Lord of Prayer - Chapter 192 - 149: Yang’s Acquaintance (Part 2)

Chapter 192: Chapter 149: Yang’s Acquaintance (Part 2)

“One hundred thousand?” Zhou Chen thought for a moment. ’That doesn’t seem too expensive.’

This was the best spot for a close-up view, and you even got to have dinner with supermodels at night. Who knows, maybe something more could happen. Charging only a hundred thousand really was a bit cheap.

“US Dollars,” Old Yang added.

“…Can I get a refund?”

“Too late!”

Thanks to the speed and efficiency of the Alchemy High-speed Rail, the train slowly came to a stop two hours later, officially arriving in Hong City.

The doors opened. People on the platform were already lined up, waiting for the passengers to disembark before boarding in an orderly fashion.

Zhou Chen and Old Yang, carrying large travel bags, blended into the bustling crowd and headed for the exit.

Their bags were filled with firearms, Forbidden Objects, and other dangerous items, but as Star Association Operators, they were authorized to possess them.

By the time the two of them walked out of the station, night had fallen. What greeted them was a brightly lit, bustling city. Hong City was nestled at the foot of Cyan Mountain, with mountains on one side and water on the other. From the streets, you could clearly see the distant mountain peaks, along with a road of lights winding its way to the summit.

At the top of Cyan Mountain, amidst a vast canopy of green, stood a pure, flawless white building. It looked holy and solemn, bathed in a warm, dim yellow light that gave off a sense of intoxicating comfort.

By the sea, bursts of fireworks shot into the sky, exploding in a riot of color. This was the nightly fireworks show held during the beach bonfire party.

Hong City’s impression was one of elegance, charm, and comfort—a perfect Garden, a true tourist paradise.

“Where are we headed?” Zhou Chen asked.

“Get a hotel room, drop our stuff off, and then go enjoy the nightlife.” Old Yang grinned. “While you were in Meditation on the train, I already memorized the addresses of all the nightclubs and parties in Hong City. Of course, if you don’t want to have fun, you can go handle business.”

Zhou Chen suddenly remembered there was an international auction being held tonight. “Forget the nightclubs. Let’s go check out the auction.”

Old Yang looked at him like he was an idiot. “You don’t actually think you’re some Chosen One who can snag a hidden treasure, do you? Stop dreaming. The guys at auction houses are shrewder than the last. They’d never let anything valuable slip by. The whole plotline of finding a Divine Artifact on the cheap just doesn’t happen in real life.”

“…I just want to look around and broaden my horizons.”

In reality, Zhou Chen was trying to protect his virtue. After all, Old Yang was a shameless old man who would probably lead him astray.

“Let’s go, let’s go, or we’ll be late.” He practically dragged Old Yang toward the venue for the international auction.

The magnificent hall was the height of luxury. Elegant classical music echoed within, and expensive paintings hung on the walls. Lifelike statues carved by masters were arranged along one side of the hall.

A soft red carpet was laid over the marble floor. Gorgeously dressed men and women walked into the hall arm in arm, greeting acquaintances.

An auction of this caliber required an invitation. However, Zhou Chen and Old Yang were Star Association Operators. With that status, even without an invitation, the manager still enthusiastically welcomed them inside, though the seats they were given were toward the back.

Neither of them had any complaints. Getting in for free was already great—what more could they ask for?

“This Star Association identity is really useful. We get special privileges wherever we go,” Zhou Chen remarked as he sat in the auction hall, waiting for the event to begin.

“Obviously. Who would dare offend the Star Association? We’re the official authority.” Old Yang was long used to this. “As long as you don’t do anything too embarrassing for everyone, most people will turn a blind eye and welcome you. The number of Ascenders isn’t as high as you might think.”

Zhou Chen nodded slightly. Taking the wealthy attendees at this gathering as an example, only a handful were Ascenders. The rest were ordinary people, though they carried High-Level Alchemy Tools for protection against danger or assassination.

The bodyguards at the auction were all Ascenders, but only one of them was Tier Two.

In other words, if Zhou Chen wanted to play a real-life version of Three Men and a Dog, he could single-handedly slaughter everyone here and make off with a massive haul of Treasure. Of course, few idiots would actually do that. It would only invite a frantic pursuit from the powers behind the auction, as well as an all-out manhunt from the Star Association.

“Are you planning to buy anything?” Old Yang asked.

“Depends. I’ll buy something if it’s a good fit.” Zhou Chen wasn’t short on money right now. If the opportunity arose and he found something suitable, he wouldn’t mind giving it a shot.

Soon, the auction began. To Zhou Chen’s surprise, the host was a Catwoman. Her two fluffy ears twitched playfully, a tail swayed behind her, and a sweet smile graced her face.

“Welcome, esteemed guests, to this auction. We will now present our first item.”

The lights suddenly dimmed. The next second, music swelled as a spotlight focused on the high platform, illuminating a giant black egg resting in a golden nest.

“This is Lot Number One—a Black Dragon Egg.”

The Catwoman added with a smile, “A purebred Black Dragon Egg.”

The entire hall fell silent. Everyone was stunned by this bombshell of an opening.

A Dragon Egg!

And a purebred Black Dragon Egg at that!

Giant Dragons were synonymous with Power. Even a cross-bred subspecies possessed a level of Power that many Demon Beasts and Demons could only dream of. In front of a Giant Dragon, most species were no different from wild chickens!

And Black Dragons were one of the most iconic breeds of Giant Dragon. Their breath was the purest fire of destruction. The might of a single adult Black Dragon was no less than that of a Tier Four Ascender!

If this Black Dragon worked hard, it might even have a shot at reaching Tier Five!

In an instant, countless hearts in the auction hall began to pound. These people represented various powers, and if they could bring this purebred Black Dragon Egg back, it would undoubtedly be a monumental achievement.

The fierce bidding began.

Zhou Chen and Old Yang sat in the back. There was no way they could afford this thing, so they didn’t even entertain the thought, simply watching the show unfold.

“Wait, is that an Elf? A female Elf?” Zhou Chen suddenly noticed a lady with pointed ears raise her paddle to bid. She was as beautiful as the Elves depicted in various works of fiction.

“Don’t be so surprised. Hong City is a world-class metropolis. A diversity of species is perfectly normal.”

Old Yang lowered his voice. “Look to your left. Yeah, right there. See him? A Green-skinned Orc. Now look to the right, that’s an Atlantean. And further to the right is a Fox Girl. Man, that little lady is adorable… Look two seats behind her, there’s a Dark Elf with a great figure. That dark skin is really something…”

Zhou Chen looked to his left. There sat a sturdy, well-built Green-skinned Orc wearing gold-rimmed glasses and his hair in a bun. He was dressed in a massive but well-tailored, expensive suit, looking like a shrewd Merchant. He completely subverted the image of a Beastman in Zhou Chen’s mind.

He was stunned for a moment. “There’s something off about this Beastman…”

“You’ve definitely been watching too much hentai and reading too many doujins,” Old Yang shot him a glance. “These days, races like Beastmen, Elves, and goblins have long since integrated into modern society. Any who refused were beaten into submission by the Star Association. They’re not as barbaric as you think.

Don’t forget the Book of My Thoughts. That’s a Forbidden Object created by Green-skinned Orcs, and it can lead one straight to Tier Five.

Oh, right. I remember there’s a Great Sage in the Alchemy Realm who’s a Green-skinned Orc…”

Zhou Chen: “…”

In the end, after fierce bidding, the Black Dragon Egg was sold for one hundred thirty million US Dollars. After this bombshell, the atmosphere in the auction hall became feverish, and the next few items were all sold for amounts far exceeding their market value.

“Congratulations to bidder number 057 for winning this Treasure!”

On stage, the Catwoman host congratulated the bidder, and everyone’s gaze inevitably followed.

Number 057 was an exquisitely beautiful woman with jeweled earrings, wearing a high-end, custom-made blue evening gown. Faced with everyone’s stares, she returned a polite smile.

But upon seeing that figure, Old Yang’s body suddenly stiffened. His expression grew serious, and he whispered:

“Are you some kind of walking disaster? Wherever you go, trouble stirs up out of thin air…”

Three question marks practically appeared over Zhou Chen’s head. “What’s wrong? What does this have to do with me? How am I a walking disaster?”

Old Yang didn’t speak. He closed his eyes, his fingers drumming silently on the armrest of his chair.

Zhou Chen was confused. Seeing that Old Yang offered no explanation, he went back to watching the auction.

After a long moment, Old Yang’s eyes snapped open. He said in a low voice, “Let’s go. Follow me.”

At that very moment, bidder number 057 excused herself from the auction early, claiming to feel unwell.