"Is the Tian Clan really using their influence to scare off other bidders?" soone asked from the back of the hall.
To Matthew’s surprise, the one who responded was Duke. Even the ghost girl hovering next to Matthew seed surprised when Duke spoke.
Matthew’s gaze snapped toward him. Duke remained in his usual casual posture. What is he doing? Matthew wondered. In his past life, Duke and the Tian Clan had never been allies, but they weren’t enemies either. Both ca from powerful families, yet there was always sothing unspoken between them—sothing Matthew had never been able to figure out, not even in death. All he knew was that a quiet distance had always separated the two.
"Well, young man?" The man in white ignored Duke entirely and leaned forward in his seat. His white suit almost shimred under the auction lights, pristine and intentional, a direct contrast to the man in black beside him. "Would you be so kind as to offer this item to our Tian Clan?"
"The Tian Clan is just like you. Except they can’t see ghosts..." the ghost girl said suddenly started mumbling next to him. "It’s strange... they’re from a different part of the world. Why are they here? Are they hunting for treasures?" Then she gasped. "Do you think they sensed my spirit stones? That’s bad!" And just like that, she vanished.
Matthew glanced around. The ghost girl actually disappeared!
But wait... what did she just said? The Tian Clan are Nexians too? Matthew turned towards them in surprise. Does that an they have... superpowers?
Before he could say a word, Argent suddenly leaned in, whispering, "That Tian Clan..." but Matthew raised a hand, stopping him. This Argent is really too noisy!
Matthew imdiately got up and nod toward the platform. "I am only buying them for fun," he said. If they were Nexians, then his reason for getting close to them had just beco even more justified. This is no longer about money! "I collect such pieces for personal study. However, if the Tian Clan desires this item, then I will not stand in their way. I withdraw my bid. Please, proceed."
A murmur imdiately passed through the crowd.
The man in black glanced briefly at his companion, then raised his hand again. "Ten million and one hundred thousand," he said.
The auctioneer acknowledged the bid.
Seeing this, Argent turned toward Matthew. "Hey, why’d you let that go? You knew sothing was off, right? Do you know them?"
Matthew didn’t turn. He kept his eyes on the stage. "As I said, I’m here for fun. There’s no benefit in drawing attention from powerful families."
What he didn’t say was that the Tian Clan wasn’t soone he wanted as an enemy. In his past life, they had always moved quietly. They didn’t need to flaunt their power. When they acted, they did so in secret. Getting in their way for the sake of pride or curiosity would’ve been short-sighted. Especially this early in the ga.
He had originally planned to use them to establish his footing in this place. But the fact that they were like him changed everything. He needed to learn more about Nexians and they might hold the key to understanding this new world he had found himself in.
Just as he expected, the mont the auction finished, a younger attendant inford him that soone from the Tian Clan wanted to et him.
"Are you going?" Argent asked.
"I am," Matthew said as he followed the attendant. He was not surprised to see Argent following behind him as well. This Argent had been wanting to scam him since earlier. How could he let Matthew go now?
However, just as Argent was about to follow them to a different floor, the attendant bowed. "I apologize, but only the invited one could go up to the VIP suite," the attendant respectfully said. "Please wait by the waiting area."
"It’s alright," Matthew looked at Argent. "I am planning to buy that cart, so would you mind waiting for a bit?"
"Of course," Argent said. "I’ll see you later."
The attendant led Matthew through a narrow corridor that curved along the edge of the auction hall, past a pair of discreetly guarded doors. When they reached the end, the attendant stepped aside and opened a side entrance to one of the VIP suites.
Matthew stepped inside.
The suite was quiet and dimly lit. Every piece of furniture looked custom-built, polished wood, subtle gold accents, and not a single sharp edge in sight. Two n stood near the tinted glass wall that overlooked the entire auction floor.
The man in the white suit turned first.
"Please, have a seat," he said, gesturing toward the sofa.
Matthew did. He kept his posture relaxed, but alert. He didn’t bother asking why he’d been summoned. They would get to that soon.
The man in white sat across from him, while the one in black remained standing near the glass.
"I am Rick Tian," the man in black said. "This is my uncle, Alen Tian."
Matthew nodded. "You wished to speak with ?" Just like in the past, the Tian Family never bothered to use their aliases. While the two are wearing masks to hide their faces, they never hid their nas. They were confident in revealing their real identities. Eventually, this would beco their downfall. However, from the start of this auction, Matthew had already planned on influencing their fate.
"We did," Alen Tian said, resting his hands calmly in his lap. "It’s not every day we co across soone with a similar interest in rare pieces. We figured it was worth getting acquainted."
Matthew studied Alen Tian. In his past life, he had only t the man a handful of tis before his apparent death. However, each encounter had been brief, formal, and always under tense circumstances. This was also because of the fact that these people dislike Lenox. Now, seated across from him in this quiet suite, the dynamic felt different.
Alen gestured toward the sofa. "I am Alen, it’s a pleasure to et you."
"Please call Ghost," Matthew answered.
He then glanced at Rick Tian, who was still standing near the glass, observing him silently. Matthew smiled inwardly. This was still the sa Rick from the past. He just follows behind his uncle silently, always observing and always watching. Obviously, this would change once Rick becos the head of his clan.
"Well Ghost... as a token of appreciation for your gesture earlier, we’d like to offer you sothing." Alen’s words brought him out of his stupor.
Matthew watched as Alen reached into a small case beside him and produced an unpolished rock, placing it on the table between them.
Matthew imdiately leaned forward, examining the stone. It carried the sa essence as others he had encountered, but it felt heavier—denser. He couldn’t explain the sensation, only that it was different. His eyes narrowed. Now that he thought about it, his new ability to sense gems could beco a powerful way to earn money and establish himself before the new Era arrives. Using it to get closer to the Tian Clan was just an added bonus.
"I’m afraid I can’t accept this," Matthew said. "This stone is too valuable. I don’t think I’ve earned sothing like this."
Rick tilted his head. "Too valuable? What makes you say that?" He motioned toward the rock. "Are you basing that on size? Because if you are, I’ll save you the trouble, size rarely reflects the gem’s worth."
Matthew shook his head. "No, it’s not about the size. I have my own thods. And I can tell you, whatever’s inside that stone isn’t ordinary. It’s not sothing I can accept just for backing out of a bid."
Alen narrowed his eyes slightly. He couldn’t see Ghost’s face, but he already knew the man was young. He had discreetly used his connections to gather information the mont Ghost started spending money on antiques, scrolls, and old prescriptions.
According to what he’d learned, the masked bidder was not only young but seed naive, soone who threw money around on a whim.
Of course, he hadn’t looked into Ghost’s actual identity. That kind of investigation was off-limits under this place’s rules. Whether Ghost ca from an influential family or was simply a wealthy eccentric, Alen couldn’t say.
He had invited him up here for one reason: to test him. Most bidders didn’t know the deeper value behind those scrolls. If Ghost did, and if he was from one of the Great Clans, then Alen would have no choice but to investigate further. And if Ghost turned out to be a threat, he would be dealt with. Quietly.
"You didn’t touch it. You haven’t examined it. So tell , how exactly did you co to that conclusion?" Alen asked.
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