Systemless Villain

Chapter 195 The Price of Ambitions

Long Tian grinned while observing Lin Fan, who appeared visibly angry.

He relished the unparalleled satisfaction derived from witnessing a protagonist infuriated and suffering.

'Don't get angry too early, Lin Fan; the auction is far from over,' he grinned inwardly.

On the other side, Ling Han looked intrigued, unable to conceal his curiosity any longer. He inquired, "Young master, it seems you have a feud with that young man. Shall I kill him for you?"

"No, Uncle Ling, I'll handle him myself," Long Tian said with a grin.

Ling Han simply nodded in response.

------

Meanwhile, in the regular seats, Xiao Jun was genuinely perplexed by Lin Fan's conduct tonight.

"Brother Lin, what's going on with you?! First, you bid 10 million Yuan for an empty canvas, which is understandable since Long Tian won. But this time... What were you thinking, bidding 50 million for just a dagger? Now, all your money is gone, spent on that weapon!" he exclaimed in whisper, his tone a blend of frustration and advice.

Lin Fan wore a somber expression, realizing his blunder in bidding 50 million and hoping for Long Tian to counter.

Yet, it was clear that Long Tian's intention was to challenge him.

Lin Fan's gaze grew colder, and his determination intensified. He still had an ace up his sleeve.

'I will crush you tonight, Long Tian!' Lin Fan vowed silently.

---

As time passed, the atmosphere on the streets of SCBD Main Town remained bustling with people coming and going.

Inside the Juntian Auction House, hundreds of item had successfully sold without bids from either Lin Fan or Long Tian.

Lin Fan had spotted several items with radiant colors but refrained from bidding due to the depletion of his funds.

At this moment, Su Dongzhu brought out a distinctive cultivator's garment and displayed it for everyone. "This time, the featured item is a garment that has aged a thousand years, crafted by the venerable Taishi Grandmaster. This garment possesses a unique quality – it cannot be torn or burned," he explained.

Participants became increasingly interested upon hearing this.

Su Dongzhu continued, "We have tested it, and indeed, this garment remains unscathed after various trials. So, this item is authentic. The starting bid is 100,000 Yuan, and the next bid increments by 10,000 Yuan."

As soon as he finished speaking, many raised their hands to bid.

"110,000 Yuan."

"240,000 Yuan."

"400,000 Yuan."

"1,000,000 Yuan."

...

Bids from various individuals resonated intensely as many were captivated by the indestructible garment.

The figures continued to rise, but on the side of Lin Fan and Long Tian, they showed no interest.

"34,000,000 Yuan."

Bidding stopped at 34 million, with no further participants indicating interest.

"Oh, 34 million. Is this the final bid?" Su Dongzhu asked.

There was no response from the participants. With that, he continued, "Alright, 34 million going once, 34 million going twice... Sold to a gentleman with number 48!" he exclaimed, pointing to a man in the regular seats.

Applause followed, and the man with number 48 smiled, pleased to have won the auction for the indestructible garment.

Once the applause subsided, Su Dongzhu proceeded, "It's been more than two hours since the auction began. With the sale of the indestructible garment, we mark the penultimate item in tonight's auction. And now, let's move on to the final session with the last item up for bidding!"

Everyone looked excited and increasingly interested. The final item in the auction was usually an extremely rare item, possibly the only one of its kind in the world. And, of course, its price would likely be exorbitant.

At this moment, a burly man in a suit walked onto the stage, carrying a golden box. He handed the box to Su Dongzhu and promptly left.

All eyes were now on the normally sized golden box. Its exterior alone indicated that the item inside was valuable.

Lin Fan and Long Tian also observed the box, sensing that the item within was far from ordinary.

Ling Han, on the other hand, stroked his chin and commented, "Young master, you should acquire that item. From my perspective as a peak Golden Core realm cultivator, the box emits an aura that is familiar to you," his tone somewhat earnest.

"What? You say the item has an aura familiar to me?" Long Tian asked, his eyebrows lifted with curiosity.

Ling Han nodded, "Yes, something that feels like... Demonic. Since you have a demonic aura from the Heavenly Demon Sect, it might be related," he explained.

Long Tian rubbed his chin. He almost forgot that he still possessed demonic power from absorbing the demon souls in the Demon Abyss in the Heavenly Demon Sect back then.

However, he was also puzzled because the demon souls didn't manifest in his inner sea like the two black dragons and the teleportation disc... Nevertheless, perhaps the item in the box would awaken his demonic power.

At this moment, Su Dongzhu finally spoke. His expression was earnest. "Ladies and gentlemen, most of you might not be suitable for this item. But I'll get straight to the point."

With everyone's curiosity piqued, Su Dongzhu opened the box and revealed an ancient book with a blank white cover.

Many were puzzled. The contents of the box turned out to be just a book, but they still showed interest, awaiting an explanation about it.

And Su Dongzhu, on the other hand, promptly explained, "This is an ancient book with unreadable script. We have researched with various language experts, and they couldn't decipher the language within this book. Some say it is a language from the early days of Chinese civilization, around 25,000 years ago," he explained, his tone sincere.

Everyone remained silent as Su Dongzhu continued, "But that's not all. We brought in history experts and found out that this book was written by an individual named Mo Xie and perfected by the venerable Zhenmo Grandmaster!" he explained, his tone growing more serious.

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. They all knew who the venerable Zhenmo Grandmaster was, a legendary figure said to have ascended to a higher realm.

Various murmurs were heard as the atmosphere grew lively with discussions about the book. Some were determined to obtain it.

Seated in the regular seats, Lin Fan's expression was filled with surprise as he saw the book radiate a golden color even more than the empty canvas or the dagger.

But then, his gaze turned colder with evident malicious intent.

'This time, I will destroy you, Long Tian!' he declared silently.

With the atmosphere growing more intense, Su Dongzhu gestured for silence, and everyone immediately quieted down.

"For this extremely rare item, the starting bid is 1 million Yuan, and the increments are 1 million Yuan," he said.

As soon as his words ended, many people immediately raised their hands, and the atmosphere became lively.

"100 million Yuan!"

"220 million!"

"370 million Yuan!"

"..."

"590 million Yuan!"

Bidding continued with many participants offering exorbitant amounts. The room was filled with wealthy individuals puzzled about how to spend their fortunes.

"800 million Yuan!" this time, Long Tian spoke directly, raising his hand.

The atmosphere fell into an immediate silence. The bidding, which had been in the 500 million range, swiftly escalated to 800 million, unmistakably revealing Long Tian's keen interest in the item.

Simultaneously, Long Tian was resolute in his quest to obtain the book. He had received confirmation from Ling Han that the book was authentic, and Su Dongzhu's statements were not deceptive.

He also didn't bother thinking about Lin Fan since a protagonist, undoubtedly poor, wouldn't be able to compete with him with hundreds of millions.

However, in a sudden turn of events, someone from the VIP section raised their hand, declaring, "1 billion Yuan."

Surprise rippled through the audience; the auction had reached the staggering sum of 1 billion. Long Tian turned his gaze towards the source, where an elderly man with white hair sat.

In return, the old man also met his gaze. "Young master Long, perhaps you could let me have this one? I would consider it a favor. The book holds significant importance to me," he said, wearing a warm smile.

Long Tian responded with a smile of his own, "I'm sorry, but the book is equally crucial to me."

Without waiting for the old man's reply, Long Tian raised his hand again, announcing, "1.5 billion Yuan."

Upon hearing this, the old man tightened his grip on his cane, displaying hints of irritation. Yet, he managed to restrain his anger, taking into account Long Tian's status.

With a sigh, he conceded, "Well, I surrender. I'm certain you won't give up either, young master Long."

Long Tian maintained his smile, "You understand me well," he replied with a smirk.

In the meantime, Su Dongzhu promptly declared, "An exceptionally high bid from the young man on the upper floor. 1.5 billion Yuan. Is there anyone daring enough to make a counter-bid?" he inquired.

Silence ensued. The bid of 1.5 billion Yuan stood as an exorbitant figure, on par with the valuation of a Soonicorn company.

But For Long Tian, whose family possessed a multitude of Hectocorn-level enterprises, this sum amounted to a trifling amount.

Yet, in an unexpected turn, a participant in the standard seats raised their hand and declared, "2 billion Yuan."

The statement sent shockwaves through the crowd, catching even Long Tian and Xiao Jun off guard. All eyes swiftly turned to the origin of the voice, revealing none other than Lin Fan.