Auction House

Every member of the Gema Tribe could use the Word Spirit Art after coming of age, but in their entire lives they could only use it three times. What was more, each use cost ten years of their life force. In other words, after using the Word Spirit Art three times, their lifespan would be reduced by a full thirty years.

And that was not all. The restriction that made people so depressed they wanted to cough blood was that the Word Spirit Art was not guaranteed to succeed every time it was used. In fact, its success rate was so low it could drive a person mad—only one in ten thousand.

In other words, every adult member of the Gema Tribe could use the Word Spirit Art three times in their lifetime, paying thirty years of lifespan in exchange for no more than a three-in-ten-thousand chance of success.

After listening to Master Faraday's explanation, Liu Feng could not help but stare, dumbfounded. At last, he understood why, despite how terrifying the Word Spirit Art was, the Gema Tribe did not have an especially glorious reputation on the Falan Continent. A three-in-ten-thousand chance—what kind of luck would it take to just happen to hit it? Though this skill was terrifyingly abnormal, in essence it was nothing but a chicken rib, of little real use at all.

Sure enough, just as Liu Feng had expected, after Master Faraday finished introducing the Gema Tribe, the fat Boss Roger called out the reserve price as well: three thousand gold coins. But though the people below the stage were somewhat curious about the Gema Tribe, not a single person called out a bid for a long while.

Although three thousand gold coins was not considered extremely high, it was absolutely not low either. To spend so many gold coins in exchange for a Gema tribesperson who could be called a chicken rib—no one was rich enough to be that much of a big-headed fool.

Master Faraday, however, grew somewhat excited, because this legendary member of the Gema Tribe had already been brought onto the stage.

Liu Feng truly could not understand how Master Faraday could be interested in this useless Gema tribesperson, but right now he could not ask, so he could only follow Master Faraday's gaze and look toward that Gema tribesperson.

But with just that one glance, Xiao Zhang felt his head shake with a boom, and he stood up from his chair all at once, his eyes revealing a look of shock mixed with confusion.

This member of the Gema Tribe was a little girl who looked no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. As though malnourished, her body was so thin and weak she resembled a slender bamboo pole. Her looks were extremely ordinary. Though she was not ugly, she absolutely could not be called pretty either. She had an oval face and a head of long black hair, but right now it looked messy and filthy. If there was one distinctive feature about this little girl, it was her eyes. Within those not-very-large eyes was an incomparably profound light, as though they actually held the wisdom of a sage.

And what shocked Liu Feng, of course, was not this little girl's appearance, but the strangeness inside her body.

Although Liu Feng had not yet cultivated to the point where he could see through a person's body, when his gaze fell upon this little girl, he only felt the Devour skill inside him suddenly begin to spin violently. The sealed energy in his qi sea seemed to have been drawn by something as well. It no longer remained quiet as usual, but instead stirred somewhat restlessly.

And the source of all this was actually the strangeness inside this little girl's body. Although he could not see it, Liu Feng could clearly sense that this little girl, just like Nicholas back then, had been sealed by someone since childhood. Moreover, the energy and technique of this seal were exactly the same as Nicholas's.

How was that possible? Could this little girl of the Gema Tribe also have some connection to his mother Doreen, whom he had never met? And why would she have been sealed too? Liu Feng was instantly a little lost. Vaguely, he felt that his speculation—that the strange seal on his body carried some terrifying secret—seemed more and more likely.

Master Faraday, beside Liu Feng, did not notice Liu Feng's strange expression. Instead, after carefully looking this little girl over a few times, a look of disappointment suddenly appeared on his face. He smiled bitterly, shook his head, and sighed. "So it turns out she is actually one of those rare Gema tribespeople who cannot awaken. I knew it—how could a true member of the Gema Tribe possibly appear on the continent!"

Although Master Faraday's words were very soft, they still pulled the dazed Liu Feng back to reality. Hearing the master's words, Liu Feng could not help but pause and ask, "Master, what does it mean to be unable to awaken?"

Master Faraday sighed. "Many strange races on the continent are the same. Not every person is born possessing their race's abilities. They must awaken naturally first, and not every clansman can awaken. There are always a few rare people who cannot awaken for their entire lives. The awakening standard for the Gema Tribe is that a strange mark will appear between the brows, but this little girl does not have one. Clearly, she is a tribesperson who cannot awaken."

Bullshit! Liu Feng instantly denied Master Faraday's theory. The little girl before him was absolutely not someone who was innately unable to awaken. It was only that seal causing trouble. It was just that Liu Feng could not tell Master Faraday about this.

At this moment, Boss Roger had already called out several times from the stage. Seeing that not a single person below still had any intention of buying this little girl, a trace of embarrassment finally appeared on Roger's fat face, and annoyance showed in his eyes. Clearly, his original wish to make a huge profit off this member of the Gema Tribe could no longer be realized.

Seeing that Roger was already preparing to switch to another auction item, and that Master Faraday had also clearly lost interest in buying her, Liu Feng could not help growing anxious. He said to Master Faraday, "Master, could you lend me some gold coins first?"

Seeing Liu Feng ask him to borrow money, Master Faraday was slightly taken aback, then smiled. "Oh? What are you borrowing money for? Don't tell me you want to buy this Gema tribesperson? This little girl cannot awaken. Buying her would be of no use whatsoever. It would only waste gold coins!"

Liu Feng could not openly explain that this little girl was related to the matter of his own seal, so he could only brace himself and say, "I still lack a maidservant. I think this little girl is just right. Master, lend me some gold coins first. Once we return to the estate, I'll give them back to you immediately!"

Although three thousand gold coins was already quite a sum for an ordinary person, to this astrology master it was still not worth putting in his eyes. Seeing Liu Feng's anxious appearance, Master Faraday smiled faintly and raised the paddle in his hand.

Boss Roger, who was just about to have someone take the Gema tribesperson away, had rather sharp eyes. He saw the paddle in Master Faraday's hand at a glance, and his face immediately filled with delight. He no longer cared about any formalities and shouted directly, "Number Nine bids three thousand gold coins. Sold!" In order not to lose money, Fatty Roger did not even bother with the procedure.

Though there were not many people with money and nowhere to spend it, there were still not a few. Since someone had bought this useless Gema tribesperson, the others did not really care. Only Liu Feng kept thanking Master Faraday from the side, and finally discovered that this old man was becoming more and more somewhat adorable.

Having finally dealt with this Gema tribesperson that would have made him lose money, Fatty Roger's mood was clearly much better. He wiped the sweat from his fat face, then called for someone to bring out another item.

Compared to that chicken-rib Gema tribesperson just now, this item was clearly far more popular. It was actually a level-six Magic Beast pet egg.

On the Falan Continent, even obtaining a level-six crystal core was somewhat difficult, let alone this living auxiliary battle pet. As soon as Boss Roger finished his introduction, the hall immediately boiled over.

On the continent, any profession could possess a magic pet through a contract, with no restrictions. But Magic Beasts that could serve as magic pets were pitifully few. Most Magic Beasts lived in extremely dangerous places, and obtaining a pet egg could be said to be very difficult. Thus, on the Falan Continent, there were not many people who owned magic pets, and most of them were low-ranked magic pets. A mid-ranked magic pet like this level-six one was absolutely an extremely sought-after item.

The price of this level-six magic pet was truly enough to make people click their tongues. The reserve price was actually ten thousand gold coins. But this price did not make the people below stop; instead, the bidding became even more intense. In no time at all, the bidding for this level-six pet egg had already reached a somewhat terrifying eighty thousand gold coins.

The one who called out this price was a young man who looked like a noble. He was rather handsome, but his face carried an incomparably haughty expression. He gently waved the folding fan in his hand, looking as if he were determined to win.

This price was already not something an ordinary person could afford. Many people put down the paddles in their hands with annoyed, unwilling, and indignant looks, constantly cursing under their breath. Clearly, they very much wanted this pet egg, but had no choice but to realize they simply could not afford it.

This was also the reason magic pets were rare on the continent. No matter how scarce Magic Beasts were or how difficult they were to catch, there would always be powerful people who went to capture them. But after being captured, the price at which they were put up for sale was simply too terrifying. Ordinary people could not bear it at all.

Since the price was already very high, the hall immediately fell silent for several seconds. Just as Roger was preparing to call out the procedure, a clear, crisp voice suddenly rang out.

"Ninety thousand gold coins!"

Hearing this price, the hall once again burst into chaos. Although this pet egg was precious, this price was truly absurdly high. Everyone wanted to see who exactly had called out such a price and actually possessed such financial power.

Even Liu Feng, who had been chatting idly with Master Faraday the whole time, could not help looking over along with everyone else's line of sight. But after clearly seeing the owner of that bid, Liu Feng's eyeballs almost fell out.

This was a sweet-looking girl about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a head of yellow curls. She was none other than Liu Feng's cheap and somewhat unruly younger cousin, Catherine.

"Isn't that Miss Catherine of the Palister Family? No wonder she has so much money!"

Catherine's reputation in York County was clearly much stronger than Liu Feng, the count's useless eldest son. Quite a few people had already recognized her and cried out in surprise.

Feeling the gazes of envy and jealousy from the crowd, a trace of pride appeared on Catherine's face. Clearly, this little girl greatly enjoyed the feeling of being the focus of everyone's attention.

"Just a noble whose family has already declined. What the hell is there to be proud of!"

Before Catherine could be intoxicated for long, a voice filled with mockery rang out across the hall...