24. Auctioning Elixirs (Part Three)

In recent days, a certain piece of news had been circulating among the martial artists and noble circles of the Imperial Capital.

“Have you heard? In a few days, Count Caesar will be hosting a banquet at his manor, inviting nobles and powerful figures from all over the capital.”

“Of course I’ve heard. I also heard that the purpose of this banquet is to auction off several items called elixirs! It’s said these elixirs can prolong life and grant beauty and youth!” Two noble ladies chattered.

“Really? Then I must have my husband take me along!” one lady exclaimed, touching her wrinkling face.

“How could it be false? Just two days ago, at Duke Lane’s banquet, Count Caesar and his wife stole the spotlight. You know Countess Anna, don’t you? She’s about our age, but looks barely in her twenties! I heard it’s all thanks to a Youth-retaining Pill,” the other lady replied.

Such conversations echoed frequently in the upper circles of the Imperial Capital these days. Yet, not everyone was as focused on the Youth-retaining Pill as the women. The elderly discussed the Longevity Pill, while martial artists were most interested in the Qi Restoration Pill.

In short, Mo Fei’s elixirs had become the talk of the city. Even members of the royal family had expressed keen interest in these miraculous concoctions.

“Mo Fei, your elixirs are already famous before the auction has even begun! So, tell me, how do you plan to thank me?” In the Imperial Capital Academy, Vivienne looked at Mo Fei and teased.

“Didn’t I give you a sword? And I gave you some of each elixir, didn’t I?” Mo Fei replied, gazing at Vivienne, radiant in her red dress.

“How can that sword count? That was a gift you brought back for me, not payment for my help. And those elixirs were for advertising, so they don’t count either.” Anyone familiar with Vivienne would have been shocked by her current demeanor. The usually bold, tomboyish Vivienne was acting coy before Mo Fei.

“Well, since none of those things count, and I have nothing else to offer, I suppose I’ll just have to pledge myself to you!” Mo Fei joked.

“If you don’t want to, then never mind! Who wants you to pledge yourself anyway!” Vivienne muttered under her breath. Though her words attempted indifference, her blushing face betrayed her true feelings.

Mo Fei couldn’t help but feel his heart flutter as he looked at Vivienne, her cheeks flushed, head bowed, not daring to meet his eyes.

Among the girls Mo Fei knew, each had her own distinct charm. Vivienne always struck others as beautiful and generous, straightforward and boyish—perhaps because, as a princess, she had borne the expectations of the empire from a young age, striving to prove she was no less than any man.

Mona, on the other hand, seemed gentle and well-behaved, though before Mars she was every bit the mischievous little witch; yet in front of others, she reverted to the model of a proper young lady.

Audrey possessed an intellectual beauty, exuding the grace of a noblewoman, while the recently acquainted Faith was lively, clever, and adorably mischievous.

Observing Vivienne’s unusual behavior, Mo Fei—ever the popular junior disciple of the Jade Void Sect, with plenty of experience in flirtation—could easily tell that this girl had fallen for him.

The thought that even an imperial princess could be secretly enamored with him made Mo Fei inwardly proud. Back in the Jade Void Sect, he’d always been the one teased by his senior sisters. Now, in this straightforward and honest world, the famed Mo Fei Method for winning hearts finally had a chance to shine.

Suddenly, Mo Fei reached out and grasped Vivienne’s fidgeting hand as she twisted the sash at her waist. With a wicked grin, he teased, “So you truly don’t care if I pledge myself to you? Here I was, thinking Her Highness the Princess was also fond of me.” With a mock-sorrowful sigh, he released her hand and put on a crestfallen expression.

Vivienne’s heart pounded as she felt Mo Fei’s warm hand. Seeing his dejected face and feeling his hand slip away, she was reluctant to let go. As if summoning all her courage, she stepped forward and suddenly hugged Mo Fei tightly.

Vivienne’s unexpected gesture caught Mo Fei off guard. With the nervous girl clinging to him, head bowed, Mo Fei felt a new sensation stir within him. He couldn’t help but embrace her even tighter.

What is this? Is it me wooing her, or is she wooing me? My famed Mo Fei Method hasn’t even come into play, and now I’m the one being pursued? For the first time, Mo Fei felt he was the one being chased by a beauty, utterly powerless to resist.

After a long embrace, the two finally parted. Vivienne was so embarrassed she didn’t dare look up at Mo Fei. Yet, recalling how Mona had kissed Mo Fei before, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

“Mo Fei, tell me—between Mona and me, who do you like more?” Vivienne asked, meeting his gaze.

“Uh…well, of course I like you more! Mona only kissed me to express her gratitude, right? It doesn’t necessarily mean she likes me!” Faced with such an awkward question, Mo Fei could only hedge.

“Hmph! I’ve known Mona for years, and I’ve never seen her act so intimately with anyone else. Are you still going to say she doesn’t like you?”

Vivienne was not fooled by Mo Fei’s evasions. He could only offer a sheepish smile.

……

Two days later, at the Count’s manor.

Today, the manor was bustling with activity. Nobles and renowned figures from Dragonrock City and beyond flowed in and out.

Mo Fei’s elixirs, after days of hype, were now known to all. Though few had personally verified their effects, the fact that Count Caesar was willing to organize the sale convinced most of their authenticity.

Dozens of banquet tables were set up in the front courtyard, and invited guests had taken their seats.

Figures like Mars, though not holding noble titles, were nonetheless invited due to his status as an Archmage and his influence in the capital.

“His Majesty arrives!” As Count Caesar ascended the dais, ready to announce the start of the auction, a servant’s voice rang out from the entrance.

At these words, everyone rose in unison to greet the newcomer.

A stately man in his fifties strode into the courtyard, accompanied by a noble, graceful lady and a girl of eighteen or nineteen.

“Welcome, Your Majesty!” the crowd intoned respectfully.

“No need for formalities. Today, I am but a guest, here to witness for myself these legendary elixirs. Please, be at ease,” Emperor Tyron addressed the assembly.

Mo Fei observed Emperor Tyron as he spoke with the crowd, recalling what he had read about him in the academy library.

Emperor Tyron had ascended the throne at sixteen, at a time when the Dragonrock Empire was beset by internal strife and external threats. Despite his youth, through diligence and resolve, he quelled domestic turmoil and repelled foreign dangers, transforming the empire into the mightiest among its neighbors.

While Mo Fei’s eyes followed the emperor, several others in the crowd watched Mo Fei himself: Princess Vivienne by the emperor’s side, Mona with Headmaster Mars, and the count’s daughter, Faith. Each gazed at Mo Fei with their own emotions.

Soon, Count Caesar ushered the imperial party to the seats of honor and finally announced the official start of the elixir auction.

“Ladies and gentlemen, after the publicity over the past days, I am sure you are all curious whether the effects of these elixirs are truly as described. Today, let me assure you: they are exactly as claimed. I have personally verified their efficacy, and I stake my honor on this guarantee,” Count Caesar began, addressing the foremost concern of the guests.

“Without further ado, let us begin the auction. The first elixir up for bid is the ‘Qi Restoration Pill.’ I believe you are all familiar with its effects, so I’ll not elaborate. We have three bottles for auction, each containing ten pills. The starting bid is ten thousand purple gold coins per bottle,” he announced.

Those invited to the auction were the most renowned nobles and warriors of the capital and surrounding cities. To ordinary folk, ten thousand purple gold coins was a fortune, but for those who truly needed the pills, they were priceless. Otherwise, why would Manager Mo from Mo’s Auction House pay ten times the price to acquire them beforehand?

Many of those present were martial artists, and even some nobles were powerful practitioners themselves. Thus, three bottles of Qi Restoration Pills were far too few for the demand.

“Twenty thousand purple gold coins!”

“Twenty-five thousand!”

“Thirty thousand!”

Quickly, the first bottle of Qi Restoration Pills was bid up to fifty thousand purple gold coins, eventually won by a renowned expert from the capital.

Mo Fei was quite satisfied with the price. After all, the herbs needed for the Qi Restoration Pill were common on the continent; it was only his unique method of refinement that made them so valuable. If the guests had known that Cain had previously eaten them like candy, who knows if the bidding would have been so enthusiastic.

The remaining two bottles sold for similar prices. With just the Qi Restoration Pills, Mo Fei had already made one hundred and fifty thousand purple gold coins—fifteen million gold coins.

“Next up, we have the ‘Longevity Pill.’ This pill can slow the aging of the human body. Unlike the Elven Fountain of Life, it cannot restore a dying person to health, but it can delay aging in healthy individuals. It can also be taken multiple times, though the effect diminishes with each use. Three bottles, ten pills each, starting at twenty thousand purple gold coins per bottle.”

The allure of the Longevity Pill deeply moved the crowd. No sooner had Count Caesar’s words fallen than the bidding began in earnest.

Twenty thousand, thirty thousand, forty thousand, fifty thousand…

In the end, Emperor Tyron himself secured the first bottle for one hundred thousand purple gold coins. If not for the presence of his ministers, he might have bought all three bottles for himself.

Vivienne, of course, would never tell her father that she could have as many Longevity Pills as she wished—and was delighted to see Mo Fei earning a tidy sum from the emperor.

Vivienne knew exactly why Mo Fei needed such a large fortune. With his own territory, their status would be less disparate, and being together would be much easier.

Ultimately, the three bottles of Longevity Pills netted Mo Fei some three hundred thousand purple gold coins.

“Now, it’s time for the ‘Youth-retaining Pill.’ I’m sure all the ladies present are already familiar with its effects. Since just one pill can restore your youthful beauty, we’ve prepared five bottles. Rather than auction these, they will be sold at a fixed price of twenty thousand purple gold coins each, to ensure every lady present can have one.”

Count Caesar’s words brought joy to the faces of the noblewomen. What woman does not wish to retain her youthful looks? Especially these noble ladies—for without beauty, how could they hope to keep their husbands’ hearts?

In contrast to their wives’ excitement, the husbands all wore bitter expressions. They had hoped to participate symbolically in the bidding, then withdraw on account of the high price—thus satisfying their wives without spending a fortune. But Count Caesar had foiled their plan. Though twenty thousand purple gold coins seemed modest, it was actually double the price of the Longevity Pill. Yet, it was a sum every attendee could easily afford.

One had to admit, Count Caesar and Mo Fei had played their hands beautifully!