“You mean... his age?”
“Exactly. The decay brought by age is something no one can delay. Fortunately, Master has always maintained a good mindset. He came to the Crimson City-State this time hoping to find something at the auction to extend his lifespan. However, in my opinion, the chances are slim.”
“I see...” Starlight lowered his head. “Still, I’m going to try for the Hellfire Lotus. After all, it’s what the master requested.”
“Oh? Are you sure?” Falmer looked at Starlight with some surprise. “I did warn you. Confidence is a good thing, but don’t lose your life over it!”
“Don’t worry, I’m not a fool. But it’s not my style to back out of a promise without trying.” Starlight shook his head firmly.
“Haha, as expected, Master’s eye for people is quite good. Then I look forward to your results.” Falmer chuckled and continued, “You must come to the Magic Grand Arena next year. If we really meet on the stage, I won’t pull any punches just because you’re younger than me.”
“Of course. I’ll give it my all as well!”
“Alright, then I won’t see you off any further. If you have the chance, feel free to come back and spar with me in the kitchen again.” Falmer opened the door for Starlight with a smile.
“Understood. Goodbye. Perhaps we’ll see each other again soon!”
...
Not long after leaving the Dragon's Feast, Little Gold could no longer resist his drowsiness and fell asleep. Starlight and Moen quickly picked him up and hurried toward the manor.
Fortunately, Little Gold didn’t turn back into his dragon form while asleep. If that had happened in the middle of the street, Starlight would have had to use instant movement to flee back with him immediately.
However, Starlight could clearly feel that the Little Gold in his arms had grown quite a bit taller. Although he didn’t know what was happening, seeing the boy’s peaceful, sleeping face, he figured it wasn’t anything bad.
When they returned to the manor, they found that Po Kong and Xia Duo had returned early. The two were sitting by the fireplace, leisurely eating snacks and chatting.
“Oh? Why are you guys back so early today?” Moen asked curiously.
“Don’t even get me started~” Xia Duo looked back at the three entering the door and waved a hand in greeting. “Today, before we even got close to the walls of the Crimson Smoke Merchant Group, we were driven away. They said some VIP was coming, so security has tightened significantly!”
“A VIP?”
Starlight immediately thought of the fat man he had seen that morning. After placing Little Gold on the sofa by the fireplace, he quickly described what they had seen to Xia Duo.
However, Xia Duo frowned and said slowly, “What fat man? We didn't see anyone like that~ If there were such a conspicuous fellow, I should have noticed him immediately.”
“Yeah, I can vouch for that. All we saw this morning were representatives from various major families. No fat man,” Po Kong added from the side.
“That’s strange. It’s not like all of us were seeing things!” Starlight was clearly surprised by this.
But on second thought, the man might have gone somewhere else along the way, so he didn't press the matter further.
They waited together for a while until Sui Yun hurried back from outside. Starlight mentioned the fat man to him as well.
“A fat man with unfathomable strength? And possibly not even human?” After hearing this, Sui Yun quickly shook his head, stating that there was no such person in his intelligence reports.
Although he couldn’t figure out the fat man’s background, Sui Yun did bring good news.
He had successfully added Starlight and the others to the auction’s guest list. As one of the most powerful families on the continent, the House of Mars naturally had a few slots they could use.
This way, Starlight and the others could go along to see exactly what would appear at this auction.
Two evenings later.
The weather that day wasn't particularly good. A drizzle had begun to fall from the sky, making the late autumn temperature even colder.
However, the bad weather couldn’t dampen the fiery atmosphere of the entire Crimson City-State. For tonight’s auction, the entire central city district had been specially decorated and was brightly lit, making the already prosperous metropolis even more lively.
Starlight and the others once again boarded Sui Yun’s carriage and set off toward the castle belonging to the Crimson Smoke Merchant Group.
It had to be said that compared to other cities, the Crimson City-State could only be described as obscenely wealthy. Along the way, Starlight noticed that even the streetlights lining the roads used high-quality magic crystal blocks. Some of the taller buildings even had numerous glowing crystals embedded in their roofs.
Though these lighting fixtures were expensive to build, the effect was immediate. The brilliant lights made the city center as bright as day. According to Po Kong, this was a spectacular sight that couldn't even be seen in the Royal Capital.
The carriage drove slowly through the wide streets. Starlight looked out the window at the bustling crowds. Despite the light rain, the streets remained incredibly lively.
Vendors had set up rain canopies and continued to hawk various goods under the lights; pedestrians walked with umbrellas, some hurrying along and others stopping to admire the view.
“It seems the influence of this auction is even greater than we imagined,” Moen said softly, her gaze carrying a hint of emotion.
“Indeed. The House of Red has really gone all out this time,” Sui Yun said with a smile and a meaningful tone. “However, the livelier a place is, the easier it is for filth to hide in the shadows...”
The carriage eventually stopped before the gates of the Crimson Smoke Merchant Group’s castle. The towering walls and heavy iron gates gave off a sense of oppressive majesty, while the guards standing at the entrance looked solemn, their sharp eyes scrutinizing every guest entering and leaving.
“Let’s go. It’s time for us to enter.” Sui Yun adjusted his collar with his remaining left hand and was the first to step off the carriage.
Starlight and the others followed closely behind, stepping onto the red carpet leading to the castle.
On the carriage, Xia Duo had meticulously disguised everyone according to the fake information Sui Yun provided.
On top of that, Noah had covered them with a thin layer of soul power. This way, not only their appearances but even their overall auras had undergone a certain change.
The one who had changed the most was Little Gold. When they first arrived in the Crimson City-State, he looked like a child of seven or eight, but after eating the meal Branno prepared, he had slept for two days and two nights.
Now that he was awake, he looked like a boy of twelve or thirteen. Combined with the blond hair and blue eyes he shared with Po Kong and the others, he looked exactly like another young master of the House of Mars.
With Sui Yun leading the way, they easily passed through the security check at the entrance.
As soon as they entered the castle gates, Xia Duo began to inconspicuously observe the surroundings and layout, wanting to record as much information as possible.
Only then did she realize that the defenses of this fortress were far more rigorous than she had imagined.
After passing through another wall and two more checkpoints, they finally arrived before a magnificent door over ten meters high.
Outside the door, a gorgeously dressed maidservant bowed solemnly to them and said gracefully, “Please present your invitations.”
Sui Yun nodded, pulled a large crimson invitation from his coat, and handed it over.
After a careful inspection confirmed everything was in order, the maidservant bowed slightly again and made a “please” gesture, signaling another attendant waiting nearby to lead them into the hall.
What greeted Starlight’s eyes was a giant hall capable of holding thousands of people. A magnificent gold and red stage was set up in the center of the venue, and many people were already seated on the first floor.
As one of the specially invited guests, the House of Mars naturally didn’t need to find seats on the first floor. An attendant led them from the side up to the second floor and to the door of a private box.
The attendant turned and left after delivering them to the door. Sui Yun gave them a look and then opened the exquisite wooden door before them.
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