Chapter 651, Poison
"Five hundred, isn't that a bit high?" Wu Heng asked.
After the base price, there would be a bidding process, and the final price would multiply several times.
Shanaila smiled, "You're selling to rich merchants and nobles now. And this potion? It's something they drink. If it's too cheap, would they believe it works? They're not short on money—they're short on reasons to believe."
"Uh... that angle actually makes sense." Wu Heng said.
Minnie chuckled, "Sister Shanaila is a rich lady, she's experienced in this."
Shanaila reached out and tapped her, pretending to be angry.
Wu Heng also nodded, "Then we'll go with your suggestion. Those people are so rich they only have money left—they won't mind the price."
Shanaila looked at him, "Jealous of the rich."
"Nope. I'm jealous of the talented ones too," Wu Heng added.
Then came Andviel's turn, who also said, "The patrol team will increase the frequency and number of patrols near the opera house. One Deputy Steward from the Guild will be responsible for outside security, and one for the venue interior."
"As long as it's arranged, it's fine." Wu Heng nodded.
The group chatted for a while, then had the skeleton clean the dining table.
When night fell, they returned to their rooms to rest.
...
Night fell like ink, and the entire city sank into silence.
The opera house that had drawn crowds during the day now looked especially eerie in the dark.
Swish~!
A tamed beast flew through the night sky, circling above the building.
Then, three figures approached the opera house like phantoms.
Under the moonlight, black cloaks and masks could vaguely be seen, revealing only cunning eyes.
One kept watch, one controlled the beast in the sky, and the third skillfully took out tools to begin picking the lock.
The three were extremely cautious, not daring to make a single sound.
They each performed their role according to plan.
Gold-Silver Island was too wealthy—if they could steal something tonight…
Even if the auction items weren't here, they could still make a hefty profit. If the items were here, they'd change their lives forever.
Click~!
A crisp sound—the lock suddenly opened.
And at that exact moment, explosions rang out in the night sky.
Bang bang bang~!
Bullets pierced through all three skulls; blood burst out as their bodies flew backward.
Immediately after, a few figures walked out of a building across the way.
Holding straw mats, mops, and buckets, they rolled up the corpses, relocked the door, and began cleaning the scene.
"Which wave is this?"
"Third wave—a bunch of desperate thieves."
"Should we tell the lady?"
"No need. There may be more later tonight. Search the bodies. Keep anything valuable. Stack the corpses in the backyard."
"Got it!"
Once the cleanup was nearly done, they left again.
Only wet patches were left on the ground.
...
The next day, at the Gem Blossom Opera House.
The grand hall, like a dazzling jewel, radiated luxury and mystery.
The domed ceiling hung high above, and brilliant crystal chandeliers bathed the space in soft light, making everything appear bright and dreamlike.
Guests in lavish outfits gradually entered the venue.
Acquaintances chatted, discussing the wonders of Gold-Silver Island and speculating on the prices the items might fetch.
After a wave of noise—
The seats gradually filled, and the event began with the toll of a bronze bell.
On the auction stage, a wood elf in a black tuxedo stepped up. After a brief self-introduction, he said, "There's only one item for auction: a physique enhancement potion, certified by the Guild and Consortium. Due to scarce ingredients and high crafting difficulty, only five bottles are up for auction."
Rustle~!
A wave of noise spread through the crowd.
"Only five bottles? That few?"
"There's at least hundreds of people here, and we're fighting over five bottles? What a joke."
"Looks like competition will be fierce."
The auctioneer waited for the chatter to die down, then said, "Bring up the first bottle."
A graceful wood elf maid walked up with a tray, swaying her hips lightly.
She lifted the silk cover, revealing a potion bottle.
"Starting price: 500 gold coins. Minimum bid increment: 20 gold. You may begin. Oh, and if you didn't bring enough money, you can ask our staff for a pawn loan."
After speaking, the auctioneer took two steps back.
The potion was placed at the center of the stage.
The audience widened their eyes at the 500 gold starting price.
Starting at 500 gold? Is this the elixir of immortality or what?
After a round of murmuring came a brief silence.
Then a human noble raised his number plate, "520 gold."
"Someone actually bid? Not afraid of being scammed?"
"If it boosts personal abilities, then for someone stuck in a bottleneck, it's a miracle drug."
"That guy's wearing an alchemy robe—he's probably buying it for research."
"Makes sense. Even if not to drink, many want to study it."
Amid the chatter, a dwarf also raised his plate.
"540."
"600..."
"..."
"1080."
One after another, bids shot up rapidly.
...
In a second-floor booth—
Wu Heng looked down through the window.
Hearing the growing bids, he finally let out a breath of relief.
He had feared no one would bid, and the auction would fall flat.
Now it seemed Shanaila's judgment was spot on.
Sitting beside him, Shanaila whispered, "What are you worried about? Don't you trust my instincts?"
"I was afraid they wouldn't recognize its value," Wu Heng said with a smile.
"You don't understand them. We priced it high to match their expectations of a rare potion. Even if they suspect it's fake, the chance it's real is worth gambling on. For them, earning money is easier than improving themselves." Shanaila explained calmly.
"Makes sense," Wu Heng agreed.
While they spoke, the first potion sold for 3,480 gold coins.
The buyer casually pulled out bags of gold and paid on the spot.
Rich and generous.
Shanaila added, "That was just the first one. The last one will fetch several times more."
Wu Heng raised an eyebrow and continued watching.
...
In a section of the auction hall—
Sheila Grey stood in armor and helmet, leaning against a wall, watching the auction.
Hearing that one potion had sold for over three thousand gold, her eyes widened beneath the helmet.
That's way too much money!
At that price, the exhibition's security back then was obviously insufficient.
Good thing nothing happened.
Sheila Grey adjusted her helmet and muttered, "Just how many treasures does that guy have?"
"Seriously, I'm already a steward and haven't gotten a moment in the spotlight."
...
The auction continued.
The second bottle sold for 3,260 gold coins.
The third for 3,680. But for the fourth, the bidding became intense again, with the final price reaching 6,840 gold coins.
That price knocked out most of the competitors.
Even among merchants and nobles, there's a difference in wealth.
Many sighed and gave up on bidding further.
Finally, the last bottle.
The auctioneer softly reminded, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the last bottle. Starting again at 500 gold. If you miss today, who knows when the next chance will come—or if it'll ever come again. Please begin."
Silence for a few seconds, then someone spoke.
"Folks, I'm an old man. Have some mercy. I'll bid 520 gold."
"Who's young here? I'll bid 600."
"If we keep fighting like this, only the island lord brat will benefit. I bid 3,500. Let me see if it's real or fake."
On the second floor, Wu Heng frowned.
You're buying something—why drag me into it?
"4,000. Raise if you're not convinced."
"Staff, I have some gold artifacts. Let's trade them for coins."
"I just bought a mansion from city hall yesterday. I'll use the deed as collateral."
"You guys are insane. I'll bid 5,000."
People cursed each other, saying whoever bought it must be mad—and yet they kept bidding.
The price continued to soar.
The auctioneer smiled.
Wu Heng and Shanaila beamed from their second-floor booth.
There were thousands of bottles like this at home.
"32,860 gold, first call."
"Second call..."
Thump~!
The gavel dropped. "Congratulations to guest number 465. The bottle is yours."
"Damn it," the winner gritted his teeth, not happy at all.
Most of the items in his space ring had been pawned.
He wasn't even sure if the potion worked.
The bidding was officially over.
Amid the auctioneer's thanks, the crowd dispersed, chatting about the sky-high potion.
...
In a mansion—
After the auction, many followed someone to this place.
Everyone sat in the main hall, watching an old man leisurely sipping tea.
"Mr. Otema, stop being mysterious. Just drink the potion now and tell us what it does."
"Yeah, give us some peace of mind. Does it work or not?"
"Stop drinking tea. What if you're too full to take the potion?"
The old man glanced at everyone.
With a smile, he said, "You're treating me like a lab rat."
"Keeping the potion on you is dangerous. If you drink it, we can be witnesses and you'll avoid a lot of trouble," someone reminded gently.
It's only yours once you drink it. Otherwise, people will always be after it.
The old man nodded and took out the potion.
Several alchemists nearby prepared for an emergency, along with a few healing scrolls.
If anything went wrong, they'd act immediately.
The old man took a deep breath, popped the cork, and downed the potion.
The next moment, his exposed arm and neck were covered in purplish-black veins, which quickly spread.
The old man collapsed and began writhing in pain.
Groaning escaped his mouth.
The others were startled.
They jumped up and backed away.
"Shit, it's poisonous!"
Spent thousands of gold—for a bottle of poison.