Hearing the conversation, Lei Zhu turned his head, too lazy to respond to Nie Li.
Debating with a child would only lower his status.
Nie Li glanced at Nie Hai and Nie En, saying, "Don’t worry about it. I will pay for what I buy later!"
Nie Hai and Nie En exchanged wry smiles.
They recognized that their authority was practically nonexistent in Nie Li's eyes.
They could see that Nie Li didn't hold them in much respect.
While other children in the clan stammered before them, Nie Li remained calm and indifferent.
In his previous life, Nie Li would have felt nervous around Nie Hai and Nie En, but this time, his mindset had completely changed.
No one could put real pressure on him anymore.
Even if Ye Ziyun's grandfather, the legendary demon spirit master Ye Mo, came, Nie Li wouldn't feel uneasy.
Just as Nie Li finished speaking, the auction had already begun.
"Dear esteemed guests, welcome to this auction! The Red Moon Auction House has prepared a wealth of treasures for you, many of which were discovered in ancient ruins. We hope you enjoy them!" The voice of the young girl echoed melodiously, like enchanting heavenly music.
"The first item up for bid is a shattered ancient jade piece, obtained from the ruins of Qinghe Town. It contains a strong aura of soul force. The starting bid is three hundred demon spirit coins!"
As the girl finished speaking, someone raised their paddle.
"Three hundred and fifty demon spirit coins!"
"Four hundred demon spirit coins!"
"Five hundred demon spirit coins!"
...
"Two thousand demon spirit coins!"
The price climbed to two thousand demon spirit coins and then halted.
After all, it was just a broken piece of jade.
Despite the aura of soul force it carried, it was only worth that much.
The annual income for a regular noble family might reach a million demon spirit coins, while an average household would typically handle two or three thousand demon spirit coins in expenses each year.
Therefore, two thousand demon spirit coins was already a hefty sum for them.
Nie Li cast a glance at the ancient jade and noted its color; it was a piece of primary underworld jade with decent quality.
If fully utilized, it could be valued at twenty to thirty thousand demon spirit coins.
Noticing that no one in the VIP room voiced any bids, Nie Li raised his paddle.
"Tianhen Family, two thousand five hundred demon spirit coins!"
"Two thousand five hundred demon spirit coins once!"
"Two thousand five hundred demon spirit coins twice!"
"Two thousand five hundred demon spirit coins three times!"
"Sold! Congratulations to the Tianhen Family for acquiring this ancient jade!"
Lei Zhu gave a strange look in Nie Li's direction and muttered, "Spending two thousand five hundred demon spirit coins on a broken jade—what's the use of that?"
Nie Hai and Nie En were somewhat baffled too, but since Nie Li was paying for it himself, they kept quiet.
"The next item up for auction is a mysterious spatial ring. Please take a look!" The girl in charge of the auction slowly lifted a ring, "This spatial ring is crystal clear and flawless. It’s a storage ring, containing over two hundred square meters of space—truly a premium item. This ring was brought back by a golden martial artist from the Ningyou City ruins, known for its danger and rich treasures. Many items from these ruins possess exceedingly high quality, and many have been collected by the City Lord himself..."
"The starting bid for this ring is fifty thousand demon spirit coins!" The girl's voice rose and fell.
"Finally, some good stuff!"
"But that price is outrageous—fifty thousand demon spirit coins!"
"With such a large space, fifty thousand demon spirit coins isn't too much!"
The monthly income of the entire Tianhen Family was less than a hundred thousand demon spirit coins, and they needed to maintain various family expenses.
For Nie Hai and Nie En, that fifty thousand demon spirit coins price was daunting.
Some wealthy merchants in the crowd had already begun to bid.
"Fifty-one thousand demon spirit coins!"
"Fifty-three thousand demon spirit coins!"
...
"Fifty-five thousand demon spirit coins!"
The bidding was fierce.
Lei Zhu turned to Nie Hai and the others beside him, chuckling, "Master Nie Hai, aren't you interested? Then I shall bid!"
"Seventy thousand demon spirit coins!" Lei Zhu spoke casually, and an instant silence enveloped the hall.
“Adding fifteen thousand demon spirit coins in one go, truly the Silver Tiger Family lives up to its name! I’ll have to give up now!” Several merchants eager to claim the spatial ring had to back off in despair.
Time passed, and no one made any further bids.
"The Silver Tiger Family offers seventy thousand demon spirit coins. Is there any higher bid?" the girl asked, her voice ringing out clearly.
Despite having a few spatial rings, Nie Li found their spaces too small and filled with demon spirit crystals, which left him wanting.
Since a high-quality spatial ring was available, Nie Li certainly wouldn’t give up easily; it was a good opportunity to buy something useful.
If he missed out on this two hundred plus square meter spatial ring, finding something larger later would be challenging.
"One hundred thousand demon spirit coins!" Nie Li calmly raised his bid.
When Nie Hai and Nie En heard Nie Li's voice, their hearts nearly stopped.
Blood seemed to drain from their faces—it was one hundred thousand demon spirit coins! My heavens, that was more than the Tianhen Family's monthly income! Nie Li was only buying a spatial ring?
"The Tianhen Family bids one hundred thousand demon spirit coins; is there anyone else willing to raise the bid?" the girl asked loudly.
"Hundred thousand demon spirit coins!" Lei Zhu gasped, suddenly feeling lost for words.
He couldn’t bear that price—the sheer weight of a hundred thousand demon spirit coins! He opened his mouth, wanting to make a counteroffer, but feared that this could be a trap laid by the Tianhen Family, so he dared not raise the price further.
"One hundred thousand demon spirit coins once, one hundred thousand demon spirit coins twice, one hundred thousand demon spirit coins three times, sold!" The girl’s hammer came down heavily.
One hundred thousand demon spirit coins—an exhilarating price indeed.
Nie Li turned to Nie En beside him and said, "Elder, could you help me retrieve those two items? I might need that spatial ring soon. Here are eleven demon spirit cards; you can consider the extra as a gift to you!" He casually handed over eleven demon spirit cards.
Nie En felt a bit frustrated, realizing that Nie Li viewed him as a runner.
After all, he was the elder of the Tianhen Family!
However, seeing the eleven demon spirit cards, Nie En took a deep breath.
He thought it was better to endure this as a necessary sacrifice.
Eleven demon spirit cards equated to eleven thousand demon spirit coins, and after deducting the auction prices, there’d still be seven thousand five hundred demon spirit coins left.
It really wasn’t too bad for a single trip.
With so many people in the Tianhen Family, their monthly income was barely one hundred thousand demon spirit coins, and he could earn seven thousand five hundred demon spirit coins with just a run—who wouldn’t want that?
It was tough! Nie Hai couldn’t help but lament, knowing quite well the severe financial crisis the Tianhen Family faced.
After deducting the costs of cultivating the younger generation, they were still burdened with debt!
Nie Li was too wealthy.
Being a member of the Tianhen Family, Nie Li should contribute a little to the family.
But Nie Hai couldn’t pressure Nie Li; after all, the current relationship between the Tianhen Family and the Alchemists' Guild relied heavily on Nie Li.
"The next auction item is this jade bottle filled with pills, made from a special warm jade that can greatly preserve their efficacy. It was excavated from a sunken ship in the ancient Wind Spirit River..."
...
"The Tianhen Family bids sixty thousand demon spirit coins. Is there any counteroffer?"
"Sixty thousand demon spirit coins once, sixty thousand demon spirit coins twice, sixty thousand demon spirit coins three times, sold!"
...
"The next item up for bid is a complete set of golden-grade equipment. Look at those runes; they all originate from the Snowstorm Era. This entire set sealed a demon spirit of the Crimson Flame Tiger, a species that went extinct in the Snowstorm Era due to excessive hunting. Thus, this golden-grade equipment is likely a unique piece, only suited for golden-grade demon spirit masters! The starting price is six hundred thousand demon spirit coins!"
Upon seeing this golden-grade set, Nie Li's eyes sparkled, and he raised his bid, saying, "One million..."
Everyone was stunned, and the hall fell silent for a while.
This kid wasn’t giving anyone a chance!
"Xiao Li, are you bidding for me? I’m so grateful!" Nie Hai nervously rubbed his hands.
This was an entire set of golden-grade equipment! Wearing this set, his strength would surely rise by more than thirty percent!
Nie Li shot a sidelong glance at Nie Hai, saying, "Who says I'm bidding for you?"
"But I'm the only golden-grade demon spirit master in the entire Tianhen Family!" Nie Hai stammered, realizing that aside from him, no one else could wear this golden-grade set.
"I'm keeping it for myself!" Nie Li said calmly.
Nie Hai's jaw dropped.
Hearing Nie Li's words, his joyful heart instantly transformed into deep resentment, much like a woman abandoned by her lover.
Brothers, let's push for votes, desperately seeking recommendations!!!
(End of Chapter)