"Mai Rong, instead of trying to screw me over aren't you suppose to be focused on obtaining the Soul Nourishing pill? Aren't you wasting your spirit stones on this?"
Gu Jin tried a different tactic and brought up the Soul Nourishing pill. As much wealth as Mai Rong or Gu Jin had, it wasn't impossible that someone could outbid them. They came here not knowing they would participate in an Auction, so their wealth was limited, but here, the youths from the Clans on the Star Bound Continent had full access to their clan's support.
"It doesn't matter if I fail to successfully bid for the Soul Nourishing pill. My Water Empire would handsomely reward the person who obtains it from the Auction if they offer it to me."
Immediately, muffled discussions occurred in the audience of disciples.
As for Gu Jin, his frustrations just increased.
However, despite Mai Rong saying that this was still a gamble for her.
If Gu Jin truly wanted these Divine Fire spirit stones then if she won them she could either keep them from Gu Jin or extort him. And even if she didn't win them, she would have managed to lower Gu Jin's available spirit stones he would use to bid on the Soul Nourishing pill.
But if this was all scheme by Gu Jin, she would be the one to use up her spirit stones instead if he suddenly backed out.
However, Mai Rong was confident these Divine Fire Spirit Stones were important to Gu Jin somehow. If he was truly trying to fake being angry and trying to lay a trap for her, she would be able to tell.
Gu Jin's anger was genuine, and no matter the outcome this situation would end in her favor.
Mai Rong was smiling behind her veil that covered her lower face as these thoughts ran through her mind.
Gu Jin wasn't a fool, he too could understand his situation and he regretted his behavior. He should have never shown how important these Divine Firestones were to him.
'If there wasn't a shortage of Divine Firestones on the Continent we wouldn't be this desperate to covet these lowly worms Hidden Realm or would I be so eager for merely six Divine Firestones? But, something about these Divine Fire Spirit Stones is strange, I need to obtain them to confirm my suspicions.'
After thinking this, Gu Jin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After which he flipped over his palm and took out an ordinary-looking fan. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the fan spinning towards Mai Rong.
One of the disciples in blue robes behind her stepped forward and caught the fan heading towards Mai Rong's face.
However, he unintentionally released a soft groan of pain when he caught it. The bones in his hand rattled and small fissures appeared on them.
The force of Gu Jin's simple flick was terrifying and adding this fan's mysterious nature, the disciple had to hand the fan to Mai Rong with his other hand while the one he caught the fan with hung limply at his shoulders.
The disciples in the surroundings were all talented people so this didn't go unnoticed by them, and this couldn't help but increased the apprehension they had towards Gu Jin as a result.
"Good choice."
Mai Rong was heard saying as she flipped open the deep blue fan. The spiraling waves revealed on its surface seemed like it was moving to all who looked at it. However, after a few seconds, a cold chill went down these people's spins and they hurriedly looked away from the fan.
For a second it felt like they were being drawn into an illusion when they looked at those waves on the fan.
Gu Jin was heard snorting before he turned to the patient old man on the stage and said.
"I bid fifty hundred million high-grade spirit stones as my final bid."
"Huh?"
When Dai Hee heard that, his bubbling excitement faded a bit.
"Wait, what does he mean he's bidding fifty million high-grade spirit stones, wasn't the last bid over four hundred million?"
The disciples in the Auction House began chattering due to Gu Jin's strange actions.
"Yeah, I don't understand either."
"Ah wait! Could it be he's trying to get out of bidding four hundred million high-grade spirit stones?"
With that, everyone realized what was going on.
"Can he do that? The rules of the auction say once you make a bid you're obligated to pay if you win. The bid can't be reversed unless you truly can not pay for it. If did reverse then the item will be sold at the store."
"Yeah, but this would make the Action House lose money so anyone who does this will surely not be liked by the people in charge of the Auction House."
As people began discussing this sudden turn of events, Mai Rong's chuckles turned into a round of laughter.
"Gu Jin you truly are shameless."
Gu Jin ignored her and everyone else as he looked at the old man on stage. The old man's excitement at securing such a large bid was long squashed by Gu Jin's decision not to pay his original bid.
With a forced smile, the old man said.
"Y-Young Master Jin, I apologize but the highest bid made by Lady Mai Rong for this item was Four hundred and sixty million high-grade spirit stones. As per the rules of the Mercenary Association Auction House, one must bid a higher number and win to receive the item."
The old man made sure to mention the Mercenary Association when he said this.
Gu Jin in response narrowed his eyes a the old man before he said coldly.
"Eighty million high-grade spirit stones is as high as I'll go. I am not dishonoring this insignificant Auction House Branch of the Mercenary Association by bidding a lower price than what you could have gotten at the store's price. At most you would get a few thousand high-grade spirit stones for each of them, nothing more than ten million. So, doesn't my eighty million seem fair? After all, no one here would dare bid higher for these."
The old man hearing this soon understood the underlying intentions behind Gu Jin's words. He was forcing him to accept his bid, or else he would suffer a loss by placing it in the store. However, Gu Jin was also making a threat to everyone here not to bid for the item, this insured that his bid of eighty million high-grade spirit stones is the highest price the Auction House would get out of these Divine Fire Spirit Stones.
Even if the Auction House decided to place these Divine Fire Spirit Stones in another Auction, the price might not reach the hundreds of millions. No, in fact, the only reason Gu Jin might be willing to pay eighty million high-grade spirit stones for them asides from showing them face, was because he really needed them as a cultivator who had the Fire Element.
Neither a Weaponsmith nor an Alchemist, or anyone else might not pay more than a hundred million high-grade spirit stones for them. Maybe even less.
After the old man thought it over, he sighed.
"Eighty million high-grade spirit stones going once. Does anyone have a higher bid for these Divine Fire Spirit Stones?"
As the old man said that, he looked around the pavilion but no one spoke up. The old man completely gave up and went to just declare Gu Jin the winner of the bid.
However, a voice suddenly echoed out on the third floor of the pavilion.
"I bid two hundred million high-grade spirit stones!"
Everyone while being completely taken aback by this turned to see who was so brave to make such a bid.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺