Chapter 188: I Told You, You Alone Aren't Enough
In the auction hall's first floor hall,
Xiao Bai sat bored in a chair, eyes closed, resting. Suddenly, he felt the clamor around him quiet.
Puzzled, he opened his eyes, only to see everyone staring in awe at the entrance.
Following their gaze, he saw a burly, middle-aged man striding through the gate.
His fierce gaze swept across the room, causing everyone to lower their heads, no one daring to meet his gaze.
Suddenly, the man's thick brows knitted slightly, his menacing gaze fixed on a young man in black, who sat quietly in a chair not far away, gazing calmly at him.
The middle-aged man's eyes shone with an intimidating intensity, while the ragged young man's eyes were deep and calm. Their gazes met.
Suddenly, Xiao Bai, who was observing the middle-aged man with interest, felt a sharp, cold, murderous intent wash over him.
He shifted his gaze slightly, gazing at the young man who had been silently following closely behind the middle-aged man, a step away.
He was wearing a blood-stained robe, and under the light of the hall, it looked as if blood was flowing on it.
His black hair was draped over his shoulders, with only two strands of snow-white hair hanging down to his chest. A silver mask covered half of his face, and his eyes were like a deep pool, revealing a piercing coldness. His nose was high, and his thin lips were tightly pursed, as if he was constantly suppressing some emotion that was about to explode.
"Sir, you are here!" A very respectful voice interrupted the stalemate in the hall.
It was seen that at some point, the old man in the treasure appraisal room had come to the middle-aged man and bowed.
"Hmm!" The middle-aged man looked at Xiao Bai deeply, turned his eyes, looked at the old man in front of him, and responded lightly.
Then he waved to the young man behind him and went straight upstairs. The young man in the blood-stained robe immediately withdrew his murderous gaze and followed the middle-aged man closely.
"Interesting!" Xiao Bai chuckled as he watched the departing figures. "Three-star Dou Huang peak level, Yuan Yi?"
He retracted his gaze and waved to the trembling maid who had arrived nearby. "Is that something of mine?"
"Yes, sir!" The maid hurriedly presented the ring with both hands and said respectfully, "After deducting the ring fee, the remaining gold coins are all here. Please count them, sir!"
Xiao Bai took the ring, scanned it, and couldn't help but mutter, "What a rip-off shop!"
He had charged him 150,000 gold coins for a low-level ring. At that price, he could almost buy two at Miter!
He had long noticed that the items here were incredibly expensive. The same medicinal herb, such as the "Muling Three-Needle Flower," would only cost 50,000 or 60,000 gold coins in the Jiama Empire, but here it was clearly marked at 170,000.
He didn't know if this was the case throughout the Black Horn Territory, or just at the Black Seal Auction House.
The maid could only lower her head, speechless.
Xiao Bai waved his hand, stood up, and walked out.
He didn't want to bother with it for now. This huge auction house might change owners in just three or five days, so he'd better keep it for now!
Just as he was leaving, in a luxurious room on the second floor,
a burly middle-aged man sat at the head of the table, imposing an oppressive presence. A young man in blood-stained clothes stood behind him like a javelin. The old man in the treasure appraisal room bowed slightly. Huang San, a member of the caravan, stood hunched over, his legs trembling, and cautiously behind the old man.
"Manager Hu, tell me," the middle-aged man said calmly, his eyes narrowed. He glanced at the two of them, then said calmly.
"Master, this matter was reported to me by Huang San, a member of the auction caravan. Let him clarify it for you!" Manager Hu, the old man in the treasure appraisal room, stepped aside slightly, revealing Huang San behind him.
"Master, this is what happened," Huang San stumbled over, recounting the entire story after discovering Xiao Bai.
"A dragon? A golden dragon?" The middle-aged man's previously indifferent expression flashed with shock upon hearing Huang San's description.
The blood-stained man behind him trembled slightly, a flicker of strangeness in his icy, calm eyes.
"Yes, Master, that little dragon is only about a foot long, and its voice is tender. It must have been born not long ago!" Huang San, noticing the middle-aged man's interest, hurriedly racked his brains to tell him what he knew.
"The ragged young man in black he's talking about is the one sitting on the chair in the hall just now, right?" the middle-aged man turned his fierce gaze towards Manager Hu and asked gravely.
"Yes! That's him! He came to the auction house, trading this rather strange fire bead for a storage ring and money. He must have lost his original storage ring when he was injured!"
"The energy is weak, only reaching the third level!" The middle-aged man held a fire bead, toying with it and examining it.
Thinking of the young man who had stared at him in the hall just now, he had a respectable demeanor, but his aura was weak, and he looked seriously injured.
His eyes flickered, and after a moment's silence, he gently said to Huang San, who was still bent over:
"Your name is Huang San, right?"
"Reporting to the Lord, it is me!"
"You have done well this time, I will reward you handsomely!"
"Thank you, Lord, I will dedicate myself to the Eight Gates from now on, until my death!" Huang San was extremely excited. Wasn't everything he did just for this?
"This is what you deserve!" The middle-aged man's tone became increasingly gentle, and he smiled: "I just heard you say that you have put everyone you met in the caravan under custody?"
"Yes, Lord, if this matter gets out, it will definitely bring trouble to the Eight Gates, so I have strictly ordered them that no one is allowed to leave or spread the news until I return!"
Huang San mentioned this matter, and puffed out his chest as if to seek credit.
"Haha. Great, great! If everyone in my Eight Gates had your awareness, there would be no worries!" The middle-aged man laughed heartily, stood up, and shouted, "Bu'er!"
"Here!" The young man in blood-stained robes bowed slightly, his voice hoarse and deep.
"Take him to claim the reward, and reward everyone in his caravan as well!" Although the middle-aged man's face was full of smiles, a stern look flashed in his eyes, and his voice became gentler: "Remember! A huge reward, don't miss a single one!"
"Thank you, Master! Thank you, Master!" Huang San heard this, almost unable to contain himself, and thanked him repeatedly.
However, he didn't notice that Manager Hu, who was standing nearby, had already changed his expression when he heard the middle-aged man ask the blood-stained man to go and give the reward. Then, a hint of pity flashed in his eyes as he looked at him!
The blood-stained man was the Master's adopted son, and he would only go out in one situation, and that was to kill!
After the blood-stained young man left with the overjoyed Huang San, the smile on the middle-aged man's face gradually faded, and he asked in a deep voice, "Did they catch up?"
Manager Hu put away the look in his eyes and hurriedly bowed and replied: "Master, I have tampered with the ring. It is colorless and odorless. As long as we release the 'Fragrance Bird', we can find him within a radius of 100 miles!"
"Well!" The middle-aged man nodded lightly and said: "I have always trusted you to do things, but this matter is no trivial matter. You must not be careless!"
"Master, don't worry. That kid should not be from the Black Horn Region. He is alone and seriously injured. In this Black Horn Region, as long as he is dealt with cleanly, no one will know about his background!"
Manager Hu's tone gradually became high: "This opportunity falls from the sky. It is what the master deserves. I would like to congratulate the master. As long as he gets the golden dragon and is nourished with pure dragon blood, maybe in the future he will be able to dominate the entire continent!"
"Haha." The middle-aged man listened to the scene described by Manager Hu, his eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of joy flashed across his face, and then as if he thought of something, his eyes sneered viciously and unwillingly: "Qianyaofang Black Emperor Sect!"
As he spoke, a figure in blood-stained clothing pushed open the door and entered, emanating a strong stench of blood. Manager Hu wrinkled his nose in discomfort and silently took two steps to the side.
A cold, hoarse voice echoed calmly through the room: "Foster father, all thirty-eight members of the caravan have been rewarded, not one missing!"
"Yes!" The middle-aged man nodded slightly and said cautiously, "Tonight, test that young man in black and see what he can do!"
"Remember, don't make too much noise! I'll have the city guards cooperate with you!"
"Okay!"
The young man in blood-stained clothing replied, his head lowered slightly, his eyelids drooping slightly. A strange look flashed in his cold, pool-like eyes.
On the busy street,
Xiao Bai emerged from a clothing store. His black robe was brand new, no longer tattered and disheveled.
He looked up at the sky, which was gradually darkening.
"My Lord, that ring smells terrible. What kind of shady shop is this? They're not selling us secondhand goods, are they?" Little Golden Dragon sneezed into his sleeve and whispered indignantly.
"Haven't I already changed my hand?"
Xiao Bai walked down the street, ignoring the occasional clatter of weapons. He smiled softly, "Bear with it for a moment. This is bait, we can't wipe it out just yet!"
Turning the corner, he saw a large inn and walked straight towards it.
As he approached the inn's entrance, the sound of a gong caught Xiao Bai's attention.
"Attention everyone! Black Seal City is under curfew after sunset tonight. Anyone violating this will be killed without mercy!" A man in a black city guard uniform shouted.
"Curfew? What are the Eight Gates doing? I was thinking of going to Hongxiu Zhao tonight!"
"How freaking new! I even hear the word curfew in the Black Horn Region. Isn't that something only imperial cities would resort to?"
"Tsk tsk. I wonder who offended the Eight Gates, forcing them to resort to such ridiculous tactics!"
Listening to the chatter around him, Xiao Bai stroked his chin, a subtle expression on his face. Could this curfew be aimed at him?
"Haha. So impatient?"
"Are you looking for a quick resolution because I'm seriously injured?"
He shook his head and turned to walk into the inn.
The night was deep, the sky dark.
The always bustling Black Seal City had never been so quiet as it was at that moment. The Black Seal Auction Hall's hall was brightly lit, devoid of the daytime hustle and bustle. Only three figures stood within: one sitting and two standing.
"Master, we've found out where that kid is staying. It's the Donglai Inn!" Steward Hu said with a bow.
"Have they cleared out the people inside?"
"That's the property of the Eight Gates. We heard someone important wanted to rent the inn, so we moved everyone out!"
"With all the commotion, why didn't he react at all?" the middle-aged man asked, frowning slightly.
"Our men had already come up with an excuse, but that kid hasn't come out since entering the room. He's like he's oblivious to what's happening outside!"
The middle-aged man's brow furrowed, a hint of alarm in his eyes.
The young man was either seriously injured, his perception of the outside world reduced, or he was simply feeling confident!
"Don't worry, godfather. I'll test him first. Even if he has some tricks up his sleeve, I can say it's because he disrespected you during the day, and I personally don't like it. Then, godfather, you can intervene and turn the situation around!"
"But if he's truly injured enough to have his perception reduced, that would be perfect for our goal!"
The blood-stained young man's hoarse voice made the middle-aged man overjoyed. This was a great excuse—offensive and defensive.
There were certainly risks, but for the sake of the golden dragon, it was worth it!
"Haha. My son is right!" The middle-aged man stood up and patted the blood-stained young man on the shoulder. With a wave of his sleeve, he said, "Let's do as you say. Go!"
Inside the Donglai Inn, Xiao Bai, after washing up, sat leisurely at the table, writing a letter to Xun'er and Xiao Yixian, intending to mail it tomorrow to avoid worrying the two girls.
Xiao Bai paid no attention to what was happening in the inn, even welcoming it.
Suddenly, Xiao Bai's hand paused, then ignored it. He finished the remaining few words, wiped the ink dry, and slipped the letter into the envelope. After storing it in his ring, he turned his head slightly and said, "Since you're here, don't try to be so frivolous. Act now!"
"As expected of the Golden Dragon Master, you're truly something!" A hoarse voice, like the rubbing of broken glass, pierced his ears.
A figure in a black robe pushed open the door and entered, his face obscured.
"What kind of poison is this? It smells quite good!" Xiao Bai's nose twitched slightly, sniffing the orchid-like, musk-like fragrance in the air, like a casual chat with a friend.
"..." The black-robed figure's cold eyes froze for a moment. Is this guy a monster? Even a Dou Huang powerhouse wouldn't dare absorb the Three Absolute Illusion Poisons so recklessly, would they?
"Don't want to tell me?" Seeing he didn't say anything, Xiao Bai didn't care. He smiled slightly and looked around: "Call out your master, Yuan Yi!"
"Although I'm currently injured, a mere Seven-Star Dou Wang isn't enough, no matter what you're planning!"
"Hehe." The black-robed figure sneered: "Whether it's enough or not, your words don't count!"
With that, he slowly drew his long sword. The blade was blood-red, its edge exposed, and a bloody aura slowly spread.
"Tsk tsk. This bloody aura, it seems that this sword in your hand... is stained with quite a bit of blood!" Xiao Bai looked around. The entire room was filled with a faint, hazy blood-red color, and he shook his head.
"Sky Slash!"
The black-robed figure didn't waste any words. An arc of blade light flashed, accompanied by a sharp gust of wind, as if countless souls were wailing. The blade light, which was several feet long, slashed down towards Xiao Bai like splitting Mount Hua.
Xiao Bai looked at the blood-red blade light that was getting closer and closer above his head. He curled his fingers into a fist. There was not a trace of fighting spirit on his jade-like fist. He swung it out suddenly, making bursts of sonic booms, and the space was slightly distorted.
"Bang!"
Energy scattered, and an invisible wave visible to the naked eye slammed into the wall of the inn room, causing it to collapse.
Then Xiao Bai moved, leaving only a remnant shadow by the table. The real person appeared in front of the black-robed man and grabbed his neck.
"I said you alone are not enough!"
As he spoke, Xiao Bai was about to exert force in his hands and crush him to death.
"Wait!"
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(End of this chapter)