The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

The female auctioneer began the introduction. "This is our first auction item: a lost work by the Yuan Dynasty painter Huang Gongwang. As the painting bears no inscription, our auction house has tentatively named it the Shallow River Mountain Range Painting."

"The ink work is subtle and elegant, using the mountains and rivers of Qianzhou as its backdrop. The composition of mountains and water is perfectly balanced, and the artist employed a dynamic range of ink tones—light and dark, wet and dry... The starting bid is twenty million, with each subsequent bid increasing by no less than one million."

The moment the auctioneer finished speaking, someone raised their paddle. "Twenty-one million!"

"Twenty-two million!"

"Twenty-three million!"

…

Bids came in one after another, faster than the auctioneer could call out the numbers.

It was ultimately sold to bidder number sixty-three for two hundred and thirty million.

The auction's fiery start set the tone, and the subsequent items—painted screens, decorative fans, and so on—all fetched considerable prices.

As the auction reached its midpoint, staff members carried out a peculiar fruit. It was the size of a playground ball, its blue skin covered in a dense, nebula-like pattern.

The auctioneer had now been replaced by the otherworldly Master Zhang.

Master Zhang's voice boomed like a great bell as he began his introduction. "This is a Star Luo Fruit. It can be used by a Martial Artist to advance their cultivation. The years of progress gained depend on the Martial Artist's innate talent, but it will grant a minimum of five years' worth of cultivation. For an ordinary person, it can strengthen the body, improve one's constitution, and ward off illness..."

Hearing this, Qin Yun's eyes widened with excitement as she stared at the fruit. She shook Chen Dong's arm. "Will this work for my father's illness?"

Chen Dong nodded and said calmly, "It's a little useful, but not by much. The fruit's main purpose is to increase a Martial Artist's cultivation."

'He hadn't expected a Star Luo Fruit to be up for auction here. If he got it, he could refine a Star Luo Pill. Although the pill itself was useless to him, the Li Family was far too weak. A Star Luo Pill would be the perfect way to boost their strength.'

Master Zhang concluded his lengthy introduction. "The starting bid is five million, and each subsequent bid must increase by no less than five hundred thousand."

Qin Yun, who had been so excited moments before, immediately deflated. The light in her eyes vanished. The amount of money she had at her disposal was less than five million.

In other words, she couldn't even afford the starting bid.

Ignoring her, Chen Dong raised his paddle and called out, "Six million!"

Qin Yun turned to stare at Chen Dong, her eyes a mixture of confusion, panic, and gratitude. "We don't have that much money!" she whispered.

Chen Dong rolled his eyes at her. 'It's not like I'm bidding for you,' he thought. 'What's with all the drama?'

"Seven million!"

Someone immediately outbid him.

Qin Yun breathed a sigh of relief. She was suddenly reminded of what the manager at the entrance had said. What was the point of coming to an auction with no money? Even if she found a useful medicinal herb, she couldn't afford it.

Chen Dong placed another bid. "Ten million!"

Qin Yun grew tense again. The consequences of winning an auction and being unable to pay were severe. As a public figure, if the news got out, it would be more than just a scandal—it would be a stain on her reputation that she could never erase.

She tugged urgently on Chen Dong's sleeve. "We really don't have that much money!"

Chen Dong was speechless. "I'll pay," he said in a low voice.

Qin Yun's eyes filled with emotion. 'This man, so greedy and stingy, is actually willing to spend this money for me.' It was also completely unexpected. She never would have thought Chen Dong could come up with ten million; in her mind, his net worth couldn't possibly exceed one million. His ordinary, department-store clothes were just too deceptive.

From the stage, Master Zhang announced, "Bidder two hundred sixty-five bids ten million. Do I have any higher bids?"

The sheer force of Chen Dong's ten-million-dollar bid scared off many potential bidders. Besides, the price of a Star Luo Fruit was already hovering around ten million, so no one else was making an offer.

"Ten million, going once."

"Ten million, going twice."

"Fifteen million!" shouted the man they had encountered earlier. He even stood up and jutted his chin at Chen Dong, his face a mask of smug triumph.

Chen Dong shot the man a cold glare. A grudge was already forming in his heart. 'You can curse me, you can humiliate me,' he thought, 'but make me spend more money? You're simply courting death!'

He raised his paddle again. "Twenty million!"

WHOA! The crowd burst into an uproar. It wasn't just that twenty million was far more than a Star Luo Fruit was worth; it was also the commanding air with which Chen Dong made the bid, as if the money was completely meaningless to him.

The man scoffed. "Idiot!" He didn't bid again. He was afraid that if he raised the price, Chen Dong might not follow, leaving him with the bill.

Soon enough: "Twenty million, going three times... Sold! Congratulations to bidder two hundred sixty-five for winning the Star Luo Fruit for twenty million!"

Chen Dong's expression darkened as he plotted how to deal with that man. To Qin Yun, however, it looked like he was simply heartbroken about the money he had spent.

Qin Yun's heart swelled with emotion, and tears began to glisten in her eyes. This stingy, money-grubbing man had just extravagantly thrown down twenty million for her sake.

Next, a simple, ancient-looking box was brought on stage. Inside was a set of clay figurines.

Master Zhang explained, "This item was sent to us by a Martial Arts Grandmaster. The figurines are said to contain the Inner Power Heart Technique that he himself cultivates. As for its actual effectiveness, our auction house has no way of knowing. It is a complete mystery, so please bid with discretion. We must state this in advance: if you purchase these and are unable to comprehend the Cultivation Technique, our auction house bears no responsibility."

Even Master Zhang, a Grandmaster in his own right, couldn't discern anything special about the figurines. If the auction house hadn't been obligated to show respect to the Martial Arts Grandmaster who submitted it, this item never would have made it to the auction block.

But the moment this item was brought on stage, Chen Dong broke into a smile.