Chapter 246: All-Out Competition

Wu Tie looked at Grey Master.

He still looked small and frail, but the divine light in his eyes was deeper and more lively than before.

Wisdom is the greatest power.

Wu Tie always remembered what he had said.

The decadent youths in the hall shouted loudly—some laughing, some cursing, some clapping, some stomping their feet.

But none of them were interested in Grey Master.

A grey wolf-man who had read a few books, small and weak, old and powerless, with little cultivation—such a worthless old thing, you couldn't even light a fire with it in a stove pit; who would spend money to buy him?

Wu Tie glanced around, memorizing each of those decadents' faces in his heart.

Those guys were like dry bones in a grave; actually, they weren't worth holding a grudge against.

Wu Tie felt a fire in his heart, the evil fire aimed at the Twelve Heavenly Palaces, aimed at Xuan Zhu, aimed at Xuan Zhu's foster father, Hua Yan.

Grey Master's starting bid was just one gold coin?

Undoubtedly, someone was deliberately humiliating Grey Master, deliberately provoking those who might bid on him to anger.

Amid the chaos, Mu Tu raised her right hand high: "A bunch of idiots, you don't understand the value of a wise man... Hua Guang understands, so he left Triple Linked City; I understand too, so I want to buy him back."

"Grey Master, I've long heard of your fame; some of what you said to Hua Guang has reached my ears. I have admired you for a long time, but Hua Guang keeps you tightly guarded, so I never got the chance."

"This time, you are mine. No one, don't even think, can take you away."

Mu Tu stood up, word by word, looking solemnly and seriously at Grey Master as she spoke slowly.

The decadents in the hall turned their heads one by one to look at Mu Tu, unable to comprehend how this old, frail, weak wolf-man could have such high value.

That deviant, famous in Triple Linked City for his cleanliness obsession, the monster Hua Guang, valued him so highly.

Even Mu Tu, the biggest troublemaker in Triple Linked City, actually valued him so highly?

Should I also chip in some money to buy this old fellow back?

Anyway, the starting bid is just one gold coin.

A young man with dark circles under his eyes, looking extremely listless, hesitantly raised his hand: "Just one gold coin... too lazy to pick up if it fell on the ground... I bid, one gold coin?"

Mu Tu gave him a cold, slow look and said calmly: "Ten gold coins."

Silence fell in the hall; in a corner, a man in his thirties raised his right hand: "I don't know what use this old fellow has, but I trust Lord Hua Guang's judgment. One thousand gold coins—perhaps this old fellow could bring me a surprise?"

Mu Tu turned her gaze to that man, nodded slowly: "Good, someone with a bit of brains. But Grey Master is the one I have my eye on—ten thousand gold coins."

The starting bid was just one gold coin; not long after, Mu Tu raised the price to ten thousand gold coins.

As for the handsome men and women auctioned earlier, not to mention, how much are those elite warriors worth?

These decadent sons of Triple Linked City really have little ability, and their vision isn't high enough to grasp Grey Master's true value and meaning.

But as previously stated.

These decadent sons harbor great desire.

They instinctively want to invade and seize everything beautiful and valuable; they are like beasts instinctively sprouting, instinctively staking out territory, seizing more resources and wealth.

A leaf fallen on the ground—they wouldn't even glance at it.

But if someone of equal or even higher status appeared, they would eagerly rush to pick up that leaf.

Undoubtedly, they would also pounce on it, competing with others, fighting over it. What if it's something good? If they don't grab it, wouldn't they be losing out?

Anyway, it's just a few gold coins.

They could spend millions of gold coins on some beauties and handsome men; for the direct lineages of the great families of Triple Linked City, gold coins are actually something dispensable.

Thus people kept raising their hands: eleven thousand gold coins, thirteen thousand, eighteen thousand, twenty-three thousand...

Thirty thousand... fifty thousand... one hundred thousand...

Mu Tu kept raising her hand, continuously offering new bids, pressing down the competitors' offers.

The more she did this, the more people joined in the continuous bidding.

If it were before, if it were before the Great Snake Yi and the twenty thousand elite Bodhi Clan were utterly destroyed, Mu Tu, if she wanted to buy something at the auction, hardly anyone would dare to compete with her; at most, only three or five competitors of similar status, ability, and means would dare to do so.

But after the Bodhi Clan's twenty-thousand expeditionary force was completely wiped out, Mu Tu's status and position are far inferior to what they once were.

Even some descendants of vassal families of the Bodhi Clan have begun raising their hands and continuously bidding.

Everyone believes Mu Tu's judgment is infallible.

Even if Mu Tu misjudged a person, there's still Hua Guang there to back her up.

Although Hua Guang seems out of place in Triple Linked City, no one doubts his capability.

Two hundred thousand... three hundred thousand... five hundred thousand...

Mu Tu raised her hand again and again, but more and more competitors kept joining, and these new competitors have become the true core direct lineages of the Twelve Executive Families.

They would glance at Grey Master from time to time, and at the stern-faced Mu Tu from time to time.

Everyone felt that Grey Master must have some major connections; otherwise, a wolf-man... no matter what, a bid of five hundred thousand gold coins for a wolf-man is simply excessive.

Especially since this wolf-man has little cultivation and is pitifully weak.

Six hundred thousand... eight hundred thousand... one million...

When Mu Tu announced her new bid of one million gold coins without changing her expression, Xuan Zhu's laughter suddenly echoed throughout the hall: "Oh, Miss Mu Tu, you're trying so hard to buy this grey wolf-man—are you truly interested in his wisdom, or is it for some other reason?"

Xuan Zhu's eyes shifted, she threw a flirtatious glance at Mu Tu: "Surely it's not that you've taken a liking to... him?"

Mu Tu turned her head, gave Xuan Zhu a cold stare, and spat out two words coldly: "Scum!"

The hall fell dead silent.

Everyone looked at Mu Tu and Xuan Zhu with strange smiles.

It's not surprising that Mu Tu could openly utter such words in public.

But when Xuan Zhu suffered Mu Tu's rebuke in public, she merely twitched the corner of her mouth, then continued to beam at Mu Tu, throwing another flirtatious glance: "Surely it's not that I've exposed your true inner thoughts?"

"Miss Mu Tu truly has an odd appetite... hehe, first a big snake, then an old wolf-man..."

Xuan Zhu smugly raised their eyebrows.

She didn't care about being scolded in public.

Mu Xu coldly stared at Xuan Zhu, saying word by word: "If you keep spouting nonsense, you won't even make it out of Triple Link City."

Xuan Zhu let out an "Ah!" deliberately feigning surprise, lightly patting her chest with her right hand, she threw a flirtatious glance at Feng Ming: "Young Master Feng Ming, she's threatening me, she wants to... kill me."

Feng Ming let out a cold snort, stood up, extended his right hand, and made a domineering gesture: "One million one hundred thousand gold coins... How strange, I've also taken an interest in this old man."

With a strange laugh, Feng Ming said indifferently: "Even if his brains are useless, his gray skin peeled off to make boots would still be enough."

Long Xiang also couldn't wait to stand up, he glanced at Mu Xu and loudly said: "One million two hundred thousand gold coins—if everyone's interested, let's have some fun. Hmm, perhaps this old guy's worth is comparable to twenty thousand elite troops?"

Feng Ming and Long Xiang laughed together.

The members of the Phoenix Clan and the Heavenly Dragon Clan also laughed.

Then the people of the various big and small families attached to them also burst into laughter.

The venue was filled with laughter; except for the Bodhi Clan members, who remained silent and embarrassed, everyone else was laughing.

The Grey Master's auction price shot up in an extremely unreasonable manner.

One million three hundred thousand... one million five hundred thousand... one million eight hundred thousand... two million...

Three million... four million... five million...

Xuan Zhu pursed her lips and smiled, she rose to her feet, standing beside Feng Ming and Long Xiang, her rosy lips slightly moving as she whispered and laughed with the two. She subtly twisted her waist, wave after wave of strange magical undulations continuously spreading outward.

In the entire hall, the vast majority of people, regardless of gender or age, found their emotions inexplicably becoming exalted.

In Xuan Zhu's pupils, two points of pink, hazy light flickered; faintly visible were two twisted, sinister pink runes constantly appearing and disappearing deep within her pupils.

Xuan Zhu exerted herself to channel this strange power; gradually, her hair strands were faintly veiled with a layer of hazy pink light.

Wu Tie looked at Xuan Zhu, his heart filled with astonishment.

Xuan Zhu had once borrowed the power of a heavenly artifact.

But that heavenly artifact's power was biting Cold Qi, its power a deep blue cold light.

At this moment, the power filling Xuan Zhu's body was clearly not the same as that of the heavenly artifact that exuded biting Cold Qi; moreover, this power was entirely different from the magical attribute she herself possessed and had previously displayed.

This is... a second heavenly artifact?

Is Xuan Zhu borrowing the power of a second heavenly artifact?

And this second heavenly artifact seems to be filled with terrifying charm power.

Especially in this chaotic, turbid hall, the influence of this heavenly artifact grows even stronger; with just a trifling amount of power, Xuan Zhu can affect the thoughts of the vast majority of those present.

Their hearts become utterly chaotic.

Their blood flow also speeds up.

They occasionally glance back at Xuan Zhu, their eyes fervent and hazy, like devout believers gazing upon the deity they worship.

Xuan Zhu let out a "heehee" laugh, her charm enveloping the entire hall; she drew a blissful deep breath, and wafts of faint fragrance drifted with her breath, making the atmosphere ever more frenzied and chaotic.

"Miss Mu Xu, can you still keep bidding?" Xuan Zhu squinted her eyes and smiled at Mu Xu: "I'm really curious—what on earth are you spending such a huge price for... to bid on this old man?"

"Wisdom? Heh, is wisdom worth that many gold coins?"

Mu Xu ignored Xuan Zhu, she raised her right hand high and announced a new, startling bid: "Ten million gold coins."

However, Mu Xu's bid was quickly drowned out by the rising and falling shouts of bids; countless people called out higher prices, and Feng Ming and Long Xiang, eyes bloodshot, roared loudly, respectively shouting bids of twelve million and thirteen million.

Mu Xu's face turned extremely grim.

Xuan Zhu laughed, she looked at Mu Xu and softly said: "Have you reached your limit?"

Mu Xu remained silent.

Wu Tie took a deep breath, he looked at Mu Xu with some worry.

If Mu Xu cannot acquire the Grey Master through ordinary means... if she must resort to violence, then Triple Link City, with its terrifying foundations, might see Wu Tie and the Grey Master come to grief here.

Wu Tie cursed Xuan Zhu in his heart.

This woman, how did she get involved with Hua Yan?

How did the current head of a twelve-executive-family clan get entangled with her?

Wu Tie's face looked a bit unsightly; he glanced at Jin Mancang and gave him a look.

Jin Mancang nodded slowly; Feng Hua, already under his soul‑control technique, stood up, greeted Wu Tie and Jin Mancang with a cheerful laugh, and led them out of the Phoenix Clan's private room, through the outer corridor and stairs, to the antechamber of the upper floor where Mu Xu's private room was located.

Wu Tie handed a bracelet to Jin Mancang, the bracelet containing all of Wu Tie's valuable possessions.

Jin Mancang passed the bracelet to Feng Hua, his lips twitching slightly.

Feng Hua strode into the private room with the bracelet, came to Mu Xu's side, and handed the bracelet to her.

"Miss Mu Xu, I am Feng Hua of the Phoenix Clan; I have long admired you... If you want this old werewolf but are short on funds, I happen to have plenty of valuables."

Mu Xu stared blankly, she gave Feng Hua a deep look, then took the bracelet and glanced at it.

The bracelet held a mountain of various valuables.

Mu Xu nodded, then softly said: "In that case, fifteen million gold coins..."

She turned her head and gave Xuan Zhu, whose face had suddenly turned grim, a faint smile: "Now it's your turn."

Xuan Zhu's face was covered with frost.

She wasn't angry that Mu Xu kept bidding; she was angry that Feng Hua could actually break free of her charm's influence and even help Mu Xu bid on the Grey Master.

Feng Ming glared at Feng Hua with fury, he shouted sternly: "Feng Hua... excellent, excellent, biting the hand that feeds you, you've done well."

Feng Hua gave a slight smile, his gaze a bit vacant, then suddenly made an extremely crude and lewd gesture toward Feng Ming: "Who do you think you are? If it weren't for the eldest brother's disappearance, you'd think you were something?"

Feng Ming nearly fainted from anger at Feng Hua's gesture.

Long Xiang, meanwhile, laughed "hahaha", raised his right hand again, and called out an even higher bid.

Bid after bid kept appearing.

The others could no longer compete; only Feng Ming and Long Xiang, who stood closest to Xuan Zhu and were most affected, were still hysterically bidding against Mu Xu.

Xuan Zhu looked at Mu Xu thoughtfully.

She muttered softly: "Perhaps, you didn't take a liking to his wisdom, mortal……hehe, you think you can hide it from me?"

Finally, when Mu Xu shouted out twenty-three million seven hundred fifty thousand gold coins, Feng Ming and Long Xiang also lacked the strength to continue competing.