Just as Evan Chu was puzzling over the young girl before him, Luna's voice suddenly sounded in his mind. "Evan, this girl is no ordinary person. You need to be careful dealing with her. I can sense a faint demonic aura on her—she may be connected to the Demon Realm."
Luna's words made Evan realize how serious the situation was. Valorcrest Auctions had only risen to prominence in recent years, and rumor had it that no one knew who its true master was—only that the power backing it was formidable.
If it really was connected to the Demon Race, that meant the demons were already making moves—just quietly for now, waiting for the right chance to rise again.
Evan slowly took out the Iceflame Crystal from his storage belt and smiled. "This is what I want to auction off."
The Iceflame Crystal's special properties meant Evan couldn't hold it for long, so he set it directly on the table in front of the veiled girl. Its strange, flickering glow made her react ever so slightly.
She stared at the Iceflame Crystal for several seconds before speaking. "Not bad. This really is an extremely rare type of crystal. Its value should be between one and three million Starstones. What do you want in exchange for it?"
Evan glanced at her and noticed there was something about her eyes that made people want to get closer—a feeling he'd experienced before, back when Macy the Violet Thunder Fox appeared.
Charm arts? This girl actually knows charm arts—she really isn't simple. Evan was secretly shocked.
"I've heard your auction house often sells extremely rare and unusual treasures. Do you have any medicines that can heal the soul or mind?" Evan asked bluntly, immediately shifting his gaze away from the girl—if he kept looking any longer, something bad was bound to happen.
"Medicines that heal the soul and mind? Those are incredibly rare, but Valorcrest Auctions does have some. This time, someone is putting up the Heartmind Fruit for auction—a soul-healing treasure. Whether you can win it depends on your luck." The girl smiled, growing even more curious about the boy before her.
Her charm arts were only at the second layer, but usually anyone would be confused by her. Yet this boy only froze for a moment before snapping out of it.
Anyone who could obtain an Iceflame Crystal was definitely no ordinary person. Although this was her first time seeing such a crystal in person, she'd read about it before and recognized it instantly.
And the things he wanted were just as strange. Most people came to auctions for high-level martial arts, weapons, or spirit medicines that boosted their strength, but he was after items almost nobody cared about.
Hearing this, Evan was secretly delighted and spoke up right away: "Then I'll leave the Iceflame Crystal here. Can the auction master guarantee its safety? I nearly died getting it."
"Valorcrest Auctions has pretty solid security. If anything happens to your Iceflame Crystal, I'll compensate you at double the price. But if it sells, our house takes twenty percent commission. How does that sound?" The girl smiled.
So ruthless—twenty percent commission! If it sells for a million, that's two hundred thousand gone. Auction houses really are a money-making business, Evan thought to himself.
"Fine, I accept. What do I need to do next?" Evan asked.
"This auction is a joint event with Lyric Hall Auctions, running for three days. Day one is Lyric Hall, day two is us, and the final day is for the grand finale lots—each house takes turns. I bet you already have a Lyric Hall VIP card, so I won’t bother giving you another." The girl smiled.
Evan was startled inside—this girl really was sharp. But he kept his expression unchanged and smiled. "The auction master is impressively perceptive. I’m truly impressed. But there’s one thing I don’t get: why do you wear a veil? Are you worried someone might recognize you?"
"I’m just an ordinary girl with ugly looks, so I need a veil to cover my face. But you, sir, are so handsome and talented—why ask me that? I’m nothing special," she replied, still smiling, her voice full of subtle allure.
"Oh, I see. Well, I'll take my leave now. I hope your auction house can fetch me a good price," Evan said, turning to go.
"Take care, sir. We won't let you down," the girl replied.
Evan paused at the doorway and turned back. "Next time, I hope you'll show your real face—and don't use charm arts on me again. I'd like to be friends with you. One more thing: you aren't hiding your aura very well. If the wrong people find out, it could mean war."
After Evan left, the girl slowly removed her veil, revealing a face as beautiful as Jenny Sima and the others. But at the center of her brow was a tiny black flower, giving her a strangely bewitching look.
Who is this boy, anyway? How could he say such things—did he see through my identity? I have to find out. She put her veil back on and left the room.
Evan had considered consigning his Ice Crystal and Fire Crystal to Valorcrest Auctions, but he'd already given them to Lyric Hall. If the other house made them the centerpiece of their auction, he'd offend Lyric Hall, and that would mean endless trouble.
Even though Valorcrest offered a higher price, Evan could only endure it.
Leaving Valorcrest Auctions, Evan saw it was still early, so he found a restaurant to grab a bite. He had a feeling someone would follow him out.
He ordered a few simple dishes and ate slowly. Most of the talk in the restaurant was about the upcoming auction, but Evan wasn't interested in listening closely.
Suddenly, someone at a nearby table said something that caught Evan's attention: "I heard the royal family is coming to the auction—they've already arrived, apparently."
That topic was the most captivating of all, and many people leaned in to listen. Someone asked, "Is that news reliable?"
"It should be accurate, but I don’t know exactly who it is. I heard it from a friend—his uncle saw them at House Yule."
"Drink up! Let’s not talk about this too much—who knows, there could be Yule spies here. That could get us in trouble."
Evan was startled—if even the royal family was attending, this auction was bound to be extraordinary.
"May I sit here?" a girl's voice called out to Evan.
Evan didn’t look up. He poured himself a drink and said, "Of course. I’ve been waiting for you—I didn’t expect you to be so slow."
"You knew I would come?" The girl was clearly surprised.
"If you hadn't come, it would mean my guess was wrong. But since you did, it means we might become friends." Only then did Evan look up as he spoke.
"You're mysterious—and confident. It really does make people curious," the girl said, sitting down.