Half on the infuriating creature floating beside her,
who was still drinking
like nothing mattered.
Her ear twitched sharply.
Then, slowly,
she leaned back again,
exhaled,
and when she spoke, her voice through the link was calm again—
too calm.
*Alright.*
A pause.
*You win.*
The lizard didn't respond,
didn't even glance at her—
but she continued anyway.
*Four bundles.*
A beat.
*Plus the one you owe me.*
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
*Five total.*
Still nothing.
The fox's tail flicked once—
controlled now.
*And you don't argue about it later.*
A pause.
*That's the deal.*
Silence stretched,
but this time it was different.
Because she wasn't pushing anymore.
She had matched him.
Not above.
Not below.
Equal.
The lizard finally lowered the jar slightly—
just enough.
"…Fine."
Short.
Flat.
Agreement.
The fox didn't smile immediately.
Didn't react outwardly at all.
But her eyes gleamed faintly.
*Done.*
No more wasted motion.
Her attention snapped fully forward now—
back to the auction.
Because the number had changed again.
"Seven thousand five hundred."
A new voice—
higher tier,
hungry.
The room had escalated.
And now,
this was no longer something she could ignore.
The fox leaned forward slowly,
paw resting on the jade slate.
Her earlier irritation?
Gone.
Burned away into focus.
Because now,
she had something worth spending for.
Beside her,
Little White resumed drinking,
as if nothing had happened.
But his tail had loosened slightly—
barely noticeable.
The fox caught it anyway.
Of course she did.
Her lips curved faintly—
dangerously—
as her gaze locked onto the pedestal.
*Golden Core… or close enough.*
*Five bundles for this…*
A pause.
*Worth it.*
Below, the auctioneer's voice rang again.
"Seven thousand five hundred…"
"Do I hear eight thousand?"
The hall held its breath.
And this time,
the fox didn't hesitate.
Her paw pressed down.
A pulse of light surged outward.
"Ten thousand."
Clean.
Sharp.
And just like that,
she was back in the game.
The number didn't just land—
it crushed.
"Ten thousand."
No rise.
No buildup.
Just impact.
The entire hall went still.
Not gradually—
instantly.
Like something had pressed down on every voice at once.
Even the auctioneer paused,
just for a fraction of a second,
before her smile returned—
sharper now.
"Ten thousand… from Middle Tier Seven."
Her gaze swept the hall—
slow,
measuring.
"Do I hear ten thousand five hundred?"
No one answered.
Not immediately.
Because that number
wasn't just high.
It was decisive.
Shen Tu forgot to breathe—
actually forgot.
His eyes were locked on the slate,
then the pedestal,
then the fox,
as if trying to confirm she had really done that.
"My Lady…"
His voice cracked.
"…that's—"
He stopped.
Because there was nothing to say.
Beside her,
Little White paused again.
Not dramatically—
just enough.
The wine jar tilted slower this time.
Golden eyes flicked briefly toward her,
then back to the pedestal.
The fox didn't look at him.
Didn't need to.
Her posture had changed—
leaning forward slightly.
One paw still resting on the jade slate.
Not tense,
but ready.
Below, a voice finally broke the silence.
"…Ten thousand five hundred."
Western upper tier.
Careful.
Forced.
The fox's eyes narrowed slightly.
*Still in it.*
Good.
The auctioneer's voice flowed smoothly.
"Ten thousand five hundred…"
"Do I hear eleven thousand?"
A pause.
Then—
Suite Nine.
Meihu.
"…Eleven thousand."
Calm—
but no longer effortless.
The gap was gone.
Now she was climbing,
step by step.
The fox felt it immediately—
that subtle shift.
Her lips curved faintly.
*Now you're paying attention.*
The room tightened again—
not around Meihu this time,
but around both of them.
Because the center of gravity had split.
The fox didn't wait.
Didn't pace.
Didn't give space.
Her paw pressed down again.
"Thirteen thousand."
Another drop.
Another shockwave.
No hesitation.
No negotiation.
Just escalation.
The auctioneer's smile widened—
this time she didn't bother hiding it.
"Thirteen thousand from Middle Tier Seven—"
Now the room reacted.
Not loudly—
but audibly.
A low ripple.
Because this—
this wasn't normal anymore.
This wasn't even competition.
This was force.
Shen Tu staggered back half a step.
"…She's insane…"
He didn't mean it as an insult.
He meant it as a realization.
Suite Nine didn't answer immediately.
For the first time,
the delay stretched—
longer than before.
The fox watched,
unblinking.
*Come on.*
*Decide.*
Seconds passed.
Then—
"…Thirteen thousand five hundred."
Meihu.
Still in.
But now—
definitely responding.
The fox's smile deepened.
Because that was the moment she wanted.
Not victory.
Engagement.
She leaned forward slightly more,
eyes gleaming.
And through the link, her voice slipped out—
soft,
almost amused.
*You see that?*
A pause.
*That's what your silk is doing.*
Beside her,
Little White drank again.
"…Mm."
Unbothered.
The fox didn't wait again.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't calculate aloud.
Her paw pressed once more.
"Fifteen thousand."
Clean.
Final.
And this time,
the hall didn't just go silent—
it stayed silent.
Because now,
everyone understood.
This wasn't about the core anymore.
It was about who was willing to go further—
and who wasn't.
This wasn't bidding.
This was a line.
And everyone in the hall was watching to see
who would cross it.
The fox's eyes narrowed slightly.
*There it is.*
Not hesitation.
Weight.
For the first time,
Meihu wasn't just answering.
She was *considering the cost.*
The fox leaned back slowly,
not relaxed,
but controlled.
She didn't press again.
Didn't move.
Because she didn't need to.
*I've already pushed you past your comfort.*
Beside her,
Little White's drinking slowed again.
Not stopped,
but no longer idle.
He was watching now.
Actually watching.
The hall stretched.
Seconds passed.
Then—
"…Sixteen thousand."
Meihu.
The voice still smooth.
Still controlled.
But now,
there was resistance beneath it.
The fox's lips curved.
Slow.
Dangerous.
*Good.*
The auctioneer seized the moment.
"Sixteen thousand from Suite Nine."
"Do I hear sixteen five?"
This time,
no one else spoke.
Not even a whisper.
Because this had gone far beyond them.
The fox tilted her head slightly,
eyes still locked on the curtained suite.
She didn't move immediately.
Didn't press.
Instead,
she let the silence stretch.
Let the weight of that sixteen thousand settle.
Let Meihu feel it.