Zhao Yixin did not pay attention to the strong man from the Iron Sword Sect and directly left with Zhao Letian.
After returning, Zhao Letian did not rest but used the Disguise Technique to transform himself into a burly man with sideburns and quietly left the Zhao Mansion, heading straight for the largest merchant in the city, the Ten Thousand Treasure Tower.
His mother would set off for the capital tomorrow, and he needed to prepare some traveling expenses for her.
The capital was the most prosperous place in Dajin Country, where land equaled gold, and the place was filled with wealthy and noble families. The cost of living there was high, with skyrocketing prices. Even doing nothing but merely residing in the city required significant expenses, and he couldn't let his mother live too modestly there. More importantly, he did not want his father's Royal Family relatives to look down on his mother.
Inside the City Lord Mansion, a middle-aged man dressed in a purple brocade robe was sitting with a somber expression.
This man was none other than the City Lord of Qingzhou City, Shentu Yuanba.
Ever since he learned of his son Shentu Yu's death two days ago, he had been unable to eat or sleep, feeling incredibly heavy-hearted. Shentu Yu was his only son, his pride, who was supposed to inherit the position of City Lord and had a limitless future, but to his dismay, he tragically died at the hands of Zhao Letian.
"Zhao Letian, people of the Zhao Family, you've done well. I, Shentu Yuanba, swear I will make you all pay for my son's death!" Shentu Yuanba clenched his fists, suppressing the rage in his heart.
If it weren't for waiting to be fully prepared to eradicate the Zhao and Sun Families in one fell swoop, he would have already gone to the Zhao Family to exact retribution.
"My Lord, Zhao Letian has already returned. Should we make our move?" a man dressed in black suddenly appeared in the room and said, kneeling in front of Shentu Yuanba.
"Not yet! It is said that this youth is held in high regard by the Galaxy Sect, and with their backing, we cannot act rashly. We must find a suitable opportunity to strike." Shentu Yuanba spoke sternly, aware that offending the Galaxy Sect would destabilize his position as City Lord. Thus, dealing with Zhao Letian required a well-thought-out plan. Perhaps the upcoming city martial arts competition would provide an excellent opportunity.
Simultaneously, the Liu Family also learned of Zhao Letian's return, but they similarly refrained from confronting him. After all, there was no deep-seated enmity between them and Zhao Letian; they had only sought to frame him to protect Liu Fei's reputation. They believed that without the Liu Family's intervention, the Shentu Family of the City Lord Mansion would definitely not let Zhao Letian off the hook.
As night fell, the city of Qingzhou was lit up with lights, brimming with a festive and lively atmosphere.
As the largest merchant in the city, the Ten Thousand Treasure Tower had its towering building alight with lanterns, beautiful as blooming flowers.
"This senior, may I help you with anything?" Zhao Letian, transformed into a stout man, had just arrived at the second floor of the Ten Thousand Treasure Tower when a pretty maid approached him with warm inquiries.
"Let Ji Hongling attend to me," Zhao Letian directly requested.
His request for Ji Hongling's attendance was not solely because of her delicate beauty and striking figure; more importantly, he found her personality quite interesting, and he enjoyed her company.
"Senior, it seems you have not visited our Ten Thousand Treasure Tower for a long time. Sister Hongling was promoted to manager half a year ago after making several significant sales. She no longer performs lower-level duties like greeting guests," the maid said with a smile and shake of her head.
"She was promoted to manager?" Zhao Letian was slightly taken aback but then quickly understood. It seemed that the transactions he had previously conducted through Ji Hongling had indeed aided her significantly.
Indeed, it was through his selling of a Yellow Level High Stage Cultivation Technique through Ji Hongling that she gained the attention of the upper echelons of the Ten Thousand Treasure Tower. After some evaluations, she was appointed as a manager in the Ten Thousand Treasure Tower.
"Where is she now?" Zhao Letian asked.
"Sister Hongling is currently in the auction hall, preparing to host the year-end auction," the maid replied. Find the source of this chapter at *.
"Year-end auction?" Zhao Letian's eyes brightened.
"Yes, every year-end, our Ten Thousand Treasure Tower holds several auction sessions. Today's first auction of the year is about to begin. If the senior is interested, please feel free to have a look. As far as I know, each year's first auction showcases many rare and exotic treasures," the maid explained.
"Oh? In that case, I really would like to see. Which floor is the auction held on?" Zhao Letian inquired.
"On the top floor. However, due to limited space in the venue, we need to enforce an entrance restriction. Seniors need to pay ten Mid-Grade Essence Stones to enter," the maid explained.
"Ten Mid-Grade Essence Stones? I understand, consider this your service fee." Zhao Letian was internally taken aback, yet his expression remained calm. He promptly took out a Mid-Grade Essence Stone and handed it to the maid before heading upstairs.
The entrance fee of ten Mid-Grade Essence Stones was not cheap; in fact, it was quite expensive. Ordinary individuals from the True Martial Realm would definitely hesitate to spend so much just for entry to an auction. Probably only the city's officials and nobility could afford to participate in today's auction.
Currently, Zhao Letian had several hundred Mid-Grade Essence Stones on him, more than enough to enter the venue. However, participating in the bidding might present some pressure. Nonetheless, he had countless Cultivation Techniques and Martial Techniques in mind. If he truly took a fancy to any item, he could simply auction a few techniques.
"This senior's cultivation is profound and unfathomable, and he is so generous. It seems he might become today's most powerful bidder," the maid thought to herself, holding the Mid-Grade Essence Stone given by Zhao Letian. Being only at the Primordial Martial Realm herself, one Mid-Grade Essence Stone was a significant sum.
The top floor of the Ten Thousand Treasure Tower stood hundreds of meters above the ground, offering a view through the windows that encompassed the entire scenery of Qingzhou City.
"Auction hall?" As soon as Zhao Letian arrived on the top floor, he saw a hall entrance with four bold characters above it. A few fair-skinned and beautiful maids stood at the entrance.
"Senior, please pay the entrance fee," said a maid as she saw Zhao Letian approaching.
"Mhm." Zhao Letian promptly took out ten Mid-Grade Essence Stones and tossed them over.
"Senior, here is your bidding number." After collecting the Essence Stones, the maid handed him a Jade Token.
"2018? So many people, it seems I'm quite late," Zhao Letian noted as he glanced at the number on the Jade Token. The number indicated that over two thousand people had entered the auction hall before him, far more than he had anticipated. This showed that Qingzhou, though a small city, was indeed a place with hidden dragons and crouching tigers, housing many who quietly amassed fortunes without showing outward signs.