Chapter Sixty-Five: A Pleasant Collaboration

Sudden Snow swiftly led Ye Yu and his five companions into a shop exuding an ancient charm. Hanging by the entrance was a sign: “Auction House No. 138.” Ye Yu cast a deep, lingering glance at the auction house before him.

“Please, gentlemen, take your seats here,” Sudden Snow gestured politely, inviting the six into the establishment to sit among the guests. The heavy doors closed quietly behind them, clearly to ensure their conversation remained private.

No sooner had Ye Yu settled into his seat than he placed the six Ancient Titan Python (juvenile) skulls on the table beside him. Perhaps due to the dim lighting, each skull emitted a faint, eerie green glow, chilling to behold.

“I’ll get straight to the point and spare us unnecessary words,” Ye Yu began. “I want you to auction one of these a day, starting at a base price of twenty thousand. I know that the newly released Ancient World map exists only on our Xuantian server. So, when it comes to high-tier equipment requiring materials from this map, I needn’t say much more. And I’m well aware that with such rare materials—almost as rare as phoenix feathers or unicorn horns—you people will send in your own to bid and drive up the price. If the price doesn’t reach forty thousand, there’s no point in selling at all. At the very least, you should drive it up past eighty thousand; I’m sure you understand their true value.”

Sudden Snow’s eyes flashed with astonishment at Ye Yu’s forthrightness. He clearly hadn’t expected his guest to estimate the price so precisely. Inflating bids was a common trick in every auction house; the staff knew how to read the room and push prices to the upper limits of what desperate buyers would accept. This, in turn, earned them considerable profit—even if the buyer withdrew, the item would simply remain in their hands.

Ye Yu, however, was intimately familiar with these auction house schemes and underhanded tactics. After all, Night Lingxue was among the top players of Shenshang, and she herself had once been extorted by such methods. At that time, Ye Yu had come to understand their ways all too well.

Sudden Snow’s expression grew serious as he lowered his voice. “Are you certain about the price for the Ancient Titan Python (juvenile) skulls? I don’t think the market has ever seen them go that high. Forty thousand seems to be the absolute ceiling—do you really think someone will pay eighty thousand? Even materials from Ancient World aren’t usually bought back at such a price.”

Ye Yu merely shook his head with a faint smile. “What others pay for such materials is their business. This is all I have, and that’s the price. If someone wants it, fine; if not, I’m not desperate to sell.”

“Besides, if anyone does acquire these materials, do you think they’ll resell them to the public? The fact is, the Ancient World map only exists on our server.”

The opening of the Ancient World map had already driven the top players on older servers half-mad. At their level, many quests were closely tied to this mysterious map, and clues about it were scarce. Some top-tier gear required vital materials found only in the Ancient World. Since the map wasn’t available elsewhere, these materials were priceless and rarely, if ever, sold on the market. Even those who obtained them from events tended to keep them rather than sell.

Ye Yu understood this perfectly, which is why he was so confident in the value of what he held. Moreover, the Shenshang Auction House dealt in real currency—Chinese yuan.

The player collecting Ancient Titan Python-related materials from the Ancient World had been doing so for almost a year. Ye Yu had seen the requests posted for nearly that long. If the collector had amassed part of the set, he’d be desperate for the remainder. Raising the price was only natural; for those who craved even greater equipment, they’d make the purchase without hesitation.

At forty thousand yuan each, Ye Yu only needed to sell two skulls to net eighty thousand. Even if the rest didn’t sell, it was far better than settling for the standard buyback rates. If necessary, he could always lower the price for the surplus. Besides, as long as Ancient World remained exclusive to Xuantian, selling out would be nearly impossible.

Ye Yu’s decision to come to Shenshang Auction House served two purposes. First, it maximized profits: after splitting the proceeds among the six of them, a portion could go into their guild’s treasury—a considerable resource. Second, it would raise their reputation, drawing attention to their guild. Such recognition would only boost their popularity in the future.

Clearly, Sudden Snow realized he could not persuade Ye Yu. The latter had already seen through the old tricks and customs of the auction trade. With a shrug and a wry smile, Sudden Snow conceded, “You’re a shrewd one, but what if the Ancient Titan Python (juvenile) skulls don’t sell?”

Ye Yu, sensing the subtle undertone in Sudden Snow’s words, responded with a grin, “How about this, Manager? The first two are just to cover my costs. For the remaining four, if you manage to sell them, I’ll give you a twenty percent commission. I know ten percent normally goes to the auction house, but the extra ten percent is for you personally. I trust you understand why. After all, if things go well, there will be plenty of opportunities for us to work together in the future.”

Suddenly, Sudden Snow’s gloomy expression dissolved into a sly grin. After accepting the six Ancient Titan Python (juvenile) skulls from Ye Yu, the two exchanged a knowing smile.

“Since you’ve said as much, rest assured I’ll do everything to your satisfaction,” Sudden Snow replied enthusiastically. “And if you ever acquire more materials from Ancient World that you wish to sell, I hope you’ll think of me first. In the auction house’s network, you’ll always be able to find me.”

“Of course,” Ye Yu replied. “If this auction goes smoothly, Manager, there will be many more opportunities for us to collaborate, especially given the advantage of the Ancient World.”

“Naturally. Then, here’s to a successful partnership.”

“To our partnership.”

Ye Yu and Sudden Snow exchanged a firm handshake, both smiling in mutual understanding.

…