Chapter 48: The Yunmei Auction

People who are on the verge of death or critically ill simply do not care about money. If they could trade all their wealth for a single chance at health, they would hand it over without the slightest hesitation.

However, Zhou Chen did not take money from ordinary people; he only made exorbitant demands of the wealthy and powerful. Those with money paid with cash, while those with power used their connections to scour the world for rare traditional medicinal herbs on his behalf. Even knowing that Zhou Chen was deliberately overcharging them, they dared not utter a single complaint. Because Zhou Chen was genuinely capable of curing their terminal illnesses—the price might be steep, but it was undoubtedly worth it.

No one considers their own life cheap, which is why people like this are the easiest to make money from. Especially those in the late stages of cancer or enduring the excruciating torture of incurable diseases. As long as they could recover their health, let alone money, they would agree to commit murder without blinking if asked.

Around six o'clock in the evening, Zhou Chen concluded his consultations for the day and accompanied Zhang Bingnan to the Yunmei Auction Company. Checking his phone, Zhou Chen saw that his Agricultural Bank card now held a balance of 1.8 billion. He had never imagined that money could be earned so easily.

Driving beside him, Zhang Bingnan looked somewhat envious. "Little divine doctor, at this rate of making money, you'll easily amass a net worth in the hundreds of billions before long."

Zhou Chen chuckled lightly. "Isn't my medical skill worth that much?" To be honest, Zhou Chen felt that 1.8 billion was actually a bit low. Of that sum, 1 billion had been transferred by Yang Hao alone, while the remaining 800 million was the combined total from treating several other tycoons. Although their companies were worth billions in market value, the liquid cash they could easily produce was limited. Moreover, there weren't that many affluent patients available for him to treat yet, as his reputation had not yet spread far and wide. He believed it wouldn't be long before terminally ill plutocrats from all over the country—and even the world—would flock to his doorstep. When that time came, Zhou Chen might well rely on his medical prowess to become the richest man in the nation.

The Yunmei Company was not located in an office building, but rather within a sprawling estate in the suburbs. The estate was luxuriously decorated, bathed in dim, ethereal lighting that carried a sense of mystery. What surprised Zhou Chen slightly was that the guards at the estate's entrance were exclusively modern cultivators. Aside from the guards, there were two rows of receptionists dressed as fishnet bunnies, giving Zhou Chen a rather unusual impression of this Yunmei Auction. Previously, he had imagined the Yunmei Auction to be a high-end affair, but now it seemed somewhat improper, almost shady. A deep curiosity stirred within him regarding tonight's auction—could there actually be illegal items up for bid?

To attend the Yunmei Auction, one needed to prove a net worth exceeding one billion or demonstrate significant social standing and background. Zhang Mingxu was not only the honorary director of Huaxin Hospital and the head of the Traditional Chinese Medicine department at Peking University, but also the vice president of the Yanhuang Traditional Chinese Medicine Association. Unlike Zhou Guangxi, he charged fees for treating the wealthy, so he had accumulated quite a fortune over the years. Once their financial standing was verified, the staff handed each of them a white membership card.

Guided by the staff, Zhang Bingnan parked the car in the lot. By then, the parking area was already filled with numerous luxury cars and supercars, and there was even a helipad off to one side.

"Welcome to the Yunmei Club!"

Stepping through the main gates revealed an exceptionally luxurious lobby, its walls adorned with famous paintings and displays of precious antiques. Here, relying on his acute senses, Zhou Chen spotted at least a dozen current top-tier female celebrities. No matter where else these women appeared, they would instantly be recognized and swarmed by adoring fans. Yet here, they attached themselves to various powerful magnates, playing the part of delicate, dependent birds. Not only female stars, but male celebrities as well, trailed closely behind wealthy matrons.

With the auction yet to begin, these people gathered in small groups, chatting and discussing the items slated for the evening. The receptionists at the entrance carried trays bearing masks, lending an even greater aura of mystery to the event. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Zhou Chen picked up a tiger mask, while Zhang Bingnan chose not to wear one.

Inside the hall, relatively few people wore masks, especially the attractive female celebrities, who were eager to display the faces they had painstakingly adorned for the evening to everyone present. Generally, those who wore masks possessed sensitive identities or simply wished to conceal their true faces. Such individuals were predominantly cultivators.

Through the shared vision of his insect swarm, Zhou Chen detected that the number of ancient martial artists in the hall exceeded forty. In particular, several elderly individuals dressed in martial arts attire appeared youthful despite their white hair, radiating powerful soul auras comparable to the late stage of Qi Refining. Zhou Chen even sensed at least three souls comparable to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Among these three owners of Foundation Establishment-level souls, one felt quite familiar to him—it was the same presence he had previously sensed on the campus of Peking University. Zhou Chen glanced toward this person, who was also wearing a mask. It was a woman with an exceedingly youthful appearance, looking no older than twenty. Despite the mask, her exposed skin was remarkably fair and delicate; she wore no makeup, yet her poise utterly eclipsed every mainstream celebrity in the room. Holding a wine glass alone, her beautiful eyes beneath the mask seemed weighed down by a subtle sorrow and heavy thoughts.

Quite a few powerful elites and wealthy tycoons attempted to strike up a conversation with her, only to be rebuffed each time.

At the sight of this woman, Zhou Chen's pupils constricted. He could now guarantee that this woman was indeed the fellow practitioner he had sensed earlier at Peking University. Unlike modern cultivation methods, she—just like him—carried the heritage of an ancient immortal cultivation system! She walked the path of the immortals and pursued longevity. Her cultivation level was definitely higher than his own, likely having reached the middle or late stages of Foundation Establishment!

To all appearances, she looked no different from an ordinary person. But Zhou Chen alone knew that this woman was capable of flying on swords and wielding formidable mystical arts to effortlessly slaughter everyone present. Moreover, despite her youthful appearance, her actual age was likely well over a hundred. After all, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage granted a lifespan of five hundred years, and there was no telling if she was some ancient monster who had survived from the Qing dynasty or even earlier eras.

At this thought, a profound sense of wariness toward the woman arose in Zhou Chen.

Seemingly sensing his gaze, the woman turned to look at Zhou Chen and offered him a breathtakingly mesmerizing smile. Zhou Chen felt no beauty in it whatsoever; instead, his hair stood on end, as if he had encountered a malevolent spirit from a mountain village in the dead of night. He immediately averted his gaze and put some distance between himself and her.

As time passed, an increasing number of high-ranking officials, wealthy magnates, and modern cultivators entered the venue. The receptionists opened the grand doors leading to the auction hall proper, allowing guests to enter by presenting their membership cards.

Guests holding black membership cards were given priority entry, accompanied by a beauty dressed as a bunny girl assigned by the Yunmei Auction, though male attendants in tuxedos were also available upon request. Very few held black membership cards—only six people in total. Following them, members holding blue, yellow, and white membership cards entered in succession.

The membership cards represented the status of the guests; the darker the color, the more prestigious the identity. The seating arrangement within the auction hall was also divided according to the card colors, with darker colors corresponding to seats closer to the front. The layout of the auction hall was fan-shaped, with seats tiered from low to high, ensuring an unobstructed view of the auction stage from anywhere.

Both Zhou Chen and Zhang Bingnan were seated quite far back, though that mattered very little to him.