Archfiend

Xu Yangyi smiled and nodded. He wasn’t familiar with this business. It would be best to hand it over to someone who was familiar with the run of things. He himself was the sole successor of the Dao of Pills. Could it be that he needed to personally oversee everything?

If the Tullius Family’s management was poor, and his reputation was ruined, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the stench of this failure would last for a century. At worst, it was fine if he switched agents.

Regardless, he wasn’t the slightest bit doubtful about the auction’s success.

The next day quickly came to pass. After Xu Yangyi got up, he headed to Sotheby’s early. In the mortal world, Sotheby’s was a famous auction house, the oldest to date. He hadn’t expected that their tentacles had actually extended into the cultivation world.

Today, Sotheby’s was dead-silent, not a sound heard. All business had been stopped. At the door, four men in black were already calmly standing at the entrance.

The invisible Xu Yangyi faintly swept an eye over them. On the left there were two vampires, and on the right there were two lycans. It appeared these two houses wouldn’t modestly step aside whatsoever due to his expanding influence over the other families.

Screech… A car stopped, and a mortal soon stepped out. Xu Yangyi looked over. He kept on feeling that this man was familiar. As if he kept seeing his face over the past few days in New York.

“What?” 

The man didn’t speak, but a middle-aged man following him stood in surprise at the auction house’s entrance. 

“No entry today? Did someone reserve all the seats? Hmm… I think you’re mistaken. This is Donald Trump’s grandson. And we have black mail on Sotheby’s.”

“Sorry,” the four men in black apologized, yet they held firm and remained motionless.

A noisy scene was brewing at the door as the mortal world’s rich and powerful were all refused outside Sotheby’s today. Xu Yangyi only made a few glances and walked to the back door. His hand softly waved, and a black changpao covered him. Just as he was about to touch the Thousand Illusions, however, he hesitated and set it down.

He already felt that the Dracul and the Corvinus had special methods for identifying people, different from China’s qi recognition. They relied on scent or blood to be even more precise. If he changed his appearance now, that would instead demonstrate that he could manifest in all kinds of different forms. The Thousand Illusions was a controlled product in China. If someone had the heart to investigate item after item, perhaps they would discover his true identity.

In his battle against Vermilion Snow, he had used the appearance of a man over thirty years old. In going to the Corvinus’s Holy War Feast, he had merely removed the beard from the guise. His current look somewhat resembled his original appearance, but he definitely wouldn’t be made out as the same person.

He mumbled to himself for a moment, cloaking his entire body within his black changpao and heading towards the back door.

Once he made his way past the door, a moderate-sized garden appeared in front of him. It was approximately 330 square meters in size. Hidden in the fields of flowers and green leaves, there was a fountain carved with depictions of angels and Jesus Christ. The sound of running water lingered in the air. Laurent was there in person to welcome him at the door.

However, there was another man with a gilded cane of gold and jade. He had wavy golden hair, and he was dressed in the clothes of classical European aristocracy. Under the sun’s reflection, his monocle cast a golden radiance.

At his side, Laurent, who himself was a Marquis, was slightly bending over, simply not daring to stand straight.

Step after step, Xu Yangyi walked over. At this time, the tall, thin man walked over as well.

“Master X.” There was only one path in the middle of the garden. Like Xu Yangyi and the man were facing each other down, they stood face-to-face. The man’s gaze brushed over Xu Yangyi’s body and fell onto Xu Yangyi’s cloak. His eyes wordlessly narrowed, and he laughed, “This cloak’s quality is special. I think I won’t see through its origin, but perhaps I can speculate about this cloak. Let’s see, the value is about three shillings? From some roadside shop lit by a hanging lantern? It’s made from the cheapest wool, and it just barely manages to provide shelter from the wind and rain during a cold winter. It truly is a rare antique.”

Xu Yangyi faintly raised his gaze and shot Laurent a look. The other was still bent at the side, but his face was already drenched in cold sweat.

“I have no intention to mock you.” The man’s voice was very serene, and he took out his own sleeve and shook it. “Take a look. These are the clothes of Edward I of Britain’s Royal Family. As these were buried with him, he never even wore them once. Ah, if you’re unfamiliar, you can look up the House of Plantagenet. Edward I was the second king of House Plantagenet.” [1]

“I bought it for 76,000,000 Euros. It is something that the Dracul bought for me. And once a price of several hundred million Euros was agreed on for the Hope Diamond, ranked eighth among the world’s Ten Great Diamonds, I fashioned it into a watch. Would you like to see?”

Xu Yangyi stowed his gaze and said indifferently. “What are you saying?”

“Ah, my friend, don’t be anxious.” The man snapped his fingers and yelled without the slightest care, “Laurent.”

“Present.”

“I think you can tell our friend that a master spirit-technician setting out is a grand occasion. Isn’t that right?”

Laurent’s lips waved. He didn’t risk speaking.

Several seconds later, he answered cautiously, “Your Highness Donaldo, the insignificant Tullius family cannot refuse the request of a master spirit-technician. You are the oldest master in the West. As the other twelve master spirit-technician’s elected you to come, I hoped you would meet Mr. X before the auction. This request was raised by both the Dracul and the Corvinus, but I didn’t even agree, apart from the ladies and sirs among the master spirit-technicians with similar capacity. Sir, you said you wouldn’t make things hard…”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze flashed.

This man was actually a master spirit-technician?

A master spirit-technician… had come to his auction?

This man… Did he come to estimate his strength… or was he requested by some other family to make a mess out of his event?

“Am I being difficult on Mr. X?” Donaldo didn’t address Xu Yangyi as a master spirit-technician, and laughed, “I only had you say a few words. You think that a few remarks is being difficult?”

Laurent didn’t dare to reply.

The family that stood behind any master spirit-technician was only an idea. What was more terrifying were any of the quasi Grand Dukes, Throneless Grand Dukes, and actual Grand Dukes that sought their help, along with the contacts they had accumulated over many years. It could be said that even the Dracul and the Corvinus had to make considerations in offending a master spirit-technician.

And that wasn’t to further mention the insignificant Tullius Family.

“Laurent.” Donaldo’s voice was cold. “You are refusing a master spirit-technician’s invitation.”

“Laurent,” Xu Yangyi also spoke up. “There’s no harm. Just do whatever he says.”

“Yes…” Laurent gritted his teeth. “When any master spirit-technician leaves on a journey, it’s no extreme secret. On the contrary, it is extremely showy. I once saw the Corvinus’s master spirit-technician take action. In the sky, there was a flying boat made out of the S-rank heavenly treasure Red Goddess. It was over a hundred meters long. The surface was engraved with incredibly exquisite designs, and there were Marquises of such standing in the cultivation world that I dare not claim connection to. On the boat, they were gracefully laughing and cheering…”

Donaldo looked at Xu Yangyi and laughed, “That’s Master Spirit-Technician Cyritten’s ‘Thundercrash’. The construction cost was 65,000,000 middle-grade spirit stones. A master spirit-technician, ‘The God of Forging’ Phillipe, spent five years to complete it. In total, 30,000 journeymen and apprentice forgers of the West were mobilized.”

Laurent quietly followed up, “In the flying boat’s surroundings, there were dozens of magick artifacts escorting the ship. They were the Corvinus’s most elite Moon Child Battalion. They’re equal to the Dracul’s Night Bats.”

“Very good.” Donaldo snapped his fingers and looked at Xu Yangyi. “In this, I have a question and a doubt. I hope Mr. X can provide an explanation.”

“Speak.”

Donaldo didn’t get angry, and laughed, “My question is, do you know why no one welcomed you here? Even though you raised the name of master spirit-technician?”

Not waiting for Xu Yangyi to reply, he smiled and said, “Because in the end, this is still just a ‘name’.”

“Any unproven master spirit-technician is only a name. Furthermore, you didn’t publicize the campaign for your own product. Because of this, no one could judge your boundary.”

“Look, that’s the door.” He elegantly pointed to the auction house entrance behind him. “Once you enter, you’ll have truly confirmed yourself to be a master spirit-technician. If you really are, then everyone will celebrate. If not…” he said with seemingly deep meaning, “The crime for pretending to be a master spirit-technician in the West is death. In addition, we, the thirteen master spirit-technicians of the West, will obliterate the offender ourselves. Oh my friend, don’t doubt a master’s strength. Our bodies may be pitifully weak, but I think that we can move so far as to exterminate a few minor families.”

He gave Xu Yangyi a long and hard stare. “Now you have an opportunity to respond.”

Xu Yangyi raised his head and said in a calm voice, “You’re doubting This Throne.”

“Not doubting.” Donaldo took a deep breath, his gaze carrying a slight sharpness. “Perhaps your realm isn’t bad, but any master spirit-technician has wealth comparable to a country. They…”

He pointed at Xu Yangyi’s cloak. “Absolutely wouldn’t use something worth a couple dozen Euros to hide their body. I just can’t believe that a master spirit-technician, even in China, wouldn’t have a bit of style. Believe me, my friend, there are some positions you must walk. Even if you don’t want to, those beside you and your interest group will also force you to act that way. Because at that time, you are no longer alone.”

“And I don’t believe that a master spirit-technician who has arrived in America wouldn’t need to publicize their own product to establish themselves. At first I didn’t want to speak of this, but there is a minor matter that I hope you can clarify.”

“After you enter, you’ll be in Sotheby’s Magick Hall. This one is an auction hall of second standard. But… in New York, there are no less than ten-odd second standard halls. And behind Sotheby’s, there is another. It is the first standard Plaza of Holy Light. There is only one.”

“The Plaza of Holy Light is in a secret space inside Saint John’s Cathedral. The auction held there is for new product introductions, and only for master spirit-technicians with verified status. Any master’s new product introduction will be selected by the Plaza of Holy Light. This is the forbidden domain of the western masters. And you…” he laughed, “are the first ‘master spirit-technician’ to hold a release in a second standard hall.”

“Is it because you’re not confident? Or some other reason?” He moved aside and made an inviting gesture. “Let’s stop here, Mr. X. I hope that no master spirit-technician is discredited. There are only thirteen of us. We line up the streets in welcome of a true, capable master spirit-technician. As for a pretender…”

His voice chilled, “Not only myself, but everyone will act themselves to erase them from the world.”

“Now, make your decision.”

“Enter or leave.”