A Doting Father Often Raises a Spoiled Child.

"It has been a month since we last parted."

"And seeing you now..."

On the second floor of the Star City Auction House, Qian Jiang beckoned a maid to pour two cups of clear tea. He looked Ye Shu up and down, taking in his rough linen clothes, and teased, "Brother Ye, are you dressing up like a beggar to join my Wordless Pavilion and scrounge for a meal?"

"Get out of here."

Ye Shu cursed with a laugh, "If I joined your Wordless Pavilion, you'd have to give up your seat for me."

"It's a deal!"

Qian Jiang's eyes lit up. "Then you can manage the Wordless Pavilion, and I'll run the auction house to make money."

"In your dreams. I don't have the energy to manage that many people."

Ye Shu rolled his eyes at him.

The two of them chatted and laughed, the atmosphere relaxed.

Xiaobai, however, was completely lost. Her head turned back and forth, unable to understand what this Wordless Pavilion they were talking about meant.

"Hey! What are you guys talking about?" Xiaobai couldn't help but nudge Ye Shu with her elbow. "What Wordless Pavilion? I don't recall any such faction existing in this world."

"Of course you don't know," Ye Shu replied telepathically.

"The Wordless Pavilion is actually an intelligence organization Qian Jiang casually established after we met five years ago. It's made up of beggars. Just think of it as a Beggars' Sect."

"A Beggars' Sect?" Xiaobai nodded, half-understanding. "But what kind of intelligence can beggars collect..."

Ye Shu smiled mysteriously and didn't answer.

Because it would be too tedious to explain, and business took priority right now. "Just treat it as a joke, no need to pay it any mind."

With that said.

He took out a pill swirling with purple qi from his storage ring and placed it on the table, looking at Qian Jiang. "I came this time, besides seeing you, mainly to ask for your help with two things."

Qian Jiang smiled and took a sip of tea. "I knew you wouldn't come looking for me unless you needed something."

"Tell me, what two things."

Ye Shu didn't beat around the bush. He took out the Foundation Establishment Pill from his robes. "The first thing is to see how much this pill can sell for."

"Hmm... a flawless Foundation Establishment Pill. This is good stuff."

"If it were in the Central State, it could probably sell for a hundred thousand spirit stones. But here in Star City, the price will have to drop. After all, there aren't many big shots here who need it."

"A conservative estimate would be around ten thousand spirit stones."

Qian Jiang thought for a moment and gave a quote.

"Ten thousand spirit stones..." Ye Shu pondered for a long time, then nodded.

It was about what he expected. Although the Purple Qi Foundation Establishment Pill was known as a rank-one golden pill that could allow someone to establish their foundation on the spot, major families didn't need it to help their disciples establish their foundations. For rogue cultivators, it was too expensive and unnecessary.

It was stuck in an awkward middle ground.

That was why few alchemists refined it; it had a price but no market.

"Alright, it doesn't matter how much it sells for."

Ye Shu nodded and handed the Purple Qi Foundation Establishment Pill to Qian Jiang.

He had picked it up anyway, so as long as it sold for money, it was fine.

"It just so happens there's an auction today. Why don't you come take a look, Brother Ye?" Qian Jiang took the pill and invited him with a smile. "You might come across something good."

Ye Shu thought for a moment and nodded.

"Might as well."

Qian Jiang stood up and personally led him toward the auction hall.

Inside the Heaven Number One VIP room, through the transparent glass window, they could clearly see the auction stage below.

On the stage stood a woman with a fiery figure. Her cheongsam, slit up to her upper thigh, and her deep neckline that revealed her cleavage, drew every man's gaze.

She was smilingly introducing the auction items, her voice charming to the bone. "Respected guests, this auction also features a mysterious pill, with a starting price of five thousand spirit stones!"

Saying that, she brought out a pill from the backstage.

"A Purple Qi Foundation Establishment Pill?!"

"Holy crap, it really is a rank-one golden pill. This is something only a sixth-tier alchemist can refine. We rarely even see third-tier alchemists around here, how could there be one?!"

The crowd below was in an uproar.

The auctioneer on stage curled her lips slightly.

Auctioning off a Purple Qi Foundation Establishment Pill, even if it was practically as tasteless as chicken ribs in reality, was still not something that should appear here.

The reputation of their Star City Auction House was now well established.

Ye Shu raised an eyebrow.

This guy Haji Qian actually put it up for auction right away. So efficient, what a true brother.

"Five thousand five hundred!"

"Six thousand!"

"Seven thousand!"

"Eight thousand!"

The price climbed steadily, quickly reaching the ten thousand mark.

But at this point, the price began to rise very, very slowly, because going any higher meant nobody would really want it.

Just when Ye Shu thought the price would settle there.

"Twenty thousand! I bid twenty thousand spirit stones!"

In the Earth-grade Alpha VIP room, a middle-aged man in a green robe suddenly stood up and shouted loudly, "This item is destined for my son. I ask everyone to reluctantly part with it!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue was in an uproar.

"Twenty thousand spirit stones? Oh my goodness..."

"Twenty thousand spirit stones is enough to raise ten Foundation Establishment cultivators, right? What is the meaning behind such a grand gesture?"

The other bidders clicked their tongues in astonishment and cupped their hands in concession.

After all, since the man had put out such a price, there was no point in fighting him for it. It wasn't an absolute necessity anyway.

Ye Shu was also a bit surprised.

Even Danxia was somewhat surprised and couldn't help but say, "Shu'er, could this be a shill planted by your friend? Don't let him outsmart himself."

"No." Ye Shu shook his head.

Based on his understanding of Qian Jiang, this guy wouldn't do something like that.

"His son is truly fortunate..."

Ye Shu looked at that VIP room with some emotion. If the auction house didn't keep the buyers' identities strictly confidential, he would really want to meet this generous individual.

How envious. This is what you call someone else's dad.

His own deadbeat dad, ever since his dantian was crippled, rarely saw him throughout the year. He was always running around outside, who knew what he was busy with.

The last time they met was when he left the Ye family.

He had coldly handed him a protective jade pendant.

"Comparing dads is just asking to be angered to death," Ye Shu sighed, then focused his attention back on the auction.

Meanwhile, in the Earth-grade Alpha VIP room.

"Patriarch, you are being foolish!" an old servant said to the middle-aged man in bitter distress. "Twenty thousand spirit stones is enough to raise ten Foundation Establishment cultivators! Can you even justify this calculation?"

"Who says I can't justify it?"

The middle-aged man snorted coldly.

"This money isn't coming from the clan. What's wrong with me using my own private savings to buy a pill for my son?"

"Shu'er has been stuck at the third layer of Qi Condensation for so many years. It's a good thing I happened to come take a look today, otherwise who knows when we'd come across such good stuff again!"

Happened to? Was it really just a coincidence?

The master never missed a single auction in the vicinity of Moon City. How could it be a coincidence?

Even the dogs on the street knew what his intentions were.

The old servant had a complex expression but didn't expose him.

Ye Zhan leaned back in his chair and rambled on, his eyes full of starlight. "With this, Shu'er should be able to reach Foundation Establishment. Then we'll let those old fogeys in the clan see what right they still have to call him trash! Let's see who dares to look down on him then!"

The old man opened his mouth, but could only sigh.

A doting father often ruins the son...