After leaving the VIP room, Evan Chu quickly realized that quite a few people were tailing him—clearly out for revenge.
As soon as he stepped onto the street, dozens of people blocked his way. A cocky voice rang out: "Kid, I never thought the one in VIP Room Three would be you! What a surprise—turns out you're loaded after all."
Evan glanced over and saw it was Harold Yule, the same punk who'd blocked him at the city gate. He laughed, "Why are you stopping me, huh? Looking for a few Starstones? If that's all you want, I've got a little on me—maybe I'll toss you a handout!"
"Everyone, get him! Beat this guy half to death—and the one with him too!" Harold Yule shouted.
As soon as he finished, several thugs drew their weapons, ready to attack. Evan just sneered, "Kid, don't get so worked up. Or you won't even know how you died later. You think you're the big boss of Xuanwu City? Trying to act tough in front of me? You're way too green."
Evan's words left Harold Yule utterly humiliated. His own cronies watched as Evan mocked him, and Harold—spoiled and arrogant as ever—just couldn't take it. "I'm gonna kill you right now!" he roared, charging straight at Evan.
Harold Yule's strength was, at best, late sixth-layer Earth Martial Realm. Even reaching that level was thanks to loads of pills and tonics—his body long hollowed out by booze and women. Breaking through further was next to impossible.
Harold stopped two meters short of Evan, unable to move forward. He felt an invisible wave of pressure blocking his way—no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take another step.
"Get lost!" Lynn flicked her hand, sending Harold flying five meters back. She'd judged her strength perfectly—he wasn't really hurt at all.
"My Valorcrest Auctions VIPs aren't people you can mess with. Harold Yule, you'd better watch yourself and think about who you're dealing with. This time I'll let you off for your father's sake, but if you come again, you'd better be ready to lose your life!" Lynn snapped.
A wave of pressure from a true expert radiated out, forcing Harold's thugs to back away fast. A fifth-layer Heaven Martial Realm cultivator like Lynn had already grasped some domain power—dealing with these punks was child's play.
"Big Brother, let's go. These people are hopeless—Selena's still waiting for you!" Lynn said to Evan.
Evan nodded, "Let's go!" As he spoke, he deliberately glanced at Harold Yule.
Still, Evan felt utterly stifled inside. A grown man, needing a woman to protect him? Damn, that was humiliating. He had to get stronger—no excuses.
After the three of them left, Harold Yule stared after Evan, totally confused. "Who the hell is that kid? He actually got Lynn from Valorcrest to step in for him—and now he's going straight to see Selena herself?"
Everyone knew that the auction master at Valorcrest was a woman whose strength was unfathomable. Fewer than five people in all of Xuanwu City had ever met her—and yet this kid could just walk in and see her. His background was anyone's guess.
At that moment, two other figures were also watching Evan closely. One said, "That kid's using a disguise technique. It's pretty damn good!"
"The disguise is nothing, but killing him is going to be tough. With Valorcrest protecting him, we don't have a shot right now. We'll need to plan this out carefully."
"We have to find a way to kill this kid, or the Assassin Guild's reputation will be ruined."
......
Evan soon arrived at Valorcrest Auctions, where Lynn led him straight into an elegant reception room. "Big Brother, please wait here a moment—I'll go notify Selena," she said.
Evan looked at Gavin Wei and asked, "Gavin, are you signing up for the Royal Capital Guard just to support your family?"
"Yeah. Things seem peaceful on the surface, but it's already getting turbulent. I heard the border between the Heavenly Dragon Empire and the Sea Dragon Kingdom is a mess—war could break out any time. Supporting my family is one reason, but serving my country is another," Gavin said with feeling.
"You actually have patriotic ambitions? Wouldn't have guessed!" Evan laughed. He'd always thought Gavin was timid, but now realized you couldn't judge a book by its cover.
"Don't underestimate me. As a man, there are things you should do and things you shouldn't. Serving the country is an honor—I'd die on the battlefield without regret." Gavin said, his whole demeanor suddenly changing and leaving Evan shocked.
"If you die in battle, what about your wife and kids?" Evan asked.
"Even if I die, it's an honor. They'll understand! You really think I'm a coward? But I'll make sure they're taken care of before I go—then I won't have any regrets. Besides, I might not die at all." Gavin shot Evan a glare. This guy really couldn't say anything nice.
Just then, footsteps echoed outside—Evan knew Selena and Lynn were on their way.
But soon Evan saw that behind Selena was a young man, strikingly handsome and radiating an air of nobility.
"Greetings, Auction Master!" Evan called out politely in front of the others.
"Xiao Tian, this is the Second Prince from the Royal Capital—he was the VIP in Room One. You two should get acquainted!" Selena said straightforwardly.
"Niu Tian greets the Second Prince!" Evan stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
This guy was someone Evan needed to get close to—he had the Fire Spirit Pearl Evan was after. Building this relationship was crucial; if Evan became a Royal Capital Guard, he might end up serving right by the prince's side.
"So you're the VIP from Room Three? I'm honestly surprised—I didn't expect you to be a noble scion with such a background," Skylar Yule said warmly, showing no trace of arrogance.
"I may have offended you during the auction—please forgive me, Your Highness. As a token of respect, please accept this meeting gift." Evan took out an Ice Crystal and a Fire Crystal from his storage ring and belt.
Skylar Yule glanced at the crystals and said, "Brother Tian, these gifts are far too valuable—I can't accept them. Please, take them back."
Evan shot Selena a look, hoping she'd smooth things over. Selena, sharp as ever, jumped in: "No need to be so formal, Your Highness. This kid's the big winner today—the Iceflame Crystal is his. Do you really think he'd mind giving away a couple of crystals?"
Selena's words startled both Gavin Wei and Skylar Yule. "Well, if you're so generous, Brother Tian, I'll accept them," Skylar said.
"I heard from Selena that you're heading to the Royal Capital—is that true?"
"That's right. We're going to the Royal Capital to apply for the Guard. We passed through Xuanwu City and happened to catch the auction, so we stayed a few days," Evan replied.
"The Royal Capital Guard selection is extremely strict. Even as the Second Prince, I can't simply admit you directly. I'm sorry—but I can give you a token that will earn you special consideration." As Skylar Yule spoke, a golden token appeared in his hand.
Evan took the token and saw the characters 'Skylar' engraved on it. He realized this was a symbol of the prince's identity—with this, his chances of joining the Guard were at least fifty percent.
"Thank you, Your Highness. Niu Tian gratefully accepts this generous gift," Evan said.
"When do you plan to head to the Royal Capital?" Skylar Yule asked.
"We're leaving tomorrow. Xuanwu City isn't safe anymore—maybe only the capital can guarantee our lives now," Evan replied.
"Oh? I'll be delayed here a few more days. If you run into trouble in the capital, just show this token and find me. I can't get you straight into the Guard, but anything else you need, I've got you covered.
I've got other business today, so I'll take my leave now. Farewell!" Skylar Yule said, then left directly.
"I just did you another huge favor. You'd better handle things well—I hope you finish the task I want you to complete soon," Selena said.
"That task is tough... but there's one thing I can do easily," Evan said.
"What's that?"
"Marry me!"
"Are you looking for trouble...?"