Proud Sword Soaring Clouds-Chapter 54 - 53: Frenzied Auction (Part 1)

Just then, Huangpu Cangsong walked onto the stage from the back. The shrewd, calculating look he’d had while haggling with Ling Xiao was gone, replaced by a gaze as clear and calm as autumn waters. He glanced down at the crowd, and the buzz of conversation throughout the hall abruptly ceased. The room fell silent.

Ye Wen Ni’s mouth fell slightly agape. After a moment, she said in amazement, "He really is famous!"

"Good evening, esteemed guests. I trust you’re all curious about tonight’s auction. The Huangpu Clan’s auctions are typically straightforward; we rarely indulge in this sort of manufactured mystery. Perhaps you’re all wondering what priceless treasure we have in store. Could it be that this old fellow has forged another high-tier Enchanted Sword?" Huangpu Cangsong paused intentionally, gazing at the sea of expectant eyes below. The old man shot a deliberate glance toward Ling Xiao and Ye Wen Ni’s private box upstairs before continuing.

"In truth, what we are auctioning today are two Magical Beasts. And what’s more, they’re dead." He finished with a smile, watching the crowd’s reaction.

"What? Magical Beast carcasses? What’s the use of those!" an impatient person in the crowd yelled out in disappointment.

"That’s right, even the corpse of a Tier Three Magical Beast isn’t very useful. Now, a Magic Beast Egg would be something!" another person mused.

"Get real. If it were a Magic Beast Egg, the Huangpu Clan would’ve kept it for themselves. You think they’d actually auction it?" someone else countered, shattering the previous speaker’s fantasy.

In a private box directly facing the stage, a richly dressed middle-aged man furrowed his brow in thought. A handsome young man beside him whispered, "Father, could it be... a High-Tier Magical Beast?"

The middle-aged man nodded slightly. "The Huangpu Family has never done anything to tarnish its own name. If they call it a treasure, then it must be one. Be patient. Let’s wait and see."

In an adjacent private box, Yisha was with her grandfather and another young man from the Qin Family. He was strikingly handsome, and whenever he looked at Yisha, his eyes held a deeply hidden, fervent gaze.

Yisha’s grandfather tested them, "Yisha. And you, Qin Kang. Tell me, what game is old Huangpu playing at?"

The handsome young man, Qin Kang, smiled, the corners of his lips curving into a pleasant arc. "I believe it must be an exceptionally valuable Magical Beast," he said. "Quite possibly higher than Tier Four. As a renowned great family, the Huangpu Clan is unlikely to resort to useless gimmicks."

The old man raised a white eyebrow and nodded slightly, a hint of admiration on his face. ’This boy from the Qin Family is certainly impressive.’ But then he thought of Yisha and smiled bitterly to himself. ’That kid... he hasn’t been seen since he entered Vendia Snow Mountain. I fear the worst has happened.’ The old man sighed inwardly before turning to Yisha.

"Little Yisha, and what do you think?"

Yisha seemed distracted. Hearing her grandfather’s question, she jerked her head up and looked at him blankly. "Huh? Grandpa, what were you saying?"

The old man smiled faintly and shook his head. "It’s nothing. Let’s just keep watching."

Meanwhile, the occupants of the other private boxes and the people in the main hall were all speculating. What kind of Magical Beast could possibly warrant the Huangpu Clan holding a special, impromptu auction with such fanfare, even bringing the rarely seen Master Huangpu Cangsong out to preside over it himself?

Seeing that he had successfully piqued everyone’s curiosity and stirred their emotions, Huangpu Cangsong nodded in satisfaction. "First up for auction," he announced, "is a Tier Four Magical Beast: a Lightning Mad Leopard!"

In one of the second-floor private boxes, which held four people, two men shot to their feet the moment they heard Huangpu Cangsong’s words. They were none other than the two vice commanders of the Mad War Mercenary Corps, Mad War and Ye Jingxin.

Vice Commander Mad War’s face was flush with excitement. He looked at their captain, Ye Hanxin, who remained seated, his expression turning ashen. "Captain Hanxin..." Mad War said, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Sit down, both of you," Ye Hanxin said in a low voice. "This is the Huangpu Clan’s territory!"

Ye Hanxin’s words were like a bucket of cold water dumped over their heads. The men sat back down resentfully. Black Widow Yunna’s beautiful eyes scanned the auction stage below, where Huangpu Cangsong was extolling the various virtues of the skinned Tier Four Lightning Mad Leopard. "Lightning Mad Leopards are rare in and of themselves," he was saying, "and they are exceptionally cunning, not easily surrounded. I suspect that the one who brought us this Lightning Mad Leopard is connected to the person who killed Rock Shenke!"

Beside Yunna, the gloomy-faced man in his thirties, Ye Jingxin—who was Captain Ye Hanxin’s younger brother and had been very close to Shenke—was deeply grieved by his friend’s death. He now spoke through gritted teeth, "Brother, I have to find the person who sold this. I’m sure they’re the one who killed Shenke!"

Vice Commander Mad War had only stood up out of instinct. The Mad War Mercenary Corps had already offended many of their peers over this matter recently, and as the vice commander in charge of the investigation, Mad War was under immense pressure.

He had calmed down now. He looked at Ye Jingxin and said, "Vice Commander Jingxin, we will have our revenge, of course, but right now..."

"Don’t give me that, Mad War!" Ye Jingxin shot him a cold look and scoffed. "I know none of you liked Shenke. You thought he was just a troublemaker. But don’t forget, he’s the one who’s contributed the most over the years! If you hadn’t held him back, Shenke would have been a vice commander long ago!"

"You..." Because Ye Jingxin was the captain’s own brother, Mad War always tried to show him some respect. But Ye Jingxin never returned the courtesy, and his words were so scathing that Mad War was left speechless with anger.

"Enough!" Ye Hanxin glared at his brother. He knew his brother was still fighting Shenke’s battles for him, but Vice Commander Mad War was also devoted to the Mercenary Corps. The two of them had never seen eye to eye, and their friction had only worsened since Shenke’s death. Ye Jingxin was convinced that Mad War was only putting on a show and had no real intention of avenging Shenke, causing the rift between them to grow ever deeper.

"I have seen Vice Commander Mad War’s efforts for myself, Jingxin. From now on, you should focus more on how to help the corps grow." Ye Hanxin sighed. His younger brother had been like this since he was a child—defiant and unruly. The older he got, the more pronounced it became.

Yunna, who had been silent until now, stepped in to mediate. "Alright, we’re all on the same side, we just have different ideas. Let’s all take a step back. Why don’t we just watch for now and see what happens, okay?"

Both Mad War and Ye Jingxin grunted but said nothing more.

Down below, the bidding had already begun. While a Tier Four Magical Beast couldn’t compare to a Tier Four Crystal Core, it was still quite valuable. From a starting bid of five hundred gold coins, the price had already soared to three thousand gold coins, with bids still climbing. The bidders were mostly from prominent medicinal families. Nearly any part of a Magical Beast could be used in alchemy and medicine, and a Tier Four creature was already a rarity. A seldom-seen species like the Lightning Mad Leopard was especially priceless—its meat, blood, bones, marrow, and pizzle were each more valuable than the last!

The price stalled at six thousand five hundred gold coins. Clearly, this was the upper limit for most interested parties.

Huangpu Cangsong was already quite satisfied with the price, even though the valuable pelt had been removed. Thinking of the pelt made Huangpu Cangsong feel a pang of regret. ’If that Lightning Mad Leopard’s hide were made into a garment, how precious would it be? Even the royal family would be captivated by it! A shame those two youngsters absolutely refused to sell. How irritating!’

"Six thousand five hundred gold coins, going once! Six thousand five hundred gold coins, going twice! Are there any higher bids? No? This is a rare Tier Four Lightning Mad Leopard! Six thousand fi—" Just as Huangpu Cangsong was about to strike his gavel.

A cold voice rang out from the second floor: "Ten thousand!"