The two of them walked to the Phoenix Auction House. Upon their arrival, Ye Qin reserved a private room for Huang Quan, and they were led upstairs by a guide.
The guide remarked, “You’re both lucky to have booked the last private room. If you had arrived later, you would have had to sit in the main hall.”
Huang Quan observed the surroundings and commented, “Your auction house seems to be doing well. All the private rooms are fully booked today. It means you have some valuable items for auction.”
The guide smiled and replied, “The young lady is correct; we do have something special for this auction.”
Huang Quan raised an eyebrow and said, “We came here specifically for an auction of valuable items.”
The guide continued mysteriously, “You won’t be disappointed with what we have in store for you this time.”
Huang Quan smiled knowingly. She didn’t even know what she wanted, but the guide’s confidence indicated that the auction items were of high quality.
The guide led them to the private room, arranged tea and snacks, and then left, closing the door behind.
The private rooms at the auction house were unique, with no windows, just front and rear doors. The front door was for entering, while the rear door served as a viewing window. When it was opened, they had a clear view of the auction platform.
Huang Quan stood by the window and observed the main hall below. They had arrived at a perfect time, and the hall was already packed with people. The auction hostesses responsible for the event were on the stage. However, for some reason, the auction had not yet begun, and they were still selling tickets.
Ye Qin explained, “Up until now, the auction’s owner hasn’t arrived. The Phoenix Auction House may not be highly regarded in other empires, but it holds significant influence in the Phoenix Empire. It’s because of their connections with a third-rate auction house from the other empire, and occasionally they can bring items from there to auction, which increases their influence here.”
Huang Quan nodded and added, “You’ve reminded me of something. Prime Minister Qin has a legitimate son who accompanied his master to the Tianqi Empire, enrolled in the Tianqi Imperial Academy, and befriended the second prince of Tianqi. This is why the Qin family acts so arrogantly. Even their members dare to insult the academy’s dean.”
“Phoenix Auction House is somewhat similar. The owner has connections with a third-rate auction house in another empire, and by associating with them, they’ve expanded their business here in the Phoenix capital.”
From these two events, it is evident that the Phoenix Empire greatly fears the Tianqi Empire. However, among the four major empires in the Central Realm, Tianqi, while the most potent, has never had a history of tyrannical rulers. The Phoenix Empire’s royal family, among others, is particularly apprehensive of the Tianqi Empire. They avoid antagonizing anyone with ties to the Tianqi royal family.
The Tianqi Empire possesses the divine ability to foresee future events, carried within their royal bloodline. This unique ability is why the other three major empires and smaller nations harbor such fear and reverence for the Tianqi Empire.
Huang Quan commented that the foresight ability was indeed interesting. However, she understood the importance of not divulging such knowledge carelessly, as it could lead to revealing celestial secrets. Heaven was quite stingy in that regard, and carelessly sharing such insights could result in losing half of one’s allotted lifespan, reducing a hundred years of life to just fifty.
As the auctioneer’s voice announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, the auction is officially beginning.
