From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 281 Xiao Yao Unravels the Conspiracy: A Battle of Wits with the Auction House

With a sense of urgency, I pushed through the crowd and arrived at the entrance of the auction house.

The auction house was luxuriously decorated, with all sorts of tapestries hanging on the walls, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

As soon as I entered this place, I felt a sense of oppression, as if some unknown undercurrent was surging.

"Welcome, Fairy Xiao Yao." Manager Li smiled, but a hint of greed lurked in his eyes.

He had clearly noticed my arrival, but my gaze swept over the exhibits behind him, trying to find that familiar feeling.

The crowd was bustling, and the center of the auction house was already filled with all sorts of magical treasures and spiritual materials.

Many monks were whispering and discussing among themselves.

I frowned slightly, feeling that everything here seemed too calm, as if it concealed some kind of ominous premonition.

Just then, Fairy Zhao walked in with an arrogant air.

Her eyes were defiant; she was clearly trying to cause me trouble.

She walked up to an exhibit and deliberately inflated the price, causing a commotion.

"Five million spirit stones!" Fairy Zhao's voice was clear and bright, carrying an unquestionable authority.

The surrounding cultivators all looked on in surprise, clearly not expecting her to offer such a high price.

My brows furrowed, and my heart was filled with helplessness.

My resources are limited, and every bid means I'm one step further away from my ultimate goal.

"Six million spirit stones." Not to be outdone, I quickly replied.

I know that Fairy Zhao is obviously deliberately making things difficult for me, but I can't let her succeed.

"It seems Fairy Xiao Yao is determined to obtain this magical treasure." Fairy Zhao chuckled, a cold smile playing on her lips.

A chill ran through me; I had a bad feeling.

Her smile was clearly mocking, as if she had already foreseen that I would fall into her trap.

"Seven million spirit stones!" she raised the price again, her tone full of provocation.

The surrounding bidders all stopped what they were doing and focused their attention on the two of us.

The air grew unusually tense, and the exchange of each spirit stone seemed to unleash a storm.

I took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

I know that this auction is not just a contest for magical treasures, but also a battle of wits and cunning.

"Eight million spirit stones." My voice was firm and powerful, without any hesitation.

A hint of surprise flashed across Zhao Xianzi's face, but she quickly regained her haughty demeanor.

She seemed to have everything planned out, ready to drive me into a corner.

Suddenly, Manager Li's voice came from the side, carrying a sinister tone: "Everyone, the starting price for this magic item is already very high. Does anyone have a higher bid?"

A sense of foreboding washed over me.

Manager Li's figure appeared particularly cold under the lamplight, as if he were hiding some unspeakable secret.

Just then, a chilling laugh suddenly echoed through the auction house, seemingly coming from all directions, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Xiao Yao, do you really think you can win?" A deep voice rang in my ears, as if it came from the abyss.

I looked back but saw nothing; instead, I felt a chill rise from my heart.

A strong sense of crisis welled up inside me, knowing that this auction was far from over and the real conspiracy had only just begun.

 Chapter 281 Xiao Yao Unravels the Conspiracy: A Battle of Wits Against the Auction House

With a sense of urgency, I pushed through the crowd and arrived at the entrance of the auction house.

The auction house was luxuriously decorated, with all kinds of tapestries hanging on the walls, exuding an ancient and mysterious atmosphere.

As soon as I entered this place, I felt a sense of oppression, as if some unknown undercurrent was surging.

A strong sense of crisis welled up inside me, knowing that this auction was far from over and the real conspiracy had only just begun.

The auction continued, and Manager Li suddenly approached me and whispered, "Fairy Xiao Yao, there are a few magical treasures here that you might be interested in. Why don't you take a look?" As he spoke, he handed me a list that contained several seemingly precious magical treasures.

As I took the list, alarm bells rang in my mind.

Although these magical artifacts look precious, I always feel that something is wrong with them.

However, to avoid arousing suspicion, I pretended to be interested and walked towards the exhibits.

When my finger touched one of the magical artifacts, I suddenly felt a sharp pain, as if I was being repelled by some invisible force.

My heart sank as I realized this might be a fake magic weapon.

"Nine million spirit stones!" I bid again, not wanting to be outdone, unaware that this was already a trap set by Manager Li.

I knew things were going badly, but it was too late to change anything.

In the end, I lost the bid and ended up with a useless item, my frustration barely concealed.

People around me cast mocking glances my way, and my ears were filled with a jumble of voices, all seemingly mocking my failure.

I suppressed my anger, took a deep breath, and tried my best to remain calm.

Just then, Guard Lin approached with several guards and said coldly, "Fairy Xiao Yao, please stay here for now. We have some questions that we need your answers to."

I was cornered by them, my eyes filled with anger.

The guards around me were watching me intently, making me feel like I had nowhere to escape.

I secretly vowed to uncover the truth behind this conspiracy.

"What exactly do you want?" My voice was low but full of threat.

Lin, the guard, gave a cold smile but did not answer. He simply waved his hand, signaling the guards to keep me firmly under control.

A thought struck me, and I knew I couldn't keep pushing myself any further.

I pretended to sit down obediently, but my eyes were searching for an opportunity to escape.

I did not resist and let them take me to a secluded room.

The room was dimly lit, and there was a faint musty smell in the air, which made me feel uncomfortable.

I sat in the chair, feigning frustration, but my eyes scanned the surroundings like a cheetah, not missing a single corner.

"What do you want from me?" I asked, seemingly helplessly, but actually observing their reaction in secret.

Lin, the guard, curled his lips into a cold smile. He did not answer my question, but turned and left, leaving several guards to watch over me.

I noticed that although they looked fierce, their eyes were somewhat unfocused, clearly trying to hide something.

I quietly released a wisp of spiritual energy, which, like a fine thread, probed into every corner of the room, carefully sensing everything around me.

The uneven textures on the walls, the tiny cracks on the floor, and even the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy in the air all became clues for me to gather information.

I discovered a tiny rune hidden in the shadows of the wall, emanating a faint black aura, which confirmed to me that this place was definitely not simple.

I pretended to be bored and looked around, my fingers casually brushing across the table, feeling the tiny characters carved on its surface.

A thought struck me, and I quietly channeled my spiritual energy into my fingertips, touching the words. Some vague information flooded into my mind.

It turned out that this was a ledger recording internal transactions of the auction house, containing evidence of Manager Li's illegal transactions in private.

A slight smirk played on my lips, my heart filled with a cold laugh.

On the surface, I maintained a颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of listlessness, apathy, and a lack of motivation) appearance, but inwardly I had already begun plotting how to expose their conspiracy.

As I carefully read through the ledger, I quietly waited for the right moment.

Time ticked by, and the room was filled with a suffocating silence.

The auction noises outside gradually subsided, replaced by hushed whispers. I paced back and forth, feigning anxiety, but in reality, I was searching for the best opportunity to act.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps outside the room. I quickly memorized the contents of the ledger and secretly imprinted the runes in my mind. Then I returned to my original posture as if nothing had happened.

"Fairy Xiao Yao, Manager Li requests your presence outside," Guard Lin's voice came from the doorway.

I took a deep breath, knowing it was time.

I stepped out of the room and found that the auction house had fallen silent, and everyone was looking at me with strange eyes.

Manager Li stood in the center of the crowd, a fake smile on his face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to announce." I cleared my throat, my tone tinged with coldness.

I looked around to make sure everyone could hear me.

“This auction house is not as glamorous as it seems on the surface; their actions are utterly outrageous!” I presented everyone with the evidence I obtained from the ledgers and the runes I found in the secret room.

An uproar erupted in the auction house.

Everyone stared in shock at Manager Li, whose face turned pale, lips trembled, and he was speechless.

I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

“That’s impossible…” Manager Li muttered to himself, trying to defend himself, but I coldly interrupted him.

I ignored him and went straight to the back of the auction house.

"You, come with me," I said to the guard Lin in the corner, a meaningful smile playing on my lips.

 Chapter 281 Xiao Yao Unravels the Conspiracy: A Battle of Wits Against the Auction House

My return to the auction house immediately caused an uproar.

The crowd buzzed with discussion, their eyes filled with surprise and admiration.

Manager Li's face was ashen, but he was preoccupied with the conspiracy I had exposed and had no time to retaliate against me.

Zhao Xianzi still stood proudly in the center of the stage, but there was a hint of wariness in her eyes.

She clearly didn't expect me to retaliate so quickly and regain my right to bid.

"Continue, Fairy Zhao," I said casually, with a hint of provocation in my tone.

Zhao Xianzi snorted coldly and said through gritted teeth, "Since you are so confident, then let's see who has the last laugh."

The auction continued, and the ancient magical artifacts shone brightly under the lights.

The surrounding crowd began to cheer for me and Zhao Xianzi in the bidding, and an atmosphere of amazement filled the air.

"Fifteen million spirit stones!" Fairy Zhao raised the price again, her voice filled with determination.

A murmur rippled through the crowd, but I remained steadfast and firmly replied, "Sixteen million spirit stones!"

Zhao Xianzi's eyes flickered, clearly showing some hesitation.

But her proud nature wouldn't allow her to back down at this moment. She gritted her teeth and bid again: "Seventeen million spirit stones!"

I took a deep breath, and a sense of determination welled up inside me.

I know that this auction is not only a competition for magical treasures, but also a contest of wills.

"Eighteen million spirit stones!" My voice was firm and strong as I announced the new price without hesitation.

The surrounding cultivators all cast shocked glances, and the auction house fell silent for a moment, with only my and Zhao Xianzi's bids echoing in the air.

Zhao Xianzi's face turned pale, but she remained defiant and raised the price again: "Nineteen million spirit stones!"

"Twenty million spirit stones!" I said without wavering, my voice filled with unwavering conviction.

Zhao Xianzi said through gritted teeth, "Twenty million five hundred spirit stones!"

The auction house was silent, and all eyes were on me.

I know that I cannot hesitate for even a moment at this time.

"Twenty million six million spirit stones!" I raised my hand, my voice firm and powerful, as if declaring my determination.

Zhao Xianzi's expression changed completely; she was clearly no longer able to bid.

Her eyes were filled with resentment, but in the end she could only lower her head and give up the bidding.

As the auctioneer's gavel fell, the crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

I smiled and accepted everyone's congratulations, but a sense of unease lingered in my heart.

I know this is only a temporary victory. The ancient artifact is about to be sent to a mysterious place, and the real challenge has just begun.

Just as the auctioneer announced me as the winner, Guard Lin hurriedly came out from backstage, approached me nervously, and whispered, "Fairy Xiao Yao, the ancient magic treasure is about to be sent to the Endless Abyss. We must act immediately."

I nodded in agreement, a sense of determination welling up inside me.

No matter how many obstacles lie ahead, I will seize that ancient magical artifact.

**