Chapter 169 (The Auctioneer)
The puppet is fine.
So how did Yanlan realize that it was a puppet and not a living being?
Gui Wujiu was genuinely curious.
These puppets in her floating auction house rely on the remaining divine power within the auction house of the former floating church site. They imprison the souls of the living beings in their bodies. Apart from the necessary internal alchemical modifications, they retain the original consciousness of the living beings. Even among the specialized scholars of the alchemy tower, very few can tell that they are puppets.
There is no information among the various sources of information circulating in the inner world that Yanlan is an alchemist.
"How do you know this is a puppet?" Yan Lan lowered her eyes and stared at the puppet lying on the ground, not replying for a long time. Gui Wujiu asked again.
Yanlan seemed lost in thought, her lips slightly curved upwards, but there was no real smile.
Her eyes, more unique and dazzling than any metal material Gui Wujiu knew, were veiled in a thin mist, obscuring the image of the puppet sprawled on the ground. Her fingers gently caressed her cuffs, upon which fine lines of water seemed to cover and entwine, outlining the texture of the cuffs. Gui Wujiu looked again, but they vanished.
Finally, Yanlan gave a cold laugh, raised her eyes, and said, "I've changed my mind."
"What idea?" Gui Wujiu asked. "Yanlan, the floating auction house doesn't allow you to back out once you sign the agreement. It doesn't matter if you withdraw your bid at the last minute or you can't pay the bid after winning it."
"Those who breach the contract will remain in the auction house forever. Lies are not tolerated above the floating palace."
“Just one additional condition,” Yan Lan said casually, her tone still nonchalant. Her beautiful eyes met Gui Wujiu’s, a barely perceptible glint of cold light flashing in them. “I want you to be the auctioneer for this Gods’ Auction.”
Gui Wujiu was taken aback, then burst into laughter and clapped her hands: "Good. A god is worthy of my presence as auctioneer. But Yan Lan." She carefully examined Yan Lan from head to toe, and emphasized again: "Lies are not allowed above the floating sky."
"The scales of value cannot determine the worth of a deity, and as an ordinary being, I cannot judge its authenticity. I look forward to the end of the auction and the deity and its authority that you have offered."
“Otherwise,” Gui Wujiu paused, his gaze fixed on the puppet on the ground, “you can stay in the auction house and keep me company forever.”
Beautiful eyes deserve a special display case.
There was a perfectly sized open space in Gui Wujiu's study, just the right size to place a huge crystal display case.
The divine authority worshipped by the once glorious floating church in the world of the Vatican was justice and the judiciary. Therefore, the power remaining in the auction house at the former site of the Vatican is also a remnant of that justice and authority.
Yanlan had reached an agreement with the auction house to consign items, but ultimately could not produce any. Even though Yanlan's sister was Director Yan of the Bureau of Extraordinary Affairs, she could not take Yanlan, who had broken her promise, away from the floating auction house.
Ordinary living beings are ultimately no match for gods.
"I'm already looking forward to it." Gui Wujiu's mechanical eyes were devoid of emotion, data flowed through them, flashing blue light.
Yan Lan glanced at her casually, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes: "I'm looking forward to it too."
After saying that, she turned and walked back the way she came. As she passed the curtains at the corner, she tilted her head, raised an eyebrow, and lifted a corner of the curtain. With a light flick of her fingertip, a tiny crack appeared on the curtain, as if it had been torn apart by some invisible force. Then she let go, and her figure disappeared into the corridor.
Gui Gemu stepped out from behind the curtains, first gazing at Yan Lan's back, his gaze lingering in the direction she disappeared for a long time, before turning around and looking at Gui Wujiu with a complicated expression: "Auntie."
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Yan Shi felt that this floating auction house was indeed very suitable for switching to a large-scale escape room venue.
Not only is the setting complex, but now there are NPCs too.
The auction house was filled with puppets, all of which appeared to be modified from living people, instantly creating a terrifying atmosphere.
While Gui Wujiu was speaking, Yan Shi kept thinking, "Is Gui Wujiu perhaps also a puppet?"
Furthermore, it is known that the floating auction is hosted by the Floating City, and Gui Wujiu also comes from the Floating City.
The Floating City is said to be a wandering city built by beings from the surface world, but the beings from the surface world here seem a bit abnormal.
She walked to an empty corridor, randomly lifted a curtain, and climbed onto the windowsill.
Yan Shi noticed that the curtains here were very thick when he left through the corridor from Gui Wujiu's place.
Therefore, it provides good coverage.
She took out the spatial key again, made up her mind, and opened her eyes again, reappearing in front of the main hall.
The doors to the main hall were open, and Claire was sitting at a table in the hall, looking down at the comics on the table.
She noticed someone at the entrance of the main hall out of the corner of her eye. She turned her head to look at Yan Shi and said in a flat tone, "Long time no see."
"It seems you're quite used to being here," Yan Shi nodded in conclusion.
Claire: ?
“I’m not used to it, and I can’t help it,” she smiled. “So you’ve changed your mind and decided to spare this poor, kind-hearted deity?”
Yan Shi: "More or less."
"Almost?" Claire realized the problem with her answer and cautiously asked, "What do you mean by 'almost'?"
Yan Shi walked into the main hall, went to the end of the long table, and pulled out the explanatory paper of the Death Throne that was under the crystal ball: "It means that I thought you were the one who knew the fairness of the transaction best."
Each time Lin Cai borrowed Claire's authority to modify historical records, she paid a huge price in terms of faith and life force.
Yan Shi: "Well, according to this sentence structure... I voluntarily let Claire leave here, and as part of an equal exchange, Claire needs to relinquish the right to decide the candidates for her authority [History and Records]."
"Give up the right of candidates to decide my power?" Claire sneered upon hearing this. "Yanlan, don't take advantage of my misfortune."
"I think this is a fair trade." Yan Shi tilted his head. "Don't you want to leave here?"
Claire: "Once the candidates are chosen, I will have to make a choice within a hundred years under the rule of law. I feel that losing my freedom is more important than losing my power."
“The regulation of the laws.” Yan Shi repeated, then raised an eyebrow. “Do the laws stipulate that making a choice necessarily requires relinquishing authority?”
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