"It seems, young lord, your background is anything but ordinary. Even something as rare as a Star Crystal is in your possession. This Star Crystal alone is worth at least one hundred and twenty million Starstones—just this one is enough to pay for all your auction purchases," said the Grand Elder.
Evan Chu said nothing, but just then the young woman spoke up: "Grand Elder, this young lord specifically exchanged an extra twenty million Starstones just in case he didn't have enough. Should we return those items to him now?"
The Grand Elder glanced at the Ice Crystal, Fire Crystal, and Life Essence on the table, feeling a jolt of surprise—these were all extremely rare treasures, yet this young man had them so casually. Smiling, he said, "Of course we should return them. After all, he's our auction house's biggest customer this time."
Evan Chu smiled, "No need to return them. Just help me exchange them for high-grade or supreme-grade Starstones. I've got plenty of these on me and won't be needing them for now."
The young woman immediately picked up the items from the table and left the room—it was obvious she was going to fetch the Starstones. The Grand Elder then said, "Since you're a VIP guest of our auction, on behalf of Freewind Palace, I invite you to visit us. Also, let me remind you: the Purple Jade Spirit-King Fruit must be consumed on the night of the full moon to be effective. Please remember this, young lord."
Evan quickly calculated—there were still a few days until the full moon, meaning he'd have to guard the fruit for several days before he could use it. As the saying goes, 'A treasure invites trouble.' He'd offended plenty of people this time, and was likely to become everyone's target.
Evan Chu frowned slightly and asked, "If I kill someone in Golden Ram City, will Freewind Palace step in?"
The Grand Elder looked at Evan Chu and replied, "This world is one where the strong prey on the weak. Every day, people kill and are killed. Normally, Freewind Palace doesn't interfere. But since you're now our VIP, it's our duty to guarantee your safety."
Satisfied by the Grand Elder's answer, Evan Chu smiled, "With your assurance, I can rest easy. Otherwise, if I killed a few people, I'd have to answer to Freewind Palace—since this is your territory, after all."
The Grand Elder was startled—he'd assumed this youth needed Freewind Palace's protection, but it turned out Evan was actually planning to kill people in Golden Ram City. Truly unexpected.
The young woman returned to the room and said, "Young lord, here are the Starstones you exchanged!" With that, she handed Evan Chu a storage belt.
Evan Chu slipped it straight into his storage ring and said, "If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving. I'll definitely visit Freewind Palace—just need to handle a few matters first."
After Evan Chu left, the Grand Elder told the young woman, "Go inform the young lord: if he encounters danger within our jurisdiction, Freewind Palace must protect him once. If he leaves Freewind Palace's territory, that's another matter."
Evan Chu walked out of the auction house, where Young Lord Wenqin and the others were waiting for him outside. As soon as Evan appeared, they all came up to greet him—except for Victor Lang, who stayed put.
Victor Lang was biding his time. To be one of the Four Young Lords, he was clearly no ordinary person. He figured White Sun Sect would cause trouble for Evan, and he could just reap the benefits. As for Ethan Feng and the others, they probably wouldn't make things difficult for him.
Evan Chu glanced outside and saw a huge crowd had gathered. He knew they were all here to watch the spectacle between White Sun Sect and himself.
"Brother Evan, turns out you're a real local tyrant! You sure surprised us. Now that you've won all the treasures you wanted, shouldn't we celebrate?" Marcus Blake joked.
"You're too kind, Marcus. I'm no local tyrant—I spent nearly all my savings this time. Treating everyone to a meal is the least I can do. How about Golden Ram Tower?" Evan Chu said.
Although Evan was speaking to Marcus Blake, his gaze lingered on Serena Dream, and Lynne Nie also glanced his way. Everyone noticed this, and it made Ethan Feng secretly unhappy, though he kept his anger in check.
At that moment, several dozen people emerged from the crowd. Two middle-aged men, faces twisted with anger, strode forward. "Kid, you're the one from VIP Room Three, right? Do you remember what you said when bidding for the Soul-Mending Herb?"
Evan Chu looked at the men and grinned, "I've said so many things—how am I supposed to know which one you mean? Why, are you here to hold me accountable for a few casual words?"
"You sure are arrogant, kid! Let me remind you—you said you'd wipe out White Sun Sect. Today, I want to see just how tough you really are!" the middle-aged man barked, his voice full of menace.
"White Sun Sect? Never heard of it. Is it supposed to be some big force?" Evan Chu asked Marcus Blake with mock innocence.
At that moment, another middle-aged man addressed the Four Young Lords, "Today, this is a private matter between White Sun Sect and this arrogant brat. I hope the Four Young Lords will do us the honor of staying out of it. We promise generous rewards afterward."
"He's our friend—do you really think we'd just stand by and watch?" Marcus Blake replied immediately, determined to side with Evan Chu.
Not wanting to make things hard for Marcus and the others, Evan Chu smiled, "I appreciate your kindness, Marcus. But today, let me see what these White Sun Sect people can really do to me."
"Brother Evan, are you sure you can handle this?" Young Lord Wenqin asked.
"Even if I can't beat all of them, escaping shouldn't be a problem, Young Lord Wenqin. Besides, there should be quite a few Frostbane Sect disciples here, right? Let me make it clear—I'm from Frostbane Sect. I believe Joan He has already told you all about me. I hope every Frostbane disciple will step forward and show everyone that after years of decline, it's time for Frostbane Sect to rise again!" Evan Chu declared.
As soon as he finished speaking, several people stepped out from the crowd. Evan Chu felt a jolt inside, but quickly steadied himself.
One of them was a woman. She walked up to Evan Chu, studied him closely, and asked, "Who are you? Why are you pretending to be a Frostbane Sect disciple?"
"Joan He, your memory really is terrible!" Evan Chu said with a smile.
This woman was none other than Joan He of Frostbane Sect. Because Evan Chu was disguised, she hadn't recognized him at first, and his voice was also altered.
"You are...? Are you Lin Feng?" Joan He asked suspiciously, clearly shocked.
"Looks like you're not stupid. Don't interfere with what's about to happen—I'll handle it myself," Evan Chu said.
Joan He finally understood who stood before her. Right there, in front of everyone, she knelt on one knee and said, "Sect Master, since you've returned, why not come straight back to the sect? I've searched so bitterly for you! When I returned to Mermaid Kingdom, I heard you'd already left, and I happened to arrive just in time for this auction."
"Get up. How many times have I told you, there's no need to kneel before me. You've had a hard time—once this is over, I'll go back to Frostbane Sect with you," Evan Chu said.
Everything was unfolding far beyond Evan Chu's original plan. He hadn't meant to reveal his true identity so soon, but Joan He just happened to appear at this exact moment...