Chapter 122: An Acquaintance
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"Actually," I said, taking another sip of the spirit-infused tea, "I find this spot has excellent Chi circulation. Perhaps your sect business could be conducted at one of those empty tables?"
Lin Lie's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his eyes. Perhaps surprised at the clueless westerner who knew about chi. "Hmm. You're familiar with energy currents?"
"I'm learning." I flexed my fingers, letting a tiny spark of the Chi I'd been practicing with Diamondhead flow visibly across my knuckles. Nothing impressive, I didn't have as much control over Chi as I did in Diamondhead form, but it was enough to show I wasn't completely ignorant.
"Interesting technique," Lin Lie observed. "It has an... unusual signature. Not quite traditional."
"I'm not quite traditional myself."
He nodded slowly. "May I ask what brings you to Shanghai? Perhaps I could offer guidance, if your interests align with my knowledge."
The question seemed innocent, but I'd spent enough time around Emma Frost to recognize subtle probing. He was fishing for information while appearing helpful. Two could play that game.
"We're seeking information about an Iron Fist spirit," I said, watching his reaction carefully. "One that exists between heartbeats and breaths."
Lin Lie's face remained neutral, but his pulse – visible at his throat to my enhanced senses – quickened slightly. "I see… Forgive my words, but that is stupid. The Iron Fists are not to be trifled with. Their legacy is sacred to many."
"We mean no disrespect," Kwannon interjected smoothly. "Simply seeking knowledge from those willing to share it."
Lin Lie frowned deeply, clearly considering what to say next.
As Lin Lie kept thinking, I noticed a bunch more eyes looking at us. I glanced past him to the "friends" he'd mentioned, observing us with interest. The table behind him seated several individuals who clearly weren't ordinary tea house patrons.
My eyes widened slightly when I spotted a familiar face among them. Very shocking that I'd recognize a face in China, but here we are. A young woman with distinctive blue-tinted hair whose K-pop performances had taken over YouTube algorithms for weeks. However, it wasn't YouTube videos I recognized her from.
I recognized her from Magik's video call that one night.
"Wait a second," I said, snapping my fingers. "Illyana's friend!"
The woman's head turned sharply toward me at those words, her expression shifting from mild boredom to intense curiosity. Luna Snow, real name Seol Hee, rose sharply from her seat, studying me with newfound interest.
"Huh, you know Illyana?" she asked, approaching our table quickly. Recognition dawned on her face. "Ehh, wait! You're that boy Illyana talked about. The one she took to Limbo and..." She trailed off, eyes widening slightly. "Ben Tennyson!"
"Whoa, she actually talked to you about me? That's crazy," I replied, surprised that the aloof Magik had mentioned me to anyone.
Luna stared at me in silence for a bit and then smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes. "She might have mentioned a certain rescue mission. And how you handled yourself against a rather turtle-shaped problem… She shares a lot of stuff with me."
Beside me, I felt Charmcaster tense slightly at the reference to Addwaitya. Kwannon remained composed, but I could tell she was filing away every detail of this unexpected connection.
Luna turned to Lin Lie, whose carefully neutral expression couldn't quite hide his confusion. "Lin, these are friends of friends. I can vouch for them."
A young man at their table leaned forward. He was stockier, with an intelligent gleam in his eyes. "Any friend of the Queen of Limbo deserves at least a cup of tea before being kicked out," he remarked with a wry smile.
"Amadeus," Lin Lie began, his tone suggesting this wasn't the first time his companion had undermined his authority.
"Come on, Lin," Luna said, placing a hand lightly on his arm. "Since we're all friends here, it's okay to let them have the seat. There's plenty of room at our table if your guests arrive."
Lin Lie hesitated, clearly weighing his options. He didn't like this. But I could almost see the mental calculations behind his eyes, the potential advantages of making connections versus the risks of breaking protocol.
"Very well," he finally conceded with a slight bow. "But I must warn you, the events about to unfold in this establishment are not for the uninitiated. Tread carefully."
"Yes, yes, no need to warn them, I'll be sitting with them," Luna grinned and slipped into an empty seat beside us, leaning in conspiratorially. "So, what brings Illyana's champion to a chi cultivators' gathering in Shanghai? Last I heard, you were making quite an impression in Genosha…"
"...She told you about that too? That was supposed to be a secret," I said. I'll have to warn Colossus about this.
Before she could respond, the distant sound of bells began to echo through the tea house. Around us, patrons straightened in their seats, conversations halting mid-sentence.
"Ah," Luna whispered, her playful demeanor shifting to something more serious. "It seems the auction is beginning..."
The air shimmered, reality folding in on itself like origami paper.
The tea house's interior expanded, walls receding to reveal a vast circular chamber with tiered seating that hadn't existed moments before. Our table remained in place, but now positioned within what had transformed into an auction house.
Damn. You don't see this type of stuff in the States, I noted. I suppose China's 5,000 years of intricate civilization wasn't built on nothing.
A platform materialized at the center, upon which stood a dignified elderly man in traditional robes. His voice carried effortlessly through the space without apparent amplification.
"Honored guests, welcome to the monthly gathering of the Celestial Auction. Today's offerings include treasures from the eight directions, each verified by the Council of Five Harmonies."
Lin Lie walked to stand near our table, his demeanor shifting from casual to formal. "You've arrived on an auspicious day, how fateful," he murmured. "The Celestial Auction is invitation-only."
"And yet here we are," Charmcaster replied with a hint of smugness.
The auction began with minor items – scrolls containing forgotten techniques, herbs from mountains no ordinary human could climb, weapons with modest enchantments. Bidding proceeded in a formal, almost ritualistic manner, with participants raising painted fans to indicate their offers.
Each item sold for what seemed like astronomical sums, but the patrons barely reacted. This was clearly normal for them.
Then the auctioneer presented a small jade box that glowed with soft golden light.
"Our premium offering today: a genuine Dragon's Breath Cultivation Pill, harvested from the sacred peaks of Kunlun. This singular treasure can grant a practitioner's twenty years' worth of Chi, compressing decades of training into moments."
The crowd stirred, whispers rippling through the chamber. Even Lin Lie's composed expression faltered slightly. Kwannon's eyes had widened, and she leaned forward as if she was drawn into the pill's light. That thing was clearly valuable.
"Any idol would kill for that kind of shortcut," Luna whispered, her eyes wide with a mix of professional envy and genuine awe. "Twenty years of chi means tighter skin, slower aging… No wonder this place is packed."
"Opening bid: one million."
Fans rose immediately from various sections of the audience.
"Two million."
"Five million."
"Eight million."
Charmcaster and I exchanged glances, surprised at how excited people were for that pill. The bidding escalated rapidly, the amount climbing higher with each call. Practitioners who had appeared ordinary moments ago now revealed themselves as representatives of ancient sects or wealthy mystical lineages.
"Fifteen million."
"Twenty million."
"Twenty-five million."
The competition narrowed to three bidders in less than a minute. An elderly woman whose fan moved with the gentle flicks of her wrist, a middle-aged man wearing an unassuming business suit, and a young woman with a jade hairpin that occasionally emitted soft light.
"Ah, I recognize that person. That's Elder Chen from the Phoenix Gate Sect," Luna murmured, nodding toward the elderly woman. "And the woman with the hairpin is from the Jade Palace. They both have reputations for... aggressive acquisitions. This is going to get expensive."
"Thirty million."
"Thirty-five million."
"Forty million."
The crowd fell silent as the bidding reached its apparent peak. The auctioneer looked between the final bidders, his expression suggesting the battle was concluding.
"Forty million from the Phoenix Gate Sect. Going once..."
I raised my hand casually. "Fifty million."
The silence that followed was absolute. Every head in the room turned toward our table, expressions ranging from shock to outrage to calculated interest.
Both Charmcaster and Kwannon snapped their heads toward me, their expressions a matching pair of disbelief.
Luna just stared for a second, then a slow, impressed grin spread across her face. "Illyana was right," she breathed. "You really don't care about the rules, do you?"
"This…" Lin Lie started. "This isn't a place to make jokes, my friend. If you offend those three big shots, it might cause trouble for your stay here."
"He's not wrong, what are you doing?" Kwannon asked.
I shrugged, feeling the weight of Emma's black card in my pocket. "What? This much is nothing for Emma. Since she wanted to spoil me, I'll let her. Plus you seem a lot interested in that." I smiled at the auctioneer. "Fifty million. Cash equivalent, any currency you prefer."
Lin Lie stared at me, his careful composure completely shattered.
The auctioneer cleared his throat, recovering his professional demeanor. "Fifty million from the... foreign guest. Going once... going twice..."
As the gavel came down, sealing the deal, I caught Lin Lie's whisper, clearly meant for me alone. "You have no idea what you've just done. I wish you good luck for what's to come."
I smiled back at him, channeling my endless surge of confidence. "That's where you're wrong, my friend. I know exactly what I'm doing."
The truth was much scarier. I had absolutely no clue, but sometimes the best defense is a good bluff. And besides, what's fifty million to Emma Frost anyway?
Just another investment in future possibilities.
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