Murim Recurve

If one said Re'Kha had the confidence of winning a mental battle with the Clan Heads, even she wouldn't believe it. After all, this was her first time participating in the auction. As for the Clan Heads, they had probably been in one too many times.

So, they were well-versed with all the ins and outs of the auction process. Moreover, they would be veterans of the game. Therefore, even if in a situation it appeared as if she was making them suffer a loss, it wouldn't have been the truth.

Rather, it was a fact she was being played by them. So, if she didn't wish to waste all her money on a worthless item, she had to be careful and not play the game of numbers against anyone before judging the worth of the auction item through her own means.

She mentally repeated the same many times, etching the fact in her mind to not get into a fight with anyone in the place.

As Re'Kha finished jotting down some details of the people she kept an eye on based on the amount of money they had brought, the auction house turned silent. The entrance closed with a rumble and was locked, preventing anyone else from disturbing them.

The auction house was illuminated by glowing stones, the very same that was used in the chamber leading to the portal connected to Earth. They were mysterious objects that weren't sold in the market. So, even the Elemental Clans didn't have them, except for a couple of stones they had paid a heavy price to obtain.

The light they emitted illuminated the auction house to a certain extent. As for the stage, the number of stones embedded in the ceiling above it was even more, making it the brightest part of the auction house.

Wearing the Ju Clan's dress, a lady appeared on the stage. She was from the Royal Clan, the one in charge of the auction this time. She was in her late fifties but looked to be in her twenties thanks to their royal genes.

She stood in the centre of the stage, looking around for a moment as she spoke. Her booming voice echoed throughout the auditorium without any reduction in the sound, "Welcome, everyone, to our Grand Auction. I'm sure all of you must know by now. The capital has sent a lot of treasures to be auctioned this time."

She chuckled, "I'm sure there are some people who are attending this auction for the first time. So, I'll iterate the rules for them once."

Her pleasant tone resounded, "Once the initial price of an item is announced, you can start bidding for it. All you have to do is pull one of the four levers before you. And, when you pull it, you are adding the amount inscribed on the lever to the bid. And, this will be treated in sequential order based on everyone that has raised the bid. Please don't raise bids in a hurry and end up paying more than what you wished."

Followed by a smile, she raised four fingers on her right, flashing it around, "The first lever raises the bid by 1 RuQi. The second lever raises the bid by 10 RuQi. The third and fourth lever raises the bid by 100 RuQi and 1000 RuQi respectively. So, don't pull up any lever by mistake."

She then pointed at the side, at the platform situated in the auction walls. On each platform was a team of people seated. Their seats seemed to be made of metal. And, placed before each was around 20 levers.

The lady said after a pause, "They are the accountants who will be keeping an eye on the seats assigned to them. In the case you bid an amount that exceeded the amount of money you have submitted, they would pull the respective lever, cancelling your bid. Once that happens, you will no longer be able to bid for that auction piece."

"You can still bid for the subsequent pieces, as long as you have enough money. Therefore, to avoid outbidding yourself, please keep a tally on your balance." She chuckled, "During the course of the auction, don't take out the metal slab we have provided you. If you do so, we will consider that you no longer wish to participate in the auction. A team of guards will escort you out and any items you bought will be packed and given to you."

"Finally," Taking in a deep breath, she spoke, "Once the auction ends, we will call you based on your seat number, you can collect the items you bid for, obtain the remainder of the money you hadn't spent, and board the carriage waiting for you in the premises. The expert drivers will ensure your departure isn't obvious to any onlookers. So, you can rest assured that your identity will be safe."

"Please avoid talking during this time, irrespective of who you are. The only sounds during this period would be the sounds of the levers being pulled up and down, and my announcements, that's all." She then clapped once, making a waving motion to the side of the stage.

A younger Harmoniser from the Royal Clan pushed forth a tray. And, covered at its top was an item, looking rather small. The lady shouted with an enthusiastic tone, "Even I am excited about all the treasures that will be given out this time. Now, the first item of the day…"

She uncovered the cloth, revealing a dagger, "It's a water element Magic Artifact created by our Burfuna Ki Clan."

She picked it up, taking in a breath as she changed her element, causing the gem on her Tikka jewellery to spike with a blue glow. She activated the Magic Artifact, causing it to hum once before emitting bright blue radiance.

The blue radiance it emitted caused the ambiance of the auction house to appear dim for a moment, displaying the rich Water Qi it could emit. Followed by a chuckle, she shouted, "The starting price for this Water Qi Magic Artifact is 1000 RuQi."

"You can start bidding now."