95 Twists And Turns

The next moment, the purple-robed auctioneer closed his eyes and nodded. It seemed that he had been listening to murmurings of the people in the hall. A trace of pained expression appeared momentarily on his face as he exclaimed, "The Blazing Heart Meridian. Tang Yuan has already bid 5,000,000, is there anyone who is willing to bid a higher price?"

Jun Mo Xie reeled in shock and looked at the auctioneer as he said, "Senior, aren't you making this a little too difficult for us? It was clearly Li Zhen who was maliciously trying to raise the price. This has nothing to do with my friend over here, why must you insist on raising the price to 5,000,000?"

"Those not participating in the bidding process are forbidden from speaking and disrupting the bidding process!" Jun Mo Xie was completely ignored by the auctioneer, who simply turned to Tang Yuan and asked, "Mr. Tang, do you have any objections?"

Tang Yuan who was usually filled with arrogance, suddenly turned completely submissive. He replied softly, "I did not state how much I wanted to bid just now, didn't I…"

Jun Mo Xie realized that Tang Yuan, who was usually bursting with arrogance, had suddenly turned meek and afraid! It was totally unlike his usual self! It was strange that he was giving in so easily to the request of paying a whopping 5,000,000 taels for the Blazing Heart Meridian! This was something negotiable!

Moreover, it seemed like the Magnificent Jewel Hall was deliberately making things difficult for them. Jun Mo Xie was after all the 'Evil Monarch'. Pride was something that was deeply ingrained in his bones. How could he allow others to take advantage of him so easily? He said with a sneer, "Is the Magnificent Jewel Hall actually forcing a hard sell? If I remembered correctly, Tang Yuan only called out '500' and nothing more. When did he say '5,000,000'? If the Magnificent Jewel Hall feels that it is appropriate, let's close the deal at 500 taels!"

Indeed, Tang Yuan had only called out "5 hundred". Jun Mo Xie had already covered his mouth before he could shout out the remaining "thousand".

Both sides froze for a long moment. Li Zhen and his company were actually getting excited about seeing Jun Mo Xie challenging the Magnificent Jewel Hall! The crowd was completely silent. On one side, it was the Magnificent Jewel Hall and on the other, the powerful Jun Family! Both factions were powers to be reckoned with and few dared to offend them! Suddenly, a voice from an unknown source broke the silence. "The rules of the Magnificent Jewel Hall cannot be broken. Since a bid was made and a price was spoken, that is it!" The voice seemed surreal and omnipresent, soft but sharp. It rang out distinctly in the ears of all those present.

The complexion of the auctioneer suddenly changed. He said, "The Magnificent Jewel Hall will never buy or sell anything by force. Regardless of whether the Jun and Tang Family's Young Masters will visit again, it is inconsequential. Today, the deal has been established. Tang Yuan will pay 5,000,000 for the Blazing Heart Meridian!" The auctioneer seemingly turned bold again after the mysterious voice had spoken.

Despite being a deadly killer with a calm composure, Jun Mo Xie's face still showed a slight change in expression. 5,000,000 was definitely a lot of money but it was not something that was significant enough to shake him. He was not suspicious about the auctioneer's sudden change in attitude, but the origin of the surreal and nebulous voice that rang in the hall. The voice projection clearly showed that the power of this person was comparable to the expert whom he encountered recently, Ye Guhan, who was in the initial stages of Sky Xuan cultivation!

"But… but why would such an expert want to make things difficult for Fatty Tang? Or, is he or she trying to make things difficult for me?"

Although Jun Mo Xie was highly capable, he was equally arrogant. He would not allow himself to suffer such humiliation in silence! This was a whopping 5,000,000 taels of silver!

True enough, the healing effects of the Blazing Heart Meridian was indeed immense and it was indispensable for Jun Wu Yi's treatment. Even if Jun Mo Xie had to pay twice the amount, he would do it all costs. However, winning a bidding war and being taken advantage of were two different things altogether! If he were to succumb to the pressure of paying 5,000,000 at that point in time, regardless of whether the deal was worthwhile, the humiliation alone would have suffocated him!

Moreover, it had become clear that the Magnificent Jewel Hall was simply trying to twist words to force logic! What Jun Mo Xie hated most was seeing people oppress others with their power! And, there was no exception to this situation.

"What rules of the Magnificent Jewel Hall have I broken? Hahaha…" If Jun Mo Xie had been acting previously, then at this moment he was indeed getting a little angry. Jun Mo Xie continued with a sneer, "If that's the case, then I would sit here every single day to raise prices and let the Magnificent Jewel Hall fill its pockets!"

"Young Master Jun, what do you mean by this? Am I right to say that the reputed Jun Family of the Tian Xiang Empire wishes to go against the Magnificent Jewel Hall?" The voice remained surreal and nebulous, echoing in the air above the hall. However, the sheer pressure it asserted seemed suffocating and overbearing.

All watched intently as the situation developed. Many looked at Jun Mo Xie with pity in their eyes, thinking, "If this imbecile man uttered another word, he will probably bring great disaster to Tian Xiang Empire. Jun Mo Xie is far too reckless! How dare he provoke the Magnificent Jewel Hall?"

Li Zhen and Meng Hai Zhou were totally elated! Although they had spent an exorbitant amount of money today, it would be totally worth it if their actions caused the Magnificent Jewel Hall and the Jun Family to sow the seed of discord!

In the box opposite them, Dugu Xiaoyi stamped her feet down anxiously and said, "What a fool! How dare he openly defy the Magnificent Jewel Hall? How can this be of any good?" Filled with anxiety, she held Princess Ling Ming's hand as she continued to observe the events unfold.

Jun Mo Xie grew extremely alert as he heard the words spoken by the expert. "This person is deliberately creating a rift between the Jun Family and the Magnificent Jewel Hall, could there be any past feuds between the Jun Family and the Magnificent Jewel Hall?" After considerable thought, Jun Mo Xie decided to cut to the chase.

"Such empty and baseless claims. You said that Tang Yuan bid an amount of 5,000,000, but who here can testify that they heard this? All I heard was a mere '500'. Isn't that what it should be then? In addition, Li Zhen bid 3,000,000 taels of silver. However, has the Magnificent Jewel Hall even verified if he had such a large sum of money with him? If he can't prove it, is it even justifiable to raise prices with no capital? You questioned if the Jun Family is going against the interest of the Magnificent Jewel Hall? Then I have to ask, is this the Magnificent Jewel Hall's deliberate plot to accumulate wealth by exploiting on others?"

Everyone was utterly shocked by Jun Mo Xie's words! This sentence was tantamount to accusing the Magnificent Jewel Hall of collaborating with the Li Family to drain Tang Yuan of his money! This could be a serious blow to the reputation of the Magnificent Jewel Hall! This was indeed an oversight made by the Magnificent Jewel Hall and Jun Mo Xie had promptly seized the opportunity to expose the flaw! While the Magnificent Jewel Hall was deliberately and unfairly making things difficult for Jun Mo Xie, he had fearlessly jumped out to question its mistakes on legitimate grounds!

The hall was absolutely silent. Nobody had dared to question the legitimacy of the Magnificent Jewel Hall for hundreds of years! The exchange today had indeed been an eye-opening experience and enlightenment for many!

After a long moment, the mysterious voice spoke up again, "This was indeed an oversight. I shall look into it right away." The voice remained calm but it exhibited a hint of reluctance. Everyone could easily imagine a powerful expert shaking and seething with anger while pretending as though nothing had happened.

Jun Mo Xie was completely stupefied! Just a while ago, the Magnificent Jewel Hall had deliberately made things difficult for them but all of a sudden, it relinquished its claims and took back their words and actions. Why was there such a drastic change in attitude? This was strange indeed!

There must be an unknown affair hidden behind the scenes!

While Jun Mo Xie was deep in thought, the voice called out again, "Li Zhen, you just bid 3,000,000 taels of silver. Could you please show it to us?"

Li Zhen and his company had been sitting comfortably and were taking joy at Jun Mo Xie and Tang Yuan's plight when Li Zhen suddenly heard his own name. He reacted swiftly, bowing deeply before answering, "After seeing Tang Yuan upsetting the Magnificent Jewel Hall's decorum repeatedly, I could not bear any longer. Hence I came forward to expose his dark and ugly side." The voice retorted impatiently, "I did not ask you the rationale behind your actions! I only wish to know whether you truly have the 3,000,000 taels of silver that you bid for."

Instantly embarrassed, Li Zhen replied, "I do not have 3,000,000 taels of silver but I acted merely to negate the disruptions caused by Tang Yuan and I certainly have no intentions to disturb the proceedings of the Magnificent Jewel Hall."

"Bastard!"

The voice seemed to have lost its composure completely. It did not even bother to disguise its anger. It then spoke coldly, "How dare you bid a price even without having the requisite amount of silver? How had Tang Yuan disturbed the order of the Magnificent Jewel Hall? Clearly, you are the one disrupting the proceedings! Having broken the rules of the Magnificent Jewel Hall, you must compensate for the mistakes you made. Guards, sent this man out of the Magnificent Jewel Hall now! This person is expelled from the Magnificent Jewel Hall immediately! From today onwards, the Li Family's box is cancelled and their rights to enter the Magnificent Jewel Hall will be revoked permanently!"

As the voice finished speaking, several waiters appeared outside the Li Family's box. Li Zhen stood up instantly and was brought out by the guards. As someone who was extremely arrogant, he was surprisingly compliant and unresisting. He did not even bother to plead for mercy! His face was extremely pale and his body was stiff as he made his way out.

Watching from the side, Jun Mo Xie felt that something was increasingly amiss! This clearly was a case of embarrassment evolving into anger. But, why did things turn out this way? Even if Li Zhen had made a mistake, it was not severe enough to revoke the entire Li Family's rights to enter the Magnificent Jewel Hall!

"After getting rid of Li Zhen, his next target would probably be Tang Yuan and me. But I'd like to see how the Magnificent Jewel Hall justifies all its actions. Even if it has a thousand plots, I am not afraid! At most, Jun Family would just lose its rights to enter the Magnificent Jewel Hall. What is the big deal? If that's the case, the first thing I would do after attaining greater mastery in the Art of Unlocking Heaven's Fortune is to burn down the Magnificent Jewel Hall to ashes!"

Who could not see that Li Zhen had been causing trouble from the beginning? The Magnificent Jewel Hall was not foolish. Naturally, it understood the situation clearly. However, it chose to switch its attention to Li Zhen after intentionally creating trouble for Jun Mo Xie! The Magnificent Jewel Hall was obviously trying desperately to free itself from this entanglement.

Suddenly, a thought struck Jun Mo Xie, "DId the situation unfold this way because someone else stepped in? Was the intervention the reason why the Magnificent Jewel Hall changed its original intention? But, who is this person? Who has such great influence over the Magnificent Jewel Hall?"

Just as Jun Mo Xie was thinking, the voice sounded out again, loudly and distinctly such that everyone could hear it, "Jun Mo Xie, although it was Li Zhen who had flouted the rules of our Magnificent Jewel Hall, you are still wrong for insulting the Magnificent Jewel Hall. You showed disregard to the Magnificent Jewel Hall and you must be answerable for it!" The voice was stern and seemingly angry.

After a deep reflection, Jun Mo Xie was certain that the mysterious man merely wished to free the Magnificent Jewel Hall from this entanglement. Jun Mo Xie decided that it would be best if he made a strategic retreat right then and played along with the mysterious person. "At the current moment, I'm still a novice without much power. However, once my cultivation of Xuan Qi reaches higher realms, the first thing I would do is to kill this bastard who has just spoken!"

Jun Mo Xie laughed heartily and said, "When have I insulted the Magnificent Jewel Hall? Li Zhen was schemingly causing trouble and deceiving me but thanks to the astute judgment of the Magnificent Jewel Hall, the culprit has been banished and severely punished. You are unyielding in your righteousness and the Magnificent Jewel Hall certainly deserve its reputation. I have nothing but admiration for the Magnificent Jewel Hall!"

The next moment, Jun Mo Xie turned to the crowd and said loudly, "Has everyone seen it? No wonder the Magnificent Jewel Hall is said to be the most righteous place on Earth! Reasonable pricing, honest dealings, fairness for all; it deserves all our respect indeed! I am extremely honored and proud to have a righteous organization like the Magnificent Jewel Hall established in the Tian Xiang Empire! Let us all cheer and applaud for the Magnificent Jewel Hall!"

With a face filled with admiration and respect, Jun Mo Xie clapped loudly before speaking, "Why isn't anyone applauding for the Magnificent Jewel Hall? Do you people have different opinions? If so, then I shall speak on behalf of the Magnificent Jewel Hall!"

The audience immediately broke into a thunderous applause!

While the audience was applauding, they were cursing under their breath, "So shameless! Truly shameless! Jun Mo Xie is shameless to a whole new level! He is so thick-skinned that it makes me sick and ashamed!"

Only Dugu Xiaoyi appeared excited and elated. Smiling happily, she clapped vigorously and enthusiastically for a long while before stopping.

The mysterious voice went silent and did not utter a single word.

In an elegant room within the Magnificent Jewel Hall, two white-clad middle-aged men sat facing each other. One gnashed his teeth vehemently as a sour look flashed across his face. He slammed his hand on the desk, smashing it apart, and cursed angrily, "Jun Mo Xie! You are a really crafty fellow! I will not spare you!"

The other man closed his eyes and gave a disapproving look. He frowned and said, "It was your fault in the first place, how can you put the blame on this young man?"

The first white-clad man grunted in dissatisfaction and said, "But, with the Blazing Heart Meridian, I'm afraid Jun Wu Yi may…"

The man stopped suddenly. "Jun Wu Yi?" His partner stood up suddenly and asked, "What do you mean?"

The white-clad man snorted and closed his eyes. He remained silent for a long time, while his partner stared at him, "I do not care about the grudges between you and Jun Wu Yi in the past. But right now, he is already crippled and his fate is doomed! If you still have any plans to take him down, I will kill you first!" His partner said this with absolute conviction and without a hint of mercy! He seemed to carry the determination and intent to follow through with what he had said!

The white-clad man simply snorted again and turned away without speaking.

Looked at him coldly, the partner asked suddenly, "The auction originally did not have the Blazing Heart Meridian but it suddenly appeared! What is the reason behind this? Moreover, who supplied you with this Blazing Heart Meridian? And most important of all, why must it specifically be auctioned off at Tian Xiang Empire?"

The white-clad man rolled his eyes coldly and replied,"If you really want to know, why don't you ask the elders? Don't question me with such an interrogative tone. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"

"Is it…" the partner's face turned grave as he continued, "Did she… did she… specifically ordered you to send it to Jun Wu Yi as a gift? If not, why would the nine elders come today?"

Upon hearing this, the white-clad man's eyes snapped open and he shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about? How can an inconsequential Jun Wu Yi worth the sacrifice of half the power of our nine elders!"

"I did not mention anything about sacrificing the power of our nine elders! What do you mean by this?" A murderous look appeared on the partner's face as he asked, "Are you playing some dirty tricks again?"

"So what? The Jun Family only spent a mere 300,000 taels of silver to buy the Blazing Heart Meridian. Isn't this the same as giving it to Jun Wu Yi directly?" The white-clad man snorted.

"Ridiculous! What use is there if he only has the Blazing Heart Meridian! Without a Divine Xuan expert controlling the process, Jun Wu Wi will only die faster under the extreme poison of the Blazing Heart Meridian!" The partner was shaking in anger. "You are such a despicable man! I will kill you!"

"Enough!"

Another voice thundered from afar. Surreal and nebulous, it sounded old yet stern. "There is no need to argue any further!"

The two stared daggers at each other for a long moment. After a while, both snorted and sat back down facing away from each other, each not uttering another word.