The auction house stood in Blackstone City's wealthiest commercial district, its architecture deliberately imposing. Three stories of polished stone and dark wood construction, with ornate carvings along the eaves. Twin bronze lions flanked the entrance, each one larger than a full-grown man, their expressions frozen in eternal vigilance.
Liam reached the building after walking for nearly half an hour from Master Han's compound. The distance wasn't far, but the transition from the modest residential area to this section of the city was stark.
Here, the streets were wider and cleaner. The buildings displayed obvious wealth without the garish ostentation that marked nouveau riche establishments.
Two guards stood at the auction house entrance, their postures relaxed but their eyes sharp and assessing. Both wore identical uniforms—dark blue robes with the Chamber of Commerce insignia embroidered on the chest in silver thread.
