Chapter 84: The Second Sky Lantern, Lantern Duel? Mad, Utterly Mad!
“Now I announce that the bidding for these three medicinal herbs begins!”
The auctioneer shouted loudly with a bit of excitement.
Many people at the scene immediately began ringing their bells. Everyone in the auction house was given a golden bell, and ringing it once meant bidding, with each bid price being fifty thousand!
The venue was instantly filled with the sound of bells.
But the listening slaves standing around the site had exceptional hearing. Although the bells in the venue were chaotic, they could quickly identify who rang first through their hearing and accurately report the bidding price.
The bidding price for these three medicinal herbs soared all the way, soon reaching fifty million!
Hu Ba Yi, Wang Pang Zi, and Da Jin Ya were all so nervous they almost didn’t dare to breathe, their eyes fixed tightly on the auctioneer on stage, sweat starting to bead on their foreheads.
In just ten minutes, the bidding price had already reached fifty million!
This is too extravagant!
Not far away, Huo Xianggu, Zhang Qishan, Uncle Wu San, and others were silently watching Su Mo, their eyes filled with complex meanings.
In addition, many other people were looking at Su Mo.
Yin Nanfeng, who had been silently standing behind the curtain at the back of the auction stage, now walked out from behind the curtain. Her beautiful eyes looked at Su Mo with great interest, seemingly particularly curious about him.
Su Mo, however, remained calmly seated there, his expression unruffled.
Although the auction of these three medicinal herbs was somewhat beyond his expectations this time, fifty million was nothing at all. Moreover, although the rule of the New Moon Hotel was that the one who lit the sky lantern pays, it didn’t mean others could randomly inflate the price; it also depended on the bidder’s financial strength. If the shouted price exceeded one’s own wealth, the bid could be deemed invalid.
Sure enough, after the price reached fifty million, there were not many bidders left, only occasional bursts of bell sounds.
And many powerful bidders at the scene, seeing that Su Mo had lit a sky lantern, gradually lost their bidding enthusiasm, and many stopped bidding.
In the end, these three medicinal herbs were finalized with a hammer at one hundred and sixty-five million!
“Congratulations to Mr. Su Mo for winning these three medicinal herbs at one hundred and sixty-five million!”
The scene erupted in an uproar, with almost everyone turning their gazes to Su Mo. Many even involuntarily stood up to applaud.
Sixty-three million, just for three medicinal herbs…
Too extravagant!
Most people present, however, did not understand the value of these three medicinal herbs. Some even involuntarily shook their heads and sighed:
“This Master Su must be some wealthy young master from a prominent family, right? Sixty-three million for three medicinal herbs?”
“This Deer Living Grass and Blue Snake Gall are indeed rare treasures of the world. I’ve also heard of Kirin’s Gall, but their effects are all unverified. Sixty-three million for this price… it’s too expensive!”
“Lighting a sky lantern at the New Moon Hotel for three medicinal herbs with unverified effects—this Master Su is truly extravagant!”
“He looks pretty young—probably some spoiled young master!”
“Don’t talk nonsense. I saw Huo Xianggu and the boss’s wife of the New Moon Hotel being very respectful to him. Even Huo Xianggu’s private room was given to him!”
“That impressive? Master Su’s identity is truly mysterious!”
“Sixty-three million… this spending… tsk tsk!”
Whispers continued nonstop from the audience below, with applause rising and falling.
Su Mo, however, just smiled faintly, stood up, and slightly bowed to everyone below in acknowledgment, then calmly returned to his seat.
This demeanor was elegant and courteous, poised and generous.
Yin Nanfeng, standing in front of the curtain, saw this, and a hint of appreciation appeared in her beautiful eyes.
In the private room over there, Uncle Wu San suddenly sighed:
“Master Su is truly extravagant. He directly lit a sky lantern for the three medicinal herbs. I’m afraid he’s determined to get the Ghost Seal next!”
Wu Tianzhen, hearing his uncle’s words, hesitated for a moment before saying:
“Uncle, are these three medicinal herbs and the Ghost Seal really that rare?”
Uncle Wu San smiled bitterly:
“There are many things you don’t know…”
The auctioneer’s excited voice was now slightly hoarse. After waving for the listening slaves to take down the brocade box containing the three medicinal herbs, he immediately shouted loudly:
“Next up for auction is also a peerless treasure!”
Su Mo and Zhang Qiling’s eyes lit up instantly, and even Zhang Qishan and the others quickly turned their gazes to the center of the auction stage.
“What we are auctioning now is a Ghost Button Fish Dragon Seal. It originates from Baiyanping in Guwen County, Xiangnan, used by vassal lords during the Warring States Period…”
Zhang Qiling’s breathing clearly quickened.
Su Mo, however, did not look at the Ghost Seal held by the listening slave on stage, but instead cast his gaze toward the other people present.
Zhang Qishan and Huo Xianggu remained as steady as ever, while Uncle Wu San was still sitting in his chair, but his expression involuntarily revealed a trace of tension.
In a nearby private room, several people even stood up.
Su Mo glanced at those people, then suddenly stood up and hung that small cyan lantern again at the upper left corner of the private room.
The scene instantly became restless!
“Another sky lantern lit!”
“My god, is he crazy?!”
“This Ghost Button Fish Dragon Seal is just a Warring States seal, and he lit another sky lantern!”
“What is this Su guy’s background?”
“Oh my mom, the second sky lantern!”
In the private room, Huo Xianggu and Zhang Qishan’s expressions seemed to change slightly, their eyes fixed tightly on Su Mo’s side.
Uncle Wu San, seeing Zhang Qiling beside Su Mo, had long guessed that Su Mo was determined to get this Ghost Seal, so he wasn’t too surprised, though his expression looked very grave.
Meanwhile, those few people who stood up in the distance looked toward Su Mo’s side with even colder and more solemn expressions.
At this moment, Yin Nanfeng suddenly turned and quickly walked to the outside of Su Mo’s private room. After knocking twice on the door with her slender fingers, she pushed the door open and entered:
“Mr. Su, you’ve lit two sky lanterns in a row. Is this really necessary?”
Su Mo glanced at Yin Nanfeng and smiled:
“We’re all adults. I naturally have rational judgment on this, so Miss Yin doesn’t need to worry.”
Yin Nanfeng was silent for a few seconds, then gently took a deep breath:
“However, as the boss of the New Moon Hotel, I still must verify your assets to ensure you can afford these two sky lanterns!”
Su Mo smiled faintly and gestured to Da Jin Ya.
Da Jin Ya immediately pulled a check from his pocket and handed it to Yin Nanfeng:
“Miss Yin, this is a promissory note from Huaxia Bank, totaling one hundred and fifty million. Moreover, my master has a property in the Capital City and many antiques under his name. These are all guarantees!”
Yin Nanfeng took the promissory note and examined it carefully, then turned to look at Su Mo, her eyes seeming somewhat complex:
“Mr. Su, this auction is not just simple antiques trading. I think… it’s better if you don’t get too involved in some things!”
Su Mo glanced at Yin Nanfeng.
Her warning seemed to imply some things that couldn’t be stated explicitly. Su Mo knew that the auction of this Ghost Seal was likely dominated by Zhang Qishan, who released the three medicinal herbs and Ghost Seal to definitely draw out certain people.
However, Su Mo had his own ideas.
“Thank you, Miss Yin, but I have my own purposes and ideas. You don’t need to worry about the rest…”
Before Su Mo finished speaking, a burst of noise suddenly rose in the venue again, with everyone standing up in unison.
It turned out that Zhang Qishan had also hung up a cyan lantern.
“Lantern duel?”
“Crazy! Everyone’s gone crazy!”
