Chapter 87: Disguise

"Hahaha! Pour me more!"

Jarek’s loud, slurred voice echoed from the center of the tavern.

He poured the Moon-Brewed Wine down his throat, spilling half of it down his chin and onto his luxurious golden-threaded robes.

He tore into the roasted beast meat with greasy fingers, chewing loudly and laughing obnoxiously while continuing to grope the trembling woman on his lap.

He was thoroughly enjoying his meal, treating the entire tavern as if it were his own private dining hall.

From behind the wooden screen, Seris watched the disgusting display with a faint frown.

She leaned in slightly over the table.

"Is he the reason why we are here?" she whispered.

She remembered the name Jarek was one of the names Declan had mentioned the previous day.

Rhain simply blinked slightly.

They sat there for a while longer, quietly observing.

Once Jarek was completely engrossed in his drunken revelry and the tavern’s atmosphere grew even more chaotic, Rhain casually stood up.

He tossed a few more Aetherium Crystals onto the table to cover their tab.

Without drawing a single gaze, they slipped out of the tavern doors, unnoticed by the loud, intoxicated crowd.

But they didn’t go very far.

Rhain led Seris into a narrow, shadowed alleyway just across the street, offering a perfect, unobstructed view of the tavern doors.

A long hour passed.

The glowing essence lanterns above began to dim as the night deepened, and the bustling streets of the eastern district grew quiet.

Finally, Jarek stumbled out into the cool night air, utterly drunk, staggering heavily down the street while dragging the woman alongside him.

Rhain followed, trailing quietly behind the stumbling Jarek.

A Spirit Manifestation Realm expert normally possessed a keen Spiritual Sense that could detect malice or footsteps from miles away.

But Jarek was intoxicated beyond reason, his senses thoroughly dulled by the strong wine and his own arrogance.

He didn’t suspect a thing. He couldn’t even fathom the idea that someone in Mirravele City would dare to stalk him.

Eventually, Jarek’s staggering path led them away from the bustling main streets.

They entered a secluded, empty pathway bordered by high stone walls, where the light of the essence lanterns barely reached.

Swoosh!

Rhain attacked directly.

Channeling his essence into the Flashing Thunder Boots, Rhain launched himself forward with full force.

His speed multiplied fivefold in an instant.

As a Spirit Manifestation Realm expert, Jarek’s Spiritual Sense passively screamed at him the second Rhain entered his lethal range.

But it was far too late.

Before Jarek could even twitch his neck to look back, Rhain’s hand chopped viciously into the back of his neck.

Jarek’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed into the dirt like a puppet with its strings cut, knocked out instantly.

With Jarek’s heavy weight suddenly vanishing, the woman stumbled forward.

She gasped, feeling that something was disturbingly wrong.

Her mouth opend to let out a desperate scream.

But the sound never left her throat.

A cold sensation instantly flooded the woman’s entire being.

In the span of a single breath, the woman was encased entirely in a thick layer of crystalline frost.

Seris quietly appeared beside Rhain.

"You did good," Rhain praised.

Seris looked at the unconscious Jarek lying in the dirt, then at the frozen woman, with a hint of uncertainty.

"What are we going to do next with them?" she asked softly. "Are we going to kill them?"

Rhain stared at the unconscious Jarek.

"No," Rhain shook his head. "Killing them now would just complicate things.’

"Their lives are important for now. We need them alive to make this work."

__________

The night passed, and the day arrived.

The day of the grand auction had officially arrived.

The streets surrounding the Mirravele Auction House were packed to the brim like a wet market, with no end in sight.

Cultivators at the peak of the Essence Condensation Realm could be seen in the every direction eyes gazed.

Even the heavy, oppressive auras of the Spirit Manifestation Realm could be felt in the dozens, casually strolling through the crowds.

For ordinary cultivators, this was an absolute forbidden zone.

Essence Awakening Realm cultivators were not even allowed to enter the auction.

But right now, a middle-aged man in lavish, golden-threaded robes swaggered straight toward the main entrance. His face wore the arrogance of a pampered noble, as if no one in the world was worth taking another glance from him.

Beside him walked a delicate girl. Her striking silver-blue hair cascaded down her back, though her face was entirely obscured by a sheer, white veil.

"Jarek!"

A loud, boisterous voice exploded through the crowd.

’Jarek’ or rather, Rhain turned his head toward the offending noise.

"Here we go.’

A group of cultivators wearing the crest of the Solari Clan approached them.

Leading them was an older man donning the luxurious crest of the Solari Clan.

His dense aura easily marked him as the fifth stage of Spirit Manifestation Realm.

His aura was even stronger than Harmon.

"We’ve been waiting for you," the man laughed, clapping a heavy hand onto Rhain’s shoulder. "I thought you were going to sleep through the biggest auction of the decade after drinking yourself half to death last night!"

Rhain perfectly mirrored Jarek’s slurred, obnoxious tone.

"Get your hands off me. I had business to take care of."

The old man didn’t get angry.

Instead, his gaze drifted downward, locking onto the veiled girl standing quietly at his side.

Even hidden beneath the fabric, Seris’s delicate figure and transcendent temperament were impossible to ignore.

"Oh?" He an eyebrow, a lecherous glint flashing in his eyes. "And where in the world did you find such a delicate girl? She’s certainly a massive step up from your usual tavern trash."

Rhain pulled Seris closer, his arm wrapping firmly around her slender waist.

He could feel her tense slightly under his touch, but she played along perfectly, keeping her head demurely bowed.

"Just luck," Rhain laughed, a short, abrasive sound that didn’t amuse him at all. "She fell in love with my heroic appearance the moment she saw me."

The surrounding Solari Clan members immediately burst into boisterous laughter.

But inwardly, every single one of them sneered.

Heroic appearance?

What a joke. They knew exactly what kind of garbage Jarek was.

There was absolutely no way a girl this pure willingly fell for him.

He had obviously forced her, just like he did with all the others.

But no one dared to express their dissatisfaction.

"Hahaha! Is that so?" The old man licked his lips. "Well, once you’ve used her and had your fun, you must allow us to enjoy her too. Don’t be greedy now, Jarek."

A freezing, cold light flashed deep within Rhain’s disguised eyes.

But on his face, the arrogant, drunken smirk didn’t waver for even a second.

He threw his head back and laughed heartily.

"Of course! When am I ever stingy with you brothers?"

"What a good brother!" The old man laughed, completely unaware that he had just stamped his own death warrant. "Come, let’s head inside. I have already booked a VIP section for us."

Rhain nodded, and with Seris, he stepped into the Mirravele Auction House.