Chapter 390: The Start of the Auction
Once he exited the Black Mark Auction House, Xiao Yan walked directly back to the inn he was staying at. He rested in his small room until it was about time for the auction to begin. Only then did he exit his training mode and put his large, black robe on, completely invigorated. He then left the inn at a steady pace, once again walking over to the auction ground.
When Xiao Yan arrived at the entrance of the auction house, the huge, nearly-packed, racketing crowd with noises that shot towards the sky, caused him to become slightly dull. He did not expect that the Great Auction Fair would actually attract so many people. It was indeed worthy of being called a grand event in the ‘Black-Corner Region’.
Xiao Yan tried to squeeze through the human traffic before he withdrew somewhat helplessly. This ‘Black-Corner Region’ could not be compared with the Jia Ma Empire. If one cut the queue here, there would immediately be dozens of fist violently thrown over. After all, the temper of the people within the ‘Black-Corner Region’ was not as meek as those of the outside world. If they had any disagreement, drawing their knives and hacking at others was something that was a common sight.
Xiao Yan withdrew from the human flow, which was shouting non-stop. His gaze swept around him and immediately stopped on another pathway, other than the main entrance of the auction house. Compared to this place, the entrance was an entirely different scene. The spacious pathway was covered by a red-colored carpet and there were over ten black-clothed men with cold expressions stationed around the place. The domineeringly thick, dark presence faintly emitting from their bodies frightened the human crowd beside them until they dared not squeeze over. Therefore, this resulted in an empty area being formed on the pathway there.
When Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over, he coincidentally saw a group of people walking onto the red-colored carpeted pathway. His gaze swept over this group of people, and finally stopped at a somewhat overly pale-looking, handsome, young man in the middle. From his outer appearance, his age seemed to be around twenty four or twenty five. However, from the tiny undulation caused wisps of energy to be occasionally emitted from within his body, his strength was likely at least around the Dou Ling class!
“This person… his strength is quite good. Moreover, he is actually this young? Looks like this ‘Black-Corner Region’ is really a place where tigers and dragons are hidden.” Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised as he eyed the young man with a pale expression, while he muttered in his heart.
“Hei, look over there. It seems to be people from the Blood Sect?”
“They are indeed a group of overpowered fellows. That person in the middle should be the Junior Sect Leader, Fan Ling, right? Hee hee, it is said that the disappearance of an Elder of the ‘Eight Gates’ not long ago had something to do with him.”
“The blood of his entire body was dried, it seemed like his blood had been completely and forcefully drained by someone. Only the Blood Sect would be interested in such things. It is just that it was really unexpected that he actually still dares to come to the old nest of the ‘Eight Gates’.”
“What does he not dare to do? His father is a strong person ranked fifth on the ‘Black Ranking’. Yuan Yu is a great distance away from him. Moreover, the Blood Sect’s strength is greater than the ‘Eight Gates’. Would they dare touch Fan Ling here? Would they not be afraid that his father would bring people, and wash ‘Black Mark City’ away with blood in his anger?”
Xiao Yan came to a sudden realization as he heard the private conversations transmitted from the human flow. His gaze once again settled on the face of the young man, and remembered the faction called the ‘Blood Sect’ deep within his heart.
Seemingly having sensed a somewhat different gaze, the young man, who was about to enter the auction house, suddenly paused his footsteps. He tilted his head slightly and his extremely cold eyes, which were void of even the slightest emotion, glanced directly at Xiao Yan, whose entire body was hidden in a black robe, standing a short distance away. Immediately, he raised his eyebrows slightly, hesitated for a moment before entering the auction house while carrying some doubt between his brows.
“This ‘Black-Corner Region’ does not seem to have many normal people.” The young man’s thick, cold gaze caused Xiao Yan to have a certain feeling of being stared at by a blood sucking bat from within the darkness. He spread out his hands while laughing bitterly in his heart.
Not long after that group of people from the ‘Blood Sect’ entered the auction house, there were a few groups of people entering it soon after them. These people were, without exception, people from strong factions within the ‘Black-Corner Region’, judging by the private whispers around. This was really an eye-opener for Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan eyed the empty and quiet carpeted pathway. He then eyed the main entrance, which was packed with people, and could not help feeling speechless.
“All they have is some broken VIP card. What’s there to be proud off. This ‘Eight Gates’ only has eyes for money. The old me at the very least auctioned things worth over fifty over thousand, but I don’t see them giving me one.” Just as Xiao Yan’s gaze was sweeping across the carpeted pathway, a skinny man by his side, who was similarly pushed out by the human flow, also looked at the carpeted pathway and involuntarily cursed softly. However, from his eyes, it appeared that he was clearly very jealous.
“VIP card?” Xiao Yan’s heart moved when he heard this. He also recalled that those people earlier seemed to have taken a card out from within their sleeves when entering the pathway. He rubbed his storage ring and an emerald card leaped out. Xiao Yan remembered that the old man at the ‘Treasure Inspection Room’ had said that this thing was a second grade VIP card, no?
“What are you looking at? Are you courting death?” Seemingly having sensed the gaze of Xiao Yan, who was wrapped in a black robe, thrown over, the skinny man immediately displayed a fierce expression and spoke ferociously.
Xiao Yan ignored this crazy fellow and directly walked toward the carpeted pathway under the latter’s stunned gaze.
“Chi, this fellow…” The skinny man curled his lips when he saw the action of Xiao Yan. Earlier, he had also seen Xiao Yan squeezed out from the human flow. Therefore, he would naturally not think that this fellow, who was dressed so shabbily, would actually be able to possess a VIP card of this ‘Black Mark Auction House’. After all, those who possessed the card were either from some faction that was quite strong, or those who had auctioned off over two million gold coins worth of goods to only barely obtain a third grade VIP card.
TL: VIP card grade – the lower the number the better e.g. first is better than second
Two million. For most people within the ‘Black-Corner Region’, this price was an enormous sum which one could hope for, but could never obtain. This point could be seen from how Xiao Yan had only obtained a five thousand gold coin reward for protecting Duo Ma all the way. Xiao Yan was a Da Dou Shi, yet his compensation was still so low. It should be known that a Da Dou Shi was worthy of starting a Clan in the Jia Ma Empire. In this world, it was not so easy to earn money. Otherwise, some Da Dou Shi, Dou Ling, or even Dou Wang within the ‘Black-Corner Region’ would not be able to swoop so low that had to become killers.
Of course, this was naturally excluding the alchemist, which was an occupation which caused people to be incomparably envious of. After all, the harsh inborn requirements of an alchemist had eliminated nearly ninety percent of the people to a point where they could only dream about it.
It was due to the reasons mentioned above that the skinny man quietly ridiculed Xiao Yan when he saw Xiao Yan’s action. Of course, his ridicule did not persist for very long and his ferocious expression on his face descended into stiffness. This was because Xiao Yan had merely stopped for a short while on the carpeted pathway before he swaggered onto that incomparably soft red carpet.
“He has a VIP card and yet he is also here to squeeze? Does he have some problem?” The skinny man’s eyes were somewhat red due to envy. This was especially when Xiao Yan turned his head around and looked in his direction after entering the auction ground. That skinny man was so furious that he clawed at his head. He clearly sensed that there was a mocking gaze glaring at him under the black robe.
The lighting was a little dark when Xiao Yan entered the tunnel. He moved along the corridor until the end before he took a turn. Immediately, an incomparably large auction area appeared in Xiao Yan’s sight, causing him to inhale a breath of cool air.
This auction ground was larger than any auction ground that Xiao Yan had seen in his life. The packed seats and that auction platform, which seemed to be made completely out of bright crystals, caused people to be dazzled.
“Mister, may I inquire what is your seat number?” Just as Xiao Yan was a taking in the view, a beautiful female servant walked over quickly and asked respectfully.
Xiao Yan did not reply. He directly handed over the emerald card. When that female servant saw the color of the card, a bizarre glint flashed across her eyes. Her attitude became much more respectful. With a slight bow, she gently said, “Mister, you have a second grade VIP card. Please follow me.”
Once she finished saying this, the female servant hurriedly led the way, while Xiao Yan swayed leisurely close behind.
The female servant shuttled within the enormous auction ground for nearly ten minutes before she stopped at an area close to the crystal auction platform. She pointed at a seat and smiled at Xiao Yan before bowing and then withdrawing.
Xiao Yan walked up to the spacious and exquisitely plush seat before sitting down. The soft feeling nearly caused his body to have the impulse to curl up within it. Xiao Yan turned around and eyed the ordinary chairs behind. He involuntarily inhaled a breath of air once again. This was a privilege, a privilege that was born of money.
As he sat on the chair, Xiao Yan’s eyebrow suddenly twitched. He lifted his head and his gaze swept to a row of seats not far in front of him. He could see that the Junior Sect Leader of the ‘Blood Sect’, Fan Ling, who had appeared at the entrance earlier, was looking at him with a somewhat strange gaze.
Xiao Yan’s brows, under the shadows, were slightly knit together. He ignored him and directly closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the auction to begin.
“Junior Sect Leader, what is it?” The pale-faced, handsome young man slowly withdrew his gaze. On his side, a similarly pale-faced old man asked softly.
“Nothing, it is just that I feel that fellow is somewhat strange. Moreover, when I see him, I actually feel a strange fear within my heart.” When he spoke to this point, Fan Ling laughed mockingly as he shook his head.
“Ke ke, Junior Sect Leader should have sensed wrongly. Although our Blood Sect’s Qi Technique is extremely dark and cold and is naturally fearful of some extreme flames, there are not many people in the entire ‘Black-Corner Region’ who are in possession of a flame of that kind of class.” The old man said with a laugh.
“Perhaps.” The young man nodded. The few people who possessed that kind of flame were strong people at the peak within the ‘Black-Corner Region’. This black-robed person, on the other hand, was clearly not among them. Immediately, he ceased having wild thoughts and his gaze was thrown toward the crystal platform. With a soft voice, he muttered, “I wonder if the news is really true. If it is really so, father has said that we must obtain it at all cost.”
“Hee hee, Junior Sect Leader, you can be rest assured that the Sect Leader has already quietly made all the preparations. Even if that thing were to fall into someone else’s hands, he would not be able to walk more than five kilometers from the ‘Black Mark City’!” The old man laughed darkly.
“That would be good.” A dark, cold arc formed on the young man’s face. He also gradually closed his eyes and quietly waited for the auction to begin.
While Fan Ling had his eyes closed, a few factions not far away from them were quietly whispering among themselves. If one could hear their conversations, one would discover something in common, which was that all their conversations involved a certain mysterious object. Moreover, this object appeared to be the final item to be auctioned off at the auction fair!
Around half an hour after Xiao Yan had closed his eyes, a clear ‘gong’ slowly resounded within the auction ground. Upon hearing this ‘gong’ sound, Xiao Yan withdrew from his training mode, and the noisiness swept over like some magical sound pouring into his mind, causing him to violently shake his head. Only then did he maintain his calm. He lifted his head and eyed the bright, crystal platform. At this moment, there was a white-haired old man who appeared to be an auctioneer already standing with a smile on it.
“It is finally about to begin.” Xiao Yan softly muttered as he eyed the enormous ground, which appeared to be so crowded that it was completely packed. His dark, black eyes contained an obvious anticipation.