The King of Curses

Chapter 246 Auction

"Oh... this is the inside of the auction."

Jiang Yunmei looked around at the luxurious decoration. The three of them walked in the VIP passage under the guidance of the waiter. Standing at the stairs, they could overlook the surging crowd.

Below the circular square, everyone wore animal masks of tigers, wolves, pigs, dogs, etc. on their faces, and sat silently in their respective seats; coupled with the dim lighting in the venue, it was as if they were attending some kind of evil and secret underground party.

Cen Dongsheng and others chose to "follow the local customs" and also put on masks.

Although this obstacle can hardly obscure the eyesight of the curse-master, it is just like the impression left by the entire underground city, a small "decoration" that fits the aesthetic atmosphere.

"Have you ever been to an auction before? I mean, the kind held by ordinary people."

"Yes, I did. I was taken there by my parents when I was a kid. It wasn't a very important one, otherwise they wouldn't allow their children to come in."

While chatting, the three members of the team went up to the second floor and took their seats in the VIP room.

There were fine wines on the table, melodious classical music, and a closed environment designed specifically for private conversations. But if anyone could peek into the room, they would find that they maintained a long silence.

Cen Dongsheng and others have become accustomed to communicating through "Clairvoyance" for a long time. Whether it is business or chatting, it is more convenient to borrow Jiang Yunmei's ability.

"Are you sure you can buy it this time? Or..."

"It's better to have nothing than to have something of poor quality. If you can't buy it, just wait for a while. Now we are a partner of the Shanyin Ghost Market. In addition to the Super Working Committee, we can also ask them to look for it. You can always pick what you like."

Cen Dongsheng said that he also instructed the two girls:

"By the way, apart from the forbidden items for Yunmei's protection, if you have anything you like at the auction, just let me know."

With the support of their elder sister, the funds they can mobilize are astronomical; coupled with the fact that they are guests of honor of the Ghost Market's top brass, there is no way they won't get what they want.

As soon as they entered the auction hall, staff immediately surrounded them. They recognized Cen Dongsheng's face and came forward to greet him with fear and trepidation.

"Is that so... Then, Mr. Cen, can I ask you for a favor? If there is something we like, let me make the offer later."

Jiang Yunmei said with a smile, looking eager to try.

"Isn't there a plot like this in movies or novels? I want to give it a try."

"Of course." Cen Dongsheng didn't care at all. "Strategies and the like can be ignored. You can just shout whatever you want."

"Oh, regardless of the price, I can bid freely at the auction and enjoy the astonished looks of the people around me. It feels just like the dream I had when I was a child. Yutang, do you want to give it a try?"

“…I just feel bored.”

Song Yutang curled her lips, poured herself a glass of red wine, and poured another glass for Cen Dongsheng.

"I hope to buy the things and leave as soon as possible, so as to avoid any more troubles at night."

Before she finished her words, the light in the main hall below suddenly became dimmer; the curtain on the stage slowly opened, and the host walked onto the stage. He was wearing a long gown and a jacket, holding a jade ruler in his hand. He made a few harmless jokes as an opening remark, and then announced the official start of the auction.

……

Time passes minute by minute.

Jiang Yunmei held up her number plate a few times with a relaxed attitude. As she said, "It's just for the experience." They really came out to have fun.
Cen Dongsheng watched with a smile, occasionally closing his eyes for a short rest.

However, as the auction progressed, several eye-catching items did appear, which caused waves of pursuit among the guests several times.

These items were of no value to Cen Dongsheng. Apart from the information related to the "special class", the others lacked practical significance;

But just from the fact that certain auction items are circulating in the society of curse masters, and corroborating Cen Dongsheng's memories of his previous life, one can infer what stage this era has reached.

For example--

A "curse" that can be stored and traded for a long time.

Compared to forbidden objects whose power is actually attached to specific objects, cursed objects often exist in nature in the form of information or energy.

"The Freedom of Others" was obtained by Cen Dongsheng from the remains of a spell-binding master who had practiced the power of the tiger demon.

The most common way for curses to be born naturally is to be peeled off from ghosts or to emerge from the core of a haunted house.

If its birth is triggered but not absorbed quickly, the energy and information contained in the spell will continue to be lost, becoming "incomplete" until it disappears completely.

It sounds troublesome. The spoils obtained by the curse masters after exorcising ghosts and haunted houses may not be suitable for themselves, but they cannot give them to others. It is really a waste.

But this obviously does not pose a problem for the group of curse masters, and the "new civilization" they represent, which symbolizes the next step in human development. They not only possess the ancient mysterious power that has been passed down to this day, but also have the broad vision of modern science.

The so-called existence in the form of "information" sounds mysterious, but a book, for example, can be considered a carrier for fixing information. Modern civilization has countless means of using it: a photo, a videotape or a CD can all become media.

Since a month and a half ago, the Super Work Committee has begun to promote the containment technology of the forbidden spell internally, and now it has been able to achieve stable containment;
Now, this kind of technology has also appeared in civil organizations like Tianbao Pavilion, and people in the Ghost Market are accustomed to it. All this shows that the principle of containing the curse is not difficult.

The earliest group of awakened curse masters were either born with life-threatening curses, or were trophies obtained by those with qualifications after experiencing thrilling, life-threatening supernatural events. This "natural path" that inspired the birth of curse masters was uncertain, which meant that the size of this group was destined to be small;
On the other hand, once the curse becomes a stable resource that can be traded, the number of curse masters will expand on a large scale, which will become a foreseeable future.

In Cen Dongsheng's memory, not long after he returned to Tianhai City, he took the initiative to undergo testing. After confirming that he had the two basic qualifications of a spell-binding master, the spell-binding on him was directly issued by the Governing Bureau after approval.

At that time, the situation in the entire society was even more exaggerated. Not only were there naturally generated spells, but major forces had even begun to mass-produce artificial spells in order to expand their manpower and power.

"In just one to one and a half months, I estimate that the number of spell-binding masters across the country will increase several times or even dozens of times, and the snowballing speed will only get faster and faster..."

Cen Dongsheng thought.

"No wonder my sister said that the campaign of 'cutting down mountains and destroying temples' is on the verge of being launched."

……

"The next lot is one of our three treasures this time, a Grade A forbidden item that was discovered from the ruins."

The host's loud voice came from below, interrupting Cen Dongsheng's thoughts.

"This item is called 'Lianshan Liuyaojian', and it is used for self-defense."

Hearing this, Cen Dongsheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and saw the host tapping the jade ruler in his hand, causing ripples to appear.

"Everyone, please look at these six jade hexagrams——"

The glass cover in front of the host was glowing with green light, and the auction item was inside. Six tortoise-shell-shaped jade talismans were seen flying in the air, and the strong true qi overflowing from the cracks automatically formed ancient seal-like patterns in the air.

"The Book of Zhou says: The Grand Diviner is in charge of three Yi methods, the first is Lianshan, the second is Guizang, and the third is Zhouyi. This item is the 'Lianshan Liuyao' carved on the jadeite of Shouyang Mountain by ancient witches and shamans to observe the conjunction of the sun and the moon and the appearance of ghosts and gods. Now, the jade stone that carries the text has become a divine tool for self-defense... The magic of this item lies in the word 'Yi'. When it encounters fire, Kan water covers the top, and when it encounters gold, Li fire spreads all over the land. If there are people among the distinguished guests who understand Yi numbers and are smart, they can further explore the mystery..."

The host's performance was obviously more enthusiastic than before.

He also specially asked someone to bring up several talismans and stick them on the glass cover. After a while, the highly concentrated flames and lightning were seen running around in it, while the six jade hexagrams were wandering leisurely like swimming fish. Wherever they went, whether it was the red flames or the lightning, they turned into breeze or water splashes in the blink of an eye.

"Look! Even though this thing hasn't recognized its master yet, it already has such miraculous effects..."

In the eyes of the guests, the host worked so hard because this was the most precious item in the auction.

But there is more to it than that.

Because Cen Dongsheng discovered that the man's eyes were looking towards the VIP room intentionally or unintentionally.

...It's not an illusion, you can tell by looking at the enthusiastic and almost flattering look in his eyes.

"How about this?" Cen Dongsheng turned his head and asked the person concerned for his opinion, "Can you use it?"

"Not bad. 'Intelligent person'? I think I'm quite suitable." "How can you praise yourself like that..."

Jiang Yunmei laughed. In fact, it was because she also noticed the host's strangeness.

"It must be the work of that Pavilion Master," she said. "From this point of view, this thing is indeed precious."

In other words, it is at a level where “it is hard to imagine it being sold even at an auction.”

"Then we won't be polite." Cen Dongsheng made the final decision, "Go get what you want."

……

Although there is a tacit understanding between the two sides, the necessary procedures still have to be followed.

"Starting price: 100,000 new ghost coins."

"One hundred and fifty thousand."

"One hundred and eighty thousand..."

"Two hundred thousand."

Even if one does not understand the good intentions of Tianbao Pavilion, the value of a Grade A forbidden item is enough to make uninformed people scramble for it.

But in terms of financial resources, they naturally cannot compare with Cen Dongsheng and his team who have the Super Working Committee as their backer - the auction house has understood the financial reserves of all guests, which is the only way to maintain this tacit understanding.

"Three hundred thousand."

The highest bid so far rang out throughout the venue, coming from a young woman in the VIP room.

There was silence for a moment.

"Three hundred thousand, the first time, three hundred thousand, the second time..."

……

"How does it feel? You must have enjoyed the astonished looks from the people around you."

Cen Dongsheng looked at Jiang Yunmei who raised the sign and then put it down, and asked with a smile.

The girl shrugged.

"That's it."

"You got bored so quickly."

As Cen Dongsheng said at the beginning, they came to pick up something.

No one can take away what you want. Without an opponent, there is no excitement or sense of surprise.

"——It would be nice if something unexpected happened. How can there be no accidents at an auction?"

"You want something nice."

Song Yutang still couldn't help but complain.

"Ahaha, I just... want to get used to it as quickly as possible. As teammates, there's no way we can avoid this. Wherever someone like Mr. Cen goes, there will be chaos and accidents."

Cen Dongsheng was speechless after listening to this. It seemed that Yun Mei still had some opinions about him.

But just as he was about to speak, the girl added as if to explain:
"I am stating the facts. Compared to ordinary people, those great men and heroes who are remembered by history all have this characteristic. If they were not influential figures, how could their deeds be known to others?"

"That's true."

Cen Dongsheng said.

"But there is always a limit. It won't explode wherever you go."

"I'm……"

Jiang Yunmei wanted to say that she was just joking, but in the next moment, her expression changed, her pupils turned blue, and she assumed a posture of listening attentively.

The other two people in the room noticed her abnormality and waited quietly for the result.

After a moment, the girl sighed and said with emotion:
"I should tell fewer jokes in the future. I'm a bit of a pessimist..."

Cen Dongsheng had already guessed what had happened and began to unconsciously turn the glass in his hand.

"Teacher Cen, someone has invaded the auction, but has not yet launched an attack. What should we do?"

He made the decision.

"Go get your things first."

……

"Hello, we are here to pick up the goods."

A man who shouldn't have been here walked into the backstage warehouse in full view of everyone.

"So urgent?" The staff member was respectful but embarrassed. "It's a bit against the rules to take away the auction items in advance..."

Cen Dongsheng asked straightforwardly:
“Who can break the rules?”

"what?"

"I mean, who can you ask to give up the so-called rules? Or should I just call the people who have the power to change the rules?"

"No, that's not necessary."

Cold sweat broke out on the other person's forehead.

"I'm not going to embarrass someone who's doing his job. So tell me the name and I'll contact you right away."

"I...I understand! I'll give it to you right away."

The man laughed dryly.

"It's just a matter of time, right?"

His words seemed to be seeking approval, but Cen Dongsheng just stared at him expressionlessly; until he got the first-class forbidden item he bought - "Lianshan Liuyaojian" in his hand, the man's expression eased.

"Come and try."

A pair of slender white jade hands reached out from behind him and took the forbidden object in her hands. After examining it carefully, she nodded with satisfaction.

"It's the real deal."

"Yes, it must be genuine. The reputation of our Tianbao Pavilion is well-known throughout the country and the world..."

"I don't doubt Tianbao Pavilion. But when I found out that several backstage staff had been replaced, I became a little worried."

The other person's expression changed rapidly. He looked up in astonishment and saw a pair of clear blue pupils with a smile on their faces.

(End of this chapter)