In his memory, the Monk Ban Shan was an eminent monk who had cultivated for many years; his abilities were beyond question, and his moral character was such that it shamed many other monks. Yet, here was Monk Ban Shan acting so uncharacteristically flustered. Could it truly be just because the Golden Pagoda was a Buddhist artifact?

As Wang Guan pondered, the devout collector finished his assessment and, gritting his teeth, raised his bid again: “Ninety-eight million.”

However, before anyone could exclaim, Elder Zeng seemed supremely confident and countered directly with nine-nine-eight, bidding ninety-nine point eight million—just shy of the hundred million mark, which naturally sent a wave of excitement through the assembled crowd.

Ninety-nine point eight million; was breaking one hundred million far off?

The audience had no answer, as the two or three major collectors qualified to compete fell silent, unsure if they were reconsidering their strategy or preparing to withdraw.

It didn't really matter, though. Jia Qin was quite satisfied with this price; ninety-nine point eight million was practically the same as one hundred million, no need to haggle over such a minute difference.

Thinking this, Jia Qin smiled again: “Is no one bidding further? Then this shall be settled.”

Under Jia Qin's gentle prodding, the major collectors wore contemplative expressions but offered no response. Jia Qin, in good spirits, did not hurry them, waiting patiently.

After a long silence, the devout collector finally conceded, a look of helplessness crossing his face: “Brother Zeng, you have won.”

“Heh heh, mere luck,” Elder Zeng smiled. “If you had pushed a bit higher, I’d be the one saying that.”

“One hundred million…”

Just as everyone thought the matter was settled, a voice came from a corner, startling the audience so much they almost couldn't react. At that moment, Wang Guan stepped forward lightly, holding up a single finger: “One hundred and one million…” After a moment of stunned silence, a wave of visible delight swept through the room. They had thought the auction was over, only to see a sudden reversal, an unexpected contender entering the fray—now there was a show to watch.

“You?”

However, Jia Qin’s expression grew skeptical; he clearly doubted Wang Guan’s financial standing and kindly offered a warning: “This is a cash transaction, settled immediately upon payment. Installments are not accepted.”

“Rest assured. With several venerable seniors present, I wouldn't be trying to pull a fast one and become a laughingstock, unable to hold my head up in this circle again,” Wang Guan replied casually, earning nods of approval from the crowd.

It was indeed the truth. Trying to cheat one’s way through required careful context. Playing tricks in a venue like this was tantamount to ending one's career, an act of self-destruction.

Moreover, even if Wang Guan placed the bid, it didn't necessarily mean the money was his. Many glanced at Monk Ban Shan standing beside him, leading to a collective misunderstanding. It was hardly surprising; Wang Guan had reappeared after an outing, bringing a monk with him, and then suddenly joined the competition for the Golden Pagoda—it was hard not to misunderstand.

So, after a moment of thought, Elder Zeng walked directly to Monk Ban Shan and asked congenially, “Master, where are you from?”

“Singapore!”

Agitated, Monk Ban Shan neglected any cryptic responses and stated the truth plainly.

Just as expected…

In that instant, many thought to themselves, instinctively assuming a 'dragon from overseas' had arrived.

Even Elder Zeng shared this suspicion. His brow furrowed, and after a brief consideration, he advised kindly, “Master, you must know that a treasure of this magnitude would likely not pass customs.”

At this point, Wang Guan began to understand the reactions around him and felt a surge of helpless amusement; it seemed everyone assumed he was just a placeholder, incapable of producing that kind of money himself.

Shaking his head slightly, Wang Guan stated frankly, “Elder Zeng, you’ve misunderstood. I am the one buying the item; Master has nothing to do with it.”

“Oh!”

The crowd nodded in understanding, but their expressions clearly betrayed disbelief.

Fine, no use arguing. Wang Guan felt speechless for a moment and simply reminded them, “I bid one hundred and one million. Is there anyone bidding higher than me… If not, the item belongs to me.”

As he said this, thinking of his impending empty bank account, Wang Guan felt a pang of pain, and his tone inevitably lacked some vigor, which only confirmed everyone else’s suspicion. If it were truly his money, he should sound confident, his words ringing with authority, not this rather weak delivery.

Of course, the misunderstanding was a misunderstanding, but the price tag could not be ignored.

At this juncture, everyone’s gaze shifted back to Elder Zeng, watching to see if he would counter. However, Elder Zeng could only offer a wry smile: “I already said, ninety-nine point eight million was my bottom line. If anyone goes a bit higher, I can do nothing more about it.”

“Ah!”

The devout collector immediately regretted his earlier hesitation, sighing that he should have fought harder. But it was too late now. Since he had already withdrawn, reappearing to bid again would mean going back on his word, inviting scorn.

While some might feel such a reversal was acceptable, it was certainly not true for genuine connoisseurs. For true experts, reputation was paramount. They would never destroy a reputation built over decades for the sake of one object, no matter how rare the treasure.

Therefore, Elder Zeng’s withdrawal meant the outcome was no longer in doubt; as long as Wang Guan could pay, he could take the Pagoda immediately.

Wang Guan sighed internally, then called out to Jia Qin, “Let’s sign the contract.”

Jia Qin naturally had no objection; as long as payment was secured, who actually bought the Golden Pagoda was outside his concern. He cooperatively signed the transfer agreement.

Afterward, Wang Guan spent considerable time transferring the massive sum into Jia Qin's account. At that moment, he truly understood the feeling of decades of hard work vanishing overnight.

There was no point in saying more; the money was paid, and regret was useless.

Besides, Wang Guan didn't feel much regret; instead, a faint smile played on his lips. He then called the slightly agitated Monk Ban Shan over, and together they managed to move the heavy Golden Pagoda outside.

“Master…”

Just then, Cao Xiang arrived, having driven over with his men. Seeing the Golden Pagoda, he too showed a hint of awe: “What a Buddha Pagoda, it must be incredibly valuable.”

“Stop sighing,” Wang Guan waved his hand. “There’s a whole rack of items inside, too. Take your men in and move them out.”

Cao Xiang quickly nodded, leading his staff inside to carefully move the items, place them securely onto the van, and slowly drive them back to Shiyi Pavilion for inventory and storage. As for the Golden Pagoda, Wang Guan naturally took it directly back to the Grand Residence.

“You’re back?”

A short while later, in the living room of the Grand Residence, Elder Qian heard footsteps and looked up, immediately spotting the Golden Pagoda. A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

However, Elder Qian was clearly calmer. He glanced at the Golden Pagoda without showing much concern, instead looking toward Monk Ban Shan with curiosity: “And who is this Master?”

Straining to set down the heavy Golden Pagoda, Wang Guan finally made the introduction: “Elder Qian, this is Master Ban Shan I mentioned to you. He just flew in from Singapore to see me.”

“So, this must be Master Ban Shan.” Elder Qian’s smile grew warmer. He had heard Wang Guan speak of the Monk Ban Shan before and held him in some admiration, so he greeted him politely.

“Greetings, Benefactor Qian!”

After exchanging greetings, Monk Ban Shan, at Elder Qian’s invitation, sat down. He seemed to have regained his composure, but a careful observer would notice him glancing repeatedly at the Golden Pagoda, appearing somewhat unsettled.

Meanwhile, Wang Guan began to complain: “Elder Qian, I am now penniless.”

“What? You didn't actually buy everything, did you?” Elder Qian sounded quite astonished.

“I wanted to, but there was too much, and the value exceeded my imagination. Even selling myself wouldn't be enough,” Wang Guan sighed. “Besides, the Jia family members weren't fools; besides me, Elder Chang, Elder Zeng, and several other major collectors were present. I bankrupted myself fighting them off to seize this Golden Pagoda, and now I'm a pauper—I dare not ask for anything else.”

“You can’t blame anyone for that,” Elder Qian chuckled lightly. “I thought you would just pick through things in the main storehouse, but I didn't expect you to go to the secret chamber. And you completely abandoned your usual stingy nature to spend a fortune on this Pagoda. Tell me, how much did it cost?”

“One hundred million!” Wang Guan stated it plainly. “I already regret it. I plan to contact a buyer to offload it so it doesn't end up stuck with me. Elder Qian, do you have any good suggestions?”

“Don’t…”

Monk Ban Shan suddenly intervened, then realized he might be overstepping his bounds. After silently reciting a Buddhist phrase, he earnestly advised, “Benefactor Wang must reconsider. This is a massive Buddhist affinity; how can one discard it so easily?”

“Buddhist affinity doesn't put food on the table. If I get desperate enough, I might just melt the gold down and sell it by the pound,” Wang Guan sighed, stating the harsh reality.

“How can that be acceptable…” Monk Ban Shan’s eyes showed a flicker of hesitation, and he seemed to want to speak but held back.

At this point, Elder Qian also seemed to sense a hidden thread. After a brief moment of contemplation, a smile touched his eyes, and he slowly poured tea for his guests, ready to enjoy the unfolding scene.

Wang Guan, however, fell silent, simply looking at Monk Ban Shan with a brilliant smile.

Noticing this open scrutiny, Monk Ban Shan became somewhat uncomfortable and asked, slightly confused, “Amitabha, Benefactor Wang, why do you look at this humble monk like… No, I just wanted to ask the Master for guidance: can a practicing monk tell lies?” Wang Guan asked with a smile, his eyes gleaming with cunning like a fox.

“Naturally!” Monk Ban Shan was momentarily startled, then seemed to grasp the implication and gave a wry smile. “Benefactor Wang knows?”

“I know, but I don’t know if what I know is what you know, Master,” Wang Guan replied, his grin widening. “So I want to know what you know, but I’m afraid you’ll avoid answering, so I must first clarify to avoid wasting breath.”