Auction
Inside Qing Shi City.
Mayor Zhao carried Xiaoyu to Qing Shi City. The Bluebird Feathers had no effect, so the two stopped outside Qing Shi City and prepared to go in.
Mayor Zhao put Xiaoyu down and limped over to the demon guarding the city gate. "Brother, do we still need to pay to enter the city now?"
More than a decade ago, Mayor Zhao passed through Qing Shi City on business. Back then, everyone had to pay a fee to enter the city, and the amount depended on the mood of the demons guarding the city.
The demon guarding the city glanced at him and said disdainfully, "First time here? Do you need to ask about the rules for paying?"
Mayor Zhao chuckled sheepishly, "It's been so long since I've been here, I forgot."
The demon guarding the city lazily scratched his head: "Same old rule, three spirit stones per person, no entry without paying."
Knowing that they had to pay to enter the city, Mayor Zhao took out six spirit stones from his storage bag and handed them to the demon guarding the city. The demon glanced at Xiao Yu and then let the two of them in.
Once they left, the demon guarding the city said to another demon, "You stay here and guard the city, I'm going to the outhouse."
"Go away, go away, you have too much to do every day." Another demon waved his hand, telling him to get lost.
The demon guarding the city, pulling up his trousers, ran into the city and stopped in front of a shop. His eyes searched around as if looking for something. When he saw a demon wearing blue clothes, his eyes lit up and he quickly stepped forward and said respectfully, "Manager Mu, you've arrived."
The blue-clad demon was sturdy with two demonic markings on his face. Upon seeing the city-guarding demon, he nodded indifferently: "Hmm, is there something you need?"
The demon guarding the city nodded and recounted his encounter with Mayor Zhao at the city gate. "My clan cultivates a skill in the eyes; I immediately recognized that the child's beast form as a white deer. I've heard that the Grand Elder's birthday is approaching, so perhaps we..."
Before he could finish speaking, Steward Mu glanced at him and after a long while took out a bag of spirit stones from his sleeve. "Remember to keep your mouth shut today. If things go well, you'll be well rewarded."
The demons guarding the city quickly agreed and vowed never to tell anyone.
After sending the man away, Steward Mu summoned the shopkeeper, gave him a few instructions, and then returned home.
Mayor Zhao, who was carrying Xiaoyu to Elder Qingniao's residence, knew nothing about the matter. He took out the ineffective Qingniao feather and handed it to the doorman, who then let him in after examining it.
Upon seeing Elder Qingniao, Mayor Zhao immediately pulled Xiaoyu down to kneel, saying, "Greetings, Elder Qingniao, Zhao He of Lanshui Town pays his respects."
Elder Qingniao looked very young and was quite approachable. He told them to stand up and asked, "What brings you here to see me?"
Mayor Zhao recounted the tragedy that befell Xiaoyu's family and how he was chased by the man in white robes. He omitted the fact that Xiaoyu was Bai Lu, only saying that it was a revenge killing.
Elder Qingniao nodded after listening, "I understand. You can stay here with me for now. I will send someone to investigate the truth of the matter."
With Elder Qingniao's protection, Mayor Zhao thanked him and then went to rest with his servants.
After everyone left, Elder Qingniao let out a long sigh and rubbed his temples with his fingertips, as if he were tired.
Seeing his attitude, the attendant serving him said softly, "If the elder doesn't want to help, why don't you let me send him away?"
If the people had been sent away long ago, the elders wouldn't have needed to worry so much.
"That's not why," Elder Qingniao interrupted, then paused and said, "Never mind, take good care of those two. Go on your way."
After dismissing the servants, Elder Qingniao took out the letter sent from Mingguang City. Upon seeing the contents of the letter, Elder Qingniao was greatly troubled.
If it weren't for the fact that Zhuque was his good friend, he would never have wanted to get involved in the affairs between Zhuque and the elders.
Out of consideration for her good friend, Qingniao not only agreed to Zhuque's request, but also wanted to elevate her status among the elders.
Who would have thought that a demon race has more than a hundred elders of all ranks? Elder Qingniao's strength is only in the middle to upper ranks. Apart from a few old parasites who occupy the elder positions, he is one of the strongest elders.
Thinking about the chaos in Qing Shi City, Elder Qingniao sighed again.
...
A few days later, Wen Zheng appeared outside Qing Shi City with a different appearance, accompanied by a younger version of Mu Qing, a stern-faced young man.
"Do you really have to do this?" Mu Qing looked up and saw Wen Zheng covered in dust. She hesitated, wanting to wipe the dust off the other's face, but was afraid of getting her hands dirty.
"What about me?" Wen Zheng was dressed in inconspicuous clothes, her gray clothes and gray face making her look like she came from some remote corner.
Mu Qing took a deep breath and took out a disguise pill from her pocket. "Eat the disguise pill, then change your clothes."
Wen Zheng pushed his hand away, "Disguise pills are easy to be discovered, it's better to do it like this."
Rejected, Mu Qing could only shut up. The two walked quietly to the city gate to enter, but the demon guards blocked their way with their spears.
"What are you doing! Don't you know the rules?"
The sudden spear almost slashed Wen Zheng's hand. She hurriedly stepped back to avoid it, but in doing so, she stepped on Mu Qing's foot and heard him gasp in pain.
Steadying herself, Wen Zheng walked up to the demon guarding the city and asked, "Brother, this is my first time in Qing Shi City. What are the rules you mentioned?"
She stared at the demon guarding the city with a questioning look, making the other party feel uneasy. He then stepped aside to reveal the sign that he had been blocking.
Suddenly a sign with red paper on it appeared, and Wen Zheng's eyes were instantly drawn to it. She unconsciously read out the words on it: "Anyone entering Qing Shi City must pay an entrance fee of five spirit stones."
The city guard nodded after she finished reading, "That's right, you have to pay to enter the city."
Wen Zheng's gaze darted back and forth between the red paper sign and the city-guarding demons. She slowly moved closer to Mu Qing and whispered, "I don't think Mingguang City has this rule."
When she and Mu Qing went to Blue Water Town to collect herbs, they ran into the demons entering the city. It seemed that Mingguang City checked what the demons were carrying before letting them pass.
“No,” Mu Qing said. “It seems that Qing Shi City is indeed different.”
Before they came, Xiao Ze and the Lord of Vermilion Bird City repeatedly reminded them to act cautiously, which suggests that there are serious problems in Green Stone City.
"Tsk, what a hassle," Wen Zheng complained, counting out spirit stones from her bundle and handing them to the demon guarding the city. The guard beamed with delight as he took the spirit stones and let the two of them into the city.
After Wen Zheng and Mu Qing entered the city, they kept looking around. Qing Shi City was not as free as Ming Guang City. Instead, it was rather restrained. The little demons they saw on the road bowed respectfully to the big demons, their faces pious as if they had seen their own ancestors.
The two became increasingly silent as they looked at each other. After finding a secluded inn, they went back to their room to rest and met again when it got dark.
Wen Zheng was still carrying the bundle she had brought with her when she entered the city. The first thing she asked Mu Qing was, "I'm planning to go to the auction. Do you want to come with me?"
She had promised Xiao Ze that she would send the items to the auction.
"Go." Mu Qing said, glancing at Wen Zheng's clothes. She then changed into some inconspicuous clothes, and the two of them asked around for the location of the auction and hurried there.
Today, Fu Man Lou was bustling with activity, as many important figures from the demon race had arrived. Their mounts and magical artifacts blocked the entire street, prompting many demons to complain in hushed tones.
Zhan Xin, the manager of Fu Man Lou, stood bowing outside the door, a flamboyant smile plastered on his face, welcoming the guests. He would even greet familiar faces with a smile.
"Manager Zhan, I heard that Fu Man Lou recently acquired a treasure. I wonder if we can see it today?" The speaker was an ordinary-looking demon, but the demonic power emanating from him made the surrounding demons retreat in fear.
"Don't be impatient, guest. Good things always take time to arrive," Zhan Xin said with a smile, trying to smooth things over, but he didn't reveal what the treasure he had hidden away was.
Unable to find out the answer, the visitor snorted and turned to enter Fumanlou. Zhan Xin welcomed the guest inside and then greeted the next guest with a smile.
Wen Zheng and Mu Qing squeezed through half a street of demons and finally arrived at the entrance of Fu Man Lou.
The sudden appearance of the two people did not attract the attention of the other demons. Even Zhan Xin's gaze lingered on the two for a moment before turning to another direction.
Looking at the many people coming and going, Wen Zheng, clutching the bundle in her arms, was unsure whether she should go in.
With so many people around, if someone saw her holding the peacock feather fan, she wouldn't be able to explain herself even if she had eight mouths.
Mu Qing and Wen Zheng shared the same idea. Their eyes met, and as they turned to leave, Zhan Xin called them back.
"Please wait a moment, gentlemen. Since you're here at Fumanlou, why not come in and have a look around?"
Zhan Xin spoke up, and Wen Zheng paused in her movement, turning to look at him. "I have no money."
With just one sentence, he drew the attention of the other demon clans, who wanted to see who was so disrespectful to Fu Man Lou.
Her words made Zhan Xin smile, and he said, "Fu Man Lou supports bartering. As long as the guest brings something suitable, Fu Man Lou can help the guest exchange it for something suitable."
Wen Zheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and asked, "Anything?"
Zhan Xin: "Anything."
His tone was slow and low, as if he were hinting at something.
Wen Zheng tightened her grip on the bundle, then pulled Mu Qing along and stepped inside.
Zhan Xin watched the two figures disappear around the corner, and after greeting the guests at the door for a while, he followed them into the building.
He hurried and finally caught up with the two, panting as he called out to them, "Gentlemen, please wait a moment."
Wen Zheng and Mu Qing turned around to look at him. When he walked up to them, Wen Zheng realized that his features looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, she felt that he was familiar with them.
"What are you looking at, young lady?" Zhan Xin asked, tilting his head.
Wen Zheng shook her head. "It's nothing, I just feel like you look familiar."
The clichéd words made Mu Qing's gaze linger on the two of them.
Zhan Xin smiled upon hearing this and said, "Young lady, you are very perceptive. Xiao Ze is my great-great-great-great-grandfather."
The long string of "once" made Wen Zheng dizzy. She cleared her mind of all distractions and asked, "Xiao Ze told me to hand the item over to the auction, meaning to you?"
The demon race's auction was Fu Man Lou. Xiao Ze said someone would take it, but he never expected it would be his relative.
"Yes, my name is Zhan Xin, and I am now the manager of Fu Man Lou," Zhan Xin said.
Wen Zheng paused in taking out her feather fan, her brows furrowed, and her eyes unconsciously darted upwards in thought. After a long while, she finally spoke, "Isn't Xiao Ze's surname Xiao?"
Why is your surname "Zhan"?
With doubts in her heart, Wen Zheng quickly took out a talisman and held it between her fingertips, as if she was about to stick it to the other person at any moment.
With a smile on his face, Zhan Xin explained, "My great-grandfather married into the family, and all his descendants have the surname Zhan."
These words did not put Wen Zheng at ease. It wasn't until the other party produced Xiao Ze's token that Wen Zheng felt comfortable handing over the feather fan to him.
"Be careful when you handle this. If you accidentally bump into it, it could easily explode."
Wen Zheng offered a well-intentioned reminder, but what Zhan Xin did next was beyond her knowledge.
"My great-great-great-grandfather said I would be careful." Zhan Xin put away his feather fan and, seeing the two about to leave, invited them with a smile, "Since you're here at Fu Man Lou, why don't you two take a look around? Tonight's auction is very interesting."
He seemed to be implying something, and Wen Zheng, feeling dizzy, looked at Mu Qing and asked, "Are you going shopping?"
Mu Qing went shopping, and so did she.
Mu Qing thought for a moment, "Go shopping. If you find anything suitable for your cultivation, you can buy it."
Wen Zheng nodded, asked Zhan Xin for an invitation, and went upstairs.
After the two had walked away, Zhan Xin took the feather fan to the storeroom where today's auction items were stored. Looking at his subordinates who were taking inventory of the items, Zhan Xin took out the feather fan and said, "Add this to the auction today. It will be right after the final item."
The demons registering their items turned pale with fright when they saw what Zhan Xin was holding.
"Sir, this is not appropriate." The subordinate wanted to remind him, but dared not speak loudly.
"If there's anything wrong, register it quickly and then spread the word that the auction will start two hours later tonight."
The subordinate carefully took the feather fan and timidly replied, "Yes."
The demon clan's secret treasure appeared at Fu Man Lou. After finishing today's auction, he was about to leave.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
