Chapter 25: A Discount for You

Upon hearing the words "Central Province," Lin Yi’s eyes instantly lit up. After all, anyone capable of establishing a foothold in the Central Province was no simple character. He recalled that the woman currently accompanying Ye Fan hailed from the Central Province and was even a saintess of the Heavenly Sword Sect. If he could latch onto such a woman of high status, wouldn’t that be a meteoric rise? He suddenly felt that inheriting the position of Sect Master of the Cold Spirit Sect was no longer all that appealing. Furthermore, this woman, named Yanran, completely eclipsed Chu Ling’er in every aspect—appearance, figure, and background. Once he captured her heart, what would Chu Ling’er even matter?

With this realization, Lin Yi changed his mind. He decided to go all out to win her over, and he became even more determined to bid for the item she desired.

A short while later, the auction began. Lin Yi enthusiastically escorted the woman into the venue. "Miss Yanran, just let me know when the item you want appears. There is no need to stand on ceremony with me. I, Lin, am a man of my word."

The woman nodded with a smile, appearing quite satisfied with Lin Yi’s attitude. As item after item was auctioned off, the woman didn’t spare a single glance at any of them. Finally, when the auctioneer brought out an egg-sized jade bead, the woman immediately looked up.

Lin Yi, standing beside her, keenly caught her reaction and asked with a knowing air, "I presume this is the object you have your eye on, Miss Yanran?"

The woman feigned excitement and said, "Yes! It is called the Seven-Star Bead; it is something I once lost. I don’t know why it is being auctioned here, but as soon as I heard the news, I rushed over from the Central Province. I am so glad I arrived in time! I have worn this Seven-Star Bead since I was a child; it holds profound significance for me! If you could bid for it on my behalf, I would be eternally grateful!"

"Haha! Miss Yanran, you are being too modest. I will certainly win this item for you!" Lin Yi felt this was the best opportunity to climb the social ladder, and he was determined to seize it to leave a deep, favorable impression.

On the stage, the auctioneer began to introduce the bead. "Ladies and gentlemen, this Seven-Star Bead is formed from Star-Glory Spirit Jade and possesses immense nourishing properties for the human body. It can delay aging and, to a certain extent, repair damaged tissues. As far as I know, it also has functions that have yet to be fully explored. The starting bid for this item is two million spirit stones! Let the bidding begin!"

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, someone immediately placed a bid. "I bid 2.4 million!"

"Three million!"

Soon, the price had reached 4.5 million. At this point, the bidding voices ceased. The auctioneer looked around, and seeing no further bids, he raised his small wooden gavel.

"4.5 million, once!"
"4.5 million, twice!"
"4.5 million, th—"
"Wait!"

Just as the deal was about to be sealed, a voice rang out. Lin Yi stood up from his seat and calmly called out, "Five million!"

A collective gasp swept through the room. Many people turned to look at Lin Yi, and whispers began to break out.

"Who is this young master? To pay such a high price for a bead with unclear functions..."
"I think this trinket is only good for coaxing young women."
"Isn't that the truth? I saw him chatting happily with that woman earlier."
"It seems he is spending millions of spirit stones just for her! Rich young masters—truly all money and no sense."
"With so many spirit stones, what couldn't he do instead?"

Lin Yi paid no heed to the surrounding gossip. In his eyes, these people were short-sighted, lacking the vision to see his ambitions. He was inwardly anxious, fearing someone might outbid him. It wasn't until the auctioneer’s third strike that he finally exhaled in relief.

"Five million spirit stones, three times! Congratulations to this young gentleman for winning the Seven-Star Bead!"

After sitting back down, Lin Yi impatiently fawned over the woman beside him, "Miss Yanran, I have lived up to your expectations; the Seven-Star Bead is back in your hands!"

The woman, looking moved, thanked him repeatedly, "Thank you, young master! I truly don't know how to repay you!"

Lin Yi replied with a flourish, "It is nothing. Getting to know you, Miss Yanran, is my good fortune! Once the auction ends, we shall go to the back to settle the transaction!"

He had just squandered more than half of the eight million spirit stones he carried in his pockets. He didn't intend to keep the remaining three million either; since he had decided to attach himself to this woman, he might as well be even more generous. He spent all the remaining spirit stones on medicinal pills. In the world of cultivation, pills were indispensable. There was a saying: when you don't know what to give, medicinal pills are always the most practical choice.

When the auction finally concluded, Lin Yi led the woman to the back. Upon receiving the Seven-Star Bead, he handed it to her immediately: "Miss Yanran, this is for you!"

The woman accepted it shyly, smiling and nodding at Lin Yi. This smile made Lin Yi feel utterly intoxicated, leading him to believe she was sending him flirtatious signals. Taking advantage of her joy, Lin Yi pressed his advantage and handed over a white jade bottle as well.

"Miss Yanran, these are the medicinal pills I just bought. Please accept them as well! The Seven-Star Bead was already yours, so it wasn't really a gift. Although these pills are only worth a mere three million spirit stones, they represent my sincerity. Please, take them!"

"This... how could I be so bold?" Although she said this, her actions were honest, and she took the jade bottle quite naturally. Seeing her accept it, Lin Yi knew he had a chance. To further the relationship, he initiated a conversation. "Now that you have recovered the Seven-Star Bead, what are your plans?"

The woman arched her eyebrows and couldn't help but chuckle. "As for what's next, I am going to tell you a cruel truth!"

As soon as she said this, Lin Yi’s heart skipped a beat. Under his stunned gaze, the woman’s appearance suddenly changed. Her face remained breathtakingly beautiful, yet it sent a chill through Lin Yi as if he had fallen into an icy abyss!

Trembling, he pointed at the woman before him and said in disbelief, "It’s you!"

Chen Qingshuang held the white jade bottle in one hand and toyed with the Seven-Star Bead in the other, looking at Lin Yi with a mocking gaze. "Over the years, you’ve reaped quite a lot of benefits from Ye Fan through Chu Ling’er. I’ve done the math; it adds up to about ten million spirit stones, doesn't it? This time, I only had you spend eight million—you could say I gave you a discount. Consider this your way of settling your debt to Brother Ye Fan!"

Lin Yi finally realized the truth: from the very beginning, he had fallen into Chen Qingshuang’s trap, but he had been so blinded by beauty that he hadn't noticed. He had always been the one to scheme against others, but this time he had been the one outmaneuvered, and cheated so thoroughly!