Yu Chen looked up as a light knock sounded on the door.

  The other boys looked up at the noise as well, exchanging glances with each other before turning to look at Yu Chen. He met Sun Yuan’s eyes, tilting his head towards the door. The other boy took the hint and stood up without hesitation, checking to see who was outside.

  “Yes?” The navigator said, pulling the door open to reveal the cultivator standing outside.

  The man bowed low, first towards Sun Yuan, who was holding the door, and then towards the others within. He wore robes that marked him as a member of the Auction Ship’s crew, and when he spoke it was in a respectful tone.

  “Honored guests,” The man said in a deferential tone. “Young master Liang has sent me to inform you that the auction will start shortly. If you’re ready to leave, I can take you to the box he has arranged for you.”

  “I think we are ready.” Yu Chen said, looking around at the others.

  Yan Ziqi gave him a nod and Serbo au Serbo lifted an uncaring shoulder.

  He tossed a glance towards Sun Yuan who still waited by the door.

  “Let’s go.” The boy said impatiently.

  They stood up, joining him before following the servant on a winding path through the third floor of the Auction Ship. It seemed they weren’t the only ones to be summoned. They passed many other groups led by members of the Auction ship along the way, although most of them contained at least one Golden Core cultivator.

  Their small party elicited some interest on their way to the box seeing as they lacked one, and Yu Chen did his best to avoid the strange gazes that came their way. It made him uncomfortable. He felt that attracting attention from those more powerful than him, particularly Golden Core cultivators, was undesirable.

  It didn’t take long before they arrived at the glass box that had been reserved for them. It was currently transparent, and any who walked by could see the lavish room within. The way it was furnished gave off an understated elegance, quite at odds with the gaudier rooms on the floors below.

  The low couches running the length of the room were masterfully made, exuding a restrained luxury that was unpretentious. Scrolls and tapestries displaying striking images covered the walls, and potted plants sat in the corners of the room, radiating with an aura that Yu Chen could feel from outside of the room.

  “Your key, please.” The servant requested, drawing his attention away from the room.

  Yu Chen sent a small jolt of spirituality energy into the ring on his finger as he twisted his hand, causing the key to appear out of thin air. He could see why so many cultivators favored the design. It really was quite a bit more convenient than the spatial bag he’d carried.

  The servant took it with a bow before turning to press it against the glass. There was no keyhole or anything else as mundane as that, but the key itself lit up with a soft glow before the glass flickered and disappeared.

  The servant returned the key to Yu Chen and motioned for them to enter the box.

  Yu Chen cast a dubious glance around as they all piled into the room, but there didn’t appear to be anything out of place. It was exactly what it appeared to be, a sitting area large enough for a small group to sit in comfort as they watched the auction occurring down below.

  “Honored guests,” The servant spoke, drawing their attention. “If I can have your attention for a moment.”

  They turned, looking towards the man. He’d followed them in, and the glass had reformed at some point, turning opaque behind him. “I’m sure you’ve already noticed, but through that window,” he said, gesturing towards the one now behind them. “You’ll be able to watch the auction as it’s occurring. Also, the auctioneer’s voice will come out of there,” the man said, pointing towards a small jade pillar that rose up between the couches and the window.

  “If you wish to make a bid you can either press the button on top or speak into it, as you please.” He said, looking between them.

  “Do you have any questions for me?”

  The four of them shook their heads to the negative.

  “Very good. Can I fetch some refreshments for you gentlemen to enjoy?”

  “Refreshments?” Serbo au Serbo said slowly, giving the man a quizzical look as he tested the word.

  “Ah,” The man said, a look of consternation appearing crossing his face. “Perhaps something to eat, or some drinks?” The man replied.

  “Yes.” The barbarian grunted before turning around.

  A bemused smile crossed the servant’s face, but he smoothed it over quickly. “Is there anything else I can get for the rest of you?”

  The rest of them put in an order and the man left shortly after, stepping through the opaque glass as though it wasn’t there. Yu Chen was always wary, and he found the ease with which the man could come and go slightly disconcerting.

  He put it out of his mind however, looking down in interest at whatever was occurring below.

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  It appeared as though the auction was just getting underway, as men wearing robes marking them as members of the Auction Ship moved back and forth setting things up. It was a wide, open space, the entire middle of the vessel having been hollowed out to provide enough room for the ring of glass boxes overlooking the auction space.

  The boxes appeared to be made out of a two-way glass that appeared opaque to observers while allowing you to see through it. It gave him a good idea of which rooms were occupied, as the glass surrounding some of them appeared cloudy, but the ones that were unoccupied remained clearly visible.

  Time passed, and their refreshments eventually arrived. The servant seemed to have hedged his bets, delivering a small feast for the barbarian to enjoy. And enjoy it he did. Serbo paid attention to little else as he tore into the food, and Sun Yuan joined him, giving the other boy a run for his money as he ate with gusto. He sent the servants out to fetch more drinks, seemingly intent on turning the entire event into a party.

  Yu Chen ignored them, staying focused on the scene before him. Yan Ziqi sat beside him, similarly occupied. He was the serious sort, more intent on analyzing the world around him than engaging in its pleasures.

  More of the rooms around them began to obscure as more cultivators arrived to attend the auction. It was the rooms at the bottom that filled up the fastest. They held the worst view of the stage and contained either inconsequential cultivators or cheap ones.

  Or those who were here to buy and sell bulk goods. The spirit herb farmer Lu Tao had spoken of was the sort who might reserve a room down below, as he was only there to see what price his goods sold for. Lu Tao, as an Alchemist Adept, would be there to buy, and would find a room with a better view, one on the second, if not the third, floor.

  It was a subtle hierarchy but clearly obvious, one of the unspoken perks of status and power. Soon the entire first floor had filled up, and most of the second. The third remained less than half full, even though the auction was ready to begin.

  A feeling of pride ran through Yu Chen as he looked below him, one atypical to his nature. He couldn’t stop it, or the thoughts that followed. It was chance that brought me here, but one day soon I’ll earn my place at the top.

  Then Serbo au Serbo burst into song, interrupting his thoughts. Red-faced, Sun Yuan joined him, although he didn’t know the words. The two carried on for a bit, but Yan Ziqi shushed them as the voice of the auctioneer came through the jade pillar.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” The auctioneer’s voice was almost cartoonish, filled with a high-pitched glee. ”First, let me welcome you all to the Auction Ship!” The man paused, looking around at the glass boxes around him before giving a low bow. He spun on his heels, including them all before standing up and speaking once more.

  “Now that the formalities are out of the way, let the auction begin!”

  Yu Chen leaned forward, watching in interest, but it quickly waned as he realized the most mundane items were auctioned off first. The Auction Ship played a vital role in the economy of the yellow river as a place where lots of spiritual grains, herbs and ores were sold.

  These basic goods were necessary for the production of everything from artifacts to talismans, but it was ingredients for the production of pills that sold for the most. The bidding was quick and furious as lots of Ironbark root, Mistleaves and spiritgrasses all crossed the stage.

  The same couldn’t be said for the crafting materials.

  It seemed to be a slow day for artificers, as both mundane lots of Earthstone ore and rarer stuff like Cloudsilver were sold for a cheap price. Yan Ziqi sat forward, his eyes gleaming in interest as various goods were brought forward, but it was the appearance of a small lot of metallic objects that made him truly sit up.

  “Next up, we have lot 47G! Thirty-three catties of Blackiron Shards, quarried off river!” The auctioneer said as he held up a tray full of dull, blackened shards. Yu Chen thought they looked unimpressive, but at the very least they were clean cut. “I don’t have to tell you fine gentlemen about how rare these are, so we will go straight to the bid!”

  The auctioneer slowly turned looking around dramatically before raising his voice and speaking once more.

  “Starting bid is 300 spirit stones!” The man called out, and the room erupted into fury.

  Boxes all around them lit up, flashing with a green light to bid on the goods.

  “350, 400, 450!” The auctioneer yelled, rattling off numbers one after another. Most of the rooms stayed a stubborn green, but as the numbers increased more and more began to turn red and drop out.

  “700 spirit stones!” He roared, and only two rooms remained lit. “750!” One of the last remaining rooms finally gave up and flickered, turning red.

  “750 spirit stones, going once!” The auctioneer shouted, “Going twice!”

  Yan Ziqi looked as though he was warring with himself, but as the auctioneer opened his mouth to speak once more, he leaned forward, slamming a hand down to bid.

  The auctioneer blinked as their room, formerly opaque, lit up green. He took it in stride, and his half-opened mouth spread wide to roar once more.

  “800 spirit stones for the Shards of Blackiron!”

  Yan Ziqi didn’t move, remaining locked in his seat as their room glowed a soft green.

  “850!” The auctioneer shouted, and the other side finally gave in, their room flickering red in defeat.

  “Going once, Going twice!” The auctioneer paused, looking around to see if anyone else would throw in a last-minute bid. “Sold!”

  Yan Ziqi looked around with a slight smile of satisfaction as the auctioneer turned his attention towards the next item, hawking a lot full of Amberflame Crystal. The small stones were fairly popular items as they emitted not only light, but heat, making them useful for warming a cultivator’s ship or cave.

  “Elder Ming would consider it a steal at 40 stones a cattie.” The artificer said, stretching with a smug look on his face.

  “What do you plan to do with it?” Yu Chen asked, giving the other boy a curious look.

  “I’ll forge something of course.” Yan Ziqi said, a frown crossing his face as he leaned back in his seat. “Truthfully, I haven’t yet formed an artifact that’s suitable for me to carry to the end of Foundation Establishment. The ones that I have are serviceable, but they just aren’t up to snuff.”

  Yu Chen gave a light snort. If the weapons he carried were serviceable, then what would you call those carried by everyone else? Well, yes, Serbo au Serbo’s hornbow was quite powerful, despite being crude, and Sun Yuan’s sabre wasn’t weaker than anything the artificer carried either.

  And Cang Wuji… Well, he’d never quite plumbed the depths of Cang Wuji, and he’d never forgotten the way the boy's spiritual weapon had emitted no aura at all. What secrets was it hiding, when even the sword carried by the sect leader of the Golden Mist couldn’t help but emit a baleful aura?

  Still, Yan Ziqi’s weapons were far beyond anything he’d seen carried by a pirate, and he had a vast armory full of them that he could unleash. Even if his weapons did lack something in quality, they more than made up for it with quantity.

  Yu Chen told him as much.

  “What?” Yan Ziqi said, blinking his eyes as he stared up at the tall boy. “A weapon? What are you talking about? I'm going to craft a hammer.”

  It was Yu Chen’s turn to blink. He didn’t say anything however, simply nodding towards the other boy before turning his attention back to the auction.

  Of course Yan Ziqi would spend 800 spirit stones to make a better hammer, why wouldn’t he?