Chapter 1870: 848: Judging Character
Chapter 1870: Chapter 848: Judging Character
Seeing the situation, Fang Yu decisively tried a sip of Phase Soup.
As it entered his mouth, his tongue savored it carefully, and then he swallowed it down.
The taste was sweet and fresh, quite good, somewhat flavorful, but that’s about it.
Because, as Fang Yu expected, this thing couldn’t trigger a System Prompt, and naturally couldn’t offer any rewards.
“How is it?”
Seeing Fang Yu as the first to taste it, Bi Ziyu immediately cast a look full of an elder’s care for the younger generation.
To be honest, it was very strange, but Fang Yu still formally put on an expression of having benefited greatly and complimented, “It indeed has great nourishing effects, thank you for your generosity, Lord Bi.”
“Hahahaha!”
Bi Ziyu immediately laughed with satisfaction, seemingly also to lighten the atmosphere. After laughing, he said, “Just a mere nourishing food, Diao, feel free to have as much as you want, Bi Zuo, fill him up again!”
At this point, Fang Yu stopped pretending and quickly declined, “No need, no need, Lord Bi, you’re too kind. We’re satisfied with just tasting, we should focus on the main event.”
Though it was polite words, the implied meaning was that this thing was utterly useless to him.
Bi Ziyu, being so seasoned, understood in a second. His thoughts shifted rapidly, and he immediately said, “Diao is right, someone bring the guests some of the exotic fruits I’ve collected. You may not know, but around our Great Xia are these small countries with small territories, but many rare edible items. I’m a glutton myself, and these exotic fruits are the delicious things I’ve collected over the years, with unique flavors from foreign lands.”
It was understood that since the nourishing food was ineffective and couldn’t provide any value, he turned to enhancing the taste quality instead.
After all, the really good stuff is something the Bi Family wouldn’t easily part with, it’s too costly to serve to guests.
But with food, it’s different. The value is still high, but in the end, it’s just about the taste. If you really eat it all, it’s nothing money can’t buy again.
However, valuable nourishing items are often not just purchasable with money.
This approach made everyone happy.
Because low-value nourishing food’s taste would at most be average, and this is when the craftsmanship is quite good, sacrificing some medicinal properties to achieve it.
To really achieve perfect color, aroma, and taste, with full medicinal value, is a tall order, as the main ingredients are hard to come by.
So serving food, letting everyone casually eat some fruits, is charming and pleasing, satisfying all parties.
Just then, it suddenly darkened below.
It turned out the auction was about to begin, the black drapery enveloping the space below made the auction venue suddenly atmospheric.
Adding to it, the front display platform lit up, attracting everyone’s gaze over.
“It’s about to officially start.”
Bi Zuo, who had been relatively silent, spoke up.
Fang Yu and the others naturally had long focused their gaze over there.
One of the advantages of the second floor is being able to directly overlook every detail on the display platform from above.
Amidst everyone’s attention, a man wearing a silver mask walked to the front of the stage, dressed in a purple robe with Qingyun patterns, holding a folded fan in his hand. Calling him the host, he’s more like a storyteller.
Alongside came an attendant holding a carved box.
But once the attendant placed the box on the display platform, he retreated immediately, leaving only the silver-masked host in front of the stage, clasping his fists to the crowd before suddenly raising his voice.
“Ladies~~~ and gentlemen!”
The voice was modulated like a storyteller’s.
To be honest, Fang Yu couldn’t quite handle such ostentatious theatrics.
“Speak plainly if you’re going to speak, hold an auction if you’re going to hold an auction, what’s the point in all this trickery?”
“Take a look inside this carved box!”
Unexpectedly, despite the storytelling style opening, it was straightforward with no twists, directly about to introduce what’s inside the box.
Fang Yu immediately focused his mind, listening carefully.
Then he saw the silver-faced man close the folded fan in his hand.
“Today, with esteemed guests from all sides gathered, it’s truly an auspicious occasion with treasures abound! This humble one, undeserving, is honored by the patron to preside over this wondrous market.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, do you know what lies on the table decorated with red silk? Ancient martial secret manuals from the previous dynasty’s hidden treasures? Rare exotic fruits picked from distant mountains and deep forests? Or perhaps…”
The previously calm tone suddenly raised in volume again: “…that once-in-a-lifetime rare treasure! Lords, rest assured, ensuring that this trip won’t be~ in~ vain~ for you!”
Fang Yu was frustrated. Weren’t they just talking normally? Why suddenly revert to a storyteller’s flair?
Fang Yu instinctively started to ignore the storyteller’s gimmicks, only to see him suddenly pull a wooden clapper from his sleeve and give it a sharp rap.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let us now, begin——the——auction!”
He hammered the carved box with a wooden mallet.
Bam!
A heavy sound echoed through the auction house.
The crowd focused their gaze, only to be instantly surprised.
Because the carved wooden box shattered with a tap, and beneath it, what appeared was still a box!
But the revealed box under the shattered carved wood was a jade box, as translucent as white jade.
By this time, the storyteller’s tone had entirely returned to a normal human manner, smiling as he introduced to the people below.
“Ladies and gentlemen, in the depths of the mountains dwell demons, among them is turbid, turbid mist, turbid liquid, turbid fruit, turbid root, and so forth. And what is now preserved in this box is… the Muddy Heart Fruit!”
“One of these has the effect of dozens of drops of Muddy Heart Liquid, and there are as many as three Muddy Heart Fruits in the box. It is well known that the Muddy Heart Fruit is a great nourishing item for demons, yet for doctors, it is also a top-quality medicinal material. If there is a suitable prescription, along with appropriate medicinal materials, it can produce turbid mist one after another, confusing the enemy’s vision, attacking when unprepared. The rumored Muddy Shadow Fist requires such wondrous fruit to be mastered.”