“No. 1885, six thousand five hundred gold coins!”
“No. 9527, seven thousand five hundred gold coins!”
“No. 1885, eight thousand five hundred gold coins!”
The bidding rose one after another, and the price soared all the way as if this recording stone were some kind of rare treasure.
Po Kong stared at the crowd below, who were bidding like madmen, and muttered, “Are... are these people crazy? It’s just a recording stone. Is it really worth that much?”
Sui Yun smiled and explained, “Little brother, you don’t understand. Miss Xue Ying is the most popular singer in the Shining Silver City-State, and she is famous across the entire continent now! Her voice is hailed as a ‘heavenly voice.’ This first-edition recording stone is the very first recording she personally made, so its collection value is naturally astronomical.”
“But... isn’t this a bit too much?” Starlight also shook his head in disbelief.
He had originally thought that the gold coins he and Po Kong had painstakingly saved up from missions might not buy them those sky-high magic books, but would at least make them well-off. However, after arriving in the Crimson City-State, he realized they weren't worth a damn.
“This is what you call the ‘celebrity effect,’” Sui Yun shrugged.
“Besides, the House of Red is very clever; they know how to drum up the atmosphere. Although this recording stone seems ordinary, it can quickly ignite the passion of the auction. After all, these young noble children are big spenders!”
After saying that, Sui Yun also pressed the bidding button in front of him. In a short while, the price of the recording stone had already soared to twelve thousand gold coins.
Just as Sui Yun said, as the bidding continued, the atmosphere of the entire hall gradually grew heated.
Ultimately, the recording stone sold for a staggering price of forty-seven thousand gold coins, taken home by a wealthy merchant from the Crimson City-State.
“Next, let us present the second treasure!” Lia’s voice rang out again. The floor at the center of the stage slowly rose once more, and a new display stand appeared before the crowd.
The next auction item was a beautiful, fist-sized gem from the Ochre City-State. Although it possessed no magical properties, it was still a very rare treasure.
For such an ordinary object, Starlight and his group naturally had no interest, and they simply watched as the powerful and wealthy in the hall continuously raised their bidding paddles.
As one auction item after another was presented on stage and sold for staggering prices, the atmosphere of the auction became increasingly fervent.
Soon, a new auction item caught the attention of the group in the box. It was the Dragon Race jewelry that Sui Yun had mentioned in his previous intelligence report.
“The bracelet shown here is an extremely rare magic tool. Not only is it exquisitely crafted, but it also has the effect of calming the mind and increasing incantation speed.” Lia said, picking up the bracelet from the stand so that more people could see it. “And most importantly, the craftsmen of our merchant group have appraised it; the craftsmanship of this bracelet originates from the ancient Dragon Race. There might even be other secrets hidden within it.”
Lia’s explanation immediately caused a stir in the crowd. A magic tool from the mysterious Dragon Race was undoubtedly very attractive.
“The starting bid for this bracelet is twelve thousand gold coins. Begin!”
“Thirteen thousand!”
“Fifteen thousand!”
...
As the bid price continued to climb, the group in the box began to discuss it through the soul link.
“Little Gold, can you sense anything special about that necklace?” Xia Duo asked.
“Hmm, there is indeed a dragon aura on it, but it’s not very strong. It... shouldn’t be anything important, right?” After sensing it carefully, Little Gold nodded.
“It’s not a fake, but it’s not anything important either... Heh, the people of the House of Red really know how to do business. How about it, Little Star? Are you interested?” Po Kong looked at the crowd below who were arguing until they were red in the face, let out a cold snort, and then looked at Starlight.
“No. Haven’t you noticed that I can already ignore the incantation for most of my magic?” Starlight rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Besides, do you think I can afford that price?”
“Haha, if it comes to that, you can just borrow some from Big Brother. You can just pay me back later.”
“...Little brother, are you forgetting that I’m also in the soul link?” Sui Yun couldn’t help but speak up.
“??!! Oh, right! Sorry, Big Brother, I was just talking nonsense!” Po Kong realized his mistake and quickly laughed it off.
“Why do I feel like you did that on purpose?”
“Absolutely not!”
While the two brothers were bickering, the bracelet had already been won by a mage for the price of thirty-five thousand gold coins.
“With that bracelet as an opener, the main event should be coming soon,” Moen said softly as she carefully watched the display case appearing on the stage again.
Just as she said, the subsequent auction items were all related to the Dragon Race, and they became increasingly rare and precious. However, in Little Gold’s perception, these items were just like the first bracelet, lacking any special aura.
Although the prices they fetched were more terrifying one after another, that was only for ordinary people. Starlight noticed that the VIPs in the second-floor boxes basically did not participate in the bidding for these collections.
“This is strange. Although these things are related to the Dragon Race and there are indeed many of them, no absolute masterpiece worth praising has appeared... Could it be that we really guessed wrong?”
Xia Duo had been seriously observing the situation below. It wasn’t until the eighth piece of jewelry was sold that she voiced her doubts with some hesitation.
According to their current intelligence, it was because the people of the Crimson City-State had made a deal with certain elves to steal the treasures of the Dragon King Seranox that the Dragon Race and that terrifying entity attacked the elves.
But now, let alone a treasure worth a Dragon King’s intervention, not even a hint of an aura worth noting had appeared. This undoubtedly left Xia Duo feeling very confused.
At that moment, Moen suddenly raised her head and looked behind her, as if she had sensed something.
“Sister, maybe it’s because I’ve been in the room too long, but I feel a bit stuffy. I want to go out for some fresh air,” Moen said softly.
The request sounded perfectly normal, but in the soul link, Moen said, “Leaf-Cutter has sent a message back. I need to go out and check.”
Xia Duo, whose train of thought was interrupted, was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted. She nodded and gave Starlight a meaningful look.
“Then I’ll accompany you for a stroll. If anything good appears, remember to call us.”
Starlight also immediately understood. He quietly unfastened Noah from his waist and handed him to Xia Duo before following Moen toward the door.
“Wait for me! I also want to go out for some fresh air. It’s way too boring in here!” Before the two could leave, Little Gold also clamored to follow.
He wasn’t lying; the human auction was simply too tedious for him. Although there was plenty of food and drink in the box, he couldn't go too far to maintain his disguise.
The three of them walked out of the box and along the corridor toward the exit of the hall. Moen’s steps were light and swift, clearly concerned about the news from Leaf-Cutter.
Soon, they arrived at a small balcony outside the corridor. After confirming no one was around, Moen lightly waved her hand into the air.
A few seconds later, a small figure appeared in the night sky. It flapped its wings and landed lightly on Moen’s hand. It was the colorful little bird Starlight had seen a few days ago.
Moen skillfully removed the leaf from the bird’s leg and quickly began to read the information within.
After a long while, Moen opened her eyes.
“Moen, what news is there from Leaf-Cutter?” Starlight asked in a low voice.
“They have arrived near Dragon Valley, but they discovered some abnormal circumstances.” Moen’s brow furrowed slightly, a hint of worry in her tone. “The entrance to Dragon Valley has been sealed by a powerful force. They are temporarily unable to enter.”
Rate on N.U.
