Chapter 16, Auction

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Zhou Huan removed carving knife and started dissecting all the wolves around him. In his eyes gleamed in greed. Removing all the beast cores, pelts, teethes, blood vials and claws. Placing all the materials inside a large trunk along with his spear and shield.

Huan exhaled out a sigh of relief as he started treating his wounds.

This past week was eventful for him. With the help of the foundation scroll, his strength dramatically rose. Not to mention his speed which was greatly raised too. He felt like a complete different person.

Counting the amount of metal wolf cores which were at the first stage, he couldn't help but laugh happily. Those cores were almost as rare as the thunder sheep core back then. Thought not true...

'Because of her, maybe my goal wouldn't remain as a dream but become a reality. Just you wait.... my brothers and sisters... I'm returning.' Thought Huan as he dragged the trunk while heading his way back to the town. Laughing his way there.

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Tomorrow, morning, in the inn

Tengfei currently was sleeping on Huan's bed since he's not here. As he awoke, he could feel and see a weird miasma of darkness trickling around the room.

The princess was sitting in lotus position as she was concentrating. Her master was telling her, 'Keep on going, feel the shadows around you and grasp them for yourself.'

Around her, the dark mist started twirling in a spiral inside her center. 'Yes, let it all enter in you and don't stop.'

The moving spiral condensed and went inside her entirely. She then entered her dantian domain to find black ink liquid start filling up the once wind affinity pond and it seemed to change the outer appearance of it.

Normally all you could see was a dried-up pond which was her wind cultivation center. Now it has changed... At least half of it being surrounded by black corrals, black plants, stones of ebony and reeds of red.

She was surprised before hearing her master, 'You have succeeded in replacing your old mana pool. Now cultivate in it and harness the foundation of pure darkness!'

Lihua did what her master told her to do. She was now currently in the pond sitting and allowing the surrounding ink like liquid engulf her.

Some time passed, and eventually her consciousness subsided.

She awoke to find herself sweating on the bead as her body felt limp. Lihua's master then spoke to her,'Rest now, you passed in making the affinity yours.'

Hearing that, she closed her eyes as she continues hearing, 'Though your wind cultivation or more precisely, your wind affinity has been sealed, it doesn't mean you can't bend the will of heavens. Even I'm curious as to what would happen if they mixed...'

Lihua thought also as to what happens if she can wield both darkness and wind. Will they oppose or complement each other.

'Right now, you're too weak. Even if I forced you to look for the first material I need... you'll just ended up getting stepped on.' Her master then sighed before contunuing, 'Even if you finish your foundation... it'll take something... really hard, in order to unleash it.'

The princess was puzzled from her master's words but didn't ponder into it that much before drowsing off.

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The Market

Zhou Huan was currently inside an auction palace deep in the dark side of the town. He met with this middle-aged man who would sell his stuff. Though they would take 10% of the share.

Handing out the beast cores, caused the middle-aged man to be shocked before asking, "Your very young and can manage to slay this amount of creatures? I can hardly believe it."

Huan shook his head while having a nasty grin before he replies back, "I'm quite powerful you know? I might not look like it but... I'm actually a REALLY great warrior!"

He then raised his chest before laughing. The middle-aged man sneered before saying, "Five Infant Iron hide Wolf cores being at stage 1; thirteen diheaded sheep cores, first stage; three Ebony stalking crocodile cores, second stage; six mutated drake fish cores first stage and is that all sir?"

Huan nodded as a response. The man then bowed before saying, "Please enter the hall, your items will be auctioned momentarily. Also bidding with copper is not permitted."

Just like what he said, Huan complied to it. Entering the large place that resembled a circular cinema room. In the center, there's a table with a lady beside it. It seems that she's the one who would tell out the items which were about to be sold.

Huan sat down beside a person before patiently waiting. Though to his surprise the person beside him, whispered into his ears, "We have met again."

Turning around with a cold and indifferent manner. Zhou Huan looked to find Li Meixiu beside him. He almost screamed but held it before replying back coldly, "It has been a while... if I recall your name was... Li Meiming?"

The lady knitted her eyebrows before calmly replying back, "Li Meixiu you mean."

He remained silent for a while before asking, "What are you doing in place like this?"

"You stole my question. As for your answer, I'm looking to see if they would share a good secret technique for the Lightning element." The lady Meixiu said before crossing her legs.

Huan nodded before replying, "Hmm, well I'm just seeing if my items would get sold."

One of her eye brow was raised when she surveyed him again after a while. The lady then tells him, "It seems you're almost done with the foundation. Quite fast for someone not belonging to a sect, though still average." She then sees his arm that grew in size before continuing, "Also, your aura grew more wild while having a physique better than before."

Zhou Huan moved to one seat away from her before replying back, "Do you always have to speak about me? It's really off-putting." While showing an unpleasant look on his face. In reality he's making a gamble whether he would gain benefits from this move or not...

Meixiu was surprised by his action before reflecting as to what she did. Her eyes closed before telling him, "My fault, it's just a bad habit of mine."

Huan was hoping for her to show some expression but was instead disappointed. 'This lady is really playing hard to get. Having voided everything that makes a girl lovable and instead became a pestering doll.' He thought.

Huan sighed before replying back to her, "I may have just overreacted. I still never repaid you for saving me back then."

The lady's golden eyes swept on him before she replied, "That pill was not so expensive so don't worry about it." She then looked at the pretty auction lady on the center before continuing, "Unless you are generous enough to get me something from this auction. That is if you are man who treats a beautiful lady well."

He narrowed his eyes towards her before replying back, "Fine, though don't be too narcistic in front of me."

Before the auction started, a large man stood up. Broad shoulder, physically well built, thick moustache, freakishly tall, and mighty presence. That large giant man yelled to the pretty auction lady below, "Beautiful fair maiden! Please marry my son and become his third wife! I will treat you well, give lots of gifts and you won't ever regret it."

The petite auction lady wearing a red flow patterned dress coughed a bit before replying back, "I'm a man you know?"

This sentence silenced the whole auction palace.

The bear like man trembled in place before quietly saying, "I... Gao Kang, in my entire life never ridiculed myself to this extent. Please everyone forget about what I said before and continue on." He then sat down while having a pale embarassed face.

Zhou Huan couldn't help but smile to what happened and try contain his laughter. Though he didn't know that Li Meixiu was observing him. That smile caused Meixiu to question about his personality. She then thought, 'He's definitely faking his personality. Trying to look indifferent in front of someone like me. I've seen your types before.'

The young man moved closer to her before saying, "Your thinking about my smile and personality, aren't you?"

Her gold eyes quivered as she unintentionally let out a quiet gasp with a scared expression.

Huan watched which made him grin before he looked away.

Li Meixiu adjusted her clothing before telling herself, 'This man is dangerous!'

The pretty auction lady... I mean man, told everyone him after a giggle, "Please pay attention now, as I'm going to represent the items one by one."

He removed the cover of an item to reveal a large sword with a profound presence emitting from it. Hilt of coiled silver, pummel of a dragon's head, guard made of a black sort of metal and blade shining with radiance.

"This blade has been imbued with the power of a 'peak' stage two younger wyvern! Not only having sharpness that can slash through enforced iron but also able to empower anyone who cultivates in fire!"

The pretty man looked around before ending his words with, "The starting bid is 2 gold coins!"

Suddenly lots of people started bidding.

"3 gold coins!" "5 gold coins!" "6 gold coins and 5 silver!" "8 gold coins!"

Though everyone stopped when the bear like man yelled out, "11 gold coins!" Before folding his arms in proudness.

Everyone stopped bidding after him. Though there was this young rich man who was about to bid 20 gold but stopped due to pity form the recent event. Eventually the man called Gao Kang won that bid.

The next cover he removed showed a red face mask. Decorated with strange runes and eye holes that looked creepy.

"This mask allows the wearer to see in the dark! Also allowing to find any hiding beast around him! Some say it is a beast core detector! Though it only works on stage 1 - 4 beasts!" He paused for a bit before ending with "The starting bid is 2 gold!"

For a while no one actually bided on it, until Huan raised his arm and say out loud coldly. "3 gold."

A young rich man waving a gold trimmed fan on him then yelled out "5 gold!" Though he doesn't want the item. He just likes bragging his richness and will never lose a bidding contest.

"6 gold." Huan yelled.

"7 gold." The rich man yelled.

Huan sighed before he stopped. He then looked at the rich man with a mocking laugh.

The rich man paled when he saw the opposing bider's face. As if he purposely wanted him to waste his money on a thrash item. He desperately looked around to see if someone could bid more than him to no avail.

Huan gave 7 gold and 1 silver to Li Meixiu before telling her, "Can you bid for it and use this money?"

She looked at him before asking coldly, "Say please." It seems like the lady is still upset from what Huan did to her. She wants to pay him back.

Huan swore before he did what she asked.

With pleased looking eyes, she raised her hand before saying out, "7 gold and 1 silver!"

Her bid caused the rich young man to be happy and felt relief. He then looked at the beautiful lady before thinking, 'Thank you for being so stupid! Hahah.'

No one bided after her and so she won the item. Though remember, it's for Huan.

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