Chapter 81 Mermaid on the Shore 3 Auction
081 Mermaid on the Shore 3
When Lu Jiu woke up, he found himself in a huge water tank.
On all sides, transparent glass frames created a space that could accommodate four or five people, and the space was filled with water.
His upper body was still wearing the coarse white shirt that his grandfather had given him, but his trousers on the lower body had been torn and ripped by the growing fishtail, turning into several pieces of cloth that were hanging on his body and were about to fall off.
Several humans were standing in front of the water tank, their backs to him, talking. Their voices were muffled through the water and glass.
"Why can't I touch him?"
"…This mermaid is protected by something invisible! It's so weird!"
"We can only throw him into the water..."
"Can we still put him up for auction?"
"Why not! We don't know what tricks this mermaid has used, but those masters and ladies are well-informed and can always deal with him!"
“That’s right!”
"I've never seen such a beautiful mermaid... Lao He has a very sharp eye..."
"I should be able to make a lot of money this time..."
"Are you sure this mermaid isn't some noble's pet?"
"Lao He said it's definitely not the case. Just look at the clothes he's wearing..."
auction?
These guys want to auction him off?
Lu Jiu quickly extracted key information from these people's conversation.
Is this some kind of underground auction house? How dare they engage in human trafficking?
How did they target him?
These people are still discussing.
"...Okay, then it's settled. Let this mermaid appear last. By the way, I found out from someone that Duke Wei Nanlou is indeed in Mermaid Town these days, living in the mansion to the east. You guys should set off quickly and try to deliver the invitation letter to him within an hour."
"Boss, are you sure?! We are going to auction the mermaid... Can the Duke know about this?"
"Heh, orc auctions are illegal, but how many nobles keep these pets in private, and treat them as slaves? This is an open secret!"
"But I don't think I've ever heard of the Duke having this hobby..."
"From what I know about this guy, even if he has no interest in raising orcs, he probably has no interest in meddling in other people's business. The most we can do is to not please him, but if we do, we will be extremely rich. Go ahead and tell him that there will be a rare treasure at the end of this auction, and keep it a secret for now."
"...Okay, fine. Then I'll have someone leave right now."
…
A small thug ran away, and the man who looked like the owner of the auction house and his two subordinates turned around.
Lu Jiu closed his eyes and pretended to be still asleep.
"...Boss, I have never seen such a beautiful mermaid!"
"You think I've seen it?"
"Boss, we're going to make a fortune this time!"
"…This little mermaid, I want to collect her, but unfortunately, I can't keep her."
"Why?"
"Things that are too beautiful are not something that ordinary people like us can hold. Their place of belonging is in the fish tanks of the nobles."
The boss sighed and walked away with his two subordinates.
…
It's quiet here.
Lu Jiu sneered and slowly opened his eyes.
He looked around.
The place was dimly lit, and there were numerous wooden boxes of various sizes placed around, each with a number on it. It looked like an auction item warehouse.
Lu Jiu looked at himself again.
Others may not be able to see it, but he can see it clearly. There is a faint halo covering his whole body.
This was the "cocoon" function in the low-level treasure chest that he had opened with 150 points before he passed out.
[Cocoon: Can be opened for 24 hours. During the opening period, the cocoon will wrap the player to prevent others from directly touching it, and can resist all physical attacks. But it cannot resist attacks other than physical attacks. ]
Lu Jiu didn't know whether the mysterious power that had appeared in the ABO world would appear again this time.
He couldn't pin his hopes on something so unclear, so he made this choice without hesitation. Among all the fancy-looking functions, he found this only one that seemed to be able to continue working even after he fainted.
And now...
He floated upwards, raised his hands, and tried to push the glass on the top of the tank.
It can't be pushed open, as if it's blocked by something.
The glass is a bit thick, but he should be able to break it.
Do you want to go out now?
Lu Jiu recalled the conversation between those people just now.
The "Duke Weinanlou" they mentioned was a well-known figure.
He is only 29 years old, but he has a noble status and holds a high position of power.
He is the younger brother of the late queen and the uncle of the young new emperor who now sits on the throne.
Lu Jiu didn't pay attention to politics. He only heard that Duke Wei Nanlou was regent. The new emperor was completely at his mercy and was a puppet in his hands.
...Since they dared to invite this person here, this underground auction house must be very grand and it shouldn't be a place that is easy to escape from.
He has no idea of the situation now. He doesn't know how many people are in the auction house or where the exit is. If he goes out rashly, he might be caught easily, and things will become even more troublesome.
Wait a minute.
Lu Jiu calmed down.
Wait for a more appropriate time.
…
He stayed there bored for nearly five hours.
During this time, he also carefully thought about how his identity was discovered - after thinking about it, Lu Jiu realized that it should be related to the "old man who collects fish bones"!
Now that I think about it, the liar was most likely not a complete fool. At least those cloudy-looking eyes were not really blind. The other party was not attracted by the pearl in his hand at all, but judged his identity as a mermaid from his appearance!
In the beginning, they tricked him into the alley, probably because they wanted to deal with him themselves, and then send him to this auction house.
As a result, he escaped, and the "old man" should have immediately called the people from the auction house.
Lu Jiu gritted his teeth secretly.
The "Lao He" those people are talking about should be the name of this liar!
He viciously wrote this name into his revenge list.
Finally, the door of the warehouse was opened.
Lu Jiu immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, and heard a group of people walking in.
They walked towards the water tank, and the large water tank was lifted up shakily and placed on a platform.
Gurgle, the sound of rolling wheels was heard.
Lu Jiu was dragged out with the jar.
…
On the way, Lu Jiu opened his eyes slightly and observed his surroundings calmly.
In front of him, a staff member had his back to him, pulling the rope of the cart.
There were corridors running across them in front, behind, and on both sides, and there was no exit in sight.
In the corridor, every few meters there was a tall and strong man standing against the wall with his hands crossed in front of him and a knife on his waist. They should be thugs hired by the auction house.
...Fortunately, it seems that it is not so easy for a musket to fall into the hands of ordinary people.
Lu Jiu closed his eyes.
A few minutes later, he felt the light dim. He must have been pushed behind the auction stage. It was very busy here, with people shouting everywhere.
"Why hasn't he woken up yet?"
"Is the drug so effective?"
"Find a way to wake him up. The auction items of a person who is unconscious won't sell for a good price!"
It's almost time to wake up.
Lu Jiu slowly opened his eyes.
Outside the water tank, a small minion just picked up a wooden pole from the corner and walked over. When he met Lu Jiu's gaze, he was stunned.
"He, he's awake! The mermaid is awake!"
With a shout, the entire backstage fell silent.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look.
Their eyes had all kinds of expressions, some were observing, some were amazed, some were appreciative... and some were full of greed.
These gazes were directed at Lu Jiu from all directions, and Lu Jiu also looked back at them, his calm gaze sweeping across their faces one by one.
When these people realized that the beautiful mermaid in the water tank was observing them with an extremely calm attitude, as if remembering their faces, they couldn't help but shudder.
People who were not related to this round of auction immediately turned their heads away, avoided Lu Jiu's gaze, and hurried away.
Someone yelled, “What are you looking at?!”
There were also people who continued to look at Lu Jiu with fascinated eyes without caring about the consequences, as if they wanted Lu Jiu to look at them a few more times.
——The backstage is a long and narrow space, connecting the front stage and the back of the auction hall on the left and right sides.
Lu Jiu noticed that there was a door at the end of the left side. At this moment, the door had just been pushed open from the outside. In an instant, he saw the stairs extending upward behind the door and the moonlight shining on the stairs.
Is this an emergency exit?
His heart moved.
Before he could think too much, the host on the stage shouted at the top of his lungs: "Now, now we are about to welcome the most valuable item of the night!"
"This item is not recorded in tonight's brochure. It's a surprise for you all!"
"I'm sure you've heard about this item from us before you stepped into this venue tonight. It's a thing of absolute beauty, a gem and pearl that is unique in the world! There's nothing else that can compare to it. When you see it, you'll know that these compliments are not false at all..."
Through the curtain, bursts of commotion could be heard.
Two staff members came over and stood in front and behind the water tank, one pushing and the other pulling.
The cart carrying the water tank began to rumble again.
They carried Lujiu up the ramp on the right side of the stage.
At the same time, Lu Jiu noticed that on the left side of the stage, another auction staff member walked down with the items that had just been auctioned and passed through the exit door.
He withdrew his gaze and calmed himself down secretly.
Bear it for a while... Even if he broke the glass and jumped out, he wouldn't be able to pass through so many people and open the door...
Once the auction is over… after you step down, it will be time to take action.
*
"——He's coming up!"
The host waved his hand, and Lu Jiu was pushed to the center of the spacious stage along with the water tank.
In an instant, countless gazes were directed over.
Lu Jiu heard sporadic gasps and whispers of conversations echoing in this huge venue.
The auditorium was dimly lit, but the stage was kept bright by torches.
Lu Jiu squinted his eyes and looked down. In his blurry vision, he saw the figures of those people sitting in the seats.
These people were dressed gorgeously and were obviously either rich or noble. There were some seats between them and not all of them were occupied. Many of them had one or two attendants standing beside them.
It seems that this is a "VIP exclusive auction".
These people alone should be enough for the auction house to make a fortune tonight.
The host said proudly: "Everyone can come forward and take a closer look at the tail of this mermaid. Even if it may offend you, I have to say that you have never seen a mermaid of this level!"
This statement drew some laughter and scolding.
Some people sat in their original seats modestly, without moving, but their astonished eyes were fixed on Lu Jiu.
There were also some who were more unrestrained. They stood up carelessly, walked to the front of the stage, and looked Lu Jiu up and down.
Lu Jiu floated in the water tank, looking down at them calmly.
This attitude made some people look unhappy, but it also made some people look more fascinated.
Lu Jiu glanced around casually and turned his gaze to the audience seats further back without much interest.
In fact, he was quite curious about what "Weinan Tower" looked like.
As an ordinary civilian, he could only meet this legendary figure on occasions like today.
——Although it sounds like a bit of a black joke.
Unfortunately, Lu Jiu looked around but didn't see anyone who met the characteristics of "Weinan Tower".
The venue was half filled with old men and women and half with young people. The young men all looked frivolous, not like the temperament of the legendary "Regent".
Could it be that the invitation from the auction house was rejected by the duke?
Lu Jiu only noticed that there was a little boy sitting in the front row of the audience, dressed very delicately, with a solemn servant standing on each side.
The boy, at such a young age, stared at him with shining eyes.
Lu Jiu lazily turned his eyes away, and the host announced the starting price - one million.
Soon, these people started bidding fiercely.
"One million and a half million!"
"Two million!"
"Three million!"
"Three and a half million!"
…
In the dim and gorgeous occasion, there are people dressed gorgeously and behave elegantly, but there is fanatical animality and undisguised arrogance flowing in their eyes.
Everything was like a catalyst, pushing the auction to its climax.
From time to time, they exchanged false smiles or contemptuous looks with each other, raised their hands with signs again and again, the pace became faster and faster, and the corners of the host's mouth became higher and higher.
Lu Jiu has lived for several lifetimes and has seen similar people and similar dramas.
But when the kid also joined in excitedly, he couldn't help but snort.
Okay, I’m convinced.
"Five million." The servant beside the little boy quoted the price for him.
"Six and a half million!" an old lady shouted.
The boy's attendant received instructions and respectfully offered again: "Ten million."
Suddenly, the whole audience was in an uproar.
Ten million. It’s not that the people here can’t afford this price, but raising the price so high all at once is really extravagant.
The little boy raised his chin, looking determined.
A middle-aged man held up a sign: "Fifteen million."
The whole audience was in an uproar again, and the discussion became louder.
The little boy turned his head, stared at the man coldly, and raised his chin to the servant beside him.
The attendant leaned over and put his ear close to the boy's mouth.
When he stood up straight, he shouted, "Thirty million."
The whole audience was shocked.
"30 million!"
"A mermaid was actually sold at such a price?"
"...It's not worth it. After all, it's such a beautiful fish tail..."
"Which family does that child belong to?"
"I don't know him. Haven't you noticed that people here today come from all over the place..."
The little boy raised the corners of his lips and revealed a victorious smile.
In the back row of the audience, a young nobleman stood up hastily, his face flushed, and shouted, "I, I'll pay thirty-five million!"
"Thirty-five million!"
"Haha, today's show is really exciting!"
The little boy seemed to have not expected that someone would compete with him, and his face darkened.
He raised his hand, and the attendant beside him shouted, "Thirty-seven million!"
The noble youth also raised his sign again: "Forty million!"
Lu Jiu heard the host standing next to the water tank burst into laughter...
…
Late at night, in a mansion in the east of Mermaid Town.
The man was sitting behind the desk, writing something. The feather pen made a rustling sound when it touched the paper.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and he said without even looking up, "Come in."
The door opened and a guard came in and stood at the door.
"Duke, we just received a message about the mermaid."
Wei Nanlou stopped writing, turned to look at him, and motioned for him to continue.
The guard lowered his head in shame - they had been secretly searching the coast for five days, but not only had they not seen "Lu Jiu", they hadn't even seen any trace of other mermaids. And the news about mermaids that he was about to tell made him feel a little nervous.
"The auction house that sent the invitation letter before dusk is holding an auction. They have added an item to the auction at the last minute. It is said to be a mermaid."
"..." Wei Nanlou narrowed his eyes, "Is the information accurate?"
"That's right. But our people didn't see the mermaid. I don't know if it's the one you're looking for," the guard said with cold sweat on his back. He mustered up the courage to remind him, "In the evening, His Majesty accepted the invitation and went out..."
At the time, the Duke saw his nephew's actions, but he was obviously not in the mood to discipline him.
After all, it was just an auction. The little emperor could have fun if he wanted to. The Duke had never bothered to make the two of them unhappy over such meaningless things.
However--
The guard swallowed.
However, no one could have imagined that orcs would appear at this auction.
The man who delivered the invitation in the evening said: There will be a rare treasure that should not be missed.
The other party's winking look clearly showed that he wanted to keep the secret and keep the truth as a surprise for later.
However, the Duke had seen all kinds of treasures, so how could he be easily interested?
But the result... turned out to be an orc!!
...They are so bold to hold such an illegal auction and even invite the Duke openly!
Wei Nanlou put down his pen.
The feather pen collided with the table, making a slight "click" sound.
The guard felt his eyelid twitch.
The man said in an indistinct tone, "Prepare the carriage."
*
The auction is still in full swing.
Lu Jiu didn't expect that he could get such a high price.
"Fifty million!"
"Fifty-one million!"
"Fifty-three million!"
"Fifty-five million!" The noble young man who had been competing with the little boy blushed and said, "I want this mermaid. I will definitely get it. I want him!"
The little boy turned around, glared at the young man fiercely, and slapped the elbow of the servant beside him.
The attendant immediately raised the sign.
"Fifty-six million!"
"Fifty-eight million!"
"Five thousand nine..."
Suddenly someone in the back row started coughing.
A puff of smoke drifted in from nowhere and quickly spread throughout the venue.
"Is anything burning?"
"Is there any noise outside?"
"What's going on?"
Lu Jiu paused, then immediately changed his bored attitude and pricked up his ears in the water.
He heard... there was indeed a commotion outside the venue, as if someone was screaming, and there were messy footsteps...
Soon, while the host was at a loss, someone ran onto the stage from the back, yelling, "It's on fire! Run! Run!"
At the same time, the back door of the venue was kicked in, and a group of people wearing coarse clothes holding torches and knives rushed in!
The man who had come on stage to give the warning immediately fled behind the scenes upon seeing this. All the nobles in the seats jumped up in fright and fled in all directions.
Smoke poured in from the entrance and screams were heard everywhere.
"It's on fire! It's burning outside!"
“Who are these people?”
"What do you want to do!"
Those people holding torches and knives chased after the nobles and hacked them!
Soon someone fell in a pool of blood.
The little boy was so frightened that his face turned pale. He was dragged up by the servants and escorted out from the backstage.
The young nobleman who was bidding against him didn't escape in time and died by the sword.
The host was slow to react and just as he turned around to run, he was grabbed by someone who jumped onto the stage and thrown to the ground!
The latter, with a look of anger on his face, punched the host in the face again and again, and soon the host's face was covered in blood!
The unexpected change surprised Lu Jiu a little.
Before he could act, a man jumped up with a chair and smashed it into the water tank!
The glass shattered and water splashed everywhere.
Lu Jiu fell to the ground. The man took off his shirt, threw it to him, and said hurriedly: "Hold it to block it, and go!"
When Lu Jiu's fish tail touched the air, it turned into two slender legs.
Without hesitation, he tore the man's shirt from the side, turned it into a long piece of cloth, wrapped it around his waist and tied it tightly.
The man pulled him up from the ground and dragged him backstage!
The entire auction hall was in chaos at this moment.
Lu Jiu asked as he ran: "Who are you and what happened here?"
The man would kick someone who looked like he was from an auction house and run past him from time to time, gritting his teeth and saying:
"This auction house has been secretly auctioning off orcs. They knocked out and drugged our relatives and friends, locked them in cages, pushed them onto the auction platform, and sold them to those nobles! We found solid evidence, but no one is seeking justice for us. We can only seek justice ourselves!"
Lu Jiu understood.
This is revenge.
At this moment, flames had surrounded the entire auction hall, thick smoke filled the air, and there were people screaming and fleeing everywhere, as well as corpses everywhere.
When Lu Jiu was dragged by the man and ran out through the side door, he saw soldiers gathered at the main entrance, putting out the fire and arresting troublemakers who had escaped from the auction house.
The man immediately pulled Lu Jiu and hid behind a tree.
After observing secretly for a moment, the man turned around and asked, "Do you have a place to hide?"
Lu Jiu's head was stuck with the shell.
"If not, why don't you come with me? My family has a fishing boat and my brother is the captain. If the situation is okay tomorrow, I will ask my brother to take you back to the sea and take you to a farther place."
Lu Jiu's heart moved.
captain?
Hiss, Captain... you're not a sailor, right?
Even so, he still said, "My name is Lu Jiu, what's your name?"
"My name is Wen Ying."
smell? !
Lu Jiu's heart skipped a beat: "What about your brother? What's your brother's name?"
Wen Ying didn't understand why Lu Jiu suddenly got excited, but he still touched the back of his head and answered honestly: "My brother's name is Wen Ling..."
"Which ling?"
"A command of a command, a feather of a feather..."
Wen Ying's hands were tightly grasped by a pair of beautiful hands!
The mermaid in front of him said with shining eyes: "I will go with you!"
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