Ten Thousand Years in Seclusion
Chapter 9:Bidding War

Chapter 9: Chapter 9:Bidding War

"Brother! Are you selling that bell? I’ll offer fifty low-grade spirit stones!"

A stall owner was the first to lose his patience. He shoved his way to the front, eyes gleaming.

"Fifty? That’s an insult!" another snapped, pushing him aside. "One hundred!"

"One twenty!"

"One fifty!"

"I’ll take it! Two hundred!"

Dozens of stall owners lining the market street flushed with excitement as they shouted over one another, each bid louder than the last. They looked ready to throw spirit stones into the ragged man’s arms on the spot.

The ragged man stood rooted where he was, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

For days, he had carried the bell from one appraiser to another across the entire city. Everywhere he went, he had heard the same verdict—

Worthless scrap.

He had always believed his family’s heirloom possessed some hidden history, but never—not even in his boldest dreams—had he imagined it could be worth this much.

Two hundred low-grade spirit stones.

For an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, that was already a fortune. Many would spend their entire lives without ever earning so much.

Overwhelmed by equal parts disbelief and panic, he began to tremble. His legs felt as heavy as lead, leaving him unable to take even a single step.

Then, amid the swelling commotion, a cold chuckle drifted in from beyond the crowd.

"Heh. How ridiculous."

The voice was not loud, yet it carried an icy authority that cut cleanly through the marketplace.

The bustling street fell silent.

Along with everyone else, Qi Tian turned toward the sound.

The crowd slowly parted to either side as a middle-aged man strode forward.

He wore a dark indigo brocade robe woven with subtle patterns, the heavy fabric gleaming with quiet refinement. A white jade belt clasp rested at his waist, beside a plain pendant of warm jade whose understated elegance spoke louder than ornament ever could.

His face was full, his smile easy, yet behind his eyes flickered a keen, calculating sharpness that seemed capable of seeing through anyone at a glance. His measured steps were neither hurried nor slow, while the steady pressure of his Foundation Establishment aura lent him an effortless air of authority.

The moment the crowd recognized him, whispers spread at once.

"It’s Proprietor Chen from the Myriad Treasures House!"

"Now this is getting interesting. If Proprietor Chen has come in person, that bell’s value may well double again!"

The stall owners who had been shouting bids only moments earlier immediately faltered. Their enthusiasm cooled as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over them, and one after another, they quietly backed away.

Qi Tian turned slightly toward a young cultivator beside him.

"Who is this Proprietor Chen?"

The young cultivator turned. The moment he saw that it was Qi Tian—the very man whom even Master Zhou had treated with courtesy—he immediately cupped his hands in greeting.

"That is Chen Jinghe, proprietor of the Myriad Treasures House. He’s run the business here for decades. His wealth is immense, and his connections run deep. Even the City Lord gives him due respect."

He paused before adding,

"And setting his influence aside... he’s also one of the city’s few Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Qi Tian gave a faint nod.

His spiritual sense swept over the newcomer almost imperceptibly.

Mid-stage Foundation Establishment.

The same cultivation realm as Zhou Shen.