Li Fei's thoughts drifted back to one week earlier, to that evening when she'd been a guest at the Bai Mansion.
"Sis, these coordinates of yours..."
Bai Mengtian scrutinized that string of characters, two flames of magic burning in her pupils.
For a learned scholar, one could glean a fair amount of information from the "coordinates" alone.
"Mm-hmm, what is it?"
Li Fei asked nervously.
"If we classify by magnitude, it falls under 'extremely large,' and as for spatial distance, it's also 'extremely far.'"
The divine light faded from Bai Mengtian's eyes, and she patted Li Fei's shoulder. "So, if you want to build a permanent teleportation channel, the cost will be very high."
"How high?"
"Let me put it this way: the space of the Continent of Enlos is extremely stable, and the more stable space is, the harder it is to shuttle through it. So, even just to build an elementary teleportation path spanning a few hundred kilometers, the value of the materials required would far exceed that of many of the Magic Academy's 'D-grade Folded Space' portals. And to construct the two-way spatial channel from Loxibrook to Viranean—the [Path of Conquest]—the resources the City Hall paid out would have been more than enough to order an entire squad of the ultimate war weapon, the 'Puppet Dragon,' from the Dwarven Imperial Court."
Bai Mengtian wore a mischievous smile. "And as for your coordinates—if you wanted to open a permanent portal... the cost would be even more terrifying than the [Path of Conquest]."
—Miss System? You there? Care to explain yourself?
Li Fei's smile froze.
"But!"
With dazzling speed, Bai Mengtian scrawled out dense, indecipherable formulas in the air that Li Fei couldn't begin to read. "Based on the Tidal Law of Transcendent Factors and the dimensional information in the coordinates... this Folded plane has a [Low] or [Medium] concentration of Transcendent Factors. The natives won't be too strong... at the very least, it's nearly impossible for a high-Sequence existence to appear there."
"So..."
Li Fei said thoughtfully.
"Unless the resources are especially abundant, there's really no need to build a permanent teleportation channel."
Kalida sat sideways beside Li Fei, combing her long hair as she explained. "You can send in small bands of Transcendents to carry out the most efficient plundering or trading."
"Go on."
Li Fei sat cross-legged on the bed, grabbed Kalida's feet, and assumed the posture of an attentive listener.
"For any Folded Space, the early exploration work is indispensable. So one-way spatial-crossing techniques for a small number of Transcendents are already quite mature—safe, reliable, and extremely cost-effective."
Kalida explained patiently. "You can use this technique to gather as many resources as possible while scouting for intelligence, ensuring that every round trip nets the maximum amount of wealth. If the resources are meager, you pull out after a few trips; if they're abundant, then you consider building a teleportation path."
"Exactly! For a Folded Space that's extremely far away yet of limited danger, you could consider the [Displacement Crossing Ritual] created by Mage Sol. As long as you have a [Spatial Wonderstone], you can set it up."
Bai Mengtian suggested, "The benefit of this ritual is that no matter how far the spatial distance, it won't add any extra cost. The drawback is also obvious: the energy of a [Spatial Wonderstone] is limited, making it difficult to support a powerful Transcendent crossing spatial dimensions—which makes it just perfect for you."
"As for getting back, you could consider..."
Kalida added.
—Hold on, I never said I was going to explore the place myself? Aren't you two worried I might run into danger?
Li Fei opened her mouth, then hesitated, words left unsaid.
Li Fei, who lorded over her entire first-year class, could now only sit up straight like a well-behaved junior, listening to this pair of highly educated wives hold forth, a great big bewilderment written across her innocent little face.
Blah blah blah! So this is the mighty power of academic geniuses?
Hmph, endure it! I've only transmigrated for four months and been in school for two—the future is bright, the future is bright...
The auctioneer's enthusiastic voice pulled her wandering thoughts back into the venue.
"Upon examination, the energy contained within this Spatial Wonderstone amounts to a full 207 notches! As for its function, I think there's no need for me to elaborate—anyone who intends to make a grand showing in a Folded Space will be no stranger to it."
The auctioneer spread his arms. "According to the consigner's quote, the starting bid is thirty thousand gold coins, and each raise must be no less than one thousand..."
"Thirty-one thousand!"
Before the auctioneer had finished speaking, a member couldn't hold back and raised a hand to bid.
"It seems this Spatial Wonderstone's appeal far exceeds my introduction."
The auctioneer shrugged and laughed. "Thirty-one thousand! Does anyone wish to challenge this price?"
"Thirty-five thousand."
"Thirty-six thousand!"
The steadily climbing price made Li Fei's heart ache.
Even if I can buy on credit, sooner or later it'll have to be paid back...
Kalida made a "six" gesture and chuckled softly:
"If the premium gets too high, I can introduce you to other channels."
Li Fei nodded and let out a light breath. When the price rose to "forty-three thousand," she raised her hand directly:
"Fifty thousand!"
She didn't understand auctions, but in web novels there was often this technique of "raising the bid by a huge margin in one go to demonstrate one's resolve to win at all costs and intimidate rival bidders." She decided to give it a try.
"Fifty-one thousand."
After a moment's silence, Li Fei's strategy had failed.
Clearly, for this sort of functional item, those in the know all had a precise psychological price point, and petty cleverness was of no use.
Li Fei gritted her teeth:
"Fifty-five thousand!"
As she bid twice in a row, murmurs had already begun to rise within the venue.
Li Fei was now quite famous in Enlos—some people had even spent the twenty-copper admission fee specifically to come watch the spectacle because of tonight's news that she was auctioning off her medals.
Such lavish bidding made them unable to resist whispering.
So rich, and yet so impatient to auction off the honors and weapons that ought to be treasured for a lifetime?
It seems the character of the Angel of the Solitary Isle isn't quite as flawlessly perfect as imagined...
Some senior and junior schoolmates who admired the Miss Spell Encyclopedia exchanged glances, secretly puzzling over how to spin it; the newspaper editors, meanwhile, were even more eager to act, looking every bit ready to whip up a big story.
Li Fei turned a blind eye to all of it.
After hesitating slightly, her opponent raised the bid once more:
"Fifty-six thousand."
"Fifty-seven thousand."
Before the auctioneer could speak, Li Fei immediately added on.
At this, the middle-aged gentleman shook his head with a smile, turned to look at Li Fei, and mouthed:
"It's yours, miss."
Li Fei likewise nodded politely in acknowledgment, though her heart was bleeding.
Such a huge investment—if I can't recoup it... how much ore would those hardworking, long-suffering orcs have to dig, how much timber would they have to haul, to earn it back!?
They really— I'm dying of grief.
...
As time passed, the auction had reached its latter half, and the truly good stuff was unveiled one piece after another. The members who had earlier carried themselves so gracefully now dropped their man-of-the-people personas, bidding one after another, and the treasures—starting at five figures—opened the eyes of many a visitor.
Hydra scales, mermaid eggs, an intact set of fish-skin from a Sea Race royal guard... these were all spoils of war Bai Mengtian had taken in the Viranean campaign. The aquarium intended to sell off these holdings to its members in batches, maintaining customer loyalty.
Gazing at those auction lots, Li Fei couldn't help but let her thoughts return to that terrifying, dark night. Facing the overwhelming Sea Race army, she and Tingbao had slaughtered with reckless abandon—what a spirited, high-flying scene that had been—though all she'd been responsible for was the reckless part.
At last, the finale items made their appearance.
A mage robe riddled with holes, a silver longsword, and a glittering golden medal.
Judged by value alone, these items weren't worthy of being placed last at all.
But factoring in the weight of personal connections, there was no problem with it.
Once these three items were presented at the front of the stage, more than half the gazes in the venue instantly converged on Li Fei. The newspaper editors couldn't even help but stand up, impatiently observing Li Fei's reaction.
This seemingly very wealthy genius—was she really going to mercilessly sell off her honors and comrades-in-arms purely for money?!
"Gentlemen, ladies. The Magic Academy and the War Academy are surely names you've all heard of."
The auctioneer slowed his tone. He lifted the exquisite medal and displayed it to everyone. "Not long ago, at an exchange event jointly hosted by the two academies, a dazzling genius rose like a comet, charging out from the encirclement as a dark horse to claim the laurels."
"And these are the glories that belong to the champion."
"Now, their owner will personally introduce these items to you all."
"Please welcome the Angel of Viranean, the most resplendent diamond of the Magic Academy—Miss Li Fei—to the stage."
A focused beam of light shone down on Li Fei, and every strand of her hair seemed to glow.
"Whew—"
Li Fei let out a long breath, then rose composedly and walked gracefully onto the stage.
Facing gazes that were variously dazzled, nervous, interrogating, or expectant, Li Fei appeared calm and confident. Only when her palm brushed against the tattered mage robe did a look of sorrow and reluctance show on her face.
"This mage robe, Crescent-grade, can enhance magic power and strengthen spell resistance. It is an outstanding piece of equipment—it accompanied me through bitter battles, blocked fatal spell attacks for me, and was also stained red by my own blood... In my eyes, it is an intimate and dependable companion..."
"Flowing Silver, Crescent-grade... it is not only a sharp weapon, but equally an irreplaceable comrade-in-arms."
"This medal not only represents my alma mater's recognition of me, but is also the reward for all the hard work and toil I've put in for so long..."
Li Fei's tone was gentle, and she introduced each item unhurriedly, like a mother about to be parted from her children, her eyes full of attachment.
"Since they mean so much to you, why sell them at all? Could it be that in the eyes of Miss Spell Encyclopedia, all of this is no match for money?"
At last, a bold reporter couldn't resist asking, and his words were rather cutting.
"According to information our agency has gathered, Miss Spell Encyclopedia owns a villa and more than one estate to her name... Just now, we also witnessed your financial power. Since you don't lack for money, why are you so impatient to..."
Another editor immediately followed up.
Stirring up trouble!
Seeing the newspapers raise their challenge, everyone's spirits lifted, curious about what kind of response Li Fei would give.
If she couldn't produce a forceful reply, the image of the Angel of the Solitary Isle would likely suffer no small damage.
Facing the doubts, Li Fei finally revealed a look of shame:
"I have reasons that compel me to do this."
"In truth, the moment I won the championship, the first thing I thought of was to repair this robe and place the medal in my living room, sharing my honor with every guest."
"But—"
Li Fei caressed the robe, her eyes brimming with deep emotion. "I thought of Aunt Roslyn, who kindly took me in when I was down on my luck; I thought of Lady Gneia, who saved me when the Mettis family's vicious hounds had driven me to a dead end; I also thought of his esteemed the Dean, pacing the streets late at night, fretting over funds for teaching, and of my dear mentor Melodia's earnest instruction, and the high hopes and appreciation that the respected constable Lady Kalida has placed in me."
Tears slid down from the corners of her eyes, yet a smile surfaced at Li Fei's lips, as though she were immersed in beautiful memories:
"The restaurant Aunt Roslyn runs isn't large, yet she could take in a stranger of unknown origins like me; the Mettis family is powerful, yet Gneia would not bow to the mighty, and sheltered me—a chance acquaintance—from the wind and rain; his esteemed the Dean could overrule all objections and, heedless of pressure from every quarter, push through the tuition-reduction ordinance, all so that more students could focus on their studies..."
"And what about me?"
"Letting a precious medal gather dust in my living room, merely to satisfy my shallow vanity? Storing the equipment away, having them accompany me forever in such a manner?"
"No!"
Li Fei's tone abruptly turned impassioned, accompanied by a forceful punching gesture, boundless ardor in her eyes:
"They are my comrades-in-arms and my glory, but precisely because of that, I will not let them be forever buried in dust for the sake of my selfish desires!"
"They should be handed to people worthy of the trust, and the auction proceeds shall be used somewhere of greater value!"
Beneath that resounding, soul-stirring tone, the entire venue fell silent.
Under this "hint," many had already guessed her intention, and couldn't help but break out in goosebumps as they looked toward that incomparably elegant young woman.
She—she was glowing!
"You..."
The reporter who had first raised the question spoke cautiously, even using honorifics. "You—do you intend to donate the auction proceeds..."
"Let the bidding begin. The starting price is one gold coin."
Li Fei cut him off.
As if. If she admitted it was a charity auction, then the proceeds would become "charitable funds" that didn't belong to Li Fei, and her Wealth Points wouldn't budge; selling it off first, then donating once the premium portion had been credited to her Wealth Points—that was the win-win—Miss Top Courtesan reaps both fame and fortune, winning twice.
However, Li Fei's performance led some clever folk to read her thoughts:
"She, she doesn't want to use the name of charity to pressure us into bidding high..."
The gentleman who had earlier competed with Li Fei for the [Spatial Wonderstone] said in a low voice, "What lofty character this is! What a broad-minded magnanimity! What a gentle soul!"
His voice was not loud, but it was rich and powerful, carrying to many ears. After a brief exchange of whispers, everyone grasped Miss Spell Encyclopedia's intent, and were at once filled with solemn respect.
"I bid ten thousand!"
The middle-aged gentleman spoke first, undisguised admiration and esteem in his eyes.
"Eleven thousand!"
"I bid twelve thousand!"
A noble lady immediately followed up, her eyes fixed unwaveringly on Li Fei as she named her price.
"Thirteen thousand."
"Fifteen thousand!"
The price surged upward by leaps and bounds, the members all opening their purses for the sake of noble virtue—some genuinely moved, others merely seized by a passing whim, chipping in pocket money for the fun of it.
"Twenty thousand."
Even Lady Kalida smilingly bumped up the bid on Li Fei's behalf.
In the end, the two pieces of equipment—bought for thirty-five hundred and still requiring several hundred gold coins to repair—plus the medal, which would amount to only a few dozen coins if melted down, sold for a price of thirty-four thousand gold coins.
After the hammer fell, Li Fei gazed at the equipment for a long while, as though bidding a final farewell to her dearest friends.
Such a pity—if not for the need to mind my image, unable to emphasize that the robe was worn close to the skin and carried its original scent, perhaps the price could have been pushed up just a little higher.
She forced the corners of her mouth into a smile, left a single lip-print on the medal, and reluctantly cupped them in her hands, handing them to a noble lady both beautiful and kind-hearted—the second daughter of the Edwin Earl's household.
Li Fei didn't know her, but both of her mothers had tried to make an appointment with her—though to this day they were still in the endlessly drawn-out queue.
After the auction lots were handed into Miss Edwin's hands, Li Fei gazed at her Wealth Points, which had once again climbed by a bit over thirty thousand, and strove to hold her expression in check. At the same time, her gaze swept leisurely across the entire venue, her tone brimming with happiness and sincerity:
"In truth, the editor just now did not guess wrong."
"I will use this money somewhere meaningful."
"Ten thousand of it, I will donate to my alma mater, for teaching and research funds."
—For the succubus research project of the outstanding female teacher Melodia and her assistant Li Fei.
"Another ten thousand, I intend to donate to the public-welfare projects of Viranean. I have a wish that the departed who hope to rest eternally there may find peace, and I also hope that the devastation left behind by the cruel, evil Siren Queen, the Kraken, can be repaired as soon as possible."
—Repaying the favors owed to Lady Kalida for the "discarded munitions," the "curfew," and the "Sea Race drowning autopsy report."
"The third ten thousand, donated to the City Hall, to be used for restoring the ecology of the wolf den outside the city. May the vanished moonlight wolves return to their home... and I also hope that the next time the academy arranges an internship for us, we won't come back empty-handed."
—Again, repaying favors.
"The remaining three thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine gold coins, I will give to the Loxibrook Aquarium, for the cause of Sea Race biology research."
—I can look forward to the endorsement fee for next time's contract signing.
"As for this last coin..."
Li Fei paused, then broke into a smile. "I will buy myself a delicious dinner, because I suddenly remembered that after winning the competition I was so busy I was dizzy, and I haven't had a chance to reward myself yet."
—Please, fall madly in love with me.
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