vstars Chapter 9 Blackstone Mountain Auction: A Citywide Frenzy
Chapter 9 Blackstone Mountain Auction: A Citywide Frenzy
Before dawn, torches were already flickering on the mountain path of Black Stone Mountain.
Groups of people hurried up the mountain, their steps quick and their expressions anxious, their feet crunching through the morning dew.
Some were independent cultivators who had tasted the Azure Jade Spirit Rice in the East Market yesterday, some were merchants who rushed over overnight after hearing the news, and others were managers sent by several small forces in the county.
Everyone has only one goal—
The Li family's Qingyu Lingmi (a type of rice).
⸻
A mountain breeze blows, and morning mist swirls around.
The platform on the back mountain had already been cleaned up completely.
Several long tables were set up, and behind the tables were ten bags of spirit rice. The bags were slightly open, and the jade-like rice grains gleamed with a warm luster in the morning light.
A wooden sign stands next to it:
Li Jialing Rice Auction House
There is another line of text below:
Today's sale is limited to 100 jin (50 kg), highest bidder wins.
Li Yuanshan, clutching the account book, paced back and forth in place until the soles of his shoes were almost worn thin.
"Young clan leader."
"Are you really going to auction it off?"
"What if nobody buys it? Wouldn't we lose face?"
Li Xuan sat on a wooden chair, holding a cup of hot tea, his tone calm.
"Do you think those people in the East Market yesterday would be content to buy only one or two ounces of rice?"
Li Yuanshan opened his mouth, then immediately realized what was happening.
Once the cultivators have experienced the effects, they will only regret not buying more.
His eyes lit up.
"Young clan leader, you are brilliant!"
⸻
the other side.
Li Yuanlie stood at the entrance to the mountain path, carrying a knife, responsible for maintaining order.
Seeing the growing crowd, he couldn't help but grin.
"These people ran faster than they could escape."
Li Yuanshan rolled his eyes.
"What do you know? This is called pursuing wealth."
Li Yuanlie scoffed:
"You're starting to talk like an account book."
⸻
By the time Chenshi (7-9 AM) arrived, nearly a hundred people had gathered on the mountaintop.
Many people whispered among themselves, their gazes toward Li Xuan becoming more scrutinizing.
A small tribe from Black Stone Mountain dared to compete with the Wang family for grain supplies.
They're quite bold.
But if it's genuine, that's another matter.
Li Xuan stood up and surveyed the entire room.
The platform immediately fell silent.
"I understand why you have come."
"I won't waste any more words."
"The Jade Spirit Rice was tried yesterday."
"Ten jin per round today, ten rounds in total."
"Starting price - 300 spirit coins."
These words caused a slight stir in the crowd.
Three hundred spirit coins for ten catties, which is equivalent to thirty spirit coins for one catty.
This price is much cheaper than yesterday's retail price!
Many people who were initially observing suddenly brightened up.
⸻
"Round one, begin."
As soon as Li Xuan finished speaking, a gray-robed rogue cultivator immediately raised his hand.
"Three hundred and fifty!"
"Four hundred!"
"Four hundred and twenty!"
"five hundred!"
Bidding calls erupted in an instant.
The atmosphere on the platform was immediately ignited.
Li Yuanshan watched intently from the side, muttering to himself:
"They've gone mad...they've all gone mad..."
⸻
The first round of transactions ultimately resulted in a sale of 570 spirit coins.
The buyer was the same gray-robed cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining from yesterday.
He paid the money expressionlessly, only saying one sentence indifferently:
I'll come again tomorrow.
The people around felt a chill run down their spines.
The fact that even mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators approve of it proves that this spirit rice is no gimmick.
⸻
The second round has a higher price.
The transaction was completed for 610 spirit coins.
The third round: 640.
The fourth round was 680.
The bidding grew louder and louder.
Some people blushed and raised the price, some borrowed spirit coins from all over the place, and two rogue cultivators almost got into a fight because of their bidding war.
Li Yuanlie plunged his long sword into the ground.
boom!
A crack appeared in the bluestone.
The entire room immediately fell silent.
"If you keep making noise, you'll be disqualified."
With that one sentence, everyone fell silent.
⸻
Half an hour later.
The first five rounds have ended.
Li Yuanshan's hands trembled as he rapidly moved the abacus beads.
"Young Clan Chief!"
"We've already sold over three thousand spirit coins!"
"Only fifty pounds!"
The Li family didn't earn this much in the past year.
Li Xuan's expression remained unchanged, and he simply said:
"continue."
⸻
Just then, a commotion suddenly arose from the foot of the mountain path.
More than ten burly men pushed through the crowd and swaggered onto the platform.
The leader had a scar on his face; he was the same scarred man who had stopped people on the road to collect "tolls" yesterday.
Several Qi Refining cultivators followed behind him, their expressions arrogant.
"It's quite lively."
Scarface sneered.
"Who gave you permission to gather and trade in Blackrock Mountain?"
The crowd immediately fell silent.
Many people frowned.
The Wang family still came.
⸻
Scarface scanned the room and raised his voice:
"The grain transport route in Qingyun County has always been managed by the Wang family."
"The Li family is selling their property without a license; today's auction is void!"
As he spoke, he strode forward and reached out to open the rice bag.
next moment.
A flash of cold light.
The long sword was held horizontally in front of his wrist, just half an inch away.
Li Yuanlie grinned, but his eyes were chillingly cold.
"Try touching it again."
The scarred man's forehead instantly broke out in a sweat.
He knew yesterday that this brute was not someone to mess with.
But remembering that the Wang family was behind him, he still forced a cold laugh:
"What? The Li family dares to injure someone in public?"
⸻
Li Xuan walked out slowly and stood in front of the crowd.
"You mentioned the rules and regulations for the Wang family."
"Do you have an official contract?"
Scarface paused for a moment.
"……No."
"Do you have any documents from the county government?"
"……No."
"Then who do you think you are, to presume to set rules?"
The voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
The crowd of onlookers immediately burst into low laughter.
Scarface's face flushed red with embarrassment and anger.
"You're asking for it!"
He unleashed his spiritual power and punched Li Xuan squarely in the face.
The Qi Refining Level 4 aura erupted, and the wind from his fists howled.
⸻
Li Xuan stepped to the side and easily dodged.
At the same time, he raised his hand and gestured.
Scarface charged too fast, slipped, and crashed directly into the long table.
boom!
The corner of the table broke, and he fell to the ground in a disheveled state.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"this one?"
"Still trying to cause trouble?"
Scarface was filled with shame and rage. Just as he was about to get up, a powerful aura suddenly pressed down on him.
Li Tianheng walked out slowly.
His injuries had not yet healed, and his face was still pale, but he released the aura of a peak ninth level Qi Refining without reservation.
The clan leader's accumulated power over the years was like a mountain pressing down on us.
Scarface's face turned deathly pale instantly, his knees buckled, and he was forced to kneel down.
The entire room fell silent.
Peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining!
This is already the strongest person in Qingyun County!
Many people only realized this now—
The Li family was not as weak as they imagined.
⸻
Li Tianheng's gaze was icy.
"Who gave you the audacity to run wild at the Li family's gate?"
Scarface's lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a single word.
Li Tianheng uttered only one word:
"roll."
Scarface felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he scrambled down the mountain with his men, looking utterly disheveled.
⸻
After a brief silence, the platform exploded completely.
"The Li family patriarch is still at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining!"
"No wonder they dared to go against the Wang family!"
"The Wang family has really messed up this time!"
Those who were initially hesitant instantly went berserk.
With a strong leader in charge, and the goods are truly excellent.
If we don't befriend them now, when will we?
⸻
With five more rounds of auctions remaining, prices soared.
In the final round, ten catties of Qingyu Spirit Rice fetched a high price of eight hundred spirit coins!
Li Yuanshan counted money until his hands cramped, and he laughed so hard he almost fell over.
"Young clan leader..."
"Today's total income: 6,700 spirit coins!"
He couldn't believe it himself after he finished speaking.
⸻
By sunset, all 100 jin of Ling rice had been sold out.
Some people were still gathered around and refused to leave.
"Young Clan Chief Li, is there any more tomorrow?"
"I'd like to order 20 jin in advance!"
"Can you supply on a long-term basis?"
Li Xuan raised his hand to signal for quiet.
"As usual tomorrow."
"Long-term cooperation is possible; you can register and join the queue."
Everyone was overjoyed.
⸻
After the crowd dispersed.
Li Tianheng stood on the edge of the cliff, gazing in the direction of Qingyun County, his eyes deep and thoughtful.
"The Wang family probably won't be able to sleep tonight."
Li Xuan's lips curled up slightly.
"It's good that you can't sleep."
A system notification sounded in my mind.
[Task progress significantly increased]
[Family Luck +20]
[Current Luck: 83]
[Reward Preview: Opportunity to upgrade the third acre of spirit field]
Li Xuan gazed at the distant lights, his eyes calm.
The auction was just the beginning.
Next, it's time to make the Wang family really bleed.
End of Chapter Nine