Chapter 220 The Auction Begins

Chapter 220. The Auction Begins

As soon as Ikasa entered through the doors of the Fortune Lotus  Pavilion, his eyes began to search for Lian Hua, the one who had given him his Hundred Petal Lotus Brooch. He soon found her mature figure clad in red qipao near the reception desk.

Ikasa led Xin Ruo and the teens towards Lian Hua, drawing her attention. She immediately excused herself from the guest she was talking to and rushed to Ikasa.

"Master Ikasa! Come this way. I will take you to the room prepared for you."

As she spoke, she began to lead the group up the stairs, to the second floor. Her words and movements attracted the gazes from the surrounding patrons.

They began to murmur and point at the shining Hundred Petal Lotus Brooch on Ikasa's dark blue robes. This seemingly useless ornate decoration attracted the envy of most of the guests gathered here.

The reason behind their jealousy was clear. The Hundred Petal Lotus.

People who possessed a Hundred Petal Lotus Brooch were treated as the favored guests of the Fortune Lotus Pavilion. Only these privileged few could receive the preferential treatment from the Pavilion and sit in their own VIP rooms!

Ikasa had a bird's eye view of the guests gathered downstairs when he reached the second floor. He could see many friends and foes amongst the crowd.

He saw a few merchants of the Furnace Fire Empire gathered in one corner. A group had formed around Hong Niu, the owner of the Red Bull Trading Company, while the fatty merchant Zhang Chun had been ignored by most merchants.

On the other side of the room, people had gathered around a man with a luxurious feather cape. He was none other than Ma Tian, the current Clan Head of the Nian Clan!

"Even the Clan Head of the Nian Clan, a prestigious power of Elm City, only has a Ten Petal Lotus Brooch…"

Ikasa mumbled for the kids to hear. Their eyes immediately shone with pride when they came to understand how awesome their big brother was.

His words fell into the ears of another person sitting in the waiting area behind them. The man snorted loudly, drawing the attention of Ikasa.

Ikasa observed the person in bright red robes sitting on the couch in the waiting area. The sissy man picked up the crystal goblet filled with golden liquor with his long, dainty fingers and started to walk over towards Ikasa's group.

"Smile. He is the Head of the Su Family, Patriarch Su Chun." Lian Hua quickly whispered to Ikasa as she forced her lips to curve into a gentle smile.

Ikasa became wary upon hearing the introduction. He had every reason to be cautious because this man was the father of the Su Siblings he had killed inside the Planar Rift!

Ikasa gazed at the approaching figure of the man with vigilance but he did not let it show on his face.

The middle aged patriarch who was dressed like a hedonistic young man did not seem to have recognized Ikasa. He came near the group and leaned on the guard rails beside Ikasa.

Patriarch Su's eyes stopped on the Hundred Petal Lotus Brooch on Ikasa's chest as he said,

"Young Master, you must be new to this City. Or else you would have known that the Nian Clan can barely make their ends meet."

The sissy man then took a long sip from the goblet as he gazed downstairs, at the Clan Head Ma.

"They are a blight in the name of the prestigious powers."

A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes as he spoke and he turned his attention back to Ikasa and his group.

Ikasa smelt a strong smell of alcohol mixed with rosy perfume from the man leaning on the guard rails beside him. He also saw a hint of rouge applied to the man's cheeks to hide the dark circles under his eyes.

As Ikasa checked out the man, the man also scanned Ikasa and then the two girls with him. He took a sip from his goblet and then licked his lips without realizing how perverse his action seemed.

Or maybe he was aware and just did not care.

"Please, send my companions to our room, Attendant Lian."

Ikasa ordered, with a slight edge to his voice. He was enraged to see the lustful eyes of the man, old enough to be Qiqi's grandfather, trace the teen's nubile figure.

However, he did not want to cause trouble inside the Fortune Lotus Pavilion just yet.

Patriarch Su clicked his tongue with disappointment when his eye candy was taken away and emptied the entire contents of the goblet in one gulp.

To make a small talk, Patriarch Su asked Ikasa, "Young Master, I have never seen you before. May I know your name and affiliation?"

Ikasa was already incensed by the actions of the man before him and was in no mood to entertain him. He was saved from answering by the announcement that rang through the Pavilion building.

"All patrons are requested to take a seat. The Auction will begin in a few breaths."

Ikasa looked at Patriarch and he replied to his question in a single word, "No."

Ikasa then turned and walked into the hallway to his room, without hesitation. The stunned Patriarch whose face had turned red with anger could only watch his back disappear into the long hallway.

Ikasa found room 143 and stepped into the room. He immediately felt the sounds and smells from the hallway disappear, as if he had entered some isolated space.

He could clearly see the Auction Stage and the large number of people seated neatly in rows but none of them could notice his presence. The loud chatter of the crowd downstairs sounded in his ears, but not a sound from this box went outside.

It was like he was behind a one way glass; even though there wasn't an actual barrier separating his box upstairs, in the gallery from the audience downstairs.

'A one-way Concealment Array!' Ikasa exclaimed with shock in his heart as he realized the source of the phenomenon.

Lian Hua walked over to him and handed him a fist sized crystal engraved with strange violet lines.

"Call out your bids into this device. It will let your voice pass through the barrier. It will also change your voice and help conceal your identity."

She explained, guiding him to a luxurious chair left empty for him at the center of the box.

Ikasa made himself comfortable in the chair and trained his eyes on the stage.

A very handsome young man and a seductively charming lady walked on to the auction floor, drawing the complete attention of the spectators.

"We welcome you to the first day of our Autumn Auction."

"I am Ren Mei…"

The gorgeous girl introduced herself, placing her hand on her bountiful chest.

"And I am Ren Mi."

The handsome teen said, his sonorous voice reverberating through the hall.

"We Ren siblings will be your hosts for the duration of this Auction!"

They said together. By now the crowd had become silent and their attention was drawn to the twins on the stage. Yet, their performance was not over.

"We have spiritual weapons and wondrous pills…"

"Rare artifacts and incredible manuals…"

"All waiting to meet their owners."

"With the right price, any one of you could be the next owner of these treasures!"

The deep and enthralling voice of the young man alternated with the soft and enchanting voice of his sister. They took turns to speak, completing each other's sentences.

Their wonderful duet had completely grabbed the attention of the guests and their enthusiasm affected the room. It made the guests excited for the items to come.

The handsome youth walked over to the podium and the lady pushed a cart to the center of the stage.

"Let us start our Auction with an object which every Path Finder desires and yet cannot encounter. A spiritual weapon to channel his energy."

Ren Mi spoke from behind the Podium, providing a cue for his sister Ren Mei. She removed the red cloth covering the object and revealed a shining scabbard with purple and black stripes.

"Our first item is a One Veined Sword made by a budding Master Blacksmith. Its vein may be uneven but it is made from sturdy material. For the first attempt at making a Spiritual weapon, this is an incredible feat!"

Ren Mei introduced the weapon by slowly unsheathing the sword from its scabbard. As she spoke, the light shined on the sharp blades arousing the desire of many Path Finders seated in the audience.

She smiled and paused, waiting for her brother to continue.

"The starting price for this Sword is 800 gold. Please call your bids."

This was a privilege available only to those who possessed the Hundred Petal Lotus Badge!