The top-level junior sister also wants to act weak today

"But..." The guard was stunned for a moment, frowned, and couldn't help but pursed his lips.

He had long ago reminded His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to keep a closer eye on others, to be more proactive, and not to constantly refer to them as his younger sister. And now, Miss Jiang has gone to cultivate herself, and less than a year later, she's already openly claiming she only considers the Crown Prince a brother. And that masked man is clearly not a good person, calling himself the "senior brother"—he's clearly trying to poach someone!

But he was just a guard. Even if he had a thousand things to say, he couldn't say anything here. He could only hold his breath and mutter in his heart.

"Forget it." After a moment, he looked at Duan Qingqing, his eyes no longer polite, and said coldly: "Anyway, you should apologize to Miss Jiang quickly."

"Why—" Duan Qingqing was about to retort with a stubborn look on her face, but before she could finish her words, Yufeng interrupted her mercilessly: "Because this is an order from His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Apologize quickly, because I have to go back and report after that."

Duan Qingqing was stunned, and timidly glanced at the people upstairs. In the end, she could only endure the grievances in her heart and said unwillingly, "I'm sorry."

Jiang Yingxue looked at her frustrated expression and couldn't help but smile softly. She reached out to hide the smile on her lips, and glanced at the crowd with a sense of ease. She said softly, "Alright, alright. We're all from the same sect. How could I be so stingy? Everyone, don't make the atmosphere so tense. Let's take our seats quickly. The auction is about to begin."

Jiang Yingxue's unhurried attitude infuriated Duan Qingqing, who gasped and gritted her teeth, "You're really good at pretending..."

"Really?" Jiang Yingxue's eyes curved. She had been pretending to be a white lotus for more than ten years, so these words were not offensive at all: "Then I will just take it as a compliment~"

"Tsk!" Duan Qingqing turned around and sat back in anger.

At that moment, the lights in the auction hall suddenly dimmed. The noisy crowd around them fell silent for a moment, their gazes focused on the high platform in the center. The light in the hall now formed only a faint circle of light at the center of the stage, illuminating a slender, tall figure.

The woman was dressed in a black robe, her face obscured by an exquisite fox mask. The mask, emblazoned with golden patterns, shone faintly in the dim light, creating a mysterious and elusive allure. Her gaze, through the mask, swept across the stage, gently scanning each guest present.

As everyone waited, she gently raised her red lips, her voice cold and slightly hoarse, echoing throughout the auction hall: "Welcome all distinguished guests to Linxian City's triennial auction. Tonight, you will witness the unveiling of countless treasures."

She paused briefly, her eyes flickering slightly as she deliberately drew out her words, making them particularly captivating. "I'm tonight's auctioneer, Shiyue. Tonight's auction items are diverse, ranging from thousand-year-old elixirs to peerless treasures, to rare young beasts rarely seen. I believe this trip will be worthwhile. If you're ready, please take your numbered plates and follow me to begin this extraordinary feast."

"Next, everyone, please wait—" Shiyue raised her hand slightly, and said in a gentle and expectant tone, "I will unveil the first lot of tonight's auction."

Before he finished speaking, a tall man stepped out from the side of the stage. He wore a black robe and a rabbit mask, and in his hands he gently held a small jade bottle. The bottle was transparent and emitted a faint luster, which seemed to faintly reveal the unique light of the object hidden within.

Chu Ying lowered her voice and leaned close to Jiang Yingxue's ear, saying, "I remember everyone at this auction was wearing a fox mask. Why is this guy wearing a rabbit mask?"

Jiang Yingxue shook her head in confusion: "I don't know either."

Of course, these are all fake. People who hold the original novel will certainly know that the person standing above is not a staff member here, but the male protagonist He Qingfeng.

In this world, elixirs are divided into nine levels: low-grade elixirs, mid-grade elixirs, high-grade elixirs, ultimate elixirs, miraculous elixirs, immortal elixirs, divine elixirs, holy elixirs, and supreme treasure elixirs. The higher the elixir's level, the more difficult it is to refine, and the stronger its efficacy.

According to the plot, the genius protagonist, less than a year after joining the sect, has already refined a top-grade elixir with his top-grade fire spirit root. Next, he will make a fortune at an auction with his refined elixir, earning his first pot of gold.

The man walked slowly to the center of the stage. Shiyue nodded slightly, and he respectfully placed the jade bottle on an exquisite red brocade pillow.

Shi Yue's eyes lit up slightly, and she smiled softly. She raised her fingertips elegantly, signaling the guests to take a closer look at the pills on the stage. "This is the first lot for tonight—five Hundred Refining Pills. These pills were made by a genius alchemist with a top-grade fire spirit root. They contain the essence of hundreds of herbs and have the effect of improving cultivation and strengthening the body. They are rare and top-grade pills."

She paused briefly, waiting for the guests' exclamations to subside before continuing slowly, "The starting price is one thousand spirit stones. Everyone, if you're interested, please show your willingness."

"One thousand and one spirit stones!" An old man in a dark red robe was the first to speak. His voice was low and his eyes flashed with a gleam of determination.

As the old man raised his hand, the young man beside him raised his voice and quickly followed up, "One thousand five hundred!"

Before the crowd quieted down, the third bid was heard: "I bid three thousand"

The bidder was a mysterious woman wearing a black veiled hat. She raised her hand slightly, and her sleeve slid down like a wave of water, revealing a slender arm. In her hand, she clutched a cyan token, revealing her unusual status. Her voice was tinged with a gentle smile, as if she didn't care about the price.

The audience murmured, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense. Chu Ying lowered her voice, squinting her eyes as she gazed at the mysterious woman, a look of confusion on her face. "Oh my god, who is this person? Why did she raise the price to three thousand spirit stones? But that token looks so familiar, I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."

Cen Yizi leaned over and said, "Did you forget? That's the token of the Canglan Kingdom's aristocratic family. Don't you have one in your own family?"

Chu Ying's eyes lit up as she suddenly realized, "Oh, yes, yes, my family has one too. So, that person is also from the Eight Great Families?"

Cen Yizhi nodded: "Look at the totem on the token, it's the He family."

"The He family?" Chu Ying frowned slightly, clearly showing some disdain. "He Qingfeng's family?"

"Yeah, what's wrong?"

"Haha," Chu Ying sneered, then clasped her fists and made a slightly exaggerated gesture. "If it were someone else's, I wouldn't have gotten involved, but since it's He Qingfeng's, I'm going to be the bad guy for once! I'm setting the price!"

Chu Ying then raised her number plate and shouted, "Three thousand one hundred spirit stones!"