Chapter 109: The Overlord’s Dilemma

The battle for the Golden Heavy Armor was indeed fiercer than ever before. In the early stages, it was mostly individual wealthy players competing, with prices quickly surpassing 2,000 gold. Soon after, major families and guilds joined the fray, driving the price steadily upward. In no time, it exceeded 3,000 gold. The heads of these families watched the bidding on the Golden Heavy Armor without blinking, each raise no less than 200 gold. Even Ye Chen had to admit that when these families truly went all out, they possessed considerable power. Beyond the guild funds, many of the family elders held substantial personal wealth. However, for the sake of the guild’s overall development, they rarely spent extravagantly on luxury items.

“4,300 gold.”

The price suddenly jumped from 3,800 to 4,300 gold—a hefty increment of 500 gold—which momentarily hushed the entire auction hall. Ye Chen glanced at the middle-aged knight who had placed the bid. This man was the president of the Fierce Wolf Guild, known by the nickname Night Sleepless. Although he appeared calm on the surface, his twitching eyelids betrayed his inner tension. Through eavesdropping, Ye Chen already knew that 4,300 gold was the highest price the Fierce Wolf Guild could afford. This bid nearly emptied the guild’s coffers and the pockets of its senior members. Their strategy was to intimidate other guilds with a bold 500 gold increase, hoping to secure the Golden Heavy Armor.

“Ha! Who are you trying to scare? Four thousand three hundred gold? We, the Carefree Guild, raise it to 4,500 gold. Fierce Wolf, if you can top that by even one gold, we’ll back off,” a cold sneer rang out across the hall. The speaker was Carefree Freedom, the leader of the Carefree Guild and a sworn enemy of Fierce Wolf.

Night Sleepless’s face paled slightly, and he shot a fierce glare at Carefree Freedom. “Fine, fine. Carefree Freedom, just you wait. We’re leaving!” he said, but his last words were directed at several Fierce Wolf executives nearby. Without another word, he led them out of the auction hall.

“4,500 gold! Fierce Wolf Guild bids 4,500 gold! Anyone willing to offer more?” Ling Tong scanned the crowd, casually glancing towards the direction of Fierce Tiger and Legend. As the chief auctioneer of Night Hua Flowing Gold, a well-informed figure, she knew that Fierce Tiger Overlord and Legend Undefeated were backed by substantial capital—arguably the two most powerful families in Flames Mountain City. This was why Longteng was eager to collaborate with Night Hua Flowing Gold; without financial backing, Longteng could soon be defeated.

After Ling Tong’s second inquiry, the previously silent auction hall finally erupted with a bid—from none other than Fierce Tiger Overlord seated in the front row.

Carefree Freedom, who had briefly entertained hope, instantly turned pale upon hearing the new bid and slumped back into his seat. Ye Chen, however, was not surprised. Fierce Tiger was closely watched by him. Despite the Overlord’s confident, determined stance, their limit was around 6,000 gold. Much like Fierce Wolf, their aim was to intimidate others into quitting. Meanwhile, Legend Undefeated’s leader frowned, agonizing over whether to place a bid.

“5,000 gold, first call. 5,000 gold, second call. Any higher bids?” Ling Tong continued to delay, hoping Legend would join in. But she was destined to be disappointed. After a brief moment of hesitation, Legend’s leader withdrew from the bidding.

Seeing the triumphant expressions on Fierce Tiger’s faces and the smug look on Fierce Tiger Overlord, Ye Chen felt a surge of nausea and an urge to slap their arrogance down. A sense of poetic justice swelled within him. If he didn’t make a move, it would be a wasted opportunity. Yet, he wasn’t in the habit of giving away free profits—taking what he could was the way of the world.

“Miss Ling Tong, are you interested in pushing the auction price even higher?” Ye Chen whispered to Ling Tong, who was already preparing to reluctantly bring down the gavel.

“Absolutely. Beyond 5,000 gold, you can keep half of whatever I raise it by. It’s up to your skill. But if you mess it up, you’re on your own,” Ling Tong replied without hesitation. The item had been acquired by Night Hua Flowing Gold for 4,000 gold. Every extra gold above that was pure auction house profit. Besides, the higher the final price for the grand finale item, the greater the auction’s prestige.

“5,500 gold.” Ye Chen smiled faintly and raised the bidding paddle. Knowing the other side’s limit, he wasn’t afraid of failure. Such a crucial item wouldn’t be abandoned unless the price exceeded Fierce Tiger’s psychological ceiling. Even if they knew the price was being artificially inflated, they would have no choice but to swallow their pride.

“You again? It’s you!” Fierce Tiger Roar bellowed in fury, and the rest of the Fierce Tiger clan glared darkly at Ye Chen. Fierce Tiger Overlord’s face was even grimmer. He wasn’t a fool. Seeing Ye Chen trap Fierce Tiger Roar earlier, he suspected Ye Chen held a grudge against Fierce Tiger. Now, he was certain. They wanted to sacrifice the auction, forcing Ye Chen into a big loss. But the Demon Ape Heavy Armor was vital to their guild’s future development—they couldn’t let their anger cost them such an opportunity. Torn between these thoughts, he finally gritted his teeth and shouted, “6,000 gold!” Then he fixed his gaze intently on Ye Chen, hoping he wouldn’t raise again so Fierce Tiger could win, or that he would raise again so they could back down with a justified loss. Even Fierce Tiger Roar was confused about which outcome he preferred.

“Congratulations, congratulations! Fierce Tiger’s wealth is impressive—I humbly concede!” Ye Chen said with mock sincerity and a bow. This remark sparked laughter throughout the hall, even from those who had been burned by Ye Chen before. It helped balance the mood. No one thought Ye Chen was a plant for the auction house. Although he had raised the price several times, it was negligible compared to hundreds of auction items, and the increments were only a few dozen gold at most. Most of his fiercest bids were on items from the Fierce Tiger family. Many speculated he held a grudge against them. As for others who lost out, perhaps they had simply purchased items from those sellers. It was normal for sellers to boost their own prices. Plenty did so throughout the afternoon; some were even more brazen.

The Fierce Tiger clan hurled a barrage of threats at Ye Chen, but he ignored them all. Whether they recognized him or not, he had no fear.

At 8 p.m., the first auction in Flames Mountain City officially concluded. Night Hua Flowing Gold had successfully made a strong debut. As the 2,000 players dispersed, news of the auction’s grandeur would soon spread to every corner of Flames Mountain City. Longteng Wanderer and the others wore triumphant smiles. The auction’s total sales reached a staggering 43,000 gold. According to their contract, they would receive a three percent commission—over 1,000 gold. This was only the initial phase; future auctions would undoubtedly see further growth. Held every three days, with Night Hua Flowing Gold’s share, Longteng’s rise was imminent.

Longteng Wanderer and friends eagerly tried to pull Ye Chen to celebrate with drinks, but he had no mind for it. Hmph. A bunch of grown men—what was there to get close about? If he were to drink, it would be offline with the girls. Besides, he wasn’t in the mood. With the gear and potions sold, it was time to reap the rewards. Thinking of the over five-figure sum waiting for him, he trembled with excitement. With this money, he could afford treatment for his amnesia—perhaps finally reclaiming the lost memories.

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To give readers a more satisfying experience, starting tomorrow, three daily updates will be combined into two, each with over 3,000 words, released around 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Also recommended is a friend’s new work, "War Against Heaven and Demons," Book ID: 2777656. Just the title sounds imposing—fans of xianxia should take a look.