Mo Lin truly couldn't fathom who would be foolish enough to purchase two seemingly useless ghost artifacts.To others, they were of little value, but to him, these two ghost artifacts held particular significance—otherwise, he would never have spent over thirty thousand underworld coins on them.
He turned toward the voice. The bidder was a young man, dressed head-to-toe in luxury brands, one leg crossed over the other, a faint smile playing on his lips.Mo Lin couldn't understand what this man saw in those two useless artifacts.
"Thirty-five thousand underworld coins," Mo Lin said again."Thirty-six thousand," the young man countered, offering Mo Lin a courteous smile.
He had but one reason for bidding: pure interest.
"Forty thousand."Mo Lin's voice cut through the air, the number shocking the entire room.
He was determined to walk away with these artifacts, no matter the cost. He had driven their price far beyond what they were worth.Forty thousand underworld coins—what did that even mean?In normal circumstances, no one would ever offer such an amount… except Mo Lin.
The moment his bid fell, a wave of astonishment rippled through the crowd.Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Forty thousand? Is this guy insane?""Do these two artifacts have some hidden power we don't know about?""Damn, he's loaded.""Now that's what I call throwing money around.""Who is this guy, to have that kind of wealth?"
Some looked on with envy.Others began to suspect there was more to these artifacts than met the eye.
Mo Lin cast a cold glance at the young man, confident he wouldn't bid any higher.And just as he expected, the young man remained silent.
Yamada squinted, then smiled at Mo Lin. "You're pretty wealthy, brother."Mo Lin retorted flatly, "At least wealthier than you."
Yamada chuckled and said cryptically, "Sometimes, money alone won't get you far. Connections matter more."
Mo Lin frowned, unsure what Yamada was hinting at.
Ahem…Yamada cleared his throat and stood. "I am Yamada, disciple of the Flame-Talisman Grandmaster."
At those words, the entire hall shifted.All eyes turned toward him with a mix of surprise and reverence.
After all, the name Flame-Talisman Grandmaster carried weight.
"So he's Yamada—the Flame-Talisman Grandmaster's chief disciple.""What's he doing in a small place like Yunchuan?""I've heard the Flame-Talisman Grandmaster is as powerful as a sixth-rank Spirit Warden. His disciple must be formidable too."
Yamada's declaration sparked a fresh uproar.Mo Lin folded his arms, watching to see what kind of game Yamada intended to play.
Meanwhile, the woman on the auction platform froze when she heard the Grandmaster's name.Her gaze shifted to a middle-aged man in a suit seated nearby.
The man paused, then seemed to grasp the situation.
"If the Grandmaster's disciple is fond of these artifacts, then allow me to gift them to you," he said with a warm smile.
He clearly wanted to curry favor, hoping to forge a future connection.Yamada's identity reveal was no doubt a subtle cue.
"You'd give them to me? My thanks."Yamada smiled and added, "After the auction, allow me to treat you to a cup of tea."
"No need to stand on ceremony," the man replied with a respectful bow.
Yamada cast a mocking glance at Mo Lin—his meaning was obvious: he was trying to humiliate him.
"I already bought these artifacts. On what grounds are you giving them away?" Mo Lin stepped forward, clearly displeased, and questioned Zhao San directly.
"I'm the manager of this auction. That alone gives me the authority."
Zhao San was willing to offend Mo Lin to flatter Yamada, aiming to get closer to the powerful Grandmaster through his disciple.
"As long as we haven't taken your coins, the artifacts aren't yours," Zhao San added.
Qian Yun stood and spoke out indignantly. "You're out of line. This goes against every rule of an auction."
Mo Lin had clearly won the bid with forty thousand underworld coins. By all rights, the artifacts should have been his.
"I make the rules here," Zhao San said arrogantly. "And I say these two artifacts are not for sale to you."
Mo Lin's brow furrowed.He hadn't intended to stir up trouble, but Zhao San's blatant favoritism left him no choice.
"So what exactly are you trying to say?" Mo Lin asked coldly.
"Exactly what it sounds like—you're not getting them," Zhao San replied with a smirk.
The onlookers watched with growing interest.Anyone with eyes could see it: Zhao San was breaking the rules just to flatter Yamada.Everyone knew the rules—Mo Lin had placed the highest bid, and the artifacts should have been his.
But Yamada, the Grandmaster's disciple, was the other party.And few dared speak against someone of such status.
The air grew thick with tension.
"Apologies, brother," Yamada said with mock sincerity. "Looks like you won't be getting these.""Let me teach you something—sometimes, influence matters more than wealth."
Mo Lin clenched his fists.Yamada was truly infuriating. He bore Mo Lin no grudge—he simply didn't like him.
Just then, a cold voice rang out:
"What's going on here?"
Everyone turned toward the voice.It was a young man in a black suit—none other than the true owner of the Wanhai Auction House, Fu Wansan.
He'd heard there was trouble and had come to investigate.
"Boss, someone is causing trouble," Zhao San said, quickly stepping forward.
"Who?" Fu Wansan asked, his tone icy.
Zhao San pointed directly at Mo Lin. "It's him."
"Anyone who causes trouble here—throw them out," Fu Wansan commanded, just as his eyes fell upon Mo Lin.
And just like that, his fury vanished.
It was Mo Lin.
He shared a deep connection with Mo Lin, and most of the premium ghost artifacts in today's auction were Mo Lin's consigned goods.That changed everything.
"I'll throw him out right away—" Zhao San began.
Smack!
Fu Wansan's slap landed hard on Zhao San's face.
"Who told you to throw anyone out?"
"But… didn't you just say—?"
"You misheard," Fu Wansan snapped.
Zhao San's cheek burned red, his mind spinning. He couldn't make sense of Fu Wansan's sudden change in attitude.
"Brother Mo, why didn't you let me know you were coming today?" Fu Wansan's expression transformed into one of warm hospitality as he greeted Mo Lin with a smile.
Qian Yun glanced at Fu Wansan, then at Mo Lin, then over at the smug-faced Yamada in the distance.
Now this... this was about to get very interesting.