The Broken Sword sat quietly on the pedestal, illuminated by the stage lights. To an ordinary cultivator, it was trash.To someone with perception like Alistair, it was a treasure worthy of investment. "Buy it," Alistair commanded softly.Elizabeth didn't hesitate this time.She raised her paddle. "Five hundred thousand."The room turned to look at her in confusion. Even the auctioneer seemed surprised. "Five hundred thousand from Miss Bolton. Do I hear five hundred and fifty?""Six hundred thousand," a cool, melodious voice drifted down from the VIP balcony.Alistair looked up.Isabella Heart was leaning against the railing, her eyes fixed directly on him.She didn't care about the sword; she was testing him.She wanted to see if the man who spoke so boldly actually had an "eye" for value. Alistair didn't look away.He nodded to Elizabeth."One million," Elizabeth announced, her voice steady.Isabella smiled, a flash of genuine intrigue crossing her face. "Two million."The crowd

Elizabeth’s breath hitched, but at this point, there was no reason to stop."Fifty billion dollars!"The auctioneer’s knees actually buckled.He had to lean on the podium to stay upright. "F-fifty... fifty billion? Miss Bolton, I must remind you that the Hidden Dragon requires immediate verification for bids exceeding ten billion."Elizabeth glanced at Alistair who immediately nodded, assuring her that everything would be alright. With that said, Elizabeth glanced back at the auctioneer. “No problem at all.”The auctioneer gawked at Elizabeth.Just what kind of client had decided to grace the Hidden Dragon?"The... the bid is valid," the auctioneer stammered. "More than valid. Does anyone... does anyone wish to exceed fifty billion?"Isabella sat back down, her strength leaving her. She hadn't expected such a fierce battle and so was unprepared to bid higher than Elizabeth. Biting down on her lower lip, she shook her head slowly before once again shifting her attention towards Alis

A representative of the Hidden Dragon was waiting in the private room, a chubby man in a suit who went by the name Ferguson.Though he tried to hide it with professionalism, Alistair could easily tell that Ferguson was a scheming fellow through and through. His gaze was greedy and his hands rubbed together like a man who needed bribes to oil his grip. Ferguson stood behind a heavy obsidian table, the two items resting on velvet cushions.The primordial dew shimmered with an ethereal, pulsing light, while the rusted hilt looked even more pathetic in the suite's high-end lighting."Ah, the winners of the hour," Ferguson said, his voice a greasy baritone. "Miss Bolton, and... the gentleman. Fifty billion is a historical sum. Truly, the Hidden Dragon is honored."He didn't move to hand over the items they purchased though. Instead, he leaned forward, his small eyes darting between the black card in Elizabeth’s hand and Alistair’s indifferent face."However," Ferguson continued, his ton

Ferguson's uncle was one of the Hidden Dragon's top archeologists, which was why Ferguson was even able to get the job working in the auction hall in the first place. To think that his own uncle would be aware of what was happening and not do anything to stop it. “Chairman, you can't do this. I have done no wrong!” Ferguson loudly remarked, crying out at what he perceived as an injustice. Chairman Rowe’s expression darkened. “You have done no wrong?”“Yes sir!” Ferguson retorted. Chairman Rowe nodded, then he gestured at the bodyguard holding the briefcase.The guard stepped forward, opened the case, pulled out a file, and handed it to Chairman Rowe.The chairman tossed the file at Ferguson.“Look through those documents and then tell me again if you've done no wrong.”Perplexed, Ferguson took the file and looked through the documents as instructed.With each document he went through, his expression worsened. Each one held evidence of all the times he had extorted clients of the

Louis ended up not winning a single bid and left empty-handed. Now, all he could do was seethe in silence while glaring at Alistair, whom he felt was the source of all his problems. Seeing Louis glare at Alistair immediately set Elizabeth off. “Master, let me handle this,” Elizabeth said, fully prepared to walk over to Louis and teach him some manners. “Leave him. He isn't worth our time.” Alistair remarked. “Come, let's be on our way.” Albeit reluctant, Elizabeth ultimately did as Alistair instructed.They got into her car and soon went on their way.As for Louis, he took out his cellphone and dialed a number. “Yes, they just left. You'd best not mess this up. Good.” With that, the call ended and Louis glared hatefully at Elizabeth's car as it left the premises. “Just you wait.” He coldly remarked. Over in Elizabeth's car, Alistair had no idea what Louis was planning and honestly didn't care. There were more important things like the items he'd gotten at the Hidden Dragon.T