WebNovels

Chapter 30 - Chapter 30: Moon Hub Auction House

Amid Xu Zihuang and Qing Mu's conversation, the group unknowingly found themselves in the inner city of Moon Hub Island. This was the core and most bustling area of the city.

Towering buildings stood everywhere, but compared to Mingdu City, where Xu Zihuang had spent much of his life, there was less of a cold, metallic feeling. Instead, the intricate, classical architectural style gave the place a rich, antique charm.

Particularly striking was a massive clock tower standing not far away, nearly a hundred meters tall. The marks of time etched into its surface indicated it had stood for several centuries.

The chime of the clock echoed, startling a flock of white doves perched atop the tower.

Xu Zihuang stopped in front of a peculiar circular structure.

This circular building spanned a vast area, with a diameter of nearly 500 meters and a height exceeding 80 meters at its tallest point. Even in the inner city, few structures could rival its scale.

And considering the prime real estate of Moon Hub's inner city, the background of this place must have been incredibly profound.

Indeed, this was the Moon Hub Auction House. The owner behind it was none other than the nominal ruler of the Southern Moon Islands, Viscount of the Southern Moon Islands, Yao Yang. This was also the agreed meeting spot between Xu Zihuang and Wang Xiao.

The auction house's grand semi-circular entrance, like the rest of the building, shone in platinum tones.

Standing by the entrance were several tall and poised young women acting as greeters. Clearly carefully selected, all stood around 1.75 meters tall, with elegant, well-proportioned figures. While not stunningly beautiful, their attractive features and vibrant youthful energy were undeniably charming.

Flanking them were two squads of soldiers dressed in platinum armor and wielding spears. Xu Zihuang could keenly sense soul power fluctuations emanating from them.

These soldiers' soul power levels were about the same as his, around the 20th rank.

"So, this must be the Moon Hub City Guard Brother Yang mentioned," Xu Zihuang thought, his understanding deepening.

As the welcoming woman approached, Xu Zihuang retrieved a crescent-shaped white jade token from his storage soul ring on his left index finger.

The moment they saw the token, the greeters' expressions shifted dramatically. After a brief whispered exchange, one quickly entered the auction house, while the others bowed respectfully toward Xu Zihuang and his group.

"Honored guests, please follow us."

Inside the auction house's main hall, there was no overwhelming opulence. The floors were a soft ivory marble, while the walls featured various intricate art sculptures, creating a sense of elegant simplicity. Along the walls were display cabinets containing items such as rare metals of dazzling colors and exquisitely crafted soul tools.

These items, however, were all of modest value, with prices under 1,000 gold soul coins. They were merely entry-level auction pieces.

Some well-dressed guests in the house pretended to evaluate the items, seemingly finding satisfaction in displaying their supposed discernment.

At that moment, a series of rapid yet crisp footsteps echoed from a staircase at the back of the hall.

A graceful woman in a form-fitting purple gown appeared at the top of the staircase, her gaze sweeping across the room before settling on Xu Zihuang and his group.

"Why did Manager Zhu come here personally?"

Her arrival caused an immediate stir, the crowd breaking into hushed discussions and disbelief.

Ignoring the murmurs, Manager Zhu gracefully approached Xu Zihuang.

From afar, Xu Zihuang noticed that Manager Zhu stood taller than the welcoming greeters, reaching nearly 1.8 meters in height. She appeared no older than 25, with jet-black hair elegantly styled, porcelain-like skin, and a dignified yet enchanting face. Her deep purple eyes, which matched Xu Zihuang's, left a striking impression.

With a mesmerizing smile, Manager Zhu lightly placed her delicate hand on Xu Zihuang's shoulder.

Meng Lang, standing behind Xu Zihuang, instinctively tensed at the sight of Manager Zhu approaching and prepared to intervene when her hand touched Xu Zihuang.

It wasn't just vigilance; it was dissatisfaction.

How could someone of the Young Lord's stature be touched so casually by another?

"Don't act rashly!" Qing Mu grabbed Meng Lang's right arm and used spiritual power to communicate while restraining him.

"This is Viscount Yao Yang's territory. Think of the connection between the Viscount and the Young Lord."

Meng Lang's expression shifted as he processed these words, and he slowly released his clenched fist.

Unaware of their subtle interaction, Manager Zhu seemed wholly focused on Xu Zihuang.

"The City Lord has been awaiting you for some time. Allow me to escort you," she said warmly.

Xu Zihuang regarded the overly friendly Manager Zhu with a peculiar expression, silently wondering what Brother Yang had told her. Perhaps her relationship with Brother Yang was not so simple.

His Golden Eyes martial soul allowed him to discern the faint fluctuations in Manager Zhu's gaze, especially the deep affection when she mentioned Yao Yang.

Xu Zihuang gestured for Meng Lang and the others to stay calm and silently followed Manager Zhu. Each time he glanced at her, she responded with a gentle smile, her affection almost palpable.

It gave him a feeling of "loving the house along with the crows" (T/N: if you love someone, you should accept everything and everyone that the person loves).

It seemed she extended her fondness for Brother Yang to Xu Zihuang.

The previously self-assured guests in the hall were left staring after them in awe.

"Which powerful family does that young lord hail from to warrant the City Lord's personal reception?"

"Not just a reception. Didn't you hear Manager Zhu say the City Lord has been awaiting him? What kind of identity could command such respect?"

"…"

Ascending a luxurious staircase of golden sandalwood to the second-floor hall, the number of guests visibly decreased.

The second floor's corridors exuded extravagance, with carpets crafted from soul beast pelts, rare flowers everywhere, and even soul beast plants like calming water lotuses housed in crystal containers along the walls.

Manager Zhu skillfully led Xu Zihuang's group to a particular corridor. Each corridor, she explained, connected to a VIP suite, though there were only six top-tier VIP room.

As they stopped, Manager Zhu's expression suddenly stiffened, her haughty demeanor returning as she directed her gaze toward the entrance of another room's corridor.

Xu Zihuang followed her line of sight and saw two blue-haired young women who bore a slight resemblance to each other. One appeared to be around 12 or 13 years old, while the other, similar in age to Manager Zhu, exuded a soft, pitiful charm that stood in stark contrast to Manager Zhu's commanding presence.

"Sister Zhu," the younger blue-haired woman greeted tentatively, trying to appear friendly.

"So, it's Sister Shui. Forgive me for not accompanying you—I'm escorting an honored guest to meet the City Lord… Hmmm, it seems someone has yet to meet him despite their efforts today?"

Manager Zhu's eyes grew slightly colder, but then she seemed to recall something and change her usual response. As she responded proactively to the blue-haired girl, a faint and ambiguous smile played at the corners of her mouth.

Xu Zihuang immediately sensed two burning gazes fall upon him, leaving him somewhat speechless.

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