"What was that all about?" John asked Caz as they strode through the halls of the auction house, which buzzed with boisterous activity from the thousands of other cultivators that strode by each minute.
As they entered, John couldn't help but become even more impressed by the auction house, as its quality was somehow even higher than the majestic city outside.
It was as if this auction house was the center of all wealth in the world, and that no expense was spared to make it. The floors, walls, statues, fountains, paintings, and everything in between was of the highest quality, making it feel like a palace for a heavenly king.
"Its…its nothing," Caz replied, his face red and flustered from his encounter with Xander.
"It's obviously not nothing," John replied, "how is one person able to get you so worked up?"
"Its….much like your sects which has disciple rankings, my Mystic Trade Hall also has the same system. For your sects, you are ranked by power and strength, while in mine, we are ranked by how much money we make. Xander has always been number one, and I was never able to beat him, always coming in at number two," Caz explained.
"Number two in the entire Mystic Trade Hall? That's very impressive and nothing to be angry about," John replied.
"It's not good enough. Just like you, I aim to be the best," Caz grumbled, "but that's not why I hate Xander."
"Oh? Then what's the reason?" John asked curiously.
Caz fell silent for some time as they walked through the halls, and took a deep breath before speaking again.
"As the number one disciple of my Hall, he's done everything in his power to make my life a living nightmare. Every business opportunity I came up with was either poached or ruined by him, and every time I made an ounce of progress, he would do everything in his power to ruin it."
"Isn't that just part of the business world? Making money through any means, even if it means ruining the opportunities of others?" John asked curiously.
"It may be a part of business, but its not part of my Dao of Business," Caz replied firmly, before gazing at John with a heated expression.
"Let me ask you this. Would you be happy being the number one cultivator in your sect by only bringing down those around you? From what I know about you, I don't believe you would be happy with that," Caz asked John, who thought about it for a moment before agreeing.
"You're right. I want to be the strongest because of my own strength, not by lowering the competition," John confirmed.
"That's right, and that is my Dao when it comes to business. I want to be the best because I achieved the pinnacle, not because I lowered the level of those around me. That sort of outcome does not satisfy me at all," Caz replied.
"So that's why you hate Xander? Due to your conflicting Dao's?" John asked.
"No, if that was all, I would be fine with that. Dealing with people like him is part of business, and getting past him is part of expanding the understanding of my Dao. But Xander pushed things so far that I dropped all the way to the back of the pack, as if he was targeting me and only me. It got so bad that I was forced to move to Mystic City, away from the Mystic Trade Hall's headquarters here. Only then was I able to start anew, but my progress and growth in my Dao has stalled greatly because of him," Caz explained his reasoning for hating Xander.
"So why did you return to this city now then? How are you going to deal with Xander when you weren't able to before?" John asked curiously, while Caz's frustrated expression was replaced with a small smile.
"That's because I have you as an ally and friend now," Caz replied sincerely, causing John to raise an eyebrow at his words.
"You don't think I'd side with Xander if I knew it would make me more money?" John asked curiously, surprised that Caz placed so much trust in him.
"I don't think you're that type of person," Caz replied without a hint of doubt, while a small smile appeared on John's face, as he too knew that Caz was someone he could trust, as his personality was very much to John's liking.
…
A short while later, John and Caz stepped through one of the hallway entrances into the auction house proper, revealing a sprawling sea of people already seated awaiting the auction. John's eyes widened as he took in the sight, and was shocked at how many seats the auction theater had, and how many were already seated.
"Wow," John exclaimed softly as he looked at the hundreds of thousands of cultivators already seated, eagerly awaiting the auction. Boisterous discussion boomed throughout the auction theater as all within were almost unable to contain their excitement.
The seats wrapped around the theater, while a large auction stage was located in the very center of the theater, allowing everyone to have a viewing angle of the stage.
After taking in the sight, John followed Caz through the maze of seats and people, eventually arriving at their destination.</anda>
"Wow! We get a private booth?" John asked Caz.
Almost all the seating in the auction house was general purpose seating, with only several thousand booths scattered in various locations that had a more private atmosphere. The booths as well varied in quality, from just barely being a bit more luxurious and spacious than the general seating, to closed off booths that blocked off all sight and sound from outside, protectin the identity of those inside.
The booth Caz led them two was somewhere in the middle in terms of luxury, having a private lounge separated from the general seats around them, with attendants waiting by to serve their needs. However, they were not in a fully closed off booth like some of the higher quality booths.
However, when compared to the general seating, it was far more pleasant, as it was very spacious and luxurious.
"It's one of the perks of being a disciple of one of the Five City Powers," Caz said with a smile as he walked into the private booth and sat down on one of the comfortable chairs. John sat down on a nearby chair, which had a table in front of them, covered in fruits and eats of all kinds, and also expensive drinks.
"If you need anything, just ask one of the attendants," Caz instructed John, "the auction will last a few days, so make yourself comfortable."
"Not bad. I think I can get used to this," John replied as he lounged back in his chair, which felt like being embraced by a soft cloud.
After getting settled in, John and Caz continued their discussions regarding various things, while more and more people flooded into the auction house. Half a day later, the lights in the auction house began to dim, while the frenzied discussion quickly died down.
A figure suddenly appeared on the stage in the center of the auction house, a woman who appeared to be in her twenties. She wore a slightly revealing dress and had a very alluring figure, and stood on the stage with calm composure as she addressed the eager crowd.
"Five-River Freeport thanks each and every one of you for attending our annual auction," the woman addressed the crowd, her voice soft and alluring.
"Before we begin, I must go over the rules of the auction," she said, while the crowd eagerly listened.
"First, bids will be placed by using the bidding formation on your armrest. Any verbal or physical disturbances will not be tolerated.
Second, each bid will end after three counts.
Third, the winner of the bid will present proof of funds at purchase. If funds are not readily available at purchase, the item bidding will start anew, and the previous auctioneer will be escorted out of the building."
The woman quickly explained the rules, which were relatively straight forward. An alluring smile appeared on her face as she turned to the side and waved her arm, at which point a false floor in the stage opened up, and an item on a pedestal rose up from beneath the stage, catching the eyes of all.
"With no further delay, we will now begin the auction," she said, which brought thunderous applause throughout the theater.
