The auctioneer brightened, "This young man bids 8,000 silver taels. Does anyone challenge this?"

The person who previously had the winning bid was a middle-aged woman with a severe frown on her face. After a fierce internal struggle, she conceded.

She did not raise her hand!

Van sighed in relief.

"Going once… going twice… sold to the young gentleman over there for 8,000 silver taels!" The auctioneer declared.

BANG!

Van immediately made his way over to the back room, where a small boy wearing a golden hat was waiting for him with the crusted vial that contained a dilute droplets of ancient beast bloodline.

Van handed over the money and received the item. He put it away carefully. Quickly, he a.s.sessed his gains that night:

5 x Br.i.m.m.i.n.g Spirit Pills

1 x Myriad Light Dimensional Ring

1 x Ancient Beast Bloodline

Van still had 23,650 silver taels left on him. It was enough to buy several more items in the Golden Hall.

Delphine looked curiously at Van, [That must have been something good, otherwise he would not have bought it. I wonder what it was…?]

Twenty minutes on and Van was bored. The objects brought out after the ancient beast bloodline were all being auctioned for more than they were worth.

"Should we go to a different room?" Van asked the other two. They nodded.

As they drew close to the 11th auction room, Van felt the green turtle sh.e.l.l in his mindscape tremble in excitement. He felt something tugging at his feet, trying to drag him to the 10th auction room!

"What the h.e.l.l-?"

Jet was surprised, but not worried, [The green b.a.s.t.a.r.d likes something in there. Let's go check it out!]

They entered a much more s.p.a.cious room. There were fewer people, and the items on auction were set at a higher price benchmark. Merchants and n.o.blemen abounded in the s.p.a.ce. Van saw a few sect disciples as well.

On the stage, a mature lady with a jade pin in her hair hit the lectern with an elegant gold gavel.

"Sold for 11,000 taels – congratulations to the young miss in green!" She shouted. The audience clapped politely.

"Not a bad item, it is worth the 11,000 taels," Van commented lightly.

They took a seat somewhere in the back of the crowd and watched. With the help of Van, Delphine purchased an ancient rusted cauldron for 13,000 silver taels. If it was intact, its value would be much higher than that. Delphine wanted it anyway for research purposes.

This made Van curious. Was she studying to become a pill-maker or alchemist? The last time he had b.u.mped into her at the apothecaries she had wanted a packet of body strengthening power. Since she clearly wasn't a body cultivator, she might have wanted it for research purposes.

Time pa.s.sed. Many items were auctioned. Despite the devious nature of the auctioneers on the streets, it was clear that the Golden Hall did have some skills. Most of the ancient artefacts that were put onto the stage were revealed to be treasures. Most of them were low-level, but a few were better in quality.

Van won a bid for a medium-sized jar of ancient pills. The jar contained ten Fiend Blood Restoration Pills – capable of instantly restoring 80% of a cultivator's health and spiritual energy. If the lady auctioneer knew she had sold such priceless treasures for only 9,000 taels she would have spat blood.

Delphine and Ryan were feeling a little bored. They were just waiting for Van to do something or leave.

"How much longer?" Delphine complained, yawning widely.

Van's eyes sharpened, "Shus.h.!.+"

The tugging sensation had just intensified by a hundred times!

Delphine shut her mouth quickly but pouted unhappily. Ryan became alert.

At that moment, the lady auctioneer brought forth a round artefact lying on a golden pillow.

Jet chuckled, [Ah, so it's this kind of thing! No wonder the green b.a.s.t.a.r.d likes it so much.]

Van was extremely curious, [What is it?]

The ring didn't respond.

The auctioneer spoke, "Our next item is quite mysterious – we have never found something like this shape before. This could mean a unique, never-seen-before treasure! Our extraction specialists found this mystery object deep inside a deep underwater tomb. The starting bid is 3,000 silver taels – do I hear a 4,000?"

Van scanned the crowd to gauge interest in the object. From the expressions of the crowd, it seemed like this mystery item was not too popular. When he thought about it, it made sense.

There were two interpretations of the lady's words:

One. It could be unique treasure.

Two. This item is not of a shape we have ever seen before, and we cannot guarantee there is anything precious inside.

The audience were all leaning to the second option!

Van waiting for the initial bids to slow down. Then he stood up, "6500 taels!"

He only increased the bid by 500 taels.

The mature lady on the stage smiled softly, "We have a 6,500 from the young man at the back. Do I hear a 7,000? 7,000 taels to purchase what could be an exclusive treasure we will never see again…"

She waited expectantly, "Going once, going twice…Sold!"

Van felt his heart settle down. He got it! The turtle sh.e.l.l urgently pushed him towards the treasure, yearning for it. Van felt unsettled so he immediately went to the back of the stage to collect his items.

Another small boy in golden uniform pa.s.sed him his two items – the bottle of Fiend Restoration Pills and the round artefact.

Van was satisfied. Now he had:

5 x Br.i.m.m.i.n.g Spirit Pills

10 x Fiend Blood Restoration Pills

1 x Myriad Light Dimensional Ring

1 x Ancient Beast Bloodline

1 x Mysterious Round Artefact

Delphine tugged on his sleeves, "Let's go see the 1st Auction Room. I want to see what kind of treasures they might sell in there!"

___

The 1st Auction Room was an entirely different kind of beast compared to the rest. It's loft ceiling stretched high enough that one could imagine clouds floating at its heights. The room was wide and s.p.a.cious, and most of the people that could be seen were either extremely wealthy or blue-blooded. The walls even contained private seating rooms where the even members imperial family liked to sit with a pair of binoculars.

As soon as he walked in, Van felt a chilling sensation soak through his body.

[I don't have a good feeling about this place…]

___

[In a private s.p.a.ce, the 1st Auction Room.]

"My child," a husky voice said, "Why were you so focused on that boy who came in just now?"

"What boy?" a cold voice replied.

"Oh…?" A raspy chuckled filled the air.

Following it; a heavy silence.

A lady's hand suddenly appeared in the gloom, wearing an exquisite red velvet glove. The gloved hand pressed heavily on the owner of the cold voice. An oppressive feeling filled the small s.p.a.ce.

"You can't fool Mother….tell Mother everything…" The woman's raspy voice turned almost sibilant as she hissed her words. Her dressed rustled in the darkness as she moved forwards.

The person in front of her struggled silently, "He…he's advanced too quickly… I feel threatened…"

"Threatened?"

"...I give you one task, and this, weak, pathetic expression is what you show me...?"

The young man sitting in front of her felt bitterness well up within him.

[No, do not get angry at mother. Be angry at eldest brother!]

Mother's raspy voice floated out of the darkness, "Yes, child. Be angry…. Use that anger... Get stronger... Kill him... Mother will help you!"

At his mother's words, Klaus felt dizzy. He clenched his fist, "I must enter the Secret Realm. I will kill him there!"

Mother chuckled.

"Yes... my son!"

___

[Below, in the 1st Auction Room].

BANG!

"Sold to the distinguished gentlewoman in room 13 for 500,000 taels! Congratulations!"

The auctioneer was beaming radiantly.

Van and Ryan looked at each other, completely shocked by the extreme amount of money the mystery object was being purchased by.

Delphine did not seem uncomfortable at all. She spoke excitedly as her head swivelled left and right to take in the sights.

"The last time I came here with my granddad we saw someone purchase an ancient horse chariot! Everyone was jealous and amazed. Granddad even bought an ancient pill recipe-"

Ryan was surprised, "Your granddad bought something here? How wealthy is he?"

Delphine blinked her cat-like eyes innocently, "Huh? Didn't Van tell you, my last name is Delafosse!"

Neither Van nor Ryan had any reaction to her invocation of her last name. Van even picked his ear.

"Hmph!" Delphine said, "My grandfather is the Royal Alchemist for the Cloud River Imperial Family. And I am his star pupil and lovely granddaughter!"

Van rolled his eyes, "And what rank are you?"

Delphine's face went pink, "I am a Rank 2 Apprentice."

Van chuckled.

Delphine wanted to hit him. Instead, she gritted her teeth and forced out, "But if I pa.s.s one more examination then I will be able to become a Tier 1 Alchemist!"

Van had to admit that this was pretty good. By the looks of her, she could only 12 years old. To be on the verge of entering the Alchemist Rank showed she had good talent. Good talents were always useful.

Van absentmindedly patted her on the head like a dog. He imagined she was his little sister and said, "Well done, kid."

Delphine's haughty expression melted somewhat. She turned around and hid her face.

Ryan watched all this expressionlessly, [These two…]

Van felt the strange chilling sensation pa.s.s through him again, "Let's get out of here, this place is giving me an uncomfortable feeling."

___

[Simultaneously, at a sausage stall in Pearl-Blossom Avenue, across from the Mystery Object Sale.]

The same moment a certain trio left the Golden Hall, a shadowed figure turned and ran into a nearby alley. His steps. .h.i.t the pavement with a rhythmic tap, tap, tap. Soon, he arrived at a hidden room.

Panting, he took his hood and faced the room.

"Boss! The boy has come out."

Thunk!

A knife stabbed into the wooden table. A crazed chuckle was heard. Bright eyes glinted through the gloom of the room.

Sha!

A bright silver sword was unsheathed. Nathaniel ran a finger along the keen edge and watched as his blood dripped to the floor.

"Yes, my beauty! It's time to rip him a new one!"