111: Auction [Thanks to "Life Passerby Ca" big brother

Chapter 111: Auction (Thanks to 'Life Passerby_Ca' for the support)

Upon arriving in Black Seal City, Lin Xiu went straight to the auction house.

“The annual auction? Entry requires a ticket, but five thousand gold coins isn't too much, so it's fine.”

Lin Xiu had no money in his pocket, but he wasn't flustered in the slightest.

Because the Black-Corner Region was notoriously chaotic, Black Seal City was naturally the same. With strength, there was no shortage of ways to make money.

Lin Xiu didn't plan on getting too many gold coins.

After all...

He also didn't intend to spend money participating in the auction.

He was already a Dou King, and in the Black-Corner Region at that, zero-cost shopping was the correct approach!

Preparing to find a place to stay, Lin Xiu turned around and heard someone call his name.

“Mentor? Long time no see.”

Following the sound, Huo Lan happened to be coming out of the auction house, accompanied by an old man.

“Lin Xiu, why aren't you Cultivating properly in the Inner Academy? Why did you suddenly come to Black Seal City? Are you also here for the auction?”

Huo Lan was a bit surprised, his gaze falling on an advertisement on the wall next to Lin Xiu.

“My strength has improved, so I came out for some experience. I heard there are treasures at this auction, so I came to take a look.”

Lin Xiu answered with a mix of truth and falsehood.

Huo Lan invited Lin Xiu back to his home to host him. Unable to refuse, Lin Xiu agreed.

Along the way...

Huo Lan revealed that there were indeed treasures at this auction.

It was said that even Pharmacist Emperor Han Feng, the City Lord of Maple City, had specially come to Black Seal City for this event.

Apparently, he had brought a certain treasure, which the Eight Gates had arranged as the grand finale.

Hearing this, Lin Xiu wasn't surprised. He knew that item was the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill.

The purpose of this seventh-grade Medicinal Pill was not to directly enhance one's strength, but to allow one to rise anew after being broken.

Aside from the Di-Rank Dou Technique, Three Thousand Lightning Movement, a part of Lin Xiu's reason for coming was for it.

“Severely injured or on the brink of death, there's a chance to rise anew. It can be considered a life-saving method,” Lin Xiu thought to himself.

Soon, Huo Lan's home arrived.

It was a mansion, quite large in area, with servants and maids aplenty. It was clear that Huo Lan's family was doing quite well in Black Seal City.

However, Lin Xiu subtly noticed a hint of worry in the eyes of these people, as if something was amiss.

Glancing at Huo Lan, Lin Xiu saw that he had no intention of revealing anything, so he didn't inquire further.

However...

During dinner, a group of people suddenly burst in.

The Huo family members all watched them warily.

The leader was a middle-aged man. Just as he was about to speak, his gaze fell upon Lin Xiu at the dining table, and he paused slightly.

Huo Lan stepped forward to converse. Lin Xiu listened for a while and realized it was a business dispute, a conflict between two families doing business.

“Mentor, do you need my help?” Lin Xiu proactively walked over to Huo Lan's side.

If he hadn't been there, it would have been one thing, but since he'd stumbled upon it, he felt it was necessary to do something.

To Lin Xiu's surprise, the moment he spoke, the middle-aged man's eyes showed a hint of wariness and caution.

“Have we met before?” Lin Xiu couldn't help but ask.

His strength had always been well-hidden, and he had stayed in the Academy for a long time.

It shouldn't be possible for him to make the other party wary just with his face.

Lin Xiu could sense that the other party possessed the strength of a nine-star Dou Spirit.

Such a Realm was enough to be considered a powerful figure in Black Seal City. There was no reason for him to fear a young man like himself.

“No.”

The middle-aged man shook his head, his gaze falling on Huo Lan. “Is it convenient to talk somewhere else?”

“Yes.”

Huo Lan was startled, then nodded, a look of confusion in his eyes. The last time they met, the other party hadn't had this attitude.

Soon after...

Huo Lan walked back alone, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Xiu, making him feel a bit uneasy.

“Mentor, what did you talk about?” If Lin Xiu didn't understand Huo Lan, he would have thought he had sold him out.

“You had a Breakthrough to Dou King?”

Huo Lan didn't answer directly but asked instead, his voice trembling slightly. The surrounding Huo family members, hearing his voice, all stopped what they were doing.

Many gazes fell on Lin Xiu, some disbelieving.

Lin Xiu was startled. “How is that possible? How long have I been in the Inner Academy? What was my strength then? You couldn't possibly not know, could you?”

After speaking, he asked Huo Lan what he had discussed with the other party.

“He probably mistook me for someone else. However, his initiative yielding is also good; it saves trouble, isn't it, Mentor?”

Lin Xiu smiled and changed the subject.

During the following period, Huo Lan learned that Lin Xiu wanted to attend the auction and invited him to stay at his home.

Lin Xiu couldn't refuse, so he agreed, Cultivating daily, and time flew by.

The auction officially began.

The entire auction house had two entrances. One side was a sea of people, bustling with noise.

“Lin Xiu, come this way. Our Huo family has VIP cards, so we don't need to squeeze through.”

Huo Lan led Lin Xiu towards a less crowded passage.

At this moment, Lin Xiu suddenly felt the surrounding air temperature drop slightly.

It was as if an item emitting coldness had suddenly approached.

A group of people walked in from outside. In the very center was a young man with an overly pale face. He had a somewhat handsome appearance, but the aura he exuded from within was excessively sinister.

“That's Fan Ling, the Young Sect Master of the Blood Sect. Let's step back and let them go in first.”

Huo Lan pulled Lin Xiu's sleeve and said in a low voice.

His gaze towards those people was filled with apprehension.

The Blood Sect was one of the few major powers in the Black-Corner Region. Its Sect Master, Fan Lao, was even among the top five on the Black List.

Generally, very few people in the Black-Corner Region dared to provoke the Blood Sect.

In fact, the surrounding discussions also expressed astonishment at Fan Ling's appearance.

From their words, it could be understood that a while ago, an Elder of the Eight Gates had gone missing, and it seemed to be related to the Blood Sect.

Because when that Elder was found, his blood had been drained, leaving only a dried corpse.

However...

The more Huo Lan tried to avoid it, the less things went according to his expectations.

Fan Ling walked directly over, his cold gaze sweeping up and down Lin Xiu. “What's your name? I smell a familiar scent on you, somewhat like the Blood Qi of our Blood Sect.”

“Young Sect Master, this is my student, who Cultivates in Canaan Academy's Inner Academy. His name is Lin Xiu. How could he have the Blood Qi of the Blood Sect on him? Are you perhaps mistaken?”

Huo Lan controlled his tone as he spoke.

This Young Sect Master had a bad reputation outside, with a strange and arrogant personality. It was said that he had already had a Breakthrough to Dou Spirit not long ago.

Although they were on the Eight Gates' territory, Huo Lan was still worried that angering the other party would lead to a fatal disaster.

The Blood Sect and the Academy were not on good terms.

At the Academy, Huo Lan often heard that the Enforcement Team frequently caught members of the Blood Sect. Those guys often lurked near the Academy, preying on female students.

“You question me? Who gave you the courage?” Fan Ling raised his hand and reached for Huo Lan's neck.

At this moment...

A hand reached out and grabbed his wrist!

Fan Ling looked at the owner of the arm, meeting Lin Xiu's calm and unmoving gaze, and couldn't help but be stunned.

From those eyes, he saw no ripple of emotion, as if the other party was looking at him like a dead man.

The thought flashed, and Fan Ling couldn't help but be speechless internally.

He was actually intimidated by an Inner Academy student?

A group of people walked out of the passage, bearing the Eight Gates' insignia, seemingly to maintain order.

“Lin Xiu, right? Don't be in a hurry to leave later. You have the scent of our Blood Sect on you. Unless you can instantly move back to the Inner Academy, you won't escape.”

Seeing those people, Fan Ling sneered, pulled his hand free from Lin Xiu's, and walked into the passage.

“Lin Xiu, maybe we shouldn't attend this auction.” Huo Lan hadn't expected such an incident and couldn't help but feel worried.

“Mentor, you go back first. I know what I'm doing.”

Lin Xiu took the VIP card but did not leave. Instead, he also walked into the VIP passage.

He looked at Fan Ling's retreating figure.

He hadn't planned on letting him go anyway, and now he had no psychological pressure left at all.

These two days are a transition period to sort out the plot direction. Please bear with me.