Compared to the outer pavilion used for selling goods, the inner pavilion of the Wanbao Pavilion, where the Auction is held, was much quieter.
Yun Mu, whose steps were already light, naturally became even more careful after entering the inner pavilion, as if afraid that the slightest misstep would disturb this tranquility.
Tu Shan Huaizhi was the same.
The young girl, who had been rather excited before, found her restlessness quickly soothed, wrapped in the lingering scent of sandalwood filling the inner pavilion.
Moving forward slowly, the girl held the boy’s arm without saying a word, leaving only a heart full of peace.
“Honored guests, please wait a moment.”
It wasn’t until they followed the signs to a staircase that the gentle voice broke the silence.
At their side, a tall attendant in a cheongsam, holding a jade tray, had appeared without them noticing.
She stopped Yun Mu and Tu Shan Huaizhi, stepped forward gracefully, bowed in greeting, then straightened up with a smile as radiant as a flower.
“Honored guests, this humble one is Yinger, the attendant assigned to serve you two today.”
After a practiced introduction, she skillfully offered the jade tray with both hands.
“Please take these. I will escort you to your private Auction Room.”
“What’s this?”
Tu Shan Huaizhi blurted out.
She looked at the two wooden plaques carved with the character ‘One’, picked them up, and asked, “Could these be the tokens for Tianzi Room One?”
“That’s right. The guest is truly perceptive.”
“Really? But I heard from my mot… I mean, I heard earlier that only the most distinguished guests can enter Tianzi Room One. I thought, with just the two of us, having Room Thirty or so would be pretty good already. I didn’t expect it to actually be Room One…?”
“Apologies, Yinger cannot reveal the reason for this arrangement. I hope you understand.”
“Why not?”
“Because matters like these are arranged solely by Lady Lianyi. I do not know the details either.”
“You don’t know? Alright then, please lead the way, I’m tired from walking so much.”
“Very well, please watch your step.”
The attendant walked a little ahead on the right, leading them upstairs.
After what had just happened, Yun Mu was much more cautious with his senses.
Instead of sweeping out widely as before, he now only released enough to sense within two or three meters around him, just enough to guide his steps.
Step up, turn, step up again, and so on—after nearly a dozen repetitions, they finally arrived at the floor they were headed to.
Twisting and turning, winding paths—those were Yun Mu’s few impressions after the long climb.
“Here is Tianzi Room One. As per the rules, I will wait at the door.”
She gently pushed the door open and stood at the entrance, her voice soft.
“If you need anything, just channel your energy into the plaque and I will come at once.”
“Alright, I understand. Also… thank you for answering my questions just now.”
“No trouble at all. This is what Yinger is here for.”
At her words, Yun Mu nodded gently and entered the so-called Tianzi Room One.
As for Tu Shan Huaizhi, the moment the door opened she had already dashed inside, taken off her bamboo hat, and was searching all over for treasures.
“Wow, is this Room One? The decorations are so beautiful!”
Hearing the girl’s excitement, Yun Mu no longer restrained his senses and finally “saw” the whole room clearly.
However, he did not hurry to examine the decorations.
Instead, he walked straight to a seat by the window and sat down.
The soft touch of the seat spread beneath him.
Yun Mu took off his bamboo hat, placed it on the table to his left, and began sorting through the things he’d just learned from Yinger.
For example, the room could block out outside auras; whatever he did inside would not be sensed from outside.
Also, the basic procedures of the Auction and the meaning of certain specialized terms.
But what mattered most was his curiosity about Heavenly Lamp Lighting.
Only after asking did Yun Mu realize that the matter was not as complicated as he had imagined.
This so-called Heavenly Lamp Lighting was not a scheme set up by the Auction House to amass wealth, but rather a tradition started by a certain clan countless years ago.
That clan, to display its wealth, power, and influence at the Auction, began the practice, and it spread from there.
Generally, anyone daring to light the Heavenly Lamp was not someone to be taken lightly.
Thus, when someone lit the Heavenly Lamp at an Auction, others would still raise the price reasonably.
This was not seen as disrespect or provocation, but rather as a form of respect.
However, if someone wantonly raised the price with no regard for consequences, deliberately making trouble and forcing an item far beyond its value, then that person—and their clan—had best prepare for the storm that would come after the Auction.
Of course, everyone understood these limits, and there was rarely a need to make them explicit.
As for official rules, Wanbao Pavilion did have some.
To prevent someone from acting recklessly and to maintain order at the Auction, after distributing the Invitation Jade Pendants, Wanbao Pavilion would require participants to pay a Deposit.
This Deposit did not restrict the bids themselves, but it did set a limit on how much someone could raise the price after Heavenly Lamp Lighting—no more than 200% of the deposit, that is, twice the amount.
If the rules were violated, Wanbao Pavilion would not only confiscate the deposit, but also cancel that person’s right to participate in the next Auction.
Of course, any compensation for disrupting the order would also be pursued.
No money?
Then sell yourself—work for free for a hundred or a thousand years, that should suffice, right?
If you refuse to sell yourself?
Then your family will suffer—debts pass from father to son, generation to generation, until repaid…
Though not everyone was interested in the risk of Heavenly Lamp Lighting, rules were rules.
So, apart from the rare noble houses, most subordinate powers would pay One Copper Coin as the Deposit.
That’s right, not even a Spirit Stone—just a single Copper Coin, enough to buy a couple of steamed buns.
In the eyes of great clans, it was like trash; they only paid it to complete the procedure.
Of course, the deposit would be returned after the Auction.
So, with this double assurance, at Wanbao Pavilion’s Auctions over the years, malicious bidding after Heavenly Lamp Lighting was nearly unheard of.
Except, a long time ago, when an arrogant, unknown clan broke the rules and tried to get their Spirit Stones back afterwards—they were wiped out by Wanbao Pavilion.
“Lady Lianyi said that clan was staying in Dizi Room Two at the time; Room One was empty. The most powerful force met a disastrous end, huh? Looks like Wanbao Pavilion really does have strength…”
He sighed, then chuckled softly.
“But this method of using room numbers to display the status of bidders, highlighting their difference without revealing identities… It’s rather amusing. Who would have thought that this time, Tianzi Room One is occupied by two kids?”
Muttering to himself, Yun Mu suddenly felt a weight on his thigh, followed by a girl’s sigh.
The girl who had just been exploring the room was now in her Fox Demon form, lying across his lap.
“What’s wrong? Huaizhi, why are you sighing all of a sudden?”
“So boring. Judging by the time, the Auction doesn’t start for another half an hour. The room’s interesting, but it’s only so big; I’ve seen everything already. Mmm… Yun Mu-gege, you’re just sitting there thinking again… So boring.”
As she spoke, she let out a long sigh.
Her soft pink ears drooped and folded inward, while her fluffy tail sagged and swayed weakly from side to side.
“Is that so… Then… do you want to hear a story?”
“A story? What kind of story?”
“Mm, just some stories I read in old books—interesting ones. If you’re really bored, I could tell you…”
“Knock knock knock.”
But before Yun Mu could finish, a knocking sound came from the window.
Both turned instinctively toward the sound, hearing two more knocks from the left.
After that, they waited a long time, but no fourth knock came.
“What’s this? Huaizhi, could there be other rooms next to us?”
“No, that can’t be! I looked when I came up; Tianzi Room One is set alone on the top floor. How could anyone be knocking on the window?”
Her voice trembled, and her tail, which had been drooping, stood straight up, fur bristling.
“Yun… Yun Mu-gege, could it be a ghost!?”
“A ghost? I don’t think so. Besides… are demons even afraid of that sort of thing?”
“How could we not be! What demon wouldn’t fear ghosts?”
“Hmm… not necessarily. If that ghost was the soul of someone you missed day and night, I doubt you’d be afraid, right?”
“Knock knock knock.”
“Ah!!! There really is a ghost—wu wu wu, Yun Mu-gege, save me!”
Another knock interrupted Yun Mu, scaring the girl so much she instantly transformed back into human form, curled up in his arms, trembling all over.
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I sense no killing intent or malice. Maybe there’s something in the room we don’t know about. I’ll call Yinger in and see what’s going on.”
He gently patted his sister’s back, channeling energy into the wooden plaque.
Not long after, Yinger entered, but paused at the door, momentarily stunned.
She immediately noticed Yun Mu without his bamboo hat, his eyes covered by a White Silk Blindfold, and stood in a daze.
“Um… Miss Yinger… may I ask what you’re doing?”
Yun Mu, noticing her unmoving figure, asked softly.
“Ah, forgive me. I was a bit distracted just now.”
She snapped back to herself at the reminder, quickly closed the door, and trotted over to the young pair.
“Is there anything you require from Yinger?”
“It’s like this, just now…”
“You mean, there were knocking sounds on both sides just now?”
“Yes. So I wanted to ask—was there a problem with the room, or did you forget to tell us something?”
“Uh… apologies, that was my oversight. I got caught up chatting with you and forgot to mention something important.”
Yinger’s voice became noticeably subdued.
“This is a special one-way Transmission Device designed by Wanbao Pavilion.”
“One-way Transmission Device?”
“That’s right. Simply put, rooms on the lower level can send up to three Social Invitations to a higher room using the device inside. Whether to respond is up to those in the higher room. The sounds you heard were likely from Dizi Room Two and Dizi Room Three next door.”
“I see. So it wasn’t a ghost after all?”
“Gho… ghost…? Please rest assured, nothing of the sort would be allowed here.”
“Re-really?”
At her words, Tu Shan Huaizhi, who had been hiding in Yun Mu’s arms, finally poked her head out, eyes blinking—very cute.
“Mm. Wanbao Pavilion would never permit such beings to come and go.”
“S-so there really are such things as ghosts?”
The little Fox Demon hid even deeper in Yun Mu’s arms.
“Yinger isn’t sure about that. In any case, do you two wish to respond to the Social Invitations just now? If so, just press the button beside the table.”
“I’d rather not—”
“I want to see who dared to scare me!”
Before Yun Mu could finish, Tu Shan Huaizhi raised her hand, found the button, and slapped it twice.
With a “ka-cha”, as if some device had been activated—
A haughty voice came from Dizi Room Two on the left.
“Hello, occupant of Tianzi Room One, listen up! I am Qin Luoyi of the Lixun Qin Clan. I came today for nothing but a Stone Tablet. If you’ll show mercy at the Auction, my clan will treat you as a most honored guest and see you properly entertained in the future.”
That voice—Luoyi?
She’s here for the Stone Tablet too?
Doesn’t that mean I’ll have to compete with her?
Yun Mu hesitated, considering whether to reveal his identity and explain his intentions.
Forget it, better to keep things vague for now.
Otherwise, if we meet as enemies later, it’ll be troublesome.
Deciding less is more, he planned to hide his hand for now.
But before he could reply, a literary, elegant female voice came from Dizi Room Three on the right.
“Fellow Daoist, I am Xia Qingyao of the Xia Clan from the Xiyun Ancient Kingdom. Unlike that overbearing Qin princess, I merely wish to be friends with you.”
Suddenly, the whole place fell silent.
Yun Mu sat quietly, his mind blank, unsure how to reply.
Tu Shan Huaizhi glanced at her brother, then at Yinger, lost for what to do.
Clearly, they all sensed what was about to happen.
A quarrel.
“Xia, who are you pretending to be nice for!?”