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"Oh... even internal bidding within the cult involves such methods?"
Fran's amber eyes flickered slightly as he gained a deeper understanding of the Six-Eyed Raven's usual methods of recovering funds from the cultists.
"Of course, the Order doesn't care whose money it makes."
"While the Hunters and White Cups may be assigned dangerous jobs, they receive wages and summer/winter allowances, and a large sum of compensation if they die. Our Order's work is relatively safer, and there aren't many strict requirements..."
"However, there are basically no benefits, and it's easy to get a bad number." 5◇Lu『Si]¨
Derica explained in detail, her eyes involuntarily glancing furtively at the raven-eye gemstone displayed in the quartz showcase.
Although Mr. Bartley's saw knife possessed the lost item quality of a hunter and could help her advance in rank... she still couldn't suppress her desire for the shiny, black, eye-shaped gem.
Fran observed this very easily.
However, she made no comment, her expression calm and composed, as always.
Just then, another crow disciple from the third habitat joined the bidding.
"470 Gore Silver".
“Zarik, everyone knows you’re a miser who’s obsessed with enjoying your retirement. If I really gave you this thing, you’d be in a real bind. Oh well, I’ll have to play the good guy.”
His voice sounded young and unrestrained, and judging from his tone, he was probably around twenty years old.
The young disciple's bid held for a while, but was quickly overtaken by new bidders. The price of raven's eye gradually rose from a starting price of 300 gor silver to around 700.
According to Fran's standards, the true value of raven's eye stone is roughly around this level. After all, the spiritual essence it contains is only useful to esoteric disciples below the fourth tier, and cannot be used for advancement to high priest.
Otherwise, it wouldn't be so easily categorized as a regular auction item. Materials that can help one ascend to the fourth tier are generally firmly held and strictly controlled by the Order.
Although there may be a premium, a premium of up to 30% is normal.
This made Fran consider whether he should buy the raven's eye stone, not only because Detrica needed this little thing, but also because it might be helpful to Vivian.
However, she's not in a hurry to place a bid. Observing the situation first is more in line with her style than hastily joining the auction. After all, besides buying with money, there are more convenient and lower-cost ways in the world…
"950 Gores and 1 Silver! You all should wait until next year's plum blossom season. I've made ample preparations this time."
A tall, thin Raven disciple made the highest bid of the night, and as he finished speaking, the courtyard fell into a silent silence.
Upon seeing this price, Detrica was somewhat discouraged and gave up the idea of making a bid.
With a gold coin bearing the wolf's head of Meredith, a 300 Norrington silver note previously given to her by Ms. Vivian, and her savings accumulated over the years, she was actually quite competitive.
But faced with the exorbitant price, the thief, accustomed to being frugal, suppressed her desires.
At the same time, Detricka didn't place her hopes on Fran. After all, Fran had already offered her such a generous reward; to expect more from her in this matter would be somewhat greedy...
"No one else is bidding against us anymore."
Fran looked around and realized that no one had spoken after the offer was made.
Derica sighed somewhat helplessly and began to tell Fran about the bidder's situation.
"Even though he was wearing a mask, I recognized the voice. It was Clement, a senior second-tier raider. I heard that this guy made a fortune investing in Whitecup's shipping company a few years ago, and he could afford even higher prices."
"I see."
Upon hearing this, Fran touched his cheek, realizing why the other buyers had all backed out.
It's not worth it to compete with a nouveau riche who doesn't care about prices. You'd be better off saving your money and seeing if you can find something else.
"Speaking of which, the sale of the Six-Eyed Raven doesn't require the various formal procedures of an auction house. Moreover, it's done through internal bidding, so they must have considered many other factors."
"Perhaps I should try a more ancient method to see if I can get my hands on this little thing..."
As she spoke, she slowly waved to Gray Mark, who was waiting for a quote.
"Mr. Gray Mark, I have a relic from your esteemed church. I wonder if its value is comparable to that of this item in the auction?"
Although Fran's voice was soft, it was especially clear in the quiet courtyard of the Third Habitat.
"Oh?"
Samarium, who had already decided to announce that Clement had won the bid, paused slightly, then his eyes narrowed as he became interested in the unexpected situation.
The hermit lady used the quantifier "本" (běn), meaning that the relic must have been a certain type of book.
"The Six-Eyed Raven Order is not bound by the type of currency; we support any form of transaction. Of course, I need to appraise the relics you have provided... Please allow me a brief look."
If Fran were to offer relics from another cult, Greyscar would have to consider whether it would be worth interrupting the auction process for that.
However, since she had already stated beforehand that the relics came from the Six-Eyed Raven Cult... there was no need to worry about the authentication process wasting too much time. As the Raven Feather High Priest, he could discern the value of documents and texts at a glance.
Soon, Fran took out a black-covered document from her gray gauze robe and handed it to Graymark through a waiter.
Qun Huihen took the ancient book fragment and quickly scanned the title on the cover.
"The Deep Forest Where Crows Perch"
The book itself did not possess any spiritual qualities; it should simply be a document. Yet, when he held it in his hands, he inexplicably felt a stirring within him, as if his intuition had been summoned, urging him to open it.
It can actually affect my emotions. Could it be that the hermit did something to the book?
This was the first thought that flashed through Gray's mind.
The reason why the obscure association symbolizing the moth is generally disliked is actually related to this.
The faint glow of a lamp can bring obsession and temptation, and the downy feathers of a moth can infect with longing and madness; what they offer often brings danger on a spiritual level.
Judging from the inchworm's attitude towards the hermit lady, she's probably from a faction within the Unification Sect that leans towards the Moth Cult. Could this be some kind of scam or trap?
His mind was a jumble of thoughts, mostly just wild guesses. Graymark didn't waste much time on this, quickly flipping through the book to read its contents.
Ancient epics of the gods, obscure and bizarre allegories, and some unverified secrets...
At first glance, Graymark couldn't help but feel somewhat disappointed with this book.
There are also many similar documents within the Six-Eyed Raven Cult, which contain chaotic and vague accounts of the past, as well as a great deal of self-contradictory and exaggerated content.
The past is irretrievable, and studying such things will only waste one's life and will not produce any value.
Even so, he maintained his professional appraisal spirit and planned to skim through the second half before making a decision. After all, it was only a fragment, containing very little content.
It was just as this thought arose that Graymark saw a row of marked arcane rituals.
As he carefully examined the secret techniques and rituals, his dark pupils, hidden beneath the mask, suddenly shrank, as if suspended by a needle.
"The spell model and operating principle of the lost secret technique [Shadow Control]? Although some parts are missing, the useful information is already more than fifty percent. With proper study, it can be perfected within ten years..."
"No, such a profound and concise description might only take seven or eight years to complete the reconstruction."
"And there's the third type of ritual, [The Shade of the Oak Forest], which was already incomplete during the Dust Order era. If it could be completed, perhaps it could re-stabilize the fading Oak Shadow Nest..."
Graymark murmured in a very low voice, his gaze becoming deep and focused, as if he had completely forgotten everything around him. Seven
The theory is self-consistent, the structure is reasonable, and it is supported by a large number of references. It is absolutely impossible for it to be a fabrication by a deceitful person. Even if it were true or false, it would only mean that the fabricator is a genius... because he fabricated the correct answer.
His breathing had become heavy and his heartbeat was becoming erratic.
"Um, Mr. Gray Marks..."
Seeing his priest holding the book and remaining silent for a long time, the waiter beside him nervously offered a reminder.
"Ah... I'm sorry, I lost my composure."
Gray Mark, his concentration interrupted, let out a heavy sigh. Though there was a hint of displeasure, he quickly suppressed it. Six
He almost reluctantly looked away from the tattered page, then resumed presiding over the meeting.
“I have completed the appraisal of the relics provided by the Hermit Lady. It is clear... this book is of considerable value. The bidding process for the raven's eye stone is omitted; she is now the owner of this gem.”
Without even going through the third-party sales process, Gray Mark directly announced the ownership of the auctioned item.
Having grasped the true value of this book, "The Deep Forest Where Crows Perch," he had to quickly and without hindrance complete the transaction, eliminating any possibility of the other party backing out midway. After all, the sale of crow's eye stones was always handled only by internal members, so there was no need to worry about the impact spreading.
Without any complicated procedures such as commission, the waiter quickly handed Fran the storage box containing the raven's eye stone.
"Madam, it's yours now."
"Ah."
Fran took the black, eye-shaped gem, placed it on a table to the side, and then looked at it again as if it were insignificant.
Having witnessed what had just happened, Detricka couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.
Ms. Vivian actually bought this spirit-infused material, and the process was so quick and efficient... It seems that as long as she wants something, she will definitely get it, without any room for argument.
The thief lady really wanted the raven's eye, but she also knew that she had already received enough compensation from her employer and was not entitled to make any further demands.
What if you wanted to buy it? Hmm... but Ms. Vivian doesn't seem to care about money at all...
Although she was spared from having it taken by someone else, Detricka seemed to have no chance of obtaining it for the time being. This troubled her somewhat.
Seeing his sure-fire promotion material suddenly and unexpectedly change hands, Clement felt indignant, but he couldn't vent his anger because of Grayscar's power. He could only mutter under his breath.
"Hey, I was the one who placed the bid first... how did they decide that item was hers so easily? And why did they stop the whole bidding process? I even asked: It's not that I can't raise the bid..."
He was momentarily frustrated, and narrowed his eyes, casting a hostile glance at the woman who had taken the auction item. He wanted to see who was so blatantly engaging in underhanded dealings.
Through the gauze-like screen, she couldn't see clearly. Only a corner of her gray gauze skirt could be glimpsed.
Just as Clement was about to complain a few more times, a waiter whispered two words in his ear.
After that, the raider's face turned deathly pale, and the initial agitation was quickly swallowed up by fear and trepidation. He remained silent.
……
After this rather shocking little incident, Graymark felt inexplicably dazed. It was as if he were walking on soft clouds, his mind filled with a strong sense of unreality. So much so that he was somewhat absent-minded when introducing the goods.
The wonderful feeling of inspiration made him want to end it all immediately and retreat to a dark, deserted corner to finish reading the book he had just acquired.
Despite this, Gray Scar suppressed his excitement and professionally continued to oversee the auction process.
After all, today is the Plum Blossom Festival, and there is a very important item that needs to be sold.
The clouds drifted like flowing water, and the moon shone past midnight.
As the items on the shelves dwindled one by one, the final item was finally revealed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what I am about to present is the last item for auction, and also the most valuable treasure of the day."
With a solemn expression, Graymark took out a sealed box, opened it, and showed the attendees the last item of cargo.
That was... a piece of glossy, tender tree branch.
"It is a secret medicine from the Order of the Sons of the Trees, and its official scientific name has not yet been determined. Let's call it 'The Branch of Immortality' for now."
"No ritual is needed; simply ingest it directly, and the spiritual essence it contains will grant you an additional five years of life. The elderly, the injured, the seriously ill... can all prolong their lives with it!"
Erhai Lake
Pull——
Don't go too far! Even those with perfect attendance get three days off every month, okay?
Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Vague Society
Si Gray's introduction plunged the courtyard of the Third Habitat into a stunned silence, where faint whispers and rough breathing could be heard.
Before the formal sublimation of the physical body and skin, the lifespan of a Tantric disciple is actually not much different from that of an ordinary person.
They might live five or ten more years by relying on the spiritual energy that permeates their bodies… but this makes almost no real difference. Moreover, they might even have a shorter lifespan due to the erosion of other spiritual entities.
Although certain secret techniques and rituals can forcibly delay the arrival of death and aging, the fragile mortal body cannot continuously serve as a vessel for these techniques and will eventually fall into uncontrollable disintegration as time goes by.
In addition, such rituals are inherently unstable, and each use carries extremely high risks.
Therefore, if this relic known as the "Evergreen Branch" truly possesses the effects described by Graymark, then it indeed possesses immense potential value. That was a full five years, and a high-ranking individual, approaching old age, was willing to pay an unimaginable price for it…
"Mr. Gray Mark, what are the side effects or limitations of this material?"
Clement asked somewhat anxiously.
While being a disciple of the Six-Eyed Raven, he was also a shrewd investor who could easily sense the potential business opportunities contained in the goods.
The reason Graymark didn't announce his bottom price first was actually to wait for someone to ask about it so he could provide detailed answers.
"'The Everlasting Branch' accumulates special spiritual essence in the human body. Taking it once will not have obvious side effects. However, when used a second time, the spiritual essence accumulated before will burst and activate."
"It will produce a series of severe side effects, such as memory loss, slowed reaction time, impaired judgment, severe slowed movement... and 'woodenness'."
These side effects did not deter Clement; instead, they ignited a certain passion within him.
It's perfectly normal for something capable of prolonging mortal lifespan to have this level of adverse effects. No, it's even too merciful, as the effects only appear on the second use.
Should I make an offer now? No, I can't rush things. Let me ask for more details...