Who left their last words here?

Chapter 70 Auction Feast: He's So Poor He Has Nothing Left But Money (First Update of 4k)
Miss Witch won't die in the explosion.

The smoke gradually dissipated.

Although the mask was blown to shreds, the cloak was torn to shreds, and the face was so blackened that it was impossible to tell whether it was male or female...

But the black-faced witch stood amidst the smoke, still maintaining the elegance of a superior being.

Faced with the sudden explosion, the witch took the brunt of the blast by sacrificing a "gem".

No one was injured or killed, which is a cause for celebration.

Miss Witch deserves the credit!

"belch……"

He opened his mouth, and sulfur fumes came out.

The witch, who was completely disoriented from the explosion, shook her head.

But she wasn't actually angry... on the contrary, she was quite happy.

If someone else had done it, they would have blown her up like this...

No matter who that person is, whether it's an expert like Li or a professor like Wang, even if the director of the Special Administration comes, there's no room for negotiation.

She was determined to first open a soy sauce shop on the other person's face and then perform a ritual, with salty, sour, and spicy sauces all rolling out at once, accompanied by the deafening sounds of chimes, cymbals, and gongs.

But Bai Zhou is different!
I never expected that this kid, who is so lacking in intelligence, would actually be so skilled!
She felt that the other person's strange intuition was correct.

It turns out he wasn't a novice at all, but a prodigy who excelled in one area but focused all his energy on the field of magic runes!
The witch's heart was burning hotter than the heatwave from the exploding wand.

Because, as I said before—

The wand itself is not important!

...Alright, the important thing is that Miss Witch is determined to defend every inch of her hard-earned possessions to the death.

But the magic wand is definitely not as important as the white boat!
An ancient enchanted weapon wouldn't be enough to make a level 5 extraordinary person like her set up a stall in the Ghost Market for a whole year.

Unless, the repair of this enchanted weapon is related to something more important!
For example, the witch actually possesses something that cannot be released in the ghost market, which also requires a specialist to repair.

Furthermore, it shares the same origin as this magic wand.

This is the real reason why the witch is so desperately seeking to repair it.

The witch's eyes gradually began to shine.

She has to kidnap this kid right now!
"..."

As the smoke gradually dissipated.

The crowd, who had been lying on the ground, scrambled to their feet as if waking from a dream.

A clamor arose, with curses and doubts echoing everywhere.

The witch looked around, her gaze gradually turning to astonishment.

Where is that kid?

They won't have run away, will they?
When? She didn't even notice!
At this moment, the old expert Li, accompanied by two attendants, walked towards the witch, coughing as he passed through the acrid smoke.

"Cough! Cough cough..."

The elderly expert, Mr. Li, handed a tightly sealed cloth bag to the witch, his voice hesitant and stammering, as if he were having difficulty speaking:

"That person just now... said he had to leave first."

Before leaving, he said he was very sorry and asked me to give this to you.

"He really got away?!" The witch's eyes widened, and her voice rose.

"Yes..." Expert Li was somewhat embarrassed.

Anyone could see that Bai Zhou fled immediately because he was afraid the witch would come after him.

Quite a wise choice.

—What else can we do? Blow up the employers, and they can't possibly ask her for money again, right?
If we stay where we are, are we just going to wait to be bombarded by the Jewel Witch's rays?
How did he get there? Which direction did he go?

The witch was getting anxious.

"This one……"

However, the expert's answers were intermittent, and he seemed to know nothing when asked.

The witch was furious and immediately grabbed her cloth bag and searched everywhere.

But she searched the entire ghost market and still couldn't find any trace of Bai Zhou.

...Wow, that's really fast.

Where did he go?

"..."

At this moment, the witch, whose face was ashen, finally remembered the cloth bag that Shirazu had left behind.

Compensation?
What compensation can you offer?
Look at this so-called "cloth bag," the witch can tell at a glance that the black cloth was temporarily cut off by Bai Zhou from his body!
In other words, it's just a corner of that advertising banner...

If the outside is so perfunctory and unreliable, then the inside is even less reliable!
Miss Witch found a secluded corner and stood there, cursing under her breath as she casually opened the cloth bag.

A small, unremarkable clump of gray particles lay on the black cloth.

At a glance, there are about eight or nine grains.

It looked like Bai Zhou had casually scooped up a handful of soil from the ground and placed it on top.

but……

The witch examined her hands closely and suddenly froze.

This is……?
"Dust—no, that's not right!"

Suddenly, the witch shuddered and quickly wrapped the gray particles in the black cloth to make sure that no passersby would see them.

The expression hidden beneath the black cloak was quite remarkable; the witch's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Gray...ash?!"

……

"Hopefully, the compensation will be enough..."

Bai Zhou, who was mingling in the crowd and heading straight to the auction, was still feeling a bit scared.

It almost got chopped into minced meat.

Ashes meant nothing to him, no different from mud on the roadside.

If it could be used to quell the rage of a Level 5 Extraordinary, that would be ideal.

But Bai Zhou also knew that there were many things that could not be measured by money.

Judging from how much the witch values ​​her wand, it might be a family heirloom.

Bai Zhou could only hope that this thing didn't carry the witch's family honor, or embody her sorrow for some elder...

Bai Zhou let out a long sigh.

Pity.

The newly discovered clues about the Zhuluoji have been forced to be temporarily suspended.

This dud wand is a total rip-off.

The witch who treasured a dud bullet was an unlucky fool who didn't know its value.

Will we ever meet again, Jewel Witch...?

—Of course, it's the kind of goodbye that's peaceful and calm.

"..."

In the blink of an eye, Bai Zhou arrived at the end of the ghost market.

There were no other travelers around; the fog was exceptionally thick here.

Bai Zhou almost thought he had stumbled into some unexplored, uncharted territory; the absolute silence was chilling.

A large, abrupt shadow was writhing on the ground not far away.

"Where...is the auction?"

Bai Zhou surveyed his surroundings, cautious and careful, and did not make any rash moves.

At this time.

"Da da da……"

Behind me came the strangely familiar sound of a cane tapping on the ground.

Bai Zhou turned his head and saw a cloaked man with a cane walking towards him with two attendants.

Is it that... expert Li?
The other party also saw Bai Zhou:

"You're here too... I knew it."

"That person is looking for you everywhere."

For some reason, he reminded Bai Zhou, his tone seemingly carrying goodwill.

"Um……"

Bai Zhou felt a little awkward when the topic of the Jewel Witch was brought up.

"Shall we go in first?"

"Please."

Then, under Bai Zhou's observation, the old expert Li, accompanied by two attendants, stepped into the shadows. "Buzz..."

Like riding a downward elevator, the three slowly fell into the shadows and eventually disappeared.

Can you do this?

Bai Zhou blinked.

It turns out that, just like the wall connecting to the ghost market, this place is also an "entrance".

I thought the ghost market was already dark enough, but I never imagined that at the end of the ghost market, there was an even darker, deeper layer hidden...

Bai Zhou followed suit once again.

Stepping into the shadows did indeed give me the feeling of slowly descending in an elevator.

There's a hidden world below.

A chilling feeling washed over me; the world before me was completely different from the ancient ghost market.

The cold, high-rise building with its all-glass curtain wall stands before you, the only structure in this strange space.

The arched building resembles a giant pair of underpants, its comical shape conveying a cold, oppressive atmosphere in the dark space.

Strange lights and shadows flickered on the dim glass wall, creating a bizarre and terrifying scene.

Based on Bai Zhou's current understanding of the Reflection Ruins Realm...

If you encounter such a tall building from the outside, you'll know that its interior shadows are likely hiding a great deal of anomalies.

But Bai Zhou saw from afar that the old expert Li was leading people into the building, where a man in gray was greeting them at the door.

—So this is the venue for the auction.

"clatter……"

Led by a gray-robed attendant, Bai Zhou entered the building.

Footsteps echoed on the gleaming floor, reverberating through the spacious building.

The sudden appearance of blinding light, in stark contrast to the darkness outside, made Bai Zhou feel somewhat disoriented.

Without any warning, Bai Zhou was suddenly exposed to an unusually open space, with golden light surging in from all directions.

The giant golden crystal chandelier is dazzling, illuminating the ancient murals and lifelike reliefs on the dome. The towering pillars are covered with exquisite brass ornaments, and a large, leafy tree stands tall in the center.

A bright red carpet stretched to the end of the road, golden sunlight streamed down, and beautiful, enthusiastic women warmly welcomed each guest.

The bustling noise surged in like a tide, catching Bai Zhou completely off guard and leaving him astonished.

Having just strolled through the ghost market that seemed to have stood still for hundreds of years, Bai Zhou had some expectations for the "auction" hidden deep within the ghost market.

—Perhaps it was a dilapidated temple, or perhaps an altar.

A group of people in black robes gathered around the altar, their shadows elongated by torches.

The terrifying gargoyle stood in the center of the altar, presiding over the auction; the indescribable atmosphere suggested that some mysterious ritual was being organized.

Or perhaps, amidst the billowing, eerie green mist, the highest-ranking deity presides over the auction, resembling a scene of the underworld queuing up for a report.

...This is what Bai Zhou imagined the auction to be like.

At least their art style is consistent with that of the Ghost Market, so their appearance in a place like the Reflection Ruins is surprisingly reasonable.

However, Bai Zhou never imagined that this place would be like this...

extravagant.

It was magnificent and extremely precious, as if a heavenly palace was hidden at the end of the underworld, so shocking that it seemed unreal.

Only by experiencing the dilapidation and antiquity of the ghost market can one understand the feeling brought about by this extreme contrast.

It's like traveling through time, stepping from the dilapidated streets and ruins of hundreds of years ago into the glittering palaces bustling with nobles a hundred years ago.

Here, tall, mysterious figures all wore cloaks as they moved about.

They were gentlemen, polite, elegant, and of mysterious origin.
These people are not only wealthy and powerful in the secular sense, but also "big shots" who are unimaginable to ordinary people, who control unconventional resources and walk on the other side of the world.

Hidden behind the curtain of reality, the operators and mysterious figures standing atop the Listening Sea gather here in pursuit of special "resources".

By chance, Bai Zhou also arrived at this place.

He pulled out an "ash" during the verification process, which allowed him to blend in.

He sat down on a chair covered with red velvet, in a quiet, unnoticed corner.

The hundreds of seats were filled, and the auction began soon.

Everyone involved in the auction was waiting for the auctioneer to come on stage.

At this moment, Bai Zhou began to wonder what the auctioneer who presided over the auction would look like.

In this extravagant environment, the auctioneer must be an extremely charming and shrewd woman who can skillfully drive up the price of even the most mediocre goods to astronomical levels, taking advantage of the heated atmosphere.

however……

A heavy footstep—

What appeared before Bai Zhou was a creature with a flat beak, two wings, upright walking posture, and black and white markings...

A giant penguin doll.

Bai Zhou: "...?"

The chubby, round, and adorable giant doll wobbled its way onto the auction platform, attracting everyone's attention.

Around the neck of this giant penguin hangs a huge, exaggerated, and shiny gold necklace.

One can't help but marvel at what a magnificent, jewel-encrusted, plump goose it is.

It's called a doll, but it doesn't feel like there's a person inside... more like some bizarre penguin that stepped out of a comic book.

Its body is glossy and shiny, with vibrant colors, but its eyes are exceptionally lively and expressive.

The cuter it is, the more human-like it is... the more terrifying its existence becomes.

Given the peculiarity of this Reflection Ruins, one might even have reason to suspect that it is an urban legend, or some kind of anomaly itself!

Its eyes darted around lively, but its expression was unusually stiff—

Like a penguin with facial paralysis.

Then, it gave everyone a thumbs-up and grinned:

"Welcome to all of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this auction."

"As everyone knows, our mission is—"

"Ashes create happiness."

"Money makes endless possibilities!"

"Here, as long as you have money, there's nothing you can't do or buy!"

The penguin is adorable, but it has an unpleasant, male-like voice that's hard to tell if it's male or female.

Its bright eyes darted around, scanning every cloaked figure present.

At this moment, although he was expressionless, he spoke in a cheerful tone, his words carrying a special power that was almost hypnotic, yet just right to stir up the atmosphere.

"Without further ado, there's no need to elaborate on why you've come."

"Then let's get started without hesitation—"

The penguin plush toy said:

"A feast tonight."

"..."

Bai Zhou stared blankly at the adorable yet terrifying giant penguin that seemed out of place in the atmosphere.

Is this an auctioneer?
A penguin?
She wasn't the beautiful auctioneer I imagined; she didn't even seem human...

His first thought was that this was the first item up for auction.

Seeing such a creature on the auction stage made Bai Zhou feel a sense of absurdity, as if he were witnessing a frog prince setting up a street stall or a mermaid princess selling steamed buns.

But in this realm of reflections, on the other side of this ever-growing, bizarre planet—

Its existence seems surprisingly reasonable, and upon closer reflection, one might even feel a sense of relief that it should be this way.

Others who see Bai Zhou's specially made cloak may feel the same confused state of mind.

What secretly alarmed Bai Zhou was that behind this penguin plush toy, there must be a huge organization that orchestrated the auction.

Can they even tame this "abnormality"?

Or is this a "special state" manifested by an extraordinary being?
Similar to White Boat's "Cursed Colossus" and "Life-Stealing Cat"?
But none of that matters anymore.

The important thing is, what did he just say?

Ashes create happiness, and money holds infinite possibilities?

If you have money, there's nothing you can't buy, right?

Beneath the cloak, Bai Zhou blinked twice.

How happy can it be?

He really wanted to broaden his horizons.

Because right now, although he lacks everything...

But there's one thing that's not lacking—

It's "ashes"!
(End of this chapter)