The Xuese Auction!
One of the premier auction houses in the East Spirit Realm. Although not the most luxurious, it was undeniably the most eye-catching. Here, all auctioned items were sold with no questions asked about their origins or pasts. Most illicit treasures would eventually appear at the Xuese Auction. Furthermore, its backers were sufficiently mysterious and powerful.
Once, a Half-Step Martial Marquis won an item but refused to pay. Within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he was found kneeling obediently at the entrance of the Blood Night Auction, missing a hand. Rumor had it that the master behind the Xuese Auction was one of the top ten figures on the East Spirit Martial Marquis List!
In the dark of the night, Lin Huang followed behind Fengg Wanli. He looked up at the massive circular building ahead, which stood in the very center of the Blood Triangle like a giant fortress.
The Xuese Auction!
Brilliantly illuminated, the clamor of thousands of people inside surged like ocean waves. Countless figures hurried inside, most wearing cloaks or bamboo hats.
True to the rumors, Fengg Wanli was shrouded in a Blood Robe. He turned to Lin Huang, who wore a pitch-black cloak, and said, "I hope we both gain something tonight!"
As the two stepped into the auction house, their field of vision broadened and brightened. The massive auction house had a circular layout, divided into an upper and a lower level. The lower level featured tiered seating with enough room for thousands. It was already packed, mostly with Martial Artists. The casual auras they exuded converged in the hall, forming a vast, ocean-like presence.
The upper level consisted of a row of private VIP booths. Concealed by bead curtains and wafting with faint fragrances, these rooms were off-limits to ordinary people. As one of the top overlords of the Blood Triangle, Fengg Wanli naturally had his own exclusive booth.
"Alliance Leader Fengg, it’s been a while. Thank you for your patronage. I wonder which treasure has caught your eye this time?" As they headed upstairs, a middle-aged man dressed as a Merchant approached them with a beaming smile.
"Steward Ming, do I have to have my eye on an item to come here? Miss Hongxiu is the greatest treasure in this auction house. I wonder when I’ll be able to win her bid and take her back?" Fengg Wanli cupped his hands and chuckled, his eyes darting around as if searching for the aforementioned ’Miss Hongxiu’.
"Alliance Leader Fengg, you must be joking. Hongxiu is just an Auctioneer here; how could she possibly catch your discerning eye?" Steward Ming laughed, leading Fengg Wanli upstairs with Lin Huang following closely behind.
The moment the trio stepped onto the upper floor, Lin Huang frowned. He felt a sinister, bone-chilling draft coil around him, as though he were being targeted by a venomous snake. He and Fengg Wanli looked up simultaneously at the source of this icy aura.
It was a lean, middle-aged man draped in a brown robe. The garment was slightly oversized, but it did nothing to diminish his profound presence. His eyes were somewhat sunken compared to an ordinary person’s, yet they were as sharp as an eagle’s! Behind him stood a young man in a purple shirt, looking aloof and slightly arrogant. Beside the middle-aged man was a hunched old man with his hands tucked into his sleeves. His eyes were half-closed as if resting, and his wrinkled face bore a sickly pallor.
Lin Huang’s expression remained unchanged, but his heart suddenly leaped into his throat. He didn’t recognize the middle-aged man or the young man in purple, but the old man’s face was etched deeply into his very bones.
Hann Qixiu!
Hann Ming’s master. The Third-Level Array Master of the Celestial Thunder Sect.
Back in the Great Xia Dynasty, this was the man who had joined forces with Fengyu Tower to ambush him and Shen Diexin. Consequently, he had run into Xiao Yishan and had one of his meridians forcefully ripped out.
Hann Qixiu’s gloomy gaze swept over Lin Huang before shifting away. Even though he knew this so-called Lin Changsheng was actually Lin Huang, he pretended not to recognize him. After all, if word got out about what happened in the Great Xia Dynasty, he would lose a lot of face.
"Master Songg, I hope you’ve been well. I accidentally snatched your treasure last time, so I hope you don’t mind," Fengg Wanli said to the brown-robed middle-aged leader, cupping his hands with a smile.
The brown-robed man wasn’t angry. He merely squeezed out a stiff smile. "Since ancient times, treasures have always gone to the highest bidder. What’s there to mind? I just hope Alliance Leader Fengg won’t get angry later either."
"That’s good to hear," Fengg Wanli replied perfunctorily. He then fixed his gaze on Hann Qixiu and asked, "May I ask for this senior’s name? To think such a prominent figure has graced the Blood Triangle and this Alliance Leader was unaware of it. How embarrassing!"
"I am a nameless nobody, not worth mentioning." Hann Qixiu spoke in a hoarse voice, his tone as bland as water. He clearly had no desire to humor Fengg Wanli.
Songg Yuanyang, however, revealed a smug smile and said, "Elder Hann is a senior in my family, so it is perfectly normal for Alliance Leader Fengg to not know him. On the other hand, this little brother Lin Changsheng beside you truly surprises me. To be able to slay a Celestial Element expert single-handedly at the edge of the Blood Triangle at such a young age... Tsk, tsk, tsk... Heroes truly emerge from the youth!"
Songg Yuanyang rested his gaze on Lin Huang, a playful smirk curling the corners of his mouth. Hearing this, the young man behind Songg Yuanyang also looked at Lin Huang. He chuckled coldly, shook out his purple robe, and mocked, "He’s just a Personal Element Realm guy!"
"You flatter me!" Lin Huang looked up and smiled calmly. Although he still wasn’t entirely clear on the other party’s identity, for someone addressed as Master Songg to pay such close attention to him... it likely meant they came with ill intentions.
"Why so humble? Before Martial Marquis Jia passed away, he entrusted his beloved daughter and the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers to you. You must have extraordinary qualities. I’m afraid in a few years, the name Lin Changsheng will echo throughout the entire East Spirit Realm." Songg Yuanyang smiled with narrowed eyes, his gaze fixed on Lin Huang as if refusing to look away, seemingly trying to discern something from the young man.
"The Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers?" Lin Huang furrowed his brows as anger rapidly climbed onto his face. He glared furiously at Hann Qixiu, clenching and unclenching his fists as if desperately trying to suppress his inner rage, and then...
Lin Huang grabbed an apple and chucked it right at Hann Qixiu!
"Insolent!" Two identical shouts rang out simultaneously—one from Fengg Wanli, the other from Songg Yuanyang.
Meanwhile, the apple landed squarely on the bridge of Hann Qixiu’s nose with a solid SMACK. Absolutely no one expected Lin Huang to pull such a sudden stunt. It completely defied all logic. Everyone here was an adult. What was the meaning of throwing an apple at someone? Furthermore, the person he hit might look like a sickly cat, but even Fengg Wanli couldn’t fathom the depths of his true strength.
"You are the very first person to ever hit me with an apple!" Hann Qixiu’s eyes snapped open. He stared apathetically at Lin Huang, betraying neither joy nor sorrow. His near-death demeanor quietly caused the surrounding air to drop a few degrees in temperature.
"Your Celestial Thunder Sect stole my Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers! So what if I throw an apple at an old dog like you!" Lin Huang snapped furiously, perfectly playing the part of a reckless hothead.
Lin Huang wasn’t a good actor; anyone could tell he was likely faking this outburst. But that didn’t matter. What mattered was what he actually said. This old man was from the Celestial Thunder Sect. The Celestial Thunder Sect stole the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers.
There were only two pieces of information in that single sentence, yet its convoluted implications could spark endless speculations. The factions within the Blood Triangle mostly kept to themselves and rarely interacted with external forces. Yet Hann Qixiu had appeared right beside Songg Yuanyang, which smelled of foul play. And then there was the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers.
As Lin Huang’s words trailed off, the atmosphere in the hall became incredibly delicate. A trace of unusually sharp murderous intent flashed through Hann Qixiu’s cloudy eyes. Fengg Wanli also frowned, and even Songg Yuanyang cast a suspicious glance at Hann Qixiu.
They wondered, "Is what Lin Huang said true or false? Is the Ancient Scroll of Mountains and Rivers in the hands of the Celestial Thunder Sect? What is the relationship between the Tiansong Pavilion and the Celestial Thunder Sect? Collusion?" Numerous speculations surfaced in everyone’s minds.
"Ignorant brat, how dare you spout nonsense here? Today, I will teach you the meaning of watching your words," Hann Qixiu said, staring at Lin Huang, his wizened voice extremely gloomy.
A pair of withered old hands slowly reached out.
Lin Huang was instantly bound by an invisible force, unable to move a muscle. It felt as though a pair of massive hands was gripping him tightly around his neck. Within a single breath, however, the terrifying aura coiling around Lin Huang dissipated like passing clouds. Fengg Wanli slowly stepped in front of Lin Huang and sneered, "Elder Hann, you seem to have forgotten where we are!"
Fengg Wanli reached out and pointed at a nearby corner. Steward Ming was standing there amiably, his face plastered with a bright smile.
Hann Qixiu’s hand paused, his brows brimming with fury.
"The auction is about to begin. We won’t disturb you any longer." Seeing Hann Qixiu hesitate, Fengg Wanli gave a perfunctory smile before swaggering off with Lin Huang in tow.
"That guy is Songg Yuanyang, Pavilion Master of the Tiansong Pavilion. He’s one of the four great overlords of the Blood Triangle and can be considered my archenemy." A gentle voice drifted from within Fengg Wanli’s blood-red robe after they left Songg Yuanyang’s group. "The young man behind him is named Songg Chen! He can be called a prodigy among the younger generation in the Blood Triangle. He is a disciple of Piaoxue Palace, and his strength is not to be underestimated."
"Piaoxue Palace?" Lin Huang paused slightly and couldn’t help but look back at the young man named Songg Chen. He found the latter staring darkly at him, his gaze shifting erratically, which gave Lin Huang a sudden sense of danger. Then, Lin Huang turned his head back and smiled, not paying it much mind. He would be leaving the Blood Triangle after tonight, so he probably wouldn’t have much interaction with those two. He liked to act alone, but he was never afraid of trouble knocking on his door.
"As for that old man, you probably know more than I do," Fengg Wanli continued. "You can act brazenly inside the auction house because fighting is forbidden here, but you’ll have to be careful once you leave. One look at that old geezer is enough to tell he’s a vengeful old dog who holds grudges."
Lin Huang nodded, taking mental note and keeping a Heart Eye open.
Not long after the two entered their private booth, a melodious bell rang out in the hall. The sound spread like a tide, covering every corner. Soon after, the auction house gradually quieted down.
Looking out from the booth, Lin Huang had an unobstructed view of the auction floor below. The thousands of people seated in the hall all possessed impressive strength. Lin Huang estimated that Martial Artists in the Earth Element Realm made up eighty percent of the crowd. At this moment, their gazes were locked onto the entrance of the auction stage as if they were waiting for something. Even their breathing had grown noticeably heavier.
Pair after pair of eyes glowed with a feral green light.
Lin Huang was also curious from inside the booth. He reckoned that the crowd wasn’t anxiously waiting for those so-called treasures, but rather the ’Miss Hongxiu’ that Fengg Wanli had mentioned. And the crowd’s anticipation was answered in mere moments.
Suddenly, the lights in the auction house dimmed!
A woman in a scarlet dress slowly stepped onto the auction stage on delicate feet. Her alluring, snake-like figure appeared even more enchanting and captivating under the bright lights of the auction...