Chapter 90: Despised by One’s Own People

Chapter 90: Chapter 90: Despised by One’s Own People

Chu Fan held back from killing them. As he turned, he waved a hand, and the chopsticks from a holder on the nearest table flew to him. With another wave, the chopsticks shot out like sharp arrows.

Everyone who had given Yun Xi a lecherous look when they first sat down had their eyes pierced, including the man with the broken leg.

The inn immediately erupted in screams of agony.

There is a saying in the Cultivation Realm: All who are below the Nascent Soul Realm are but ants.

Once a Cultivator’s Cultivation reaches the Nascent Soul Realm, the amount of True Qi they can store is at least a hundred times greater than that of the Golden Core Realm. Moreover, their control over that True Qi becomes countless times more precise.

Not a single person in the inn had even reached the Golden Core Realm. When Chu Fan decided to teach them a lesson, it was impossible for them to escape.

Of course, their lecherous gazes at Yun Xi were only a small part of why Chu Fan acted. The greater reason was that, through simple conversation and observation, Chu Fan had discerned that none of them were good people.

There were too many villains in the world for Chu Fan to deal with them all. But since he had encountered these, and they had provoked him, there was nothing wrong with teaching them a harsh lesson that might make them more restrained in the future.

As he turned back, he tossed two silver ingots, which landed precisely on the counter in front of the Shopkeeper.

"Everyone’s lunch and drinks today are on me."

After speaking, he wrapped his arm around Yun Xi’s waist and departed.

Only after Chu Fan and his companion were long gone did the people in the inn start cursing. Some even clamored to have their Sect’s elders teach Chu Fan a lesson.

Those who had been blinded by the chopsticks were either helped away by their companions or begged bystanders to take them to the nearest clinic.

A dozen or so Cultivators, clutching their blood-covered faces, made for quite a "striking" scene as they stumbled down the street.

Chu Fan and Yun Xi went straight to Mr. Hong’s Auction House.

Looking at the auction house’s towering entrance and the flamboyant, gilded characters on the sign, Chu Fan gave a silent nod of approval.

As Chu Fan had walked through the County City, he’d noted that the auction house occupied the best location. Judging from the outside alone, its decor was also the most luxurious.

It seemed Liu Yicai was truly committed to the goal of making the auction house number one in the Eastern Domain.

Chu Fan was quite satisfied.

Because of the eight of them, his initial plan had been hazy. But the more he experienced, the closer his plan came to Perfection.

For this plan, the auction house and Che Dagui’s trading company would provide him with sufficient financial support.

The entrance to the auction house was a bustling hub of activity, with people and carriages coming and going.

Two elegant and beautiful women stood at the entrance, greeting and seeing off guests. Both wore long, pale green dresses that, while not revealing, accentuated their slender figures.

As Chu Fan and Yun Xi approached, one of the women, having just seen off a group of guests, noticed them and proactively came over to greet them.

"Welcome, sir. Is there something you wish to purchase?"

’If Yun Xi set the standard for a perfect 100, these two women could still score an 85.’

’Her faint smile, in particular, was very pleasant—neither abrupt nor forced.’

"I’ve heard much about Mr. Hong’s Auction House. I happened to be passing through, so I thought I’d take a look."

"Then you’ve come to the right place, Sir and Madam. While we don’t sell everything, the vast majority of our items can’t be found anywhere else. And if there’s something you desire that we don’t have in stock, we will do our best to find it for you for a small commission."

"That sounds excellent. We’ll go in and have a look, then," Chu Fan said, guiding Yun Xi into the auction house with an arm around her.

’The last time he was here, Chu Fan had entered the rear courtyard directly and hadn’t gotten a good look at the front. Besides, the auction house hadn’t even opened for business yet.’

’So this was, in a way, his first real visit.’

Stepping into the auction house, he was still struck by the sheer scale of the main hall that faced the street.

The sprawling hall was opulently decorated. Even in broad daylight, dozens of lamps were lit, their light refracting through glass shades to illuminate the entire space with a brilliant glow.

The Marble floor was polished to a brilliant sheen.

Shelves lined the walls, displaying a dazzling array of merchandise.

In the center of the hall was a small circle of display counters, staffed by four equally elegant women who were introducing items to customers.

There were at least a hundred customers in the hall, being attended to by a dozen young male and female sales associates.

The men were dashing, and the women, elegant.

Liu Yicai had really pulled out all the stops for the front hall alone.

Chu Fan felt a swell of pride. ’Seems my judgment of character isn’t half bad.’

Among all the customers in the hall, Chu Fan and Yun Xi’s attire was decidedly middle-to-lower class. Nevertheless, as they entered, a young male sales associate still approached them.

"Is there anything I can help you two with today?"

Having seen enough of the front hall, Chu Fan got straight to the point. "The item I’m looking for is quite valuable and rare. Might I see your Shopkeeper?"

"Oh? Our Shopkeeper doesn’t meet with just anyone," the young man said. "May I ask what you’re looking for? If I know the specific item, it will be easier for me to report to the Shopkeeper."

’That’s a textbook response,’ Chu Fan thought, nodding to himself.

"I wish to purchase a four-foot, Celestial Grade Long Sword," Chu Fan said. "Price is no object."

Before the young associate could reply, a nearby customer scoffed.

"You see all sorts these days. The moment he opens his mouth, it’s for a Celestial Grade Long Sword. Someone dressed like you can afford a Celestial Grade Treasure Sword?"

There were far too many arrogant people in the world. Chu Fan paid him no mind.

The young associate before him looked troubled. "Sir, are you certain you’re not joking with me?"

"What do you mean?" Chu Fan asked.

"On our branch’s opening day, we auctioned off several Celestial Grade Treasure Swords. A high-class one went for the sky-high price of over 1.3 billion taels, and even the cheapest Celestial Grade Lower Class sword sold for 270 million taels." The young man couldn’t hide his pride as he spoke.

Hearing this, Chu Fan finally realized the sales associate was looking down on him.

He didn’t get angry, though. It wasn’t worth it.

He simply mused that Liu Yicai had perhaps expanded too quickly, leaving a number of oversights in his wake.

He then decided to test the situation. Feigning anger, he said, "What’s that supposed to mean? Are you suggesting I can’t afford a few hundred million taels of silver?"

The associate looked unconvinced, but his tone wasn’t overly arrogant or contemptuous. "You misunderstand, sir. Our Shopkeeper is a very busy man. If you aren’t sincere in your request, he certainly won’t make things difficult for you, but I will inevitably be the one punished for wasting his time."

"Exactly!" the same heckler piped up again. "Kid, dressed like that? Forget hundreds of millions of Silver. I doubt you could even pull together ten thousand taels!"

The man had a booming voice, which immediately drew the attention of other customers. Soon, a crowd had gathered around them.

Likely drawn by the commotion, a woman who appeared to be a manager walked over and demanded of the associate, "What’s going on here?"

The associate explained briefly. The female manager then turned to Chu Fan with a placid smile. "Sir, since you’ve come to Mr. Hong’s Auction House, you must be somewhat familiar with us. So, I just want to confirm: are you truly asking to purchase a Celestial Grade Treasure Sword?"

Though her tone was polite, her words were filled with warning.

Yun Xi’s expression had turned frosty, but Chu Fan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’I’m actually being looked down on and warned by my own subordinates,’ he thought. ’Who am I supposed to complain to about this?’