"He authorized it the moment he left this on his desk while he was in the bathroom. The perks of being a Martial Uncle, Ji’an. We requisition resources. Aggressively."

Ji’an stared at the stolen medallion.

’My master is a kleptomaniac with a drinking problem,’ she thought, a profound sense of awe washing over her. ’I have never felt safer in my life.’

The Grand Heavenly Auction House was located at the very center of the city, a towering monolith of white jade and gold that looked less like a commercial building and more like a temple dedicated to the god of extreme wealth.

Thanks to the "borrowed" medallion, Jiu Zui and Ji’an bypassed the massive, winding line of regular cultivators and were immediately escorted by bowing, terrified attendants into a private, floating VIP booth on the third floor.

The booth was opulent. Plush velvet seating, a table laden with rare, glowing spirit-fruits, and a massive, crystal-clear projection screen that offered a perfect view of the auction stage below.

Ji’an immediately threw herself onto the velvet couch, grabbing a bunch of glowing blue grapes. "Okay, I take it back. The kidnapping was worth it. These grapes taste like sparkling cider."

Jiu Zui collapsed into a chair, propping his boots up on the mahogany table. "Eat up, kid. The real show is about to begin."

Down on the stage, a charismatic auctioneer in crimson robes slammed a golden gavel.

"Welcome, esteemed cultivators, to the Grand Heavenly Auction!" the auctioneer’s voice boomed, magically amplified to reach every corner of the massive amphitheater. "Today, we have treasures that will shake the very foundations of your cultivation! Let us begin with our first item!"

A beautiful attendant carried out a silver platter covered in a silk cloth. The cloth was whipped away, revealing a small, intricately carved wooden box.

"Behold! A thousand-year-old Frost-Vein Snow Ginseng! Harvested from the peak of the Glacial Abyss! A supreme ingredient for forging Ice-attribute Golden Cores! Bidding starts at fifty thousand low-grade spirit stones!"

Ji’an nearly choked on a grape. "Fifty thousand?! For a shriveled root?! I could buy a restaurant franchise with that kind of money!"

But before she could properly process the inflation rate of the cultivation world, a voice rang out from a VIP booth directly across the amphitheater.

"Sixty thousand!"

The voice was bright, polite, and entirely recognizable.

Ji’an leaned forward, pressing her face against the crystal barrier. Through the transparent glass of the opposing booth, she saw a mop of brilliant golden hair.

"Zhiwei?" Ji’an gasped.

It was indeed Gu Zhiwei, the Holy Son. He was leaning out of his booth, waving his bidding paddle enthusiastically. "I apologize to anyone who wanted this!" Gu Zhiwei yelled to the crowd, his golden retriever energy completely overriding auction etiquette. "But my friend Brother Xie cultivates Ice Qi, and I want to buy this to help him stabilize his meridians after a stressful week! Seventy thousand!"

The crowd groaned at the sheer, overwhelming wealth and sickeningly pure intentions of the Holy Son.

Ji’an slapped a hand over her face. ’He is bidding against himself to buy a gift for the Ice Demon. Zhiwei, you sweet, beautiful, financially illiterate idiot. Wangchen doesn’t want your ginseng! He wants my pork belly! That ginseng, you’d better give it to me!’

"Seventy-five thousand," a new, sharply aristocratic voice cut through the air.

Ji’an’s head snapped to the right. In another VIP booth, standing with his arms crossed aggressively over his chest, was Lu Jianheng.

The Sword Lord wasn’t even looking at the stage. He was glaring directly at Gu Zhiwei’s booth. "The Eternal Cloud Peak does not need your charity, Holy Son," Lu Jianheng sneered loudly. "I will purchase this ginseng and offer it to Elder Qin myself. It is a matter of sect pride. Eighty thousand!"

’Wow! The tsundere lord is using his family wealth to flex on the protagonist,’ Ji’an realized, her jaw dropping. ’This isn’t an auction. This is a measuring contest for teenagers with unlimited credit cards!’

"Eighty-five thousand," a smooth, melodious, and utterly terrifying voice echoed from a darkened booth on the highest tier.

Xiao Yichen, the Second Prince, stepped into the light. He wasn’t looking at the ginseng.

He was looking at the frantic bidding war between the two sect geniuses, his folding fan covering his sadistic smile. He didn’t cultivate Ice Qi; he just enjoyed making other people suffer financially.

"Ninety thousand," Xiao Yichen purred. "It would make such a lovely centerpiece for my dining table, don’t you think?"

"One hundred thousand!" Lu Jianheng roared, his face flushing with anger.

"One hundred and ten! I really want it for Brother Xie!" Gu Zhiwei countered, completely oblivious to the political warfare happening around him.

Ji’an watched the numbers climb with mounting horror. These were her peers, the people she had to interact with daily.

Yet here, they were casually throwing around generational wealth to spite each other over a vegetable.

Suddenly, a massive, deafening chime rang out through the auction house, overriding the bidding paddles.

"Two hundred thousand spirit stones," a calm, chillingly precise voice announced.

The entire amphitheater fell dead silent. Even Xiao Yichen lowered his fan, his eyes narrowing.

In the largest, most opulent central VIP booth, the glass cleared. Wen Shiru, the Merchant Prince, sat behind a desk piled high with ledgers. He didn’t even look up from his abacus.

"The current market value of a thousand-year Frost-Vein Snow Ginseng, accounting for recent disruptions in the northern trade routes and the projected scarcity of ice-attribute alchemical catalysts, is precisely one hundred and ninety-five thousand spirit stones," Wen Shiru stated, his voice echoing with absolute, terrifying fiscal authority. "I am bidding two hundred thousand to acquire the asset, bypass this tedious posturing, and resell it to the highest bidder next quarter for a thirty percent profit margin. Now, if you little kids are finished playing with your allowances, I suggest we move on to the next item."

The silence in the auction house was absolute.

Gu Zhiwei slowly lowered his paddle, looking like a thoroughly scolded puppy.