“The tracking has failed? The VIP token has been left in the Nangong Clan’s merchant association?”
Behind the Situ Merchant Association, there was a giant castle complex, and it was filled up with rows of imposing castles. Right now, in the largest castle was a refined and imperious-looking middle-aged man in brown robes who was seated in the study room. He was facing a middle-aged supervisor who was the auction house’s Situ Hong.
“Clan Head! This one is useless in handling things. Please punish me.”
Situ Hong took a careful look at the emotionless brown-robed man. This middle-aged man didn’t have an ordinary status as he was the Situ Clan Head, Situ Ao.
The major and minor clans of the Gods Bestow Tribe were all the same. The old elders would seldom meddle with the affairs and would only step in if the matter was related to the survival of the clan. The rest of the matters would be all handled by the Clan Head.
After Situ Yang gave the orders, Situ Hong immediately sent someone to track Qian Wanguan. Who knew that Qian Wanguan was a veteran? After circling several merchant associations, he actually got rid of their elite scouts and had thrown the VIP token in the Nangong Clan’s merchant association. That token had the Situ Clan’s unique seal which could be tracked down by the Situ Clan’s members.
When Situ Hong saw that Situ Ao didn’t say a thing, his eyes flicked as he bowed to seek for approval. “Clan Head, do you want to activate the secret team to investigate? Yang Lao said that this person must be recruited with haste.”
“You know nothing! The secret team must not be touched!”
Situ Ao took an indifferent glance at Situ Hong and said, “If we use the secret team and the opposition detects it, it will just create a misunderstanding. The Gods Bestow Festival is going to be held three days later. The seller will definitely come to claim the celestial stones. Get Yixiao to personally make contact and tell Yixiao to put on a good attitude. All conditions can be negotiated, and even if we cannot recruit the person, we still must establish a good relationship.”
“Young Master Yixiao?”
Situ Hong nodded. Situ Yixiao was the Situ Clan’s no.1 young master, a true nobility and one of the top class young masters of the Gods Bestow Tribe. If Situ Yixiao was to personally conduct the recruitment, it would amply express Situ Clan’s sincerity. Let alone a mere artist, even a peak-stage Heaven Monarch would be utterly grateful, right?
…
“Boss, you are too incredible.”
When Qian Wanguan returned to the courtyard, Jiang Yi teleported him into the Thearch Palace; and Jiang Yi used his Divine Perception to check the surrounding situation. When he noticed that no one was tracking Qian Wanguan after 15 minutes, he opened his eyes and smiled. “Wanguan, what is the situation?”
“Very good. The three paintings will probably sell for a huge sum. We will only know the exact value after they are auctioned off three days later.”
Qian Wanguan had explained all the details to everyone. Feng Luan and Qing Yu were silently feeling regretful as they were reluctant to part with the three paintings. Such Heaven Paintings that had a special intent weren’t so easily painted. Jiang Yi might never be able to produce such paintings in this lifetime again.
After hearing that it would be auctioned out in the annual Gods Bestow Festival three days later, everyone was secretly getting excited. Not only were they expectant on how much the three paintings would be sold for, but everyone also didn’t have to worry about not having sufficient celestial stones in the future. They earnestly hoped that the paintings would be sold to influential figures and that the fame of these three paintings would be circulated throughout Sin Island. Through the help of the hidden East Imperial Continent’s merchants, it would be circulated to the East Imperial Continent, which would allow Yi Piaopiao’s name to be renowned throughout the entire East Imperial Continent!
Of course… shopping was a woman’s nature, causing Feng Luan, Qing Yu, and Jiang Xiaonu’s hearts to be throbbing as they hoped to be able to attend the live auction. Even if they couldn’t buy anything, they would still have the chance to see the world’s top class and rare treasures. They wouldn’t have come to the Gods Bestow City in vain.
They knew clearly that it was dangerous to appear in public, and it was even more dangerous to attend the auction. Lu Lin and the Hong and Li Clans might be here, which would expose them immediately.
“Wanguan and I will make a trip three days later!
Jiang Yi muttered for a moment and said, “You will stay inside the Thearch Palace. If the auction is a safe place, I will teleport all of you out.”
“Alright, alright!” Qing Yu clapped her hands excitedly as she truly wanted to know what kind of sky-high price the paintings would sell for.
“Young Master, this…”
Feng Luan hesitated and asked, “Wouldn’t it be too dangerous?”
“There is nothing dangerous!”
Jiang Yi shook his hand and said, “If the Gods Bestow City isn’t safe, it wouldn’t matter if we go in public or not. These three paintings are already enough to expose us. If we don’t sell paintings… we will not be able to continue staying in this city. You are underestimating the capability of the great clans. If the Situ Clan truly wanted to track us, we would already be exposed. We can only hope that the four major clans wouldn’t make a move in the city.”
If the four major clans wouldn’t make a move, it would mean that the Lu Clan—which had a weaker strength in Gods Bestow City—wouldn’t dare to make a move either. Even if Lu Lin was to trace them to this place, what could he do to them if they didn’t leave the city?
These three paintings had an important significance to Jiang Yi, and he naturally wanted to see who the final bidders to buy them were. Hence, he made a decision to go out for a trip.
When Jiang Yi had decided on something, the others normally wouldn’t oppose it. Qian Wanguan went out again as he was preparing to go around the black market to spend some celestial stones to check out the situation in Gods Bestow City. Otherwise, he was afraid they might die without knowing what happened.
With the arrival of the Gods Bestow Festival, the entire Gods Bestow City had got livelier!
The Gods Bestow Festival was the grandest festival of the Gods Bestow Tribe as it was the day that the Great Emperor Nangong had put up the Nine Dragons God Extinguishing Array. Without this great array, the Gods Bestow Tribe would have ceased to exist. Hence, on this day, all the clans in the Gods Bestow Tribe would hurry to the Gods Bestow City to make a tribute to the Great Emperor Nangong.
Five days before and after the Gods Bestow Festival, the Gods Bestow Island had forbidden all use of martial force—not only in the city. If there was anyone spotted to be acting violently outside the city, the four major clans would definitely chase the criminals to their deaths.
On the day of the Gods Bestow Festival, the entire city could be opened for access, and there wouldn’t be any curfew during nighttime. All the massive inns of the four merchant associations would also provide free food and drinks as they hosted a city-wide celebration.
When Qian Wanguan brought back the information, Jiang Yi and the others were even more relaxed. It meant that during the Gods Bestow Festival, there would be a frightening number of martial artists; and when they blend into the crowd, they wouldn’t even produce a small bubble.
The auction would only start at nightfall, and in order to enter, they had to hand over earnest money. Qian Wanguan had just handed over 100 million celestial stones as earnest money and obtained a small pavilion which no one would be able to scout in from the outside.
Jiang Yi decided immediately that on the day of the Gods Bestow Festival, everyone would attend the auction, with disguises without a doubt. At the same time, they would use the Illusion Moon Stones to alter their appearances as well.
Three days passed in an instant, and the Gods Bestow Festival had arrived!
Swish! Swish!
Before the sky was even bright, countless Heaven Fate Ships arrived outside the city gates of Gods Bestow City, sending groups of people from various clans into the city. In just two hours, there were a hundred Heaven Fate Ships that arrived, bringing out close to one million people.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Concurrently, countless bandits outside the Gods Bestow Island had also flocked into the city from the four city gates. The city was free to enter for today, and many of the bandit legions naturally wanted to enter the city to enjoy and purchase some treasures and daily necessities while scouting for information.
In just a morning, the number of people in the city had increased by more than ten million, and more people were still coming into the city. During sunset, the five plazas of the city were filled with people and so were the countless inns of the merchant associations. Jiang Yi and his group had just exited and were shocked by the densely packed crowd.
“The sky is almost dark, and the Gods Bestow Ceremony will begin soon. Let’s go take a look at the Gods Bestow Plaza, and we will enter the auction house immediately after the ceremony.”
Qian Wanguan beckoned his hand and led everyone in a low-profile as they made haste towards the Gods Bestow Plaza in the center of the city.
