in2ebook Chapter 158: Crisis is coming, wisdom is the way out
Chapter 158: Crisis is coming, wisdom is the way out
As night fell, the ancient city's lights began to illuminate, yet the tension in the air couldn't be masked. The auction was still in full swing, but Lei Yi's attention was already elsewhere. He appeared to be casually fiddling with his teacup, but in reality, he was meticulously analyzing the white-bearded elder's earlier assessment of the thousand-year-old ice bead.
"An extremely weak trace of fire-attributed spiritual energy..." Lei Yi murmured softly, his brow furrowed. He wasn't a weapon refiner, but his experience as a science and engineering man before crossing over taught him that any slight difference could lead to a huge difference in the final result.
He glanced calmly around and noticed that the mysterious bidder was also sitting upright, his eyes fixed on the ice bead on the stage, a glint of determination gleaming in his eyes. While the other bidders showed some interest, their enthusiasm was clearly not as strong as the previous items.
"Could it be..." A bold guess emerged in Lei Yi's mind. He took a deep breath and said to Dongfang Liuli beside him in a low voice: "Liuli, do you think this ice bead is a little strange?"
Dongfang Liuli's eyebrows furrowed slightly. With her intelligence, she naturally understood the hidden meaning behind Lei Yi's words. She calmly observed the situation around her and asked in a low voice, "What do you mean...?"
Lei Yi didn't answer directly. Instead, he tapped the table lightly with his fingers and pondered, "That white-bearded old man said that the ice beads contain fire-attributed spiritual energy, which will affect the quality of the refined magic weapon. This may not be a bad thing..."
Dongfang Liuli's eyes flashed, and she instantly understood Lei Yi's intention. She nodded calmly in agreement. The two exchanged glances, and they already had a plan in mind.
At the auction table, the auctioneer, noticing the lack of interest in the Ice Pearl, began to stir up the atmosphere: "Everyone, this is a treasure you only see once in a thousand years! If you miss it, you might never have another chance!"
The mysterious bidder seemed to have lost his patience. He stood up suddenly and said loudly, "I'll bid 10,000 spirit stones!"
The entire audience erupted in laughter at these words. Ten thousand spirit stones was no small sum, clearly indicating this person's determination to obtain the Ice Pearl.
Seeing this, Lei Yi curled his lips into a barely perceptible sneer. He pretended to be hesitant and whispered, "This price is too high, I..."
Dongfang Liuli gently held his hand and said softly, "Since you like it, take a picture of it."
Lei Yi pretended to hesitate, but eventually nodded. He knew full well that this auction was far from as simple as it appeared, and the real danger had just begun...
Chapter 158: Crisis is coming, wisdom is the way out of the dilemma (continued)
"Eleven thousand spirit stones!" As soon as Lei Yi finished speaking, the mysterious bidder raised the price again without hesitation. He glanced at Lei Yi provocatively, his eyes filled with disdain and complacency.
Although the other bidders were somewhat surprised by his determination, they were no fools and realized that this ice bead might hold even greater value. Thus, the previously quiet auction hall was filled with a flurry of bidding, and the price continued to climb.
"Fifteen thousand spirit stones!"
"Eighteen thousand spirit stones!"
……
Lei Yi remained silent, only occasionally taking a sip from his teacup, as if completely indifferent to the fierce competition. The more he remained silent, the more unfathomable he seemed, making it impossible to fathom his true thoughts.
Dongfang Liuli always stayed by his side, her eyes gentle but firm. She understood the deep meaning behind Lei Yi's every look and every movement, and also understood that he was playing a bigger game at this moment.
The auctioneer's smile grew ever more smug as he watched this scene. He knew his plan was already halfway successful. The more Lei Yi hesitated, the more likely he would fall into their trap.
"Twenty thousand spirit stones!" The mysterious bidder once again quoted an astonishing price, as if he was determined to win it.
This time, the whole audience was silent.
Everyone turned their eyes to Lei Yi, waiting for his reaction. However, Lei Yi just shook his head slightly and put the teacup back on the table with a soft sound.
"It seems that I am not destined to have this ice bead." He sighed with pretended regret and stood up to leave.
Upon seeing this, the auctioneer hurriedly said, "Sir, would you mind reconsidering this? This is a thousand-year-old..."
"No need." Lei Yi waved his hand, his tone firm, "I have something important to attend to, so I won't accompany you any longer."
After saying this, he ignored everyone and walked straight out of the auction house. Dongfang Liuli followed closely behind him, and the two figures quickly disappeared into the night.
The auctioneer watched the two departing figures, his eyes lit up with pride. He clapped his hands and whispered a few words to a red-dressed maid beside him. The maid nodded knowingly and hurried away.
However, he didn't know that Lei Yi had everything under control. Just as the maid in red passed by him, Lei Yi calmly extended his finger and flicked it lightly, and a small piece of paper fell into his palm.
He unfolded the paper ball, and in the faint moonlight, a line of small words came into view:
"A ruined temple on the outskirts of the city, midnight..."
Under the cover of night, Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli walked side by side on the deserted street, the dim moonlight lengthening their figures.
"It seems that this auction is really lively." Lei Yi handed the crumpled piece of paper in his hand to Dongfang Liuli, with a barely perceptible chill in his tone.
Dongfang Liuli unfolded the note and examined it carefully in the moonlight. There were only a few words on it: "A ruined temple on the outskirts of the city, at midnight, be sure to..." The words at the end seemed to have been deliberately erased, leaving only a vague trace.
"It seems that they are planning to 'lure you into a trap'." Dongfang Liuli's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and there was a hint of coldness in her tone.
"A ruined temple on the outskirts of the city... There's only one abandoned land temple nearby. It looks like they're planning to strike there." Lei Yi rubbed his chin, quickly analyzing the situation in his mind. He knew his current situation was extremely dangerous, and if he wasn't careful, he would be doomed.
"Since they dare to set up such a blatant trap, they must have made all the preparations. We must not take it lightly." Dongfang Liuli looked at Lei Yi worriedly, her heart full of worry.
Lei Yi gently patted the back of her hand, signaling her to be at ease. He then raised his head and looked towards the auction venue, his eyes deep and determined. "Since they want to play, then we will play along to the end! I want to see who is manipulating all this behind the scenes!"
At this point, the atmosphere in the auction hall had reached a fever pitch. With the mysterious bidder constantly raising the price, the price of the Ice Pearl had already reached a staggeringly high level.
"Thirty thousand spirit stones!" The mysterious bidder once again quoted an astonishing price, his tone full of confidence that he would win.
The other bidders shook their heads and gave up the idea of continuing the competition.
The auctioneer's face was filled with smiles. He looked around the room and asked loudly, "Is there any higher bid?"
At this moment, a calm voice suddenly sounded: "Wait a minute."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Lei Yi coming back to the auction house.