IRCFCN 18

Chapter 18

: The Silent Pressure

The moment Tang Yingying’s voice fell, the entire auction hall fell into an unnatural silence.

“Thirty million.”

Those two words seemed to press down on everyone’s chest like a heavy stone.

No one spoke.

No one dared to follow.

Even the auctioneer, who had seen countless high-stakes bidding wars, felt his throat tighten for a moment before forcing a professional smile.

“Thirty million once…”

His voice echoed faintly through the hall.

Still no response.

He glanced around carefully, as if confirming whether anyone had the courage to challenge the offer.

But the answer was obvious.

The Tang Family was not just wealthy—it was authority. In Jianghai City, wealth alone was never the deciding factor. Power, connections, and hidden influence mattered far more.

“Thirty million twice…”

A few people in the crowd shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Some lowered their heads, pretending to study the program booklet. Others simply avoided eye contact altogether.

Lin Wan’er, seated near the back, leaned slightly toward Ye Feng and whispered,

“Is that item really worth that much?”

Ye Feng didn’t look at the stage.

His gaze remained calm, distant.

“It isn’t,” he said lightly.

Lin Wan’er blinked. “Then why are they all fighting for it?”

“Because they think it is,” Ye Feng replied.

His tone carried no emotion, as if he were commenting on something completely unrelated to himself.

On the stage, the faint purple glow from the box still shimmered softly, almost hypnotically. To others, it looked mystical—divine even.

But in Ye Feng’s eyes, it was something far more unpleasant.

A trapped resentment.

A thing that should not exist in the open world.

“Thirty million—third…”

The auctioneer raised the hammer slightly.

“Forty million.”

A new voice suddenly cut through the silence.

The entire hall froze.

Every head turned toward the source.

Even Tang Yingying’s expression changed slightly.

At the second-to-last row, Ye Feng slowly lowered his hand after speaking casually, as if he had just ordered tea instead of adding ten million to a bid.

Lin Wan’er turned to him in shock.

“Ye Feng… what are you doing?”

He didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he looked at the stage, eyes calm but unreadable.

For a brief moment, the atmosphere in the hall shifted.

If Tang Yingying’s bid had been pressure…

Then Ye Feng’s was disruption.

The auctioneer swallowed hard.

“F-forty million… from the gentleman in the back.”

A murmur instantly spread through the crowd.

“Who is that?”

“He dared to compete with the Tang Family?”

“Is he crazy?”

At the front row, Tang Yingying slowly turned her head.

Her gaze landed directly on Ye Feng.

There was a flicker of curiosity in her eyes… and something sharper beneath it.

Beside her, the elderly man in traditional robes finally opened his eyes slightly, his expression calm but heavy with authority.

“He’s not ordinary,” the old man said quietly.

Tang Yingying frowned. “Grandfather?”

The old man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stared at Ye Feng for a long moment, as if trying to see through him.

Then he spoke again.

“His energy is very restrained. Either he has no cultivation… or he is far beyond what we can sense.”

That statement made Tang Yingying pause.

Far beyond what they could sense?

In Jianghai City, that was not a phrase used lightly.

Back at the back row, Lin Wan’er lowered her voice urgently.

“Why would you suddenly increase the bid like that?”

Ye Feng finally shifted his gaze toward her.

“Because it’s dangerous,” he said simply.

Lin Wan’er frowned. “Dangerous?”

But before she could ask more, the auctioneer’s voice rang out again.

“Forty million once!”

The hall remained silent.

Even the Tang Family had not immediately responded.

It was not hesitation due to money.

It was calculation.

Tang Yingying glanced at her grandfather again. “Should we continue?”

The old man’s fingers lightly tapped the armrest.

“No need.”

The answer surprised her.

She blinked. “We’re giving it up?”

“It’s not about giving up,” he said calmly. “It’s about value. That object is not worth a higher price.”

He paused, then added in a lower voice only she could hear:

“And more importantly… the person who just bid is not simple. There is no need to provoke unknown variables for a false treasure.”

Tang Yingying’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she nodded.

“Understood.”

On stage, the auctioneer raised the hammer for the final time.

“Forty million twice…”

“Forty million—three times!”

Bang!

“The Dharma Compass goes to the gentleman in the back row!”

A wave of suppressed shock passed through the hall.

No applause.

Only confusion, curiosity, and unease.

Ye Feng stood up slowly.

He didn’t look excited.

He didn’t look satisfied.

Instead, he looked… slightly disappointed.

As if confirming something he already knew.

Lin Wan’er stood with him. “Are we leaving?”

“Yes,” he said.

But as they turned to walk out, Ye Feng’s gaze briefly flicked once more toward the glowing box being carried away.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

“This thing…” he murmured, almost to himself.

“It’s already starting to awaken.”

Lin Wan’er didn’t hear him clearly.

“What did you say?”

Ye Feng shook his head.

“Nothing.”

But deep down, he knew one thing clearly.

This auction wasn’t the end of the story.

It was only the beginning.