Proud Sword Soaring Clouds

"WHOOSH!" The entire auction hall suddenly fell silent. Countless pairs of eyes shot toward the private box on the second floor where the voice had come from.

Yunna looked at Ye Jingxin, who had made the bid, and opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. She shook her head helplessly and sat back down.

Mad War, however, said angrily, "Vice-Captain Jingxin, you—doing this will alert our enemy! Once they’re on guard, it won’t be easy to catch them!"

"Hmph!" Ye Jingxin snorted, shooting Mad War a contemptuous glance. He sneered, "I’m not such a coward! All I know is that this is what my brother died for!"

Mad War was so angry he heaved a heavy sigh and sat back down.

Down below, Huangpu Cangsong was overjoyed. ’I haven’t personally hosted an auction in years,’ he thought, ’but it looks like I’ve still got it!’ He cleared his throat and called out, "Ten thousand gold coins, going once!... Ten thousand gold coins, going twice!... Ten thousand gold coins... three times!" With a CRACK, his gavel struck the table, the crisp sound echoing throughout the auction house. "Sold!"

Many people in the crowd below were whispering among themselves. Plenty of them understood the value of a Magical Beast, and they all felt that ten thousand gold coins was a bit steep. A price around five thousand would have been more reasonable; any higher was just not worth it. If they had known that someone bought the beast just to have it buried with his brother, they would have cursed it as an act of pure extravagance.

Ye Wen Ni furrowed her delicate brows. Looking at Ling Xiao, she said worriedly, "We really shouldn’t have put this Tier Four Magical Beast up for auction. I’m worried members of the Madman Mercenary Corps are here today. If they are, we’ll be in trouble!"

Ling Xiao said calmly, "Don’t worry. They won’t recognize us. We just need to be careful. The Imperial Capital isn’t like other places. As long as we’re not specifically targeted, I’m confident we can avoid them."

Buoyed by the initial success, Huangpu Cangsong’s spirits lifted even higher. He smiled down at the crowd and announced, "Next, we have a Magical Beast that comes from one of the continent’s forbidden lands—the Holy Mountain Range of Vendia Snow Mountain!"

The moment he spoke, many people in the crowd cried out in shock. The Holy Mountain! Though its name sounded sacred and pure, in the minds of countless people, the Holy Mountain was no different from hell. Magical Beasts ran rampant there, the climate was brutal, and the terrain treacherous. If the great forest of Vendia Snow Mountain was a beast that chose its victims to devour, then the Holy Mountain Range was a demon that swallowed people whole, bones and all!

To think someone had actually managed to bring a Tier Five Magical Beast out of the Holy Mountain Range! Heavens, was it a Demon Sword Master? But even a Demon Sword Master couldn’t easily retrieve a Tier Five Magical Beast from the Holy Mountain. After all, that was a place where even Tier Nine Magical Beasts were known to roam!

Yisha, who had been bored to tears, was on the verge of falling asleep. Her grandfather had pulled her out of school for the day, insisting on showing her the world. In reality, Yisha knew he just wanted her to spend more time with Qin Kang.

She and Qin Kang had known each other since they were children, but Yisha’s shy nature meant she rarely spoke to him, let alone developed any deep friendship. As a result, she felt rather helpless about her grandfather’s matchmaking.

Fortunately, she was well-bred enough not to let her displeasure show. The previous Tier Four Lightning Mad Leopard hadn’t excited her in the slightest. While Tier Four Magical Beasts were hard to hunt, her family had no shortage of them.

However, the moment Master Huangpu Cangsong announced that the Magical Beast came from the Holy Mountain in the Vast Snowfield, Yisha instantly came to life. Her breathing quickened, her heart pounded in her chest, and she was almost completely overwhelmed. ’Ling Xiao, you hunted this, didn’t you? It must be you! I knew you would make it back alive!’

In another private box, a middle-aged man in ornate robes was stunned at the mention of the Holy Mountain. A moment later, a nostalgic look crossed his face. He smiled at the young man beside him and said, "The new generation always surpasses the old. There are many talented people in this world. Now you see, don’t you? I’m not the only one who can bring a Tier Five Magical Beast out of that place."

The young man arched an eyebrow, a flicker of disdain on his face. "Who knows how many people died to get it."

The middle-aged man sighed softly and shook his head. "You are just like I was at your age, always underestimating the heroes of this world. One day, you will realize you are merely a frog in a well, and the sky you see is only as large as your own palm."

The young man lowered his head and fell silent, but the defiance in his eyes was obvious.

In a corner of the auction hall, a figure in a black cloak and bamboo hat muttered, "The Holy Mountain? Now this is getting interesting."

Huangpu Cangsong truly lived up to his reputation as a master auctioneer. With just a few words, he had whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Many people below were shouting, "Master, stop keeping us in suspense! Tell us what the Magical Beast is!"

Someone else whistled and shouted, "Don’t tell me it’s a Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon!"

A ripple of laughter spread through the crowd below. A Tier Five Magical Beast was already incredible, especially one from the Holy Mountain. A Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon, a type of Flying Magical Beast, was simply beyond belief. Even Demon Sword Masters capable of flight were unwilling to confront one. The entire Lanyue Empire had only a limited number of Demon Sword Masters, and any of them powerful enough to hunt a Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon would be highly unlikely to sell it at auction.

Meanwhile, in Ye Hanxin’s private box, the atmosphere was so heavy it was suffocating.

By now, even Mad War was almost certain that the person auctioning these Magical Beasts today was connected to the two individuals the Madman Mercenary Corps was searching for.

But one realization silenced even Ye Jingxin.

Their enemy could hunt a Tier Five Magical Beast! What did that imply? It meant the person who killed Shenke and the others was very likely a Demon Sword Master! Perhaps even a High-level Demon Swordmaster!

’How could a small, seventh-rank group like the Madman Mercenary Corps possibly provoke someone like that? Revenge? If we anger them, they could annihilate our entire Mercenary Corps with a single sword!’

’Schemes? That’s a joke. Our target is as elusive as a phantom, and even if they were standing right here, what good are plots and tricks against someone with that kind of overwhelming power?’

Ye Jingxin clenched his fists so hard the veins on his forehead bulged. He ground out, "Even if it means my death, I will have my revenge!"

The other three in the room answered him with dead silence.

Onstage, Huangpu Cangsong beamed, his voice captivating. "The second Magical Beast of today’s auction comes from the Vendia Snow Mountain Main Range, from the Holy Mountain..." Everyone below held their breath, their eyes glued to him.

"A Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon!" Huangpu Cangsong announced, his face flushed as if he were going mad with excitement.

The entire hall, including the private boxes, erupted in an uproar. Even the normally composed, dignified middle-aged man in the ornate robes shot to his feet, exclaiming in astonishment, "A Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon? Tier Five? Impossible! That’s impossible!"

Yisha clenched a fist, her face flushed with excitement. ’It has to be Ling Xiao! It has to be him!’

Ye Hanxin let out a long sigh and slumped into his chair, his eyes vacant. A moment ago, he had been plotting how to ferret out their enemy; now, his only thought was how to prevent that enemy from turning on the Madman Mercenary Corps. ’As for that bounty, we have to cancel it. Immediately. Otherwise, the Madman Mercenary Corps will face complete and utter annihilation!’

Huangpu Cangsong wasted no more time and declared, "The Snow Mountain Lightning Falcon! The starting bid is forty thousand gold coins!"