Chapter 66: Him?? Part 1
Ning Yunyi listened intently, confirming he hadn’t misheard. There was indeed the sound of splashing water coming from beneath the red cloth.
As if to validate his suspicion, there was a loud splash. This time, it sounded as though something had swiped its tail, sending water flying. Not only did Ning Yunyi hear it, but the surrounding guests heard it as well.
“Was that the sound of water just now? Is it a marine banshouren (beastman/shifter)? What could it be?”
“Haha, anything is possible, except for one speciesâthe one that went extinct long ago.”
“But I heard rumors a few years ago that one appeared on the Capital Planet? Was that rumor true or false?”
“What are you dreaming about? How could that species still exist? You only hear about them in legends. Someone probably just had blurry vision and started a rumor. Itâs definitely fake. If this club actually managed to produce one, everyone here would lose their minds trying to snatch it…”
Because the area was completely dark, it was impossible to see who was talking. Conversations drifted in from all directions. Yousi couldn’t help but lean in closer, clicking his tongue. “They really dare to dream. If there were a real renyu (merman), the starting price tonight would probably be over a hundred million xingbi (star currency)!”
Banshouren were rare, but many species still existed. However, the renyuâmerfolkâwere rumored to be extinct. At least, in all the years Yousi had lived, and even in his fatherâs generation, no one had ever seen one.
The only piece of information was from a few years back, claiming someone had accidentally encountered a wounded renyu at night on the Capital Planet. Unfortunately, they were too far away; the creature had spotted them and vanished into a lake in the suburbs.
Yousi had heard the story at the time but didn’t take it seriously, thinking the guy was just hallucinating. Regardless, he had never seen a living renyu.
Other banshouren had two forms: either a beast form or a human form.
The renyu, however, were considered even more peculiar than standard banshouren. Their human form was indeed human, but their other state was half-human, half-fish. It was a genetic defect that made it difficult for them to survive. Their jingshenli was generally not high, but their scarcity made them exceptionally precious.
Ning Yunyi remained silent, his brow furrowed as he stared at the box on the stage. Since his lingli had improved, his senses of smell and touch had become much sharper. He caught a very faint scent of salt and moisture, and even a lingering hint of blood.
For some reason, seeing the hostâs calm yet proud demeanor, a thought occurred to him. Could it be… that this club really managed to get their hands on a real one?
The Crown Princeâs men hadnât appeared yet, which meant the club had started the auction immediately after capturing it. They were likely terrified that if the news leaked, they wouldn’t be able to protect such a rare treasure. They were desperate to find a “big spender” to buy it. Once the money was in their hands, whatever happened to the buyer or the creature afterwards was no longer their concern.
Observing the heated discussion below, the hostâs lips curled into a smile. He clapped his hands, and the assistants immediately withdrew.
Only the host and the box covered in red cloth remained on stage.
The host placed his hand on the red cloth but didn’t pull it away immediately. Instead, he spoke: “To prevent any dissatisfaction later, I will inform you of the strengths and weaknesses of tonightâs first banshouren in advance. There are only two strengths. First, it is rare. Second, it is… beautiful, indescribably beautiful. There are also two weaknesses. First, it has no jingshenli. Second, its eyes are injured, so it cannot see.”
As soon as the host finished, the interest of the guests dropped by half. What? A disabled banshouren? Then this one must be the inferior specimen of the two tonight.
Someone shouted in dissatisfaction, “Whatâs wrong with your club? You called us all the way here just to show us one without jingshenli? Are you playing with us?”
Most of them had risked coming here specifically to find a way to improve their jingshenli. A banshouren without it held no value to them. What was the point of buying it?
The host gave a mysterious smile. “Please do not be in such a hurry, guest. Once you see the specimen, it won’t be too late to say such things. I will announce the starting price first: fifty million xingbi.”
When the price was announced, the guests were stunned. They weren’t fools. Usually, a banshouren with decent jingshenli started at ten million. But this one had none, yet it started at fifty million?
Recalling the host’s mention of “rarity”… someone gasped. “You didn’t… actually find a…”
The host smiled in that direction. With a sudden tug, the red cloth covering the box was slowly pulled away.
The blindingly bright lights overhead illuminated the stage. As the red cloth fell, a layer of outer casing dropped away, revealing a transparent glass tank. The first thing the crowd saw was the shimmering water sparkling under the light. Within that water, pressed against the glass, was a renyu banshouren.
Long, silver-white curly hair drifted with the current. A perfect, breathtaking face was turned toward the crowd, seemingly trying to listen for movement. The creature’s crimson lips were slightly parted, and its silver-white pupils were innocent yet unfocused, staring blankly ahead. As it tilted its head slightly, the silver fishtail originally hidden behind it swung, creating ripples of phosphorescent light before the audience’s eyes.
That intense, striking beauty felt like a heavy hammer slamming into everyone’s hearts. That innocent, ignorant dependence was enough to move anyone, let alone that dazzling face.
The body was fair to the point of being nearly translucent, slender and graceful. Except for a long scar at the end of the tail that marred its perfection, every other part was exquisite.
The surroundings fell deathly silent. Everyone forgot to react, staring in a daze at the silver renyu on stage.
Someone gasped, their voice trembling and breaking as they screamed, “I bid sixty million xingbi!”
The sudden shout startled everyone and terrified the silver renyu. It abruptly turned around and pressed itself against the other side of the tank, leaving only its curly silver hair visible. Yet this half-hidden posture only made the swaying silver tail even more captivating.
Ning Yunyi clearly heard the sound of people swallowing their saliva all around him. His brow furrowed tightly.
Yousi was even more speechless. “Itâs really a renyu… so the one from a few years ago… someone really did see it? Could it be… the same one?”
He thought about his own account. He had swindled fifty million xingbi from his old man, and with his previous savings, he had maybe sixty or seventy million. Forget two; he couldn’t even afford this one.
As the Young Master of his family, he usually didn’t lack money, but he had given all the funds in his account to Rui Hu to help bid for other banshouren everywhere. Thinking about it now, he was truly poor.
Yousi looked at the renyu on stage with appreciation. “It really is beautiful… but…” Similarly, the more beautiful and rare a creature was, the more miserable its fate would be if it couldn’t protect itself.
The saying “a beautiful face often has a tragic fate” was perfectly applicable to this rare renyu youth.
Ning Yunyi said nothing, listening to the bids rising one after another. They were frequent at first, but as the price hit one hundred million, the voices thinned out. Once someone bid one hundred and twenty million, no one continued.
The renyu was rare, and this one was indeed beautiful enough to make people lose their minds, but once they cooled down, they realized that without jingshenli, it was just a pretty decoration. Most importantly, after spending so much money, could they actually keep such a rare thing safe?
After weighing the pros and cons, the bidding finally stopped.
Only one person in the corner, after shouting one hundred and twenty million, looked determined to win. He even stood up and walked a few steps toward the stage, his eyes burning as he stared at that flash of silver, as if the creature already belonged to him.
Yousiâs face twisted in disgust. The man was being restrained, but the way he looked at the renyu was nauseating; it made Yousiâs skin crawl.
Especially when the renyu heard the movement and turned around, its blind silver eyes staring vacantly at the surroundingsâit only served to incite a protective urge in people.
Just as the man was about to reach the foot of the stage, Yousi heard the person beside him speak: “One hundred and thirty million.”
As soon as the bid was announced, everyone whipped their heads in that direction.
Yousi gasped, swallowing hard as he tugged on Ning Yunyiâs sleeve from below: [Are you crazy? Where do we have that much money?]
Ning Yunyi glanced at him, then calmly looked at the host and the previous bidder who was glaring with dissatisfaction. “Who are you? You dare have other designs while bringing your wife? Aren’t you afraid she’ll make a scene?”
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