Chapter Sixty-Five: The Auction Hall

The next morning, Changling City, which had been somewhat subdued, suddenly bustled with activity. Ever since the recent incident when the Lie family’s newly acquired high-level Xuan-rank martial skill was snatched in broad daylight, the infuriated Lie family had imposed a city-wide lockdown and search, only allowing entry, not exit. Anyone wanting to leave had to undergo strict inspection.

From the Lie family’s perspective, though the mysterious black-robed assailant who had made off with their treasure was formidable, his style—striking once and immediately retreating—clearly showed he dared not become too entangled with the Lie family’s experts. This suggested that, even if he had broken through to the Dragon Fighter realm, making him a match for or even slightly stronger than Elder Lie Yun, he had not yet fully mastered the powers of a seventh-tier Dragon Fighter.

If such a fighter were to undergo a period of adjustment and fully grasp the strength of the seventh tier, even the combined might of nearly ten Lie family Douluos could perhaps gravely injure or even kill him, but the cost would be devastating—possibly complete annihilation, leaving not a single Douluo-level expert.

This kind of mutually destructive outcome was, of course, not what the Lie family wished to see.

Yet, judging by the black-robed man’s hasty escape, it was unlikely he was a consolidated seventh-tier Dragon Fighter, let alone someone stronger. Otherwise, he could have easily slain the Lie family’s experts and departed at his leisure, rather than resorting to something as undignified as “fleeing”—an act unbefitting a true master. After all, if he were eighth or even ninth-tier, even ten peak sixth-tier Douluos would be powerless against him.

It was precisely this calculation that spurred the Lie family to launch their prolonged manhunt, confident that the mysterious black-robed man was not yet capable of withstanding the family’s full might.

Of course, given the Lie family’s notorious cunning, they also seized this opportunity to harshly suppress rival factions, assert their dominance, and line their coffers, hoping to alleviate their financial crisis.

This relentless campaign cast a pall over Changling City, making the atmosphere tense and oppressive. However, as the Lie family eased their grip in recent days and the auction house resumed its events, the city’s mood gradually began to lighten…

…

At this moment, the auction house was in full swing. From early morning, delegates from every faction had streamed in, registering and verifying their credentials, leaving the staff—who had enjoyed a period of calm—suddenly overwhelmed.

On the auction stage, Meiya presided with poise. Dressed in a snow-white cheongsam that perfectly accentuated her graceful curves, she drew many an admiring glance; indeed, some were there for no other reason than to feast their eyes on her alluring figure.

“Thirty thousand gold coins!” came a shout.

“Thirty-five thousand!”

“I raise the bid—fifty thousand gold coins!”

…

As the bidding intensified, the room buzzed with excitement. Yet, in the reserved sections of a few great families, a quietness prevailed in stark contrast to the fervor around them.

The Lie family’s patriarch, Lie Chen, sat with a stern face, abstaining from the current bidding. The items auctioned thus far—armor, medicinal herbs, weapons, martial skills—were fine, but held little allure or threat for the Lie family, so Lie Chen paid them no heed. Beside him, Lie Ren lounged with a look of utter disinterest, attending only out of obligation.

“By the way,” Lie Chen said, turning slightly and speaking in a low voice to Lie Ren, “I’ve been so preoccupied with the black-robed intruder that I’ve hardly paid attention to Feifei. The servants said she came home late and seemed unwell yesterday, and she didn’t get up to join us today. You were out with her yesterday—do you know what happened?”

At his father’s inquiry, a faint, bitter smile tugged at Lie Ren’s lips. He felt conflicted; when he saw his sister return late the previous night, his years of experience with women told him immediately that Feifei had lost her maidenhood. Though shocked, recalling where she’d gone, he was almost certain Su Yi was involved.

Though he didn’t know the precise details, a trace of envy crept into Lie Ren’s heart—his little sister’s enticingly shapely figure had been enjoyed by none other than that brat Su Yi.

Still, the matter wasn’t confirmed, so he decided not to mention it. Instead, he shook his head lightly and replied, “I’m not too sure myself, but yesterday Feifei and I ran into someone familiar on the street…”

“Someone familiar?” Lie Chen looked at him, puzzled. “Who could that be?”

Clearing his throat, Lie Ren nodded slightly and said, “We bumped into… Su Yi.”

“Oh? So what? In the past maybe… but now he’s just a good-for-nothing,” Lie Chen replied coldly, showing no particular reaction. After a pause, as if something occurred to him, his brow furrowed and he added, “Though there have been quite a few rumors about him lately. Is he trying to attract attention again? Since you’ve seen him, did you notice anything unusual?”

“I don’t know if he’s just lonely and wants to be noticed again…” Lie Ren said, a strange bitterness in his voice. Then, after considering, he added, “But I saw with my own eyes—Liu Xuan from the Liu family was nearly crippled by Su Yi in a single move, utterly unable to fight back. So it seems Su Yi…”

“Liu Xuan? From the Liu family that serves us?” Lie Chen was surprised. “Liu Xuan is a third-tier fighter, and Su Yi crippled him?”

After a moment of thought, Lie Chen looked at Lie Ren and said, “Are you sure you didn’t misjudge? Or perhaps they were putting on a show? I saw that boy Su Yi myself—his Dou Qi whirlpool was shattered, he should never be able to cultivate again…”

“Well…” Lie Ren hesitated. “It seemed real enough. Su Yi said he’d enter the upcoming Martial Tournament… and to participate at all, one must at least have the strength of a fighter.”

“Oh? That is puzzling…” Lie Chen frowned, pondered briefly, then shook his head. “Let’s not worry about that for now. As for the Martial Tournament—you will participate.”

“What? Seriously?!” Lie Ren immediately pulled a long face. “With my strength as only a second-tier fighter, I doubt I could place in the top five!”

“Hmph! That’s what you get for spending your days idling and neglecting your training!” Lie Chen snorted coldly, his voice tinged with anger. “Your elder brother is already studying at the Dou Qi Academy, and yet you’ve accomplished nothing!”

“Well, if my brother’s so talented, let him enter…” Lie Ren muttered under his breath.

Lie Chen chuckled coldly, his expression indifferent. “Whether Yan’er returns is uncertain. Having you participate is a calculated decision. Though there are many fighters under twenty-seven in Changling, few will actually compete—many are outsiders or mere servants. Among the core descendants the families are willing to send, only a handful are above fifth tier.”

“Recently, I heard that Auben Yu from the Auben family suffered a serious injury to his right arm. Even if it heals, it will affect his performance. Liu Xuan from the Liu family has been crippled, so that’s one less third-tier fighter. All told, there might be barely a dozen real contenders. You might not be entirely without hope…”

“Of course, you won’t represent the Lie family. Our official contestant is Lie Que, Elder Lie Feng’s nephew, a twenty-five-year-old sixth-tier fighter. If possible, I’ll also have Lie Zhi and Feifei enter to gain some experience…” He shot Lie Ren a cold glance as he spoke.

“Lie Zhi?” Lie Ren was taken aback, then nodded in understanding. As Elder Lie Yun’s grandson, Lie Zhi was quite gifted, having just broken through to become a fighter at seventeen—a remarkable feat in the Lie family’s history, considering Lie Ren himself hadn’t managed it until he was nineteen.

Having Lie Zhi compete in the Martial Tournament might not guarantee victory, but it would certainly be a good trial and a chance to make a name for himself in Changling. Besides, the tournament coincided with the Dou Qi Academy’s new student enrollment; with his talent, Lie Zhi should have no trouble gaining admission, and the same applied to Feifei.

Lie Chen, unconcerned with Lie Ren’s thoughts, turned his attention to the other great families once he’d finished speaking.

…

Elsewhere in the auction house, City Lord Chet was deep in conversation with his daughter, Geli, his tone tinged with astonishment as he lowered his voice to ask—

“You’re saying Su Yi really…”

&^^%# Martial Dao Pinnacle, Chapter 65: Auction Site, complete!