Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Chapter 1046 552: The Grand Banquet (Part 2)

Sure, here's the translated text:

The finale is the last dish at the grand feast, which is also the last item to be auctioned tomorrow.

This last item must be the most valuable, right?

Not necessarily, the most valuable item is the second-to-last one, referred to as the penultimate dish.

The value of the finale dish is lower than the penultimate, and at the grand feast, it's also called the farewell dish; once this item is sold, the feast is considered over.

Though his treasure was placed in such a position, Chang Shigui was still proud of himself for it was the first time his treasure made it to the grand feast.

"Boss Chang, what treasure are you bringing up?"

"My treasure is a pair of underpants!"

Li Banfeng was stunned for a moment and asked, "The last dish of the banquet is a pair of underpants?"

Chang Shigui nodded solemnly.

Li Banfeng pondered for a moment, then asked, "Is there anyone willing to eat that?"

"That depends on whose underpants they are." Since Li Banfeng bought tickets, and he bought two at once, out of sincerity, Chang Shigui decided to show him the item.

He washed his hands first, then lit some incense, prayed for about ten minutes, and took out a small box made of red sandalwood from the safe in the dim back room.

After unlocking two locks and releasing the Ghost Servant, Chang Shigui opened the box.

The inside of the box was lined with gold silk fabric, and a pair of neatly folded blue and white striped boxer shorts lay inside.

Li Banfeng still didn't understand, "Whose underpants are these exactly?"

Chang Shigui lowered his voice and said, "The deity comes to Rock Tower Village once a month, you know about this, right?"

Li Banfeng nodded, "I've heard about it."

"Last month when he came, he left this treasure here in the village."

Li Banfeng contemplated the logic in this and asked, "Why did he leave the underpants in the village?"

Chang Shigui's eyes shone with reverence, "For the village's whole-hearted devotion! Every time the deity visits, the whole village warmly welcomes him; if the household can put food on the table, they won't skip offering incense to the deity,

Wishes are made every month; whether they are fulfilled or not, outsiders can't dictate how we act; but our villagers, even if they murmur privately, they never let others hear it,

From the bottom of our hearts, we respect the deity, and naturally, the deity leaves his blessings for us."

Li Banfeng said, "So he just left you underpants?"

Chang Shigui detected a hint of disdain in Li Banfeng's tone and was displeased.

Chang Shigui summoned the Ghost Servant back, closed the box, performed a ritual of respect, and locked it back in the safe.

Li Banfeng asked, "What are the underpants' uses?"

Chang Shigui replied, "As far as I know, these underpants have been worn by the deity for over a decade, saturated with divine power for so many years, how much celestial aura do they have? You can think about it."

"I'll pass on that." Li Banfeng turned and left the Incense and Candle Shop, starting to question the authenticity of the pair of tickets he held.

The Boss Chang, considering an unknown pair of underpants a treasure, judging by this perspective, Li Banfeng doubted the legitimacy of the tickets he sold.

"They are real," gloves whispered, "Master, those underpants are real, indeed a treasure. I sniffed them earnestly earlier; the underpants are heavy with Yin Energy and laced with a bit of incense vibe, should be a personal item of a high-level Nightmare Cultivator."

Li Banfeng exclaimed in astonishment, "You sniffed that carefully?"

Gloves spoke softly, "High-level cultivators' long-owned items have spirit attributes; these underpants possess considerable spirit attributes. If a Nightmare Cultivator of the third or fifth layer took them, they have the opportunity to tame a Ghost Servant of the seventh or eighth layer. Would you say this isn't a treasure?"

Is it really a treasure?

Li Banfeng looked back at the Incense and Candle Shop, seeing a man in a white shirt and black pants entering the shop.

Though they were far apart, Li Banfeng vaguely recognized the figure as seemingly familiar.

He thought to take a closer look at the shop entrance and took two steps, suddenly sensing impending danger.

Can't go?

Who exactly is this person? What do they want?

The man in white and black came to the counter, and Chang Shigui asked, "What would you like?"

The man replied, "I want to buy a treasure."

"Treasure?" Chang Shigui frowned slightly, "I don't understand what you mean."

The man said, "Tomorrow evening, there's a grand feast in the town, I heard you have a treasure to sell."

Chang Shigui was silent for a moment and said, "Indeed, there's such a thing. If you are genuinely interested in buying, let's see it at tomorrow's feast."

"No need to wait for tomorrow's feast, I want it today."

"That won't do," Chang Shigui waved his hand, "I've informed those organizing the feast, the contracts are signed."

"I'll pay the breach penalty, name your price."

"That would break the rules, even if the penalty is paid, in the end, it would tarnish my reputation," Chang Shigui refused, "Moreover, items brought to the feast go to the highest bidder; I can't predict how much it'll be sold at; evaluating it now is difficult."

The man took out a check, "Estimating its value, this treasure is at most worth a little over three million; I'm offering seven million to take it straight away, ensuring no loss on your part, at least doubling your profit. What do you think?"

Chang Shigui shook his head, "Friend, your sincerity is enough, but I can't sell it to you; I've been running this shop for over twenty years; it's the first time my good items can go to a grand feast."

The man frowned and said, "What difference does it make whether it's at the feast?"

Chang Shigui laughed, "Everyone has their way of life; this may not mean much to you, but to me, it's a lifelong aspiration. Friend, if you wish to buy something else here, feel free to choose; if you truly fancy that treasure, I repeat, I'll be waiting for you at the feast."