Because the Marrow Cleansing Pill appeared in the Golden River distribution of the Golden Pavilion, its first auction was arranged at the Golden River Golden Pavilion. In addition, due to the pill's special nature, online auctions were canceled, and only offline auctions were held.
When Ye Bufan learned of this, he could only smile helplessly. He never imagined it would cause such a stir.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Golden Pavilion, led by the Jin family and Chu family, organized a lavish banquet. This was also to network with prominent families from other provinces and cities, hoping to forge some collaborations.
"Master, I heard that the Marrow Cleansing Pill has alarmed those old guys in Kyoto. But those old guys, out of pride, have asked the younger generation's elites to come forward," Zhu Zizhen chuckled. "I heard that Nangong Yi is here specifically for you this time, outside of the auction."
"Let him come," Ye Bufan said.
"There's more news. Due to the appearance of the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the Martial Alliance has also made a move. The new Martial Arts Tournament will be held in the Golden Pavilion," Zhu Zizhen announced. "The first place in every Martial Arts Tournament is basically a candidate for the next Martial Alliance leader."
Ye Bufan was not interested in any of the news Zhu Zizhen mentioned. He was solely focused on cultivation, preparing for the day when the Earth would break through its limitations.
Dreams are grand, but reality is harsh. On the third day after the news of the Marrow Cleansing Pill auction was released, Zhu Zizhen rushed to Xiangshan Villa in a panic.
"Mas… Master…" Zhu Zizhen said to Ye Bufan, carefully.
"What is it?" Ye Bufan asked Zhu Zizhen.
"I recently took on a case, but I've never encountered a situation like this before," Zhu Zizhen said with a silly grin, completely losing his usual demeanor as a divine doctor, resembling a child instead.
"What are the symptoms?" Ye Bufan asked again.
"He's been poisoned with something I've never seen before," Zhu Zizhen said. "Whenever he circulates his energy, a large patch of bruised blood appears on his chest, and his limbs feel like something is drilling into them."
Ye Bufan turned to look at Zhu Zizhen and said, "With your abilities, you indeed cannot handle this poison."
"What kind of poison is it?" Zhu Zizhen asked.
"Spirit Devouring," Ye Bufan replied.
"Spirit Devouring? What is that?" Zhu Zizhen asked.
"I only heard my master mention it. This poison is common in Western countries. If you're infected with it, it's as if you're a cripple from then on. Every time you forcefully circulate your energy, you'll consume your lifespan until you die," Ye Bufan explained to Zhu Zizhen.
Zhu Zizhen seemed to have thought of something and quickly asked Ye Bufan, "Is there any antidote for this?"
Ye Bufan nodded and said, "We just need to extract the toxin and then treat it with traditional Chinese medicine. However, it ultimately depends on the severity of the poisoning. If it's too deep, there might be lingering side effects."
"Master, can you please go and see this patient for me?" Zhu Zizhen asked.
Ye Bufan looked at Zhu Zizhen. He rarely made requests. For him to make one was rare, which made Ye Bufan curious about the kind of person who would make Zhu Zizhen personally seek his help. After all, Ye Bufan vividly remembered Zhu Zizhen's arrogance when they first met.
"Yes," Ye Bufan agreed. "Who is the patient?"
Zhu Zizhen looked at Ye Bufan and said, "He's a very important figure. He achieved great merit in the war to protect the country. If not for him and a few others, our glorious Great Xia would have been invaded by enemies."
Upon hearing this, Ye Bufan searched his mind for information about prominent figures outside the sect that Lin Xiaoyao had told him about, and suddenly a name came to mind.
"Are you referring to the one in Gu City?" Ye Bufan said.
"Master, you actually know?" Zhu Zizhen looked at Ye Bufan. He thought that at Ye Bufan's age, he probably wouldn't know about figures from the older generation, but Ye Bufan had guessed it immediately.
Ye Bufan nodded, telling Zhu Zizhen to make the arrangements, and he would follow Zhu Zizhen's plan.
In the evening, Chu Mengyao drove to Xiangshan Villa. To celebrate the Chu family's rise, Chu He specially hosted a banquet for various prominent families. As the Golden Pavilion auction was approaching, families with assets richer than the Chu family from other cities were also invited to the Chu family's feast.
Initially, Ye Bufan had no intention of attending. However, the Chu family had just risen and their foundation was still unstable. After constant persuasion from Chu Shan and Chu Mengyao, Ye Bufan finally agreed to attend, also to stabilize the situation for the Chu family.
Ye Bufan got into Chu Mengyao's car and they arrived at a hotel owned by the Chu family.
"This place again." Looking at the hotel, Ye Bufan couldn't help but sigh. It was the same hotel where he had encountered Chu Mengyao and saved Chu He when he went to break off their engagement. That night, Ye Bufan had stayed in this very hotel.
In just a few dozen days, everything had changed drastically, and Ye Bufan had successfully entered the Foundation Establishment stage.
Chu Mengyao linked her arm with Ye Bufan's and they entered the hotel. As soon as they walked in, people began greeting Chu Mengyao and Ye Bufan. This was Ye Bufan's first time experiencing such a troublesome social engagement.
Later, Chu Mengyao noticed that Ye Bufan seemed resistant to such social interactions, so she let him wander around on his own while she went to mingle.
Ye Bufan found a quiet corner with few people and began to pick at some food.
"Yo~ Isn't this the guest martial artist of the Chu family? Now that the Yang family is down, you've been cast aside?" Just as Ye Bufan was eating, an untimely voice rang out.
Ye Bufan looked up and saw that it was Liu Ruoyan, who had been clamoring to see him just a few days ago. Now, she was dressed in a magnificent gown, with a man also in formal attire by her side.
The man had his hair slicked back and merely glanced at Ye Bufan.
"Yan Yan, is this the martial artist Ye Bufan who abandoned you?" the man asked, pointing at Ye Bufan.
Upon hearing this, Liu Ruoyan immediately put on a pitiable look and nodded. "It was him who used some tricks, causing our family to bear all the online criticism. He caused our family to be removed from the ranks of the eight great families. He's the one who valued profit over righteousness, defected to the Chu family, and gained benefits, which is why he no longer wants me, his betrothed. I went to his villa to find him, but he wouldn't even see me."
"Goodness, don't cry, don't cry. See, you've met me," the man said, quickly comforting Liu Ruoyan as she began to shed tears. "Don't worry, with me, Li Shun, I'll ensure you regain your former glory, and even surpass it."
"Really?" Liu Ruoyan blinked her eyes, looking at Li Shun.
"Pah! Shameless..." Wang Xinyan's voice rang out from behind them...