“Miss, what are we buying at the Jubao Pavilion?”
Qu Jinshu and Yunshui both wore veils as they arrived in front of the Jubao Pavilion. Unable to contain her curiosity, Yunshui asked.
“There’s an auction at the Jubao Pavilion today. I want to buy something.”
Qu Jinshu gazed at the signboard of the Jubao Pavilion for a long moment before answering softly.
At this time in her previous life, she had still been lying in bed recovering from her injuries, so she had missed this auction.
The weapon she was best at using was a spear. That was why she had always remembered the red-tasseled spear forged by Elder Han.
Back then, the person who had won the auction for the spear was Qu Zhao.
Elder Han was a man who valued feelings and loyalty. He had heard that Qu Zhao was exceptionally skilled with a red spear on the battlefield, so he had assumed that Qu Zhao would cherish the red tasseled spear he had spent three years forging.
Unexpectedly, Qu Zhao had bought it at the auction only to melt it down less than half a month later.
He neither liked nor was skilled at using spears. The only reason he had insisted on buying it was that he had heard she wanted it.
Qu Zhao was a rather peculiar person. He relied on her to earn fame and achievements, yet looked down on her at every turn and constantly targeted her. No matter what it was, he always had to compete with her.
She hadn’t understood it in her previous life, but now she finally did.
Qu Zhao was probably both arrogant and insecure.
He was simply afraid that she might truly surpass him.
Qu Jinshu quickly entered the building and requested a private room on the upper floor with a good view.
“Pfft!”
On the second floor, Shen Lanzhou had just sat down when he suddenly spat out a mouthful of tea.
He stared at Qu Jinshu, who was walking upstairs…
Although she was wearing a veil, her figure, bearing, and clothes were exactly the same as those of the woman in the alley.
It was definitely her!
He then glanced at the person sitting opposite him. Zhao Jingxing was wearing a mask and calmly sipping his tea, showing no reaction whatsoever.
Shen Lanzhou stammered, “I swear I didn’t deliberately arrange to run into her. It’s just such a coincidence!”
They had crossed paths three times in just two days. The capital wasn’t exactly small, so how could they keep running into each other? He was even afraid Jingxing would misunderstand and think he had deliberately arranged these encounters.
“This way, ladies, please.”
As if things weren’t coincidental enough, the private room Qu Jinshu entered was right next to theirs.
“Wait… Could she be here to compete with me for the red tasseled spear?” Shen Lanzhou suddenly realized. He lowered his voice as he spoke.
Jingfeng leaned closer and whispered, “Young Master Shen, she’s General Qu.”
The General Qu who was stationed at the border and was practically invincible whenever she wielded a spear.
Wasn’t it obvious? Of course she had come for the red tasseled spear!
And it wasn’t just her. Almost everyone attending the auction today had probably come for that spear.
“Wait a minute… Isn’t that Qu Zhao?”
Shen Lanzhou spotted another familiar face.
At the same time, in the adjoining room, Qu Jinshu also noticed Qu Zhao, Qu Ya, and Qu Tong downstairs.
“Elder Sister, you visited Brother Xiujun last night. How is he?” Qu Tong had a good relationship with He Xiujun and was genuinely concerned about his injuries.
However, Qu Ya wasn’t particularly interested. She replied, “He’s all right. He has a strong constitution, so he should recover soon.”
“I heard Father sent people to capture Qu Jinshu. Have they caught her?”
“No. She’s very cunning. Our people found out this morning that she was staying at an inn, but by the time they arrived, she was already gone.”
Just thinking about it made Qu Zhao furious. When had anyone ever made a fool of him like this?
After what happened at Yunwu Mountain yesterday, he had wanted to return and teach Qu Jinshu a lesson. But who could have expected that he wouldn’t even be able to find her? He had gone to bed last night still seething with anger.
“Second Brother, Mother already said that the capital isn’t that big. How long can she possibly hide? Besides, the longer she stays away, the angrier Father will become. When he finally catches her, the consequences will be more than she can handle.” Qu Tong didn’t seem concerned.
“That’s fine. I know she’s been eyeing Elder Han’s red tasseled spear. Once I win it at the auction, won’t she come crawling back to beg me?” Qu Zhao spoke smugly.
“But Second Brother, the items at the Jubao Pavilion auctions are all very expensive…”
Qu Zhao let out a derisive laugh. “I’ve saved so much money at the money house. I’ll just take it out and use it.”
With that, the three of them headed to another private room on the second floor, not far from Qu Jinshu’s room and Shen Lanzhou’s group.
“Wonderful, wonderful! Now I’ve got even more competitors,” Shen Lanzhou gritted his teeth.
Gradually, all the guests arrived, and the auction was about to begin.
The treasures presented earlier were fiercely contested, with one after another being snapped up.
However, what everyone was looking forward to most was Elder Han’s red tasseled spear.
Finally, under everyone’s eager gaze, the red-tasseled spear was brought onto the stage.
It was placed on the display stand. Its iron spearhead gleamed sharply, its red tassel fluttered gracefully, and its sturdy iron shaft stood straight and firm. The upper part was crimson as blood, while the lower part gleamed with a chilling light.
No one could imagine how magnificent it would look in the hands of a warrior. Everyone was beginning to grow restless with anticipation.
A representative from the Jubao Pavilion stood on the stage and announced loudly, “Most of you have come here today for this red tasseled spear, so there’s no need for me to explain every detail. This is the culmination of three years of Elder Han’s painstaking work, and it is also the final weapon he will ever forge. It weighs more than thirty jin. Its spearhead gleams with a cold light, while its red tassel dances like flames. With this spear in hand, one will look truly imposing!”
“The starting bid is ten thousand coins!”
Ten thousand coins…
Many people drew in sharp breaths.
With ten thousand coins, one could buy a residence in the capital. Was it really worth spending that much on a spear?
Nevertheless, there were plenty of weapon enthusiasts among the guests, and they immediately began bidding.
“Eleven thousand coins!”
“Fifteen thousand coins!”
“Twenty three thousand coins!”
“Thirty thousand coins!” Shen Lanzhou suddenly instructed his servant to go out and place a bid.
Since the doors and windows of his private room were closed, no one could identify them. Many guests began wondering who was wealthy enough to make such a generous bid.
However, the private rooms upstairs were expensive to begin with. Anyone who could afford to sit there was certainly not short of money.
As the price continued climbing, Yunshui grew a little anxious.
“Miss, if the bidding continues like this, will we run out of money?” she asked worriedly.
Qu Jinshu took a sip of tea, looking completely calm.
She had to admit, the tea at the Jubao Pavilion was quite good.
“That spear is worth the price. Even if it goes a little higher, it won’t matter.”
In her previous life, she had only learned later why the red tasseled spear was Elder Han’s final masterpiece.
It was because he had contracted an incurable illness and didn’t have much time left.
He rarely sold the weapons he forged, especially through auctions like this. Doing so went against the pride of a family renowned for its weapon making.
But in his old age, the younger generation of the Han family had fought over the family fortune and driven him out.
The red tasseled spear was the last thing he had left.
He also had several young apprentices. They had all learned his craft, but passing down that skill required financial support.
Now, setting aside his pride and bringing the red tasseled spear here, he simply wanted to leave something behind for his apprentices.
In her previous life, he had sold the spear to Qu Zhao at a very low price, believing that Qu Zhao would cherish it. He hadn’t cared that he received so little money.
But who could have imagined that the spear would be melted down?
When Elder Han eventually learned what had happened, he passed away with deep regret.
So in this life, Qu Jinshu was determined not only to obtain the red tasseled spear but also to make sure Elder Han suffered no loss and had no regrets.