Moonlight spilled through the latticed windows of Gu Changge's quarters, casting long shadows across the polished floor. The stillness was flawless—until a whisper of wind stirred the air.
A jade shard shimmered through the window, precise as a dagger, landing without a sound beside the incense burner.
Gu Changge's eyes opened slowly.
> [Century Auction — 100-Year Event] Hosted by: Chamber of Stellar Commerce
Venue: Disclosed Upon Arrival
Entry Fee: 100 High-Grade Spirit Stones
Conditions: Masked Entry | No Sect Influence | Anonymity Enforced
Security: Overseen by Branch Manager (Middle Deity Transformation Realm)
Note: Attendees must prove purchasing ability
He smiled faintly.
> "So… the Chamber reveals a deeper hand."
The jade evaporated into smoke, vanishing into his void ring.
Outside, the estate slumbered—Lin Rou's qi calm, Lin Tian still immersed in his clumsy sword routines.
But already, the stage was set.
---
At dawn, tea steam curled in the courtyard like mist, catching the golden light. Lin Rou wore soft plum robes, a subtle glow in her cheeks. Across from her sat Gu Changge, composed and smiling faintly.
Lin Tian watched from the side, his eyes cold.
The intimacy between them—it gnawed at him.
Gu Changge set down his cup.
> "I'll be gone for ten days. An old matter calls my attention."
Lin Rou blinked. "Now?"
> "Yes. Something long-delayed… has resurfaced."
Lin Tian narrowed his eyes. "Is it urgent?"
Gu Changge glanced at him.
> "Urgent enough."
Lin Rou touched his sleeve. "Will you be alright?"
> "Always."
And with that, he stood.
No beast carriage. No sect escort.
Only a talisman—flaring crimson in his hand—igniting space itself.
Then he vanished, like a ghost in daylight.
> No one knew the destination.
No one saw the mask already in place.
---
That night, Lin Tian stood beneath the plum blossom tree, brows furrowed, the sword at his side untouched.
Gu Changge was hiding something. That smile—it wasn't just confidence. It was control.
And then—memory stirred.
A message. A memory. His master, before falling into seclusion, had left him with a voice transmission:
> "When the Century Auction returns, you must attend. There are things the sect cannot give you."
He pulled out the old bronze seal. It shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
---
Sealed Blossoms — Lin Xian'er's Isolation
Far away in Thousand Blossom Palace, Lin Xian'er knelt before her master.
Lady Yao Yuhuan, draped in snow-white robes, spoke from atop the Dream Pagoda.
> "The Tomb of the Flame-Bound Immortal will open in five months."
Gasps rose among the gathered disciples.
> "From now on, no one leaves the Pagoda. You ten will prepare here."
Lin Xian'er bowed, her voice steady. "Yes, Master."
But her thoughts betrayed her. Gu Changge's face lingered in her mind—his smirk, his touch, his betrayal.
She bit her lip.
> "I will erase him."
---
Arrival — City of Flame and Secrets
Gu Changge emerged beneath red skies.
Before him rose a city of blackened stone and flickering banners—crimson lanterns marking the outer wards of the Chamber of Stellar Commerce's stronghold.
He said nothing.
Wearing a bronze half-mask forged through the Thousand-Face Mirror Veil, his features were hidden. Silver robes, understated and neat. A jade flute at his waist.
At the gate, masked guards stopped him.
> "Proof of funds?"
He handed them a ring.
A moment later, they bowed low.
> "Honored guest. You may proceed."
The ring contained over ten million high spirit stones—a gift from his father, Elder Gu.
> "Use it as you see fit," his father had said. "A villain's path is best paved with gold."
---
The Auction Hall
The Pavilion wasn't one hall—it was a fortress of black crystal, hidden below the city's surface.
Thousands of masked cultivators gathered. Golden Core, Nascent Soul… some veiled in techniques strong enough to blur even truth-sight.
All watched silently.
Yue Qinghe stepped onto the obsidian platform.
Silver robes traced with phoenix feathers. A half-mask of blue silk. Poised and beautiful, her voice clear.
> "I am Yue Qinghe. On behalf of the Chamber of Stellar Commerce… I welcome you to the Century Auction."
Gu Changge leaned back in his private booth.
> "So that's the voice."
She was new. Young. Concealing her cultivation—likely Peak Foundation Building. But her poise… sharpened under pressure.
He sipped his tea.
> "She's more than she seems."
---
Opening Bids — Flow of Greed
The auction began.
First came rare herbs, beast cores, and enchanted cauldrons. One by one, they vanished beneath gongs of rising bids.
Low spirit stones were dismissed. Middle-grade stones competed for attention. High-grade spirit stones shaped the battlefield.
Gu Changge didn't bid. Not yet.
He watched.
Yue Qinghe moved with elegance, her voice never faltering. But twice, her gaze flicked toward his booth—drawn not by identity, but stillness.
> "She senses the threat, but doesn't know why."
Perfect.
---
Halfway through, elite guests were escorted into private lounges.
Gu Changge was brought to the Phoenix Room—curtained in spirit-silk, isolated by formation wards.
Moments later, Yue Qinghe entered, flanked by two guards. Still masked.
> "Honored guest," she said. "This is your first participation."
He nodded.
> "Most of our Century attendees are long-term patrons. Yet you were allowed entry with no history. Curious, isn't it?"
He offered a thin smile. "I paid."
She didn't smile back. "That's not all."
> "You feel... unreadable."
He didn't deny it.
She continued, softer now.
> "The second half of the auction includes restricted items. Soul-bound artifacts. Legacy tools. Even forbidden maps. Not all will be offered publicly."
Gu Changge's interest sharpened.
> "And?"
> "We only extend invitations to those we… test."
> "Then test me."
A long pause.
Then, she bowed slightly.
> "I will speak to the manager."
As she turned, he asked quietly:
> "Is he your father?"
Her fingers froze mid-step. "You know too much."
> "That's my nature."
---
A Watchful Flame — Authority Cloaked in Crimson
Above the Pavilion, high in the formation clouds, a figure floated—untouched by gravity or sound.
A man cloaked in robes of flame and gold, with eyes closed in stillness.
His aura: Middle Deity Transformation Realm.
Unmoving. Yet ever-present.
> "No one breaks rules," he whispered.
"No one dies here."
Yue Qinghe's father.
Manager of this branch.
Rumors said he once fought an Upper Realm envoy… and lived.
---
The stage lit once more.
Yue Qinghe's voice returned.
> "The final item of this round: Thunder-Root Fruit. Rare. Used for divine tribulation tempering. Opening bid—10,000 mid-grade spirit stones."
Bids surged.
Gu Changge watched it all, eyes narrowed.
> "Let the others chase thunder."
His gaze moved past her.
Toward the sealed vaults below.
> Soul weapons. Cursed legacies. Immortal echoes.
And perhaps…
> Something meant for him alone.