Chapter 240
Chapter 240
«Yeah! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!» – XiaoBai broke into a bit of laughter until tears poured down his face. – «It’s been years since I’ve been helping the guild invent all sorts of money-making scams, selling junk to the losers for high interest from the profit! And they buy it! Look at them fiercely raisу their bids with foam at the mouth! Aren’t they fools? Ha ha ha!»
It started to dawn on Kyon how his brother the scammer had made connections in the guild. – «So you’re selling a big bag of nothing? Isn’t it a bit too much?»
«It’s not nothing. It’s a closely related formation at a reasonable price. If anyone ever complains, their incompetent formacists will be to blame. We’ve got it all sewn up.»
«What kind of formation did you use?»
«Suppressing. It will render any demon in the third phase powerless.»
«What’s it original price?»
«A bit less than a hundred thousand. Why?» – XiaoBai couldn’t understand what his younger brother was getting at.
«Can you get me a collar like this but for demons in the fifth area inclusive?»
«Uhmm… I guess I can…» – XiaoBai frowned.
Kyon immediately ordered one collar. The price of 1 million spheres didn’t stop him at all, which cannot be said about XiaoBai, whose heart had skipped a beat.
Meanwhile, the entire auction hall burst into complete mayhem.
«Three hundred thousand!» … «Three hundred and ten thousand!» … «Three hundred twenty thousand!» … «Three hundred fifty thousand!» – The patriarch Romanov (3) yelled vehemently.
«Four hundred thousand.»
An authoritative woman’s voice rose over the general hubbub of the hall. Hundreds of guests stared at princess Kara Grand who was elegantly sitting on the VIP balcony. Was there anyone crazy enough to outbid her? It was unlikely. The price was too high. Each family knew how far they were from the Grands. If the princess was after this lot, it was better to think about the future and not cross her.
Kyon chuckled inwardly. Was the princess going to study the formation to secure her demonic family? He would like to see her reaction when she failed!
All of a sudden, Kyon heard XiaoBai’s loud voice nearby. – «Four hundred and fifty thousand.»
All the guests gasped in shock. No one could believe that the patriarch Stone’s grandson would go up against the princess herself!
Kara glanced down at him in surprise. When she recognized her dear Juno’s brother, she frowned and said coldly through her gritted teeth in a tone that didn’t bode well. – «Five hundred thousand.»
«Five hundred and fifty thousand.» – XiaoBai said dryly.
«You shouldn’t provoke her.» – Kyon warned XiaoBai. The insidious revengeful demons were too dangerous, especially if they had power.
«I have two aces up my sleeve.» – XiaoBai assured him. – «First, I’m her best friend’s brother! She wouldn’t be too aggressive with me. And second…» – XiaoBai looked meaningfully at the pretty lady on his lap, swallowed loudly and quickly turned away. Too late! Cornelia had already understood everything and smiled, flattered. In a moment, she threw herself at his neck with a joyful glee and passionately kissed him on the lips.
XiaoBai turned pale, then blue and after that green. His eyes rolled back. It seemed death itself was slowly sucking out his soul.
{I see…} – Kyon’s guess confirmed. There was no need to be afraid of the demon.
The confrontation between the princess and XiaoBai continued, the bid had grown to one million.
The guests panicked. They couldn’t believe it was really happening.
Then Kyon noticed that his fat brother fell silent. XiaoBai looked hesitant and uncertain, so Kyon yelled his bid that was fifty thousand higher than the previous one.
«Idiot!» – XiaoBai hissed. – «You will screw it up! It has gone too far. I won’t make it up to you! You will buy this collar with your own money!»
Kyon grinned glumly. – «You don’t have to. I’ll take half of the profit.» – If XiaoBai started this war, they should bring it to the logical end! Cornelia would be their shield if need be.
Princess Kara bared her white teeth, giving the death stare to the other madman on the unfortunate balcony. She could forgive XiaoBai: he would sell his soul if the price was right. But she wasn’t going to let this unknown fool off so easy!
Actually, the princess needed to buy another expensive lot, which didn’t leave her much money. Her mom hadn’t given her much, and Kara wasn’t going get more anytime soon.
«Million one hundred thousand.» – Kara said firmly.
The bid continued to grow, approaching two million.
The people of the hall turned their heads from one balcony to the other. A couple of impressionable guests fainted; the others turned pale. Two million of spheres for a collar? Wasn’t it too much?!
Kara’s voice was getting colder and colder. There was a clear threat in it, gradually giving way to bloodthirst. She clenched her fists till her knuckles were white. Her arrogant cherry-red eyes burned into the bastard.
«Two million!» – Kara exclaimed in exasperation.
Kyon could feel the princess’s vibrations. She couldn’t offer more. He grunted thoughtfully and said quite gallantly with a beaming smile on his face. – «You have won, Your Highness.»
Kara wanted to run the phoenix technique and turn the bastard into ashes right on his damned balcony! It was a total waste of money! She hoped her mother would forgive her.
The princess said to her two knights, tall and strong like a rock:
«I want to see him at my feet when the auction is over.»
«Yes, Your Highness.» – The knights bowed.
Many guests in the hall breathed a sigh of relief. The crisis was over. The princess had always been famous for her hot temper. It was a close call. The madman from the Stone family had ripped Her Highness off two million spheres, which meant a death sentence!
Cornelia saw XiaoBai looking at his brother in admiration. She pouted her lips, jealous of Kyon.
…
«Ladies and gentlemen! I am giving you an incredible, breathtaking, unique piece of art created by Phoenix God himself!»
They brought a little table with a beautiful silver stand to the center of the hall. The stand was strewn with bright lighting crystals. Everybody saw a proud phoenix majestically spread its wide wings as wanting to cover the whole world with them. This divine creation was made of precious stones in vibrant shades of scarlet and orange. There were red diamonds, rubies, rubellite, imperial topaz, citrine, and garnet. Due to the lighting in the hall, its fiery radiance spread all around. It was an awe-inspiring sight. It seemed almost unreal, and everyone in the hall was convinced in the imaginary divine aura of the legendary creature.
The figurine was impeccable. Each curve, each groove was made with tediously pedantic accuracy. It was a breathtaking piece of craftsmanship that no brilliant sculptor or talented jeweler could ever create.
While the guests were staring in awe at the unique work of art, the auctioneer told them a made-up legend. He said that the figurine had been found in ancient ruins filled with deadly traps. It was one solid piece, integral in parts and details. Therefore, nobody could ever make it. Gods only had the power to create such a miracle.
Kara eagerly looked at the beautiful figurine. It was a symbol of her kin and her unique body! Its colorful splendor had touched her heart and soul so much that she had to rise from her seat. The princess wanted to get the precious phoenix at all costs!
«Half a million.» – She said, interrupting the auctioneer.
The hall fell silent.
«Six hundred!»
Kara and all the guests in the hall were completely surprised to hear Cornelia’s resolute voice. She was leaning on the balcony railing, her big brown eyes fixed on the figurine.
{What?!} – Kyon thought of all the families who might be related at least to a certain degree to phoenixes. A sudden idea grabbed him. Every such family was on a completely different level than the families of the Rosarrio empire (6). – {Who is she?!}
Kyon was planning to rip the princess off himself, but then his big brother’s girlfriend came to his aid.
Kara stared at Cornelia, trembling with rage. Perhaps she should launch a phoenix into that damned balcony after all. The people over there were obviously eager to die!..
«Seven hundred!»
«Eight hundred!»
The price was growing at an incredible speed.
«Four million!» – Kara said angrily, waving her hand.
Some guests hastily left the auction room, fearing the inevitable fight. Everyone could feel the dangerous, bloodthirsty aura emanating from the princess. – «What’s going on here?!» … «Gods save us!» … «I am going the hell out of there!»
Two-thirds of the guests remained in their places, nervously watching the scene. They dropped their jaws when they heard that the price of the figurine had risen to four million. It was an outrageous sum of money that no family in Boston could afford. Only Timothy remained calm. He didn’t give a damn.
Cornelia pursed her lips. – «Baby Bear, I am short of money. Can you lend me some, please…» – She asked imploringly.
«What? I am broke! I have nothing!» – XiaoBai grabbed at his ring, terrified.
«I will return twice as much, my sweet…»
XiaoBai opened his mouth like a guppy fish.
«Five…» – Before Cornelia could raise her bid, XiaoBai hurried to shut her talkative mouth with a kiss. Cornelia opened her eyes wide with surprise. Her baby bear had never shown initiative before!
His efforts were not in vain. The auctioneer hurried to announce the winner to avoid the impending fight. The princess’s aura had subsided. The guests breathed a sigh of relief: they had avoided the disaster.
Princess Kara gritted her teeth. – «I want to see this insolent bitch at my feet, too!»
«Yes, my lady…» – The knight said nervously.
Cornelia did not come to her sense at once. – «No! XiaoBai! What did you do?! I need this fiery phoenix! It’s…»
XiaoBai kept silent, crestfallen. He seemed to have caught a tropical fever.
«Silly boy!» – Cornelia bit her nail. She had missed a magnificent relic, a real symbol of her family! In the future, she would have to buy it for a higher price from the Grands, the beggars.
«Cornelia, will you pay me four million for this figurine if I get it in a few days?» – Kyon asked, stroking his chin.
Cornelia frowned at him for addressing her so informally, then she raised her eyebrows, surprised. – «Sure, I will! Can you get it?»
«I suppose so.» – Kyon smiled slyly. He decided to kill two wolves with one shot without being eaten alive. – «Just tell me your family name.»
«I am sorry I can’t.» – She shook her head.
«Even to get a phoenix?»
Cornelia hesitated for a while. – «Arseniev…»
{She’s lying! The Arsenievs have nothing to do with phoenixes.} – Kyon thought. He didn’t seem to have a choice anyway. The lady wouldn’t tell him the truth. – «Alright. I will get you the figurine. XiaoBai will send you a parcel one of these days.»
Cornelia smiled and thanked him in a low, soft voice. She didn’t like Kyon at first, but now she did not know what to think about him. She would be very grateful if he could get the phoenix, and building a good relationship with her might be extremely profitable.