Chapter 221 Fierce Bidding
The moment Ren Mei unveiled the Sword, Ikasa recognized it. It was none other than the very first Spiritual Weapon made by Gu Dan, the Yijian Sword!
The first item to be auctioned would usually set the tone for the rest of the event. If it did not excite the patrons enough to loosen their pockets, rest of the items would also be sold for a subpar price.
So, any Auction House would be very careful when choosing the first item to be auctioned. Over time, the first item in any auction became a position of honor for budding Master rank professionals.
Numerous emerging Master Blacksmiths dream to have their weapon be the opening act for any Auction. And here, Gu Dan's very first Spiritual weapon had earned him this honor!
'If that old man had agreed to come, he would have gone delirious with joy.'
Ikasa thought as he observed the atmosphere. As soon as the base price for the sword was announced, it had caused a stir on all the three floors . Bids began to pour in just as Ren Mi finished announcing the base price.
"800 gold!"
"850 Gold!"
"875 Gold!"
"900 Gold!"
These were all the bids from the guests at the lowest floor. No one on the second or the third floor had yet called out their bid.
Suddenly, an impatient voice roared from the second floor.
"Go home, you cheapskates! 1000 gold!"
As soon as the first bid came from the second floor, two more people raised the price in succession.
"1100 Gold!"
"1150 Gold!"
After the high price of 1150 gold, the auditorium went silent. Nobody raised the price as 1100 gold was already a high price for an imperfect One Veined Sword.
On the stage, Ren Mei gauged the atmosphere. She knew that this Sword could be sold for a higher price if she appealed to people other than just Path Finders.
"This weapon is not only a tool for killing, but it is also a precious collectible. As the first ever Spiritual Weapon created by a budding Master Blacksmith, this weapon would be a great addition to your collection."
The sweet voice of Ren Mei enticed the rich connoisseurs of weapons present in the audience.
Just like there were people who made a collection of weapons on Earth, there were rich people in this world who also collected weapons.
They tracked down the first weapons from famous Master Blacksmiths which were either damaged or no longer useful to the owner and brought them at a high price.
Many of the wealthy aspired to be this type of collector but not many could compete with the ones who had started their collections early.
Their best bet was to purchase the first Spiritual Weapon before the Master Blacksmith became famous and essentially gamble on the Blacksmith's potential.
Quite a few of such wealthy people were present amongst the guests. They became interested in Ren Mei's words and they leaned forward in their seats.
"1200 Gold!"
A bid broke the silence. Ren Mei looked at the gallery from where the voice came and threw them a charming smile.
The crowd's eyes were bewitched by her beautiful smile. The spell was only broken after Ren Mi banged the gavel on the podium, starting the countdown.
"1200 gold! Going once…"
"1300 gold!"
"1400 gold!"
"1450 gold!"
A few of the bids came in quick succession. This was the effect of Ren Mei's words. She had managed to ignite the ego of the wealthy and pushed the price of the weapon to nearly twice its base price!
Just as Ren Mi was about to start the countdown again, a feminine voice called out a bid from the third floor of the Auction Room.
"1600 Gold."
The Hall became silent as this was way more than anyone would pay for an imperfect One Veined Weapon, even if it was a collectible!
Ren Mi quickly brought down the gavel and the first item of the Autumn Auction, the Yijian Sword, was sold for double its base price!
Ikasa tried to find the winner of the Yijian Sword but he failed in his attempt. It was because the bidder was also sitting in a VIP box on the Third Floor!
He turned his attention back to the stage as the Twins introduced the next item.
"Tiger Whisker Grass! A medicinal ingredient necessary for Earth attribute pills…"
Ikasa lost interest as it was something he could not use.
However, The Alchemists and the merchants from the Furnace Fire Empire were excited to see the ingredient.
The bids rose higher and higher until the three purple strands of Dragon Whisker Grass were sold for a price of 2400 Gold coins!
The excitement of the audience only increased as the rarity and quality of the items improved.
In the next few hours, the twins auctioned off treasures like Blessed Spirit Spring Water, Tranquility Incense, a 1000 Year Cold Jade and a mysterious fragment of an ancient relic.
With each new item, the bids only grew higher and higher. For example, the winning bid for the ancient relic fragment was 15000 Gold!
The excitement had reached its peak and it was time to bring out the last item of the day.
Soon, a clip clop sound of a horse's hooves clapping against the floor could be heard by everyone in the room. Ren Mei walked over and pushed open the giant doors hidden behind the stage.
A majestic Horse entered the room, towering high over Ren Mei. The beautiful girl only reached half the height of the horse and yet she gently guided the two beasts onto the Auction stage.
As it slowly trotted to the stage, its pitch black mane bounced with its movements. Its glossy black coat gave out a radiant shine under the glow of Sun Pearls on the stage.
It reached the center of the stage and neighed, its sound reverberating through the room. Then it narrowed its eyes at the guests seated near the stage.
The people in the first row suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure, causing them to shrink back in their seats. It was as if they were not in the presence of a horse but a dragon!
Ren Mei immediately pressed a small amulet on its head, calming the horse. While she worked on pacifying the Dragon Scale Horse, Ren Mi, her brother began to introduce it to the eager guests.
"For the today's last round of auction, we have a Spirit Beast Carriage drawn by a Peak Spiritual Condensation Beast, Dragon Scale Horse!"
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