Chapter 92: The Ma Family’s Wrath, The Mysterious Stranger
“Eighty million!” Ma Tianxin said through gritted teeth, resentment thick in his voice. That was already the absolute limit the Ma family could put forward—any higher, and it simply wouldn’t be worth it. This was a price that could purchase a legendary artifact!
“Ninety million!” This time, it was Little Peach who spoke on behalf of Lin Han.
Ninety million...
Ma Tianxin couldn’t believe his ears. Ninety million! The other party was willing to pay ninety million just to obtain a fragment from Ruins No. 3! It was utterly irrational!
“One…” Ma Tianxing was about to speak when Ma Tianxin hurriedly pulled him back, whispering, “No more. If we keep raising the price, the legendary artifact later will be out of our reach.”
“If we risk everything to snatch the Ruins No. 3 fragment, we’d be better off saving all our resources for the legendary artifact.”
“But…” Ma Tianxing’s heart was unwilling; to abandon the bidding meant publicly admitting the Ma family had lost this bloodless battle.
“No buts.” Ma Tianxin’s expression was grim. “If this person dares challenge our family so directly, the force behind him must be formidable as well. But just because he’s bold enough to win the bid doesn’t mean he’ll be bold enough to walk away with it.”
“Sister, are you saying…?” Ma Tianxing asked seriously.
“No rush. Patience,” Ma Tianxin said, lifting her arm and announcing in a deep voice, “We withdraw.”
Xiao Yun was still reeling from the shock—she had never experienced such a grand scene before. A single fragment from Ruins No. 3 had fetched nearly a hundred million.
“Let us congratulate our distinguished guest in VIP suite 888, who has secured the Ruins No. 3 fragment for ninety million! Congratulations on two consecutive wins!”
Two consecutive wins… The phrase pierced Ma Tianxing’s ears like a thorn. Both victories had been snatched from under his nose!
“The Ma family actually lost!”
“Who is this mysterious bidder? To clash so directly with the Ma family!”
“Incredible! One of the Five Great Houses, defeated!”
“This is bound to be the top trending news tomorrow—earth-shattering!”
“Amazing, truly amazing!”
…
“Mr. Lin, you’ve well and truly made an enemy of the Ma family now,” Little Peach said, unable to hide her helplessness. To offend one of the Five Great Houses in such a blunt manner—had she not witnessed it herself, she’d never have believed it.
“It’s nothing,” Lin Han replied nonchalantly. “We’re all just people. Besides, this is an auction house—the highest bidder wins.”
“But if you’ve made an enemy of a Great House, they’ll surely try to trip you up in the future,” Little Peach fretted.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.” Lin Han waved his hand dismissively. “If they’re so capable, let them come find me—if they can, that is.”
At that moment, the door to VIP suite 883 opened. The returning figure was the middle-aged man who had been out earlier.
“Young Master, there’s no information on that person.”
“What?” Li Changqi was incredulous. “Did you ask the manager of this auction house? The invitations were all issued by him—how could he not know?”
“I asked,” the man replied, hesitant. After a pause, he continued, “I questioned the manager, but he wouldn’t say a word. Even after I revealed our Li family’s name, he refused to divulge anything.”
“Why?” Li Changqi was baffled. He knew Millennium Commerce City always protected its clients’ privacy, but there was no reason to be so secretive with the Li family. Wasn’t this tantamount to offending the Lis?
The man explained, “Manager Liu said only one thing: that gentleman is one of Millennium Commerce City’s most valued clients. Even if the Li family’s patriarch himself came, he wouldn’t get a single word from him. Unless…”
“Unless what?” Li Changqi pressed, frowning.
“Unless you kill him.”
“What?!” Li Changqi was stunned. That a mere manager would say such a thing, speaking with not the slightest deference to a great family—it was inconceivable. Both the manager and the man in that VIP suite defied belief.
“What did you say the manager’s surname was?” Li Changqi asked again.
“I remember it was Liu.”
“Liu?” Li Changqi suddenly understood, letting out a breath. “I see. If it’s him, then forget it—you won’t get anything out of him. In fact, this only makes me more curious about the identity of the person in that suite.”
“Young Master, should I keep watch on them?” the man asked earnestly.
“No need,” Li Changqi replied. “After the auction ends, we’ll likely have a chance to meet. For now, our target is the legendary artifact. We’ll deal with the rest after the auction.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
Meanwhile, in the other VIP suites, everyone was receiving the same answer—nothing. No information.
“Mr. Lin, you really don’t know how to keep a low profile,” Manager Liu muttered anxiously as he sat in the auction house’s central office. “To offend one of the Five Great Houses like this—it can’t be a good omen. By tomorrow morning, this news will have swept the globe. The Ma family’s prestige will be in shambles.”
“I’ve done everything I can to keep your identity secret. From here on, you’re on your own. I’ve done all that could be asked of me—now you’d better sell me two good pieces of gear to buy my silence.”
…
The next items at the auction were all quite ordinary. Midway through, a few treasures of some note did appear, but none were of interest to Lin Han. The Five Great Houses, however, did acquire several items. As for the Ma family, ever since the Ruins No. 3 fragment had been bought by Lin Han, they had been silent—clearly saving their firepower for the legendary artifact.
“Distinguished guests, the next treasure up for auction is one I’m sure you’ve all heard of. No doubt many of you are here for this very item.”
At these words, everyone sat up straight. They knew—the moment they’d been waiting for all night had arrived.
The legendary artifact!
“I’m sure you can all guess what’s coming next,” Xiao Yun paused dramatically, then spread her arms wide and announced, “Please welcome to the stage—the legendary artifact: the Bloodslaughter Greatblade!”