Proud Sword Soaring Clouds-Chapter 49 - 48: Huangpu Yue

The two were escorted into an exceptionally luxurious VIP room. Every detail, from the overall decor to the arrangement of the tables and chairs, had been meticulously designed and crafted from precious materials. Even the cups on the table and the tablecloth beneath them were clearly of extraordinary value, fully embodying luxury and prestige. Ling Xiao, having seen such displays many times, was unfazed.

Ye Wen Ni, on the other hand, couldn’t hide the astonishment in her eyes. She had never been to such a lavish place before!

The female receptionist was quite surprised to see Ling Xiao’s nonchalant expression. No matter what fine items other Adventurers brought in, they could never hide the fact that they were unsophisticated.

When most Adventurers were brought here, their first reaction was always shock. As a result, they would unwittingly fall into the auction house’s rhythm during the ensuing negotiations. It was a form of psychological suggestion, an idea said to have come from the Huangpu Clan’s genius, Miss Huangpu Yue. From the moment it was adopted, it had rarely ever failed!

Miss Huangpu’s immense prestige certainly didn’t come from her rumored mercurial personality. It was built on her numerous, tangible inventions, many of which had even slightly accelerated the development of the Empire’s civilization! Her title as a genius was by no means unearned!

The female receptionist excused herself, had drinks sent in, and then slipped out. She was clearly going to find a high-ranking Steward. She could just about handle a Tier Two Crystal Core, but one that was clearly of a higher tier was beyond the scope of her authority. Besides, judging by their nonchalant attitude toward that High-Tier Crystal Core, they obviously had even better items in their Space Rings!

How could you work at the Huangpu Clan’s auction house without a keen eye? The female receptionist decided to go directly to one of the auction house’s Stewards to handle the pair. After all, this was the largest auction house in the Imperial Capital, and it had only six Stewards in total!

Coincidentally, an auction was scheduled for that evening, and it was now less than two hours away! All six Stewards were busy attending to the auction house’s major clients and couldn’t possibly break away to greet Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni. Just as the frantic receptionist was spinning in circles, a crisp and sweet voice rang out, "Ah Zi, what are you doing here?"

"Ah... Young Miss!" The receptionist, Huangpu Zi, was an orphan who had been taken in by the Huangpu Clan as a child. She never dreamed that the exalted Young Miss would actually know her name. For a moment, she was so excited she was tongue-tied. "Um, Young Miss, I... I was looking for a Steward!"

"Haha, don’t be nervous. Take your time," she said. In the eyes of many Adventurers, Miss Huangpu was a demon, but right now, her smile was as pleasant as a spring breeze. Her attitude was exceedingly kind, and though she wore a veil, her gentleness still shone through.

"Well... it’s like this..." Receptionist Huangpu Zi explained what had happened. Behind her veil, Huangpu Yue’s brow furrowed. ’A man and a woman, hmm... A man and a woman have certainly been attracting a lot of attention lately. The Ruffians, that little Level 7 mercenary group, even posted a bounty of thirty thousand Gold Coins for that female thief in black. I wonder what their story is.’

Still, Huangpu Yue was intrigued by the news that they possessed Tier Three or even higher-tiered Crystal Cores. Hunting Magical Beasts was no walk in the park. If it were that easy, so many Adventurers wouldn’t be so obsessed with it.

"I’ll go see them," Huangpu Yue said lightly, her curiosity piqued by the pair of Adventurers.

"Young Miss, you’re going yourself?" Huangpu Zi hesitated. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust her Young Miss, but Huangpu Yue’s status was simply too exalted. Forget the Huangpu Clan’s immense power; her status as the fiancée to a Duke’s heir alone was enough to make countless people revere her. ’Though, I hear her fiancé has been rather displeased lately,’ she thought. ’Of course, those are just rumors from the street.’

"It’s fine. Just tell me where they are. The Stewards are all busy. If we can acquire something good from them, we might be able to add it to tonight’s auction, right?" Huangpu Yue said with a light laugh. "Besides, if they obtained those Crystal Cores through their own strength, I should meet them myself. After all, the clan’s interests come before all else." With that, she reached out her fair, delicate hand, pulled Huangpu Zi along, and began to walk.

’Huangpu Zi’s heart was deeply shaken. ’Everyone says the Young Miss is the clan’s greatest treasure, and it’s absolutely true. Only she would say something like that! So devoted to serving the clan... It’s just a shame she has to marry the heir of the Wulan Family. I hear he’s a completely unworthy man!’ Huangpu Zi fumed inwardly, feeling a great sense of injustice for her mistress.

Huangpu Yue glided to the VIP room’s door and said to Huangpu Zi, "Alright, you can go back to your duties. I’ll take it from here." With that, she knocked softly and pushed the door open.

The moment Ling Xiao saw Huangpu Yue, his eyes narrowed sharply. ’I can’t believe I’m seeing Miss Huangpu here,’ he thought. ’Wasn’t she just at the Adventurer’s Bar in Wutan Town?’

Ye Wen Ni, however, remained seated with an impassive expression, not a single ripple of emotion in her eyes. For her, disguising herself was a simple matter. Furthermore, her appearance and aura had changed so dramatically that she refused to believe Huangpu Yue was skilled enough to recognize her.

Huangpu Yue also froze for a second when she saw Ling Xiao. His build felt incredibly familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before. His face, however, was quite plain, so she didn’t dwell on it. She entered with a smile. "My apologies for keeping you both waiting. If you have anything you’d like to entrust to our auction house, you can speak with me directly. I have full authority in these matters!"

’Such arrogance!’ Ye Wen Ni inwardly pursed her lips, though she knew the woman was telling the truth. For some reason, after witnessing the luxury of this VIP room, a sense of inferiority had welled up inside her. She felt like a frog in a well, her own worldliness far too shallow. As a result, seeing Huangpu Yue, whose immense confidence was palpable even through a veil, she felt a deep-seated resistance.

Ling Xiao said nothing, simply offering a calm smile as he placed two Crystal Cores on the table. Huangpu Yue’s gaze was instantly captivated by the Lightning Mad Leopard’s Crystal Core!

Its cerulean glow seemed both stunning and noble in the softly lit VIP room. Huangpu Yue’s breathing grew shallow. "May I... pick it up to have a closer look?"

Ling Xiao nodded. Huangpu Yue snatched the Tier Four Crystal Core into her hand, her face flushed with excitement. "Heavens!" she exclaimed in awe. "This is no Tier Three Crystal Core. It’s a Tier Four, isn’t it?"

Seeing Huangpu Yue lose some of her composure, Ye Wen Ni felt her own sense of balance restored. A faint smirk played on her lips as she nodded. "Of course. It’s the Crystal Core from a Tier Four Magical Beast, the Lightning Mad Leopard!"

Huangpu Yue gushed, "Truly a gift from nature! This is far more beautiful than any diamond. It’s exquisite!"

Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni were both left speechless. ’So, she’s this excited just because the Tier Four Crystal Core is beautiful?’ ’Women truly are incomprehensible creatures,’ Ling Xiao thought.

’How unsophisticated,’ Ye Wen Ni thought. ’If I showed you the two Tier Five Crystal Cores, you’d probably pass out on the spot.’

After a moment of excitement, Huangpu Yue set the Tier Four Crystal Core down. Her gaze burned as she looked at Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni. "What other treasures do you have? Bring them all out. I’ll buy everything!"