Chapter 971: Three Strikes

Sun Ji and Yang Long, still smarting from the recent humiliation, were just about to leave and set up an ambush outside to get their revenge on Zu An when they suddenly stopped dead in their tracks upon hearing the announcement.

"What is it, Old Yang?" Sun Ji asked curiously, noticing Yang Long's unusual reaction.

"The legendary Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger..." Yang Long muttered excitedly, his beard quivering slightly as he gazed at the box in the beautiful hostess's hand at the center of the hall, too preoccupied to reply to Sun Ji.

Zu An was also taken aback. The Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger?

Shi Kun had once tried to use this very item to cripple him back in the Eastern Palace, only for Zu An to confiscate it. He hadn't expected to encounter it again here.

If he remembered correctly, he had acquired four such daggers from Shi Kun, hadn't he?

Meanwhile, the corpulent Venerable had flown back to a corner of the central stage. Evidently, given the immense value of the Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger and the disturbance that had just occurred, he needed to remain present to intimidate any individuals with malicious intent.

Nevertheless, the guests at Xiaoyao Tower included many individuals with exceptional discernment. "A flying dagger rumored to slay even immortals?" one person scoffed. "How could such a thing possibly exist? And if it truly did, why would your Xiaoyao Tower be willing to sell it?"

The beautiful hostess quickly regained her composure and began to explain with a sweet smile. "This guest is quite right," she said. "The Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger has long been a mere legend, rumored to be capable of felling even immortals. However, our Xiaoyao Tower has indeed acquired one through reliable means. As for your skepticism, we can explain: the complete Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger comprises nine pieces, and only when all nine are united can it truly unleash its legendary power. The item up for auction today is merely one of them."

As she spoke, she took an exquisite sandalwood box from a servant's tray. With slender, graceful fingers, she gently slid open the lid, revealing a small, delicate flying dagger.

The flying dagger appeared not much different from an ordinary one; its blade didn't even possess a sharp, cold glint, looking almost unsharpened.

"It looks quite unremarkable," someone grumbled, and many others quickly echoed their sentiment, clearly harboring skepticism about the item.

The beautiful hostess explained, "Although this flying dagger is incomplete and cannot manifest its full legendary power, it still possesses a unique ability: it can inflict severe damage upon a person's soul. Without treatment from rare spiritual medicines, recovery may be impossible for life."

The mysterious black-robed figure, whom Zu An had observed earlier, scoffed, "Even if an ordinary person possessed this item, they couldn't harm a Grandmaster. And as for Grandmasters, they have their own methods for dealing with soul attacks. This thing is completely useless."

At his reminder, the previously intrigued attendees in the hall discreetly nodded in agreement. Indeed, while the item sounded impressive, its practical utility was questionable.

As for gathering all nine Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers, that seemed even more futile. In thousands of years, had anyone ever succeeded in collecting them all?

It was rare to even see one on an ordinary day, let alone nine.

Seeing the sentiment turning unfavorable for the sale, the beautiful hostess grew slightly anxious. However, having been chosen for this position, her capabilities were exceptional. She quickly interjected, "This dagger can also be quite effective against cultivators below the Grandmaster level. While ordinary cultivators may not yet have solidified their souls, their cultivation is intrinsically linked to mental energy. Should they be wounded by this dagger, their path of cultivation could be irrevocably severed, preventing any further advancement for the rest of their lives."

Zu An had to admit the woman possessed unusual insight, yet her intentions were exceptionally malicious. Wasn't she blatantly suggesting to everyone present that this item could be used to covertly sabotage rivals, thereby severing their path to advancement?

As expected, the guests in the hall began to breathe more rapidly upon hearing her words.

"I bid two hundred thousand taels! I want this flying dagger!" someone exclaimed, unable to contain themselves, raising their bidding paddle.

Zu An noted that their bidding paddles were made of iron, likely indicating they were the lowest-tier members of Xiaoyao Tower.

It was surprising that even the most basic members could casually bid two hundred thousand taels, a testament to Xiaoyao Tower's immense influence.

The beautiful hostess then offered a slight smile. "My apologies, esteemed guest," she said, "but the starting bid for this flying dagger is five hundred thousand taels, with each subsequent bid requiring an increment of no less than ten thousand taels."

At her words, a wave of laughter swept through the hall, and the red-faced guest who had just called out quickly sat back down.

Zu An furrowed his brow. He already possessed four Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers, making this one far more significant to him than to anyone else.

Yet, with a starting bid of five hundred thousand taels, he had no idea what the final selling price would be.

He had previously won several million taels of silver at the Silver Hook Gambling Den, but unfortunately, that money was purely digital and uncollectable. In the end, he simply gifted it to Bright Moon Academy, led by Jiang Luofu, as a gesture of goodwill.

Tsk, tsk. Speaking of which, Jiang Luofu received such a substantial betrothal gift from me. If she dares to marry anyone else, I'll be absolutely furious!

Come to think of it, he also won around a million taels at the Zheng family's gambling house back then, and they still owed him several hundred thousand.

Forget it, Dandan has already settled the debt. We're family now; there's no need for such formalities.

Thus, he had accumulated six hundred and fifty thousand taels in cash in Bright Moon City. Unfortunately, a significant portion of it was later spent using the 'Wealth Proximity' skill three times and purchasing various alchemy ingredients. He mused that the 'Wealth Proximity' skill was truly a scam, as it never yielded much effect whenever he used it. He vowed never to use it again, hmph!

In the capital, he had received numerous rewards for his contributions and noble title. Combined with his previous savings, he should now have approximately four hundred thousand taels.

Only his wife, Linglong, truly understood how to care for him, frequently bestowing palace treasures upon him for no particular reason.

Oh, and after returning to the capital, he needed to visit the Empress more often. It would be a shame to let such a wealthy woman slip away. After all the effort he had put in, he couldn't let himself be taken advantage of for free.

Adding the two hundred thousand taels from the recent sapphire auction, he now had approximately six hundred thousand taels in cash. Of course, he also had the Red Dragon's hidden treasure, valued at around two million taels, from which he could auction off some items if necessary.

However, his readily available liquid funds still amounted to only six hundred thousand taels.

Zu An felt a pang of frustration. He had considered himself quite wealthy, but coming here today, he realized his funds were woefully insufficient.

Below, bidding quickly commenced:

"Five hundred and ten thousand taels!"

"Five hundred and twenty!"

...

"This esteemed guest bids five hundred and fifty thousand taels. Do I hear any more? Five hundred and fifty thousand taels, going once..." The beautiful hostess sounded slightly anxious, as the tepid bidding was somewhat unexpected.

Unfortunately, no one responded. Everyone was cautious with their initial bids, as this flying dagger seemed both useful and useless at the same time, and hundreds of thousands of taels was no small sum. Naturally, they had to consider carefully.

Furthermore, word had spread that the grand finale item today was of exceptionally high quality, and spending their funds here now would cause difficulties later.

Zu An was somewhat surprised by the slow pace. After a moment's thought, he decided to directly call out six hundred thousand taels. This way, he hoped to prevent a prolonged bidding war that might inadvertently inflate the price, preferring to set a high enough initial bid to deter competitors immediately.

As expected, upon hearing his bid, the others hesitated and refrained from placing further bids.

The flying dagger was indeed a "chicken rib"—more trouble than it was worth. Moreover, bidder No. 333 seemed like a formidable individual; they had just witnessed Sun Ji's pathetic state firsthand, so there was no need to antagonize him here.

The beautiful hostess's eyes lit up, gleaming as she looked in Zu An's direction. "VIP No. 333 bids six hundred thousand! Do I hear any more?"

She secretly mused that although the man wore a mask, his tall, upright physique and the confident, dashing aura he exuded made him far more charming than the pot-bellied, jade-card VIPs present.

Meeting the beautiful hostess's seemingly tender gaze, Zu An offered a faint smile but paid it no mind. He was well aware how effortlessly such women could feign affection; he was no naive young man to be charmed by these sophisticated manipulators.

"Six hundred thousand, going twice... Six hundred thousand, going three..." The beautiful hostess was smiling at Zu An when a voice suddenly interrupted her:

"Six hundred and fifty thousand taels!"

Everyone turned to see Sun Ji standing by a window, and immediately understood the situation.

Clearly, he had been humiliated earlier and sought to reclaim his dignity through this opportunity.

Zu An's brow furrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Six hundred and sixty thousand taels."

"Seven hundred thousand taels!" Seeing Zu An's annoyed expression, Sun Ji felt a surge of secret satisfaction, thinking, 'That's what you get for crossing me!'

"Seven hundred and ten thousand," Zu An added, his face devoid of expression.

"Seven hundred and fifty thousand!" Sun Ji thought, observing that Zu An indeed seemed very keen on acquiring the Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger. How could he possibly pass up this chance to drive up the price and settle his grudge?

He had already decided to withdraw his bid after Zu An placed one more, as this was no small sum of money.

The thought of Zu An's furious expression, having spent an extra two hundred thousand taels, brought him immense satisfaction.

To his surprise, Zu An then smiled. "Since Young Master Sun desires this item so much," he said, "I shall gracefully step aside and let you have it."

Sun Ji: "???"

But we agreed that things come in threes! You haven't even made your third bid yet!