C20 Bastard

The Treasure-seizing Organization's event had begun, and the first item up for grabs was a first-grade weapon. Immediately, bids flew in from all corners, with many willing to trade their own treasures for it.

Xiao Yu, however, had no need for such weapons. He believed in his own strength over any material object, and to him, a first-grade weapon was practically worthless.

Subsequent offerings were much of the same: various Pills, rare medicinal herbs, even incomplete Battle Spells and cultivation techniques. Yet, none of these held any value for Xiao Yu.

"Brother, what's the matter? Don't see anything you like?" Ye Wenxuan noticed Xiao Yu hadn't bid on anything for quite some time and looked utterly disinterested, prompting his curiosity.

To Ye Wenxuan, the items presented at the Treasure-seizing Organization were quite alluring. Had his crystals not been limited, he would have bid in earlier rounds to secure more valuable items.

"These items are of no use to me. Is this the highest quality the Treasure-seizing Organization has to offer?" Xiao Yu expressed his disappointment, regretting his decision to attend.

"What exactly are you looking for, brother? These may not be the most expensive items, but they're certainly sufficient for our generation!" Ye Wenxuan was somewhat at a loss for words. How could Xiao Yu find no use for these items? Just how high were his standards?

Xiao Yu simply shook his head, choosing not to respond. While these items might suffice for others, they were of no consequence to him, a sentiment he couldn't quite convey to Ye Wenxuan.

"Hey, looks like someone is too good for our Treasure-seizing Organization, huh? Quite the high standards," Wang Fei remarked sarcastically upon seeing Xiao Yu's demeanor.

His comment drew many a discontented look from the younger attendees. Xiao Yu's earlier statement hadn't seemed significant, but Wang Fei's words made it sound as though Xiao Yu was looking down on their offerings.

Had it not been for their interest in his Spirit-gathering Talisman, some might have already confronted him.

Xiao Yu paid no mind to Wang Fei and kept his focus on the treasures being presented.

It was now a young man from a lesser-known family's turn to display his item. Clutching a box in his arms, he appeared somewhat sheepish as he admitted, "I'm not even sure if what I have here qualifies as a treasure."

As he spoke, the young man opened the box he was holding.

Inside was a peculiar object, deemed strange because it truly looked out of the ordinary.

It appeared to be nothing more than a lump of black mud, emitting a bizarre and somewhat acrid odor that made many wrinkle their noses in disgust.

"What is this? You call this a treasure?"

"Close the box, will you? What's that awful smell!"

Voices of discontent and disdain filled the air.

The young man grew even more embarrassed, quickly closing the box and stammering, "Actually, I'm not sure what it is either. It was left to me by my grandfather. He valued it greatly while he was alive, but after he passed, no one knew how to use it anymore. If nobody wants to trade for it, then that's okay!"

Mocked and scorned by the crowd, the young man's face turned beet red. He sat down hastily and hung his head low.

"Thinking a lump of dirt could be a treasure? You might as well throw it away. To bring out such a thing... I can't fathom what's going through your mind," Wang Fei said, dropping his hand from his nose, his voice dripping with disdain.

The young man's head sank even lower. His family was nowhere near as influential as the Wang Family, and he didn't dare to talk back to Wang Fei, his face burning with shame.

"How many crystals are you looking to get for this thing?"

Just then, a voice cut through the murmurs, capturing everyone's attention.

Could it be that someone was actually willing to trade for this foul, decaying lump of mud?

To their surprise, the speaker was Xiao Yu.

"Brother, why on earth would you want this pile of mud?" Ye Wenxuan asked, clearly baffled. Xiao Yu had been silent all morning, and now he seemed interested in this stinking heap?

"Heh, you've got quite the unusual taste, wanting a lump of mud like that," Wang Fei chimed in with a sneer.

The young man's face had begun to brighten with hope at the prospect of a trade, but Wang Fei and Ye Wenxuan's comments quickly dimmed his spirits. He looked at Xiao Yu, too intimidated to say a word.

"Don't worry about him. Just let me know what you're looking to trade, or how many crystals you're asking for," Xiao Yu said, disregarding both Ye Wenxuan and Wang Fei's presence.

"Are you... really willing to trade?" The young man's eyes grew wide, seemingly in disbelief.

"Absolutely," Xiao Yu confirmed with a nod.

The young man paused, a rush of elation spreading across his face. "I'm not sure what this is exactly, but it belonged to my grandfather. If you're serious about trading, I'll take a thousand crystals!"

He sounded a bit sheepish when he mentioned the price, clearly aware that the item didn't look particularly appealing on the surface.

"A thousand crystals?" Xiao Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"It was my grandfather's, after all. Even if it's not valuable, I can't let it go for too cheap," the young man insisted, clenching his teeth.

"Brother, if you really want it, then a thousand it is. If that's not doable, I'll front you the money," offered Ye Wenxuan, who, despite not understanding Xiao Yu's interest in the item, could see that he was serious.

Ye Wenxuan assumed Xiao Yu might not have enough crystals on hand and was balking at the price. Even with a Spirit-gathering Talisman, Xiao Yu was still a servant of the Lin Family and likely didn't have a substantial amount of crystals.

"There's no need," Xiao Yu replied, shaking his head. His surprise stemmed from the fact that the item was worth far more than a thousand crystals, a detail the young man was clearly unaware of.

After a brief contemplation, Xiao Yu, recognizing the young man's integrity, decided not to exploit his naivety. "How about this? I'll give you ten thousand crystals in exchange for the item. Does that sound fair?"

"Ten thousand crystals?" The young man was flabbergasted, his mouth agape.

The onlookers shared in his astonishment. Xiao Yu was offering ten thousand crystals for a seemingly worthless lump of dirt?

And while the young man had only asked for a thousand, Xiao Yu was voluntarily offering ten times that amount. What could he possibly be thinking?

"Let's do it, I'll trade!" After a moment of shock, the young man eagerly nodded in agreement.

Securing a high price for the item was undoubtedly a boon for him. Although ten thousand crystals might not seem like much, for him, it represented a substantial amount of money, enough to purchase a plethora of resources for his cultivation.

"Hold on!" A discordant voice suddenly interrupted, declaring, "I have some interest in this item as well. I'm willing to offer eleven thousand crystals!"

It was clear that this statement was made with the intention of driving up the price.

The crowd was eager to discover who would have the audacity to hike the price at such a moment. Did they not desire the Spirit-gathering Talisman? Or were they not concerned about alienating Xiao Yu?

Upon glancing in the direction of the voice, the situation became clear to everyone. The bidder was none other than Wang Fei. He had previously had a run-in with Xiao Yu, so the issue of causing offense was already moot.

Yet, his decision to bid now was an obvious provocation towards Xiao Yu. Given that he had earlier dismissed the item as too foul-smelling, it seemed unlikely he would bid unless his motive was to trouble Xiao Yu.

All eyes turned to Xiao Yu, curious to see how he would respond in this moment.