Chapter 103: The Spendthrift Brat

Amid his melancholy, Li Luo also cast his gaze toward the bidder's box, and then he saw a blue-haired youth turn his head at that very moment, flashing him a gentle smile.

Yet within that smile, Li Luo saw nothing but pure malice.

Li Luo glanced at him and asked, "Who is that?"

Clearly, he was asking Lv Qing'er beside him.

Lv Qing'er's willow brows knit slightly. She hesitated a moment, then said, "That's the young master of Duze Manor, Duze Duze Beixuan."

"Li Luo, he's coming after you. He's probably deliberately driving up the price to disgust you."

"So that's the famous Duze Duze Beixuan?"

Li Luo was a little surprised. He sized up the blue-haired youth, then let out a breath of relief and said, "In the looks department, the young master of House Luolan Manor absolutely crushes the young master of Duze Manor. You could call this a triumphant opening victory."

The brat beside him rolled his eyes. Between two great manors, were they really supposed to compete on looks?

But Lv Qing'er didn't laugh, because she understood Li Luo. His joking at this moment meant he had already taken note of this Duze Duze Beixuan.

Li Luo stared at Duze Duze Beixuan for a few breaths, then raised his paddle: "Twenty-six thousand."

Duze Duze Beixuan chuckled lightly and immediately raised his paddle: "Thirty thousand."

And when the price climbed to thirty thousand, a slight stir rippled through the hall. Some people clearly recognized Duze Duze Beixuan: "That's the young master of Duze Manor, Duze Duze Beixuan!"

"Whose price is he driving up?"

"The other one looks rather unfamiliar..."

"That's the young master of House Luolan Manor, Li Luo, right? That face is way too easy to recognize, heh. No wonder Duze Duze Beixuan is driving up the price — turns out he's run into a rival."

"Haha, I heard that as soon as this young master of House Luolan Manor arrived in Daxia City, Duze Manor poached away the chief president of Xiyang House, giving this young master a slap in the face right off the bat..."

"Now that the two of them have run into each other here, some sparks are bound to fly."

The stir in the hall continued. Many people watched with great interest. Duze Manor and House Luolan Manor had always been locked in fierce rivalry, and now that the two young masters had crossed paths here, there would certainly be no shortage of entertainment.

Lv Qing'er's willow brows drew tight. For a ten-thousand-measure rare material, the price had already climbed to thirty thousand, which was quite high. Four portions would come to one hundred and twenty thousand — no small sum.

Li Luo's expression remained fairly calm. He had no intention of speaking with Duze Duze Beixuan, and simply raised his paddle again: "Thirty-two thousand."

Duze Duze Beixuan raised his paddle with a smile: "Thirty-five thousand."

"Thirty-seven thousand."

"Forty thousand."

When Duze Duze Beixuan pushed the price to forty thousand, everyone clicked their tongues. This young master of Duze Manor really was rolling in money — over a hundred thousand gold and he didn't even bat an eye.

At that price, Li Luo merely smiled and, from a distance, gave Duze Duze Beixuan a thumbs-up.

Then he decided to stop bidding. That price was too high; letting spite drive him on would clearly be foolish.

"This Li Luo, he's actually being quite sensible." Ning Zhao chuckled as he spoke to Duze Duze Beixuan. He had originally thought that under such provocation, the young master of House Luolan Manor wouldn't be able to swallow this insult.

Duze Duze Beixuan smiled and nodded: "A bit harder to deal with than I expected. Spending over a hundred thousand to buy four portions of ten-thousand-measure rare material — I'm probably going to get scolded again when I get back."

Though he spoke those words, his expression showed no real concern.

After all, Duze Manor had been thriving these past years, its financial resources naturally formidable, while House Luolan Manor was on the decline. How could that Li Luo possibly compete with him?

"Forty-three thousand!"

Just as Duze Duze Beixuan was thinking this, a childish voice suddenly rang out in the hall.

A wave of exclamations rose up. Numerous gazes followed the sound, and they saw the little boy beside Li Luo raise his paddle, his small face brimming with excitement.

Li Luo was also taken aback for a moment. He looked at the little boy and said with a touch of admiration in his eyes, "Which family's spendthrift brat are you?"

The little boy said indignantly, "You're the spendthrift brat."

Duze Duze Beixuan's gaze was also fixed on the little boy beside Li Luo. He frowned slightly and said to Ning Zhao, "Who is that?"

Ning Zhao shook his head. "Don't recognize him. But he seems pretty close to Li Luo. Is he planning to find a kid to play with you?"

Duze Duze Beixuan smiled, a mocking glint in his eyes, and called out toward Li Luo's side: "This Li Luo, he's got some ideas."

Then he raised his paddle again: "Forty-five thousand."

The little boy also noticed Duze Duze Beixuan's gaze turning this way and asked, "What is he saying?"

Li Luo stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and said, "He said the brat should go home and drink milk."

The little boy froze for a beat, then flew into a rage and immediately raised his paddle: "Fifty thousand!"

The entire hall fell silent. Strange looks were cast at the furious little boy. Fifty thousand gold — four portions of ten-thousand-measure rare material came to two hundred thousand gold. What a lavish move.

Even Duze Duze Beixuan was shaken for a moment. His gaze flickered slightly, then he smiled and withdrew all his paddles — he was planning to back off.

Spending two hundred thousand on four portions of material — although he didn't care much about the money, he had no desire to be a needless sucker.

Since someone was willing to take the bait, he might as well let them have it. His goal of disgusting Li Luo had already been achieved.

Thus, the four portions of material were successfully won by the little boy. The hall buzzed with excitement, and even the subsequent auctions lost their flavor, eventually ending in something of an anticlimax.

Li Luo, meanwhile, looked at the little boy beside him, who was still reveling in his first-ever auction, and asked with concern, "Are you going to get a beating when you get home?"

The little boy shook his head: "Nope."

Li Luo was rendered speechless. Just how wealthy was this family?

"But I didn't bring that much money." The little boy showed an innocent smile, his big eyes looking at Li Luo. "Can you lend me some?"

Li Luo declined with great earnestness: "Little friend, you're still too young, so sometimes getting a good beating would actually be good for you."

While they were speaking, Duze Duze Beixuan was also seen strolling over leisurely, flashing Li Luo a gentle smile: "Li Luo, I've finally met you at last."

Li Luo carefully examined the Duze Duze Beixuan before him — a head of blue hair tied into a blue braid at the back, looks fairly proper, though his bearing carried a slightly feminine air.

"Hello."

Li Luo nodded and said amiably, "I heard your father was defeated by my father eighteen times back in the day?"

Duze Duze Beixuan's eyes narrowed slightly. He smiled and said, "Young Master Li Luo, wallowing in past glories only makes one look weak. Take a good look at the present. A year from now, House Luolan Manor might even have to change its name."

"Besides, what's eighteen defeats? At the Shengxuan Star Academy, you might experience ten times that number."

"Is that a threat?" Li Luo said.

"I suppose so..."

Duze Duze Beixuan smiled and said, then turned his gaze to the little boy beside him, saying, "Li Luo, you are quite clever. To avoid the reputation of being a fool, you even knew to find a child to act as a proxy."

"However, this still requires payment."

He tilted his head slightly and saw Ning Zhao walking over quickly with a person in charge of the auction house.

Behind that auction house official, someone was holding the four batches of materials the little boy had just purchased, then smiled warmly at the little boy: "This young honored guest, please settle the payment."

The little boy blinked, took out two ten-thousand gold dragon notes from his bosom, and said, "This is all I have on me."

The auction house official's smile froze, and he said bitterly, "Young honored guest, do not play with me."

Duze Duze Beixuan, standing nearby, smiled and said, "Li Luo, playing these tricks shows a lack of grace; hurry up and pay the money."

The little boy frowned and said, "I am the one who bid; what does he have to do with it? If not, wait a moment, I will send someone to fetch the money."

Lu Qing'er spoke up at this moment, saying, "Li Luo and this young honored guest indeed do not know each other."

Ning Zhao smiled, seeming somewhat helpless, and said, "Qing'er, someone previously saw him enter with Li Luo, and the way they spoke does not look like strangers."

Lu Qing'er said calmly, "According to the auction house rules, people under ten years old do not have auction tokens, yet he was able to bid; is this not an error by the auction house?"

The auction house official was stunned, then broke into a cold sweat all over his head.

"Therefore, since there are many problems with this auction, I suggest it be declared invalid, the materials be taken back, and the auction continue tomorrow," Lu Qing'er said.

Duze Duze Beixuan frowned and said, "Miss Qing'er, are you not being too biased in their favor?"

How could such a thing be done over again? The momentum would be different the next day; who would be so idle and bored?

Ning Zhao also said with difficulty, "Qing'er, this does not quite fit the rules."

"The rules were broken in the first place due to the auction house's error," Lu Qing'er said coldly.

As the two sides argued in a tangle at this moment, Duze Duze Beixuan reached out to grab the little boy, smiling and saying, "It seems that if today's matter does not reach a conclusion, none of you shall leave."

Seeing this, Li Luo's eyebrows immediately furrowed, and he was about to act to block him.

However, just as his hand extended, another hand reached out from behind faster than him, directly grabbing Duze Duze Beixuan's extended wrist firmly like an eagle's claw.

"Who?!" Duze Duze Beixuan's face darkened.

He raised his head and saw a lean man with a pale face and no beard standing behind the little boy at some unknown time; he stared at Duze Duze Beixuan without expression, his eyes possessing a chilling coldness that made one's heart tremble.

"Speak if you wish to speak... but laying hands on others, did the Lord of the Duze Manor not teach you the rules?"