Chapter 139: A Slight Smile Is Very Charming!

When Long Aogu suddenly spat blood, the two women covered their mouths slightly, while Qian Mo looked utterly bewildered.

“Whoa, Old Dragon, you’re spitting blood! What happened?” Qian Mo slowly walked over and pretended to support him, his face filled with exaggerated shock.

Long Aogu truly wanted to punch this bastard, but he held himself back. He could not defeat him, and the consequences would be disastrous. He did not even dare imagine them.

“It’s nothing. Just a minor internal injury. Once I’ve spat out the congested blood, it’ll be fine.” After vomiting blood, Long Aogu felt much better. He wiped the blood from his mouth and waved his hand. “It’s no serious matter. Leave me alone. If you keep fussing over me, I’ll spit out more than this.”

“How can I do that? This is all my fault.” Qian Mo sighed.

At that, Long Aogu thought, So you finally admit it! Yes, it’s all your fault!

“It’s the fault of this divine master, who can calculate everything in the world, yet failed to foresee the internal injury in your body, Old Dragon! Alas, it seems I still cannot see through everything.” Qian Mo shook his head sorrowfully, looking deeply dejected. “If I had discovered your injury sooner, I could have treated you. Then you wouldn’t have ended up spitting blood like this.”

“You! You… needn’t grieve… I, Long, do not blame you!” Long Aogu lowered his head, grinding his teeth as he spoke in a rather heavy tone.

“Truly, I’m fine.” Long Aogu shook his head.

“That won’t do. If you’re sick, you must seek treatment. And if you seek treatment, you must take medicine.”

“Here. I didn’t know before, but now I do. You have an internal injury, so take this pill. It will restore the damage to your body.”

As he spoke, Qian Mo casually took a healing pill from his storage ring and handed it to Long Aogu.

“What… what kind of pill is this?” Long Aogu stared at the dazzling golden pill in Qian Mo’s hand and asked suspiciously. He had lived this long without ever seeing a pill like it.

“Ah, the secrets of heaven must not be revealed. They must not be revealed. Trust this divine master. I can return you to the peak of your condition!” Qian Mo handed him the pill, then clasped his hands behind his back and raised his chin, exuding an incomparable and mysterious air.

Long Aogu was slightly stunned by the spectacle. He looked doubtfully at the golden pill in his hand, then at Qian Mo, as if saying, I’ll believe anything but you. Why are you making such a grand show of it? Hmph. It really is an internal injury, though—not one caused by a beating, but by anger! And everyone knows who made me angry!

“Since you put it that way, I’ll accept it,” Long Aogu said politely.

“Take it, Old Dragon. Who are we to each other? We’re practically family, so don’t be shy.” Qian Mo waved his hand lightly and brushed back his long hair.

Long Aogu no longer wished to speak. He merely closed his eyes and thought, This man’s shamelessness is beyond ordinary comparison. Stay calm. Stay calm. Don’t get angry with him. I’ll be the one to suffer. Keep an even temper.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and swallowed the golden pill.

Gulp.

The pill slid into his stomach.

“Hmm? What is this?” Long Aogu discovered that the pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, transforming into medicinal liquid that flowed into his abdomen. It was gentle and soothing. The injuries within his body healed at once, and a faint golden radiance rose from his skin.

It worked? This brat really wasn’t lying. I thought he was trying to poison me.

“How is it, Old Dragon? Doesn’t it feel completely different from other pills?” Qian Mo patted him on the shoulder.

Long Aogu did not pretend otherwise. He nodded and said, “This pill truly is extraordinary. My internal injury healed the moment I swallowed it, and the process was wonderfully gentle. I really would like to know what kind of pill it is. If it can be purchased, that would be even better.”

Purchased? Dream on, old man. It is nothing more than an ordinary pill. I merely used a trace of divine power to turn it golden and create that miraculous effect.

Qian Mo rolled his eyes and asked, “Old Dragon, can the items in your auction still be increased?”

“Anything I say can be arranged. What would you like to put up for auction, Young Master?” Long Aogu asked.

Qian Mo produced a bottle containing roughly ten pills. They were not golden, but a brilliant, almost dazzling red. Naturally, this was also his handiwork.

“These are pills I refined myself. Though they aren’t golden, their healing speed is exactly the same as that of the pill you just took. As for their grade, you can test them and find out. I refined them casually because I was bored. My only condition is that I want to exchange items for items. I don’t want gold coins.”

Long Aogu stared at the brilliant red pills in Qian Mo’s hand and asked in astonishment, “Young Master, are you an alchemist?”

“Yes. As for their grade… it was merely something I refined for fun.”

“…”

Then what grade were these pills?

“May I know their name?” Long Aogu stopped asking questions. He could have them tested later. Judging from their appearance, they could not possibly be ordinary.

“Red Radiance Panacea,” Qian Mo said calmly. “I’ll give you three of them. Put the other seven up for auction.”

“Ah! Really? We get three?” Long Aogu trembled slightly. This man had simply handed them over without a second thought.

“What? Is that not acceptable?” Qian Mo frowned and deliberately looked troubled.

“No, no, it’s perfectly acceptable!” Long Aogu hurriedly nodded. Three pills of this quality were certainly worth a great deal.

“Good, then take them. Come on, take me to the VIP room.”

Qian Mo directly placed the bottle in Long Aogu’s hands.

Long Aogu carefully put it into his storage ring and nodded.

“All right.”

…

Soon, under Long Aogu’s guidance, the group arrived at the VIP room. Long Aogu instructed the female attendants to care for this supreme guest properly and ensure that nothing went wrong.

The attendant was stunned. She had never expected this person to be such an important guest—and for the Pavilion Master himself, such a great figure, to personally appear. She had actually met the legendary and mysterious Pavilion Master of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion!

If she knew that this legendary Pavilion Master had nearly been angered to death by Qian Mo moments earlier, who could say what she would think?

Long Aogu left with the blazing red pills in his possession, his eyes gleaming. Before long, he arrived at the only room in the Heaven and Earth Pavilion used to test pill grades.

“You are… the Pavilion Master?” A young woman was inspecting a box of goods. She was drawn by the sound of Long Aogu’s footsteps and turned in surprise when she saw him. “How long has it been since the Pavilion Master last appeared? These days, most of the Pavilion’s affairs are handled by the Vice Pavilion Masters. I joined the Heaven and Earth Pavilion many years ago, so I’ve seen your appearance before.”

“Wan’er, come and test the grade of these pills.” Long Aogu extended the hand he had kept behind his back. A batch of red pills appeared before him, and he handed them to her.

Wan’er took the brilliant red pills and asked suspiciously as she walked, “Pavilion Master, didn’t the person who gave you these pills tell you their grade?”

“No. Can’t you estimate their grade without using the pill-testing device?”

Long Aogu shook his head. If he knew the grade, he would not have come all this way. He could simply have handed them to the auction staff.

“That person is far too careless. He actually made the Pavilion Master handle this personally?” Wan’er complained indignantly.

“Since you’ve been with the Heaven and Earth Pavilion for quite some time, tell me—how do you think my strength compares with others?” Long Aogu asked.

“The Pavilion Master is incredibly powerful, with strength that reaches the heavens. You’re also a peak ninth-star Battle Saint. Everyone in the upper levels of the Pavilion knows that.”

She answered honestly, though she was somewhat puzzled. Why did the Pavilion Master seem like a completely different person after such a long absence? He no longer possessed the same imposing dignity.

Long Aogu waved his hand and sat down nearby with an expression of helplessness.

“Did you feel an extremely powerful pressure earlier? The kind that left you unable to move, lying helplessly on the ground?”

After the Pavilion Master mentioned it, Wan’er recalled the incident and nodded. She had indeed been crushed beneath a terrifying pressure. She still had no idea which mighty expert had released it.

“Then there’s your answer. These pills were given to me by the person who suppressed us.”

Long Aogu’s expression was filled with resignation.

“Then you can’t let him off, Pavilion Master! Capture him and beat him severely. Teach him that provoking the Heaven and Earth Pavilion is not something he can do without consequences!” Wan’er shouted angrily. She had been deeply aggrieved, and now that she had a lead, how could she let it go?

“Cough, cough!”

Long Aogu was so frightened by her words that he nearly choked. He hurriedly covered her mouth.

“I’m warning you—don’t cause trouble! That person is currently in the VIP room. He is a supreme guest of our Heaven and Earth Pavilion, with authority nearly equal to mine. Do not provoke him. Even if everyone in the Pavilion joined forces, we might not withstand a single attack from him!”

Long Aogu pointed at the troublesome girl and issued a stern warning. If something happened, the consequences would be disastrous.

“What? That can’t be! Pavilion Master, is that person really so powerful?” Wan’er cried in disbelief. Her hopes of revenge had vanished.

“Then… even you aren’t his match?” Wan’er looked pitifully at Long Aogu, her only possible savior.

Long Aogu felt uncomfortable beneath her gaze.

Don’t drag me into this! I don’t want to die!

His old face flushed. He put on the solemn expression of an elder educating a junior and said, “There is always someone greater beyond every person, and a higher heaven beyond every sky.”

“So even the Pavilion Master can’t defeat him…” Wan’er pursed her tender lips and muttered softly. Her charming eyes blinked as she stared at Long Aogu.

“Enough nonsense. Hurry and test the grade. We’ll put them up as the eleventh and final auction item.” Long Aogu did not want to maintain his act any longer and hurriedly changed the subject.

“I understand.”

Wan’er carried the pills toward the pill-testing device.

This was merely one of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion’s auction houses. The true headquarters of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion was located in the eastern part of Western Continent. It covered an enormous area, surrounded by valleys and dense forests, and was filled with abundant spiritual energy.

The Pavilion had not auctioned pills for a long time. Most of the items usually offered were treasures, weapons, techniques, and mysterious objects. As a result, the pill-testing artifact had been stored away for quite some time.

After it was cleaned and arranged, the artifact appeared before them.

“Hurry. I’m looking forward to this,” Long Aogu said.

Wan’er nodded and cautiously removed the lid from the bottle.

In an instant, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the entire room.

“This… this is pill fragrance! It smells wonderful!” Wan’er greedily breathed in the fragrance, reveling in it.

Suddenly, a bright light burst from her body. The battle energy and aura within her began to transform and rise.

She had broken through.

She had advanced merely by inhaling the pill’s fragrance.

“I… I broke through! I broke through! I’m a four-star Battle Saint now!” Wan’er’s face flushed with excitement as she shouted.

“Can someone really break through just by inhaling a pill’s fragrance?” Long Aogu stared at her in shock. Qian Mo had given him too many surprises.

“No, I have to try as well and see whether I can break through.”

As he spoke, Long Aogu desperately inhaled the medicinal fragrance. Yet it had no effect at all. His cultivation did not advance, though his appearance became considerably younger.

Wan’er stared at him in astonishment.

“Pavilion… Pavilion Master, your… your face…”

“What happened to my face?” Long Aogu was startled by her expression. Could he have been disfigured? He hurriedly covered his face and began patting it.

“Pavilion Master, you look younger! The aura around you has also become much younger.”

“Younger? Ah, I really have become younger!”

Long Aogu burst into delighted laughter and stroked his handsome face, savoring the sensation. After a moment, he said urgently, “Quickly, test the pill’s grade.”

Wan’er turned and took a single red pill from the bottle. It emitted a dazzling red glow. She placed it into the opening of the testing artifact.

The two of them watched expectantly as energy began to rise within the device. The energy column was red, climbing higher and higher until it stopped at the peak of the eighth grade—just one step below the ninth grade.

“Good heavens! Half-step ninth grade!” Long Aogu’s body trembled slightly, and he became intensely excited.

“Half-step ninth grade!” Wan’er’s small mouth fell open, and she covered it with both hands.

Ha! We have three pills. They must be extraordinary.

“All right, all right. Give them to me. I’ll make the arrangements personally.” Long Aogu quickly put the pills away and hurried toward the auction area.

He took three pills from the bottle and placed them inside his storage ring.

…

Inside the VIP room, Qian Mo held one beauty in each arm and enjoyed being fed fruit.

“Mmm… so delicious.” He chewed the fruit happily, completely unaware that the pills he had casually infused with divine power had caused one woman to break through and made Long Aogu younger.

Qian Mo had thought of a way to make money: exchange the cheapest, most worthless things for items of far greater value.

The red pills he had just produced were merely low-grade pills and were essentially worthless. In the system marketplace, they were sold by the heap. Five Myriad Worlds Coins could buy a thousand of them.

They were completely valueless, so Qian Mo had added a trace of divine power and transformed them into something far more advanced. That way, people who knew nothing about them would offer valuable treasures in exchange.

Those treasures could be exchanged for a considerable number of Myriad Worlds Coins.

In particular, the Heaven and Earth Pavilion’s auction attracted many powerful clans, sects, and factions. Every one of them possessed wealth and treasures. Taking advantage of them a little was hardly a bad idea.

If Qian Mo had wanted to, he could have simply closed the doors and robbed everyone inside. The spoils would certainly have been enormous.

However, he would never do such a thing. It would be beneath his dignity.

At that moment, Qian Mo sat sprawled on the sofa with his legs apart, his oversized shorts on full display. He had removed his shoes and was lounging comfortably.

“Ladies, if you see anything you like later, tell your husband. I’ll bid for it and buy it for you.”

“And Ling’er as well.”

“All right, Daddy.”

“Thank you, my husband.”

The three women answered him.

“There’s no one else here, so take off your veils as well. They’re in the way,” Qian Mo said.

The two women removed their veils, revealing their captivating faces.

“Much better. It’s far easier on the eyes now.” Qian Mo nodded with satisfaction.

He looked down at the vast crowd below. The Heaven and Earth Pavilion’s auction hall was enormous, large enough to accommodate more than a thousand people.

Members of the various sects entered one after another. There were also many VIP rooms, and members of prominent clans went directly to them. These were all familiar guests who attended regularly.

There were a total of ten VIP rooms, each measuring fifty square meters and decorated in an elegant, independent style.

Qian Mo’s room, however, measured eighty square meters. It was the largest and most luxurious of them all.

…

The Heaven and Earth Pavilion did more than hold auctions. During the auction, it also provided a menu from which guests could order food and refreshments. This was another way for the Pavilion to earn money.

Some guests had private seats, while others were seated around tables.

The prices inside the Heaven and Earth Pavilion were exorbitant. Members of great clans might not care, but ordinary independent cultivators and poor people were different. Many of them came merely to look around or see whether they could win a bid.

Usually, however, the great clans obtained the items. Those who competed against them might be pursued and killed after leaving the auction house.

Things like this happened at many auctions.

“Haha! Isn’t this the Valley Master of Sound Bamboo Valley? I’ve long admired you!”

A voice rang out.

“Oh? Are you the Valley Master of Heaven Valley? Hahaha, Brother Heaven, I’ve long admired you as well! This is my son, Sound Qing. Sound Qing, greet Uncle Heaven.”

A man from the other side turned toward the voice and laughed when he saw an old acquaintance. He then turned to the young man beside him and gave the order.

“Uncle Heaven.” The young man spoke indifferently and bowed slightly.

“Haha, good. You little rascal, aren’t you going to greet Uncle Sound?”

“Greetings, Uncle Sound.” The young man clasped his hands.

“Haha, good, good.”

“Please come over to Sound Bamboo Valley’s table. Shall we sit together?” the Valley Master of Sound Bamboo Valley invited, extending a hand.

“Very well. I won’t stand on ceremony.”

The group walked toward the large table in the room beside them.

Following their voices, many other conversations rose from the crowd. Most were old acquaintances and members of prominent clans.

They were all influential figures in Western Continent, local powers who had come especially for the annual Heaven and Earth Pavilion auction.

The Heaven and Earth Pavilion had existed for more than a thousand years. Everyone in Western Continent had heard of its auctions. Some people had traveled ten thousand miles merely to attend, having heard that the Pavilion auctioned rare and extraordinary treasures.

Gradually, more and more people entered the venue. Even the gatekeepers who had been collecting admission fees outside came in.

The Heaven and Earth Pavilion auction had a time limit. Guests were generally allowed one hour to enter. Once that time passed, no one could enter, as doing so would disrupt the order inside. After all, the auction would already have begun.

People continued taking their seats. Entering late would disturb the arrangement, unless ordinary seats remained available. Such a situation was extremely rare, however, since the hall was already nearly full.

The round tables outside were also almost completely occupied.

The Sect Master of the Spirit Heaven Sect had not come this time. Instead, he had sent several outstanding disciples.

The Spirit Heaven Sect was one of the five ancient great sects of Western Continent. It had countless disciples, and its number of exceptional talents was equally vast.

The five great sects each occupied an independent spatial domain and were distributed across different regions.

The Spirit Heaven Sect had sent five prodigies this time. Every one of them ranked within the top five of the Prodigy List, and all had reached the Battle Saint realm.

Their strength was astonishing.

“Brother Ling, why do you think the Sect Master sent us here instead of coming himself?” In a corner of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, a man asked the leader of the group.

“How should I know? I only care about cultivation. Since the Sect Master sent us, he naturally has his reasons.” The leading man spoke without turning his head.

His full name was Ling Mu, a four-star Battle Saint and a cultivation fanatic. His strength was so formidable that he could challenge opponents above his own level. He ranked first on the Spirit Heaven Sect’s Prodigy List.

“Heh, Brother Ling, cultivation is not a bad thing, but you should come out and take a look once in a while. You might encounter some opportunity,” said the man beside him.

His name was Spirit Flower Rain. Despite sounding like a woman’s name, he was a man. His strength was also extraordinary, and he had reached the realm of a three-star Battle Saint. He ranked second on the Spirit Heaven Sect’s Prodigy List.

“Let’s go and take our seats.” Ling Mu frowned, too lazy to listen to the other man’s rambling, and moved ahead.

“Ah, how boring.” Spirit Flower Rain shook his head and sighed.

“Brother Rain, I heard that the Heaven and Earth Pavilion auctions all sorts of strange and precious treasures?” The other three men caught up and gathered around them.

Their personalities were the opposite of Ling Mu’s. Although they also loved cultivation, they were more interested in pleasure and excitement. They were cheerful, and their strength was formidable, though still somewhat inferior to Ling Mu and Spirit Flower Rain.

“Hehe, you’re the sensible ones. You asked the right person. The items auctioned by the Heaven and Earth Pavilion are things you have absolutely never seen before. You may not even have heard of them. You’ll know soon enough. Come on, let’s take our seats before someone else claims them.” Spirit Flower Rain smiled.

Though their strength was formidable, they spent most of the year cultivating inside the Spirit Heaven Sect. Aside from going out on missions, they rarely left the sect, so they knew little about the outside world.

Sect Master Spirit Tyrant had sent them for two reasons. First, they had been injured. Second, he wanted these disciples, who spent all day inside the sect, to broaden their horizons. Otherwise, if someone asked them about something and they could not answer, they would lose face.

If they did not even know about the famous Heaven and Earth Pavilion auction, they would be humiliated beyond measure.

The group sat down.

…

As time passed, an hour soon slipped away.

Everyone had taken their assigned places.

The VIP guests were in the VIP rooms, those with private seats occupied their places, and the rest sat around the round tables.

Every seat was filled. There were certainly more than a thousand people in attendance.

Those who had arrived early had secured seats. Those who came late could only stand or find other stools. Each person held a small bell used to raise the bidding price.

Every seat bore a number.

The audience below was now settled, chatting and laughing among themselves. The auction platform stood on a large stage directly ahead.

Suddenly, a figure walked onto the stage.

It was a woman dressed in a red, long-sleeved embroidered gown. Her pretty face, long eyelashes, alluring pink lips, and graceful, serpentine figure created a breathtaking sight. A faint fragrance spread throughout the hall.

She possessed an imperial aura. Her presence was exceptionally powerful, the very embodiment of a strong and capable woman.

When she smiled faintly, every man in the hall became captivated. Her smile was enough to make an entire city fall under its spell. The women envied her, while the men nearly drooled.

“Wow!”

“It’s Liu Qingqiao!”

“My goddess, Liu Qingqiao!”

“I haven’t seen her for a year, and Liu Qingqiao has become even more beautiful!”

…

The hall erupted into loud cheers. Some people had come to bid on treasures, while others had come simply to see the goddess, Liu Qingqiao.

“Greetings, everyone. I am Liu Qingqiao, the chief auctioneer of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion. It has been a year since the previous Heaven and Earth Pavilion auction, but everyone here already knows me, so I won’t waste time with unnecessary words. Let us proceed directly to today’s main event—the auction!”

Liu Qingqiao’s voice rang out. It was enchanting, captivating, and alluring, soothing every heart that heard it.

Liu Qingqiao was not merely the chief auctioneer of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.

She possessed an even more powerful identity.

She was the Vice Pavilion Master of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion—and a peak eight-star Battle Saint.

This was something the people present neither knew nor understood.