Auction

"Oh? It's you." The grilled fish stall outside Red Mountain Academy opened on schedule. When Huo Yuhao saw Tang Wulin's family approaching, he smiled familiarly and took three especially plump sea fish from the ice bucket beside him. "Perfect. These are the last three large ones today. I'll give them to you cheap—all three for ten Federal Credits."

"Thank you, Uncle!" Tang Wulin's eyes immediately lit up. He quickly counted out the coins and handed them over with great care. The price was a wonderful surprise. For him and Na'er, a decent breakfast elsewhere would cost at least twelve Federal Credits, yet here they could eat well and fill their stomachs for only ten. Carefully taking the steaming grilled fish wrapped in oiled paper, he asked hopefully, "Uncle, will you... will you keep selling grilled fish here?"

"Hahaha." As Huo Yuhao efficiently packed up his stall, extinguishing the charcoal fire and putting away his tools, he laughed. "I'm afraid not, little one. Uncle lives in Eastsea City. I came here to take care of something, and I'll have to go back in a week or two."

"Then... then can I come buy some every morning for the next few days?" Tang Wulin lifted his little face, his blue eyes filled with anticipation.

"Of course, as long as Uncle sets up his stall." Huo Yuhao answered gently. Before leaving, he naturally reached out and ruffled Tang Wulin's soft sea-blue hair. "See you tomorrow."

Watching Huo Yuhao and Demon Spirit push the food cart away, Tang Wulin felt completely satisfied. But Tang Ziran and Lang Yue exchanged a glance, seeing the same doubt and unease in each other's eyes.

"Ziran," Lang Yue said in a low voice, leading her husband and the children a little farther toward the roadside, "don't you think... this is too much of a coincidence? Too good to be true?" Her brows were tightly furrowed. "A grilled fish made with ingredients and skill like his would sell for twelve to fifteen Federal Credits even by the seafood market. Not only is he selling them cheaply, he even seemed to have saved the best three specifically for the children. They were sitting in the ice bucket, where no one else had seen them. This... this doesn't feel like business. It feels more like..."

"Like he was waiting specifically for us. Or rather, waiting for Wulin and Na'er." Tang Ziran took over, his voice low. As a Soul Tool circuit designer, he was more accustomed to analyzing logic and abnormalities. "The city hasn't been peaceful lately. There have been several cases of children disappearing, and the police have warned parents to watch out for strangers. This Master Huo... the timing of his appearance and the kindness he's shown both feel deliberate." He looked worriedly at his son, who was happily sharing the grilled fish with Na'er. "Especially his attitude toward Wulin. He's far too familiar and affectionate."

Lang Yue's face turned even paler. "Could he... be someone from the Spirit Pagoda? They've always shown particular 'interest' in Wulin's martial soul records." The thought made her shudder.

"I'm not sure." Tang Ziran wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, both comforting her and making a decision. "But no harm comes from being careful. Starting tomorrow, we'll personally take Wulin and Na'er to the school gate and watch them enter their classroom. We must also pick them up from school on time. As for Master Huo's grilled fish... for now, they'd better eat less of it."

The couple reached an agreement. The small joy brought by the inexpensive food had been replaced by a heavier vigilance. Their grips on the children's hands unconsciously tightened as they merged into the crowd leaving school, yet they could not shake the feeling that an invisible pressure hung over their ordinary family.

Meanwhile, in a secluded spot far from the academy street, Huo Yuhao stopped his cart, his brows tightly knit. His fingers lightly brushed the Eternal Snowflake pendant hidden inside his clothes, as though sensing something far away. A trace of worry flashed through his ice-blue eyes.

"The seal is being consumed faster than expected," he told Demon Spirit quietly. "The Sea God's divine power Tang San left in that old scarf is continuously weakening, and the Eternal Snowflake Mark I left behind is also being slowly eroded. Although the Golden Dragon King's Divine Core is asleep, the unconscious sense of presence and assimilative power it gives off are gradually wearing down the protective layer."

"Brother Yuhao, do we need to reinforce the seal?" Demon Spirit asked with concern.

"We do, but we lack the key materials right now." Huo Yuhao took a neatly folded list from his pocket and unfolded it. Several rare medicinal herbs and minerals were listed on it. "Divine power is beyond my reach. I can only use natural treasures containing pure life energy or powerful stabilizing properties to build a buffer layer and strengthen the seal. Ten-year Snow Silkworm, fifty-year Heartclearing Grass, heartwood slices from a hundred-year Soulcalming Wood, at least ten-year Dragonblood Vine... none of these are easy to find, and they're expensive." His fingertip tapped the estimated price column—about two hundred thousand Federal Credits.

He sighed, removed an ordinary-looking little cloth pouch from his waist, and gently tipped it over. Several dozen gleaming Gold Soul Coins, containing ancient energy fluctuations, fell into his palm. "Looks like I'll have to use the savings I 'earned' in Shrek City." These Gold Soul Coins were worth far more than their weight in gold, true hard currency among hard currencies.

"Let's go, Xiaoling." He put the Gold Soul Coins away and looked toward the city center's most prosperous district. "We're going to the Aolai City Grand Auction Hall. There's a monthly auction tonight. Perhaps we can find what we need there. That place always has some... 'magical' items turning up."

"The auction hall?" Demon Spirit's eyes immediately lit up with curiosity and excitement. "Okay, okay! I've never been inside one before!"

The Aolai City Grand Auction Hall stood in the city's most prosperous diamond district. It was a majestic circular building, its outer walls made of enormous Soul Tool glass and reinforced alloy. Under the night sky, it glittered with shifting colors, displaying wealth and power.

The auction hall's internal hierarchy was strict. The outermost ring was the ordinary auction area, where anyone could enter after paying a small deposit to bid on relatively common items for soul masters, luxury goods, or bulk commodities. Further inside was the VIP area, which required proof of assets worth at least one million Federal Credits or a recommendation from a well-known business or soul master organization. Fine soul bones, advanced Soul Tools, rare metals, and high-year medicinal herbs appeared there.

At the very core was the top-tier SVIP auction area, open only to a few major powers and super-rich individuals. Entry required not only proof of assets in the tens of millions, but also corresponding status or a special invitation. Rumor had it that soul bones, items related to Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, top-tier Soul Tool mecha cores, and even fragments of divine artifacts had appeared there. On the auction hall's information screen, one of tonight's finale previews was prominently displayed: "Dark Gold Mountainforge Workshop · Limited Special Alloy Ingot ('Unmoving Mountain' Series)," the work of the Blacksmiths Association's newly promoted master, "Master Xiong." Its description emphasized its "physical load-bearing capacity and Soul Power resonance properties beyond those of conventional seventh-grade metals," and its starting price was an astonishing figure. This undoubtedly proved that Bear Lord's work had entered the ranks of the most elite hard currencies in the human world.

Huo Yuhao led Demon Spirit straight through the bustling ordinary area and arrived at the VIP reception desk. Without producing any proof of assets, he simply placed five Gold Soul Coins lightly on the polished black marble counter.

The receptionist was a well-trained middle-aged man. At first, he maintained his habitual smile, but the moment his gaze fell upon the Gold Soul Coins, with their ancient patterns and contained energy, his pupils suddenly contracted. He carefully picked one up and quickly tested it with a specialized Soul Tool instrument. An incomparably respectful smile immediately spread across his face.

"Honored guest, welcome. Your qualifications are beyond question. Please follow me to the VIP auction area." He did not even ask Huo Yuhao's name, because someone who could casually produce Gold Soul Coins of such purity and age was far beyond his ability to investigate.

They passed through a soundproof corridor requiring special authorization to open, took a private elevator, and finally arrived at a private box high up in the circular building. The room was not large, but it was exceptionally luxurious and comfortable. Before them stood a floor-to-ceiling one-way transparent window, through which they could clearly overlook the circular main auction stage below, while those outside could not see the inside of the box at all. Fresh fruit and premium drinks rested beside the soft sofas upholstered in soul beast hide, while the room's temperature and humidity had been adjusted to perfection.

Demon Spirit curiously pressed herself against the floor-to-ceiling window. Looking at the crowd gradually taking their seats below, their figures appearing somewhat tiny, as well as the brilliantly lit auction stage, she whispered excitedly, "The view here is amazing!"

Huo Yuhao sat down on the sofa, unfolded the list of medicinal materials once more, and calmly looked toward the auction stage that was about to begin.