I'm caught in the cycle of endless competition, you're waiting for me in the apocalypse.

The final bid settled on the colored spirit stone. The auctioneer's face grew even more radiant, like a beautiful woman slightly tipsy, alluring and seductive!

An Xin and the other two sat calmly in the private room, watching the lingering ghostly figures below. They seemed particularly concerned about today's auction.

Through limited observation using her Heavenly Eye and Heavenly Ear, An Xin had roughly learned who the recipients of the concentrated spiritual liquid were: a noble princess from the Western ghost world, a powerful ghost cultivator from the Netherworld, and the young city lord of Linyou City.

Their curiosity about the elixir, its creators, and its ingredients led them to seek out the owner of the Netherworld Auction House before even paying for the transaction!

Almost all the VIPs in the private rooms were looking for the host, hoping to get firsthand information, but today it was destined that, apart from An Xin and the other two, the host would not see anyone!

Once the auction hall finally quieted down, a gentle knock sounded on the door of the private room. Among the group of ghosts who entered, An Xin immediately spotted the four generals! The generals were dressed in light armor and cloaks, obscuring their faces. They stood quietly by the door, devoid of any life or imposing presence, only exuding loneliness and desolation.

"I'm so sorry I'm late!" A deep, resonant voice, as rich as strong liquor, rang out, its sound preceding the figure's arrival. Following this voice were steady footsteps! Immediately afterward, a handsome man who appeared to be around 30 years old entered the private room.

Completely different from any man An Xin had ever met before, this man (not sure, will see) was an undeniable presence. His thick, dark brown hair was neatly combed, which further accentuated his handsome appearance, especially his pair of intelligent eyes, deep and mysterious, and the upturned corners of his mouth revealed his good mood.

Tall and imposing, his long, powerful legs exuded confidence and composure with every step. His simple yet stylish casual suit accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His unique, mature demeanor and elegant speech and mannerisms gave him a captivating charm, like a fine vintage wine.

"Hello, Mr. Gu, I am Fu Mochen, the owner of Youming Auction House." Fu Mochen nodded in greeting.

"Gu Han! I've long admired your name!" Gu Shuohan nodded slightly.

"Mr. Gu, please have a seat. It was my oversight that kept you waiting!" Fu Mochen said, leading everyone to sit on the sofa.

Gu Shuohan sat steadily on the sofa, while An Xin and Ao Jue stood behind it, looking every bit the loyal and well-trained individuals.

To show his sincerity, Gu Shuohan removed his hood, revealing his young and handsome face. But apart from that, no one could see through his cultivation level.

"Mr. Gu is so young!" Fu Mochen exclaimed sincerely.

"Mr. Fu, you have quite the presence!" Mutual flattery was inevitable, and Gu Shuohan felt helpless inside, but his face remained calm and aloof. "Anqian, spirit liquid!"

“Yes, boss.” An Xin took out another glass bottle and poured the spiritual liquid into a clean cup.

"Please!" Gu Shuohan waved his hand, gesturing for Fu Mochen to also pick up his water glass!

The two drank the spiritual liquid in their cups together. At this moment, Qian Lai also entered the private room and stood behind Fu Mochen.

"Now that everyone is here, let's discuss the transaction of this spiritual liquid. I am very satisfied with the effects of the spiritual liquid today and the fierce bidding, and I am also full of expectations for our future cooperation! Mr. Gu just showed me his sincerity, and now it is my turn to show my sincerity. I will give Mr. Gu these four generals that you just bid on, without taking a single penny!"

"This is far too precious! I dare not accept such a gift!"

"The four generals' bids were far below the value of the concentrated spiritual liquid. In fact, I got a great deal. If you didn't accept it, how could I dare to accept your spiritual liquid?"

Gu Shuohan pretended to think for a moment, then slowly nodded: "Hand over these four generals to An Qian! Incorporate these four into the guard."

"Yes!" An Xin replied immediately.

“Mr. Gu, we have both demonstrated our sincerity. Now we can talk about cooperation.”

“Mr. Fu, you are the host here, please go first.”

“Alright, that’s great. Then I’ll do my best to be a good host.” Fu Mochen crossed his legs and tapped his fingers lightly on his thighs. “I won’t participate in your research and development, and I won’t ask about the source. I’ll just provide the sales channels. Auction houses have two commission rates: one is agreed upon, and the other is a 5% commission. But if you provide long-term sales channels here, I will charge 10% of the purchase and sale price.”

As soon as Fu Mochen finished speaking, An Xin and the other two felt relieved, but also admired him for being able to refrain from greed, even though he was a ghostly being who did business!

In fact, the group discussed the matter for a long time in the private room and finally reached a consensus, requesting that the other party only provide sales channels and take a commission of about 20%.

I didn't expect things to go so smoothly; we didn't even need to negotiate.

An Xin quietly patted Gu Shuohan twice from behind, signaling him not to agree immediately. There's no smoke without fire when someone is being overly solicitous; they need to see if he has any other demands.

“Mr. Fu, your style of doing things is as straightforward as you are. Do you have any other ideas? Why don’t you just say them all at once?”

Gu Shuohan truly lives up to his reputation as the young master of the Gu family. Even though he didn't take over the family business, he was exposed to it from a young age. Coupled with his superb acting skills, he was practically blessed with a full set of advantages, exuding an air of confidence.

“What I mean is that the sales channels for the Spirit Liquid are monopolized by our Netherworld Auction House, and the auction house will acquire the Spirit Liquid as soon as possible.” Fu Mochen was very satisfied with the other party’s straightforwardness. In business, time and brains are equally important.

Gu Shuohan frowned slightly, then opened his mouth after a moment: "Then we can set a time."

"Okay, how about one year?"

“Okay! Apart from not interfering with the research and development and not limiting the delivery time, we have no other requirements!” Gu Shuohan leaned forward and tapped his cup.

An Xin cleverly filled both of their bottles with the spiritual liquid.

"Mr. Fu, then I wish us a successful collaboration! Cheers!"

"cheers!"

"We still have things to take care of today, so we'll come back tomorrow to sign the contract."

钱来忙不迭地过来，双手奉上一张黑金卡片：“这是1亿3千7百7十5万灵石！我们已为您存在这张至尊无限卡里。明日我将全天恭候大驾。”

"Today's arrangements are very good, Mr. Fu's team is very good." Gu Shuohan stood up, pointed to the glass water bottle, nodded slightly to Qian Lai, and turned to An Xin to instruct, "It's time to go, take the generals with you."

"Yes!"

"Mr. Gu, take care, the money is coming..."

"Yes, boss, I'll go see them off and be right back." Qian Lai bowed and led the way for An Xin and her group. A moment later, he returned to the private room. "Boss, they've left. The Black-Clad Guards have followed them."

"Okay, I trust you to handle things. Come, have a seat!"

"Thank you, boss!"

"What do you think of these people?" Fu Mochen leaned back on the sofa, legs spread wide, exuding domineering aura. His eyes narrowed slightly as he twirled the black jade ring on his finger.

“Very cautious, very mysterious!” Qian Lai added after careful recollection, “It seems that among the three, the one named An Qian is the one in charge. Before you came, he was the one who delivered the spiritual liquid, and it seems that the other two would not object to anything he did.”

“Their identities are not simple... Their cloaks are different from ours, and they clearly have the function of blocking detection. Even I can't figure out their true strength.”

"Should I test the waters again tomorrow?"

"Not for now. We've only just made contact, and too much probing could backfire. Let's wait for news from the Black-Clad Guards."

“Master, there is something else I need to report to you. There have been frequent unusual movements on the city lord's side, but the city lord has not shown up. Today, it is the young city lord who is bidding.”

“I know that what that old scoundrel Feng Ming has always wanted is nothing more than power.” Fu Mochen pointed directly at the glass bottle, signaling Qian Lai to fill it with spiritual liquid. “The one in the capital already knows about all his little tricks, he just wants to see how far he can go. Of the four city lords in the east, west, south, and north, is he the most ambitious? It’s just that Linyou City is the closest to the Spirit Realm, so if he does something there… Anyway, keep an eye on the city lord’s mansion.”

"Yes, boss!"

........................

"Don't make a sound, don't turn around, someone's following us." An Xin quietly reminded Gu Shuohan as she walked beside him.

They soon arrived at the inn they had chosen earlier – Soul Return Inn.

"We want a top-tier room! 7 days!" An Xin slammed her card on the front desk, exuding confidence.

"Alright, sir, please follow me!" A waiter floated out from the front desk, took two room keys, and led the three people into the elevator. "Sir, I'll take you to see Room Number One first."

On the fourth floor, there were five rooms in total. The waiter opened the middle wooden door, and after looking around, it was just a two-bedroom apartment, barely acceptable. The waiter, with a keen eye, recommended, "If you're not satisfied, how about I take you to the deluxe suite?"

"I thought the top-tier rooms were the best!" Ao Jue muttered to himself.

"Guest, the VIP suites are only available to guests holding a Black Gold Card, and we only have two VIP suites." The waiter downstairs had already noticed An Xin pull out a Black Gold Card exclusive to the Netherworld Auction House. This card, along with a prepaid bank card, was only available to VIP members of the Netherworld Auction House. He had also discerningly brought the VIP suite key, which he could now conveniently recommend. "Both Soul Return Pavilion and the Netherworld Auction House are properties under the Mo City Group, so VIP cardholders, in addition to enjoying exclusive VIP suites, also receive special discounts and services."

As they talked, they arrived on the fifth floor. There were only two suites on the top floor. A waiter pushed open the ornate wooden door, revealing a foyer with swaying bamboo shadows. The use of floor lamps and concealed warm lighting gave the foyer a secluded, tranquil feel, like a bamboo forest. After changing shoes and passing through a bamboo screen, the space opened up dramatically: modern Chinese-style furniture, large floor-to-ceiling windows, and a spacious living room that was simple yet elegant. To the left, a full-length window revealed an irregularly shaped infinity pool connected to another deluxe suite. Inside the glass was a raised, circular sunbathing tub.

On the round table in the semi-open restaurant, various food-shaped incense candles are arranged in a staggered manner.

Entering the master bedroom, an oversized, intricately carved canopy bed comes into view, complete with a luxurious cloud-feel mattress featuring a massage function. On the other side of the room is a walk-in wardrobe separated by a half-wall-high carved screen. Adjacent to it is the study, furnished with a complete set of antique-style furniture and the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper). A hidden door leads to a spacious bathroom.

The other two rooms are relatively smaller, but they are still fully equipped.

An Xin was very satisfied with the apartment and made the decision.

After the waiter respectfully left, An Xin ran straight into the master bedroom without saying a word and announced that it was hers!

At this moment, Gu Shuohan and Ao Jue simply smiled and shook their heads.

After the three of them had settled in and washed up, it was still dark outside...

An Xin first walked out of the master bedroom and into the living room. She was quite annoyed to see four generals standing there motionless... Just then, Gu Shuohan also came into the living room and begged An Xin for some delicious food!

Actually, An Xin was also a little hungry. Perhaps because she couldn't obtain spiritual energy or other energy from the outside world, she wanted to eat something to get energy.

He pulled out spicy hot pot, milk tea, fruit, steamed buns, pastries, and skewers from the universe.

"I look at you like I'm looking at Doraemon now." Gu Shuohan was still curious about An Xin's antics. "Why are you only pulling out snacks? Don't you have any proper meals?"

"Want some boxed lunches? I was going to the Taoist temple and was worried that the food on the mountain wouldn't be enough, so I went to the local food street and got a lot of people to pack them up and deliver them home! It's a pity I don't need to eat anymore, so all the snacks are just sitting in my space..."

"Ah! What are all these? They smell so good!"

With excited shouts, a beautiful young man with white hair and horns on his head gracefully arrived.