Chapter 48: The Cocky Rich Bastard

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: The Cocky Rich Bastard

Since he knew exactly what Jonathan’s Celestial Core meant.

This revelation had not been accidental. He wanted to make Adrian’s life difficult, and more importantly, he wanted to give the Sinclair family a problem big enough that they would have less time to concern themselves with him and Mira.

From the reaction around him, the plan had already worked.

Adrian could deny everything he wanted, but his earlier desperation to obtain the Divine Grace Herb had already attracted attention.

Now that someone had publicly connected him to Jonathan’s supposed Celestial Core, people would naturally draw their own conclusions, and suspicion was enough.

Adrian’s jaw tightened. He knew that denying the accusation would not make those suspicious eyes disappear, so he turned toward Number 198, the killing intent in his gaze no longer hidden.

"You’ve made an enemy of the Sinclair family today," he warned in a voice as icy as winter. "I’ll remember your face. Pray that we never meet outside this auction."

Xavier merely smiled beneath his disguise, because he was not worried.

Adrian thought he was threatening the person responsible for humiliating him, but the man sitting in Seat 198 was not Xavier Kane.

As far as Adrian knew, he was Mr. X, and if the Sinclair family wanted to investigate him, they would first have to discover who Mr. X actually was.

By the time they got anywhere near the truth, Xavier’s strength would have already advanced considerably.

The Sinclair family might be powerful now, but whether they would still have the ability to threaten him in the future was another question entirely.

For now, Xavier simply leaned back in his seat. The auction was not over yet, and he had no intention of wasting the opportunity to turn the Sinclair family’s anger into his own advantage.

The auction continued, but the atmosphere had changed.

The earlier confrontation had left the guests far more interested in the Sinclair family’s secret than in the items being presented onstage, and the revelation that Jonathan Sinclair possessed a Celestial Core had planted a dangerous thought in countless minds.

Adrian Sinclair naturally understood what everyone was thinking, and that was precisely why he remained seated.

Leaving now would only make the situation worse, and he needed to acquire enough cultivation resources to strengthen Jonathan as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, there was another problem.

Guest No. 198 had clearly decided to make things difficult for him, and whatever Adrian wanted, the mysterious bidder seemed determined to compete.

The first example came almost immediately. Gerald lifted a jade bottle and smiled.

"Next up is a Grade Four Prosperity Pill," he announced.

"Its restorative properties are extraordinary, and even severe injuries can be treated with the right dose."

He paused deliberately before announcing the starting price.

"We’ll begin at 1,000 points. Bidding starts now!"

Adrian immediately raised his number plate.

"1,500," he called.

He had barely finished speaking when another voice came from behind him.

"2,000," the voice drawled.

Adrian’s expression tightened, and he turned slightly. Guest No. 198.

That bastard again.

He raised his plate once more.

"2,100," he growled.

"3,000," came the immediate reply.

The response came so quickly that several people in the surrounding seats turned their heads. Adrian’s hand froze.

Three thousand points was already an absurd price for a single Grade Four pill, and after a moment of silence he lowered his number.

He simply could not justify spending that much. A Grade Four Prosperity Pill normally sold for around twenty million crowns, and paying far above its usual value made no sense, especially when he still had other items he needed to purchase.

"Forget it," Adrian muttered bitterly. "Let that rich idiot have it."

His voice was not particularly loud, but No. 198 clearly heard him. A moment later, a mocking voice drifted across the room.

"A rich idiot?" the stranger chuckled. "You should worry about yourself first. If you can’t even afford 3,000 points, perhaps you shouldn’t be calling anyone else poor."

Adrian’s face immediately darkened. Poor? That word struck a nerve.

He was the head of the Sinclair family, one of the most influential families in Valemont, and being publicly humiliated like this was intolerable.

A murderous look flashed across his eyes. If this were not the Skywater Pavilion, he would have already dealt with the man, but the auction rules protected every registered guest, so he could only swallow his anger.

Not long afterward, another Grade Four pill appeared.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item is a Grade Four Spirit Gathering Pill!" Gerald cried, and then he announced the opening bid. "1,000 points!"

Adrian raised his number plate immediately.

"3,000," he snapped.

He had barely finished when the familiar voice sounded again.

"4,000," it replied lazily.

Adrian’s jaw tightened. Again. That bastard was deliberately targeting him! He stared at No. 198’s back for several seconds before finally lowering his number, because 4,000 points was already more than he was willing to spend on the pill.

What Adrian did not know was that his assumption was only partly correct.

Yes, the mysterious bidder was intentionally provoking him, but that was not the only reason.

The pills being auctioned were exactly the sort of resources Xavier needed, because if he could purchase them here, he could later invest them in Mira and potentially receive even greater returns from the system.

The problem was that his behavior could easily raise questions.

Why would someone who had already brought dozens of pills to the Skywater Pavilion turn around and spend even more points buying similar pills?

It would certainly look suspicious to anyone paying close attention, but Adrian’s presence provided the perfect explanation.

As long as Adrian kept fighting back, nobody would question why No. 198 was willing to spend so freely.

Unfortunately, Adrian seemed to have finally learned his lesson, and he stopped bidding altogether. That left Xavier with little choice but to let the remaining pills go.

Time passed, and before long the clock had reached nine thirty in the evening.

The auction had finally reached its most important portion, and Gerald’s expression became noticeably more serious as several staff members carefully carried the next item onto the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we’re now entering the highlight portion of tonight’s auction," he declared, gesturing toward the display case. "Our first featured item is twenty milliliters of Constitution Essence."

The starting price appeared on the screen.

"5,000 points!"

The room immediately erupted into discussion. Xavier’s eyes narrowed.

He had encountered something similar before, when the previous sample had been transformed through the system into a powerful body enhancing treasure, and the resulting reward had awakened his martial talent. Its value was obvious.

Even ordinary martial artists could benefit from it, while those who already possessed special physiques could use it to strengthen and develop their innate abilities. Mira’s awakened constitution made the item particularly valuable to her, and Xavier had no intention of letting it slip away.

The bidding started immediately.

"5,100!"

"5,200!"

"5,300!"

The numbers continued climbing.

"6,000!"

"7,000!"

"8,000!" a man shouted from the side.

Within minutes, the price had reached 8,800 points, and several bidders began hesitating.

The Constitution Essence was precious, but there was a limit to what most people were willing to spend. Xavier calmly lifted his number plate.

"10,000," he said evenly.

The entire room seemed to quiet for a moment, and several people turned toward him.

"11,000!" another bidder shot back.

Xavier did not hesitate.

"15,000," he answered.

The other side fell silent. Gerald waited, and once it became clear that nobody intended to continue, he raised the hammer.

"15,000 points!" he cried, and then he struck the table.

"Sold! Congratulations to Guest No. 198!"

Applause spread through the auction hall as Xavier lowered his number plate.

Another valuable resource was now his, and he could feel the attention of several people around him.

Tonight, Guest No. 198 had become impossible to ignore. He had already spent heavily on several items and had openly challenged the head of the Sinclair family, and now he had casually thrown out 15,000 points for a single item.

It was difficult not to attract attention.

Xavier was not particularly bothered. Thanks to the system, his resources were increasing far faster than he could spend them, and to him, points were ultimately just another form of cultivation resource.

If spending them could make Mira stronger, there was no reason to hesitate.

Gerald did not waste any time, and the next item was quickly brought onto the stage. His expression became even more solemn.

"We’ve now reached the second to last featured item of tonight’s auction," he announced, and the room immediately became quieter. "A Grade Five Creation Pill! The opening bid is 10,000 points!"

The moment the pill was revealed, the atmosphere changed completely.

Even Adrian Sinclair, who had spent most of the auction suppressing his anger, immediately sat straighter.