I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Chapter 139: Exploring the Dark Market and Seeking the Truth

Deep in the library, Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli walked down the narrow secret passage. The cold wind with a damp and musty smell blew in their faces, like the entrance to an unknown abyss.

"I hope this is the right path." Dongfang Liuli whispered, a hint of worry in his tone.

Lei Yi held her hand tightly and gave her a firm look, "No matter what, we must find the truth."

The secret passage led to an underground river, its murky water emitting a nauseating odor. A small boat was docked at the shore, its driver wearing a bamboo hat that covered most of his face, revealing only a pair of shrewd eyes.

"Where are you two going?" The boatman's voice was hoarse and low, which made people shudder.

Lei Yi pulled out a black token inscribed with strange symbols, which he had found at the entrance to the secret passage. The boatman saw the token, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, then nodded, motioning for the two to board.

The boat slowly moved forward in the darkness. After an unknown amount of time, it finally arrived at its destination. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli stepped onto solid ground, and the view before them suddenly opened up.

This was a vast underground space, brightly lit and bustling with activity, like a bustling city hidden in the darkness. People of all kinds moved about: ornately dressed nobles, fierce warriors, and mysterious masked figures, each with an unreadable expression.

"Is this the underground auction?" Dongfang Liuli asked in a low voice, her heart full of curiosity and uneasiness.

"That's right," Lei Yi lowered his voice, "We should be careful and try not to attract attention."

The two followed the crowd to a massive stone gate. Two burly guards stood guard at the entrance, carefully checking everyone's identity token. Lei Yi calmly handed over the black token. The guards carefully examined it, looked up at him, and then let him pass.

Entering the auction venue, Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli found a seat in an inconspicuous corner. On the stage, a man in a black robe and a mask was presiding over the auction. His voice was deep and hoarse, yet full of magnetism, drawing people in.

"Everyone, tonight's auction is about to begin. I believe everyone can't wait, right?"

As the black-clad man finished speaking, rare and precious treasures were sent to the auction table one after another, attracting people from the audience to bid, and the atmosphere suddenly became heated.

Lei Yi's eyes swept through the crowd, trying to find the figure of Poison Rose, but he found nothing. He was secretly anxious, wondering if he had guessed wrong.

"This next item is sure to be of great interest to many people." The man in black suddenly raised his voice, a hint of mystery in his tone. "This is a treasure from ancient ruins, said to possess incredible power!"

As he finished speaking, a maid cautiously walked up to the auction table, carrying an exquisite wooden box. The man in black opened the box, and instantly, a powerful energy wave emanated from the box, filling the entire auction hall.

Lei Yi's heart moved. This energy fluctuation... could it be a forbidden technique?

"One million gold coins!"

"Two million!"

"five million!"

……

The crowd below the stage started bidding, and the price soared, soon breaking through the 10 million mark. Lei Yi stared at the wooden box on the auction table, knowing that he was getting closer and closer to the truth.

At this moment, several black shadows suddenly fell from the sky and surrounded Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli.

"Who are you?" Lei Yi asked coldly, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"By order of the Shadow Messenger, please come on this journey." One of the men in black said in a cold tone.

"Shadow Messenger?" Lei Yi was shocked. It seemed that their whereabouts had been exposed.

"If you want to capture us, it depends on whether you have the ability to do so!" Lei Yi protected Dongfang Liuli behind him, and a powerful aura burst out from him. He knew that he couldn't reveal his true strength at this moment, so he could only delay as much as possible.

The leader of the men in black sneered, "You don't know what death is!" Before he could finish his words, several dark shadows attacked Lei Yi simultaneously. Lei Yi was quick-witted and pulled Dongfang Liuli along to dodge, but the other side was outnumbered and their attacks were brutal, and Lei Yi gradually felt a little tired.

"Lei Yi, be careful!" Dongfang Liuli exclaimed and pushed Lei Yi away, but her arm was scratched by the sharp blade of a man in black.

"Liuli!" Lei Yi's eyes were bloodshot, his heart burning with anxiety. He suppressed his anger, pulled Dongfang Liuli behind him, and whispered, "Are you okay? Hang in there!"

Dongfang Liuli's face was pale, but she managed to say, "I'm fine, be careful!"

The flames of anger burned in Lei Yi's chest. His eyes were sharp and his attacks were even more brutal. He used his agility to shuttle between the men in black. His moves seemed chaotic, but he always managed to hit his opponents' vital points unexpectedly.

A man in black was unable to dodge and was hit in the chest by Lei Yi's palm, falling to the ground. Lei Yi seized the opportunity, quickly stepped forward, and pressed the man in black's own weapon against his throat.

"Tell me, who sent you here? Why did you want to arrest us?" Lei Yi asked sternly.

The man in black was obviously well-trained. Faced with the threat of death, he just sneered and kept silent.

Lei Yi increased the strength in his hands, and the man in black suddenly felt difficulty breathing and his face turned red.

"I'll ask you one last time, will you tell me or not?" Lei Yi's voice was icy cold, like a judgment from hell.

A trace of fear flashed in the eyes of the man in black, and he said with difficulty: "I... I said... we are following orders. As for the rest, I don't know..."

"On whose orders?" Lei Yi asked.

"Dark... Shadowbringer..."

"Who is Shadowbringer? Why is he trying to capture us?"

"I... I really don't know... I only know... the goal of this mission is... is..." The man in black suddenly became hesitant, as if he had something to hide.

"What is it?" Lei Yi had a bad feeling in his heart.

“It’s…it’s an item related to forbidden techniques…it might…it might appear at an auction…” After the man in black said this, he fainted completely.

Lei Yi was shocked. Forbidden technique? Could it be that...

Before he could think about it, he heard a commotion in the distance. He looked up and saw an enchanting woman in a red dress, surrounded by several men in black, slowly walking into the auction venue.

The woman was tall and beautiful, with a pair of enchanting peach blossom eyes that looked around gracefully, and she exuded a dangerous aura.

Lei Yi recognized her at a glance, it was Poison Rose!

Poison Rose's gaze swept across the entire audience and finally landed on Lei Yi, with a playful smile on her lips.

Lei Yi's heart sank. He knew trouble was coming...

Poison Rose waved her hand gently, and a man in black beside her immediately understood what she meant and walked over to her and whispered a few words.

After hearing this, Poison Rose's smile grew even more playful. She narrowed her eyes slightly and stared at Lei Yi, like a venomous snake waiting for an opportunity, ready to launch a fatal attack at any moment...

The appearance of Poison Rose undoubtedly added a touch of eerie atmosphere to the already turbulent underground auction venue. She lazily reclined on the soft chair in the box, her scarlet lips slightly raised, but her eyes were like a venomous snake, fixed firmly on Lei Yi.

"Interesting, he's here too." Poison Rose gently stroked her black-polished fingertips, her tone a bit playful, "Go, give him a little 'surprise'."

After receiving the order, the man in black quietly disappeared into the crowd and approached Lei Yi.

Lei Yi was now concentrating intently on observing the items on the auction block, trying to find any clues related to forbidden techniques among the dazzling array of items. However, a sense of unease lingered in his heart, like prey caught by a venomous snake, and he took every step with caution.

"Sir, you seem to be very interested in this sword?" An old man suddenly appeared beside Lei Yi and asked with a smile.

Lei Yi's heart was filled with alarm. He took a step back calmly and responded politely, "Old man, you're joking. I was just taking a look."

"Haha, I see that you have an extraordinary figure, so you must be a martial artist. This sword can cut iron like mud and cut hair like a whirlwind. It is definitely a rare treasure!" The old man continued to introduce enthusiastically, and at the same time blocked Lei Yi's way without leaving a trace.

Lei Yi thought to himself that something was amiss. This old man looked ordinary, but his eyes revealed a shrewdness that made him no ordinary man. He was about to speak when he felt a shove from behind, pushing him towards the old man.

"Ouch!" The old man exclaimed, and the sword in his hand flew out and flew straight towards a crystal bottle on the auction table, about to knock it to the ground.

"Oh no!" Lei Yi cried inwardly. He knew this was most likely a trap set by Poison Rose. Without time to think, he dodged and caught the sword with astonishing speed, while holding the old man steady and preventing chaos.

"Thank you so much, sir. Thank you so much, sir!" The old man shook Lei Yi's hand with tears of gratitude, but a hint of imperceptible cunning flashed in his eyes.

Lei Yi calmly withdrew his hand, but his heart grew even more alert. He knew this auction was far more dangerous than he had imagined, and he had to be even more cautious to find the answers he sought.

Just when Lei Yi was about to find the key clue, a deep voice suddenly echoed throughout the auction venue: "Next, we're going to auction a very special item..."

Lei Yi looked up suddenly and saw the Shadow Messenger slowly walking up to the auction table, holding an exquisite wooden box in his hand. The box emitted a faint light, as if hiding some shocking secret.

"This item is said to be related to a long-lost forbidden technique..." The Shadow Messenger paused deliberately, his eyes sweeping across the room before finally settling on Lei Yi. A meaningful smile played at the corner of his mouth. "Starting price: 10,000 taels of gold!"

The Shadowbringer's words were like a stone dropped into a lake, instantly stirring up a thousand waves. Though the guests present had all experienced the world, the word "forbidden technique" still easily piqued their receptiveness. Whispers and gasps echoed in the air, curiosity and greed written across everyone's face.

Lei Yi's heart skipped a beat. He stared intently at the wooden box, which emitted a faint glow. A strong feeling told him that this item might be the key clue he had been looking for. He had to get it!

"Ten thousand taels of gold, for one time!" the Shadow Messenger shouted loudly, scanning the entire audience with sharp eyes, as if looking for the first person to take the risk.

"Fifteen thousand taels!" A rough voice broke the brief silence. It was from a burly man sitting in the corner. He had a face full of flesh and it was obvious that he was not a good person.

"Twenty thousand taels!" Another shrill voice sounded, this time it was from a wealthy businessman dressed in gorgeous clothes. He had a fat head and big ears, and there was a shrewd gleam in his eyes.

The price soared all the way and exceeded 50,000 taels in a blink of an eye, but the bidders remained enthusiastic, as if this item was not some dangerous forbidden technique, but a rare treasure.

Lei Yi suppressed his excitement and waited patiently for the situation to develop. He knew that now was not the best time to strike, and he had to wait until the very last moment to strike the winning blow.

"Eighty thousand taels!" Poison Rose's voice suddenly rang out, lazily, carrying a hint of the arrogance of a determined winner. Her voice was like a bucket of cold water, dampening the enthusiasm of many. Eighty thousand taels of gold was no small sum, even for the wealthy, it was a considerable expense.

The venue fell into a brief silence again. Just when everyone thought that the Poison Rose was about to succeed, a calm voice rang out: "One hundred thousand taels."

Everyone's eyes were focused on the source of the voice—Lei Yi. His face was calm, his eyes firm, as if the mere 100,000 taels of gold were nothing to him.

Poison Rose narrowed her eyes slightly, and her scarlet lips curled up in a cold arc. She didn't expect that someone would dare to go against her, and he was an unknown kid.

"Interesting." Poison Rose chuckled, but her voice was filled with danger. "One hundred and fifty thousand taels."

Lei Yi's heart sank. He knew that the real battle had just begun...

"Two hundred thousand taels." Lei Yi's voice sounded again, his tone firm and unquestionable.