It was no wonder the Noble Hall could feature such an exquisite vintage as the primary auction item; this wine, it turned out, was a Celestial Grade liquor meticulously brewed by Song Shang, the legendary God of Wine!

Though Song Shang himself remained silent, offering neither confirmation nor denial that he was the brewer, everyone present instinctively knew the truth. After all, while Song Shang’s renown as a Heavenly Profound master and a peerless assassin was formidable, for those truly at the apex of society, it was his title as the God of Wine that had truly sunk into their bones.

Under the gaze of the assembly, several serving maids emerged, carrying grand trays. Upon each tray rested dozens of tiny “wine cups.”

These vessels, if they could even be called cups, were scarcely larger than the smallest spirit cups, yet infinitely more delicate and exquisite, forged entirely of silver so thin they seemed like cicada wings, catching the light with a brilliant sheen.

Silver cups served not only as a delight to the eye but also granted the drinkers peace of mind; for poison could never be carried in silver. This precaution alone spoke volumes of the Noble Hall’s meticulous attention and care!

Three cups were placed at every table. Then, several maids, holding ewers, began pouring with extreme caution, as if dreading the loss of a single drop. The clear, fine wine wept from the spouts into the cups. As the cups were filled one by one, the fragrance in the hall intensified, growing richer and deeper. Everyone watched the cup before them, regardless of status or wealth, their mouths involuntarily watering.

“The main attraction of this auction is this Celestial Grade liquor, never before seen on the Continent! Now, everyone may sample a single cup first, so that you may better judge the bidding later.”

Song Shang’s voice boomed throughout the hall. Standing on the stage, he possessed a gravitas utterly unlike the young Master Tang Yuan; he stood as immovable as a great mountain, displaying the commanding presence of a Heavenly Profound master.

“I believe that once you have tasted this wine, you will all agree that such a fine liquor is nothing less than a divine treasure among wines—a priceless rarity! For a wine like this, no matter the cost or the price paid, receiving it in the end will make all efforts worthwhile!” Song Shang swept a hand outwards.

“Please!”

The crowd, already captivated by this unprecedented, miraculous wine, lifted their cups with barely concealed impatience. This tiny cup, no bigger than a finger, caused everyone holding it to inwardly curse the Noble Hall’s stinginess.

“I imagine you are all thinking that the cups are too small, far too little to truly drink,” Song Shang said smoothly. “Allow me to offer the Hall’s apologies in advance. Consider this: if such Celestial Grade liquor were offered in abundance immediately, what value would there be in cherishing it? Let alone bidding a high price later? This is the Hall’s selfishness, perhaps, but also our desire not to profane this divine creation among wines.”

Every person present was seasoned and worldly; the logic was obvious to all. They dismissed the matter with a knowing smile.

Amidst the laughter, guests raised their cups and downed the contents in one go. Princess Lingmeng was neither accustomed to nor fond of drinking, and even if she were, she dared not partake. Two terrifying figures stood behind her. The chief seat, previously occupied by Bei Yue, was now a place of great anxiety; had it not been for a strict command from that imposing figure, the Princess would have long retreated. Now, she could only affect an air of disdain, shoving the three cups aside and offering the exquisite wine to the two behind her.

The two figures in black robes behind her had already grown impatient, seizing the cups almost desperately and draining them instantly. One cup down, both men showed profound reaction. These were connoisseurs who had sampled the world’s finest vintages, yet they had never encountered such liquid perfection! Unwilling to stop, their intense gazes locked simultaneously onto the last small cup remaining on the table. In an instant, their eyes met—neither would yield!

By Young Master Jun’s estimation, the two men accompanying Princess Lingmeng were of extraordinary origin. One was likely that person; but if it were indeed him, who in the entire Tianxiang Empire could stand as his equal, showing no deference? Who was the other man in black?!

The crowd who had drunk first seemed to sink into a sudden, profound silence.

After a moment, a strange, wavering voice suddenly pierced the quiet, its tone languid, like a soft moan on a spring night—utterly bizarre.

Everyone turned towards the sound. They saw a sturdy man in his forties, his face flushed with intoxication. He stared at the tiny cup in his hand with eyes blazing madly. Suddenly, he snapped his head up and leaped to his feet, demanding loudly: “Truly worthy of being the Divine Nectar brewed by the God of Wine! Just this small cup has utterly captivated me! When does the auction begin? What is the starting price? Never mind the price—this family master intends to bid on at least ten jars today!”

This man was Zhao Menglong, the foremost salt merchant in Tianxiang City and the Vice President of the Merchant Guild.

His words were exceedingly crude, yet no one refuted him; instead, they nodded slowly, deeply sharing his sentiment. Everyone present was either a noble minister or a regional magnate; none wished to speak against their conscience!

Only Dugu Wudi, seated in the second row, wore a look of sheer frustration. He roared, “Sit down and speak! In such a solemn environment, shouting like that—what decorum is that? An uncivilized person! With your manners, do you even possess the slightest semblance of nobility?” General Dugu felt his stomach churn with immense vexation.

General Dugu had come today partly to support his third brother, Jun Wuyi, but his primary intent was to see Jun Moxie make a fool of himself, intending to win the bet they had made previously. Ten thousand taels of silver for a jar of wine—what a ridiculous joke! It would be a miracle if it sold! By all rights, he should have won this wager decisively!

Yet, looking at the current trend, the starting price of ten thousand taels per jar seemed embarrassingly low! Not only was it likely to sell, but there was a strong indication that the final price might soar far beyond that estimate. They had agreed the final price would count, meaning the sum might balloon from the initially discussed twenty-five million taels to something far greater—it was enough to kill a man!

This realization left Dugu Wudi utterly miserable. He felt compelled to speak out against conscience, if only to vent. If all else failed, he planned to simply disrupt the entire proceedings. General Dugu shot a resentful, sidelong glance upwards, toward the area where Jun Moxie and Jun Wuyi were seated. He imagined those two were currently grinning so widely their jaws ached.

Zhao Menglong managed a strained sound and sat down in embarrassment. Though a major magnate in Tianxiang City, he absolutely dared not cross the master of the “Fierce” family. As soon as he sat, he picked up the now-empty cup, tilted his head back, opened his mouth, shook it twice, and then pressed the rim to his nose, inhaling deeply with a sincere sigh.

His face radiated pure bliss.

Dugu Wudi turned and saw his precious daughter, Dugu Xiaoyi, looking at him with an expression of satisfied sweetness, one that held a definite shade of schadenfreude. He let out a heavy "Hmph!" and threatened, “If you keep smiling so merrily, I’ll start arranging blind dates for you tomorrow!”

Dugu Xiaoyi’s smile vanished instantly. She shot her father an annoyed glare, her pretty face hardening as she turned away in a huff. But in the next moment, she spun back around, making a face. “Hmph! You’re just scared because you know you’re about to lose! Hmph! That enormous debt—how do you plan to pay it? Twenty-five million taels! They’d have to sell you ten times over to cover it!”

Dugu Wudi fumed, blurting out words without thinking: “How will I pay? I have plenty of ways! You think I can’t pay it even if you sell me? Nonsense! If I truly run out of money, I’ll use my daughter to settle the debt! I’ll marry you off to that brat to clear the debt, is that acceptable? Humph!”

Dugu Xiaoyi’s face instantly flushed crimson. She stood up abruptly, bristling with cold anger: “I won’t! Who cares!”

She was furious and anxious. Although she held affection for Jun Moxie, the very thought of being offered up as a gambling stake to him was intolerable. What would the man she admired think of her then?

Tears instantly welled in her eyes. With glistening eyes, stamping her small foot and twisting her slender waist, she completely ignored her father, and the tears began to stream down her face.

Dugu Wudi was thrown into disarray, instantly forgetting his desire to sabotage the proceedings, and hurried over to comfort her. The heroes and grandees who had rushed forward, limited by space, included only Dugu Ying among the seven followers. He had been standing there grinning widely at the spectacle, until Dugu Wudi gave him a sharp kick to the backside.

“Are you not coming down?” Jun Wuyi asked his nephew upstairs.

“I feel something is rather off,” Jun Moxie frowned, pointing a finger toward the ceiling. “It seems that person has arrived. Not only him, but he brought someone whose power is immeasurable. To avoid unnecessary trouble, it’s best if I keep a low profile.”

“Oh?” Jun Wuyi’s body gave a slight start.

“My feeling is likely correct,” Jun Moxie chuckled. “Today’s proceedings will be entirely entrusted to Tang Yuan and Yang Mo. I believe those two are more than enough; I’ll only reveal myself at the crucial moment.”

Jun Wuyi smiled knowingly, but then frowned again: “Your true strength, I fear, will eventually leak out. They... they will find out sooner or later.”

Jun Moxie shook his head dismissively. “That’s precisely why we must transform the Jun Family into an untouchable, unassailable lineage before they learn the full extent of it. By then, even if they know, they will have no choice but to accept it! After all, only absolute strength is the strongest capital for true permanence.”

Below, after Song Shang lavished excessive praise on every virtue of this wine, he stepped aside. When it came to discerning the subtleties of taste, even Young Master Jun was his inferior. Under the great God of Wine’s accolades, the guests were left utterly yearning for the small tastes they had managed, and their desire intensified. The atmosphere in the hall reached a new crescendo!

Next, it was the turn of the Grand Manager, Tang Yuan, to take the stage for his performance.

“Now, the official auction for this Celestial Grade liquor by this Hall officially begins! The starting bid for every single jar of this fine wine is ten thousand taels of silver. There are no set increments for bidding, nor is there an upper limit. Because the quantity of this batch is strictly limited, each table may bid on a maximum of fifty jars at a time! Beyond that, we have no stock!” Tang Yuan announced, his belly shaking with robust energy.

“May I ask Grand Manager Tang,” asked an impatient voice as soon as Tang Yuan finished speaking, “what do you mean by ‘no stock’?”

“It means nothing extraordinary,” Tang Yuan replied regretfully. “You all likely gathered from the speeches that Old Song exhausted the essence of his life, traveling the entire continent to collect the finest materials, and only managed to brew this much! From now on, there will be no more Celestial Grade liquor of this quality! Therefore, the auction for this specific grade of wine will be a one-time event for this Hall.”

“Only once!” A gasp rippled through the crowd. Everyone exchanged glances: this Celestial Grade wine was, in fact, a unique, solitary creation!

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