Longevity: Comprehending the Heart Method

At first, everyone was somewhat interested, but after careful observation, they all began to frown. No matter how or from what angle they looked, it was just a black stone emanating fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.

The material of its outer shell was unknown, as was its internal condition.

Just as Su Rou had said, it could be a treasure, but it was more likely just a worthless rock.

If it cost one or two Spirit Stones, they might have bought it for study, but a thousand Spirit Stones was no small sum.

For a moment, an awkward silence fell over the hall.

Song Changsheng was certain this stone was what he wanted, but he didn’t rush to bid. ’If I act too eager now, it’ll just cause unnecessary complications.’

Su Rou wasn’t surprised by the situation. After all, the item had failed to sell at several previous auctions; it would be bizarre if it sold so easily this time.

"Will any fellow Daoist make an offer? If not, this item will be..." Just as Su Rou was preparing to announce that the lot had failed to sell, Song Changsheng unhurriedly raised his paddle.

"I bid one thousand and one Spirit Stones."

"Hm?"

Instantly, the gazes of everyone present, Su Rou included, converged on Song Changsheng. They all wanted to discern something about him, but they were destined for disappointment. The black robe concealed him so thoroughly that nothing could be seen.

"I bid one thousand one hundred Spirit Stones." A hoary voice suddenly called out from a private box on the second floor.

Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed slightly, but he had long anticipated this. ’It’s normal for no one to bid. But once someone does, it’s an undeniable signal to everyone that the bidder has figured something out.’

In such a situation, many wealthy individuals would join the bidding, even if they hadn’t noticed anything unusual themselves.

Fortunately, the senior had provided him with ample funds. He slowly raised his paddle. "Another hundred."

"I bid two thousand." The old man in the private box jumped the price straight to two thousand.

Song Changsheng, of course, couldn’t give up. He deliberately put on an act of getting carried away, declaring with a swagger, "I’ll make it two thousand five hundred!"

Seeing the two of them bidding so enthusiastically, many in the crowd were tempted to jump in on the action.

But the old man in the private box quickly raised the bid to three thousand Spirit Stones. This price was enough to deter the vast majority of people. Even the few who might have considered it would not bid on an item of indeterminate value, not when the grand finale of the auction had yet to be revealed.

"Looks like I’m seeing this through with you today! I bid thirty-five hundred!" Song Changsheng roared, putting on the air of a boorish nouveau riche.

This immediately drew stunned or disapproving glances from everyone present; after all, this was truly no small sum.

Su Rou was both shocked and delighted. She had thought the item would go unsold, but in a surprising turn of events, it was now fetching an incredibly high price.

She couldn’t help but glance toward the private box on the second floor, secretly hoping the occupant would raise the bid again. After all, the higher the final price, the larger her commission.

Most importantly, selling an item that had previously gone unsold several times for such a high price was a testament to her own skill. ’Perhaps,’ she thought, ’this will help me catch the Dharma Eye of the higher-ups and get transferred to a larger auction house.’

In the second-floor private box, an old man in a brocade robe sat frowning at the stone. Ultimately, he decided against raising his bid.

Although he had discerned a few clues using his "Pupil Technique," this stone was not his goal for the day. His true target was the final, grand finale item, and he needed to conserve his resources.

No sound came from upstairs for a long moment. Su Rou felt a twinge of disappointment. Raising her gavel and holding it in mid-air, she announced, "Thirty-five hundred Spirit Stones from the fellow Daoist. Going once."

"Going twice."

"Going three times... sold!"

As the gavel fell, the knot in Song Changsheng’s chest loosened. At least the price hadn’t been driven to an absurd level; that would have drawn far too much unwanted attention.

Beside him, Zhu Yiqun discreetly gave him a thumbs-up.

He went backstage, paid the Spirit Stones, and received the jet-black stone.

The moment he touched it, Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed deeply. Though he couldn’t perceive anything outwardly wrong, a profound sense of revulsion toward the object arose from the depths of his consciousness. It was a feeling he had never experienced before.

’Could this be an evil artifact?’

Looking at the stone in his hand, his mind was suddenly flooded with doubt.

Ignoring the crowd’s stares, he calmly returned to his seat and sent a voice transmission to Zhu Yiqun. "This senior you told me about—what’s his background, exactly?"

Zhu Yiqun was taken aback. "Didn’t I already say I can’t tell you?"

Song Changsheng proceeded to tell him exactly what he had felt, stating bluntly, "I desperately need the Heart Protection Pill, but I will never do anything that violates my principles. If this is an evil artifact, I refuse to hand it over to him, no matter what."

Seeing his resolute attitude, Zhu Yiqun gritted his teeth. "Changsheng, that senior is definitely not affiliated with the Evil Dao. My father loathes practitioners of the Evil Dao more than anyone."

"He is using this object for healing, not for any other purpose. That’s all I can say. The rest is up to you."

Hearing this, Song Changsheng found himself conflicted. His intuition screamed that the stone was not a good thing, yet he was inclined to trust Zhu Yiqun’s character.

’Do I give it to him, or do I keep it?’

’This item was inconspicuous among the auction lots. It wasn’t even advertised, so how did that man know about it? Moreover, the Eight Directions Pavilion’s own Treasure Appraisers couldn’t determine its origin, yet he knows it can be used for healing...’

Song Changsheng’s mind raced. Suddenly, a Spiritual Light flashed through his thoughts, and a bold conjecture took shape.

’Could it be that this item was planted specifically for that man?’

According to Zhu Yiqun, the man was hiding from enemies and had suffered a peculiar injury.

’Putting it all together, I can form a hypothesis.’

’This item is most likely bait, deliberately planted by the man’s enemies. They were certain he would need it for his healing and hoped to use it to expose his location.’

’Furthermore, it’s highly likely his enemies have tampered with the stone in some way. My subconscious sensed that threat, which is why I felt such revulsion.’

’If so, then everything would make sense.’

At this thought, he couldn’t help but turn to Zhu Yiqun. "Brother Zhu, I have a rather presumptuous request."

"You want to meet him?" Zhu Yiqun asked, as if he had already guessed his intentions.

"Precisely."

"Sigh... there’s just no dealing with you. I’ll relay your request to the senior, but I can’t guarantee he’ll agree to meet you."

"That’s to be expected," Song Changsheng said firmly. "But please inform the senior that if I cannot see him in person, I will not hand over the item."

"Fine." Zhu Yiqun nodded helplessly, but he could also understand Song Changsheng’s reasoning...

Song Changsheng didn’t leave immediately. He waited until the final, grand finale item was presented, capturing most of the audience’s attention, before he quietly slipped out.

The moment they left the auction house, the two split up and melted into the crowd, disappearing in different directions to shake off the numerous followers who harbored ill intentions.

But even so, a single gaze remained fixed upon Song Changsheng...