Realization dawned on Zhongli's face. He gently set down his teacup and sighed helplessly. "Director, since I've placed the bid, naturally, I'll pay for it myself."
"You'll pay? You have that much Mora?"
Outside, the bidding had already surpassed Zhongli's previous price. Hu Tao eyed him suspiciously, loosening her grip on his collar somewhat.
Zhongli calmly straightened his wrinkled collar, speaking unhurriedly. "I've accumulated some modest savings over the years."
"Really?" Hu Tao was still doubtful.
Two billion Mora—what could he possibly have done to amass that much money?
Did drinking tea and listening to opera every day earn him a fortune?
"Naturally."
Zhongli reached into his empty pocket as if retrieving something. Unseen by the others, a golden light flickered in his hand, and a large pile of Mora coins appeared.
He casually placed this handful of high-value Mora onto the table, easily over ten million in total.
"I did bring some money today."
Hu Tao still wasn't fully convinced, but since Zhongli insisted he'd pay, she didn't press further.
Still, she couldn't help snarking, "The sun must've risen in the west today—you actually carried money with you."
"I came prepared, knowing we were attending an auction," Zhongli replied calmly, a faint smile on his lips.
"Hmph, once we're back, I'll have Jiang Bai tally up all your past expenses. If you can't produce the money, you can sleep on the streets!" Hu Tao huffed, still irritated.
This guy had been secretly hoarding so much Mora—it was downright infuriating!
Jiang Bai stared at Zhongli with an odd expression.
So, the fox has finally shown his tail!
How could a mere Funeral Parlor consultant possess so much Mora? Zhongli must secretly be the head of some underground organization, quietly amassing a fortune!
After this brief interruption, the auctioneer's voice echoed from below:
"Two billion two hundred eighty million Mora going once! Any higher bids?"
Turning his head, Zhongli calmly added, "Two billion three hundred million Mora."
"Two billion three hundred million Mora going once! If there are no higher bids, this final item goes to the guest in box number 12!"
"Two billion four hundred million Mora." Ningguang's clear voice rang out—she clearly wanted it as well.
At this point, Jiang Bai had no energy left to curse the wealthy. He was only curious if Zhongli would continue bidding.
Zhongli didn't disappoint, calmly raising the bid again by fifty million Mora.
Hu Tao clutched her chest, feeling her heart hammering fiercely.
She was genuinely terrified that Zhongli would win, only to discover he couldn't pay, saddling the Funeral Parlor with a colossal debt.
After several intense exchanges between Zhongli and Ningguang, Zhongli eventually secured the vessel for a staggering 4.5 billion Mora.
The attendant delivered the items one by one. Under everyone's astonished gaze, Zhongli casually handed over 4.5 billion Mora, claiming the exquisite Chan Yan Zhuo Su Zhi Zun wine vessel.
Jiang Bai didn't even glance at the items he'd won. Instead, he fixated eagerly on the magnificent vessel, cautiously asking, "Mr. Zhongli, may I touch it?"
Without hesitation, Zhongli handed him the vessel, acting as if a 4.5-billion-Mora treasure was no different from ordinary cabbage on the street.
Holding the vessel with immense care—fearful of accidentally dropping something worth billions—Jiang Bai immediately felt the Geo energy surge around him. Even his control over Geo improved dramatically, though only while physically holding the vessel.
Reluctantly returning it to Zhongli, Jiang Bai felt his strength revert to normal.
This really is an incredible artifact...
Too bad he couldn't afford it, even if he sold himself...
He finally turned his attention back to his own items:
A Hydro Slime, and an ancient vambrace.
"Mr. Jiang Bai, your Adeptal texts sold for a total of 13.6 million Mora. After deducting the 10% auction fee, you have 12,285,000 Mora remaining."
"Subtracting the cost of the slime and the vambrace leaves you with 5,985,000 Mora. Here is your payment—please check carefully."
The attendant carefully counted each Mora before handing them over.
"That auction fee sure is steep..." Jiang Bai felt a pang of regret.
"I distinctly recall someone promising to share a cut with me," Hu Tao interjected, hands on her hips.
"Coming right up!" Jiang Bai immediately scooped out a large handful of Mora and stuffed them into Hu Tao's hands—at least a million or two.
Jiang Bai glanced at the vambrace, noting Childe's continued interest from the corner of his eye, and swiftly tucked it away in his spatial storage.
He already had it; there was plenty of time to examine it properly later.
Finally, he set his gaze on the Hydro Slime, happily squirming in its glass container.
Since the Sanqing Bell couldn't store living creatures, he'd have to wait until he got home to bond properly.
"Mr. Tartaglia, here is your item." The attendant presented a silk-lined box containing a single Mora coin.
Not planning to study it carefully in this crowded place, Childe simply paid and put it away.
"Everyone, I have other business to attend to. I'll take my leave first—we'll meet again soon." With a casual wave, Childe hurriedly departed, eager to examine his purchase.
"Consultant Zhongli, shall we go home as well?" Hu Tao firmly grasped Zhongli's arm, pulling him forward with a deceptively sweet smile.
This guy had secretly hoarded so much money yet shamelessly charged everything to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!
She wouldn't let him escape today—not until he coughed up every Mora he owed!
"Yes, yes, Mr. Zhongli! It's lunchtime already; let's hurry back to eat!" Jiang Bai, clutching his slime's glass case, eagerly rolled ahead in his wheelchair.
With a helpless smile, Zhongli followed them back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, feeling Xingqiu's amused gaze on his back.
Upon reaching Zhongli's courtyard, Hu Tao and Jiang Bai promptly blocked the entrance, closing the gate behind them.
Together, they practically shoved Zhongli onto the stone bench in the courtyard. Hu Tao quickly produced a ledger from the accounting room and dramatically flipped through it page by page.
"You mostly paid for last year's expenses, so I'll ignore the small things. Let's just review this year's debts—January 8th: One pair of Qinghua porcelain vases, 800,000 Mora. Lunch at Wanmin Restaurant, 10,000 Mora. On January 13th, one Scarlet Rain Bird for 750,000 Mora…"
Hu Tao meticulously listed each expense from January onward, causing Zhongli's lips to twitch involuntarily.
With a resigned sigh, he pulled another large handful of Mora from his pocket and placed it before Hu Tao. "Director, there's no need to keep calculating. This should more than cover it."
Hu Tao abruptly stopped her recitation, looking at Zhongli with surprise.
"You certainly carried plenty of Mora today!"
She quickly counted—around ten million Mora in total.
Grinning delightedly, she stuffed the coins into her pockets, then patted Zhongli's shoulder approvingly. "Now, Consultant, wouldn't it have been easier if you'd done this sooner?"
Zhongli sighed helplessly.
Dealing with a director like this truly tested his patience.