Part 3
Once polished and placed in the study, it would release far more spiritual energy than the saplings could.
Unfortunately, there was only this one piece.
The big cat had been watching Ning Yunyi curiously as he ground down the stone, revealing a large piece of jade-green stone.
The big cat sensed it carefully but didn’t detect any mental energy from within.
*Not enough Star Coins to buy an energy crystal?* it wondered.
Lowering its eyes, the big cat thought about the wealth it had never cared about before. It had never counted how much was in its account, but it was sure it was an astronomical sum.
It was just a pity that it hadn’t brought any of it with it.
It had always seen money as something external, but now, looking at the person nearby, for the first time, it felt a pang of regret.
The next morning, Ning Yunyi got up early, split the jade into two pieces, and took them to the study. After setting up the area, he sat cross-legged and immediately felt the spiritual energy in the room grow stronger.
He wondered if there were more of these water-skin stones in the Underground City. While others needed energy crystals, he needed this raw material more.
As if his thoughts had conjured it, as Ning Yunyi left the study to prepare breakfast, something in the room made a noise.
He turned back to look. It was the magnetic card he had casually placed on the desk last night.
It was the VIP magnetic card given to him by the Underground City yesterday, granting full access throughout the city.
Ning Yunyi hadn’t paid much attention to it since he got back and had simply tossed it on the table.
Now, as he walked back, he noticed a green dot flashing in the center of the card, as if beckoning him to press it.
Ning Yunyi had never dealt with the Underground City before, and neither had the predecessor. He had no idea what the green light meant.
So, he opened the StarNet and searched for information. That’s when he realized.
This magnetic card wasn’t something they handed out freely. It was only given to special individuals.
You either had to be rich or powerful.
Since Ning Yunyi had claimed to be an A-rank mental strength user, that qualified him as powerful, which is why the guard had given him the card.
The card contained a special chip, and whenever the Underground City hosted special events, they would notify the cardholder.
It was up to the holder to decide whether to check the notification.
Ning Yunyi thought back to yesterday’s auction. Even though it seemed unlikely there would be another so soon, what if…?
He tapped on the green dot, and immediately, a transparent projection appeared, displaying a full view of the Underground City. Suspended in the air was a single sentence.
—
Honored Guest,
The second session of the three-day auction will be held today at 9:00 a.m. on the third floor of the Underground City auction hall. Once again, an SSS-grade energy crystal will be available for bidding. We sincerely invite you to attend.
Host: Mayor Bai
—
Ning Yunyi had guessed there might be another auction, but he hadn’t expected it to be a three-day event.
They had already auctioned one SSS-grade energy crystal yesterday, and now there was another one today?
If it were just for show, Mayor Bai was certainly generous and bold.
After all, SSS-grade energy crystals were exceedingly rare, even on First Star. Yet here they were, appearing two days in a row in this obscure Underground City on a trash planet.
If Mayor Bai wasn’t foolish, he would’ve kept the crystal for himself to enhance his mental strength.
Unless he was desperate for money and had to auction it off.
But for a mayor who ran the entire Underground City, being short on money seemed unlikely.
Which meant… he was deliberately using such a valuable energy crystal to attract certain people.
The A-ranked and S-ranked mental strength users Ning Yunyi had seen at the auction yesterday were clearly not Mayor Bai’s targets.
But there were only a few S-ranked mental strength users on this trash planet, which meant he was trying to attract someone from a higher star system.
Mental strength users were primarily known for their combat prowess. If Mayor Bai needed force, Star Coins could buy that. Why use such a rare energy crystal?
That meant it wasn’t for offense—it was for defense.
Ning Yunyi’s eyes narrowed. *Mayor Bai is trying to attract a healer—at least an S-ranked one.*
Ning Yunyi did some research and found that before yesterday, hardly anyone had discussed this trash planet, and most didn’t even know it existed.
It wasn’t until rumors spread about an SSS-grade energy crystal being up for auction that it started gaining attention. Even then, many didn’t believe it. But once the crystal actually appeared, people began to take notice.
Ning Yunyi stared at the name “Mayor Bai” displayed on the magnetic card. For someone who could produce two SSS-grade energy crystals—possibly even more—this mayor was no simple figure.
Yet here he was, content to stay hidden in this low-profile, virtually unknown trash planet as a mayor. He was either hiding from something or trying to avoid attention.
But now, he was doing the exact opposite, making a grand display. There must be a reason he couldn’t avoid doing this.
Ning Yunyi recalled the information he had obtained from Ji Hao yesterday. Maybe this trip could yield some unexpected results.
A powerful mayor, far from First Star and free from the control of the aristocratic families—wasn’t that exactly the kind of partner Ning Yunyi had been looking for?
But before making any decisions, he needed to investigate further to confirm his suspicions.
Ning Yunyi woke up early, and it wasn’t even seven o’clock yet. He took out the small robot he had modified the night before in his study by replacing the chip and reprogramming it so it could move again.
After setting the program, he left a note for Xiao Miaozai, and placed the small robot at the door of Xiao Miaozai’s room.
Once everything was done, Ning Yunyi stepped downstairs.
The big cat, hearing the movement, got up. Ning Yunyi patted its big head, poured a bowl of cat food and half a bowl of milk, then left two bags of cream-flavored biscuits, a can of milk, and a basket of fruit for Xiao Miaozai. Without any hesitation, he walked out the door.
The big cat watched Ning Yunyi come and go so quickly. Its big paw brushed against its ear tip: *Could it be… it has already fallen out of favor?*
He didn’t even glance at it before leaving.
When Ning Yunyi arrived at the Underground City, it was still not yet nine o’clock. He had changed his appearance, similar to yesterday’s style, but his hair was now a fiery red, and his pupils were green. His entire outfit was gray, making him look both down-and-out and carefree.
The guard at the gate had changed. Seeing Ning Yunyi present his magnetic card, the guard respectfully let him through.
Since he had time, Ning Yunyi didn’t head straight to the auction hall but wandered around the Underground City instead.
He first went to the four main entrances; if there was any special news in the Underground City, the city gates were the most likely place to find it.
Sure enough, when he arrived at the first entrance, there was a conspicuous bounty notice posted there.
The content was straightforward: Mayor Bai’s only son had an incurable disease and needed a healer. A hefty reward would be offered upon successful treatment.
Ning Yunyi examined the notice. There wasn’t much information, but it clearly stated that the mayor’s son needed a healer.Â
What was strange, however, was that the date on the notice was from ten days ago.
Such a big reward, yet no one had accepted it in ten days?
Something was definitely off.
Ning Yunyi visited the other three entrances, and sure enough, each had a bounty notice as well, dated even earlier than the first.
After taking a look around, it was almost time, so he headed to the third floor of the auction hall.
When he arrived at the reception area from yesterday, it was even more crowded than before.
Clearly, those who heard the news yesterday but didn’t believe it had now confirmed its authenticity, and everyone who could attend had shown up, including people from other planets.
Ning Yunyi glanced around and even saw a double-S-ranked mental strength user.
Aside from that, there were three S-ranked users, and the rest were A-ranked.
All were mental strength users. There wasn’t a single healer.
It seemed Mayor Bai would be disappointed again today.
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