"Woah! Such a young expert! And she's also as pretty as a flower!"
"Don't even think about wooing her. Have you seen those guys with her? Especially that Yang Zenke, he's still fifteen years old, but he's already an early stage 4th-rank Knight Crusader realm expert! Even the best disciples of the three great noble families aren't as strong as him."
"Hey! Have you forgotten about the son of the Xue Family's supreme elder? I heard his strength had mysteriously increased, and he's now at the peak stage of the 4th-rank Knight Crusader realm!"
"You mean Xue Tong? That guy is already twenty-one this year, and you're actually comparing him to a fifteen-year-old? What an idiot!"
The crowd talked among themselves as they observed Yang Zenke and Xiao Hua's group. They were about the same age as them, but Yang Zenke and co were still much stronger and their backing isn't one to be trifled with either.
"Master, how did you manage to increase the strength of these little brats in just a little more than a month? When I last saw them, they were not this strong. I can even sense that they reek the smell of blood and murderous intent. This is a clear sign that they've already experienced killing." Lu Sulan glanced probingly at her master. Although she already knew that her master was someone from the Primordial God Realm, she had no knowledge about that place. So she was somewhat mystified by Yang Zenke and the others' sudden jump in strength.
Jiu Shen was quite secretive about how he had tempered Yang Zenke and the other youths. Even Can Ye who had supervised their training didn't know anything about it.
"Don't forget that your master is a high-rank alchemist. And as to how I trained them, you'll know it after the sect is formally established." Jiu Shen replied indifferently.
Lu Sulan pouted, but she didn't pester Jiu Shen anymore. She knew that he wouldn't tell her no matter how she asks him.
"Master, let's go to the auction house. It's still early, but it should already be opened for their guests." Lu Sulan changed the topic. She was very interested in the auction tonight, so she was a bit excited to talk about it.
Jiu Shen was similarly interested in this auction, but he wasn't hoping to find something valuable in there. Could there be anything that would interest him in a mortal world's auction? That was close to impossible. Besides, he would only go there to have fun.
"I initially wanted to inform Elyk that we are here, but since you're this eager to go to that auction, then let's go. If I'm not wrong, this Silver Dragon Auction House should be owned by the imperial family, so he should be present in the auction tonight. It won't be too late to see him by then." Jiu Shen said.
After getting Jiu Shen's approval, Lu Sulan naturally ice-cold expression suddenly melted into a pretty smile. "Master, let's go." She said as she pulled her master's arms.
Jiu Shen shook his head helplessly, but he still followed behind her. 'Sigh. This girl is even more excited than the kids. It looks like she'd truly been cooped up in their ice castle because of her past condition.'
Yang Zenke, Xiao Hua, and the others followed behind the two with excited looks. It's the first time that they would be going to attend an auction, so they were eager about it.
It was not a long walk towards the Silver Dragon Auction House since it was not that far from the imperial palace.
There was already a long line of people going inside this building. It was a very big establishment, so it wasn't a problem for it to accommodate several ten thousand people. Besides, only the rich had the ability to enter such a place, as for those without background, they could only dream about entering it.
The entrance of the auction house was guarded by two middle-aged imperial guards. Their cultivation level was at the early stage of the 6th-rank King realm. These two imperial guards sized up Jiu Shen's group, and one of them seemed to have recalled something as he immediately said with a smile. "Guests, you may go inside without paying the entrance fee."
The other imperial guard was surprised by this, but when he saw his partner's signal, he swallowed the words he was about to say.
Jiu Shen's expression remained calm upon hearing this, but he still nodded his head at the two imperial guards to express his thanks. He then went inside the building without even saying another word.
After no longer seeing the figures of Jiu Shen's party, the imperial guard who was silent the whole time finally spoke in bewilderment. "Brother, why did you allow that group to come inside without even asking for the entrance fee?"
The other imperial guard glared at him and replied in a reprimanding tone. "I say brother, you're really ill-informed! You don't even know the famous Wine Master Jiu of our Beltran City?"
The imperial guard was stunned at this. "You mean that man is Wine Master Jiu? I heard that he is great friends with His Majesty."
"Not just that..."
* * *
The interior of the Silver Dragon Auction House was quite huge and spacious, and there was a platform at the very center where the items to be auctioned would be displayed. There were already a lot of people inside, but they didn't even occupy a fourth of the total seats inside.
"Such a huge auction house! Amazing! I wonder what would be auctioned later."
"Won't we know by then? Just stop asking questions and don't embarrass our Ice Cloud Sword Sect."
.mlac niamer ot elba llits erew yeht ,noitcua eht tuoba deticxe osla erew yeht hguohtla ,srehto eht dna ekneZ gnaY rof sA .yldeticxe sevlesmeht gnoma deklat tceS drowS duolC ecI eht fo selpicsid gnuoy ehT
.saw ehs ohw wenk yeht ecnis dednuofbmud erew yeht ,ecaf reh gniees nopU .meht deteerg dah ohw ydal gnuoy eht ta ecnalg puorg s'nehS uiJ edam noitamalcxe fo yrc prahs A "!?uiJ retsaM eniW -he stseug ,olleH"
.reh deteerg yletaidemmi selpicsid fo puorg s'auH oaiX dna ekneZ gnaY "!ssecnirP htfiF eht ssenhgiH ruoY sgniteerG"
.elims a htiw aivlyS ssecnirP desaet naluS uL ".esuoh noitcua siht eganam ot ereh yllautca er'uoY ?erots eht ni krow rof emit siht tnesba er'uoy yhw si siht oS"
.gniteerg ni reh ta daeh sih deddon ylno dna ssecnirp htfif eht ta decnalg ylsseldrow nehS uiJ
.erots s'nehS uiJ ni ssertiaw a sa krow htob yeht ecnis rehto hcae htiw railimaf etiuq erew yehT .naluS uL yb desaet gnieb retfa dessarrabme tib a saw ehS .elims a tuo decrof ehs sa dias aivlyS ssecnirP ".sriatspu moor PIV eht ot em wolloF .taht tuoba dnimreveN ...ecneirepxe niag ot ereh em tnes eH .erutuf eht ni esuoh noitcua s'ylimaf lairepmi eht eganam dluow I taht dias eh dna tnemegnarra s'rehtaf rorepme si siht ...sihT-T"
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.srehto fo tnorf ni lrig gnuoy suoveihcsim dna ythguan a si ehs tub ,nehS uiJ fo tnorf ni keem dna deudbus eb thgim aivlyS ssecnirP
.moor PIV eht edisni tnew ehs sa ylimaF euX eht morf redle siht ta ecnalg a eraps neve t'ndid ehS .ylithguah detrons aivlyS ssecnirP "?seye dega ruoy htiw uL ssertsiM tceS dna uiJ retsaM eniW ezingocer uoy t'naC .edisa pets esaelp ,apdnarg dlO .uoy htiw gnihtemos gnissucsid rebmemer t'nod I ?taht yas I diD"
.sedirts yvaeh htiw tfel eh erofeb puorg s'nehS uiJ ta elims mirg a no tup dna flesmih demlac yldeirruh eh tub ,ssenomed elttil eht yb nopu nwod dekool gnieb retfa erusopmoc sih tsol tsomla eh dna deralf draeb s'redle ehT "!uoY"
.ecaf suoveihcsim 'ssecnirp htfif eht ta dekool ehs sa delggig naluS uL ".ylimaF euX eht htiw ssem ot erad neve uoY .elbuort gnikam ta doog yllaer era uoy ,ssal elttiL"
.lla ta seye reh ni enoyna ecalp t'ndid ehS .niadsid ni detrons ssecnirp htfif ehT "!ffo draeb sih llup ll'I ,em htiw ssem ot serad eh fI ?od nam dlo taht nac tahW !hpmH"
'...ylimaF euX eht tuoba sseleulc llits si dik elttil siht ekil skooL' .traeh sih ni dehgis dna reh ta decnalg nehS uiJ
