Chapter Seven: Wooden Fish

When Liang Yan arrived at the agreed meeting spot, Chen Chong and Xu Kun were already waiting, with only the woman in red, Tang Yan, yet to arrive. Chen Chong smiled gently at Liang Yan and said, "Sorry, it seems Fellow Daoist Tang may have been held up by urgent matters. Let's wait a little longer."

Liang Yan returned the courtesy. "It's fine, I have nothing pressing anyway." With that, he stood beside them and waited quietly.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, a strong scent of a young girl wafted through the air, and soon a woman in red arrived gracefully.

"My apologies for keeping you all waiting," she said. "I was suddenly delayed by something, and my journey was interrupted. Tang Yan begs your pardon."

Liang Yan looked at her and saw that today she wore a tight-fitting red robe, her face carefully made up. She was already quite charming and lively, and now, in addition to her youthful freshness, there was a hint of mature allure. The combination of these two qualities left Liang Yan momentarily entranced.

He wondered if it was just his imagination, but as she spoke, her lips curved in a smile, and her eyes occasionally darted toward him. To an outsider, it might seem as though the two were exchanging glances of affection.

At that moment, Chen Chong coughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Tang, you're too courteous. We had nothing urgent ourselves, and there's plenty of time before the auction. To travel with a fairy like you, how could we begrudge such a brief wait? Isn't that so?" As he spoke the last words, Chen Chong glanced meaningfully at Liang Yan.

Liang Yan gave an awkward smile. "You worry too much, Lady Tang. We are companions; such a short wait is nothing."

"That's good!" Tang Yan exaggeratedly patted her chest, then gave Liang Yan a playful smile. "I was afraid I had just met you and already ruined my image in your eyes, Young Master Liang."

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Liang is broad-minded. Lady Tang, you are overthinking. Now that we're all here, shall we set off?" Chen Chong asked. The group agreed and began to walk out of town.

The four traveled together for about an hour, the mountain paths steep, the summit faintly visible. Chen Chong stopped and, instead of following the road, turned into the depths of the forest, with the others close behind. After about the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, they saw from afar a massive cave in the mountains, faint lights glowing within. As they approached, they saw few cultivators coming or going at the entrance; it seemed the auction was about to begin.

Chen Chong pointed excitedly at a tall young man by the cave entrance. "That's my cousin, Chen Hu, an outer disciple of Tanshan Sect!" Leading the group forward, he called out, "Brother, it's me, Chen Chong!"

The young man named Chen Hu looked at him with a blank expression, his brows furrowed. "Why are you here? Instead of cultivating, you're wandering around again. Your progress has stalled."

Chen Chong hurried to appease him. "I came specially to congratulate you on your promotion to outer disciple, and to ask for your guidance."

Chen Hu nodded, evidently pleased, then looked at the group behind Chen Chong. "Who are these people?"

"They're friends I've made among the wandering cultivators. I brought them to broaden their horizons." As he spoke, Chen Chong subtly made a hand gesture to Chen Hu.

Chen Hu seemed to understand, nodding and smiling. "Since they're your friends, it's no trouble. Go on in. Here are your tokens—take one each. At the auction, if you see something you like, you can use these to bid."

After thanking him, everyone took a wooden token. Liang Yan stepped forward and took his, glancing at it: the number "377" was written on it. Then he followed the others into the cave.

Inside, the cave was astonishingly vast, the walls adorned with crystals that illuminated the night as if it were day. At the far end, a platform constructed from horizontal beams held a large table, clearly for the auction. In the center of the cave, over a hundred meditation cushions were arranged, nearly all occupied, with only a few empty spots. Liang Yan scanned the crowd, noting their levels of cultivation—most were at the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refinement, with a few at the eighth or ninth. While observing, Liang Yan noticed three recessed caves in the cave wall, apparently man-made, each covered by a bamboo curtain that hid their interiors.

"This auction is hosted by Star Pavilion," Tang Yan explained softly beside him, sensing his curiosity. "They temporarily enlist nearby sect disciples to help, but also send Foundation Establishment elders to oversee and prevent trouble. The three caves in the wall house the supervising elders."

Liang Yan blushed, grateful to her for the explanation.

"We arrived late—there are hardly any seats left. Looks like we'll have to sit separately," Chen Chong sighed.

"We have no choice. Let's find our own seats," said Xu Kun, the short, stout youth, heading off to a spot. Chen Chong followed suit. Tang Yan bowed to Liang Yan and smiled, "I wish you a fruitful auction, Brother Liang." With that, she went to her seat.

Liang Yan was left alone and found a secluded corner to sit.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, no more people entered the cave. Suddenly, a figure flew from one of the wall caves to the platform—a scholar in robes, holding a folding fan. He swept a calm gaze over the audience and began, "I am Lin Fei, elder of the outer courtyard of Star Pavilion, supervising this auction. Since you honor us with your presence, I hope everyone finds something worthwhile. But if anyone causes trouble—hmph—Lin will not stand idly by!"

His words were extraordinarily polite, but his tone was chilling. Especially the last sentence, accompanied by a surge of Foundation Establishment aura, which made the Qi Refinement cultivators tremble with fear. Liang Yan had no doubt that if anyone caused trouble, this scholar would strike without hesitation.

Satisfied, Lin Fei nodded to a red-nosed elderly man below, then withdrew to the wall cave.

The old man hopped onto the platform and coughed. "Welcome to the auction. This time is a bit special—we have several highlight treasures up for bidding at the very start. May everyone leave satisfied. Enough talk, let's present our first item."

Two beautiful women carried a tray onto the stage, a redwood box resting atop it.

"The first item is the most important today—a talisman crafted by a Daoist elder. Usable by those at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement or higher, it unleashes an attack equivalent to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but can only be used three times."

The crowd erupted. To those at Qi Refinement, a talisman capable of producing three attacks at Foundation Establishment strength was a precious life-saving treasure. Many from prominent families were already preparing to bid, determined to claim it.

Liang Yan glanced at it indifferently and looked away. His cultivation was insufficient even to activate such a talisman; he had no interest in it. He had come to the auction in hopes of finding pills to enhance his cultivation.

Sure enough, the talisman was bid up to an astronomical price, finally claimed by a middle-aged man in black for nine hundred spirit stones. The old man, delighted by the sale, introduced the second treasure with a broad smile.

Unfortunately, these items were either talismans or spiritual tools, all of high grade and far beyond Liang Yan's budget, so he abstained from bidding.

Five items in succession sold for sky-high prices. Despite his calm demeanor, the red-nosed old man was inwardly ecstatic—each sale earned them a commission of at least twenty percent.

When the sixth item was presented, the old man lifted the red cloth to reveal a pale yellow wooden fish, simple and ancient in design, radiating spiritual light. It was clearly no ordinary object.

The old man paused and announced loudly, "This sixth item is a Buddhist treasure of great age, though its maker is unknown. Its grade as a spiritual tool is undoubtedly very high. Placed nearby during meditation, it calms the mind and aids cultivation, increasing one's practice speed by about ten percent—though results may vary depending on the individual's aptitude. Starting price is fifty spirit stones. You may begin bidding."

The crowd exchanged glances, momentarily silent, a stark contrast to the excitement over previous items. After a while, someone asked tentatively, "Does this wooden fish have any offensive, defensive, or restraining abilities?"

The old man touched his nose, smiling awkwardly. "It has none of those effects, but for us cultivators, improving our own cultivation is paramount. This treasure aids practice and is quite rare."

His words caused an immediate stir. Many shook their heads. Previous items could be used in combat to boost one's strength, but this wooden fish, though high-grade, offered no such advantage—only a modest increase in cultivation speed. It was, in their eyes, rather useless. No matter how eloquently the old man spoke, no one was foolish enough to bid.

Still unwilling to give up, the old man scanned the crowd, hoping to find an interested buyer. He had found this wooden fish on a secret expedition, thinking it was a treasure, but after much study, discovered its only effect was to calm the mind. Disappointed, he brought it to the auction to recoup some losses.

The crowd grew impatient, and seeing no one raise their token, some began to urge him to move on. The scene became chaotic.

The old man sighed and said, "In that case, let's proceed to the next..."

Suddenly, a voice rang out in the hall,

"Fifty spirit stones—I'll take it!"