Chapter 437: Escaping Individually After the Show Ends

It was only after a long time that Zhou You learned the auction house he had attended had a peculiar name... Buguo Wu.

Buguo Wu Auction House derived its name from its unique rule: each auction featured no more than 5 items.

Don't let the small number of items fool you; every single one was a premium (contraband) good.

Guests invited to the auction house were never dissatisfied; they only regretted not bringing enough money.

The host for each auction was never the same person; last time it was a beautiful woman, next time it might be a dwarf, and the time after that, perhaps an old crone.

However, every host was a Strong Martial Artist, without exception.

Selling contraband that could not see the light of day, and backed by Strong Martial Artists of incalculable power, Buguo Wu Auction House, though known to few in the Dixa Guishi of Chongguang Cheng, had a particularly formidable reputation.

No wonder they were fearless, even killing the descendants of noble families without hesitation.

"Stop! No living creature in this area, whether person, beast, or corpse, is allowed to leave."

"The Xi family is clearing the area to capture the murderer of our clansman. Comply obediently; those who resist will be killed without exception."

The murderous words echoed all around, interspersed with a few short, sharp screams.

Before even stepping out of the karst cave, one could hear the wind howling, a scene filled with hidden killing intent.

"The auction house shielded the outside world earlier so as not to disturb the proceedings, but after the event ended and the shield was lifted, the Xi family learned that 'Monarch' Xi Junzi had been killed and immediately came to retaliate."

"Everyone, find your own way to survive; be careful not to become collateral damage."

The dwarf had already left with their subordinates, leaving the guests behind to become targets.

Zhou You, alerted by the woman beside him, leaned against a stone stalagmite behind him without a word.

Activating Stealth, his muscles and bones became soft, and he spiraled around the stalagmite, slipping into a blind spot in the blink of an eye and vanishing without a trace.

The beauty next to him saw this and her eyelids twitched twice before she broke into a run toward the exit.

The experts sent by the Xi family had not yet formed a perimeter; charging out now offered the best chance, and everyone had to rely on their own skills to escape.

Thud! The terrain outside the karst cave was complex, and a figure descended from the sky, catching the Gate Guests of the Xi family off guard.

The auction house guests hidden in the crowd could not help but strike, tearing an opening in the encirclement.

The leader was the old man who had bid on the palm technique; his eyes were bloodshot, and his arms radiated a scorching current, causing the surrounding air to twist and steam like a furnace.

The Gate Guests struck by his palms had their clothes and hair ignite instantly.

His palms and fingers sliced through the air, carrying blue-white flames of Qi; with vision distorted by the high heat, it was difficult to track his exact position.

The old man laughed heartily, crushed a Xi family Gate Guest who was an Intermediate Martial Master to death with one hand, and broke through the defensive line to make his escape.

The woman next to Zhou You was no simple person either; she walked through the chaotic situation as if strolling in a garden, her figure swaying like a flower.

She had only taken a few steps when several Xi family Gate Guests jumped out to block her path. "Stop."

The woman smiled and struck out with a light, airy palm, devoid of any force, looking like nothing more than flowery, superficial moves.

Yet, wherever the palm wind reached, the Xi family Gate Guests closed their eyes and fell to the ground on the spot, voluntarily clearing a path for her.

Everyone attending the auction was surprisingly not simple, each displaying their own unique skills.

In an instant, more than half had already escaped.

Such a chaotic battle scene was perfect for Zhou You's Stealth; he leaped and spiraled around the stalagmites, using the complex terrain to avoid the fighting, and before he knew it, he had broken through to the outer perimeter.

"The Strong Martial Artists of the Xi family have arrived; this time they are serious."

After several Gate Guests entered the karst cave, they carried out a corpse that had been burned down to its shell; the sight was terrifying.

By taking such ruthless action this time, Buguo Wu Auction House had forged a Sea of Blood feud with the Xi family that could never be washed away.

Zhou You bypassed a stone pillar connecting the ceiling to the floor and saw the reinforcements the Xi family Gate Guests had been waiting for arrive.

A gale roared in, rolling forward with dust as turbid as waves, descending in an instant like a giant python slithering through a tunnel. Just at this moment, several guests had just broken through the encirclement when the gale suddenly struck them.

"Strong Martial Artist!"

The gale tore like a curtain, and a massive figure burst out, feet stomping on the ground, head pressing against the cave ceiling above.

The Xi family Strong Martial Artist tilted his head slightly, his left ear instantly swelling, covering the guests like a dark cloud.

He shook his head and flicked his ear, and the few people tumbled from mid-air to his feet, where they were tied up tightly by the Xi family Gate Guests.

In a single encounter, several guests at the level of Intermediate or Advanced Martial Masters were captured.

To describe this scene as throwing an egg against a rock would not be an exaggeration at all!

"Take them all back for interrogation; do not let any information about Buguo Wu Auction House slip through."

The Xi family Strong Martial Artist looked at the corpse of Xi Junzi again and shook his head. "The life force is burned out, leaving only a shell; take it back and bury it!"

At this time, many of those implicated and captured began to cry out their grievances and beg for mercy.

"We are innocent and have nothing to do with the auction house; please investigate clearly."

"Is that so?"

The Xi family Strong Martial Artist was thoughtful and gave a decisive order: "Take them back for interrogation first; if it is confirmed they have no connection... kill them."

He explained, "Only through bloody means can one show determination! Without this, how can one cut off the roots of an illegal auction house?"

"You are indeed innocent, but this concerns a major matter; I have no choice but to sacrifice you."

After a bout of crying and commotion, the Xi family swept the place clean and departed.

The area around the karst cave became a ghost town devoid of human presence, leaving only the wreckage of the recent battle, with not a single living thing remaining.

Zhou You let out a breath; he did not reveal himself because the task on his panel was still hanging...

"Trial Project (Five-Star): Escape from the observation of a Strong Martial Artist."

This meant that although the people had withdrawn, the eyes of the Xi family Strong Martial Artist remained, constantly watching the surroundings of the karst cave.

This guy was cunning and old-fashioned, not letting go of any clues regarding the auction house; it seemed he would have to observe for a long time.

Zhou You held onto his patience and remained Dormant for over half a month; an ordinary person would have long since been unable to hide.

But his Stealth specialty allowed him to mimic cold-blooded animals, lowering his body temperature and reducing consumption; he only needed to absorb moisture through the contact between his skin and the stone walls to sustain himself.

A month later, the gaze of the Xi family Strong Martial Artist vanished.

After confirming everything was correct, Zhou You used Stealth to leave his Zang spot and slowly moved toward a safe place.

Sure enough, there were still many Xi family members outside disguised as passersby and peddlers, watching all suspicious individuals.

Throughout Chongguang Cheng, Xi family Gate Guests were patrolling and searching everywhere; it seemed this incident was very serious.

The auction house's bloody and cruel methods had greatly enraged the Xi family, who were sparing no effort to mobilize the entire clan to track down the culprit's whereabouts, and even many underground auctions had been affected.

"Sigh, the identity of Lu Zhigang cannot be used for the time being."

Zhou You shook his head; the situation had been too tense lately.

As he walked along the road, someone suddenly approached quickly from behind and slapped him on the shoulder.

Zhou You feigned surprise and looked back; it was indeed the Fatty from the auction house—it would be hard to mistake those heavy footsteps of his.

"Looking for me?"

The Fatty nodded affirmatively, "An emergency in the pugilistic world; I happen to have a matter I need your help with."

(End of chapter)