"What did you say? Believe it or not, I'll tear your mouth apart," Luo Lingyu immediately got angry.

"I won't say more, I need to buy things..." Xiaoyao ran off like smoke, arriving at the materials shop he wanted to find. He selected quite a few materials. Although these materials were ordinary, they were very complex—only mechanical arts could use them.

From this, it appeared Xiaoyao should be making some mechanism. Making mechanisms was most likely to destroy things, and at the same time, the Luo family didn't have many mechanical materials, which explained why the inventory was used up.

Not many people in the Luo family learned mechanical arts, and they hadn't achieved much—basically just for show. They didn't value it much either, so while there was inventory, it wasn't much, and replenishment wasn't very timely.

"Do you have Star Radiance Stone here?" Xiaoyao finally asked, just asking casually.

"Star Radiance Stone? We don't have that. How could our small shop have such precious things? But I heard this auction will have a piece," the shopkeeper replied.

Star Radiance Stone was essential for mechanical puppets. Only Star Radiance Stone could power mechanical puppets, and it was only used when making mechanical puppets.

He wanted Star Radiance Stone—could he be making a mechanical puppet?

...

...

Impossible. Making mechanical puppets was very complicated. Even experts from Heavenly Mechanism Sect might not know how, and those who could make them could only create very ordinary mechanical puppets. Of course, even the most ordinary mechanical puppet was still a mechanical puppet—a very rare thing.

Xiaoyao had indeed been making mechanical puppets during this time, still in the research stage. He might succeed or might fail.

"In that case, I'll go check out the auction house. I've never had a chance to go before. Deliver these things to the Luo family and say the mechanism room needs them," Xiaoyao instructed, then left.

"Sister Lingyu, aren't you done yet?" After walking a few steps, Xiaoyao saw Luo Lingyu again. This time she seemed about to enter the shop.

"Not yet. Are you finished shopping?" Luo Lingyu looked at Xiaoyao and replied.

"More or less. Now I'm going to the auction house to see if there's anything I want," Xiaoyao replied.

"Auction house? When you go, mention my name. I have some dealings with the auction house—they'll give you the best discounts. When I'm done here, I'll come take a look too!" Luo Lingyu said. The auction house was also a place she frequently visited, collecting some valuable "merchandise." In her eyes, whatever made money was merchandise.

"Got it..." Xiaoyao responded, then left. The auction house wasn't too far from here, and he thought it was normal for Luo Lingyu to come.

Xiaoyao arrived at Flowing Moon City's auction house. After giving Luo Lingyu's name, he quickly got a private box and was told the auction was about to begin. It looked impossible to wait for Luo Lingyu to start.

"The first item..."

As the auctioneer began reading the details of the first item, the auction officially started. However, Xiaoyao was still alone in the box—Luo Lingyu hadn't arrived.

It wasn't until the auction reached the thirtieth item that Luo Lingyu appeared, deliberately reminding Xiaoyao to look at her, wanting to see what he thought of her makeup.

Xiaoyao looked at Luo Lingyu and said: "Not bad, pretty good."

"What do you mean, just 'not bad, pretty good'?" Luo Lingyu obviously wanted to hear something different—praise, the kind that would be shocking. She felt that with this makeup, her charm had increased a level. Even she was surprised, but when she got to this Fourth Brother, it was just a bland "not bad, pretty good"!

"It means not bad and pretty good. If you want this effect, I can casually fix you up tomorrow," Xiaoyao replied casually, not paying much attention. He was focused on the auction items—although this one didn't interest him, maybe the next one would.

"Can you really do it?" Luo Lingyu was somewhat puzzled. Although she didn't really believe Xiaoyao could, his tone didn't seem like lying, and he had no need to lie about this.

"Don't worry, I have this level of skill," Xiaoyao looked at the auction items and replied casually.

"Then let's try tomorrow. There seem to be quite a few things here—did you just buy them?" Luo Lingyu clearly saw the items on the table. The auction house would immediately deliver items to successful bidders and require immediate payment. Without cash, items would be immediately taken back for re-auction.

"Yes, some good stuff," Xiaoyao nodded. He had indeed just bid on some things.

"What are they..." Luo Lingyu looked toward those items, preparing to examine them.

"There are lists on top," Xiaoyao replied, not planning to explain everything.

"I know, I'm not a rookie," Luo Lingyu said irritably. She knew the auction house would send a list with items, clearly stating the auction item details and the winning bid price.

"Dragon Blood Stone, one piece, one thousand taels? You spent one thousand taels on this stone?" Luo Lingyu picked up an auction item's list, looked at it, was stunned, then wanted to scold Xiaoyao for being wasteful.

She didn't know this was just the beginning...

"Fire Cloud Leaf, one plant, five thousand taels?"

"Purple Star Gold, one piece, ten thousand taels?"

"..."

When Luo Lingyu finished reading these lists, she discovered there wasn't a single cheap item. The Dragon Blood Stone she picked up first for one thousand taels was actually the cheapest—subsequent items got increasingly expensive.

"You spent over fifty thousand taels of silver on a pile of things?" Luo Lingyu quickly calculated the total. She was very sensitive to numbers.

"That's right, the prices were quite good," Xiaoyao replied. He didn't know this statement would shock Luo Lingyu.

"This is still good? You're being wasteful! How much money do you actually have? Hand it all over to me," Luo Lingyu's heart was bleeding. To her, these things had no value unless someone could use them. Could this kid actually use these materials?

"My money... about ten million or so. I don't know exactly, but I won't hand it over to you!" Xiaoyao shook his head.

"Ten million? You mean copper coins?" Luo Lingyu was stunned. If it was silver, she wouldn't believe it, but if it was copper coins, ten million would only be about ten thousand taels of silver.

"Oh, another good thing, two thousand taels!" Xiaoyao bid again. This time it was an alchemy material. With this, Xiaoyao could refine a certain pill—all other materials were ready, just missing this ingredient.

"You..." Lingyu wanted to say something when she heard someone outside bid twenty-five hundred taels.

"Someone's competing? Five thousand taels—I'll crush you. I have nothing but money. Oh right, Sister Lingyu, what were you saying?" Xiaoyao directly doubled the bid, then asked Luo Lingyu.

"Nothing..." Luo Lingyu could only be speechless. What else could I say?

Five thousand taels—no one bid higher. Xiaoyao won easily, which was inevitable. This item was worth at most three thousand taels—it was already overpriced by two thousand taels. Who would want it?

"Sister Lingyu, if you see anything you like, tell me and I'll buy it for you," Xiaoyao said.

"No need. You might as well just give me money directly," Luo Lingyu said helplessly, holding her head.

"Sister Lingyu, money is meant to be spent. Making money isn't hard—why worry about it? I can turn these materials into pills and weapons and easily sell them back for cost," Xiaoyao said nonchalantly. He was now the most qualified person to say this—his money wasn't less than the entire Luo family's, though this only referred to money, not property.

"I know, but watching you spend like this, my heart can't take it..." Luo Lingyu frowned. She hadn't expected Xiaoyao could actually make these things. Judging from the previous Essence Cultivation Pills, as long as one could make them, there wouldn't be losses. But this situation made her feel unable to bear the heart palpitations.

"Want me to steady it for you?" Xiaoyao reached out his hand, wanting to input Divine Farmer True Qi for Luo Lingyu.

"No need..." Luo Lingyu knew what Xiaoyao meant and didn't let him continue. She was just speaking figuratively—this was a psychological effect.

"The fiftieth auction item, celadon made by a famous craftsman from a thousand years ago..."

"The sixtieth auction item, Spring River Painting..."

"..."

"The seventy-third item, also one of the last three items in this auction—Star Radiance Stone, starting at ten thousand taels!"

Star Radiance Stone? Finally here...

"Star Radiance Stone? Does anyone actually buy this stuff? I think it'll go unsold. Too few people know how to use this..." Luo Lingyu said. Her thoughts were shared by others—they felt that although Star Radiance Stone was precious, too few people would bid on it.

"Ten thousand taels!"

"You..." Luo Lingyu hadn't expected that right after she finished speaking, Xiaoyao would bid. This left her speechless and somewhat angry.

"Buying other things is fine, but what use is Star Radiance Stone to you? Don't tell me you can actually make a mechanical puppet!"

"Of course, otherwise why would I buy it," Xiaoyao replied.

"Uh..." Luo Lingyu was choked up. She hadn't expected Xiaoyao could really do this. This Fourth Brother could make pills, knew medicine, could brew wine, could forge swords, and now knew mechanical arts too. Damn, why did this kid know so many different things?

"If you can do it, then ten thousand taels it is. Probably no one will compete with you," Luo Lingyu said.

Indeed, as Luo Lingyu said, Xiaoyao successfully won the Star Radiance Stone at the base price without anyone raising the bid. After all, not many people wanted this Star Radiance Stone, despite its value.

"The seventy-fourth item—this is a good one! As the penultimate item, it won't disappoint everyone. This is a divine weapon—Water Moon!" The auction house displayed a precious sword. Even from Xiaoyao's current position, he could feel its sharp blade aura.

(End of Chapter)