Turns Out, I’m In A Villain Clan! - Chapter 248: Gold Spent, Intent Hidden
Chapter 248: Gold Spent, Intent Hidden
The hall buzzed with speculation.
“Is he finally stopping?”
“Impossible… he’s been throwing gold like water until now.”
“Maybe even the Bai Clan has limits…”
“Perhaps his money has dried out from earlier bidding.”
All eyes flicked back and forth between the poised auctioneer and the silent Bai Zihan.
Lan Yuerong lifted her hammer with practiced grace, her smile never faltering.
“Two million… once!”
The words reverberated like thunder in the tense stillness.
“Two million… twice!”
A hush fell over the crowd. Zhao Wutian’s heart clenched. Panic surged in his chest.
(No—if it sold now, the Zhao Clan would not only lose potential profit but also pay the auction’s commission for essentially buying back their own item.)
Desperate, his voice rang out, sharp and mocking:
“What’s wrong, Young Master Bai? Have your pockets finally run dry? Or are you too afraid to spend for a treasure that can save your life? Surely, the great Bai Clan’s heir isn’t backing down now?”
The provocation cut through the silence, and many in the crowd leaned forward, eager to see Bai Zihan’s reaction.
Finally, the young master stirred.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with faint amusement, his voice calm and dismissive:
“That artifact is worth no more than a million at best. Beyond that, it’s a broken shield with only two breaths of life left in it. If you wish to waste two million on it, Zhao Wutian, then congratulations. You’ve bought yourself a coffin plank at twice its price.”
The hall erupted. Some smothered chuckles, others exchanged knowing glances, but all eyes snapped to Zhao Wutian.
His face went red, then white, then an ugly shade of green.
He had wanted to provoke Bai Zihan into competing, to drive the price higher—but instead, he had been baited into cutting his own throat.
(This… this brat had just bid hundreds of thousands above market value for trinkets and baubles—storage rings, talismans, herbs—and now he chose to be wise? Refusing to bid on his clan’s treasure?)
“Y-you—!”
He can’t help but angry despite being the person who shot himself in the foot.
Lan Yuerong’s smile glimmered, her jade hammer striking with finality.
“Two million… thrice! Sold! To the Zhao Clan! Congratulation!”
The crisp sound of the hammer falling struck Zhao Wutian’s heart like a blade.
He had done it to himself.
The Zhao Clan’s “victory” was hollow—paying an inflated two million for their own treasure, only to have the auction’s commission cut into them further.
What should have been tidy profit had turned into a painful loss.
And the worst part? He had already won.
Bai Zihan’s opening bid of one and a half million would have secured the sale handsomely. If only he had stayed quiet, he would be celebrating profit right now.
But now… he was the fool.
Zhao Wutian’s face burned. His jaw tightened until it creaked, yet he forced his expression into a smug smile, raising his chin proudly, as though this had all been his plan.
“Yes,” he said loudly, voice strained but steady, “a fitting treasure for my clan alone. Even Bai Clan stop us from acquiring what we want!”
But inside, his heart twisted. He had been played—no, toyed with—perhaps by himself.
But the auction did not pause for his wounded pride.
Lan Yuerong raised her jade hammer once again, her voice light and melodic as she gestured toward the attendants.
“This next item,” she announced, her clear voice ringing out, “is none other than an Earth-Grade Artifact. A spear forged from thousand-year blacksteel, engraved with spirit-gathering runes, and tempered in the blood of a Grade-7 beast.”
The chest opened with a low hum, revealing the weapon inside.
The blacksteel spear gleamed with a restrained light, its runes flickering faintly as if breathing.
The sharp aura it exuded made several cultivators in the front rows instinctively shift back.
Gasps rippled through the audience.
“Again? Just how many Earth-Grade Artifact did Grand Radiance Auction hall bring forth for today’s auction.”
“Sigh! Young Master Bai might snag this as well. I should have bidded for the previous ones.”
Finally, the items were once again on par with what was auction earlier but many felt that they might not be able to win it.
All eyes flicked upward—toward the Bai Clan’s balcony.
If Bai Zihan had casually thrown away hundreds of thousands on trinkets, then surely—surely—he would not hesitate here.
Lan Yuerong’s smile deepened knowingly.
“The starting price is Five hundred thousand gold.”
A hush fell over the crowd. Dozens of gazes instantly swiveled toward the Bai balcony.
They waited.
And waited.
But the young master did not stir.
Instead, Bai Zihan leaned back in his seat, one arm resting lazily along the armrest, the other holding a wine cup. He tipped it lightly, savoring the taste, then set it down.
His eyes drifted shut, as though the Earth-Grade Artifact on display was beneath his notice.
A ripple of disbelief tore through the hall.
“What is he doing?”
“Don’t tell me… he’s not interested?”
“What’s up with Young Master Bai? Frantically bidding for ordinary treasure but such precious treasure, he won’t even look.”
The auctioneer’s practiced poise nearly faltered for the briefest instant.
But Lan Yuerong quickly smoothed her smile, her voice carrying bright and clear:
“Five hundred thousand! Do I hear a bid?”
“…Five hundred and fifty thousand!”
A hesitant voice called out.
Then waited for Bai Zihan to strike back. But still nothing.
“Six hundred thousand!”
Another immediately followed.
But the energy was strained, hesitant.
Every bidder’s eyes kept flicking upward toward Bai Zihan, as if waiting for the inevitable crushing bid to sweep them aside.
And yet… nothing.
The young master sat there like an emperor in repose, eyes closed, utterly detached from the frantic bidding below.
Zhao Wutian clenched his fists, veins bulging in his temples. He couldn’t make sense of it.
(Why is he not bidding? This is an Earth-Grade Artifact! Did the Bai Clan lose their mind? Or is he just toying with us again?)
The longer Bai Zihan remained still, the more unsettled the hall became.
To recklessly lavish millions on pills, herbs, and talismans… yet ignore a priceless artifact?
What game was he playing?
Bids surged at once.
“Seven hundred fifty thousand!”
“Eight hundred thousand!”
“Nine hundred thousand!”
On stage, the bids rose higher and higher. The Earth-Grade spear climbed past One Million, then Two Million.
“Two million and one hundred thousand!”
The final cry rang out, and Lan Yuerong’s jade hammer fell.
“Sold!”
The blacksteel spear went to a middle-aged patriarch of a minor clan, his face pale with the weight of the sum.
But before the murmurs could die down, attendants stepped forward with yet another velvet chest.
“This next item,” Lan Yuerong announced smoothly, “is also an Earth-Grade Artifact—an ancient battle halberd forged with twin cores of fire and lightning.”
Gasps filled the hall.
The chest opened, revealing the halberd’s faint crackle of lightning arcs along its edge. Its presence pressed on the hall like a stormcloud.
Everyone turned their heads upward, almost in unison.
The Bai VVIP Room!
But once again, Bai Zihan did not move.
He sat unmoving, eyes closed, as if the weapon didn’t exist at all.
“…One million!” someone ventured cautiously.
“One point three million!”
“Two million!”
The bids soared. And yet, not a flicker of interest came from the Bai heir.
“Two million, five hundred thousand—sold!”
The next treasure came—an Earth-Grade Armor polished to gleaming brilliance.
Still no bid from Bai Zihan.
Then a sword, its aura sharp enough to cut the air.
Still no bid.
Again, and again, one priceless treasure after another, each drawing fervent competition, but Bai Zihan sat like a mountain, eyes half-lidded, his expression unreadable.
The silence from the Bai balcony became heavier than the bidding itself.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
“Could it be… he’s already emptied his purse?”
“Didn’t he throw away over five million already?”
“Hah… for all his arrogance, maybe he was just pretending. Now the Bai Clan can’t even keep up!”
A few snickers rippled through the crowd, daring to mock under hushed tones.
But just when the speculation was at its peak, the attendants brought forth the next item—an exquisite talisman scroll.
Not an artifact. Not Earth-Grade. Merely a high-quality defensive talisman.
Lan Yuerong’s lips curved as she announced the price:
“Starting bid, one hundred thousand gold.”
And before anyone else could even open their mouths, Bai Zihan’s calm voice drifted down from above:
“Three hundred and fifty thousand!”
The crowd froze.
Their laughter died in their throats.
Lan Yuerong’s smile brightened, her hammer ringing crisply.
“Sold! To Young Master Bai.”
Silence stretched through the hall, then the whispers began again—this time subdued, uncertain.
“So he does still have money?”
“Then why isn’t he bidding on the previous powerful artifacts?”
“Impossible to tell… what is he thinking?”
But in the end, most gave up trying to divine his intentions.
At least now they were relieved.
If Bai Zihan wished to throw his gold away on baubles and scrolls, then let him.
What truly mattered—the Earth-Grade Artifacts—remained free of his crushing bids.
And that was enough.
Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com
