Star Luo City, the Starlight Auction House.
"This carving knife is the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, ranked ninety-ninth on the list of carving knives. Guests interested in making Soul Tools may wish to bid on it!"
"The starting bid is 150,000 Gold Soul Coins."
Yu Tianqing sat in his seat at the auction, in no hurry to act.
There was still a month before Shrek Academy opened, and he had already arrived in Star Luo City ahead of time.
Although he had no intention of getting too involved with Huo Yuhao, some opportunities really did need the child of fortune to unlock them.
He said he didn't want to work hard, but God King Tang was like a mountain, always there, leaving him no choice but to make the most of his time.
He and Nan Shuishui had been stuck together like glue for two months, and his Soul Power had stabilized at level sixty-nine. But time waited for no one, and Yu Tianqing had reluctantly bid farewell to that haven of tenderness to obtain the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife ahead of time. Many of his later plans also involved it.
"No bids?"
On the auction stage, the auctioneer in a purple dress looked around. Seeing how little interest the guests showed, she sighed inwardly.
"Three, two, one."
"150,000!"
"Bang-"
The auction hammer fell with a lifeless sound, as though sighing along with its owner.
"This lot has failed to-"
Before the auctioneer could finish, she saw someone raising a hand. The disappointment on her face vanished without a trace, replaced by sheer delight:
"Congratulations to this guest on winning this ranked carving knife for 150,000 Gold Soul Coins."
On the surface, Yu Tianqing nodded without betraying any emotion, but inwardly, the stone weighing on his heart finally fell.
He had brought only 200,000 Gold Soul Coins with him on this trip, all of it his private stash.
Why hadn't he asked Nan Shuishui for money?
First, Dragon City wasn't very wealthy to begin with.
Second, a man had his pride!
After paying the Gold Soul Coins backstage, he had the staff send it to his room at the Star Emperor Hotel and headed back ahead of them.
His room was on the first floor, one of the cheapest available.
But booking the room allowed him to attend the Starlight Auction directly, one of the perks of staying at the hotel.
He didn't have much time to figure out how to get into the auction house. The room cost 1,000 Gold Soul Coins for a single night, and once he saw that the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife happened to be on the auction list, he checked in without hesitation.
Ride a bicycle to the bar: save where you should, spend where you must.
The room was rather small, only about twenty square meters including the shower. Aside from the essential bed, table, and chair, there was only enough space left for one person to walk through.
Yu Tianqing threw himself onto the soft bed. The surroundings were rather like the hotels he had stayed in on business trips in his previous life.
After always staying in the Far North, Yu Tianqing found himself a little unaccustomed to the bustle and noise of Star Luo City.
Before long, there was a knock at the door, and Yu Tianqing got up to answer it.
A woman stood respectfully outside, wearing a simple long black dress in the style worn by auctioneers at the Starlight Auction House, different from the purple-level auctioneer who had just presided over the auction.
The woman's skin was almost dazzlingly pale, her long golden hair was neatly swept back, and her blue eyes were clear and bright.
An air of nobility seemed to come naturally to her, leaving Yu Tianqing momentarily entranced.
Seeing that Yu Tianqing said nothing, the woman did not take offense. She bowed slightly to him, her voice as clear and melodious as an oriole's song:
"I am Jiu'er, a Black Level auctioneer of the Starlight Auction House."
"I've come to deliver your auction item, but there are also a few matters concerning it that I need to explain to you in detail."
"May I come in?"
Her manners were graceful and her bearing proper, leaving nothing to fault.
On the surface, Yu Tianqing nodded dumbly, but inwardly, he had long since raised his guard and was on full alert.
The golden hair and the noble bearing she couldn't possibly conceal marked her as no ordinary person. Adding the alias Jiu'er to the picture, he immediately thought of that princess of the Star Luo Empire, Xu Jiujiu.
"Come in."
Yu Tianqing led the way into the room and sat down on a chair inside.
Xu Jiujiu closed the door behind her and came to stand before Yu Tianqing. As her Storage Soul Tool flashed, an antique-looking box appeared on the table.
Her slender fingers worked the clasp at the front of the box, and the lid opened to reveal a dark green carving knife lying quietly on velvet, black wisps occasionally escaping from it.
"May I ask whether you know the origins of this carving knife? And some of the... rumors about it?"
Yu Tianqing nodded. "The Spirit Devouring Fierce Blade, a carving knife accompanied by a curse. Quite a few Soul Engineers have lost their lives because of it."
Xu Jiujiu gently pushed the box toward Yu Tianqing.
"Since you know its origins, I won't go on about it. These are all necessary warnings our Starlight Auction House gives with our customers' safety in mind."
Yu Tianqing did not respond, only looked at Xu Jiujiu. If they were really thinking of their customers, they would have said so at the auction. Why would the princess of an empire personally come all this way to tell him? He waited for Xu Jiujiu to continue.
Sure enough, seeing that Yu Tianqing made no move, Xu Jiujiu smiled awkwardly.
"You seem to be about the same age as me. Are you a Soul Engineer too?"
"I suppose I barely count as a Level 5 Soul Engineer."
Yu Tianqing made no attempt to hide it and admitted it quite frankly. After all, someone who wasn't a Soul Engineer wouldn't be interested in a carving knife in the first place.
"Really? That's wonderful!"
"To tell you the truth, I'm a Soul Engineer too. I wonder if you have time to give me some guidance."
Xu Jiujiu bent forward, a delighted smile appearing on her fair face. Her manner also became much more familiar, and reverence and admiration shone in her blue eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the window onto her face, making it look especially soft.
She looked just like the class beauty in high school asking the top student for help with a question.
As she bent forward, a rich fragrance wafted over him, mingled with a faint scent of tea.
Wait, that scent of tea was awfully familiar!
Yu Tianqing came to his senses with a start.
Women out in the world really were all tigers!
Even though he had been on guard, he had still nearly fallen for this woman's tricks.
Yu Tianqing declined. "I'm checking out tomorrow, and I'm planning to look around Star Luo City tonight. I'm afraid I won't have much time."
"I see..."
Xu Jiujiu pouted, looking a little disappointed. She reached up and wound a golden lock by her ear into loop after loop, seemingly thinking as hard as she could.
She looked around the room before speaking to Yu Tianqing.
"Actually, I have a little authority at the Star Emperor Hotel. I can arrange a free room upgrade for you."
Xu Jiujiu leaned forward again, her eyes fixed intently on him.
"If you can teach me about Soul Tools, I can show you around Star Luo City too. You can stay in this hotel's rooms for as long as you like, without spending a single coin!"
Here it came! The familiar scene had finally arrived!
He knew this kind of plot would happen. She'd pay for the room and even provide local guide service.
This woman lusted after his body!
Pah! How shameless of her!