Chapter Ninety-Eight: The Nine Great Auction Houses

After the meeting, Ye Chen took the initiative to bring out the dungeon strategy guide. Once the eldest sister and the others had a look, they all sucked in a breath, and the way they looked at Ye Chen changed completely. These women were no strangers to quality; Sword of Falling City immediately asked with a grave expression, “You didn’t hand all this over to those Dragon Soar guys, did you?”

Not prying into the source let Ye Chen breathe a sigh of relief. He shook his head with a smile. “I’m not stupid. Why would I give it to them? I just led them through the dungeon for mutual benefit. I didn’t even reveal the trick for crossing the Flame Bridge—just gave them a glimpse of a few minor tips.”

At this, the group collectively relaxed. Drunken Longing shot Ye Chen a glare, a little resentful. “Even those minor tricks are wasted on them.”

“Not wasted at all. Not in the least.” Ye Chen quickly explained the profit-sharing deal he’d struck with Thief Never Returns. When the group learned that just leading people through a dungeon once could net Ye Chen several hundred gold coins, even Sword of Falling City’s eyes went green with envy. If the cut alone amounted to several hundred, how many treasures must drop in a single King’s Dungeon run? Sword of Falling City immediately hid the strategy guide away like a treasure, not letting even the second sister see it, claiming she was afraid the sister might talk in her sleep and let secrets slip.

Which didn’t make any sense, since the second sister always slept alone…

With the dungeon issue settled, Ye Chen brought up yesterday’s exposure of Spirit Fox Divine Moon and Left-Handed Myth, causing another round of gasps from the women. Their gazes practically sparkled with admiration; the second sister was so excited she planted a fragrant kiss on him, leaving Ye Chen blushing furiously. The closeness, the soft and firm press of her chest—he could hardly keep his composure.

When he listed the attributes of the two equipment sets, the women were all but numb with shock. The two Holy Priest girls’ faces flushed bright red—bronze sets were the stuff of dreams. Yet the eldest sister remained practical, keeping only the ‘Heavenly Solanka’ set and telling Ye Chen to sell the other. After all, the studio’s goal was profit and practicality, not luxury. One full bronze priest set was enough for dungeons; two would be wasteful. Better to sell one and improve everyone’s living standards, especially since Ye Chen’s treatment for amnesia would require a hefty sum.

Though disappointed, the two Holy Priests agreed. They’d share the ‘Heavenly Solanka’ set, while the ‘Hymn of Light’ could fetch at least a thousand gold. The studio would take 30 percent, leaving Ye Chen with 70—everyone would be happy.

The studio kept none of the four bronze rings, but all three bronze necklaces were retained. Necklaces boosted constitution, a rare and valuable trait, much more cost-effective than rings.

The silver staff was also marked for sale—too expensive and extravagant for the elementalist girls, who, unlike Drunken Longing who had saved Ye Chen’s life, felt awkward accepting such a precious item. Instead, the bronze staff dropped by Spirit Fox Divine Moon sparked a mad scramble, with the mages resolving the matter over several rounds of rock-paper-scissors.

In the end, the studio kept nine bronze items. With these equipped, the team’s strength would soar, raising their chances in the King’s Dungeon even higher. Ultimately, these items would still belong to Ye Chen. When everyone had better gear, he could sell them. Though that might be a long time coming…

With business settled, the group began eating, but Ye Chen hadn’t had his fill before the girls who’d received gear dragged him back to their rooms to log on and distribute the loot.

Once online, they gathered at the southern warehouse. The girls ordered Ye Chen to stay put, and soon they rushed over, crowding around him. Surrounded by five or six beautiful girls, Ye Chen drew envious, resentful, and admiring glances from every male player passing by.

Once the equipment was distributed, Ye Chen took his leave of the enthusiastic ladies and made his way to the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion in the west city. As soon as he’d logged on, Thief Never Returns had messaged him—Dragon Soar’s Wanderer had already booked a banquet there to discuss the special-effect potions.

By the time Ye Chen arrived, Wanderer and his party were already upstairs; only Dragon Soar’s Star Slayer waited for him below. Together, they ascended to a private room on the sixth floor. After a few polite exchanges, the NPCs began serving dishes, and the conversation turned to the potions.

“Brother Nightfall,” Wanderer said, raising a glass to Ye Chen, “about those White Tiger Pills you gave to Thief Never Returns yesterday—how many can you provide?”

“These pills are extremely difficult to make. I’ve been collecting materials for a long time and have only managed to craft fifty. After yesterday’s use, I have just forty-five left. I’m afraid I won’t be able to supply them in large quantities any time soon.” Ye Chen smiled faintly. Though he could, in theory, sweep the entire beast pill market and craft hundreds at once, that would be like fishing a pond dry. The cost of future White Tiger Pills would skyrocket, making it counterproductive. Besides, such luxury goods only become more valuable the rarer they are; dumping hundreds at once would devalue them instantly—fewer pills might actually yield greater profit.

Wanderer nodded, unsurprised by the limited supply. After all, such potions weren’t especially useful for a whole guild. His own desire for them had another purpose. He was candid: “A small quantity is fine. That only boosts their price and prestige. To be honest, Dragon Soar is planning to get involved in the auction house business. Your potions are mainly for promotion, to open up the market.”

“Auction house? Is Dragon Soar setting it up themselves?” Ye Chen was slightly surprised. This was a major business indeed, but he doubted Dragon Soar had the capital. Such an enterprise required more than a few thousand, even tens of thousands, of gold coins. The land for an auction house alone was a huge expense.

Wanderer shook his head. “Of course not. Dragon Soar isn’t that wealthy—we’re partnering with someone: Nightfall Gilded Gold. You’ve heard of them?”

“One of the nine great auction houses in Divine Descent? Haven’t they always stuck to Zones One and Two?” Ye Chen was taken aback. The girls often mentioned the nine great auction houses, all with enormous real-world backing. In the fifteen years since Divine Descent launched, these nine had earned astronomical profits. But supposedly, they had a pact: three per zone for Zones One through Three, and three moved into Zone Four at launch. It shouldn’t have been possible for a fourth to enter.

Wanderer took a sip of blood-red wine, a trace of pride in his eyes. “You may not know, but the agreement among the nine auction houses has been voided. Now, they’re all moving into Zone Four. However, the three main cities are already occupied by the original three, so the remaining six have to look elsewhere. Our Fiery Mountain City has been chosen by Nightfall Gilded Gold as their entry point into Zone Four. And as the top force in the city, Dragon Soar is their natural local partner. We’ve been preparing for this for a long time. Frankly, it’s like a pie falling from the sky for us. If the cooperation goes smoothly, Dragon Soar will not only secure its number one spot in Fiery Mountain City, but may even contend for the top in all five zones, perhaps even dominating the Central Plains in the future.”