r18novel Page 54
Page 54
"Grey Sparrow" was clearly satisfied with the effect he had created. He waited until the shock and murmurs subsided before surveying the room and asking in a tone that was both alluring and subtly threatening: "Starting price: one hundred and twenty gold pounds! A rare opportunity, don't miss it! Is anyone willing to make a bid? We can discuss the price a little, but don't expect to cut it too much! This is a treasure I almost risked my life for 'somewhere'!"
The stone chamber was silent. The shock and greed from before quickly cooled into silence in the face of the immense barrier of money.
One hundred and twenty gold pounds! This was beyond the means of almost everyone present. Many people's eyes dimmed, and they shook their heads helplessly. Others had uncertain looks in their eyes, as if they were plotting other, even darker, methods.
As this suffocating silence lasted for nearly a minute, even the smug smile on "Grey Sparrow's" face began to falter, and it started to grow restless—
A slightly immature voice, clearly lacking confidence, weakly rang out from a corner near the door: "Mr. Grey Sparrow, may I offer forty gold pounds?"
The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the stone chamber where you could hear a pin drop.
"Grey Sparrow" abruptly turned its head, its beak mask pointing towards the source of the voice, seemingly not having heard clearly: "How much?! How much did you say?!"
"Forty gold pounds." The owner of the voice, a young man who looked thin and wore a mask, revealing only his eyes and chin, seemed to have mustered his courage and repeated himself, adding, "Mr. Grey Sparrow, you see, I'm still a university student and I'm really struggling financially. Could you consider it a friendly gesture and sell it to me at a lower price? I promise you, once I've completed my studies and become a powerful superhuman, I will repay you many times over! My favors are very valuable!"
After these words were spoken, the entire stone chamber fell into a deathly silence for half a second, and then—
"Pfft!"
"Hahaha!"
Forty pounds? And you're a college student? And you're repaying a favor?
"Is this kid trying to be funny?"
"Where did this idiot come from? Did the steam make him stupid?"
Suppressed laughter erupted instantly, filled with undisguised mockery and absurdity.
The tense atmosphere was completely wiped out by this sudden "dragon-slaying sword".
"Grey Sparrow" was trembling with rage, his bird-beak mask seemingly spitting fire. He pointed at the young man, his voice distorted, and said in an angry and contemptuous tone:
"Forty pounds?! Are you trying to fob me off like a beggar?! A college student? A favor?! I don't care if you're a college student or a bastard! If you can't afford it, shut the hell up! Get out of here! Don't embarrass yourself! Next! Anyone making a proper bid?!"
Zhang Su sat in the corner, his shoulders twitching almost imperceptibly, nearly bursting into laughter. He forcibly suppressed the upturned corners of his mouth, mentally ranting:
"Good heavens! I never expected that after transmigrating to another world, I would still see such an authentic 'Idle Fish Dragon Slayer Sword' and 'I'm a student' classic scene at a gathering of extraordinary individuals in the dark sewers! This is too intense! This 'college student' brother, you are truly a talent!"
This maneuver successfully transformed a serious illegal transaction into a comedy stage.
He watched with great interest the "college student" who was being scolded and was shrinking his neck as if he wanted to crawl under the stool, and then looked at the "Grey Sparrow" who was jumping up and down in anger. He felt that this trip to the sewers tonight was worth the price of admission just for watching the show.
The man in the bird-beak mask shouted several times in succession, "Anyone else bidding?! One hundred and twenty gold pounds! Last chance!" His voice grew louder and weaker with each shout.
The only response he received was the deathly silence of the stone chamber, and the occasional low chuckles that came from the corner.
The crowd looked at each other, their eyes clearly saying "can't afford it" and "just watching the show."
Some people even started muttering to themselves:
"This price is outrageous..."
"Exactly, even if Sequence 10 is the best, you still need the money..."
"Grey Sparrow" was also starting to have doubts: 'Damn it, did I really overcharge? These poor bastards can't even scrape together 120 pounds?' He touched his 'treasure,' which was sealed in a special lead box, feeling a pang of heartache and resentment. Lower the price? Lower it by a pound or two? That would be too undignified! And even if the price was lowered, these people probably still couldn't afford it!
Just as he was agonizing over the decision, and even began to consider whether he should grit his teeth and actually lower the price—
“Mr. Grey Sparrow…” The timid voice of the “college student” wearing a cheap cloth mask rang out again, with an inappropriate stubbornness that made him think he had seized an opportunity. “Look, no one else has made a bid, so how about you sell it to me for fifty pounds? I beg you! This is really all I have! I really need it.”
"roll--!!!"
Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, "Grey Sparrow" sprang up from the stool, pointed in that direction, and his voice was so shrill it almost cracked, as if he was about to explode with rage: "Fifty pounds?! If you dare say another fifty pounds, I'll make you crawl out of here right now! Keep dreaming! Nobody's buying, nobody's buying, I'm not selling! I'd rather keep you as a bedpost than let you, you idiot, get away with it!"
He angrily plopped back down on the stool, crossed his arms, turned his beak to one side, and stopped talking altogether.
They seemed to think they'd rather let it rot in their hands.
An awkward silence filled the stone chamber, broken only by the "Grey Sparrow's" heavy breathing and the "college student's" pitiful shrugging.
The crowd looked at each other, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense for a moment.
"Ahem..." someone broke the silence again, "Since Mr. 'Grey Sparrow' has no intention of selling for the time being, the auction continues. Next?"
As if a play button had been pressed, the brief silence was immediately broken. A burly man wearing a greasy leather apron and a rusty iron mask stood up and spoke in a deep voice: "I'm selling things. A 'Burning Iron Core,' about the size of a palm, can generate heat for half an hour when infused with psionic energy. It's good for warming hands in winter or roasting small things. In exchange, I'll trade it for some special medicine to cure 'Gear Fever,' or... well, 15 Sola will do."
This thing clearly didn't arouse much interest. Two people asked a few perfunctory questions, such as "Is the heat enough?" and "Is the duration accurate?" In the end, a person who looked like a pharmacist traded it for a small bottle of pungent green potion.
Next came a thin figure with a high-pitched voice, selling three "luminescent moss roots," claiming they would emit a steady, faint glow for three hours when lit, smokeless and odorless, suitable for lighting in places where open flames are prohibited. The asking price was 5 sola per root. Ultimately, someone who needed to work underground for extended periods bought them all for 12 sola.
Next up was a seemingly eccentric old woman who produced an ugly amulet, supposedly "good luck," made of rat whiskers and rusty gears, and asked for 1 gold pound!
As a result, no one paid any attention, and he sat down dejectedly amidst a chorus of sneers saying he was "money-grubbing."
While everyone's attention shifted to the auction, Zhang Su quietly moved to an empty seat not far behind "Grey Sparrow" by subtly adjusting his posture and shifting his chair.
This position is ingenious, located just behind and to the side of the "Grey Sparrow," allowing for easy close-up conversations without being immediately noticed by others.
Just as the fourth item—a piece of obsidian that is said to absorb minor negative emotions, but whose effectiveness is questionable—was about to fail to sell, and the atmosphere became somewhat tense again—
A very low, yet exceptionally clear voice, like a whisper, sounded behind the "Grey Sparrow's" ear:
“Friend, I’m quite interested in that ‘exuberant’ trait.”
"Grey Sparrow's" body stiffened abruptly! His eyes, hidden behind the bird-beak mask, widened instantly. A surge of ecstasy coursed through his body like an electric current. He forcibly suppressed the exclamation that almost escaped his lips and the urge to turn his head to confirm. His heart pounded, and his ears were perked up, afraid of missing a single word.
The voice continued, "However, a deal like this would be too conspicuous. If you're willing to make it privately after the conference, we can discuss it further. How about it?"
"Yes! Of course I'm willing!" "Grey Sparrow" almost impatiently squeezed out from under the bird-beak mask in a similarly low voice, filled with barely suppressed excitement and a hint of relief. "That's great! I... I'll definitely wait until the very end! Don't worry, sir!"
He didn't turn around, but nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that he understood the other person didn't want to attract attention.
Behind him, Si Ling Qi Er Er Si Ba Yue Yi did not respond, as if the whispers just now were just his illusion.
But "Grey Sparrow" knew it wasn't true; that heavy lead box could finally be exchanged for heavy gold pounds! His previously anxious and depressed mood instantly brightened, and he even found the guy who was still incessantly peddling obsidian much more agreeable.
The auction continued, and three more people came up on stage, offering items that Zhang Su found utterly unremarkable: an old notebook with blurred handwriting, seemingly containing 'meditation techniques' but incomplete; a small bottle of "quenching oil" that claimed to enhance metal affinity but had a pungent odor. Zhang Su strongly suspected it was some kind of cheap machine oil with added fragrance; and finally, a rusty short sword that supposedly belonged to an explorer but had several chips on its blade.
Zhang Su's gaze swept over the items, his heart unmoved: 'The notes are incomplete, their value is limited; quenching oil? It might fool a novice blacksmith apprentice; that sword, it wouldn't even sell as an antique… It seems there aren't many good items at this gathering of the lower classes.'
Finally, after the seventh item—the broken sword—failed to sell, the room fell silent again.
Then, the black-robed man guarding the entrance to the front hall lifted the curtain and walked in, announcing loudly: "The trade fair is over. Next is the free exchange session. Please feel free to speak your minds, exchange ideas, information, or seek cooperation. Time limit: one hour."
As if some kind of restriction had been lifted, the atmosphere inside the stone chamber became noisy again.
People who had been sitting upright and focused solely on the transaction suddenly stood up and began to move around, gathering in twos and threes and talking in hushed tones.
Some exchanged tips on potion formulas, some discussed rumors about a dangerous area, and others cautiously observed their surroundings, looking for potential partners or guarding against possible threats.
To avoid appearing too abrupt, Zhang Su also stood up and naturally walked to the side of "Grey Sparrow," who was sitting there, clearly in a better mood and even a little smug.
When "Grey Sparrow" saw him coming, her eyes under the mask immediately became eager, but she refrained from mentioning her special ability.
Zhang Su casually struck up a conversation, keeping his voice low enough for the people nearby to hear: "Friend, has anything... um, 'new' happened in this city lately? Or rather, has there been any 'unusual' things worth noting?"
"Grey Sparrow" paused for a moment, then let out a sneer with the numbness typical of locals: "Abnormal? Something new? Sir, what a question you ask... In this city of Migai, if there aren't ten or eight 'abnormal' things happening every day, that's the biggest 'abnormal' thing! That's what's new! Even the coal dust in the air smells strange, and weird things can crawl out of rat holes! You should ask if there have been any particularly big or widely publicized 'major events' lately! That way, everyone will have something to talk about."
Zhang Su let out a light laugh of realization, his tone perfectly that of an outsider: "I see! I was so naive. I'm new here, and I never expected your city... uh, to have such 'simple and honest' people and such a 'unique' environment. It's truly an eye-opener. So, in your opinion, what's the biggest and most widely talked-about 'big event' lately?"
Seeing the other party's humble attitude, and recognizing him as his "big benefactor," "Grey Sparrow" became more talkative. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke with the excitement of sharing some bombshell gossip:
"Is there any need to ask? Of course it's the 'Feng Yinhui family's inheritance' incident! Now, throughout the entire city of Migai, from noble lords to dockworkers, even three-year-olds know that this matter is being spread like wildfire."
He glanced around and continued mysteriously:
"Legend has it that the most powerful family in Migai City, the Feng Yinhui family, didn't acquire their immense wealth through business at all! It was obtained through a contract their ancestor made with some unspeakable 'evil god' many generations ago!"
"A contract?" Zhang Su displayed surprise and curiosity at just the right moment.
"Yes! The price is—the Silver Glow family's bloodline will become increasingly scarce with each generation, and their fates will become increasingly arduous! Using the lives and fortunes of future generations to exchange for mountains of gold and silver!"
The "Grey Sparrow's" voice carried a hint of horror and inexplicable excitement.
"Moreover, it is said that the 'proof' of that contract, an extremely powerful and extremely sinister anomaly, is hidden in the Silvershine family's lair, that eerie 'Silvershine Manor'! As a result, strange things keep happening in that manor, servants have been scared away wave after wave, and at night you can often hear inexplicable crying and arguing, as well as shadowy figures wandering around in uninhabited rooms! It's really eerie!"
He paused, took a swig of cheap beer (I don't know where he pulled it out from) to moisten his throat, and then revealed the truth:
"It's quite a scene now! Everyone in the city, whether they have any ability or not, is eyeing the Silvershine family like sharks smelling blood! They're eyeing their only unfortunate heir—Elion von Silvershine! That kid, tsk tsk, I heard he doesn't even dare to leave the house, hiding in the manor all day, surrounded by guys trying to pry secrets out of him or 'treasure hunt' inside! All sorts of people, you name it!"
"Grey Sparrow" lowered his voice even further: "And what's more, I heard that even official organizations, as well as those mysterious secret organizations hiding in who-knows-where, have gotten involved! They're all investigating this! With such a huge commotion, wouldn't you say this is the most famous and 'abnormal' major event recently?"
Zhang Su listened quietly, his eyebrows furrowing beneath the mask.
Unexpectedly, the future member he handpicked had such a powerful background—the most prestigious family in the city! Moreover, he was suspected of being involved in an extraordinary and unusual incident.
A pact with an evil god, a bloodline curse, a powerful anomalous legacy, the sole heir being hunted by various forces, and the involvement of both official and secret organizations...
This situation is far more complex and interesting than the "end of the river" ghost story of "Rusty Ditch." This pool of water is bottomless.
Now that he knew about this, and given that Elion was one of the designated future members, Zhang Su raised the 'priority' of investigating this matter to the same level as the talent recruitment plan, and preferably handled them simultaneously.
In case Elion, that reckless young man, discovers the anomaly in the family legacy and blows it up, resulting in his own death, then the Curtain Foundation Administration would lose a promising future investigator.
Volume 2: Chapter 9: Lord Quartz, Appraisal
Zhang Su then asked the man with the bird-beak mask, "By the way, how did the rumors about the Silver Glow family start? Is there any explanation for their origin? When did they begin?"
The "Grey Sparrow" turned its beak toward Zhang Su, its eyes behind the mask gleaming with the light of sharing secrets: "Hey, this matter is really hard to trace back to its source. It's like rats in a ditch; by the time they emerge, there's already a whole nest of them."
"But the timing... I remember it quite clearly, it was about two months ago. At first, it was just circulating in small circles like 'Rusty Canal'. They were saying that the Silver Glow family's ancestors had signed a contract with some unspeakable entity, exchanging their bloodline for wealth... It sounded pretty creepy. And guess what happened?"
He scoffed, "The wind is blowing harder and harder, and more and more people are exaggerating. Now even the dockworkers can chat with you about the 'gold mine of the evil god'!"
Zhang Su nodded slightly: "Do you think someone is... pulling the strings behind the scenes in this matter?"
The "Grey Sparrow" nodded without hesitation, its beak bobbing up and down: "Of course there are! Such a big thing, could it have gotten this big without someone fanning the flames? But..."
He shrugged, his tone one of enjoying the spectacle: "Who cares? Whether they're trying to fish in troubled waters, have a grudge against the Silver Glow family, or simply want to see a wealthy family suffer, for people like us, as long as there's entertainment and something to talk about, isn't that enough? The truth? That stuff's only worth a few pfennigs!"
Zhang Su paused for a moment, seemingly processing this underlying logic. Then, he asked a more crucial question: "In your circle of acquaintances... or rather, among the people you know, is there anyone bold enough to actually go 'treasure hunting' at Silvershine Manor?"
Upon hearing this, "Grey Sparrow" let out a short, mocking snort: "Of course! What this city has no shortage of are fools who would rather die than spend money! A few of the ones I know, thinking they had some skills or were lucky enough, also tried to 'sneak into Silver Glow Mansion at night,' and what happened?"
He spread his hands, making a disappearing gesture, "Gone and never to return! Not even a splash!"
Zhang Su pressed further, "They all perished inside? Was that manor really that dangerous?"
"Broken inside?" The "Grey Sparrow" opened its beak exaggeratedly wide, as if it had heard a joke. "No, no, no, you overestimate them and underestimate the Silver Glow family and the government! The Silver Glow family may not have any superhumans in charge, but they are the most powerful and influential family in Migai City! They are richer than a country! Do you really think the government is just for show? The taxes they pay every year are enough to support half of the city guard!"
"The authorities have already made it clear that the Silver Glow family is protected by imperial law and the municipal government! Dare to trespass on private property with malicious intent? Heh heh, just wait to be invited to drink 'holy water' or be thrown into the 'black iron cell'! My few 'friends' were almost certainly apprehended on the spot by the official superhumans patrolling the manor and directly handed over to the police station or the church court. They were lucky not to be killed on the spot!"
Zhang Su pondered: "Since the authorities have so clearly expressed their protection and even taken action to arrest people, why don't they just completely dispel the rumors? Catch the source and let the Silver Glow family be completely cleaned up? Isn't arresting people just treating the symptoms, not the root cause?"
"Grey Sparrow" said, "A denial? Of course there's one! The official announcement was made, and Silver Glow's family also issued a statement, swearing that it wasn't true. But did it do any good?"
"People would rather believe a thrilling 'evil god's contract' story than an official statement about 'getting rich through hard work.' That's human nature; it's abnormal to think that wealthy families don't have some dirty secrets behind them! What can the authorities do? Arrest all the millions in the city who believe this rumor? They can only catch the guilty in the act; they can't control what others think or say. Public opinion? Heh, sometimes it's just a stinking, sticky mess!"
Zhang Su was not surprised by this answer. This is true in any world, ancient or modern, Chinese or foreign.
He paused for a few seconds before posing his final question: "So, Mr. 'Grey Sparrow,' do you personally believe this rumor? How much of it is true, and how much is false?"
Behind the bird-beak mask, his eyes gleamed with a shrewd, mercenary light. He rubbed his fingers together, as if weighing his options: "I'll believe half of it, and doubt the other half."
"I believe the other half because the Silver Glow family has just too damn much money! It's unbelievable! Even the king has to treat their patriarch with utmost respect. Their trade routes span the entire continent, and their treasury is bottomless. You think they can accumulate that much wealth just through business? You're kidding me! A few generations can accumulate that much? I simply don't believe it. If there isn't some kind of 'mystical' assistance behind it, some price that ordinary people can't possibly pay, I simply refuse to believe it! Otherwise, how could their family be so rich?"
"What about the half who don't believe?" Zhang Su pressed.
"That's exactly what I don't believe!" 'Grey Sparrow's' voice was filled with intense confusion and a sense of incomprehensible absurdity. "They're so rich, wealthier than a country, and have been developing for nearly two hundred years! Yet, in their family history, they haven't produced a single extraordinary person! Not a single one! Do you think that makes sense?"
"In this city, which of the families that are even remotely considered powerful doesn't secretly cultivate their own extraordinary individuals? Even those small families that are barely on the verge of becoming 'elite families' would love to have one or two Sequence 9 or even Sequence 8 powerhouses as their foundation!"
"But the Silver Glow family, the number one wealthy family, has a history of ordinary people from top to bottom! It's so clean! This is too strange, so strange that it makes people think... either the price of the contract is too terrible, cutting off their possibility of becoming extraordinary; or they are hiding it, hiding it so deeply that it is unfathomable! Personally... I am more inclined to think that the price is too high."
Zhang Su nodded slowly: "Indeed, they're so rich, yet they don't even bother to cultivate a superhuman? The fact that the spirit wing is abandoned is itself the biggest anomaly."
He paused for a few seconds, as if processing the information, before asking the crucial question about Elion: "So now, is the Silvershine family heir still free to move around? Like going out or something? Has the authorities sent anyone... um, to 'protect' or 'monitor' him, openly or secretly?"
"Grey Sparrow" shook his head: "I really don't know about that. I haven't heard of the authorities locking people up at home under the guise of 'protection.' I guess that young master is scared enough by now that he's too afraid to go out. As for whether the authorities have sent anyone to keep an eye on him..."
He shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe there are sentries? But they certainly didn't send people to follow us openly, otherwise it would be too conspicuous, like telling everyone 'I'm hiding something here.'"
Zhang Su understood immediately; no wonder he had seen Elion and his butler on the "Sea Dragon Ridge" that day.
It seems that the official strategy is "loose on the outside but tight on the inside"—on the surface, they do not restrict freedom to avoid confirming the rumors or triggering a greater backlash, but they strengthen the protection of the manor itself and arrest any fools who dare to break in.
For Elion's personal travel, as long as the risks are controllable, such as traveling in his own or protected vehicles to relatively safe places, he may not be assigned personal guards for the time being, or the guards may be extremely discreet.
This gave Elion a moment to breathe and also gave Zhang Su the opportunity to approach him.
“Understood.” Zhang Su’s voice returned to calm, devoid of emotion. “Thank you for the explanation, Mr. Gray Sparrow. This information is very valuable.”
By this point, Zhang Su had obtained enough information to roughly outline the versions of the Silvershine family incident circulating in the lower echelons, the official attitude, and Elion's possible room for maneuver.