Yang Jianchuan was pleased with Li Mo's reaction, but Li Mo didn't look the least bit annoyed.
"Five million going once!"
"Five million going twice!"
"Five million going thrice!"
"Sold!"
The auctioneer hammered the hammer as if afraid Yang Jianchuan would run.
Yang Jianchuan looked around in a daze, seeing countless people whispering to each other. 'Are they all laughing?'
He turned back to Li Mo and found him unfazed.
'Am I wrong?'
Yang Jianchuan eyed Huang Lixing, but Grandmaster Huang hid his true colors. His sunglasses and mask hid his face.
Yang Jianchuan's face turned ugly.
Yang Jianchuan's bid wasn't because he saw the value of the stone cauldron, but because of Li Mo's bid.
Who was Li Mo?
Just an underage kid. Yang Jianchuan never cared about him. What interested Yang Jianchuan was Huang Lixing.
Grandmaster Huang could tell the jade seal was damaged at a glance. This oddly dressed grandmaster Huang was no ordinary man. Grandmaster Huang incited Li Mo to bid for the stone cauldron, which meant it had some value. Yang Jianchuan saw this and called for a sky-high price.
But when Yang Jianchuan looked at Li Mo's reaction, he didn't seem the least bit angry. If it really was something valuable, he should at least look angry after losing it.
'What's going on?'
'Am I wrong?'
Yang Jianchuan was confused.
Yang Jianchuan took the stone cauldron. The moment his hand touched it, it cracked and turned into a pile of rubble.
The crowd roared in laughter.
Someone said Yang Jianchuan's jade seal was also broken.
One said, 'Rich people can do whatever they want.' Another said, 'There are fools every year, but this year, there are even more of them.
Yang Jianchuan's face was red as he walked off the stage. Jiang Xiaoyan was tactful and didn't ask him to continue. Instead, she told the staff to send the 'precious' stone cauldron away.
Li Mo shook his head.
Li Mo did see the value of the stone cauldron, but it was only useful to Li Mo. Anyone else would have no use for it.
This stone cauldron's quality was that of a common stone. There was nothing inside it. Li Mo only wanted to buy it because of the thick killing intent it exuded.
Evil Qi was also a type of Spiritual Qi. However, compared to the vast majority of mild types of Spiritual Qi, Evil Qi was extremely destructive. If one did not know how to use it, not only would it not be beneficial, but it would also be harmful.
Ever since the Shang Zhou Stone Cauldron was created, it had always been used as a sacrificial offering. The blood of living animals, even human blood, had accumulated over the years. After hundreds of years, the evil energy had condensed, not dissipating even after a thousand years.
This stone cauldron was useless to others, but Li Mo could use it in the Eight Directional Spiritual Gathering Array.
Of course, this wasn't something Li Mo couldn't do without. If he had it, he could use it. If he didn't, it didn't matter.
Yang Jianchuan sat down awkwardly, feeling that everyone around him was laughing at him.
The fourth item appeared. It was an ancient painting, and after some bidding, it fell into Hu Dezhi's hands.
The fifth item was an ancient sword from the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period. It looked well preserved, but the blade was rusty.
Many of the guests were fans of ancient swords, and the bidding was fierce. In the end, the ancient sword from the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period was sold for 150 million.
The one who bought it was Hu Dezhi.
The sixth item was a black wooden hexagonal box. It was the size of a fist and didn't stand out in the slightest.
Jiang Xiaoyan said, "This is a seven-artefact mechanical box made by an ancient craftsman. According to research, it was made during the Chong Zhen Era of the Ming Dynasty. The owner of the box revealed that his father obtained this seven-artefact mechanical box eleven years ago. He spent eleven years and tried countless methods, but still couldn't open it."
Zhang Jingshen said, "No one knows what is hidden inside, but this Seven Arcana Mechanism Box, just the design alone is already a marvelous work of art, so it is a rare treasure!"
Hu Dezhi shouted, "Old Zhang, how can it not be opened? It's just a matter of using a cutting machine."
The crowd roared with laughter.
Zhang Jingshen smiled, "Friend, if it were an ordinary object, a simple cut would open it. But this Artful Mechanism Box is the blood and sweat of an ancient craftsman. Wouldn't it be a pity to destroy it?
Besides, if it's destroyed, would it still be valuable? "
Hu Dezhi asked, "What's the starting bid?"
"The starting bid is 150 thousand."
"It's not that expensive, but can I have a look at it?"
"Of course."
Although Hu Dezhi wasn't from Shengjing Province, he was rich and overbearing. He had bought several collectibles before, spending 150 million on the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period without batting an eyelid. Why couldn't he have a look at this item with a starting bid of 150 thousand?
Hu Dezhi walked forward. Only now did the crowd see that he was as thin as a bamboo pole, but he was extremely tall, standing at 1.9 meters. The three hosts on the stage were all a head shorter than him.
Hu Dezhi weighed it in his hand and put it down. "It's not heavy at all, and it doesn't make any noise. It seems like it doesn't contain anything valuable."
Zhang Jingshen nodded. "Yes, this collector's item is very light. You can see the introduction on the display."
Hu Dezhi went down, and the auction officially began.
150 thousand, 200 thousand, 250 thousand.
The bids slowly increased. In many people's eyes, even if this mechanical box was empty, based on its design and age, it was still an antique. Therefore, it was worth buying.
"2 million!"
While the bids were still rising, Li Mo stood up and raised his sign.
The crowd was silent.
Yang Jianchuan watched Li Mo in shock, but Li Mo's face was devoid of emotion.
The bidding stopped. The mechanical box was good, but it was made of wood. Even if it wasn't damaged, it would still rot. This kind of item couldn't compare to jade or gold.
Yang Jianchuan stared at Li Mo, but he couldn't find any expression on Li Mo's face.
Yang Jianchuan stood up, raised his sign, then put it down again. He stood up again, then thought again, then put it down again …
"2 million going once!"
"2 million going twice!"
"2 million going thrice!"
"Sold!"
Yang Jianchuan sat down. He couldn't make up his mind. It wasn't that he was lacking 2 million, but that the last two times were too painful. He didn't want to become a laughing stock.
"Go and get it for me."
Li Mo gave An Yuxin a bank card and told her the password.
An Yuxin went on stage and took the mechanical box.
"2 million for a broken piece of wood. What a steal."
Yang Jianchuan mocked.
"Master."
Li Mo gave the mechanical box to Huang Lixing. Huang Lixing was startled, but still took it.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
The Seven Arcana Machine made three noises before the lid was opened, revealing three dazzling ancient coins.
"Heaven, earth, and man, three peerless coins!"