The arrival of Han Shuo and Sophie didn't affect the auction at all. Under the host's most enchanting voice, the bidding price for the magical staff climbed higher and higher.
The entire hall was filled with the sounds of clamour and endless discussion. Some beautiful women dressed in magnificent magical robes made no secret of their strong interest in the staff. This caused the auction to descend into chaos.
"What do you think of this magical staff?" After the two sat down, Sophie could not help but ask Han Shuo.
"Nothing particularly great about it! Han Shuo's lips turned sideways. Then he added, "Flashy on the outside, but hollow on the inside!"
Contrary to Han Shuo's expectations, Sophie agreed with Han Shuo's assessment the most. She said, "Yes, this magical staff is overly ostentatious. If I were a magus, I would never choose such an overly ostentatious staff."
Looking at Sophie with a surprised expression, Han Shuo said smilingly, "I thought you were just like her and only sought beauty in all things."
Sophie pouted and moaned softly, "I bought those little jewels from those stalls just to enjoy that kind of shopping pleasure, not because I really liked them."
"Oh?" Han Shuo gave her a cheeky grin. He pointed at the crystal button on her chest and sneered, "Then how do you explain wearing that crystal button and even pretending it was very precious?"
Sophie was dumbfounded for a second before she waved her little fist and said somewhat wittily, "That's because I'm giving you face! You bought this for me. If I were to conveniently throw it away, how rude would that be?"
Han Shuo laughed involuntarily. Although he understood that Sophie was only joking with those words, he still felt very happy in his heart. For Sophie to wear a crude button worth only three gold coins, regardless of whether she was really being considerate, as the benefactor, Han Shuo definitely felt that he was receiving the proper respect he deserved.
It had to be said that when talking to Sophie, Han Shuo felt very comfortable and relaxed. It was just like talking to a confidant without any restrictions. This made Han Shuo feel very comfortable.
"Huh? Why is he here? Suddenly, Sophie let out a soft cry and immediately lowered her head. She even grabbed Han Shuo and made him do the same.
Han Shuo, unexpectedly pulled by Sophie, almost bumped his head against Sophie's. As they leaned close together, a wonderful scent filled Han Shuo's nose. The naturally refreshing scent made Han Shuo remember a good time. Back in the Dark Forest, the two of them had once leaned so close together, surrounded by each other's scent.
A delegation walking at a steady pace gradually passed Han Shuo and Sophie on the walkway to their left. As the servants greeted them respectfully, they slowly made their way up to the VIP room on the second floor.
One of the men leading the party had a warm smile. He wore a crisp, clean warrior's robe, white as snow. He had broad shoulders and thick hands, giving him an imposing demeanour. He was obviously an experienced swordsman or knight.
"Your father?" Han Shuo glanced at the man, and through his consciousness, he sensed the energy contained within this person's body. It was extremely difficult for one to sense this energy without first reaching a certain realm. "How, how did you know? You've seen my father before?" Sophie was slightly incredulous.
Shaking his head, Han Shuo replied, "You two looked quite similar, so I made a guess. I didn't think that he would actually turn out to be your father.
Appearance was only one aspect. The most important thing was that the Combat Aura Sophie cultivated was homologous to that of this person. An ordinary person wouldn't have been able to sense it. But since Han Shuo possessed an extremely powerful consciousness, he was able to detect it after a careful examination.
"He must have gone to the VIP room where Braque is. Huh! How could he decide that for me without asking my permission? I really hate him!" Sophie said angrily. It was obvious that Sophie had a grudge against Sulo.
Han Shuo wasn't aware of the matter between Braque and Sophie. So when he heard Sophie grumbling like that, his curiosity made him ask, "What is it?"
"Nothing..." Sophie had become somewhat nervous as she hastily replied.
Han Shuo could not make head or tail of it, but he did not inquire further. He pointed at the stage and said, "The next item is quite good. I think it suits you quite well!"
After Han Shuo finished these words, Sophie sneaked a look ahead. When she found that there was no trace of his father Sulo in sight, she let out a sigh of relief and looked at the stage with great interest.
At that moment, under the auctioneer's guidance and the light, a dark green armour slowly descended from the suspended ceiling above. The dark green armour was smooth and shiny. It sparkled brightly under the stage lights.
"This armour is the work of a dwarven master craftsman. Although there's no way to tell which dwarven craftsman it actually came from, from the sheen of the armour, "... after the armour was revealed, the auctioneer began his enthusiastic promotion again.
"This armour is indeed very beautiful. But is it really as strong as he makes it out to be?" Sophie was somewhat unconvinced and said to Han Shuo as she watched the armour from a distance.
"It should be passable. There are several types of rare ores mixed into it, including black iron, black gold and mithril. The ones forged by the dwarves shouldn't be bad. You can consider getting this," Han Shuo explained.
"Forget it. My father is in the VIP room. Although we can't see him from here, he could see us from up there. I used this face to prank him once, and he could still recognise me. If he catches me in the act, I'm finished! Sophie cutely stuck out her tongue like a dead cow. But shortly afterwards, as if afraid that Sulo would see her from above, she lowered her head again.
"20,000 gold coins! Young Master Braque bids 20,000 gold coins!" a loud voice shouted from the crowd before the auctioneer had even finished beating the drum for the armour.
Sophie groaned slightly and said contemptuously, "Pff, scoundrel, I will not be grateful for that!"
Although Sophie lowered her voice, Han Shuo could still hear her words clearly. Raising his head to look up, Han Shuo said in a surprised tone, "Who is this Braque? He threw out such a high price before the host even finished his speech!"
"He is Braque Pillon. You are in the Kasi Empire, don't tell me you don't even know who he is?" Sophie was somewhat startled and asked Han Shuo with a strange look on her face.
Shrugging his shoulders, Han Shuo said frankly, "I really don't. Is he famous?"
Sophie wore a defeated expression, and only then did she explain outwardly, "In the Kasi Empire, although the Ice Shrine has great power, it is still the Pillon royal family that maintains absolute control over the Kasi Empire. Braque is Prince Bradley's son. He is not the benevolent type. It's troublesome enough for you to insult the Ice Shrine, so don't insult this family clan."
"Thanks for reminding me!" Although Han Shuo wore a smile on his face, he didn't exactly take the advice to heart. On the Profound Continent, there weren't many who could threaten Han Shuo's life. This so-called royal family was nothing in his eyes.
"Bradley? Bradley Pillon of Cesar City?" Suddenly, Han Shuo seemed to remember something and continued to ask.
"Yes! There is only one Bradley Pillon in the entire Kasi Empire." Sophie knitted her brows and added, "You're already in the Kasi Empire, how could you still be so unfamiliar with it?"
The reason why Trunks had been painstakingly expanding and strengthening the Valley of Sunshine all this time was to get to this Bradley Pillon. Han Shuo realised that it was because Annie, a girl Trunks regarded as her own sister, had suffered an unimaginable tragedy, one of the perpetrators of which was Bradley.
Florida and Gustav both died at Trunks' hands in the battle for control of the Valley of Sunshine. Now, all that was left on Trunks' hit list was Bradley, who enjoyed overwhelming power in the Kasi Empire. When Sophie mentioned this Bradley, Han Shuo couldn't help but scoff.
Since Trunks had set his sights on this person, Han Shuo would rather not take matters into his own hands. However, if Bradley dared to provoke Han Shuo, it would still be a pleasant thing for Han Shuo to teach him an unforgettable lifelong lesson.
"20 thousand! Can I get 21 thousand, 21 thousand...?" the auctioneer continued, but the reaction under the stage was cold.
"In the Kasi Empire, the House of Pillon wields the true power. No ordinary person would deliberately make life difficult for a member of the family," Sophie explained to Han Shuo with a sigh.
As Sophie spoke these words, she felt truly helpless about her own future. It was precisely because she clearly understood the influences of the House of Pillon in the Kasi Empire that she would feel so powerless over her marriage to Braque. Suddenly a feeling of despondency filled her heart. Sophie suddenly thought that even though she had extraordinary strength, she could hardly stand up to the politically powerful. So what was the point?
"Going once! Going twice! Sold, to young master Braque!" the auctioneer banged his gavel.
Sophie's mood was depressed, so she paid no attention to the auction. Another four valuable items were sold separately at high prices. Of the four items, two were magical robes with unusual functions, one was a magical scroll that could release a forbidden spell, and the last was a necklace set with one hundred diamonds that had once been worn by the Empress of the former Verdun Dynasty.
Han Shuo was not interested in these four items. The first three items had been purchased separately by three different mages. The last necklace was purchased by Braque.
Han Shuo watched for a moment and saw that the more high and mighty Braque was in the limelight, the more sombre Sophie became. This confused Han Shuo a bit, as he did not know why Sophie would suddenly be so melancholy.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item up for bid is quite extraordinary, even our experts could not figure out what it is! However, this thing has a miraculous ability. When it is placed on the ground, all plants within a few kilometres of it will grow healthier and taller," the auctioneer introduced on stage.
With this introduction, a palm-sized sheet of tender green leaf was presented on a crystal tray. This leaf had a shiny surface and looked as if it was made of fine dark green jade. As soon as it was displayed, the polluted air in the entire auction hall was immediately purified.
It was as if everyone had been instantly teleported to the middle of a lush forest. Everyone's body and mind seemed to suddenly relax.
Han Shuo, who had not been paying much attention, suddenly jumped. Dazzling lights, too bright to stare directly into, erupted from his eyes. Sophie, who was sitting right next to Han Shuo, saw Han Shuo's eyes widen dramatically. Her gloomy mood seemed to have been diluted by her curiosity. Doubtfully looking at Han Shuo, she asked in a low voice, "You want this?"
"That's right!" Han Shuo replied in a deep voice. "What is this thing? I have never seen such a strange leaf before. Do you know what it is?" Sophie was a little surprised and questioned Han Shuo closely with her eyes fixed on him.
Nodding, Han Shuo explained, "It is difficult to explain to you. In short, this thing is very useful to me!"
"Then go and bid for it! If you don't have enough gold coins, I can lend you some, but you have to pay me back!" Sophie said beaming at Han Shuo. Shortly after, she glanced up at a VIP room before saying to Han Shuo, "I'll keep my head down so my father won't notice me when you bid."
"It is rather inconvenient to say much about the origin of this piece of paper. Nevertheless, I believe that those who know can sense how exceptional it is. All right, the starting price is 10,000 gold coins. May the highest bidder win. The bidding will now begin!" the auctioneer shouted.
"20 thousand!" "25 thousand!" "27 thousand!"
It seemed that there were many who knew a good buy when they saw one. Immediately after the auctioneer finished his words, the bidding price soared higher and higher.
Han Shuo was in no hurry to show his hand, watching the few bidders with cold eyes. After a round of shouting and arguing, the price had slowly risen to 40 thousand gold coins. At that moment, many of the nobles who were genuinely curious about the functionality of this treasure gradually stopped participating.
Only three people remained who were genuinely interested in the item. One of them was a hysterically rotund fellow, another was an upper-class lady dressed in bright colours, and the last was none other than Braque of the Pillion family.
Of the three, Braque was the most excited. Perhaps it was because he had discovered that there were people who actually dared to compete against him, but he seemed very irritated. Han Shuo could even hear his heart beating faster and faster due to his excitement.
From the way he was dressed, this fat guy seemed to be a wealthy and successful merchant, perhaps from the Brut Merchant Alliance. No wonder he dared to fight Braque for an item. As for the graceful upper-class woman, although Han Shuo couldn't tell her origin, he could tell that her financial resources were probably the least sufficient of the three, as her face gradually grew more and more displeased. Han Shuo guessed that the price of the item was more than she could afford.
After watching for a while, when Han Shuo saw that the price had reached 50 thousand, he suddenly made a move. A string of numbers suddenly appeared.
"One hundred... 100 thousand! Who, who is it?" the auctioneer shouted, searching the crowd for the identifying number.
The whole auction house was in an uproar!
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