Hou Qingxu was completely unaware that his mind was not as sharp as before. When Ning Yun went missing, his first thought was that Ning Yun had deliberately stood him up.
So Hou Qingxu is very angry now, and he's thinking about how to retaliate in the future.
However, he didn't show much emotion on his face. With a polite smile, he introduced someone to the surrounding guests, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is Master Bai Yang."
"Oh, Master Bai's presence in a place like this is truly an honor."
"I've heard of the master's name many times before, but I never expected to have the opportunity to meet him thanks to Brother Hou. It's a great honor."
The auction venue was stylishly designed. In a corner of the hall, Hou Qingxu, as usual, was chatting with some acquaintances.
This time, however, they were seated opposite a middle-aged man with half-gray hair. He had a ruddy complexion, an extraordinary air about him, and was dressed in a black Tang suit. He merely nodded slightly in response to the polite greetings from the crowd and said in a magnetic voice, "Gentlemen, if anyone should be honored, it should be me. I am very grateful to Young Master Hou for hosting this trip back to the country and for allowing me to meet with some old friends."
"Haha, Master Bai, you're too kind!"
They had heard of Bai Yang before, but they never expected Hou Qingxu to invite him to such an occasion.
Bai Yang was originally a very famous fortune teller. Although there were rumors that he was actually a fraud, it was said that some celebrities and government officials had close ties with him.
This person seems to have some skills and a wide network of connections. He used to be a very influential figure in China, but unfortunately, he got a bit arrogant a few years ago and did something taboo in Capital, so he fled abroad overnight to seek refuge.
A person like this would never have a bad life, no matter where he goes. Now, for some unknown reason, he's gotten involved with Hou Qingxu.
No one present was a fool. If Bai Yang were still the illustrious master he once was, they would naturally be eager to curry favor with him. But now, Bai Yang's background was unclear, and getting involved rashly might cause trouble. They were only willing to give him a perfunctory greeting out of respect for Hou Qingxu.
The group chatted amongst themselves, keeping the conversation lively. Then someone suddenly spoke up, "I've long heard that Master Bai is skilled in divination, and his appraisals of treasures and stones are always spot on; he's never been wrong."
"It's all just my friends in the underworld exaggerating. I don't have that much ability," Bai Yang said modestly. "In my early years, I was just a novice. Fortunately, I later became a disciple of Buddhism..."
"Alright, it's almost time. The auction is about to begin."
Hou Qingxu interrupted Bai Yang before he could finish speaking.
Bai Yang's expression changed slightly, but he ultimately said nothing more.
This auction was particularly important to Hou Qingxu, and he had a specific purpose in inviting Bai Yang.
"Mr. Bai, we're counting on you this time." He whispered his advice. Hou Qingxu knew that Bai Yang was not as simple as outsiders thought. He was not a liar; he was probably a Ghost Tamer as well.
"Rest assured, I will do my best in this matter." Bai Yang was very respectful to Hou Qingxu, not only because he was generous, but also because he could provide Bai Yang with what he urgently needed to solve his immediate problem.
The main venue for the auction was a meeting room inside the clubhouse, which was somewhat cramped compared to the main hall outside, but no one cared; they all understood that it was for security and confidentiality.
Thump--
With a clear chime, everyone's attention focused on the auction stage, and the previously dim lighting brightened.
The host walked onto the stage, gave a brief opening speech, and then briefly introduced the items to be auctioned.
"Mr. Hou, what exactly is it that you want me to find?" Bai Yang sat down next to Hou Qingxu and leaned in to ask in a low voice.
"To be honest, I'm not entirely sure either. In short, it's a special item, the specifics of which are unclear, but when it appeared, Master Bai should have been able to discern some clues with his abilities," Hou Qingxu said with a troubled expression. This target was quite troublesome, and he couldn't explain it clearly, so he could only give vague answers.
"I see." Bai Yang mentally complained, this is way too difficult. Does he have to appraise every single item at auction? That would kill him!
But as a seasoned veteran, Bai Yang wouldn't show any weakness; he pretended to be calm and collected, adopting an air of superiority.
The auction proceeded quickly, with items being bought one after another. This underground auction was organized by a powerful force, and all the items on display were rare treasures.
Hou Qingxu sat motionless. Since his exposure to the Supernatural, ordinary antiques, cultural relics, and jewelry collections held almost no appeal for him.
His target is Supernatural Items.
After a long wait, the auctioneer smiled and announced that the next item to be auctioned was the last item of the session.
"This artifact is quite mysterious. It was unearthed from an ancient tomb. Please look at this mask; its shape is very bizarre. Experts speculate that it was a ritual object used in sacrifices and may possess magical powers..."
On the display stand, a tattered mask was placed in a tempered glass case. The host gave a passionate explanation, but everyone present knew that it was stolen goods brought out by tomb raiders.
Suddenly, Bai Yang clenched his fist, a dark blue light flickering in his pupils. He glanced at the eerie mask and muttered, "It's that thing!"
Upon hearing this, Hou Qingxu immediately sat up straight. Bai Yang had been silent and remained calm, but their actions were now attracting a lot of attention.
"Mr. Bai, what's the secret?" Hou Qingxu hurriedly asked.
"I think what you're looking for is that mask," Bai Yang said confidently.
"Master, are you sure?"
"I'm confident. These auction items are all quite ordinary, except for that mask, which exudes an indescribable aura." Bai Yang smiled slightly. It's the last item up for auction, and it's the most special one. Are there any other options?
Hou Qingxu nodded. Since Bai Yang said so, and his brain hadn't detected any problem, it must be accurate. Actually, he didn't know Bai Yang at all; it was just a phone call from someone that made him take the initiative to contact Bai Yang.
He didn't know anything else, but since the other party asked him to cooperate, he couldn't be bothered to argue. These days, he was increasingly reluctant to use his brain.
"This mask starts at 500,000..." the host's voice rang out.
"One million." Hou Qingxu raised his paddle directly, raising the price in one go to show his attitude and imply that others should not compete with him.
His actions did have an effect; some people knew his identity and wouldn't try to take a mask from him.
But just then, another man's voice broke in.
Two million.
What?!
Someone actually raised the price so drastically—was this someone deliberately trying to steal his business? Hou Qingxu frowned, his eyes widening with a sharp glint in them, as he turned to see who was so disrespectful to him.
"Who is that?" He saw a tall man in a suit, with an ordinary appearance, a generic face with almost no distinguishing features.
"I don't know, I've never seen him before, I guess he's from out of town," said a young man sitting next to Hou Qingxu. He was one of Hou Qingxu's close friends and had some connections with the auction organizers, so he knew quite a bit and answered Hou Qingxu off the cuff.
Hou Qingxu sneered. Since he wasn't some big shot, he could be as arrogant as he wanted. "Two million one hundred thousand."
He had barely finished speaking when the man who had been bidding higher coldly announced, "Three million."
"Fine, fine, fine, what audacity! They're really going to confront me head-on!" Hou Qingxu still gave a wicked, cold laugh, "Four million."
He didn't care about the small amount of money, but he couldn't lose face!
"Five million." The stranger hesitated slightly, but still followed up.
"Six million." Hou Qingxu calmly raised the stakes.
The two engaged in a fierce competition, and Hou Qingxu ultimately prevailed, winning the mask for a whopping ten million yuan, providing the audience with a good show in the process.
The stranger who had been raising the price stood up grimly, turned around, and left.
After the auction ended, Hou Qingxu requested that the auctioned items be handed over on-site.
Suddenly, with a click, the lights went out, indicating that the power supply had been cut off.
"What's going on?!"
Many people took out their phones, the screens illuminating the surroundings.
The next instant, a cry of pain rang out as the auctioneer was forcefully knocked to the ground.
Thump--
A dull thud was heard, as if something heavy had been overturned. At the same time, an indistinct black shadow rushed out, knocking over several people in succession, and ran wildly towards the exit.
"Stop him! He snatched the auction item—the last mask!" the host, lying on the ground, roared with all his might.
Only then did everyone realize that someone had actually dared to break into the venue and steal things?
That's incredibly audacious!
The gate was violently destroyed, and the person who stole the mask fled quickly.
Both Hou Qingxu and Bai Yang were taken aback. Hou Qingxu then became enraged. He was already holding back his anger and no longer wanted to endure it, so he immediately activated the vengeful Fierce Ghost within him.
The underground auction venue was originally heavily guarded, but at this moment it seemed to be completely ineffective. No one could stop the mysterious robber. The security guards tried desperately to stop him, but they were all knocked down one after another and suffered serious injuries. Some were even vomiting blood and looked like they were about to die.
The robber ran away at breakneck speed. He cut off the power, but there should have been backup power and backup cameras in this situation, and he didn't have much time to escape.
He left the security team behind, and then easily broke through the chaos and escaped without much effort. With a light leap, he jumped onto a building at a nearby intersection, and like a parkour performer, he leaped and ran between the buildings.
This scene was undoubtedly very eye-catching.
The surrounding area is a large green belt, and beyond that is the suburbs. There are not too many obstacles, but enough to hide in, so finding him won't be easy.
The auction organizers quickly assembled a team, but because the auction was illegal and involved shady interests, they dared not call the police and had to make the arrests themselves.
Before long, the auction hall was in an uproar. Many forces were affiliated with this place, and various groups launched their attacks, intending to capture the petty thief and torture him severely!
Hou Qingxu, his face cold, pressed on relentlessly. He had already realized that the person who snatched the mask was the stranger who had been bidding against him at the auction.
Hou Qingxu was, after all, a Ghost Tamer. Once he made a move, the stranger was no match for him and died.
They searched his body thoroughly but couldn't find the mask. Hou Qingxu was furious. "He used a diversionary tactic! He had accomplices!"
At that very moment, in the completely opposite direction, two men in black, wearing masks and pretending to be innocent passersby, leisurely walked away.
"Those people have been lured away, but they should find out the truth soon and leave as soon as possible..." one of the tall men said.
The other woman nodded. "You're right, time is of the essence. Now that we've got the mask, we don't need to worry about anything else for the time being."
"However, we've been given a new mission at the last minute. They say they've discovered a crucial Vengeful Ghost Puzzle and we need to investigate."
The tall man hesitated for a moment, then said slowly, "No need to pay attention. We're not strong enough; there's no need to take the risk. Making contact rashly would be foolish. Anyway, we've already completed the mask mission, so let's send it back first."
The woman had no choice but to agree.
As Hu Jiu was searching for the Vengeful Ghost Puzzle based on his intuition, the street suddenly became chaotic, and the sounds seemed to indicate that someone was chasing a thief.
He had absolutely no desire to get involved in this unexpected event, but things went wrong on He Ming's side.
He Ming was transferred to the Capital to serve as a mobile Ghost Tamer, going wherever he was needed.
Now he regrets it. He originally came to the Capital seeking refuge, but he was instead morally blackmailed and put on a pedestal. He's been busy almost every day these days, and his body is starting to give out.
"There are just too many Supernatural events in the Capital," He Ming complained. Although they were all harmless and low-level Supernatural occurrences, how could the capital of a country be haunted so frequently?
He Ming was caught in a dilemma. He was put on an unbelievable level by his own sense of morality and the malicious praise of those around him. He couldn't ask for more money, otherwise he would have to face the "disappointed" looks of everyone.
Some people seem to think that professions like doctors, police officers, and firefighters require hard work and perseverance, that one cannot have money, cannot ask for money-grubbing "compensation," and can only work like an ox, dedicating oneself to the cause without complaint.
He Ming was afraid of working himself to death, but no one was willing to lend him a hand. At this time, Shen Jiliang from the Research Department offered him a helping hand, but this came at a price.
He Ming seriously considered whether to join the Research Department, since he Human Skin Paper and might have a way to control immunity.
However, Fu Youhua appeared in time, persuaded Shen Jiliang to leave, and comforted He Ming with a few words.
To be honest, He Ming's disappointment with Headquarters has been growing stronger lately...