Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

Third floor.

Contrary to the imagined mystery and darkness, the [All Things] Gathering Place on this floor was brightly lit, with dozens or even hundreds of candles as thick as a wrist stuck in the air.

The small hall was brightly lit, which made the dozen or so participants, who were wrapped up tightly, seem somewhat comical in comparison.

With so many people here... Qin Ning took a few steps forward, subtly observing the crowd.

It's clear that most of them concealed their body shape, except for their faces.

The most exaggerated one is Li Siqin, whose body shape is comparable to a pumpkin hammer that has come to life, and whose height is close to nine feet. From a distance, she looks no different from a wall.

This outfit must be worth at least a dozen X's... Hearing the footsteps behind him, Qin Ning turned his head slightly.

The people who had met on the second floor earlier had now gone up to the third floor.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"The time has come, please come in."

The strange, distorted sound that Qin Ning had heard at the door rang out again from behind the screen in the small hall.

Immediately afterwards, the screen was moved and removed, revealing a doorway decorated with an arch.

Beyond the doorway was a larger space, equally brightly lit, but with more than thirty wooden benches placed on both sides. Beside each bench stood a hunched figure draped in a black robe.

Where did the organizers behind this find so many dwarfs?

Qin Ning raised an eyebrow and followed the flow of people in. The three of them chose a seat next to each other on the right.

There was a pure black plaque and a white stone on the wooden stool, which he guessed was probably used for writing.

After settling down, Qin Ning held the black card and glanced at the hunched figure standing motionless beside him. Finding nothing amiss, he then turned his gaze to the black and white platform erected at the far end.

On the stage stood a mysterious woman with a slender figure, dressed in revealing clothing.

The other person wore a black and white mask, crossed their hands in front of their lower abdomen, and remained motionless, without even a breath.

Once everyone was seated, she seemed to suddenly come back to life.

May all your requests and wishes be fulfilled.

The mysterious woman's voice was clear and ethereal.

"In case there are any new friends, please allow me to introduce you before the auction officially begins." She took a step forward and gestured: "The black plaque and white stone on the wooden bench are specially prepared for you by [All Things]. You can write down anything you want to say or bid on it, and then have the River Servant beside you read it aloud."

"Of course, if you have friends who aren't afraid of revealing their identities, feel free to do as you please... But I must remind you, once you're dead, you're truly dead."

Upon hearing this, Qin Ning's hand gripping the white stone plaque tightened instantly.

He slowed his breathing, trying to appear as unaffected as possible, and also trying to calm himself down as quickly as possible.

Once is a coincidence, twice is a coincidence, but not every time is a coincidence.

This "all things" is definitely related to the Dao Lord.

Unfortunately, he needs to advance to the seventh rank before he'll have another chance to see that unruly boy...

"The auction has officially begun. The first item is a Taoist talisman for swift movement. This item is in poor condition, with little remaining spiritual energy. In addition, it has been around for a long time. I don't recommend that you actually bid for it to use in a critical moment to escape."

However, buying it to study how to draw this talisman might actually allow me to replicate the Swift Travel Talisman, which would be worthwhile.

"The starting bid for this item is 200 taels of silver, or an equivalent Taoist item."

Are there really auctioneers who demean themselves like this?

Qin Ning was puzzled. He picked up the white stone in his hand, quickly wrote something down, and handed it to Feng Hanying beside him.

Swish swish.

[Very few items are offered for auction voluntarily; most items sold at auctions are provided by members.]

Feng Hanying responded with a letter, and Qin Ning saw the little princess, who was a seat away from him, quickly write a line on the black plaque and hand it to the hunched figure beside her.

"1500 taels."

A distorted and strange sound rang out, directly overshadowing the previous bids and suppressing the desire of those present to continue bidding.

It's true that everyone present was interested in Taoism, but they weren't fools.

It's just a tattered talisman. At the auction a dozen days ago, the perfectly intact Taoist talisman only fetched this price.

At this moment, naturally no one followed suit.

Of course, the young princess wasn't stupid; it's just that she was still under house arrest a dozen days ago and missed the auction.

A tattered talisman can sell for such a high price... Qin Ning seemed to see his potential customers.

The Swift Travel Talisman is a basic talisman, just like the Plague-Slaying Talisman. He already has the detailed method for making this talisman in his mind, but he hasn't practiced it yet.

"1500 in two or three rounds, deal."

"The second item is a blood-stained Taoist robe. It is said that this item was worn by the Taoist Master in the past, but its authenticity cannot be verified..." The woman on the stage, wearing a black and white mask, continued to introduce the item in her clear and ethereal voice.

Small workshops really go all out with materials... Qin Ning frowned when he heard the words "Daoist Master," and at the same time began to think about whether he should take a few bricks from his Taoist temple next time they met.

Hmm, that incense burner with the missing ear looks pretty good too.

In the end, this unknown blood-stained garment fell into the hands of the young princess again for 200 taels of silver.

Qin Ning could also directly sense the extent of the other party's obsession with the Taoist cultivation path; no wonder he was dressed as a Taoist priest in the Prince's mansion.

The third item was a broken rattle, and the fourth item was an unidentified elixir.

The fifth item...

The sixth item...

The auction featured fifteen items related to the cultivation path of the Tongdao Sect, most of which ended up in the hands of the young princess.

The mysterious woman wearing a black and white mask returned to her original position, placing her hands in front of her lower abdomen.

"All fifteen items prepared for this auction have been sold. Next update..."

"Wait, I'd like to add another item to the auction."

Beside the young princess, the hunched-over river servant held up a black plaque and read it aloud word by word.

On the stage, the mysterious woman remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:

"Can."

The young princess retrieved the black plaque, quickly wrote on it, and handed it to the river servant.

"This item was obtained by chance from the ruins of a gate. Its specific effects are unknown, but it was pressed under the statue in the main hall at the time, so it was definitely not an ordinary item."

"However, I'm only offering this item in exchange for a well-preserved Taoist talisman; I'm not selling it for money."

He Pu finished reciting in a strange tone.

The young princess took out a jade hairpin and handed it to the other person. The hunched figure held it in his hands and carefully walked towards the stage.

This object, this design, it's a bad luck-bringing hairpin!?

Qin Ning stared at the river servant walking past him, his eyes full of surprise.

[The "Broken Luck Hairpin," one of the minor inauspicious items recorded on the thirty-six white pages, contains a malevolent spirit that can overdraw the wearer's lifespan to bring good fortune. Initially, it adheres to the principle of voluntariness, but later, regardless of the wearer's willingness, the malevolent spirit will forcibly bring good fortune and plunder lifespan.]

Qin Ning still remembered the two methods to break the curse written on the [Great Curse Record].

First, don't wear it.

Second, strike fiercely with lightning.

He simply assumed the first point was the young Daoist master's perverse sense of humor.

However, the young princess just said that the effects of this item are unknown... does that mean that after she obtained this cursed item, the evil spirit in the cursed hairpin has not appeared?