Rebirth of Jinxuan

The auction hall was bustling with noise, and bids were being made one after another.

Lu Jinxuan and Hu Xinyue arrived at the auction stage, where a pill emitting a faint golden light was placed on a crystal tray, attracting everyone's attention.

"Six thousand taels!"

"Seven thousand taels!"

Prices soared, and Hu Xinyue gripped Lu Jinxuan's hand tightly, her palms sweating with nervousness.

Lu Jinxuan frowned slightly, "The price is actually so high?"

Hu Xinyue sighed, "It's all because the Soul Condensing Pill is too rare. Every time it appears, it's fought over by various forces, and the price is driven up to astronomical levels. My elder brother exhausted all his wealth and only managed to scrape together eight thousand taels of gold. Last time, that Soul Condensing Pill was eventually sold for ten thousand taels of gold. How could he possibly compete for it again!"

Lu Jinxuan was secretly shocked: ten thousand taels of gold!

The value of this Soul-Gathering Pill far exceeded her expectations.

"Ten thousand taels of gold..." she murmured to herself, her mind filled with countless thoughts.

Just then, the price had climbed to nine thousand taels of gold, and the bidding gradually thinned out. Hu Xinyue gritted her teeth and shouted, "Nine thousand five hundred taels!"

These words caused an uproar. Nine thousand five hundred taels—this was practically the limit for the Hu family.

"Nine thousand eight hundred taels!" A deep voice came from the private room on the second floor.

Hu Xinyue's face turned pale, and a hint of despair flashed in her eyes.

Suddenly, Xiao Wu, who was perched on Lu Jinxuan's shoulder, let out a low growl, its fur standing on end, and looked uneasily backstage.

At the same time, the little hare hovering above her head let out a sharp cry, its sharp phoenix eyes fixed on the backstage area.

Lu Jinxuan noticed the unusual behavior of the two spirit beasts and a sense of doubt arose in her heart. What exactly happened backstage?

She patted Xiao Wu's head discreetly and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Wu sobbed softly, but couldn't express himself clearly.

Just then, the auctioneer's voice rang out, slightly trembling: "Ten...ten thousand taels of gold!"

The whole place was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Lu Jinxuan suddenly looked up, her eyes blazing, towards the backstage area.

A mysterious figure dressed in black and wearing a bamboo hat slowly walked out from backstage, his voice hoarse and cold: "I want this Soul Condensing Pill."

Hu Xinyue closed her eyes in despair.

Lu Jinxuan's lips curled into a meaningful smile. She gently patted Hu Xinyue's hand and whispered in her ear, "Don't rush..."

Looking at Hu Xinyue's despairing expression, Lu Jinxuan chuckled lightly, "It's just a Soul-Gathering Pill, is it really worth making such a fuss? I have plenty here." Her tone was casual, as if she were commenting on the nice weather.

Hu Xinyue was taken aback, then gave a wry smile, "Sister Lu, I know you're trying to comfort me. This Soul Condensing Pill is incredibly precious, worth a fortune in gold, you..." Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by an old voice behind her.

“Young lady, you can eat whatever you want, but you can’t say whatever you want. The Soul-Gathering Pill is so precious, how can you just say you have it?” The speaker was the old steward of the Hu family. He squinted at Lu Jinxuan, his eyes full of suspicion.

He had seen Lu Jinxuan before and vaguely remembered that she was carrying a bulging package, which she said contained herbs.

Could it be... that this girl is a fraud?

Trying to take advantage of the chaos?

Lu Jinxuan ignored the old butler's questions and casually played with Xiao Wu's paws.

Xiao Wu comfortably squinted her eyes in her hands, completely free of the anxiety she had just felt.

Xiao Ba quietly landed on her shoulder, but her phoenix eyes remained warily fixed on the backstage area.

Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Hu Xinyue quickly tried to smooth things over, "Sister Lu's medical skills are superb, perhaps she really has a way?" Although she also felt that Lu Jinxuan's words were a bit exaggerated, for some reason, she was willing to believe her.

The old butler snorted coldly, "So, a doctor with superb medical skills can refine a Soul-Gathering Pill? That's a huge joke! In all my years, I've never heard of a doctor who can refine a Soul-Gathering Pill!" The more he thought about it, the more suspicious Lu Jinxuan seemed, and his tone became increasingly unfriendly.

Lu Jinxuan finally raised her eyes and glanced at the old butler with a half-smile. "A Soul-Gathering Pill is nothing more than a casual item for me." Her tone was nonchalant, yet it carried an undeniable air of dominance.

Just as the old butler was about to retort, the lights on the auction stage suddenly blazed on, and the auctioneer's voice rang out again, clear and loud: "Distinguished guests, next, we will proceed with the grand finale of this auction—the Soul-Gathering Pill special session! For this auction, we have collected a total of twenty-eight Soul-Gathering Pills, twenty of which come from the renowned Huichun Hall, and the other eight from a mysterious distinguished guest..." She paused deliberately here, whetting everyone's appetite.

Lu Jinxuan's lips curled slightly, her gaze sweeping meaningfully towards the backstage area. She murmured, "It seems the show is about to begin..."

As soon as the auctioneer finished speaking, the entire auction hall erupted in an uproar.

Twenty-eight Soul-Gathering Pills!

This is an unprecedented number!

It should be known that Soul Condensing Pills have always been scarce. It is already a rare event that a few pills appear in a year. How can people not be shocked that twenty-eight pills have appeared at once?

"Twenty-eight pills! My goodness! What kind of alchemy master could refine so many Soul-Gathering Pills?"

"Who is this mysterious guest? He actually managed to produce eight Soul Condensing Pills!"

"Could it be that some reclusive master has emerged from seclusion?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, speculating about the identity of this mysterious guest.

The old steward of the Hu family looked at Lu Jinxuan with suspicion, his doubts growing even stronger.

Could it be that this girl really has some connection with this mysterious distinguished guest?

Otherwise, how could she dare to utter such arrogant words as "The Soul-Gathering Pill is nothing more than something I can easily obtain"?

Lu Jinxuan remained calm, as if the discussions had nothing to do with her. She gently stroked Xiao Wu's soft fur, a faint smile playing on her lips.

The auctioneer continued, "These eight Soul-Gathering Pills are of extremely high quality, even surpassing those from Huichuntang! Starting bid: 50,000 taels of silver per pill!"

As soon as he finished speaking, bidding erupted one after another, and the price soared, quickly exceeding 100,000 taels per piece.

Hu Xinyue stared intently at the auction stage, her eyes filled with longing. Although she couldn't afford a single Soul Condensation Pill even if she spent all her wealth, she still hoped to witness this grand occasion firsthand.

Lu Jinxuan wasn't interested in the lively scene. She yawned listlessly and was about to call Xiao Wu and Xiao Ba when she found that they had disappeared without a trace.

"Xiao Wu? Xiao Ba?" she called softly, but there was no response.

An uneasy premonition came over me.

Lu Jinxuan stood up abruptly, her sharp gaze sweeping around. "What's going on?"

Hu Xinyue's gaze was fixed on the Soul-Gathering Pill that was shining on the auction stage; her heart had already been captured by this legendary divine medicine.

She clutched the handkerchief in her hand, fantasizing that if she could get one, her father's illness would be cured.

Lu Jinxuan, however, showed little interest in the bustling scene. She hadn't come for the pills; she just wanted to see the excitement of this otherworldly auction.

Now that Xiao Wu and Xiao Ba are both gone, she feels uneasy and has no time to care about the Soul-Gathering Pill.

"Next up is our grand finale for this auction—the miraculous healing elixir, the Resurrection Pill!" the auctioneer announced loudly, her voice brimming with barely concealed excitement. "This pill was crafted by a mysterious master alchemist, and its effects are miraculous, capable of bringing the dead back to life! It is said that even a person on the verge of death can be instantly healed after taking this pill!"

The crowd below the stage erupted in cheers once again. The name of the Rejuvenation Pill was already widely known, but no one had ever seen the actual product.

It is an honor to be able to see its true appearance today, let alone participate in the auction!

"Please have the staff bring up the Rejuvenation Pill!" The auctioneer gracefully gestured for the staff to bring the pill up from behind the scenes.

However, after waiting for a long time, there was still no response from the backstage.

The auctioneer's smile gradually froze, and she repeated, "Please have the staff bring up the pills!" Deathly silence remained.

Lu Jinxuan frowned. The eerie atmosphere made her even more certain that the disappearance of Xiao Wu and Xiao Ba must be related to the strange things happening backstage.

She quietly released a wisp of her divine sense, attempting to investigate the situation behind the scenes.

The backstage area was a complete mess.

The brocade box containing the Rejuvenation Pill was overturned on the ground, the pills scattered all over the ground, and two small figures were sniffing around the pills.

It was Xiao Wu and Xiao Ba!

Little Wu stretched out his paw, fiddling with a Rejuvenation Pill, and said in a childish voice, "Little Eight, this pill smells so good! It smells even better than the ones Mother makes!"

Little Ba flapped its wings, tilted its head to examine the pills, and chimed in, "Yes, they smell so good too! Why don't we try some?"

"Try it?" Little Wu's eyes lit up. "Okay, okay!" It opened its mouth and swallowed a Rejuvenating Pill in one gulp.

Seeing this, Xiao Ba swallowed one without hesitation.

The crowd below the stage began to stir, their initial anticipation turning into dissatisfaction.

"What's going on? Where are the pills?" a gruff voice rang out, followed by more people echoing, "Yeah, stop teasing us!" "Could it be that you can't produce the pills to fool us?"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on the auctioneer's forehead. She forced a calm smile and said, "Please be patient, everyone. Perhaps there's been a slight delay by the staff. Please wait patiently." She gestured to the backstage area again, but there was still no response.

An awkward atmosphere permeated the entire auction hall, and some people began to clamor, with some even shouting for a refund.

"Is this auction house trying to renege on its debt?" A richly dressed man stood up, his tone laced with threat.

He was a well-known wealthy merchant in the city. Although he had a lot of money, he valued his life as much as gold and was determined to get his hands on the Rejuvenating Pill.

Now that the elixir has yet to appear, he is naturally the first to become restless.

The auctioneer's face turned pale, and she smiled apologetically again, "I'm so sorry, please wait a moment while I go backstage to check." She took a deep breath, trying her best to maintain her last shred of composure.

Seeing this, Lu Jinxuan became even more anxious.

Xiao Wu and Xiao Ba accidentally ingested the pills, and no one knows what will happen next.

She was about to get up and go backstage when Hu Xinyue, who was beside her, grabbed her sleeve.

"Miss Lu, where are you going?" Hu Xinyue asked with concern.

Lu Jinxuan replied dismissively, "I'll go see what's going on."

Hu Xinyue gripped her hand tightly, her eyes filled with worry, "Something seems to have gone wrong backstage. We'd better not go. What if..."

Before she could finish speaking, a terrified scream came from backstage: "Ah—"

The scream was like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar. Inside the auction hall, the crowd buzzed with discussion, speculating about what had happened backstage.

The auctioneer stumbled back to the auction stage, her face pale and her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a word.

Her terrified gaze swept over everyone, finally landing on Hu Xinyue as if she had grasped at a straw. "Miss, the pills... the pills are gone!"

Hu Xinyue's expression changed instantly, her previous elegance and composure vanished, and she grabbed the auctioneer's arm, asking in a shrill voice, "What did you say? The pills are gone? What happened? Explain yourself!"

The auctioneer, with a mournful face, recounted in fits and starts what had happened backstage: the maid responsible for keeping the pills had collapsed to the ground, the pills had vanished, and the scene was in chaos.

Hu Xinyue felt a sudden darkness before her eyes and almost fainted.

She had gone to great lengths to obtain this Heavenly Pill, hoping to prolong her critically ill father's life. Now that the pill was gone, what would become of her father… Thinking of this, she could no longer hold back her tears. Grabbing Lu Jinxuan's arm, she cried out, "Miss Lu, this pill… this pill was my father's life-saving medicine! Now it's gone, my father… my father…"

Looking at Hu Xinyue's tearful appearance, Lu Jinxuan felt a pang of pity.

Although she didn't care about the so-called Rejuvenation Pill, she could understand Hu Xinyue's feelings.

She gently patted Hu Xinyue's hand and comforted her, "Miss Hu, don't worry, maybe you've just gone to the wrong place, you'll definitely find it."

Hu Xinyue, however, grasped at Lu Jinxuan's hand tightly as if it were her last straw, crying even more bitterly, "Miss Lu, I know you must have a way! Please, help me! My father really can't wait any longer!"

Lu Jinxuan tried to pull her hand away, but Hu Xinyue held it tightly. She frowned slightly and was about to speak when she suddenly felt a strange movement behind her.

"Mother!" a clear voice rang out.

Lu Jinxuan turned around and saw Lu Yuhang standing behind her, with two round little beasts beside him—Xiao Wu and Xiao Ba.

Their bellies were swollen like two small balls, and they walked with a wobbly gait.

Lu Jinxuan's heart skipped a beat...

Lu Jinxuan's gaze fell on the two small animals' swollen bellies, and her eyes flashed.

Given how round and plump it was, could it be...? A guess began to form in her mind.

"Mother, they seem to have eaten something bad." Lu Yuhang explained innocently, completely unaware of Lu Jinxuan's increasingly dangerous gaze.

Hu Xinyue was still crying and complaining, and the old housekeeper was also anxiously pacing around, making the scene a complete mess.

Lu Jinxuan ignored them and slowly got up, saying to Lu Yuhang, "Hang'er, let's take them back to your father first."