C18 Zhang Zuiqiang Was Angry!

The majority of those present were taken aback. Bai Piao had just racked up a staggering number of astonishment points.

"Bai Piao, what are you doing? I'm broke!"

Lee Yanran clung to Bai Piao's sleeve, her heart in turmoil.

If Bai Piao couldn't come up with the money, she'd be mortified.

"Exactly. Bai Piao, don't drag others into this!"

Wang Shiqi stepped forward, coming to her best friend's defense.

"I never asked for your money. Consider this a gift from me!"

Bai Piao was the picture of serenity. With 180,000 left on his card, purchasing the Calming Heart Jade was no trouble at all.

"You're giving it? Do you even have a single gold coin to your name?"

Wang Shiqi was blunt in her skepticism.

Ignoring her, Bai Piao simply gave Lee Yanran's shoulder a reassuring pat and said, "Relax. I can cover this amount. You won't be embarrassed on my account."

Despite the chaos in her heart, Lee Yanran knew Bai Piao's word was final. There was no taking it back.

All she could do was hope that Bai Piao truly had the means.

Today, she witnessed a change in Bai Piao. Perhaps he really could produce the funds.

After all, who would believe that a nobody could defeat Zhang Koulai, an Eighth Layer Martial Cultivator, and even wound Wang Bingkun, a Ninth Layer Martial Cultivator, with a single blow? Yet Bai Piao had achieved just that.

The crowd was astounded, the auctioneer Ma Dequan included, who paused for a moment before snapping back to reality.

His face then broke into an ecstatic grin.

"We have a bid of 25,000 gold coins from this gentleman. Do I hear any higher offers?"

He was indifferent to whether the bidder could afford it or not. His concern was only that bids were being made.

And if they couldn't produce the money after all the talk? That was an issue for the auction house to resolve, not him.

He continued to call out the bids, casting deliberate glances towards Zhang Zuiqiang's box.

"Why are you trying to outbid me!?"

Zhang Zuiqiang's voice, thick with anger, filled the room. He felt utterly disgraced.

Instead of hurling insults, he decided to assess the situation first. The voice was unfamiliar to him; the speaker was in a private room with Lee Yanran, likely an outsider from beyond the city walls.

"Is your name inscribed on this Calming Heart Jade? Am I not allowed to make a bid?"

Bai Piao's words shattered the auction hall's silence once more.

"Astonishment points +5, +3, +1..."

The crowd was taken aback. Could it be that the Bai family's good-for-nothing scion had the audacity to stand up to Zhang Zuiqiang? Had he forgotten his past humiliations? Or had his brain suffered some damage?

And more to the point, could such a worthless heir of the Bai family possibly have that much money?

Upon hearing Bai Piao's voice, Zhang Zuiqiang immediately snapped to attention, his fury mounting.

Bai Piao's move was a clear public affront to him!

Unaware of Bai Piao's victory over his Third Brother, as he had been indulging himself at Grace House, Zhang Zuiqiang was caught off guard.

But even if he had known, what of it?

He was a Martial Master One Star!

"Very well, very well indeed!"

Zhang Zuiqiang felt a surge of rage but caught himself just as he was about to lose control. He realized that Lee Yanran had, at most, twenty thousand gold coins. He was now certain Bai Piao was penniless!

Bai Piao had been living off his father Bai Sheng's fame, swindling meals and drinks in the marketplace without a coin to his name.

With this in mind, Zhang Zuiqiang allowed himself a smug smile.

"Go ahead, Bai Piao, make the purchase. I won't bid any higher."

"However, I insist that the illustrious Young Master Bai Piao pays immediately. Surely, the renowned scion of City L can't be short of a mere 25,000 gold coins, can he?"