Part 4
Ning Yunyi sat down next to an A-ranked mental strength user and, as if out of curiosity, asked, “Are you also here for the 3S energy crystal?”
The person glanced at Ning Yunyi, seeing he was a stranger, but couldn’t sense his strength. Not daring to offend him since only A-ranked and above could enter, he thought Ning Yunyi must be stronger than him if he couldn’t gauge his level.
Probably someone from another planet, having heard the news.
“Nah, I can’t afford it. Just here to join the fun,” the person chuckled.
“Same here. I heard the person who won yesterday paid six million star coins. I doubt I’ll ever make that much in my lifetime,” Ning Yunyi sighed, leaning back with a casual air, as if he was just there for the entertainment.
The man visibly relaxed and sighed as well. “No kidding. Though I heard the market price is only four to five million, yesterday’s winner seemed determined to bid higher. Who knows if today’s price will exceed yesterday’s.”
Ning Yunyi made some more casual conversation before asking, as if unintentionally, “By the way, I saw a bounty notice at the entrance earlier. Mayor Bai is looking for a healer for his son. I have a relative who’s a B-ranked healer. Maybe I should tell them to give it a shot. If they cure him, they might even get a cut of the reward.”
As he spoke, it seemed like he had made up his mind and was ready to leave.
The person hesitated for a while but then grabbed Ning Yunyi, pulling him back into his seat and lowering his voice. “Don’t be reckless! You think if it were that easy, no one would have taken it by now?”
Ning Yunyi feigned surprise. “A B-ranked healer wouldn’t be enough?”
The man’s voice became even quieter. “You clearly don’t come here often. Let me tell you the truth. That bounty notice gets posted every month. There were people who tried before, even A-ranked healers, but it didn’t work. And here’s the weird part: anyone who sees Mayor Bai’s son either leaves the planet soon after or disappears altogether. There’s a rumor that Mayor Bai, frustrated that no one can cure his son, takes his anger out on those who try. The outcome… probably isn’t good.”
Ning Yunyi pretended to be startled, thanking the man profusely for the warning and not pursuing the topic further.
However, in his mind, he was calculating. It seemed his guess was correct—Mayor Bai was looking for a healer of S-rank or higher.
If someone needed such a high-level healer, then the mental breakdown must be at least level 4 or above.
If it were a simple mental breakdown, Mayor Bai wouldn’t need to use a 3S energy crystal to attract healers.
Rare as they were, 3S energy crystals would usually prompt healers to act covertly to avoid competition.
In other words, Mayor Bai wanted to find a high-level healer but also didn’t want that healer to reveal his son’s condition after seeing him.
With such tight security, Ning Yunyi could only think of one possibility.
If his guess was right, Mayor Bai could be a potential ally.
As expected, the auction featured another 3S energy crystal, and the price even soared to seven million star coins.
It was won by the double-S-ranked mental strength user.
Once the person won the bid, they didn’t linger and immediately left the trash planet.
Ning Yunyi was disappointed that there was no *water-skin stone* in this auction.
He was the last to leave the auction hall, wandering over to the entrance. Then, under the shocked and incredulous gaze of the nearby guards, he tore down Mayor Bai’s bounty notice.
Almost immediately, a group of about ten guards surrounded Ning Yunyi. The leader, holding a detector, looked at him suspiciously. “You took the notice? What level healer are you?”
Ning Yunyi smiled without hesitation and lied smoothly, “Yes, I took it. I’m a double-S-ranked healer.”
The guards gasped at the mention of such a high rank. Could it be true?
Their attitudes immediately became serious and respectful. One guard carefully took out a testing device, and after a beep, they stared wide-eyed at the display.
In the next moment, their expressions changed.
The guard who had been staring at the device, his eyes wide in disbelief, suddenly burst into laughter.
“You said you’re what level?”
Ning Yunyi remained completely calm. “I’m indeed a double-S-ranked healer.”
The guard, hands on hips, fumed, “But the tester shows a zero! You don’t even qualify as a healer.”
Ning Yunyi shrugged. “A healer’s role is to heal the patient. Besides, maybe your device is faulty, don’t you think? I said I am, so I am.”
The guard furrowed his brow, unsure of what to believe. This man was so confident. Plus, no one had dared take down the notice for so long. After thinking it over, he reported the situation up the chain, one level at a time.
Ten minutes later, they received a reply: “Take him to see the mayor.”
The guard snorted before raising his hand in a gesture of invitation. Whether Ning Yunyi was telling the truth or not would soon be revealed. If he dared deceive the mayor, he would only have himself to blame for what followed.
Ning Yunyi followed the guards straight toward the back of the Underground City.
They arrived at the rear hall, where four guards stood watch. After receiving direct confirmation from above, the guards unlocked the thick, sealed doors.
As the doors opened, the space beyond was revealed.
Ahead stood a secluded castle, entirely separate from the rest of the Underground City by a distance of about a thousand meters.
The castle was surrounded by artificial grass, and various synthetic flowers were planted in a neat circle around it. From a distance, it gave off a dream-like fairy-tale vibe.
Ning Yunyi kept his gaze straight ahead, following the guards toward the castle. As they approached, he could feel a faint but distinct gaze fall upon him.
It was the gaze of a powerful individual.
When they reached the castle, the intricate, heavy doors slowly opened from the inside. An elderly man, dressed like a butler, stood formally just beyond the threshold.
He bowed respectfully and gestured inward. “Sir, the mayor is expecting you.”
The guards didn’t dare step any closer, their heads lowered, avoiding eye contact.
Without hesitation, Ning Yunyi walked in, and the doors behind him slowly closed again.
The butler led Ning Yunyi forward, taking several turns before stopping at a spiral staircase. The butler stood aside and said, “Sir, the mayor is waiting for you on the top floor.”
Ning Yunyi, seemingly oblivious to the butler’s subtle scrutiny, calmly ascended the stairs, unaffected by the faint hint of pity in the butler’s eyes.
The butler shook his head silently: *The ignorant are truly fearless.*
Over the years, he had seen many people seek fortune beyond their means, only to end up harming themselves.
It was always the same story.
Ning Yunyi climbed the spiraling staircase for what felt like many turns, finally stepping onto the top floor.
In front of him was an attic, flanked by long, dim hallways. All the doors were dark and heavy, sealed off by special means, making it impossible to sense what was inside.
He walked to the attic door and knocked once. After receiving permission, he entered.
The attic was vast, designed in a dome shape, with thick carpets covering the floor. Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with various sealed books.
In the center stood a large desk and a single chair—nothing else.
A tall figure stood by the only window, backlit by the light, making it hard to see his face. But those sharp eyes were locked onto Ning Yunyi, the same pair that had been watching him since he arrived at the rear hall.
This time, the man fully released his mental strength, and the weighty pressure bore down on Ning Yunyi, making it hard to breathe. Surprisingly, the young man standing at the door seemed completely unaffected.
In an instant, Mayor Bai withdrew his mental pressure. “Are you a double-S-ranked mental strength user?” Otherwise, there was no way he wouldn’t react to such pressure.
Ning Yunyi didn’t answer directly. “Is this how Mayor Bai treats his guests?” Who said he had to answer his question?
Upon realizing Ning Yunyi’s strength, Mayor Bai believed him halfway and offered a sincere apology. “My urgency led to an improper test. To make amends, I’ll present you with an S-ranked energy crystal. I hope you can forgive me.”
Ning Yunyi had guessed Mayor Bai wasn’t short on money, but he hadn’t expected him to offer something worth hundreds of thousands of star coins as an apology.
Ning Yunyi’s smile grew more genuine. “Since Mayor Bai has said so, I won’t refuse.”
He walked closer, confirming what his spiritual sense had detected earlier.
This Mayor Bai was actually a rare 3S-ranked mental strength user.
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