Dual Cultivation God Returns Chapter 1084: What did you do?

Ko Wenlu started to perspire profusely, turning to find that Ko Furen was nowhere in sight. His breathing became rapid and unstable as panic set in, his vision narrowing and darting between corners of the hall more erratically.

Unbeknownst to him, and anyone else present, two invisible carps were gracefully swimming within the private balcony, positioned just beneath the ceiling. Ripples from their movements spread like unseen waves, resembling currents of 'water'.

"60 million!!!" Wei Yuanjie once again elevated the bidding price for the painting.

"100 million!!!" A member of the Bao Family grinned, instantly escalating the stakes.

Another anonymous bid followed: 200 million.

The entire chamber erupted in an uproar, as this was the first time tonight the price had surged so dramatically. The most astonished party was the Right Guardian, who had not made this particular bid.

"220 million!" Wei Yuanjie relentlessly pursued the item.

"T-... 240!" Wei Liheng gulped, as this price point was beginning to significantly impact his ability to bid for the main prize.

A subsequent anonymous bid from the Right Guardian pushed the price to 270 million.

"300!" The Bao Family member was not about to be outdone, though a nagging feeling persisted that the earlier 200 million anonymous bid, in response to his 100 million, might have been a subtle warning.

"400!" Wei Liheng cast caution to the wind, along with any lingering hopes of securing the main prize. His intuition screamed that this particular item held even greater importance.

"1 billion Wei Dynasty gold." At this juncture, Wei Yuanjie rose to his feet, brandishing his bid sign high above his head, which triggered another wave of commotion throughout the hall.

This time, neither the Silverleaf Trade Hall, nor the Right Guardian, and certainly not Wei Liheng, made any hasty moves. The immense bid clearly signaled Wei Yuanjie's willingness to commit his entire fortune, indicating that this was undoubtedly a decisive confrontation for him.

"Wait!!" Just as the countdown commenced, and it seemed poised to be Wei Yuanjie's victory due to the competitors' brief hesitation, a shout echoed from an unexpected source—the private balcony of the City Lord’s Manor. Ko Wenlu stood there, his appearance disheveled, a slight feverish flush on his face, breathing rapidly and covered in sweat. "T-that painting... i-it is not for sale!"

The entire auction hall was stunned into silence, quickly followed by gasps and murmurs as astonished glances were exchanged among the attendees.

"Dear customer..." Kwon Qianhong began with a diplomatic tone, but was promptly interrupted by Ko Wenlu.

"This item was submitted to the auction by our City Lord's Manor, and it rightfully belongs to us. We possess the authority to withdraw it and are prepared to pay the stipulated penalty fee," Ko Wenlu articulated rapidly.

Wu Long, disguised as the Talisman Master on the auction stage, saw his smile widen. 'Yin'er will be delighted; this is her first attempt, and it's already a remarkable success.'

The door behind Ko Wenlu burst open the very next moment, revealing Ko Furen. His face displayed shock, and he was clearly out of breath, having hurried back as soon as he made contact with their father. He had only begun to register his elder brother's pronouncements while rushing through the hallway, activating the sound-dampening enchantment of the private balcony before entering and slamming the door. He immediately bellowed, "You idiot!!! What have you done?!"

"I... I..." Ko Wenlu turned, his eyes wide with a frantic look, utterly disoriented by the unfolding situation and completely taken aback by the outburst from his usually serene and placid younger brother.

"Are you completely insane?! I'm asking if you've lost your mind! Do you even comprehend the gravity of what you've just done?!" Ko Furen, however, struggled to regain his composure, trembling with a potent mix of rage, frustration, profound anxiety, and overwhelming fear.

"I... I stopped it, it was about..." Ko Wenlu stammered, his speech patterns barely recognizable.

Ko Furen, however, made no effort to listen or decipher his mumbled words, continuing his tirade. "You just announced to everyone present that the treasure everyone is fighting over is OURS!!! Do you have the slightest inkling in that empty, idiotic head of yours what that implies?! Of course you don't! It means thousands of covetous eyes will now be focused on us, you fucking moronic invertebrate imbecile!!! So what if we manage to halt its sale and reclaim it! The entire continent will know precisely where it will be if we do!"

Ko Wenlu's face turned ashen as he belatedly grasped the truth in his younger brother's words. "T-then we'll just sell it..."

His brother spat back with venomous fury, "It doesn't fucking matter! Whatever befalls this painting now, even if we proceed with the sale, and everyone knows it's no longer in our possession. Are you truly that damn naive?! 'Who knows, they might have more where that came from,' is the common thought in such circumstances! You've just invited the avaricious gazes of ten thousand cultivators directly upon our City Lord's Manor!"

Ko Wenlu, gasping for breath, stammered, "Y-you weren't here... and it was about to be sold... and... and... and I ehm~..."

He choked on his words, his breathing ragged, his voice unnaturally high-pitched. He appeared utterly bewildered, his head swiveling frantically between Ko Furen and the auction hall behind him.

"Not here? Naturally, I wasn't here! Didn't I tell you I was going to contact Father?" Ko Furen finally lowered his voice, his tone hardening as he fought to regain composure, realizing his outburst was uncharacteristic.

"Wh-when? You... I.. you were n-no~ not here..." Ko Wenlu's eyes widened as he struggled to recall such a conversation. His throat then felt parched as a singular question consumed his thoughts, "W-What did he say? What eh~ what did Father say...?"

"Hah." Ko Furen brought a hand to his face, an involuntary, helpless chuckle escaping him. "What he told me? He said to handle it discreetly through the Trading Company. To simply inform the staff that we wished to withdraw the treasure. Not to announce it to the entire world, that's what he told me, Brother."