Chapter 355: Flame Carillion

Xia Fei had set his eyes on the two auction items of Everchange and the Cloudmother after browsing the catalog. Furthermore, there would still be some special items that the auction planned to announce at the last minute. These things were shrouded in secrecy before the reveal, and there was no way of knowing just what they might be.

Early in the morning, in the largest auction hall on the Thirteen Pearls Island.

The level of excitement among the people present was the highest it had been since the opening of the Trade Carnival. Many famous and important people in the Alliance had also arrived.

Just before he went through the doors, Xia Fei easily spotted Thuram looking around in the crowd, seemingly waiting for someone.

“Uncle Thuram, I thought that you wouldn’t be coming.” Xia Fei chuckled.

“Let’s go; I’ve been waiting for you forever,” Thuram grumbled. “I’ve been busy with work; being able to find time to come and join this final auction is already not bad.”

Xia Fei whispered, “Is this because of the insectoids?”

Thuram chuckled. “Your information sources are pretty good, huh, you rascal. That’s right. The insectoid emissaries are currently in the capital. They suggested organizing a series of martial arts exchanges with us. I really don’t understand what’s going on. Could the insectoids have had a change of heart? Are they planning to coexist in peace with the Pan-human Alliance now?”

Xia Fei did not comment on this. The military and the Adjudicator Union were two different organizations, and there was no reason for him to share with Thuram the military’s decision, or at least, not here out in public.

Xia Fei had already spent two weeks on Thousand Island, and this was the first time he had set foot into the actual auction itself. This hall was at least able to accommodate several hundred thousands of people in one sitting, with august decorations all around.

“What have you got your eyes on this time? Thuram asked.

Xia Fei answered, “A tool and the Cloudmother. What about you?”

Thuram rumbled in a deep laugh. “Nothing yet, but there’s a piece of Purple Heart of Spirit that’s decent, so I’m considering trying my hand at bidding for it if the price is within reasonable margins.”

Xia Fei was momentarily silent. The one who had consigned that piece of Purple Heart of Spirit was none other than himself, yet Uncle Thuram was actually planning to buy it?

“Uncle, I’ve seen that piece of Purple Heart of Spirit you’re talking about, too, and the starting bid alone will be around fifteen billion,” Xia Fei intentionally probed.

“Who cares? It’s not like I’m spending it out of my own pockets. It is the president of the Adjudicator Union who asked me to purchase it, so I’ll be spending the union’s money,” Thuram replied.

Xia Fei was secretly delighted upon hearing that. Since it would not be Thuram’s money he would be earning, he was more than happy to see more people bid on it.

Xia Fei and Thuram were both holders of the top-class black pass, so they were admitted to the VIP lounge on the second floor of the auction hall.

Looking around, Xia Fei commented, “I thought that the place would be packed with people, but it looks like I was mistaken. There’s barely but a handful of people here.”

“Are you kidding? A hundred billion star coins entry deposit isn’t something anyone can just pull out. Say, did you manage to earn so much money from the Alliance Military? How are you talking like a hundred billion star coins is hardly worth anything?”

Xia Fei scratched his head awkwardly. “That’s not it at all. While it’s true that the military paid plenty in advance, it isn’t that much. How could I compete with you old folks who may have up to hundreds and thousand duns to your name?”

Thuram was smug. “There’s no need to be so anxious. An A-list supplier of the military will easily be able to earn several duns of annual profit. Just give it another year or two when you’ve got enough assets; then even the Jian family will not dare to despise you.”

Xia Fei nodded. He could not help but feel a bout of worry when Avril was mentioned. This sojourn to the insectoid territory might very well be the greatest risk he would undertake in his life. In terms of worry, it was his beloved lady whom he worried the most about.

After some time passed, General Williams arrived at the hall and took a seat a short distance from Xia Fei. The latter gave a friendly smile to the former as a greeting, while the lady Nicole soon arrived and sat somewhere further from Xia Fei.

More and more people filed in, most of which Xia Fei did not recognize. The noise levels in the hall gradually increased, though everyone was speaking in hushed voices, creating quite a tense atmosphere even before the auction began.

A middle-aged man dressed in a pressed black suit walked up to the podium and announced the start of the auction. The first item up for bid was an under armor from Yili Star Region, made of thin and flexible material which could be worn underneath clothes to safeguard from sneak attacks.

The under armor started with a bid of a hundred million star coins and was ultimately won for 230 million star coins. The successful bidder was a young man from the Monastic Order, who had an obvious crescent scar right across his face.

The Monastics abhorred wealth, proud that they were above superficiality. Few would be tempted by wealth and money, though this one was clearly different. While he was dressed very simply, each and every article of clothing and accessory was exquisite. Xia Fei reckoned that these seemingly normal items were fairly valuable, and it was only the rules of the Order that made them all appear fairly plain.

The auction proceeded fairly quickly, and Xia Fei noticed a fairly miraculous phenomenon: These organizations that he thought did not see eye to eye and ought to be competing intensely with one another were actually being very courteous with one another—the several rounds of items that had a hundred million star coins as their starting bid successfully passed without anyone starting a bidding war.

Xia Fei expressed his suspicions to Thuram, only for the old man to chuckle, “This is but the warm up. This won’t happen once the really valuable items go up for bid.”

Xia Fei thought about it and saw the logic in this statement. Everyone was still fairly uptight, and it would take some time before all those present became familiar with the circumstances and unleashed their freneticism.

Xia Fei successfully secured Everchange for 210 million star coins, cheaper than what he had expected. Only two or three other bidders joined in the bid, but once the price went over two hundred million star coins, all of them immediately gave up on bidding.

As the auction continued, the atmosphere became even more intense. By the time Xia Fei’s second item, the ten-thousand-year-old Cloudmother appeared, it took him over five minutes of nervous bidding before he obtained it at a price of 96.5 billion star coins, almost eight times its original starting bid.

What Xia Fei found even more incredulous was the fact that his Purple Heart of Spirit, which weighed more than two kilograms, ended up going for more than a hundred billion star coins, reaching the astronomical price of 115 billion star coins.

“What a pity. The president instructed me to bid as long as the price was under a hundred billion star coins, but who knew that there would be so many people competing with me over it?” Thuram lamented, somewhat irate.

Xia Fei did not say a word. Thuram had no idea that Xia Fei was the one who had consigned that piece of Purple Heart of Spirit through the auction. He was of course elated, for he still had hundreds of tons of these stones in safekeeping, and each and every one of them was worth plenty.

…

The auction continued with great ardour. Xia Fei wanted to bid quite a few times, but he ultimately controlled himself. It was as the saying went: ‘Steel is best used on the blade.’ Though he had just come into possession of many valuable Hearts of Spirit, he could not turn these ores into cold hard cash all at one go. It was better if he put the funds he had on hand to better use.

The three energy stones that sold for a total of 120 billion star coins happened to cover the cost of Cloudmother and Everchange, which he had purchased. Quantum Holdings needed an operation fund of about 160 billion star coins, so the military’s advanced payment of a dun as well as the credit line the banks had loaned him, which amounted to two duns, were the total funds Xia Fei had at present.

…

In order to set off on this mission that would take him deep into the insectoid territory, Xia Fei would at least need to spend at least 0.5 dun on warships, equipment and the like, and if he were to include the operation fees needed by Quantum Holdings, the funds Xia Fei could use was two duns at most.

Two duns might be an astronomical sum to most people, but in the endless expanse of space, it was hardly worth anything. Just take the development plan Xia Fei intended to enact on the Terminus Star Region; he required several dozen duns in funds, maybe going up to the hundreds or even thousands.

“What will now follow are the secret auction items that everyone has been looking forward to. If I’m not mistaken, these few items will likely create a new record in the highest auctioned price ever made in the history of the carnival, for their existence is not only a miracle but also practically unparalleled!” the auctioneer excitedly declared.

The atmosphere in the hall got even more tense, as their eyes were all trained upon the stage. Everyone had their guesses, wondering just what spectacle would The Brotherhood’s Triennial Trade Carnival provide.

“Let us all now take a look at the first out of the three items that will be sold in the secret auction.”

A lady wearing a traditional long dress slowly got up on stage while holding a golden tray. There was something on top of this tray, and due to the distance everyone was from the platform, as well as the golden cloth covering the item, no one could make out just what was underneath.

The auctioneer took the cloth off and pointed to the tray. “Everyone, please listen carefully; I’m sure few of you have seen one with your two eyes!

“This is the apex weapon for fire ability type users, the Flame Carillion.”

Just as the auctioneer said his line, the intense stage lights turned on along with a captivating burst of music, illuminating everything in brilliant lights.

Xia Fei could see a maroon-colored object on the tray, its body long and narrow like a piece of deadwood.

“What is that?” Xia Fei asked.

Thuram replied, “That’s the legendary weapon said to increase the prowess of a fire type ability user by twenty percent, the Flame Carillion.”

“Twenty percent!” Xia Fei was astonished.

The pair of Zephyr combat boots he had was already top-grade equipment for increasing his speed ability by ten percent, yet the small maroon weapon was actually able to raise a special ability by twenty percent. It was simply hard to believe that such a thing existed.

Actually, there were plenty of weapons that could boost the various abilities, but few would see such a substantial bonus. After all, for bonuses higher than three percent, the price for every percentage increase did not just double but also went several dozen times.

‘Too bad this isn’t some equipment that will boost the speed ability; otherwise, I’d surely fight for it,’ Xia Fei thought to himself.

All the fire type ability users present were going crazy for this priceless Flame Carillion, the atmosphere in the hall escalating greatly.

Everyone had their eyes on this treasure, be they people who were fire type ability users themselves or people who wanted to acquire it for the purpose of making the item their family heirloom.

“The starting bid shall be at a hundred billion star coins. Is there anyone who would like to possess this unparalleled weapon, the Flame Carillion for a hundred billion star coins?”

“One hundred billion!”

“One hundred twenty!”

“One hundred fifty!”

“One hundred fifty billion star coins. This gentleman here has made a bid of one hundred fifty billion star coins. Is there anyone going higher?”

“Two hundred billion star coins.”

Xia Fei was rubbing his chin just as someone among the frenzied crowd made that bid, wondering to himself, ‘This is a rare opportunity to purchase a Flame Carillion. Should I bid for it or not?’