"That..." The young girl looked towards Kaini, intending to say something, but was interrupted by Zhong Shenxi.

"Show me what you're holding!" Zhong Shenxi repeated, his eyes sharp as a beacon, fixed directly on the girl's hand.

The girl hesitated for a moment, then, considering the object in her hand was made of metal and wouldn't break easily if dropped, she generously opened her palm.

In her palm lay a bizarrely shaped, dull gray object. Its exterior was quite ugly; it was baffling why this girl was holding it.

Others might not recognize the item, but Zhong Shenxi knew its true identity at a single glance!

This was one of the materials needed to forge a "Medium Pouch"!

"Hey, where did you get this?" Zhong Shenxi asked, suppressing his excitement.

If he could forge the Medium Pouch, everything he did in the future would be much more convenient. He could use hand seals to directly store whatever he wanted inside, eliminating the need to laboriously collect items piece by piece!

Furthermore, its storage space was several hundred times that of a storage bracelet, making it the absolute best choice for collecting various rare treasures. No wonder Zhong Shenxi was so thrilled to see this thing! However, the young girl didn't know any of this; she just stared blankly at Zhong Shenxi, failing to answer.

Kaini, the capable assistant, once again played her part. Although she didn't recognize the item's value, she could read the meaning in Zhong Shenxi's expression. So, she quickly smiled and asked the girl, "Forgive my forwardness, but would you be willing to sell the item in your hand?"

The girl first froze, then brightened, retorting, "Sister, you mean you want to buy it?"

Kaini smiled and nodded; she could tell from the girl's expression that there was a chance.

"Um... I have a lot more of these in my room. If you're interested, you can come take a look with me," the girl said excitedly.

She couldn't be blamed for being so excited. She had actually been worrying about how to sell these things. Initially, she planned to consign them to an auction house, but after being examined by experts, they determined the items had neither collectible nor practical value, so they refused to take them!

She had just been pondering in her room whether to set up a small stall to see if anyone was interested when she unexpectedly bumped into Zhong Shenxi and his two companions!

After the group entered the room, they indeed saw no fewer than twenty of these objects placed on a table. Although their shapes differed slightly, their material composition was identical.

At this point, they finally understood why the girl had brought this particular item out—she had been studying them just moments before!

"Sister, look at these; are you interested in any of them?" the girl asked Kaini with a degree of nervousness.

Kaini, however, was watching Zhong Shenxi. Seeing him observing, she quickly said to the girl, "Let us take a look first!"

While saying this, she began chatting with the girl.

Through casual conversation, they learned that the girl's name was Amanda. Because she was unemployed and urgently needed money, she dug out these seemingly antique items from home, hoping to sell them at auction, only to find the auction house wouldn't even accept them!

Amanda had two younger brothers. Besides the younger one named Yuri, her slightly older brother was attending the "Demonic Martial Academy" in the countryside. The academy fees were exorbitant, and with her parents long deceased, she was solely responsible for raising her two brothers. Now, seeing that Yuri was also approaching school age, which would bring another significant expense, she was truly out of options and came here just to try her luck!

"How much are these?" Zhong Shenxi finally asked after finishing his inspection.

"Do you want all of them?" Amanda grew excited again, but this question was directed at Kaini.

"Yes," Kaini nodded. On many occasions, she had to speak on Zhong Shenxi's behalf.

"Um... wait a moment!" Amanda said, beginning to calculate the total. She was figuring out exactly how much money she needed, especially needing to cover her two brothers' tuition fees as soon as possible!

After some contemplation, Amanda finally said with a touch of hesitation, "How about you give me two hundred and fifty-three Diamond Coins for all of them?"

The reason for the round number was that this amount would precisely solve her immediate dilemma, ensuring she wouldn't have to worry about her brothers' schooling for the short term!

"You mean each one?" Kaini asked with a smile.

Amanda was startled and quickly replied, "No, no, it's not that! I mean, two hundred and fifty-three Diamond Coins for all of them is fine."

She felt this price was already quite high, considering even the appraisal expert said these things held no value. She was merely trying her luck, never expecting Kaini to agree so readily.

"Fine, we'll take them all!" There wasn't even any haggling!

"You really want them all?" Amanda still couldn't quite believe her ears. That was over two hundred Diamond Coins—she might not earn that much in several years of working!

Kaini didn't offer further explanation but answered with action, directly pulling out a bag of Diamond Coins.

"Count it to make sure it's right?" Kaini kindly reminded her.

When Amanda saw the gleaming coins in the bag, she nearly fainted. The dazzling, brilliant light continuously stimulated her neural pathways, making her feel as if she were dreaming!

"Hey, girl..." Zhong Shenxi's voice broke Amanda's self-absorption. "Do you have any other similar items?"

Zhong Shenxi currently only possessed one material for forging the "Medium Pouch"; he needed to gather the rest to actually craft it. His question was born out of a slim hope.

Amanda, overcome with happiness, no longer cared about Zhong Shenxi's casual address. She quickly replied, "Yes, I have some other things. But they don't seem valuable, so I didn't bring them out!"

The items she selected were those that looked like antiques. As for the rest, even she considered them worthless, so she hadn't bothered bringing them.

However, what Zhong Shenxi cared about least was "worthless," because many things considered junk in others' eyes were rare treasures to him, while things deemed valuable might not even catch his eye!

Upon hearing Amanda say this, a flicker of anticipation shone in Zhong Shenxi's eyes. He quickly urged, "Go back and bring those things here. If they satisfy me, I'll buy all of them. I'll be staying here until the auction concludes, so you must bring them before then!"

Saying this, he gave Amanda his room number and had Kaini give Amanda another Diamond Coin for travel expenses!

Amanda was ecstatic, never imagining that a chance encounter could bring such good fortune. She nodded repeatedly and, not wanting to waste any time, immediately took her brother and rushed off!

Compared to Amanda's excitement, Zhong Shenxi was even more thrilled. He hadn't expected to find treasures just by stepping outside; this world truly was overflowing with things that could drive one mad!

Regarding these "Qiaolianshi" stones, they had many uses, but Zhong Shenxi's highest priority was forging the "Medium Pouch," so he didn't want to waste them, merely storing them temporarily!

"Let's go out and look around. Maybe we can stumble upon some more treasures!"

Zhong Shenxi was in an excellent mood, strolling through the streets with Robin and Kaini, stopping most frequently at the stalls of petty vendors!

And indeed, Zhong Shenxi managed to unearth a few treasures.

While the vendors were congratulating themselves for selling their junk at high prices, they didn't realize the real winner was Zhong Shenxi!

Compared to the small sums spent, the true value of the items Zhong Shenxi purchased was astonishingly high. If he forged them into various weapons and equipment, they could instantly transform into priceless treasures!

Time flew quickly, and soon it was late afternoon as dusk settled.

The auction was finally about to formally commence. Look at the crowd—it was like a river clogged with weeds, moving forward little by little!

Those who had reserved premium viewing boxes were better off. They didn't have to endure such crowding, instead entering the venue directly through dedicated channels!

Kaini seemed very familiar with the auction procedures. As they walked, she was explaining to Zhong Shenxi how to bid, how to strategically lower prices, and the relevant payment processes.

The procedure wasn't complicated; after listening once, Zhong Shenxi grasped it completely.

Once they officially entered the venue and were seated, the sight of the dense mass of people was truly staggering—estimated to be over a thousand individuals!

Beside every seat were specially made small placards; different colors represented different price tiers, and each placard displayed the numbers 0 through 10, used for making bids!

Amidst the eager anticipation of the crowd, the curtain on the central stage slowly drew back, revealing a man around thirty years old.

This man was the host of the auction. Facing such a large crowd, he showed no sign of nervousness; he must have been quite experienced!

Although the hall was vast, thanks to the amplification equipment installed on the stage, the host's voice clearly reached every corner.

After a brief opening address, the auction officially began!

The first item brought out was a painting and calligraphy scroll, starting at a low price of ten thousand Diamond Coins. After the host introduced it, the competition began!

"The guest bids ten thousand two hundred Diamond Coins; are there any higher offers?"

"Very good, the guest over there bids fifteen thousand Diamond Coins!"

"This one bids twenty thousand Diamond Coins!"

The host scanned the room, calling out the bids whenever someone raised a paddle. Finally, the painting was sold for thirty-seven thousand Diamond Coins!

This was just the beginning; as better items appeared, the competition would only intensify!

Zhong Shenxi wasn't interested in these paintings and porcelain pieces, so he remained quiet. However, when the next treasure was brought out, Kaini's expression changed dramatically, and she nearly jumped to her feet!

What could possibly move her so deeply?

【Ti: Dear reader, the current chapter has reached the last page of this book】