You Have Science, I Have Martial Arts-Chapter 686 - 301: A Two-Million Apology (Part 2)
Just when Ye Qingzhou was bored and thought there was nothing good, the seventh auction item caught his attention.
"This is..."
"This is a wooden box from the Golden Era of Tang, once collected by the Imperial Family. It was lost to the people during wartime, passed through many hands, and now finally sees the light of day again. Although we don't know who its original owner was, the box is made of Golden Rattan Wood with exquisite carvings, and it bears the true trace of Zhang Xu's cursive script. It is undoubtedly a rare treasure in the world."
"What!"
"The Grass Saint's true trace?"
In the first floor auction hall, many people looked shocked, and their gazes all focused on the wooden box, as if looking at a rare treasure.
Indeed, if Zhang Xu's cursive script truly graces the box, it is indeed a rare treasure.
As one of the Three Wonders of the Golden Era of Tang, many of Zhang Xu's true traces that have survived to this day are auctioned for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions, truly cultural treasures.
Compared to the bustling first floor auction hall, the VIP boxes on the second floor were much quieter, as these top Hong Kong tycoons had already received the news, and many came specifically for this.
"Now, the bidding starts, the base price is sixty million, no upper limit, each increment must not be less than five million..."
Before the auctioneer finished speaking, someone had already begun to raise a bid.
"Bid of one hundred million from phone number 001! One hundred million, is there a higher bid!?"
The auctioneer shouted at the top of his lungs. It was too exciting. Starting with one hundred million, this was overwhelming like Mount Tai, sweeping through all opposition.
"Box number 001? Hmm, who's bidding from the Zhuang Family?"
"It's the second young master of the Zhuang Family, I saw him earlier."
"Zhuang Ban City's birthday is in a few days, and it's said he loves calligraphy, so this wooden box is likely a birthday gift from the second young master of the Zhuang Family."
Most people in the other boxes were local nobility, and they were naturally very familiar with the Zhuang Family.
Zhuang Ban City, just the name alone tells you how powerful the Zhuang Family is in Hong Kong. They are super capital giants spanning real estate, electricity, water supply, telecommunications, etc., and their wealth and industry can leverage assets over three trillion.
That's why they earned the title "Half City".
In fact, many local Hong Kong residents jokingly refer to the Zhuang Family as Hong Kong's "Zhuang Family", while most other residents are just chips in the Zhuang Family's hands.
Now that all the nobility saw Zhuang Zekuun bidding for the birthday banquet of Zhuang Ban City, naturally, no one wanted to bid against them.
Dare to offend Zhuang Ban City and still hope to mix in Hong Kong?
"Box number 004 bids one hundred and five million!"
This bid left everyone stunned, all curious about who dared to not give the Zhuang Family face.
"Looks like box number 004 has been booked by the Lin Family."
"Lin Bingwen?"
"No, he booked box number 005. I just chatted with him for a bit, and he wouldn't dare do this."
"Could it be Lin Guodong?"
"He... wouldn't do something like this, would he?"
"Then who could it be?"
"I don't know, but it looks like there's going to be a good show."
Inside box number 001, Zhuang Zekuun's brows twisted into a '川' character. He was a bit upset now, but to maintain grace and composure, he couldn't erupt in anger — he could only bear the temper and hope the opponent would back down.
"Bid of one hundred and fifty million from phone number 001!"
"Bid of one hundred and fifty-five million from phone number 004!"
"Bid of two hundred million from phone number 001!"
"Bid of two hundred and five million from phone number 004!"
Ye Qingzhou was neither rushed nor slow, increasing the bid by five million each time. His goal wasn't to show off, but to win the wooden box in front of him.
But others didn't think so.
"Raising each bid by five million, who is this person who dares to humiliate the Zhuang Family like this?"
"I don't know, but he must have a significant background!"
Other noble families were watching the spectacle, not daring to provoke the Zhuang Family themselves, but having the courage to watch someone else do so.
In the box, Xu Yuebing wore a puzzled expression: "Since when are you so interested in calligraphy?"
"I have no special preference for calligraphy; what caught my eye is the wooden box itself."
"The wooden box?"
Xu Yuebing couldn't help but take another look, but did not find anything special about the wooden box as an auction item. Although Golden Rattan Wood is very expensive, for the Linjiang Xu Clan, it was just that.
Spending two hundred million on a wooden box would not make sense even with wealth to burn.
Unless the wooden box itself was extraordinarily valuable.
"What's special about this wooden box?"
Xu Yuebing couldn't help but ask.
Ye Qingzhou shook his head: "The wooden box has nothing special, and what's inside is just a few family letters, which I don't find valuable. What truly piqued my interest is the life of the box's owner."
He had no interest in Zhang Xu's true trace; what was truly valuable was not the box itself, but the history and time it carried.
Ye Qingzhou used the Celestial Eye, seeing through phenomena, and the past lives of the box's successive owners unfolded before him.
Merchants... high officials... Emperors... layer upon layer of time traced back to the original source.
Then, Ye Qingzhou saw a sword intent so fierce it shone through past times, silently blooming deep in his eyes.
"The Three Wonders of the Golden Era of Tang, Sword Saint Pei Min..."
Ye Qingzhou now knew who the owner of the box was: "The Three Wonders of the Golden Era of Tang, Poetry Immortal Taibai, Sword Master Pei Min, Cursive Saint Zhang Xu... The original owner of this box was Pei Min, and thus the traces left behind are the deepest. The sword intent was so strong, it remained condensed and undispersed for a thousand years, hidden within the box."
Li Taibai, the Poet Immortal, whose unparalleled talents in poetry were unmatched, and his swordsmanship was also top-tier at the time, but purely in terms of achievement in swordsmanship, Pei Min surpassed Li Taibai, indicating how advanced his sword skill was.
For a martial artist like Ye Qingzhou, the wooden box before him was priceless, as it carried the life of a legendary swordsman buried by time.
Observing the other's sword intent was evidently of unimaginable benefit to him, and Ye Qingzhou was determined to get this wooden box. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
"Bid of three hundred million from phone number 001!"
This price was essentially Zhuang Zekuun competing with Ye Qingzhou.
Even for the Zhuang Family, spending this much cash to buy a wooden box was extremely luxurious.
But for Ye Qingzhou, three hundred million to acquire a 'life' of a Martial Saint strong person was incredibly worthwhile.
"Bid of three hundred and five million from phone number 004!"
Bam~
In box number 001, Zhuang Zekuun was so angry he smashed the teacup in his hand: "Too insulting, truly too insulting! Find out who dares to disrespect the Zhuang Family this way!"
He wasn't just throwing money away. At this price, there was no way he could continue to bid, or he'd become a laughingstock.
On the other side, Ye Qingzhou successfully secured the wooden box, feeling the wood grain and carefully sensing the Supreme Sword Intent contained within.
Ye Qingzhou had only seen two other instances of Supreme Sword Intent at the Sword Saint level before.
First was the Great River Sword of Poet Immortal Li Taibai, grand and imposing, with a majestic and vast realm like a great river that gushes endlessly, stretching for miles.
Secondly was Dao Master Lv Chunyang's Flying Divine Sword, as high as the heavens, as deep as the seas, as heavy as mountains — excellency that goes beyond all things when the sword intent reaches its peak.
For Ye Qingzhou, a martial artist, the current wooden box was invaluable because it contained the time and life of a legendary swordsman, buried within.
By embracing the wood's grain, he carefully perceived the aura it concealed, fully intent on acquiring it.
For someone like Ye Qingzhou, this wooden box was invaluable as it contained the legacy of a legendary swordsman, which was truly beneficial to him in unimaginable ways. Because it carries a saga and history, a Master Sword Saint's supreme sword intent buried within the wooden box named Kunn.
"Bid of three hundred and five million from phone number 004!"
Thud~
In box number 001, Zhuang Zekuun's eyebrows were furrowed into a frown, his frustration evident. But to maintain dignity and composure, he couldn't lash out and had to bear with it, hoping the other party would know when to back down.
Even for the Zhuang Family, spending so much cash to buy a wooden box was extravagantly excessive.
But for Ye Qingzhou, three hundred million and fifty million to acquire the box was beyond valuable, because it held the timeless and unchanging Sword Skill — the formless, ever-changing sword of pure, condensed Sword Intent.
