Chapter 37: Auction
THE SPRING CARAVAN'S GRAND ENTRANCE
The earth trembled as the caravan procession snaked through Qing Mao Mountain's winding paths. At its head rode Jia Fu, perched atop his massive Treasure Brass Toad like a warlord surveying conquered lands. The beast's orange-yellow hide glistened in the spring sun as it belched occasional plumes of acrid smoke from its pores—a natural defense mechanism against mountain predators.
Behind it marched an eclectic parade:
Fat Black Beetles: Their chitinous shells polished to a mirror sheen, each carrying enough goods to stock a small village. Their legs moved in hypnotic synchronization, creating an eerie metallic clicking chorus.
Feathered Ostriches: Strapped to ornate chariots, their rainbow plumage ruffling in the wind as they shrieked at anyone who came too close.
Hairy Mountain Spiders: Skittering along cliff faces with complete disregard for gravity, their cargo nets bulging with rare herbs and minerals.
But the true spectacle was the Three-Star Cave Tree Gu—an eighteen-meter-tall monstrosity that dwarfed the surrounding tents. Its bark pulsed faintly with emerald energy as it periodically reshaped its interior to accommodate new customers. The scent of fresh sap and aged wood permeated the air around it, a stark contrast to the musky animal odors of the caravan.
Fang Yuan's Thoughts: "Jia Fu's pulling out all the stops. That treehouse alone costs 300 primeval stones a day to maintain. He must be desperate to outcompete his brother after last year's... incident."
Twitch Chat:
🌳 "xX_GuHouseSimp_Xx: BRO REALLY BROUGHT A MOVING MALL"
🐸 "ToadEnjoyer: That brass toad's swag is immeasurable"
💰 "CapitalistKing: Jia Fu's playing 4D monopoly with these trade routes"
THE BIDDING WAR OF THE CENTURY
Inside the treehouse's first-floor atrium, a crowd had formed around a simple wooden counter. At its center sat a single Liquor Worm—plump, slightly translucent, and exuding the faint aroma of aged rice wine. The display lighting made its segmented body glisten like liquid amber.
Price Tag: "500 primeval stones (Silent Auction - Bid slips in slot)"
Key Players:
Gu Yue Yao Ji (Medicine Hall Elder)
Appearance: Hunched like a question mark, her spine permanently curved from decades of herb-gathering. A living tapestry of wrinkles concealed razor-sharp eyes that missed nothing.
Advantage: Controls the clan's medical budget (read: bottomless primeval stone reserves).
Weakness: Granddaughter-induced impulsiveness.
The Spoiled Granddaughter
Appearance: Dressed in embroidered silks far too expensive for a teenager, her cheeks still round with baby fat. Currently vibrating with entitlement.
Tactics: "Grandmaaaaaa!" whining at 120 decibels.
Random Gu Masters
Collective IQ: Room temperature (Celsius).
Strategy: "Maybe if I bid 505 stones? No, 506! Wait—"
Yao Ji's Play:
With arthritic fingers, she penned a bid while loudly musing, "580 stones should be sufficient. No reasonable person would pay more for a mere Rank One Gu." Her granddaughter clapped like a trained seal.
Fang Yuan's Analysis:
Tell #1: The exaggerated sigh when writing—she's pretending this hurts her finances.
Tell #2: The way her left eyelid twitched at "580"—her true limit is 600 stones.
Killer Insight: She'd never embarrass herself by being outbid by a junior. She'll only bid once.
The Sigma Move:
Fang Yuan scribbled "581" on his slip, ensuring his handwriting perfectly mimicked the shaky script of an elderly man.
Twitch Chat:
🧠 "MindGamer_420: BRO'S PLAYING PSYCHOLOGICAL CHESS"
👵 "BoomerBait: Yao Ji about to get sigma-grinded"
🍷 "WormWars: THIS IS BETTER THAN DRAGON BALL Z"
THE TREEHOUSE FLEX
The Three-Star Cave Tree Gu loomed over the marketplace like a TikTok influencer at a middle school dance—impossible to ignore. Its bark pulsed with that "just dropped" energy as merchants scrambled inside like NPCs during a Steam sale.
Fang Yuan's Thoughts:
"Jia Fu really brought the whole Gu-mart experience. That tree costs more to maintain than my entire net worth. Desperate move after his brother's 'incident' last year..."
FANG YUAN'S SIDE QUEST: FOUR FLAVORS FAIL
Fang Yuan speedran every vendor like he was trying to 100% the game before DLC dropped.
Inventory Check:
✅ Sweet wine (leftover from the honey mission loot)
✅ Spicy & sour wines (EZ Clap)
❌ Bitter wine (MIA—devs forgot to patch it in)
"Bruh." Fang Yuan stared into the void like a Bethesda NPC. "How am I supposed to optimize my build without the bitter wine buff?"
His Four Flavors Liquor Worm ascension was now delayed like a mid MMO expansion. Without it, his cultivation speed would be stuck in Bronze rank hell.
DAY 3 W: BLACK BOAR GU ACQUIRED
Fang Yuan secured the Black Boar Gu, stacking it with his White Boar Gu for that DUAL-WIELDING CHONK build. Absolute unit behavior.
"Now I just need scouting/movement Gu worms..." He scrolled through the available options like a disappointed gamer browsing the cash shop. "These are all common drops. Mid."
He waited with the patience of an AFK farmer until...
DAY 7: THE RELIC GU DROP
A Red Steel Relic Gu appeared in the shop like a limited-time gacha banner.
Fang Yuan's eyes glowed like he just saw the battle pass rewards. "If I get this, I skip straight to mid-rank! No more grinding like some casual!"
But the price tag might as well have said "OnlyFans subscription required."
Starting bid: 3k primeval stones.
Projected final: 5-8k.
Fang Yuan checked his wallet. "I'm poorer than a F2P player."
SIGMA FINANCIAL MOVE: LIQUIDATE ASSETS ARC
Fang Yuan rolled up to Uncle Dong Tu's estate like he was about to drop the hardest side quest of the year.
Shen Cui opened the door and immediately blue-screened. "Young master?! Why are you Ohio walking into our home?!"
Auntie started malding harder than a League of Legends player. "YOU TRAITOROUS SCUM! YOU—"
Fang Yuan sipped imaginary tea. "Five minutes or I sell to the clan. Your move."
The Result:
SOLD: Tavern, bamboo buildings, land, 8 NPCs
KEPT: Nine Leaf Vitality Grass (passive income glitch)
Uncle Dong Tu signed the papers looking more confused than a boomer trying to use Discord. "He just sold his entire estate... for a temporary power-up? That's some Dark Souls level dedication."
Auntie celebrated like she won a Twitter argument. "HE'S DUMB! WE GOT OUR STUFF BACK!"
Uncle just stared into the abyss. "No... he's playing a different game entirely."
Fang Yuan strolled away with three servants carrying boxes of primeval stones, his walk cycle radiating main character energy.
"Money's temporary. Power is eternal."