Tai Long was carried away from the academy by his two lackeys. Jiang Huai sat back down as if nothing had happened, while Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun took the seats behind them.
Gu Yue suddenly asked, "Is it your birthday today?"
Jiang Huai nodded. "Yeah, it's my thirteenth birthday."
Gu Yue nodded thoughtfully, considering what kind of birthday present to give Jiang Huai.
The other Shrek members started thinking about it too. They wanted to give Jiang Huai a birthday present as well, but they couldn't let it outshine Gu Yue's gift. After all, the two were a couple. If someone gave him a better present than Gu Yue did, what would that do to her pride?
Before long, class ended. Xiao Wu and Gu Yue grabbed Jiang Huai and ran outside, dragging him along with them.
Seeing this, Tang San exchanged glances with Oscar and Ma Hongjun. The three of them could only shrug helplessly.
The five people who stayed at the academy then went to prepare for the birthday party that evening. Tang San even made a point of telling Teacher Shao Xin that it was Jiang Huai's thirteenth birthday. Shao Xin nodded and started preparing his signature dishes.
Gu Yue and Xiao Wu took Jiang Huai to the Heaven Dou Grand Auction House. Xiao Wu told him, "Brother Huai, people at the academy said this is the biggest auction house in all of Heaven Dou City. It's even bigger than the Soto Grand Arena."
Jiang Huai nodded. "You said it yourself: this is the biggest auction house. There must be some conditions for getting in."
Xiao Wu looked confused. She only knew it was the biggest auction house in Heaven Dou City, and no one knew who owned it. She had no idea what the entry requirements were.
Jiang Huai shook his head. "Let's go inside and ask the staff."
Xiao Wu and Gu Yue nodded, and the three of them entered the auction house. As soon as they walked in, a woman wearing a mask stopped them.
The woman said expressionlessly, "Sir, ladies, this is a members-only venue. Not just anyone can come in."
Jiang Huai asked, "Then how can we become members?"
The woman replied, "You only need to offer something worth at least one hundred Gold Soul Coins for auction to enter the venue. However, you'll be considered probationary members and can only attend auctions from the seats farthest away. To raise your membership level, you must spend ten million Gold Soul Coins at the auction house."
Jiang Huai nodded and took a Soul Tool from his own. Smiling, he said, "We'll sell this."
The woman nodded. "We don't yet know its value. I'll take you to an appraiser so he can assess it."
Jiang Huai nodded. "Please lead the way."
The woman bowed and led them. Jiang Huai held Gu Yue's hand tightly as they followed her.
Soon, they stopped in front of a carved golden nanmu door. The woman knocked three times, and a middle-aged man's voice came from inside. "Come in."
The woman opened the door and gestured for them to enter. The three went inside. A man sitting on the sofa was appraising a wood carving. When he saw the woman bring Jiang Huai, Xiao Wu, and Gu Yue in, he frowned.
"What's going on?" the man asked.
The woman whispered a few words in his ear. The man looked up at Jiang Huai. "Since you're here to have an item appraised, please show it to me."
Jiang Huai nodded and took out a small sphere. He and Gu Yue had forged this new Soul Tool while they were still at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
The man took the sphere, looking puzzled. "What is this?"
Jiang Huai smiled. "I named it the Spiral Wheel."
The man continued, still puzzled. "How does it work? Please demonstrate."
Jiang Huai nodded and took the sphere back. "Everything in here is extremely valuable. I'm afraid—"
The man understood what Jiang Huai meant. He clapped his hands, and the woman walked over to a vase and turned it. Four steel plates, each over ten centimeters thick, appeared and sealed off the area.
Jiang Huai pinched the sphere between two fingers. "Everyone, get down. I'm about to start."
Everyone crouched down. Jiang Huai flicked the sphere into the air. It suddenly transformed, revealing three saw-toothed Strangling Wheels, and shredded the surrounding steel plates to pieces.
As the sphere neared Jiang Huai, it halted in midair and instantly changed back. Jiang Huai reached out and caught it between two fingers, then smiled. "What do you think?"
The man stood up and stared in shock at the fragments around them. Gripping Jiang Huai's hand in both of his, he said, "Sir, I've finished appraising your item. I'm setting the starting price at 180,000 Diamond Coins, with each bid increasing by at least 10,000. I can guarantee that once this thing gets out, it'll become a deadly tool for assassinations."
Jiang Huai nodded with a smile. "All right. Can the three of us enter the auction now?"
The woman beside them nodded. "Please follow me."
Jiang Huai handed the sphere to the appraiser, then turned and followed the woman out with Gu Yue and Xiao Wu.
The three of them came to a table with masks on it. The woman picked up three masks and held them out with both hands. "This is the rule. Everyone attending an auction must wear a mask."
Jiang Huai nodded, took a mask, and put it on. He then helped Gu Yue put hers on. Xiao Wu huffed at the sight and put on her own mask.
Jiang Huai adjusted Xiao Wu's mask so she could see straight ahead instead of at an angle.
The woman led the three of them to Auction Seat Seven and left. Before long, she brought a portly merchant to Auction Seat One in the front row.
Soon, all the guest seats in the auction hall were full. Jiang Huai sat in his seat, waiting for the auction to begin.
Before long, a woman in a purple qipao and a mask adorned with a purple rose emerged from behind the red curtain. She held a microphone in her right hand.
The lights around the hall soon dimmed, leaving a spotlight on the woman. She introduced herself: "Good evening, distinguished guests. I'm Li Shuang, the host of today's auction. The first item is the crown of the former Heaven Dou Emperor. The starting price is ten million Diamond Coins, and each bid must increase by at least one million. Let the bidding begin."
The second through ninth items were soon sold. Before long, several auction house employees pushed out a cart covered with red cloth.
Li Shuang introduced the item. "This is a sword said to have been brought out of Slaughter City. There's a closed eye on its hilt, and mysterious golden runes on the blade. It constantly emits a faint crimson glow. The starting price is five million Diamond Coins, and each bid must increase by at least ten thousand Diamond Coins."
Jiang Huai was extremely interested in the sword. Just as he was about to raise his bidding paddle, someone in front of him called out first, "Ten million Diamond Coins!"
Li Shuang called out, "Ten million Diamond Coins, once."
Hearing that, Jiang Huai lowered his paddle. He had only a hundred Diamond Coins to his name. It wasn't as though he could ask someone else to lend him money.
Seeing this, Gu Yue wanted to help Jiang Huai buy it, but she knew he wouldn't allow it, so she decided against bidding.
Before you continue