"Please follow me, distinguished guests," the woman said respectfully to Ye Tian and his two companions. Anyone who could appear here was an important figure to the auction house, so she naturally had to be deferential.
However, the ages of the three guests surprised the woman. This was the first time she had seen people so young here, and they weren't Royal Family and Relatives. 'She was curious but dared not ask.'
"How many VIP rooms are there in total?" Ye Tian asked the woman.
"There are nine VIP rooms. The first can only be used by the Royal Family and Relatives. The second is for individuals of immense wealth. For you gentlemen to be the masters of the third VIP room, you must truly hold a high position in the eyes of the Association Leader!" the maid said.
At her words, the three of them understood. 'To think we'd receive such excellent treatment just for a single Lotus Seed,' Ye Tian thought. 'What a rare opportunity.'
As they spoke, Ye Tian and his companions arrived in an exceptionally elegant room. The most eye-catching features were a massive folding screen and a round table laden with various fruits.
The screen seemed to spark a thought in Ye Tian's mind. "Is this screen used to display a projection?" he asked. Since the room was completely enclosed with no view of the auction floor, 'it must be the only way to watch'.
"You are correct, sir," the woman said. "The screen displays a projection. This way, you won't have to deal with the noise from the main hall, and it also provides excellent privacy. I am the maid assigned to serve the three of you during this auction. If there's anything you don't understand, you may ask me."
Zhang Xinlan walked over to the screen and gently touched its surface with her palm. An image immediately appeared, showing the scene in the main auction hall.
"I've seen this kind of screen effect before," said Zhang Xinlan. "I once attended an auction at another place, and its scale was naturally something Linxiao City could never compare to. Even so, it's still surprising that Linxiao City can possess such a large screen."
"Xinlan, you have experience with auctions, then?" Ye Tian said. "In that case, you can be in charge of bidding. Is there anything you want to buy? Maybe our maid here knows."
"Please ask whatever you wish, sirs," the woman said. "As Maids of the auction house, we aren't allowed to hide anything. To be frank, our lives are in your hands. If a guest is pleased, we might even gain our freedom."
"What's your name?" Ye Tian asked, looking at her. "You don't look a day over twenty."
"This humble servant is named Xu Chun," the woman replied. "I'm twenty-six, but I've been at this auction house since I was thirteen. Perhaps it's just my good luck that I've never met one of those... truly awful masters. Otherwise, I would have perished long ago."
"Xu Chun, was it?" Ye Tian said. "What do you mean by 'perished'? Also, can you tell us how the auction works? This is my first time attending one, so there's a lot I don't understand."
"Every maid in the VIP rooms must be a virgin. This is to... accommodate the guests' needs. Once a maid loses her virginity, she must leave the auction house. A guest in a VIP room can take a maid away with them, abuse them if they're displeased, or even kill them.
During an auction, a single misplaced word from a maid could cause a guest to lose a bid. Or, if a guest fails to acquire an item they desire, they might take out their frustration on their maid.
Generally, the maids handle the bidding process. The guest only needs to state the price, and the item goes to the highest bidder. If you don't have enough Spirit Stones, you can use items to cover the difference. When a guest presents an item, the maid will immediately appraise it and determine the maximum bid amount its value can support.
You might think our appraisals aren't reliable, but you needn't worry. Every maid in the auction house is required to memorize the values of many items. If we encounter something unfamiliar, we will immediately consult an expert appraiser.
I hope that explains things. The auction is about to begin. Do the three of you have any particular items you wish to bid on? If you tell me in advance, I can be prepared," the maid, Xu Chun, said.
"I just want to sell some of my things for Spirit Stones," said Zhou Hongtao. "I don't have anything I want to buy for now. Even if I did, I'm not sure I could take it with me."
"I'm looking for Water Element items," said Zhang Xinlan. "Things like Crystal Stones, an Elemental Pearl, or maybe some Ice Crystals."
Ye Tian knew she had a formidable mastery of the Water Element, specifically the Ice Type. 'If an item like that comes up, I'll definitely help her get it,' he thought. 'I don't really need any more Water Element items for myself.'
"I'd like to see if there are any other Elemental Pearls, or perhaps some powerful Runes," Ye Tian said. "Also, is there any Soul Medicine for sale?"
Ye Tian no longer had a need for Divine Weapons or Elixirs. His Black Glaze Sword was already a top-tier Divine Weapon, and the Elixirs in his Storage Ring were likely better than anything sold at the auction. Only Soul Medicine and Elemental Pearls were of use to him.
The Soul Medicine was primarily for the War Dragon Remnant Soul. He currently lacked the ability to obtain the Divine Soul Spirit Fruit, so he could only hope to find some other Soul Medicine to help stabilize the remnant soul.
"There are three Elemental Pearls, one of which is the Water Elemental Pearl you're looking for, Miss," Xu Chun said. "As for Ice Crystals, we have none. Those are exceedingly rare. In its several hundred years of history, the Linxiao Auction House has only auctioned an Ice Crystal once. There does appear to be one stalk of Soul Medicine, but it's one of the finale items. The seller's asking price is very high, so it will likely be difficult to acquire."
"How many Spirit Stones does an Elemental Pearl usually go for? And do you know the price of the Soul Medicine?" Ye Tian asked.
"They are both being sold as finale items, so the price will certainly be high. The bidding will start at a minimum of 100,000 Spirit Stones. If you gentlemen intend to bid, you should be well-prepared," Xu Chun said.
"I understand," Ye Tian said. "We'll do our best when the time comes. It'd be great if we can win them, but if not, we won't hold it against you."
Just then, a wave of enthusiastic applause sounded from outside. Immediately, the scene of the auction floor appeared on the screen. The projection showed the very front of the hall, where a middle-aged man stood behind a circular podium.
"Welcome, friends, to the Linxiao Auction House! The auction held once a decade has finally arrived! I am your host for this event, and I'll be overseeing the proceedings for the next five days. I trust you've all been eagerly awaiting this moment! I hope that those of you looking to buy will find what you desire, and that those of you looking to sell will get a handsome price!
And now, I declare the auction officially open! Our first item is..." the middle-aged man announced.