioned item was carried away, and the door to the Sky Box Number One was gently knocked.

The middle-aged manager personally carried in a tray, his face plastered with a smile.

"Madam Bai, Young Master Chu, Mr. Ye, the item has arrived. Please inspect it."

Bai Wanqing nodded slightly and extended her slender hand, gently picking up the chalcedony.

It felt warm and moist to the touch, and a cool, pure aura quietly seeped into her palm, instantly invigorating her spirit.

She handed the chalcedony to Ye Chen.

Ye Chen took it and weighed it in his hand.

"The item is fine."

He placed the chalcedony back on the tray. Chu Niubi said to the manager, "You handle the paperwork."

"Yes, yes! Please don't worry, the three of you!"

The manager bowed, placed the tray on the secure table, and respectfully withdrew.

The door closed.

Bai Wanqing looked at Ye Chen and asked softly, "This thing... how exactly should Shanshan use it?"

"After we go back, I'll write down the usage method for you."

Ye Chen picked up his teacup and took a sip.

Bai Wanqing nodded. "Okay, thank you for the trouble."

Ye Chen put down his teacup, glanced at her, and added,

"Also, after it's done, if you drink a little, it will also be beneficial for you."

Bai Wanqing was slightly startled, a flicker of curiosity crossing her beautiful eyes. "Me? Could it be... I can cultivate too?"

Ye Chen's lips curled up slightly.

"I never said you couldn't."

"It's just that you haven't shown it, so I didn't mention it."

Bai Wanqing froze, then a smile bloomed at the corners of her lips, like an ice lake just beginning to thaw.

Her smile held realization, joy, and a hint of inexpressible anticipation.

Chu Niubi, standing nearby, couldn't help but lean over, staring wide-eyed at Bai Wanqing. "Madam Bai has great talent, huh? Master even said so..."

Ye Chen glanced at Chu Niubi. "She's ten thousand times better than Chu Niubi, and her sister is more than a thousand times better than you."

Chu Niubi: "..."

He felt as if an invisible arrow had struck his chest. He opened his mouth, but ultimately drooped his head, deflated.

He felt like he had just been subtly insulted.

He had even become a unit for measuring talent...

...The auction continued.

The next few lots were either Ming and Qing Dynasty official kiln porcelains, famous ancient calligraphy and paintings, or rare jade jewelry.

There were also a few rare treasures that belonged in a museum, not an auction.

Although they sparked some bidding, Ye Chen and the other two were clearly uninterested and did not bid again.

Chu Niubi was lively at first, making a few comments.

Later, seeing that Master and Madam Bai had no reaction, he sullenly retreated into the sofa to play with his phone, only occasionally stealing a glance at Ye Chen.

The auction was halfway through, and the atmosphere was still lively.

At this moment, Lin Wei announced the next auction item once more.

"Next up is Lot Number 9 for tonight, a Buddhist art treasure piece with immense historical and artistic value!"

She gestured to the side.

A staff member pushed forward a heavy glass display case.

Inside the case was clearly a White Jade buddha head!

The Buddha's head was about the size of an adult's head, the jade lustrous, and the expression solemn. However, the break mark at the neck was obvious; it was clearly part of a larger Buddha statue.

"Tang Dynasty Hetian White Jade buddha head. According to research, it may originate from an ancient temple ruin in Luoyang. Its provenance is clear, and its condition is excellent!"

Lin Wei's introduction continued.

Inside the Sky Box Number One, Ye Chen, who had been somewhat languid, frowned as his gaze fell upon the buddha head on the screen.

Chu Niubi became alert. "Master, what's special about this buddha head? Is it also a treasure?"

Ye Chen didn't answer immediately, just narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Perspective Technique quietly activated.

The external appearance of the white jade buddha head rapidly peeled away and faded in his eyes, the internal structure clearly presenting itself like a 3D image.

Indeed!

Inside the jade buddha head, there was actually another layer of jade buddha head wrapped within!

And the interior of that buddha head was not solid. Embedded in its brow was a foreign object.

That object had an ancient shape, its surface covered in verdigris, faintly showing intricate patterns. It was clearly a... Bronze Key!

A sharp glint flashed in Ye Chen's eyes as he withdrew his gaze.

"What's special isn't the buddha head itself."

"It's what's inside."

Chu Niubi, who was holding a glass of red wine, nearly choked upon hearing this. He whipped his head around, eyes wide. "The... the thing inside? There's something hidden inside the buddha head?"

He instinctively leaned closer to the screen, wishing he could stick his eyeballs onto it, but to him, it still looked like an ordinary jade buddha head.

"Mm."

Ye Chen nodded.

"This outer layer of jade was wrapped around it later to mislead people."

"Inside the real buddha head hides a bronze key."

Bai Wanqing's cool gaze fell on the screen, thoughtful. "Do we need to bid for it?"

"No need."

Ye Chen waved his hand.

"If I'm not mistaken, this thing is very likely the real target of those two Soul Ferrying Emissaries from the Soul Hall."

"Let's hold back for now."

"Wait for them to make a move, then we'll drive up the price and make them bleed to buy it..."

"Then, we'll snatch it away."

Bai Wanqing was first stunned by his words, then burst into laughter.

"First swindle their money, then snatch what they love..."

"Only you could come up with such a method, and state it so righteously."

Chu Niubi listened from the side, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Brilliant, Master! Truly brilliant!"

"This is like the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind... No, that's not right!"

He scratched his head, trying to find a more fitting phrase, then slapped his thigh suddenly.

"This is a rotten setup behavior!"

"We'll hide in the back, watch them show off, wait until they empty their wallets and carry the item back, and then we intercept them on the road!"

"Hehe, just thinking about it is exciting!"

Ye Chen glanced at him, didn't reply, and instead turned his gaze back to the auction screen.

...At this moment, the bidding for the Tang Dynasty White Jade buddha head had already begun.

The starting bid was twenty million.

Not many people in the hall raised their paddles, and the increases were quite cautious.

After all, it was just a severed head. Although it had the prestige of the Tang Dynasty, its artistic value and completeness were limited. The price stalled around forty million.

Lin Wei smiled on stage, about to start the countdown...

Suddenly!

The electronic screen in front of her flickered.

Lin Wei glanced at it and announced loudly, "Guest in Earth Box Number Two bids—Sixty million!"

An immediate increase of twenty million!

This move caused a ripple of excitement in the hall.

Many people looked back towards Earth Box Number Two, whispering amongst themselves.

...In the Sky Box Number One, Ye Chen's eyes narrowed. "It seems our target is almost confirmed."

"Master, you mean..."

"The two bastards from the Soul Hall are in Earth Box Number Two?"

Chu Niubi immediately became energized.

"Most likely."

Ye Chen nodded slightly. "When they bid for the chalcedony earlier, they tried to interfere and raise the price midway. Although they gave up later, they are clearly people who know quality, aware of the value that chalcedony holds for spirit cultivators."

Of course.

This wasn't the only reason for Ye Chen's bold judgment.

The most important thing was... ever since he had dealings with the Soul Hall people twice, he noticed that people from the Soul Hall all cultivated their spirits.

And the power contained within that chalcedony was the perfect material for strengthening spiritual power.

Therefore.

Only those who cultivated in that area would bother bidding for it.

Bai Wanqing was clever and understood immediately. "And now, with this Tang Dynasty Jade buddha head, they are showing a determined stance to win it. Then it can only be them."

"Exactly."

Ye Chen nodded.

Chu Niubi listened, rubbing his hands excitedly. "So what do we do now? Just start bidding and take them on directly? Drive the price up to the sky and bankrupt these shady scoundrels!"

Ye Chen shook his head instead.

"Not in a hurry."

"Let them play with the others first."

Just as Ye Chen finished speaking...

Lin Wei on the auction stage was about to ask if there were any further bids, when the electronic screen in front of her... flickered again!

An astonishing number jumped up!

"Distinguished guest in box no. 3 bids—One billion RMB!"