Chapter 33 The Auction Continued

Logically, once the auctioneer delivers the swords to the auction house, they shouldn't need to worry about what happens next. However, Mizutani appeared at the auction house, presumably because he had other matters to attend to.

Tsurumaru Kuninaga noticed that Mizutani had arrived at the venue earlier than the other auction participants. Even though he was completely covered by a large black cloak, Tsurumaru Kuninaga still recognized him using his spiritual power.

"There are too many tsukumogami being auctioned; be careful not to get targeted."

The man in black facing Mizutani was 'kindly' reminding him...

That's strange; there's no spiritual energy emanating from this man in black. Is it being concealed?

Tsurumaru Kuninaga stood where he could clearly hear their conversation, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword, ready to respond to any unexpected situation.

Mizutani chuckled, as if the man in black had told some outrageous joke. Most of his face was hidden beneath his cloak, and his tone was full of mockery.

"Who's targeting me? The current political faction is full of incompetent fools. They're nothing to fear. I'm only cooperating with you to get what I want."

Otherwise, who would have any connection with your Time Travel Army? You're nothing but a bunch of rats that everyone wants to kill.

The man in black chuckled twice, not taking Mizutani's sarcasm seriously. It was still too early to say who the prey truly was.

The government of the time chose a Saniwa who wanted to save the dead by changing history, but that was all there was to it.

The man in black inwardly mocked Mizutani's overestimation of his abilities, and without further ado, vanished from the spot in a flash.

Seeing this, Tsurumaru Kuninaga, who had been secretly observing, prepared to return to report to Kanshu. He had already sensed his lord's location.

——

Knock knock knock

When the knock sounded, the three short swords in the private room simultaneously turned towards the door, as if they were about to draw their blades at any moment.

Tsurumaru Kuninaga pushed open the door and saw the three short swords guarding him, and was momentarily stunned. Then he smiled, his tone teasing.

"Wow, that really scared me!"

"Mr. He?"

Ran Toushirou was the first to recognize his companions in the citadel, but at the same time, he was also somewhat puzzled. Why had Mr. Tsuru returned from outside?

No, that's not right! When did our lord bring Mr. Crane here?!

"My lord, he was just talking to a man in black, and the man disappeared with extraordinary speed; I couldn't even sense any fluctuations in his spiritual energy."

Tsurumaru Kuninaga reports the situation to Kanshu.

Han Zhou wasn't surprised, but Qing Ye, Yu Yu Wu, and the other three short sword spirits were overwhelmed by the massive amount of information and didn't react immediately.

"Wait! Mr. He, how do you know all this?!"

Ran Toushirou looked at the smiling white crane in astonishment, completely bewildered.

"Me? I arrived at this auction venue earlier than you all, and after wandering around, I discovered some interesting things."

Tsurumaru Kuninaga, a mischievous grin on his face, patted Ran Toushirou on the head. In the end, he'd gotten a puffed-up pufferfish as a reward.

The auction is about to begin.

After Han Zhou reminded him, Tsurumaru Kuninaga, who had been joking with Ran Toushirou, also quieted down and looked at the auction stage below.

I was there a while ago, and I never expected to be at an auction again, only this time in a completely different location.

"Welcome everyone to this auction!"

The host, with a polite smile on his face, began exchanging pleasantries.

"Does our lord also intend to buy swords with his own money this time?"

Tsurumaru Kuninaga leaned against the window, looking down at the greedy humans below. A hint of disgust lingered in his calm voice.

"Yes, if someone else takes the picture, it will be easily discovered. Now is not the time."

Things will get more complicated if you try to intercept the sword spirits that have been snatched away by someone else. It's better to just take the swords yourself.

"Lord Hanzhou, please allow me to do my part as well. I also have some assets," Yu Yuwu stepped forward and handed over her savings card.

"And mine too."

Qingye and Yuyuwu are both S-rank Saniwa, receiving high salaries from the government, and they also frequently take on other missions. Furthermore, they don't have a strong desire to buy things.

They still had some savings.

But... their savings were nothing compared to this auction. Even the lowest-ranking person sitting below had more money than Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye.

"Although I understand your good intentions... I'm afraid your money can only buy a short sword."

Tsurumaru Kuninaga had some idea of ​​his net worth; before the Kanzurihashi even had a bid, it had already been auctioned off for over three million.

Hotarumaru, also a rare four-star sword, would likely be priced similarly to Tsurumaru Kuninaga. However, Hotarumaru's price might actually be higher due to its childlike form despite being a greatsword.

Although Akashi Kuniyuki is only a third-tier sword, this katana is not commonly seen among Saniwa (masters), making it a relatively rare sword. Its price is also not low.

Just as Tsurumaru Kuninaga was explaining, the auctioneer had already begun bidding on the first short sword, Aishichi Kunitoshi. Even a common short sword could easily fetch 400,000 yen.

The first time Hanzhou attended an auction, she directly bid. This time, she chose to light a sky lantern directly.

Lighting the sky lantern is similar to having the entire auction booked; no matter how high the bids from other auctioneers are, the person lighting the sky lantern will keep raising the price. The previously dim lights outside the box began to illuminate, quickly catching the host's attention.

"Oh! The guests in VIP room number 17 have chosen to light sky lanterns! What a rare sight!"

While the price of the short swords was still within Qingye and his group's acceptable range, the astronomical prices they paid for Hotarumaru and Akashi Kuniyuki truly shocked them.

The short sword was just an appetizer; the truly wealthy made their moves later. Bids started at 500,000 yen and went up, with the final price for Hotarumaru reaching 8 million yen.

This is the final price after Kanzuru lit the sky lantern; the high price is partly due to others inflating the price. Akashi Kuniyuki's auction price, while not as high as Hotarumaru's, was still over four million.

At this auction alone, Han Zhou spent over ten million Jia Zhou gold. Such immense wealth truly shocked Yu Yuwu and Qing Ye.

"This venue is overflowing with wealthy people. The political landscape has long been eroded by corrupt officials."

Han Zhou stood up, her light golden eyes coldly fixed on the excited auctioneer on the stage. Even from this distance, the greedy look and gaze in his eyes made Han Zhou uncomfortable.

She'll get that money back from those parasites sooner or later. Han Zhou doesn't care about spending money, but not just anyone can take it. She'll wipe these scoundrels out of the country eventually.

"Let's go. This venue and its staff will disappear into the cracks of time and space."