Chapter 61: The Method Provided by Zhang Rishan

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Chapter 61: The Method Given by Zhang Rishan (Fifth Update Complete)

"You could say that the Buddha made three blind-box bids in a single breath and lit the Heavenly Lantern three times consecutively, which practically exhausted half of the entire Nine Gates' family fortunes! Later on, relying on your grandfather's financial backing, several families joined forces to pull off a few massive ventures before they finally caught their breath and made a comeback!"

"Inside the Nine Gates, it was only ever passed down that the Buddha later won the hand of the beauty, becoming a legendary romance of the Nine Gates, yet not a whisper of these other matters ever leaked out!" Wu Yu spoke up after hearing this.

"It is true that the Buddha and his wife were deeply devoted to each other, but to be more precise, they became acquainted through conflict. What outsiders do not know is that the wife actually came to assassinate the Buddha at the time. It was just that the two of them fought their way into each other's hearts, eventually turning a bad thing into a wonderful outcome."

Zhang Rishan revealed a secret unknown to outsiders, and continued, "All of that is in the past. The reason that auction back then was so astronomically expensive was primarily because among the participants, there were quite a few fierce rivals present—including this Litchur!"

"They... all lit the Heavenly Lantern! That is why that particular Heavenly Lantern incident caused such a massive sensation, and ever since then, no one has ever dared to light that lantern at the Crescent Hotel again!"

"A bidding war of lanterns? No wonder. If a genuine fire of competition was ignited, any exorbitant price would be possible—let alone when it was for the Deer-Resurrection Herb." Upon hearing this, Wu Yu seemed to understand something. "So senior's intention is for me to wage a bidding war of lanterns?"

"Precisely!" Zhang Rishan chuckled. "You are well aware that Wu Tianzhen cannot possibly pull together much money. And while his guarantor, Xie Xiao, controls the entire Xie family indeed, he would certainly not be permitted to mobilize such a colossal sum of funds."

"According to the rules of the Crescent Hotel, as long as your bid exceeds Xie Xiao's current financial guarantee limit, the auction will be suspended to verify the assets of both parties. In reality, however, it means that the funds of the party waging the bidding war have reached the upper limit, and they must transfer sufficient funds or other collateral as a guarantee within the stipulated time!"

"When that moment arrives, Xie Xiao will certainly not consent to Tianzhen's reckless behavior and will cancel his status as Tianzhen's guarantor!" Upon hearing this, Wu Yu breathed a sigh of relief, finally grasping Zhang Rishan's intent.

"Correct. The lad Xie will not be so rash, and by then Wu Tianzhen will naturally extricate himself from this whirlpool." Zhang Rishan smiled faintly. "Remember, every rule has loopholes; the more meticulous they are, the more fatal their flaws. This is a principle the Buddha taught me: rather than trying to break the rules to achieve one's purpose, it is far better to find a way to locate the rule's loophole and use the rules to strike down the rules!"

"Since the Yin family is such a stubborn clan, let them taste the bitter fruit of the rules they themselves established!"

"I understand, senior. Thank you for your guidance!" Wu Yu took a deep breath, his gratitude toward Zhang Rishan deepening even further.

Zhang Rishan nodded, opened the box before him, and spoke, "I never imagined there would come a day when I would use this again. Come to think of it, I crafted it many years ago, and without any maintenance all these years, I originally intended to keep it merely as a memento. Giving it to you now can be considered putting it to its absolute best use!"

"A human-skin mask!" The moment Wu Yu caught sight of this gadget, his eyes instantly lit up!

Such a magnificent treasure! This craft had long since been lost across the entire Nine Gates. If one needed one nowadays, they had to purchase it at a steep price from a mere handful of people, and the costs were exorbitant!

This made Wu Yu understand once more the saying: having an elder in the family is like having a priceless treasure.

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"Put it on!" Zhang Rishan instructed. "It has been too long, so once you take it off, it will be destroyed. Furthermore, it will last for a maximum of two hours, so you must carefully gauge your time. If your identity is exposed, there truly will be nothing I can do to help!"

"I understand, senior!" Wu Yu nodded and accepted the human-skin mask.

Unless one put the item on, it was impossible to tell what visage it would form. Yet judging by the expression Zhang Rishan wore when taking it out, he believed it must belong to an old acquaintance of the other party.

Donning the mask and glancing into the mirror, he discovered it was the face of a man around thirty years of age. His chiseled jawline was sharply defined, and his brows radiated an air of heroism, instantly evoking the image of a battle-hardened, iron-willed warrior who had weathered countless bloody campaigns!

For a split second, Wu Yu's heart trembled.

"Good grief, for Zhang Rishan to cherish this so deeply, could the owner of this face be *that* person?" The mere thought sent an involuntary shudder through Wu Yu.

Yet he dared not voice the question. Feigning complete ignorance, he spoke, "Now that I look like this, senior, what should I do next?"

"Here is the key. On the third floor, there is a private box specifically reserved for the Zhang family. When you are finished, simply leave the key on the table." With that, Zhang Rishan turned and walked back into the secret chamber.

Seeing this, Wu Yu bowed deeply with cupped hands toward Zhang Rishan's retreating figure to express his gratitude, then turned and strode briskly away from the fifth floor.

Right at that moment, another temporary Peking opera performance concluded. This time, even Yin Jiangxue could find no further excuses to obstruct the proceedings.

Having no alternative, she replaced the emcee and walked onto the stage herself. "My apologies, everyone. I am Yin Jiangxue, the proprietor of the Crescent Hotel."

"Clatter... Clap, clap, clap, clap!"

Upon seeing her, the crowd below burst into applause in welcome.

"Thank you!" Yin Jiangxue smiled, her posture and deportment utterly flawless. "As everyone knows, ever since the days of the Buddha back then, no one has ever occupied the seat on the far left. Now, allow me to introduce this gentleman to you all..."

"The crown prince of the Wu family... Wu Tianzhen!"

As her voice trailed off, a burly man walked out from backstage. A golden-nanmu log, at least ten meters in length, was slowly hoisted up. Hanging from one end was a Nine-Dragon Heavenly Lantern, which slowly rose and was finally suspended directly above Wu Tianzhen's upper left.

"This... what on earth is the meaning of this!" Wu Tianzhen furrowed his brow tightly, while Fatty behind him was equally clueless.

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"Heh, don't panic, sit tight!" Old Dowager Huo beside them sipped her tea, the smile on her face growing even broader. "I truly never expected that after such a long time away from public view, the old crone I am would get to witness such a grand drama right upon my return. How delightful!"

"Tianzhen, look at the people in the other private rooms; none of them seem to occupy this seat on the left!" Fatty whispered.

"Among the ancients, the left is held in higher honor. This position at the Crescent Hotel must carry some profound significance!" Tianzhen remarked.

Glancing up, he happened to catch Xie Xiao waving anxiously at him, gesturing toward the seat beside himself, though Tianzhen had no inkling of what he meant.

Wu Tianzhen wanted to ask for clarification, but without standing up, it was entirely impossible.

Yet recalling his pact with Old Dowager Huo, he sank back into his seat.

"Master, the Heavenly Lantern has been lit; even if we warn him now, it's useless!" a member of the Xie family beside Xie Xiao said.

"Bring out the golden bells!" With a grand wave of Yin Jiangxue's hand, the Listening Slaves on both sides began to move, placing a gleaming golden bell before every single guest!

"What good is giving me a golden bell now? That fool of a kid has already lit the Heavenly Lantern, this trinket is utterly useless!" Xie Xiao sighed, looking with helpless resignation at Wu Tianzhen across from him.

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