Writer's Note: Been busy due to coming finals and research papers, some I did already. Also had job interview so I am joining the work force! Yay......Well, I will give a brief POV of Guo Lin before continuing on with Guo Yang ---> Lance Wang's story. What would you buy at an auction? I would buy a spear, but Lance only needs metal to finish making his spear.

Chapter 23: The Auction House

-----POV of Guo Lin---------

"And so we return home," Sun Yi said in silence as the party returned to Gold Lotus City. It had taken them two and a half weeks to return home, immediately leaving when the tournament ended.

"What do I tell my parents?" Lin said as they passes the city gates. "Mei's been kidnapped and Yang is dead. Maybe Red Death got taken to be a snack for a magical beast of the kidnapper. I can't tell them. I can't do it."

"Something's wrong," Sun Yi said, the group pausing as he took out a jade talisman.

"Is that a transmission talisman?" Guan Hai asked.

"Yes. I had spies in many places. As you might have guessed, it was my spies who blockaded the bridge," Sun Yi smiled awkwardly as Guan Hai's face changed.

"It was you? Why?" Shen Dong demanded.

"You remember us killing the necromancer? Well, that's why," Sun Yi said, holding up a hand to listen to a message from the talisman. "That's strange."

"What is?" Shen Hua asked.

"A letter arrived in the mail carrier shop in the capital. It was addressed to the Guo Clan. The sender was a girl at the Meteor Vessel Stage," Sun Yi frowned. "The sender on the envelope is an eye, a sun, and a lightning bolt."

"Guo Mei!" Lin shouted, grabbing the talisman. "She escaped the kidnapper? How is she? Is she coming home?"

"Give me that!" Sun Yi snapped and took the talisman back. "The spy opened the letter. It says she won't be coming home....Holy shit! Guo Yang is alive!"

"He's alive?" the others and Guan Hai cried out, shocked.

"Impossible. We have his storage ring with all his poisons and I checked the body. It contained his spirit energy," Shen Dong shook his head.

"It is possible if you inject spirit energy into the body. The body was also burned beyond recognition," Guan Hai said.

"You're an Earth Mortal. Can't you fly there and forcibly bring her back?" Guo Lin asked.

"I cannot. The distance is too far. If she is to chase Guo Yang's kidnappers, she won't stay in the capital long. Without any clues, it's impossible. Still, she reached the Meteor Vessel Stage before you all? Even Prince Shen Dong?" Guan Hai frowned.

"It must be because she mastered her control over the Eye of Darkness. It is a powerful cultivation resource and, I presume, the reason she has a Yin Yang Divine Tattoo," Shen Qing answered, Guo Lin nodding as she looked at him.

"I don't have to tell my family now," Lin rejoiced.

"Your brother's still enslaved," Sun Yi said, Lin sighing as it was the truth.

"Can your spies follow her?" Shen Hua asked.

"No. They cannot detect her cultivation as she is at the Meteor Vessel Stage," Sun Yi shook his head. "The spy also doesn't know what she looked like. He only got the letter and is part of the group who performs safety checks on the letter for dangerous items via spirit sense. It's strange though. My spies tell me Yang's snakes were released and all left your clan's territory. That should be proof that he is dead."

"Could it happen if his cultivation is sealed?" Lu Jing asked.

"It is possible. They are not contracted to Guo Yang's soul they are not his magical beasts. However, I don't know much about magical beast taming," Guan Hai said, shaking his head.

"I hope they're alright. I better tell my family though," Lin said, going into the city with the others behind him.

-------------Back in the Capital----------------

"Good morning Lance," Mei smiled as she saw her brother at the first floor, eating chicken dumplings and a bowl of egg noodle soup. "Such a plain breakfast?"

"Nothing wrong with chicken," Lance shrugged, biting half a giant dumpling from his chopsticks before eating the second half. "You do know what we are going to do today, right?"

"The auction," Mei answered.

"Yes, and we will leave the city soon after. I've no doubt some rich snobs will send men to follow and steal from us if we buy the more expensive items. We should also buy a disguising or illusion type magical treasure to change your face. It is...inconvenient," Lance said as he attempted to find the right word.

"I don't look bad," Mei said, taking out a mirror to fix her hair.

"...whatever," Lance said silently and looked her in the eye. "We cannot afford to risk being discovered. Your face is a problem. We need it fixed. Unless....you are willing to partake of preferred alternative."

"What's that?" Mei asked, paling as he grinned evilly.

"Oh, well. It's like this. Snakes study the bone structure of our prey so as to accurately bind, constrict, and crush the prey to death with an assurance of no retaliation. Long story short: I break the bones in your face and mold it into a new shape," Lance said.

"NO!" Mei said, her voice silencing the inn. "Ah, sorry everyone. Sorry. Lance, look at what you made me do!"

"I did nothing. You asked and I answered," Lance said, Mei grumbling as she ordered her food and stabbed it violently with her chopsticks. Lance sighed and took out a white-hooded cloak and gave her a bronze mask, the mask only having slits for her nostrils, eyes, and mouth. There was no other feature on the smooth mask.

"What's this?" she asked.

"Your face, for now," Lance said. "Found it among the magical treasures of the bandits. The most useless treasure as it does nothing. Not even offering protection. The only thing magical about it is that it stretches as you open and close your mouth. That's it. I spit on the incompetent idiot who created it. It's so stupid, I nearly vomited when i found out its effect. Break it and burn it once we buy you the item we need. Such a thing makes my eyes bleed with disgust."

"Alright," Mei said, slightly offended as it would be her temporary face. An hour later, Lance and the disguised Mei appeared before the gold and black building known to be the biggest and most luxurious auction house in all the Pangu Continent. Lance had changed into a robe made of an Element Adept Black Tiger's fur. The black and orange-striped robe did not draw much attention as they were at the biggest auction house. Naturally, people were expected to have such clothing.

"Halt. We do not allow the poor to come here," a guard said as he stopped Lance and Mei.

"Oh. Really?" Lance said as used his Stone Breaker Art, his right arm turning into a giant blade which pierced through the guard's chest. Lance spat with disdain and flung the guard at the crowd behind him, snapping hsi fingers to shatter the earth blade and spread the man's blood all over the crowd and floor.

"You get in my way, and I kill you. You dare block a practitioner of the Meteor Vessel Stage? Fucking Spirit Forming, judging me by my age. Do you think I am trash, like you. Do you not have eyes? Do I look like my cultivation is not strong enough to simply kill a black tiger magical beast of the Element Adept Stage. Do I look like I need to buy this cloak? Use you spirit sense and tell me I'm wrong," Lance snarled at three guards which rushed to him.

"Meteor Vessel?" many in the crowd paled, gasping as it was true. Lance had to be a descendant of a rather powerful clan, to be at the fourth tier of cultivation at such a young age. He only looked about fifteen! Mei sighed. Lance didn't need to kill the guard, or even resort to use his earth practitioner art. He wanted a show and he enjoyed it.

"You didn't have to kill him," a guard said.

"He barred my way. I am a practitioner. In our world, the strong trample the weak. Always. A thousand years ago and a thousand years from now: the truth will never change. It has just expanded to political power, humans no longer primitive beings of intelligence. However, the power of cultivation stands above all things. That is how it was, how it is, and how it will always be," Lance said, pushing the guards aside as he walked into the building.

"For the mess of my master," Mei said, giving a hundred demon spirit coins. Guards looked at the masked female and Lance. If the slave, what they assumed Mei to be, easily gave a hundred demon spirit coins; Lance was definitely from a clan they could not afford to offend. He might be a noble's hidden child, maybe extended royalty.

"That was quite the entrance," Mei muttered as Lance entered the gates and proceeded into the giant building. "Was that necessary?"

"You obviously live in a small world. This is the largest auction house in the continent. Only the rich and powerful can be allowed entry here. Maybe people can enter the smaller auction rooms, but the main building is where only the richest and strongest can bid. We had to display our status. The sacrifice of a worthless guard with no eyes is nothing compared to the goal. Humans are wrong. Some are but a means to an end. That is their destiny and the destiny of the weak. You want to avoid this? Become powerful. Become strong. Do not trample over others. That is cowardice," Lance began.

"Face them head on and destroy them utterly. Defeat only means future battles. Destruction is the end. In the end, destruction is the way to enter the Heavens," Lance continued. "Cast aside mortal affairs. Destroy your enemies that seek to block your path. Follow in the ways of the world and learn its laws. That is true cultivation. That is what it means to be a practitioner. Remember it. I failed. That is why I am here. We are not like them, content with the Mortal Realm. Am I wrong?"

"No," Mei said. "But what you ask is hard. Very hard. Are we buying a V.I.P. Box?"

"Of course. You see, while you slept, I went shopping. I also bought a memory crystal. Within it, I inscribed some practitioner technique I know that took me a while to convert to human capacity. It is sure to get us a V.I.P. Box," Lance grinned. "It is called Violet Transformation Art. It absorbs the fire essence of the very sun and allows you to cultivate the sun's far more powerful spirit energy instead of the spirit energy around you. For fire element practitioners, such a thing is beyond priceless, worth kingdoms."

"And you're selling it?" Mei asked. "I thought you don't need money."

"I don't, but ten spirit demon coins is equivalent to one gold demon coin, the currency of the continent we are to go to. We can exchange our money, in secret, at the Adventurer's Guild. However, I am depositing them into the guild where I can withdraw the balance from any guild branch all over the world. In this way, exchanging currency is never an issue," Lance answered. "Remember, not all continents and currencies accept the same currency. In the southern continent, they love coins made of gold demon bones over spirit demon bones."

"Hello, young master. What business do you have at the Gold Song Auction House?" a man smiled.

"I am here to bid in the main auction house as well as to sell this," Lance said, handing a memory crystal. "This is a low grade memory crystal. After one use, knowledge of the practitioner art is imprinted into the mind and can no longer be used or taught as it also provides a special energy to allow the body to tolerate it."

"This will certainly raise the price. Come with me," the man smiled and the siblings followed the man into a hidden room with multiple guards in middle grade armor. It seemed that the guards were at the Meteor Vessel Stage within the auction house itself. A fat man with a short, pointed beard appeared a few minutes later to inspect the crystal.

"Senior Jiang, the assessment?" the man asked.

"This, this is extraordinary! Absolutely extraordinary. Young man, do you know what this is?" the man asked, looking at Lance with awe evident in his voice.

"Of course I know what it is. I'm the seller. However, I do not have affinity to fire. I have no use for that thing, nor does my clan," Lance said. The Guo Clan did need it, but were not at the strength to defend themselves and prevent their clansmen from being kidnapped and having the practitioner technique stolen after intense and extensive study. "I trust no one will know I am the seller? My family will be watching. They are always watching."

"Of course. Of course. Mr. Lu, this will be one of the twenty items to be sold here today. Make it number 14. Young master, please follow me to your V.I.P. booth. I assure you of the highest quality service and the highest bid possible. However, I'm sure I do not need to say that as fire element practitioners are among the most numerous, being one of the four main elements of the modern era," the man, surname Jiang, smiled warmly and gestured out the room. Mr Lu sweat heavily as he knew the consequence of selling such a crystal. Spreading news would quickly attract many people and he had to ensure its absolute secrecy. He personally seen both the young man and his slave at the Meteor Vessel Stage. His clan was certainly not one to trifle with if a slave at the Meteor Vessel Stage dare not attempt to escape.

"Follow us," Lance said, not even looking at Mei to uphold their fake status. Seeing Mr. Lu sweat, he knew the man was thinking very hard how to advertise the crystal without exposing the seller.

"Yes, master," Mei bowed her head and silently followed. She had never been to an auction house and this was suppose to be the most lavish of them all. She feared for them both as there would be many wishing to capture Lance should he buy n expensive item or expose that he sold the crystal. The auction was to be held late afternoon. As it was early morning, there was plenty of time for the news to spread throughout the city.

"Please wait here," Mr. Jiang smiled. "Servants will come with refreshments and food shortly. Rest assured, no one will be able to disturb you until the auction starts. The black screen around the box blocks all sound and view, disappearing when the auction starts."

"Thank you," Lance said as he sat down, noticing the black screen all around the V.I.P. box he was in. Like the man said, he could not see the other side or hear anything. "Here is also a deposit of one hundred million demon spirit coins. I believe a guarantee deposit is required, right?"

"Of course. Young master is most wise and experienced. The servants will arrive around noon to deliver your lunch in a few hours. Thank you for coming to the Gold Song Auction," Mr. Jiang smiled and bowed low.

"Lance!" Mei said as the man closed the door as he left.

"What?" Lance asked, confused. "Something wrong?"

"This auction will definitely be visited by the crown prince. He is a pervert and slaves are sure to be sold here, those deemed of high quality," Mei said.

"How is that my problem? Don't tell me, you want me to save every person who is to be bought as a slave?" Lance asked.

"No. What I'm saying, why don't we kill the crown prince?" Mei asked, stunning Lance.

"Aren't you the one who told me to be a better person? Now, you want me to do exactly what the old me wanted to do? You're sending me mixed message here," Lance said.

"Our clan is under Shen Dong's banner. We are better off with the crown prince dead," Mei replied.

"And how the hell do we expect us to do that?" Lance asked.

"I don't know. You're the one with the schemes," Mei retorted, Lance sighing as he shook his head.

"Leave the thinking to me. Just sit there and wait for lunch," Lance said and stroked his chin. "It was true that the Guo Clan was under Shen Dong's banner, but his little brother was in love with Shen Qing. He would be a good brother by killing Shen Dong later and making Guo Lin the new emperor, right? It was the so-called filial piety if he elevated the status of his clan, right? He read it in a book somewhere. It must be so.

He spent three hours devising a plan as well as escape routes outside the city should the greedy people in the auction prove too difficult to kill and render him unable to kill the crown prince.

"It shouldn't be evil if I do it for family and not myself, right?" Lance muttered, but Mei did not hear him as servants arrived with lunch.

-----------------------

Writer: Finals this week and I start my new job soon. My last final is on the 10th so next release might be the 11th. Just a head's up.