Under the alternating red and purple neon lights, scantily clad demon men and women stood by the roadside, laughing and chatting. They wore heavy makeup, their skin gleaming under the lights. As they talked and laughed, they scanned the passersby on both sides of the street. Occasionally, when they saw a few people in suits, they would immediately raise their faces with smiles and sway their bodies as they approached.
The moment they met, greasy, fat fingers pinched hard on those shiny skin, accompanied by a few flirtatious chuckles and coquettish complaints, and a deal was struck.
Seemingly sensing the probing gaze, a tall, thin male demon leaning against the shop door turned his head and looked directly at Nan Xian.
His black hair was slightly wavy and reached his shoulders, with a few strands of silver-white highlights. He had a pair of black dog ears standing upright on his head, with a small piece missing from his right ear, which was replaced by a circular earring.
He held a cigarette between his slender fingers, his thin lips slightly parted, exhaling a puff of smoke that blurred his numb face.
The moment their eyes met, Nan Xian's heart skipped a beat. For some reason, she felt—
He was surrounded by a lively and bustling atmosphere, yet standing amidst this prosperity, he felt as if he were the only person left in the entire world, utterly alone.
The monsters sped up, and the scene before her eyes flashed by, but Nan Xian remained staring blankly ahead.
Qi Maojin suddenly leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "Do you see that? Those... are the lowest of the low."
Nan Xian pursed her lips and did not respond to him.
Before long, we arrived at our destination.
Shixi Building is an antique-style building, about four stories high, with upturned eaves, carved beams and painted rafters, and a magnificent appearance. Every corner is illuminated by red lanterns, making it look splendid and very eye-catching.
As soon as they stopped, the greeter standing at the door warmly stepped forward, bowing and scraping, and said, "Welcome, Young Master Qi! A VIP room has been prepared for you. Please follow me!"
He led the group upstairs through the VIP passage, introducing tonight's event as he went: "You've come to the right place today! Our host just brought in a treasure from outside, saying it's extremely rare and priceless! He's specially putting it up for the grand finale auction tonight!"
Qi Maojin raised an eyebrow and scoffed, "What kind of treasure is it? Haven't you even heard of it?"
The greeter chuckled awkwardly, "Oh, you're Young Master Qi, there's nothing in this entire Dark Zone that you haven't seen before! It's just that thing—" He lowered his voice mysteriously, "I heard it comes from the human realm. The Lord of the Pavilion has gone to great lengths to keep it a secret, and even the Deputy Lord of the Pavilion hasn't seen its true form!"
Qi Maojin couldn't help but become interested upon hearing this. He gave the short snake-clan youth behind him a wink, and the youth nodded slightly and quietly retreated.
The group entered the room, where two young demon girls stood. They were dressed in matching uniforms, their faces veiled, revealing their beautiful, sparkling eyes. They bowed to Qi Maojin in unison.
Qi Maojin sat down at the table and raised his finger. The two girls immediately rushed over, one massaging his legs and the other rubbing his shoulders, their voices very soft and sweet.
He smiled knowingly, then turned to look at Nan Xian.
However, the expected awkward and jealous expression from Nan Xian did not appear. She didn't even glance at them, and went straight to the window and opened it.
The windows are specially designed so that those inside can clearly see what's happening outside, but those outside cannot see what's going on inside.
This private room is located on the fourth floor, offering an excellent view of the entire building's interior. The lowest floor is the main hall, with a circular stage in the center where men and women dressed in ancient costumes dance gracefully to the music. Dozens of tables are arranged around the stage, and they are all occupied at the moment. The second and third floors are for regular and VIP private rooms, respectively, with only a thin gauze curtain covering the windows.
However, even though the guests here are strictly divided into four distinct levels, it is not difficult to see from the attire of the people in the lobby on the first floor that the Shixi Building has an extremely high consumption threshold.
Nan Xian glanced at Qi Maojin and felt more relieved about her choice—although she hated snakes, she had to admit that Qi Maojin was somewhat useful. If she were alone today, she probably wouldn't have been able to even get through the door.
When Qi Maojin saw Nan Xian turn around, he immediately put on an expression of enjoyment. However, she remained unmoved, only glancing at him before looking away. He immediately felt humiliated, and his face flushed red and then turned pale.
But before he could react, he heard three muffled drumbeats from downstairs, the lights dimmed, and the whole building fell silent.
The auction has begun!
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