The Puppet Mechanisms

Chapter 224: The Puppet Mechanisms

The very first item up for auction turned out to be a top-grade magical tool of considerable power, which caught Han Li somewhat off guard.

This was especially true given the way the tall, thin man with the glib tongue was describing it. He spoke with such vivid enthusiasm, proclaiming it as unmatched in the heavens and rare on earth. Even Han Li felt a momentary impulse to dig out his spirit stones and buy it. The temptation was far stronger for other cultivators who were desperately in need of top-grade tools.

Sure enough, with a base price of a mere two hundred spirit stones, three or four impatient souls immediately began bidding. In the blink of an eye, the price of the Blazing Cloud Sword was driven past the three-hundred mark. This caused several others who had been considering a bid to quickly abandon the thought.

Although the Blazing Cloud Sword’s attached flame-cloud attack was decent, it was still a clear step below the finest top-grade tools. Paying three hundred spirit stones for it would make it something of a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard.

But if these people were unwilling to buy, there were always others willing to play the fool.

To those willing to purchase it, the logic was simple: while better items would appear later in the auction, they were items that ordinary cultivators could never hope to win. It was far more practical to secure a decent top-grade tool here and now.

Thus, after a brief struggle among a few Qi Condensation cultivators, the Blazing Cloud Sword sold quite smoothly for just over four hundred spirit stones.

A cultivator wearing a childlike mask stepped forward, paid the spirit stones, and returned to his seat cradling the sword with a delighted expression, treating it like a family heirloom. The sight was slightly comical to some of the other cultivators.

Once the buyer had settled back down, the tall, thin man cleared his throat and spoke again.

“The second item up for auction today is a master alchemist’s dream—a top-grade Crimson Nether Furnace. This furnace has passed through the hands of many renowned artifact refiners and has produced countless masterpieces among top-grade tools. To name a few: the Phantom Sound Sword, the Azure Flood Dragon Banner, the Black Flame Pearl, and so on. Rumor has it that this furnace provides a certain enhancement to the refinement process. Whether this is true or not, our shop cannot confirm. And so, we begin the bidding at a base price of four hundred spirit stones—an absolute steal.”

As he spoke, the man retrieved a crimson pill furnace from his storage pouch and placed it on the table for all to see.

A wave of excitement swept through the hall. Though no one spoke loudly, the atmosphere instantly grew feverish. Many gazes locked onto the pill furnace with burning desire.

Han Li sat quietly in his corner, observing the scene with cold detachment. When he heard that the Azure Flood Dragon Banner in his own possession had been forged with this very furnace, he felt a flicker of surprise. But it was only that—a flicker.

He knew nothing about artifact refinement, so he had no way of judging the furnace’s true value. And as a rule, he never reached for something he couldn’t use. Besides, while he had a fair number of spirit stones on him, they were meant to be spent on what truly mattered.

“Four hundred fifty!”

“Four hundred seventy!”

“I bid five hundred!”

“…”

Whatever Han Li’s thoughts, the furnace quickly escalated to a terrifying price.

“Seven hundred eighty!”

A plump figure in a yellow hood ground out the number through clenched teeth.

“Eight hundred!”

A female cultivator not far from the fat man calmly raised the bid once more, causing his fists to clench in frustration.

At this near-heavenly price, the other bidders had long withdrawn, watching with resentful eyes as the two wealthy Foundation Establishment cultivators continued to drive the price higher.

“Eight hundred fifty! Madam, if you can raise the price by even a single spirit stone more, this furnace is yours!” the fat man bit out, glaring at the female cultivator.

“Eight hundred fifty-one.”

The moment the fat man’s words left his mouth, the female cultivator let out a cold laugh and deliberately raised the bid by exactly one spirit stone. The fat man’s face, hidden beneath his hood, flushed crimson with fury. He shot her a venomous glare, but in the end, he said nothing more.

And so, the female Foundation Establishment cultivator secured the famous pill furnace at an exorbitant price. Whether it was truly worth the cost remained to be seen.

Perhaps the intensity of this bidding war had stimulated everyone’s nerves. After this point, the previously subdued atmosphere in the hall exploded into frenzy. One after another, top-grade tools and rare materials were snapped up by eager cultivators.

But by the time more than twenty items had been sold, Han Li still hadn’t seen any formation flags or formation plates appear. His patience began to wear thin.

If nothing like that shows up at this auction, he thought, I’ll have to visit Star Dust Pavilion again. Even if those are just basic formation tools, buying a few sets would be better than having nothing at all.

Just as he was thinking this, the tall, thin man announced the next item.

“Next up: a pair of high-grade puppet mechanisms—Beast-Type Puppets. Their combat strength is comparable to that of a Qi Condensation Layer 9 cultivator. They are utterly loyal and fearless in battle. Purchasing them is like bringing two personal bodyguards along with you. The base price is a mere one hundred spirit stones!”

Puppet mechanisms? Han Li’s mind stirred. Isn’t that high-grade tool of mine called the Puppet Archer? Could they be the same kind of thing?

He sat up straighter and watched with full attention.

The tall, thin man had already placed two dark, fist-sized objects on the table. They resembled toys—shaped like a cross between a lion and a tiger, but not quite either. It was unclear what kind of beast they had been modeled after.

“Many guests here may not be familiar with the art of puppet mechanisms,” the man continued, seeing the lack of interest.

“This is a Daoist technique that originates from artifact refinement but is fundamentally different from it. Although few in our region know of it, it is extremely popular in the Far Western Lands. There is even a sect called the Thousand Bamboo Sect that has built its entire foundation on this art, pushing it to its limits. It is said that top-grade puppet warriors can even compete with late Foundation Establishment cultivators! Also, this shop’s classification of these beast puppets as high-grade is merely a private convention. According to the official grading system of the puppet arts, they should be called Second-Tier Puppet Beasts.”

Seeing that the cultivators below seemed uninterested, with no one stepping forward to bid, the man quickly recited the information he had prepared, hoping to spark some curiosity.

His words did pique a certain level of interest. But spending a hundred spirit stones on two toy-like objects? No one was foolish enough to do that. Besides, what use could a Qi Condensation Layer 9 guard possibly be to the cultivators present?

“One hundred spirit stones.”

A voice rang out from a corner. Someone was actually willing to buy these playthings. The gazes of the cultivators shifted toward that corner.

But it wasn’t Han Li who had spoken. It was a masked figure sitting in the opposite corner—a bizarre-looking character with a large, gray cloth bag pulled over his entire head, giving him a rather ridiculous appearance.

“One hundred fifty spirit stones!”

Just as the other cultivators were thinking how wasteful that strange figure was being, another bid—spoken with a strange accent and stiff pronunciation—rang out through the hall.

The cultivators were stunned. Their eyes turned toward the new bidder.

A burly figure in a green hood sat in the last row, arms crossed. The new bid had come from him. When the crowd’s gazes fell on him, he met them with a cold stare, showing no sign of unease.

“Two hundred spirit stones!” the bag-headed figure seemed determined to win, immediately raising the bid again.

“I bid three hundred!” the burly man shot back without hesitation.

“Four hundred!”

“Six hundred!”

…

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had driven the price of the puppet beasts to an almost unbelievable level.

By now, even the dullest cultivator in the hall could sense that something was off.

Could these puppet beasts be hiding some astonishing secret? The thought rose unbidden in every mind.

The cultivators exchanged glances, their hearts beginning to pound. A few impatient souls with deep pockets directly jumped into the bidding.

But some of the more seasoned cultivators, though tempted, remained skeptical.

Could these two be shills planted by this secret shop? Are they deliberately driving up the price of this worthless item to make us all look like fools?

Many shared this suspicion. Han Li was one of them. He watched coldly, showing no sign of being swayed.

“Nine hundred spirit stones… plus this!”

The burly figure, growing anxious as more and more bidders joined the fray, pulled something from his storage pouch. With a few long strides, he reached the tall, thin man and placed the object on the table. Then, in a stiff tone, he declared:

“This item is worth several thousand spirit stones! It is more than enough to exchange for these puppet beasts. Hand them over to me now!”