Chapter 199 - 196: Zhu Biquan

"What? Do you really think the people of Black Dragon City are pushovers?"

Black Dragon stepped forward, his expression indifferent.

"Black Dragon, no matter what, we must kill this boy. Are you and Black Dragon City truly intent on protecting him?" Wu Zonghai also took a step forward.

"You guessed right," Black Dragon replied, his voice resolute. "If you lay a hand on him, Black Dragon City will intervene."

The old man in the brownish-yellow robe, along with the yellow-robed elder from the Great Zhou Dynasty, grew restless. Black Dragon’s presence made them somewhat apprehensive. But if Alliance Leader Wu could hold off Black Dragon, they would be able to kill Mo Qianqian.

"Then let’s wait and see!" Wu Zonghai snorted coldly without making a move. With a flick of his sleeves, he strode toward the entrance of the auction building.

The few members of the Eternal Commerce Association who were receiving the Imperial Alliance didn’t even dare to breathe heavily, bowing and nodding as they followed closely beside him. The group from the Imperial Alliance cast icy glares at Mo Qianqian and the Black Dragon Army before marching into the building.

"That guy is named Zhou Fu," Lao Liu whispered from the side. "He’s from the Great Zhou Dynasty and is at the Void Spirit Realm Fourth Level. You need to keep a close eye on him."

"Someone from the Great Zhou Dynasty?" Mo Qianqian’s expression hardened slightly.

It was no wonder they wanted to kill him so badly. The Great Zhou Dynasty had brought people from the Great Wu Empire to the Great Xia Dynasty, intending to threaten him by targeting those close to him. This was a grudge he absolutely had to avenge. As for the Void Spirit Realm Fourth Level, with his current strength, he had nothing to fear from the other party.

"Brother Mo is truly a genius! Even figures of this caliber can’t do anything to you and can only swallow their anger in your presence!" Zhu Daoren chimed in.

This left Mo Qianqian speechless. He wondered how the man could even find an angle for flattery in a situation like this.

At this moment, Mo Qianqian noticed Wu Zonghai suddenly stop at the entrance. With a wave of Wu Zonghai’s hand, more than half of his men dispersed to take up positions around the exterior of the auction building, rather than entering.

Seeing this, Mo Qianqian couldn’t help but frown. Was the Imperial Alliance blatantly surrounding the place? Were they planning to deal with him, or were they preparing to snatch the Ninefold Coffin and capture Mu Chen?

The crowd murmured in discussion, though most people believed their goal was to fight for the Ninefold Coffin. The members of the Eternal Commerce Association saw this but said nothing; as long as no fighting broke out inside the auction building, it was none of their business.

"They are preparing to deal with Mu Chen to prevent him from selling a fake and running away. But given who Mu Chen is, he certainly won’t be that easy to catch," Zhu Daoren said with a chuckle. "Please don’t lower yourselves to their level. Everyone, please head inside."

Black Dragon waved his hand. "General Lu, General Jia, Lao Liu, and Mo Qianqian, you four come inside with me. The rest of you will guard the perimeter and adapt to the situation."

Zhu Daoren was rendered speechless.

Mo Qianqian was also taken aback. Dozens of people were going to stand guard outside? That was even more exaggerated than the Imperial Alliance! Weren’t they worried that taking too few people inside would leave them unable to react if something unexpected happened? However, it was only a single wall separating them. With the cultivation and strength of these soldiers, they could instantly charge in if anything actually went wrong.

"Yes, sir!" the group of soldiers replied in unison.

Zhu Daoren smiled awkwardly, opting not to comment, and cheerfully led the five of them inside.

The auction building had three distinct floors. The first floor was a spacious, open hall, while the second and third floors consisted entirely of private booths. The third floor was the most prestigious, and Mo Qianqian’s group was directly escorted to a booth there. Furthermore, it was the Heaven-tier Booth Number One. It was clear that the Eternal Commerce Association placed the utmost importance on Black Dragon City.

Through the booth’s window, they had a clear view of the auction floor on the first level.

A large influx of people continuously poured into the auction building. It was only after quite a while that the steady stream of entrants finally came to a halt. At this moment, Mo Qianqian watched as a short, slightly plump old man in a loose merchant’s robe walked onto the auction stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the old man in the merchant’s robe began with a smile. "I am Zhu Biquan, the President of the Eternal Commerce Association. I will be personally hosting this auction."

"It’s him!" Black Dragon let out a quiet gasp of surprise next to Mo Qianqian.

"You know that guy, Boss?" Lao Liu tilted his head in curiosity, blinking his large eyes.

Mo Qianqian and the other two generals were equally surprised. For Black Dragon to recognize him, he was probably no ordinary figure.

"There are some things that are inconvenient to discuss," Black Dragon replied. "However, this person is far from simple. If we can avoid provoking him, we should."

"The Eternal Commerce Association’s ability to establish a foothold in the Realm of Chaos likely has a lot to do with him," one of the generals sighed.

Mo Qianqian committed Black Dragon’s words to memory: avoid provoking him if possible. For Black Dragon to speak with such wariness, Zhu Biquan’s strength had to be extraordinary. At the same time, he secretly speculated about the connection between the two men. Since Zhu Biquan was the president of the Eternal Commerce Association and Zhu Daoren worked for the same organization, and both shared the surname Zhu, could they be related?

"Ladies and gentlemen," Zhu Biquan announced loudly from the stage. "Today’s auction held by the Eternal Commerce Association will feature only a single item. That item is none other than the peerless treasure that has recently caused such an uproar—the Ninefold Coffin!"

Normally, an ordinary commerce association would use a major treasure or a highly anticipated item as an anchor to auction off a wide variety of other goods, thereby maximizing their profits. However, the Eternal Commerce Association refused to stick to convention. They were skipping straight to the Ninefold Coffin and auctioning that one item exclusively.

Of course, this decision was likely influenced by the item itself. Such a monumental treasure had drawn the three major factions and various experts present. If the Eternal Commerce Association dragged things out, it might just drive these people into an impatient frenzy, which would only tarnish the association’s reputation. Besides, the commission earned from selling other random goods would pale in comparison to the immense profit generated by the Ninefold Coffin alone.

As soon as Zhu Biquan’s words fell, the crowd below instantly erupted into a clamor, with excited voices ringing out from all directions. The gazes of the audience turned burning hot.

The vast majority of the people in the hall were merely there to watch the spectacle. As for actually bidding, their financial resources couldn’t possibly compete with the major factions and elite experts. They simply wanted to see what the legendary Ninefold Coffin, which had been the talk of the town, actually looked like.

Even Wu Zonghai, the Cyan Cloud Mountain Sect Leader, Black Dragon, and Mo Qianqian swept their gazes across the front of the hall. They were all curious about whether Mu Chen would actually show up, and how he would make his appearance.

Soon enough, Mo Qianqian spotted an exceptionally inconspicuous young man in disguise being led into the auction hall by an elder from the Eternal Commerce Association. The young man walked straight toward the stage.

"Mu Chen!!!"

The crowd collectively gasped in shock. That young man was none other than Mu Chen. He had actually dared to come, and what was more, he had walked in openly and brazenly!

"Mu Chen, return the Imperial Alliance’s property!!!"

In that instant, Wu Zonghai’s cold shout suddenly echoed as rolling waves of killing intent surged out from the Heaven-tier Booth Number Three.