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Chapter 79: A Man Who Can Get By Anywhere on His Looks
Author: Fu Hejun
Generally, to enter the Auction House, one needs to be certified to bid. Only guests who possess a bidding qualification are allowed to enter the Auction House and participate.
The qualification certification is divided into several different levels, with an entry threshold of ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. In other words, to enter the Auction House, you first need proof of assets worth at least ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. This is to prevent people with no money from sneaking in to fish in troubled waters with malicious bids.
Ye Cheng had never been to an Auction House before, so he naturally didn't have a bidding qualification. Logically, he should have presented his gold card or some other proof of assets to be allowed inside.
However, none of the four young women guarding the entrance mentioned this. They simply welcomed the three of them inside with the utmost respect.
As for the reason? The reason was obvious—it was his face. Who would dare stop him from entering? Did they have a death wish?
Led by two of the young women, the trio walked into the Auction House. The other two went to notify the manager that important guests had arrived.
Ye Cheng noticed that the interior of the Auction House wasn't ostentatious as he had expected. The floor was made of milky-white marble, and the surrounding walls were adorned with various bas-reliefs. The reliefs had little color, appearing simple, bright, and extremely elegant. Besides the bas-reliefs, there were also display cases built into the walls, showcasing items like porcelain and armor. If he hadn't known what this place was for, he might have mistaken it for a museum.
The two young women leading the way were very professional. They would stop every ten steps or so, make a welcoming gesture, and accurately point the way.
They led the three to an elegant room, gently pushed open the door, and once again made a welcoming gesture.
It was clear this was a place specially reserved for entertaining distinguished guests, as every detail of the decor was exquisite.
Ye Cheng and the others had barely waited a moment in the room, not even finishing the fragrant tea offered to them, when hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Soon, a middle-aged man appeared.
This middle-aged man was luxuriously dressed, his strength was around that of a Soul Saint, and he exuded an inexplicable air of nobility. It was obvious that even if he wasn't the true master of the Auction House, he was definitely a high-ranking executive.
"Your Excellency, I was unaware of your arrival and failed to greet you. Please forgive my offense." The moment he entered and saw Ye Cheng, he immediately adopted an extremely deferential posture, bowing and scraping as he stepped forward to apologize.
Ye Cheng put down his tea cup and said calmly, "You're too polite. I've only come to entrust your establishment with the auction of a few items." Too lazy to waste words with him, he simply swept his sleeve over the tabletop. Instantly, three resplendent objects appeared on it.
"This is!" The middle-aged man's pupils contracted. Staring at the three items on the table in utter shock, he blurted out, "Soul Bones!!!"
It was no wonder he was so shocked. In the current timeline of Douluo I, soul bones were an extremely rare treasure. Even the Great Sects didn't possess many; perhaps only Spirit Hall had a slightly larger collection. Almost everyone who obtained a soul bone kept it hidden away, never showing it to others. Let alone putting such a precious item up for auction.
For someone to commission the auction of soul bones—this was a first in the history of the Auction House.
"The age of these three soul bones is around sixty thousand years. They are for the left arm, right arm, and head, respectively," Ye Cheng said lightly, as if these three soul bones were utterly insignificant in his eyes. And in truth, they were.
Originally, he had planned to auction some ten-year, hundred-year, or thousand-year soul bones. But on second thought, taking out such low-level soul bones would be too demeaning given his status. So, he simply took out the three most useless ten-thousand-year soul bones, the ones with the most worthless soul skills, to auction.
In Ye Cheng's opinion, apart from their slightly higher age, the soul skills of these three soul bones were simply hard to describe. They were the very definition of "chicken ribs"—useful, but generally not applicable. Even on the off chance they could be used, the effect wouldn't be as perfect as anticipated. They were tasteless to keep, yet a pity to discard.
"Your Excellency, may I observe them closely?" the middle-aged man asked, his voice trembling slightly. Even with his status, it was his first time seeing soul bones of such high quality.
"Be my guest," Ye Cheng said with a casual gesture.
"Hah..." Having received permission, the middle-aged man took a deep breath. With a slightly trembling hand, he first picked up the skull bone and examined it carefully. Feeling the surging power contained within it, he was utterly convinced—this was indeed a sixty-thousand-year soul bone! The quality was astonishingly high!
The middle-aged man caressed the skull-shaped soul bone as if stroking the skin of a peerless beauty, unable to put it down. After a good while, he reluctantly set it down and picked up an arm bone to sense and observe...
Seeing his infatuated expression, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but feel conflicted. They thought, *Is this all there is to the dignified head of the Auction House? Losing his composure over three soul bones. It's a bit disappointing.*
As those who had been there, they had personally followed Ye Cheng as he swept through the Star Dou Great Forest, watching him dig up soul bones—treasures considered priceless in the outside world—as if he were picking up trash. At first, they were surprised and shocked. But after it happened so many times, they gradually grew numb. They even began to think that soul bones weren't all that special.
Only after thoroughly inspecting all three soul bones did the middle-aged man let out a long breath. He looked at Ye Cheng and said, "We are extremely grateful, Your Excellency, for entrusting such precious soul bones to our Auction House. This is our honor."
"When can the auction be arranged?" Ye Cheng asked directly, wasting no words.
"Whew, if they were ordinary treasures, they could be auctioned tonight." The middle-aged man let out a breath, then changed his tone. "However, these three treasures of yours are far too precious. If we hastily arrange the auction for today, we absolutely won't get a satisfactory price. They might even be sold for extremely cheap."
"Tell me your thoughts," Ye Cheng said.
"Your Excellency, if you aren't in a hurry, you could wait one month. During this period, our Auction House will do its best to publicize these three soul bones and then arrange a special auction for them. At that time, the wealthiest individuals will gather, and we will certainly be able to achieve a price that satisfies you." After speaking, he cautiously looked at him and asked, "What do you think, Your Excellency?"
"Fine." Ye Cheng didn't care about waiting an extra month. He had plenty of time, so a few more days meant nothing.
"These three soul bones will be temporarily stored here with you. I will return in a month." After saying this, Ye Cheng stood up. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also rose to their feet.
"Farewell, Your Excellency."
The middle-aged man hurriedly put the three soul bones into a soul tool, then respectfully escorted the trio out of the Auction House. After watching their figures disappear, he eagerly turned and went back inside.
Carrying such great treasures, he felt unsafe unless he arranged for dozens of experts to protect him.
Furthermore, he had to quickly notify the other higher-ups to discuss how to best handle this auction. He could foresee that once the news of soul bones being auctioned spread, there would be no shortage of nefarious characters coming to cause trouble. Therefore, the top priority now was to protect these three soul bones. There was absolutely no room for error!
(end of chapter)
Author: Fu Hejun
Generally, to enter the Auction House, one needs to be certified to bid. Only guests who possess a bidding qualification are allowed to enter the Auction House and participate.
The qualification certification is divided into several different levels, with an entry threshold of ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. In other words, to enter the Auction House, you first need proof of assets worth at least ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. This is to prevent people with no money from sneaking in to fish in troubled waters with malicious bids.
Ye Cheng had never been to an Auction House before, so he naturally didn't have a bidding qualification. Logically, he should have presented his gold card or some other proof of assets to be allowed inside.
However, none of the four young women guarding the entrance mentioned this. They simply welcomed the three of them inside with the utmost respect.
As for the reason? The reason was obvious—it was his face. Who would dare stop him from entering? Did they have a death wish?
Led by two of the young women, the trio walked into the Auction House. The other two went to notify the manager that important guests had arrived.
Ye Cheng noticed that the interior of the Auction House wasn't ostentatious as he had expected. The floor was made of milky-white marble, and the surrounding walls were adorned with various bas-reliefs. The reliefs had little color, appearing simple, bright, and extremely elegant. Besides the bas-reliefs, there were also display cases built into the walls, showcasing items like porcelain and armor. If he hadn't known what this place was for, he might have mistaken it for a museum.
The two young women leading the way were very professional. They would stop every ten steps or so, make a welcoming gesture, and accurately point the way.
They led the three to an elegant room, gently pushed open the door, and once again made a welcoming gesture.
It was clear this was a place specially reserved for entertaining distinguished guests, as every detail of the decor was exquisite.
Ye Cheng and the others had barely waited a moment in the room, not even finishing the fragrant tea offered to them, when hurried footsteps echoed from outside. Soon, a middle-aged man appeared.
This middle-aged man was luxuriously dressed, his strength was around that of a Soul Saint, and he exuded an inexplicable air of nobility. It was obvious that even if he wasn't the true master of the Auction House, he was definitely a high-ranking executive.
"Your Excellency, I was unaware of your arrival and failed to greet you. Please forgive my offense." The moment he entered and saw Ye Cheng, he immediately adopted an extremely deferential posture, bowing and scraping as he stepped forward to apologize.
Ye Cheng put down his tea cup and said calmly, "You're too polite. I've only come to entrust your establishment with the auction of a few items." Too lazy to waste words with him, he simply swept his sleeve over the tabletop. Instantly, three resplendent objects appeared on it.
"This is!" The middle-aged man's pupils contracted. Staring at the three items on the table in utter shock, he blurted out, "Soul Bones!!!"
It was no wonder he was so shocked. In the current timeline of Douluo I, soul bones were an extremely rare treasure. Even the Great Sects didn't possess many; perhaps only Spirit Hall had a slightly larger collection. Almost everyone who obtained a soul bone kept it hidden away, never showing it to others. Let alone putting such a precious item up for auction.
For someone to commission the auction of soul bones—this was a first in the history of the Auction House.
"The age of these three soul bones is around sixty thousand years. They are for the left arm, right arm, and head, respectively," Ye Cheng said lightly, as if these three soul bones were utterly insignificant in his eyes. And in truth, they were.
Originally, he had planned to auction some ten-year, hundred-year, or thousand-year soul bones. But on second thought, taking out such low-level soul bones would be too demeaning given his status. So, he simply took out the three most useless ten-thousand-year soul bones, the ones with the most worthless soul skills, to auction.
In Ye Cheng's opinion, apart from their slightly higher age, the soul skills of these three soul bones were simply hard to describe. They were the very definition of "chicken ribs"—useful, but generally not applicable. Even on the off chance they could be used, the effect wouldn't be as perfect as anticipated. They were tasteless to keep, yet a pity to discard.
"Your Excellency, may I observe them closely?" the middle-aged man asked, his voice trembling slightly. Even with his status, it was his first time seeing soul bones of such high quality.
"Be my guest," Ye Cheng said with a casual gesture.
"Hah..." Having received permission, the middle-aged man took a deep breath. With a slightly trembling hand, he first picked up the skull bone and examined it carefully. Feeling the surging power contained within it, he was utterly convinced—this was indeed a sixty-thousand-year soul bone! The quality was astonishingly high!
The middle-aged man caressed the skull-shaped soul bone as if stroking the skin of a peerless beauty, unable to put it down. After a good while, he reluctantly set it down and picked up an arm bone to sense and observe...
Seeing his infatuated expression, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but feel conflicted. They thought, *Is this all there is to the dignified head of the Auction House? Losing his composure over three soul bones. It's a bit disappointing.*
As those who had been there, they had personally followed Ye Cheng as he swept through the Star Dou Great Forest, watching him dig up soul bones—treasures considered priceless in the outside world—as if he were picking up trash. At first, they were surprised and shocked. But after it happened so many times, they gradually grew numb. They even began to think that soul bones weren't all that special.
Only after thoroughly inspecting all three soul bones did the middle-aged man let out a long breath. He looked at Ye Cheng and said, "We are extremely grateful, Your Excellency, for entrusting such precious soul bones to our Auction House. This is our honor."
"When can the auction be arranged?" Ye Cheng asked directly, wasting no words.
"Whew, if they were ordinary treasures, they could be auctioned tonight." The middle-aged man let out a breath, then changed his tone. "However, these three treasures of yours are far too precious. If we hastily arrange the auction for today, we absolutely won't get a satisfactory price. They might even be sold for extremely cheap."
"Tell me your thoughts," Ye Cheng said.
"Your Excellency, if you aren't in a hurry, you could wait one month. During this period, our Auction House will do its best to publicize these three soul bones and then arrange a special auction for them. At that time, the wealthiest individuals will gather, and we will certainly be able to achieve a price that satisfies you." After speaking, he cautiously looked at him and asked, "What do you think, Your Excellency?"
"Fine." Ye Cheng didn't care about waiting an extra month. He had plenty of time, so a few more days meant nothing.
"These three soul bones will be temporarily stored here with you. I will return in a month." After saying this, Ye Cheng stood up. Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also rose to their feet.
"Farewell, Your Excellency."
The middle-aged man hurriedly put the three soul bones into a soul tool, then respectfully escorted the trio out of the Auction House. After watching their figures disappear, he eagerly turned and went back inside.
Carrying such great treasures, he felt unsafe unless he arranged for dozens of experts to protect him.
Furthermore, he had to quickly notify the other higher-ups to discuss how to best handle this auction. He could foresee that once the news of soul bones being auctioned spread, there would be no shortage of nefarious characters coming to cause trouble. Therefore, the top priority now was to protect these three soul bones. There was absolutely no room for error!
(end of chapter)
