A Pawn's Passage

At this moment, the door of the assembly hall slowly opened. Everyone began to file in one by one. There was also a side door for VIPs to enter the assembly hall.

Zhang Yuelu led Qi Xuansu into the assembly hall and whispered, “This auction is considered small. You should see the ones in Beichen Hall. It’s really lively. They auction off property deeds, including those from Jade Capital, Jinling Prefecture, and the Imperial Capital. Many Sages will come forward to bid, and they go all out!”

She used to work in Beichen Hall, so she had a deep impression of Beichen Hall’s auctions.

Entering the assembly hall, there were no fixed seats. Aside from the first few rows, the rest were free seating because there were ample seats.

Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu found an inconspicuous spot and sat next to each other. After a while, a Daoist priest handed them the list of auctioned items, which filled two pages. Qi Xuansu took the list and gave the second page to Zhang Yuelu so that they could each read a page and exchange pages afterward.

The first page mainly listed small items from the West, like a gold crown obtained by the Holy Court from the New World. The crown weighed about 6 kilograms. Disregarding the craftsmanship, if the crown were melted, the pure gold content would weigh about 5 kilograms.

At the current market price, 10 kilograms of gold could be exchanged for 1,000 Taiping coins. Thus, the base price for this item was 900 Taiping coins, which was considered low. But the final price might be significantly higher.

Qi Xuansu did not intend to bid for that.

There was also a large telescope about three meters long, which had a range of hundreds of kilometers. There was a new type of long gun that was unlike the ones from the East. These guns did not focus on the projectiles but improved on the firepower of the gun itself. It could be loaded with multiple projectiles, which could be fired continuously.

The West had begun to research new types of long guns that did not use projectiles. The initial results were seen with flamethrowers and laser guns. They looked a bit like magical weapons, but these were highly confidential and not sold to the outside world. Even if someone purchased them by chance, they would be confiscated by the Tianji Hall or the Divine Armory. These items would not be put up for auction.

Zhang Yuelu just wanted to join in the fun and did not plan to buy anything at first. But when she saw that many of the small items had low base prices, she became a little tempted.

She had her eye on a mask that she could use to disguise herself. The base price for that was 500 Taiping coins, which was still within her budget.

On the second page of the list were some commodities that rich people preferred, including ancient paintings, calligraphy, antique porcelain, fine jade, and so on.

The most eye-catching ones were the final two items. The penultimate item was donated by the Dazhen Mansion. It was a Red Fruit that had been processed, so anyone could consume it without worrying. The base price for the Red Fruit was 5,000 Taiping coins.

The final item on the list was a magical receptacle of high quality, with a base price of 10,000 Taiping coins.

This was the first time Qi Xuansu realized how valuable a magical receptacle was, so he could not help but glance at the one on Zhang Yuelu’s wrist. Compared with the things Zhang Yuelu put in her magical receptacle, the receptacle itself was more precious.

Zhang Yuelu shook her wrist. “Stop staring. This is issued by the Daoist Order. It can’t be bought or sold at will.”

Qi Xuansu looked away and sighed. “I feel like I came here for nothing. I can’t afford anything on this list.”

Zhang Yuelu chuckled softly. “The main reason for bidding in an auction is to show one's charitable heart. If you can afford it, you won’t come to an auction to buy things just for the sake of buying.”

“That makes sense.” Qi Xuansu nodded in approval.

Since he could not afford anything, Qi Xuansu did not pay much attention and started chatting with Zhang Yuelu. He did not even notice that a group of Sages and third-rank Youyi Daoist masters had entered the assembly hall.

After the Sages took their seats, the bidding officially began. Most people’s attention was on the bidding, but a few people focused their attention on Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

This included Tantai Qiong and Zhang Yuyue. Tantai Qiong was more discreet, stealing glances at her daughter occasionally. She looked calm and plastered a smile on her face. However, Zhang Yuyue openly glared at Qi Xuansu. Those who did not know better would think that Qi Xuansu was the Li Minghuang who had betrayed Zhang Yuyue.

Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli also kept an eye on Qi Xuansu and Zhang Yuelu.

After the brief meeting between the two couples, Yue Liuli was curious about Qi Xuansu’s experiences and who had invited him to this auction. On the other hand, Wan Xiuwu was wondering what methods Qi Xuansu used to win over the difficult Zhang Yuelu, who even rejected Li Tianzhen.

They all came from the Wanxiang Daoist Palace without a strong family background. Could it be that Qi Xuansu was just freeloading on Zhang Yuelu? Qi Xuansu was indeed above average in terms of looks, but he was far from being so handsome to the point that he could purely rely on his looks to get by.

Only Qi Xuansu knew that he was merely putting up an act. He also did not know which Sage had invited him here, let alone be acquainted with one.

At this moment, a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master arrived belatedly. He did not come in through the side door like the other VIPs. Instead, he walked into the assembly hall from the main entrance.

Everyone was already seated and had their backs to the main entrance, so no one noticed the arrival of this Sage. Only a few priests in charge of the venue saw the Sage in the lotus crown. They were shocked and were about to salute him, but he put his right index finger up to his mouth, making a hush gesture.

The Daoist priests dared not utter a word and made way for the Sage to enter the assembly hall. At this time, the bidding was smooth, without a need for the host to guide the crowd. The bids just kept coming.

The Sage looked around and spotted the young couple in the corner. He smiled slightly and quietly walked toward them. Qi Xuansu did not realize the person's presence until the Sage sat next to him.

However, the few people who had been paying attention to Qi Xuansu noticed this Sage. The mystery finally revealed itself. This Sage must have been the one who invited Qi Xuansu.

Tantai Qiong asked in a whisper, “Yuyue, do you recognize that Sage?”

Zhang Yuyue looked at the Sage carefully and shook her head. “I don’t know him, but he seems to be a friend of Thirteenth Uncle.”

Zhang Juping was ranked thirteenth among his generation, while Zhang Juqi was ranked twelveth.

Tantai Qiong nodded slightly and said nothing.

Wan Xiuwu and Yue Liuli were also surprised to see this Sage. Wan Xiuwu whispered, “It’s Sage Pei.”

Yue Liuli looked solemn. “He’s actually friends with Sage Pei?”

In fact, Qi Xuansu was also surprised because he recognized this man from a casual encounter. Qi Xuansu still remembered the Sage’s name—Pei Xiaolou.

The last time they met was on Qi Xuansu's first ride on a flying ship, going from Luzhou to Jade Capital.

At first, Qi Xuansu thought that Pei Xiaolou was a quack. He never expected that the man was a second-rank Taiyi Daoist master. Even though Pei Xiaolou was not an Omniscient Sage, he was still considered a big shot.

Moreover, what Pei Xiaolou told him before was not nonsense. He was a straightforward person, and Qi Xuansu was just prejudiced against him due to his appearance and mistook the truth for nonsense.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu recalled what Pei Xiaolou had said to him on the flying ship.

“I’m not the brightest disciple. During my early years, I studied at the Chongyang Palace of Immortality. After attaining some skills, I was ordered to leave the palace to help the world and accumulate more skills.”

“One day, I met Sage Donghua by chance on the river bank. Sage Donghua felt a connection with me and taught me the Taiwei Technique. As long as I practice it persistently, I can catch a glimpse of the heavens.”

“Unfortunately, I was too weak to practice this technique. But I was blessed to meet Sage Donghua again when I traveled to Qizhou. So I asked Sage Donghua for advice on Purple Star Astrology. Don’t you think I’m a lucky man?”

Back then, Qi Xuansu did not know what to say and only said, “Yes.”

Seeing Qi Xuansu again, Pei Xiaolou laughed and said, “I didn’t get to tell you about your fortune last time. You can tell me how accurate you think it is after I tell you about it.”

Qi Xuansu asked, “Why isn’t your companion here?”

He was referring to Pei Xiaolou’s wife, as he still remembered the strong woman who had chased after Pei Xiaolou on the flying ship.

As soon as he asked this, Qi Xuansu knew that he had said the wrong thing.

Pei Xiaolou’s face stiffened, and he coughed lightly. “Well, she has something to attend to, so she stayed back in Jade Capital.”

Qi Xuansu quickly changed the subject. “By the way, why didn’t I see you getting off the flying ship last time?”

Pei Xiaolou’s expression froze. “I had an emergency and flew directly to Jade Capital.”

Qi Xuansu vaguely guessed that it was a lie. Pei Xiaolou was probably just avoiding his wife.

Even Zhang Yuelu, who did not know what had happened, noticed Pei Xiaolou’s awkward expression. So she gently pinched Qi Xuansu’s arm, signaling him to stop talking nonsense.

Qi Xuansu coughed lightly and simply stopped talking.

Pei Xiaolou did not get angry. He was just a little embarrassed. After a while, he regained his composure. “Well, the last time we met, I told you that I know a thing or two about fortune-telling. But I didn’t get the chance to tell you the results. Do you want to hear it now?”

Qi Xuansu nodded. “Sure.”

Pei Xiaolou casually set up a soundproof barrier, which also included Zhang Yuelu. He scrutinized Qi Xuansu’s face and spoke. “In my opinion, based on both of your physiognomy, you two will have an extraordinary destiny and a bright future.”

At this moment, Qi Xuansu felt that the man in front of him was indeed a quack in a lotus crown.

Zhang Yuelu smiled and asked, “Why do you say so?”

Pei Xiaolou stroked his beard gently and answered a question that was not asked. “Miss Zhang, your life palace shows that you were born under the Tianfu Star. You are not one to be concerned about trivial matters and often like the broad approach.”

He looked at Qi Xuansu and added, “Daoist Qi, your life palace shows that you were born under the Lianzhen Star. You are resolute, determined, and self-reliant.”

Pei Xiaolou explained, “The Tianfu Star, accompanied by the Lianzhen Star, indicates both wealth and high status. You two will enjoy both material wealth and social respect, with a sizable salary that is admired by others.

“The girl is loyal and dignified, coming from an affluent family and receiving support from noble individuals and assistance from relatives. The Lianzhen Star suggests a challenging youth, but one will stand out after the age of thirty. If the stars align, both the Lianzhen and Tianfu Stars can break out of their shackles and eventually be successful in their careers.

“The Tianfu Star is blessed with wealth and title. Although she has talents, she is conservative and introverted. However, when paired with the Lianzhen Star, the Tianfu Star will be more practical and stable. At the same time, the Tianfu Star will restrain the evil and romantic aspects of the Lianzhen Star, resolving any negative effects, making them an ideal match.”