Chapter 37
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Inside the Feng Mansion, within the guest hall. Feng Yu looked at the jade slip in front of him in shock, as his hands started to tremble when he inspected the list of items shown in the catalog for the Mystery Pavilion's Auction. He then looked towards Hui Ying with a questioning gaze as he asked, "Brother Ying, is the information on this list real? Where did you get this information from?"
Hui Ying smiled mysteriously as he replied, "It's a secret! Let's just say I had to do a little bit of snooping around."
"Good! If that's so, then this auction should prove to be remarkable. Brother Ying! Let's cheers to a successful tomorrow," Feng Yu shouted excitedly as he down his liquor.
"Haha! May we have a triumphant day of treasure hauling," Hui Ying responded excitedly as he too downed his liquor.
"Hmm, how strange... why did Aunt Xingyu not give me a list? Could it be that she had also forgotten to acquire one?" Thought Feng Yu as he looked through his window towards his aunt's courtyard.
∞∞∞
Inside a private room, with a prominent pub.
A young man sat around a counter with a voluptuous woman seated on the opposing side, the atmosphere in the pub was a pleasant one as various individual indulged themselves in nighttime activities. However, his current mood was a sour one as he grasped his forehead with his hand and tapped it repeatedly with his finger.
Sou! A man in black soon appeared within the private room. It was an ordinary-looking man with no unique features.
"How did it go? Was there any luck trying to get in?" Xuan Bei asked.
"Reporting to the Young Master, the operation was a failure as we were interrupted by individuals from a strange force," The man in black responded.
"Strange Force? There's another force separate from the ones known?" The young man asked.
"Affirmative, but this force is different they appear to be moving for a different purpose," The man in black once more replied.
"Damn! How could this happen? Sigh, I understand, go give this the captain for our losses I am the one to be blamed," Xuan Bei said in a defeated tone as he tossed a token towards the man in black.
"By Young Master's will." The man in black replied before vanishing.
"Bei Child, do not fret over the unknown. We may have underestimated the powers gathered at the ancient site, but it does us no good to forget our next task at hand," Madam Xuan said as she spoke in a comforting tone while passing a piece of parchment towards Xuan Bei.
After receiving the parchment and inspecting it Xuan Bei's downed mood instantly turned for the better. Shortly after, a determine light shone from the depths of his eyes, as he gripped the parchment firmly while staring at Madam Xuan.
"We must get the item on this by any means necessary!" He said looked out the window of his private room.
A similar scene could be seen playing out at many private and exclusive locations within Machen Town, as various individuals began to pay attention to an unknown group that seemed to have been interfering with their goals.
Soon, however, they each started to pay attention towards a common direction. A place shielded in multiple layers of mystery with its origins unknown and untraceable, even to the many powerful influences in the most distant of lands.
This place is... the Mystery Pavilion...
∞∞∞
The night fell, and dawn ruled once more.
The people of Machen Town continued their everyday activities, but strangely, there was a change that could be felt in the atmosphere. As dozens of unfamiliar figures made their way towards a towering building that stood at the central position of Machen Town.
It was an ancient building that seemed to have been built from a very ancient type of material as it had unique rune patterns carved into its surface. A significant question mark hung high from a large circular sign on the exterior of the building, which was a humongous sight as it occupied the highest height within the entirety of buildings found in Machen Town.
As the stream of individuals made their way towards the entrance of the building, they were greeted by organized staff who were already efficiently guiding and registering individuals for the different activities or services offered by the Mystery Pavilion.
"Good morning sir, how may I be of assistance to you today?" A beautiful female said she was dressed in a stylized ancient formal dress with a symbol of a question mark on its chest.
"I'm here to attend the auction," A shady looking man said.
"Very well, right this way," She responded as she guided the man towards a desk where she began to help him register for the auction.
While all of this was going on, three figures could be seen making their way towards the entrance of the pavilion.
One of them was a young man dressed in stylish red robes with long dark golden sleeves that had patterns, atop his head was a simple head-accessory, by his right side was a blue-haired young man with a large black conical hat, he wore black qigong robes with dark-colored wrappings over his limbs. Finally, on the other side was a strong-looking figure reaching as high as two meters tall, he wore a sleeveless shirt with large baggy trousers and wooden sandals.
As the trio made their way across the crowd gathered at the entrance, there couldn't help but be a small commotion.
"Isn't that!" One practitioner shouted as he noticed the blue-hair underneath the conical hat, his eyes locked onto a figure who was among the three man group.
"It's Blue Thunder Dai Lin!" Another individual exclaimed.
"That's him?" An influential looking figure asked with a puzzled tone.
"Yes, I'd remember that guy anywhere!" The individual said once more.
"Then, who are those two beside him?" Asked the influential looking man.
"If I were to recall correctly, the red-haired young man is the young master of one of the largest family clans in Machen, the Feng clan. He is called Feng Yu and goes by another reputation in these parts," The individual said.
"Oh, and what reputation does he have?" The man asked once more.
"Ha! I hear he goes by the honored title of 'Troublemaker' Feng Yu," The other man replied with visible scorn on his face.
"Tsk! Only a bumpkin in a pond and nothing more, who is that young man walking beside them?" The influential looking man said curiously while looking at Hui Ying.
"That, I don't know. I have no idea who he is or where he's from," replied the individual by his side.
"..." The influential looking man looked on in silence.
Feng Yu hearing the discussion going on around him went into a dark mood as he glanced at Dai Lin secretly. Sadly though, Dai Lin's expression remained indifferent as if the matter of the mundane world had nothing to do with him. Soon, he restrained his glance and looked forwards once more.
The moment this was done, Dai Lin who was also observing Feng Yu's reaction in secret casually wiped the almost imperceptible sweat from his forehead, his mind now locked in his thoughts, "Young Master Yu seems to be upset about this, it looks like I need to be careful."
As Hui Ying saw this scene, he couldn't help but make a snicker, "Puhei~"
"Brother Ying, is something the matter?" Asked Feng Yu as he looked at Hui Ying snickering.
"Oh, nothing! It's nothing, only excess air," replied Hui Ying as he pulled himself together.
"Hmph! We're almost there so let's pick up the pace." As Feng Yu said this, he promptly rushed forward towards the registration area. Dai Lin and Hui Ying seeing his reaction secretly smiled to themselves as they followed behind him.
"Welcome Sirs, which service would you like to register for today?" The beautiful young woman asked.
"I would like to have a booth for today's auction prepared for the three of us," Feng Yu replied as he took out an insignia from his storage ring.
"Understood, please sign your---" The woman responded, but before she could finish her statement, she saw the odd insignia within Feng Yu's hands, suddenly a look of surprise flashed across her face as she glanced at Feng Yu with a curious light.
"Honored Guests! Please follow me to the VIP quarters," The beautiful woman replied with a more respectful tone. As she said this, she then began to lead Feng Yu and his party towards the VIP Booth.
"Eh? Brother Yu, how did you get a VIP token? I've heard that it's difficult for even the most powerful of influences in this kingdom's capital," Hui Ying said as he had a puzzling look on his face.
Dai Lin in the corner smiled as he had already noticed the strangeness of the Feng Clan through his years of service.
"My aunt gave it to me, she said it could be useful," Feng Yu replied vaguely.
Hui Ying hearing this had a strange expression on his face, but he didn't bother to delve any deeper.
Eventually, they came in front of a large room. The room had a personal bartender and even a game table with a myriad of games loaded inside, as a few strange runes powered it from the energies taken from low tier essence stones. There was also a tinted glass window that took up an entire wall for itself, and a few luxurious cushions with a small gray orb floating at their sides, positioned 1 meter away from the window.
The beautiful woman upon arriving here pointed towards the gaming platform and bartender before speaking once more, "Honored Guests, this will be your betting quarters, we have an assortment of entertainment devices that can be used to occupy your time until the start of the auction. We have also provided a personal wine mixer who will provide you with the finest quality of liquors in our storage."
Afterward, she then pointed towards the window and cushions and continued to speak, "This tinted window is where you will be able to see the auction's proceedings. Simply touch the floating orb beside your cushions of choice, and you will be able to remove its tint. Also, no one on the outside will be able to see through this window as it will simply appear as another layer of wall. To place your bets on an item there is a choice available in the menu of those RelayOrb's, simply inject your essence-energies, and it will prompt you with that option."
"Well then, Honored Guests, if that is all I will now be taking my leave. You may contact our staff using one of the RelayOrb's at any time," As she said this, she then bowed curtly then left the room.
Feng Yu looked around the room in surprise as he murmured, "Incredible, this Mystery Pavilion is more than I'd originally thought it would be, such interesting facilities. I wonder, how did they go about creating such things?"
"Indeed, they truly are a unique and resourceful set of individuals at that," Hui Ying replied as he went towards the wine mixer to get some drinks.
Dai Lin walked towards the gaming platform and inspected it for a bit, placing his finger on one of the compartments. Soon, a strange scene occurred as a virtual board beamed itself on top of the platform and in plain text prompted him to choose an option.
"Select your desired game:" system prompt.
"Go, Shogi, Chess, Dungeon and Lycans, Battle of the Dummies," system prompt.
"Eh? Young Master Yu, this looks very interesting would you like to try it," Dai Lin said with a look of slight excitement visible in his eyes.
As Feng Yu used the RelayOrb to remove the tint from the window, he heard Dai Lin's words. Quickly, he left the RelayOrb then headed towards Dai Lin while asking.
"What's the matter Dai Lin? Has this thing caught your interest?" He asked as he made his way over.
Hui Ying who got himself a few drinks also made his way over to see what was going on.
"Oh! Interesting, this looks pretty fun why don't we try it," Hui Ying said as he pointed at the option for Battle of the Dummies.
"Fine! Even though the name sounds a bit strange it should prove to be quite interesting," Feng Yu said.
Quickly, they each placed their hands at opposing compartments made on the platform, following which there was a change.
Phew! A beam of light shone across the platform, and three tiny puppets made of unknown materials appeared in the center of a simulated battlefield. The three puppets had no aura, but they each had a strange feeling as if they connected to the very souls of Feng Yu, Dai Lin, and Hui Ying.
Ping! "Choose your weapons:" system prompt.
"Swords, Bow, Spear, Blade, Hatchet, Axe, Chains, Knives, Stick, Stone, Knuckle Guards," system prompt.
Feng Yu seeing this felt curious as he responded, "Two Swords!"
Ping! Suddenly, two sharp-looking swords appeared in the hands of the puppet with red hair. They gleam with a threatening light at the edges of their blades.
"Interesting, it feels as if I'm the one controlling these swords myself," Feng Yu said as he looked at the puppet with interest while injecting his essence energy into the platform to move the puppet around.
Dai Lin and Hui Ying seeing this also chose their weapons.
"Knuckles!" Dai Lin said as a pair of blue knuckles appeared on his puppet with blue hair.
"Bow!" Hui Yin said as a large bow appeared on the back of the black-haired puppet.
As soon as all three puppets were armed for battle, the board once again changed as countdown had started.
"The battle will commence in - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." system prompt.
"Commence Battle Royal – Mode: Free for All," system prompt.
"Let's do this!" They said in unison as a fire blazed in their eyes prepared to do battle, they pushed their consciousness into their puppets and commenced a showdown like none other before.
∞∞∞
Outside of Machen Town on a large hill.
A group of people could be viewed making their way downwards towards the town in the distance, at the head of those individuals were five imposing individuals, 3 of whom were quite familiar.
"Brother Zang, it seems that this small town has quite a few secrets," A brawny and confident looking youth said.
"Hmph! A place of nothing but bumpkins and strays from tiny affiliate kingdoms," A pretty looking girl said.
"...." The young man being spoken to did not respond, he thought inwardly, "Hmm, I wonder if he is already here," As he thought this a smile could be seen trailing at the edge of his lips.
Soon, their figures vanished across the horizon followed by a large group of individuals, who slowly made their way towards the small town in the distance…
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Inside the Feng Mansion, within the guest hall. Feng Yu looked at the jade slip in front of him in shock, as his hands started to tremble when he inspected the list of items shown in the catalog for the Mystery Pavilion's Auction. He then looked towards Hui Ying with a questioning gaze as he asked, "Brother Ying, is the information on this list real? Where did you get this information from?"
Hui Ying smiled mysteriously as he replied, "It's a secret! Let's just say I had to do a little bit of snooping around."
"Good! If that's so, then this auction should prove to be remarkable. Brother Ying! Let's cheers to a successful tomorrow," Feng Yu shouted excitedly as he down his liquor.
"Haha! May we have a triumphant day of treasure hauling," Hui Ying responded excitedly as he too downed his liquor.
"Hmm, how strange... why did Aunt Xingyu not give me a list? Could it be that she had also forgotten to acquire one?" Thought Feng Yu as he looked through his window towards his aunt's courtyard.
∞∞∞
Inside a private room, with a prominent pub.
A young man sat around a counter with a voluptuous woman seated on the opposing side, the atmosphere in the pub was a pleasant one as various individual indulged themselves in nighttime activities. However, his current mood was a sour one as he grasped his forehead with his hand and tapped it repeatedly with his finger.
Sou! A man in black soon appeared within the private room. It was an ordinary-looking man with no unique features.
"How did it go? Was there any luck trying to get in?" Xuan Bei asked.
"Reporting to the Young Master, the operation was a failure as we were interrupted by individuals from a strange force," The man in black responded.
"Strange Force? There's another force separate from the ones known?" The young man asked.
"Affirmative, but this force is different they appear to be moving for a different purpose," The man in black once more replied.
"Damn! How could this happen? Sigh, I understand, go give this the captain for our losses I am the one to be blamed," Xuan Bei said in a defeated tone as he tossed a token towards the man in black.
"By Young Master's will." The man in black replied before vanishing.
"Bei Child, do not fret over the unknown. We may have underestimated the powers gathered at the ancient site, but it does us no good to forget our next task at hand," Madam Xuan said as she spoke in a comforting tone while passing a piece of parchment towards Xuan Bei.
After receiving the parchment and inspecting it Xuan Bei's downed mood instantly turned for the better. Shortly after, a determine light shone from the depths of his eyes, as he gripped the parchment firmly while staring at Madam Xuan.
"We must get the item on this by any means necessary!" He said looked out the window of his private room.
A similar scene could be seen playing out at many private and exclusive locations within Machen Town, as various individuals began to pay attention to an unknown group that seemed to have been interfering with their goals.
Soon, however, they each started to pay attention towards a common direction. A place shielded in multiple layers of mystery with its origins unknown and untraceable, even to the many powerful influences in the most distant of lands.
This place is... the Mystery Pavilion...
∞∞∞
The night fell, and dawn ruled once more.
The people of Machen Town continued their everyday activities, but strangely, there was a change that could be felt in the atmosphere. As dozens of unfamiliar figures made their way towards a towering building that stood at the central position of Machen Town.
It was an ancient building that seemed to have been built from a very ancient type of material as it had unique rune patterns carved into its surface. A significant question mark hung high from a large circular sign on the exterior of the building, which was a humongous sight as it occupied the highest height within the entirety of buildings found in Machen Town.
As the stream of individuals made their way towards the entrance of the building, they were greeted by organized staff who were already efficiently guiding and registering individuals for the different activities or services offered by the Mystery Pavilion.
"Good morning sir, how may I be of assistance to you today?" A beautiful female said she was dressed in a stylized ancient formal dress with a symbol of a question mark on its chest.
"I'm here to attend the auction," A shady looking man said.
"Very well, right this way," She responded as she guided the man towards a desk where she began to help him register for the auction.
While all of this was going on, three figures could be seen making their way towards the entrance of the pavilion.
One of them was a young man dressed in stylish red robes with long dark golden sleeves that had patterns, atop his head was a simple head-accessory, by his right side was a blue-haired young man with a large black conical hat, he wore black qigong robes with dark-colored wrappings over his limbs. Finally, on the other side was a strong-looking figure reaching as high as two meters tall, he wore a sleeveless shirt with large baggy trousers and wooden sandals.
As the trio made their way across the crowd gathered at the entrance, there couldn't help but be a small commotion.
"Isn't that!" One practitioner shouted as he noticed the blue-hair underneath the conical hat, his eyes locked onto a figure who was among the three man group.
"It's Blue Thunder Dai Lin!" Another individual exclaimed.
"That's him?" An influential looking figure asked with a puzzled tone.
"Yes, I'd remember that guy anywhere!" The individual said once more.
"Then, who are those two beside him?" Asked the influential looking man.
"If I were to recall correctly, the red-haired young man is the young master of one of the largest family clans in Machen, the Feng clan. He is called Feng Yu and goes by another reputation in these parts," The individual said.
"Oh, and what reputation does he have?" The man asked once more.
"Ha! I hear he goes by the honored title of 'Troublemaker' Feng Yu," The other man replied with visible scorn on his face.
"Tsk! Only a bumpkin in a pond and nothing more, who is that young man walking beside them?" The influential looking man said curiously while looking at Hui Ying.
"That, I don't know. I have no idea who he is or where he's from," replied the individual by his side.
"..." The influential looking man looked on in silence.
Feng Yu hearing the discussion going on around him went into a dark mood as he glanced at Dai Lin secretly. Sadly though, Dai Lin's expression remained indifferent as if the matter of the mundane world had nothing to do with him. Soon, he restrained his glance and looked forwards once more.
The moment this was done, Dai Lin who was also observing Feng Yu's reaction in secret casually wiped the almost imperceptible sweat from his forehead, his mind now locked in his thoughts, "Young Master Yu seems to be upset about this, it looks like I need to be careful."
As Hui Ying saw this scene, he couldn't help but make a snicker, "Puhei~"
"Brother Ying, is something the matter?" Asked Feng Yu as he looked at Hui Ying snickering.
"Oh, nothing! It's nothing, only excess air," replied Hui Ying as he pulled himself together.
"Hmph! We're almost there so let's pick up the pace." As Feng Yu said this, he promptly rushed forward towards the registration area. Dai Lin and Hui Ying seeing his reaction secretly smiled to themselves as they followed behind him.
"Welcome Sirs, which service would you like to register for today?" The beautiful young woman asked.
"I would like to have a booth for today's auction prepared for the three of us," Feng Yu replied as he took out an insignia from his storage ring.
"Understood, please sign your---" The woman responded, but before she could finish her statement, she saw the odd insignia within Feng Yu's hands, suddenly a look of surprise flashed across her face as she glanced at Feng Yu with a curious light.
"Honored Guests! Please follow me to the VIP quarters," The beautiful woman replied with a more respectful tone. As she said this, she then began to lead Feng Yu and his party towards the VIP Booth.
"Eh? Brother Yu, how did you get a VIP token? I've heard that it's difficult for even the most powerful of influences in this kingdom's capital," Hui Ying said as he had a puzzling look on his face.
Dai Lin in the corner smiled as he had already noticed the strangeness of the Feng Clan through his years of service.
"My aunt gave it to me, she said it could be useful," Feng Yu replied vaguely.
Hui Ying hearing this had a strange expression on his face, but he didn't bother to delve any deeper.
Eventually, they came in front of a large room. The room had a personal bartender and even a game table with a myriad of games loaded inside, as a few strange runes powered it from the energies taken from low tier essence stones. There was also a tinted glass window that took up an entire wall for itself, and a few luxurious cushions with a small gray orb floating at their sides, positioned 1 meter away from the window.
The beautiful woman upon arriving here pointed towards the gaming platform and bartender before speaking once more, "Honored Guests, this will be your betting quarters, we have an assortment of entertainment devices that can be used to occupy your time until the start of the auction. We have also provided a personal wine mixer who will provide you with the finest quality of liquors in our storage."
Afterward, she then pointed towards the window and cushions and continued to speak, "This tinted window is where you will be able to see the auction's proceedings. Simply touch the floating orb beside your cushions of choice, and you will be able to remove its tint. Also, no one on the outside will be able to see through this window as it will simply appear as another layer of wall. To place your bets on an item there is a choice available in the menu of those RelayOrb's, simply inject your essence-energies, and it will prompt you with that option."
"Well then, Honored Guests, if that is all I will now be taking my leave. You may contact our staff using one of the RelayOrb's at any time," As she said this, she then bowed curtly then left the room.
Feng Yu looked around the room in surprise as he murmured, "Incredible, this Mystery Pavilion is more than I'd originally thought it would be, such interesting facilities. I wonder, how did they go about creating such things?"
"Indeed, they truly are a unique and resourceful set of individuals at that," Hui Ying replied as he went towards the wine mixer to get some drinks.
Dai Lin walked towards the gaming platform and inspected it for a bit, placing his finger on one of the compartments. Soon, a strange scene occurred as a virtual board beamed itself on top of the platform and in plain text prompted him to choose an option.
"Select your desired game:" system prompt.
"Go, Shogi, Chess, Dungeon and Lycans, Battle of the Dummies," system prompt.
"Eh? Young Master Yu, this looks very interesting would you like to try it," Dai Lin said with a look of slight excitement visible in his eyes.
As Feng Yu used the RelayOrb to remove the tint from the window, he heard Dai Lin's words. Quickly, he left the RelayOrb then headed towards Dai Lin while asking.
"What's the matter Dai Lin? Has this thing caught your interest?" He asked as he made his way over.
Hui Ying who got himself a few drinks also made his way over to see what was going on.
"Oh! Interesting, this looks pretty fun why don't we try it," Hui Ying said as he pointed at the option for Battle of the Dummies.
"Fine! Even though the name sounds a bit strange it should prove to be quite interesting," Feng Yu said.
Quickly, they each placed their hands at opposing compartments made on the platform, following which there was a change.
Phew! A beam of light shone across the platform, and three tiny puppets made of unknown materials appeared in the center of a simulated battlefield. The three puppets had no aura, but they each had a strange feeling as if they connected to the very souls of Feng Yu, Dai Lin, and Hui Ying.
Ping! "Choose your weapons:" system prompt.
"Swords, Bow, Spear, Blade, Hatchet, Axe, Chains, Knives, Stick, Stone, Knuckle Guards," system prompt.
Feng Yu seeing this felt curious as he responded, "Two Swords!"
Ping! Suddenly, two sharp-looking swords appeared in the hands of the puppet with red hair. They gleam with a threatening light at the edges of their blades.
"Interesting, it feels as if I'm the one controlling these swords myself," Feng Yu said as he looked at the puppet with interest while injecting his essence energy into the platform to move the puppet around.
Dai Lin and Hui Ying seeing this also chose their weapons.
"Knuckles!" Dai Lin said as a pair of blue knuckles appeared on his puppet with blue hair.
"Bow!" Hui Yin said as a large bow appeared on the back of the black-haired puppet.
As soon as all three puppets were armed for battle, the board once again changed as countdown had started.
"The battle will commence in - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." system prompt.
"Commence Battle Royal – Mode: Free for All," system prompt.
"Let's do this!" They said in unison as a fire blazed in their eyes prepared to do battle, they pushed their consciousness into their puppets and commenced a showdown like none other before.
∞∞∞
Outside of Machen Town on a large hill.
A group of people could be viewed making their way downwards towards the town in the distance, at the head of those individuals were five imposing individuals, 3 of whom were quite familiar.
"Brother Zang, it seems that this small town has quite a few secrets," A brawny and confident looking youth said.
"Hmph! A place of nothing but bumpkins and strays from tiny affiliate kingdoms," A pretty looking girl said.
"...." The young man being spoken to did not respond, he thought inwardly, "Hmm, I wonder if he is already here," As he thought this a smile could be seen trailing at the edge of his lips.
Soon, their figures vanished across the horizon followed by a large group of individuals, who slowly made their way towards the small town in the distance…
Inside the Feng Mansion, within the guest hall. Feng Yu looked at the jade slip in front of him in shock, as his hands started to tremble when he inspected the list of items shown in the catalog for the Mystery Pavilion's Auction. He then looked towards Hui Ying with a questioning gaze as he asked, "Brother Ying, is the information on this list real? Where did you get this information from?"Hui Ying smiled mysteriously as he replied, "It's a secret! Let's just say I had to do a little bit of snooping around.""Good! If that's so, then this auction should prove to be remarkable. Brother Ying! Let's cheers to a successful tomorrow," Feng Yu shouted excitedly as he down his liquor."Haha! May we have a triumphant day of treasure hauling," Hui Ying responded excitedly as he too downed his liquor."Hmm, how strange... why did Aunt Xingyu not give me a list? Could it be that she had also forgotten to acquire one?" Thought Feng Yu as he looked through his window towards his aunt's courtyard.Inside a private room, with a prominent pub.A young man sat around a counter with a voluptuous woman seated on the opposing side, the atmosphere in the pub was a pleasant one as various individual indulged themselves in nighttime activities. However, his current mood was a sour one as he grasped his forehead with his hand and tapped it repeatedly with his finger.Sou! A man in black soon appeared within the private room. It was an ordinary-looking man with no unique features."How did it go? Was there any luck trying to get in?" Xuan Bei asked."Reporting to the Young Master, the operation was a failure as we were interrupted by individuals from a strange force," The man in black responded."Strange Force? There's another force separate from the ones known?" The young man asked."Affirmative, but this force is different they appear to be moving for a different purpose," The man in black once more replied."Damn! How could this happen? Sigh, I understand, go give this the captain for our losses I am the one to be blamed," Xuan Bei said in a defeated tone as he tossed a token towards the man in black."By Young Master's will." The man in black replied before vanishing."Bei Child, do not fret over the unknown. We may have underestimated the powers gathered at the ancient site, but it does us no good to forget our next task at hand," Madam Xuan said as she spoke in a comforting tone while passing a piece of parchment towards Xuan Bei.After receiving the parchment and inspecting it Xuan Bei's downed mood instantly turned for the better. Shortly after, a determine light shone from the depths of his eyes, as he gripped the parchment firmly while staring at Madam Xuan."We must get the item on this by any means necessary!" He said looked out the window of his private room.A similar scene could be seen playing out at many private and exclusive locations within Machen Town, as various individuals began to pay attention to an unknown group that seemed to have been interfering with their goals.Soon, however, they each started to pay attention towards a common direction. A place shielded in multiple layers of mystery with its origins unknown and untraceable, even to the many powerful influences in the most distant of lands.This place is... the Mystery Pavilion...The night fell, and dawn ruled once more.The people of Machen Town continued their everyday activities, but strangely, there was a change that could be felt in the atmosphere. As dozens of unfamiliar figures made their way towards a towering building that stood at the central position of Machen Town.It was an ancient building that seemed to have been built from a very ancient type of material as it had unique rune patterns carved into its surface. A significant question mark hung high from a large circular sign on the exterior of the building, which was a humongous sight as it occupied the highest height within the entirety of buildings found in Machen Town.As the stream of individuals made their way towards the entrance of the building, they were greeted by organized staff who were already efficiently guiding and registering individuals for the different activities or services offered by the Mystery Pavilion."Good morning sir, how may I be of assistance to you today?" A beautiful female said she was dressed in a stylized ancient formal dress with a symbol of a question mark on its chest."I'm here to attend the auction," A shady looking man said."Very well, right this way," She responded as she guided the man towards a desk where she began to help him register for the auction.While all of this was going on, three figures could be seen making their way towards the entrance of the pavilion.One of them was a young man dressed in stylish red robes with long dark golden sleeves that had patterns, atop his head was a simple head-accessory, by his right side was a blue-haired young man with a large black conical hat, he wore black qigong robes with dark-colored wrappings over his limbs. Finally, on the other side was a strong-looking figure reaching as high as two meters tall, he wore a sleeveless shirt with large baggy trousers and wooden sandals.As the trio made their way across the crowd gathered at the entrance, there couldn't help but be a small commotion."Isn't that!" One practitioner shouted as he noticed the blue-hair underneath the conical hat, his eyes locked onto a figure who was among the three man group."It's Blue Thunder Dai Lin!" Another individual exclaimed."That's him?" An influential looking figure asked with a puzzled tone."Yes, I'd remember that guy anywhere!" The individual said once more."Then, who are those two beside him?" Asked the influential looking man."If I were to recall correctly, the red-haired young man is the young master of one of the largest family clans in Machen, the Feng clan. He is called Feng Yu and goes by another reputation in these parts," The individual said."Oh, and what reputation does he have?" The man asked once more."Ha! I hear he goes by the honored title of 'Troublemaker' Feng Yu," The other man replied with visible scorn on his face."Tsk! Only a bumpkin in a pond and nothing more, who is that young man walking beside them?" The influential looking man said curiously while looking at Hui Ying."That, I don't know. I have no idea who he is or where he's from," replied the individual by his side."..." The influential looking man looked on in silence.Feng Yu hearing the discussion going on around him went into a dark mood as he glanced at Dai Lin secretly. Sadly though, Dai Lin's expression remained indifferent as if the matter of the mundane world had nothing to do with him. Soon, he restrained his glance and looked forwards once more.The moment this was done, Dai Lin who was also observing Feng Yu's reaction in secret casually wiped the almost imperceptible sweat from his forehead, his mind now locked in his thoughts, "Young Master Yu seems to be upset about this, it looks like I need to be careful."As Hui Ying saw this scene, he couldn't help but make a snicker, "Puhei~""Brother Ying, is something the matter?" Asked Feng Yu as he looked at Hui Ying snickering."Oh, nothing! It's nothing, only excess air," replied Hui Ying as he pulled himself together."Hmph! We're almost there so let's pick up the pace." As Feng Yu said this, he promptly rushed forward towards the registration area. Dai Lin and Hui Ying seeing his reaction secretly smiled to themselves as they followed behind him."Welcome Sirs, which service would you like to register for today?" The beautiful young woman asked."I would like to have a booth for today's auction prepared for the three of us," Feng Yu replied as he took out an insignia from his storage ring."Understood, please sign your---" The woman responded, but before she could finish her statement, she saw the odd insignia within Feng Yu's hands, suddenly a look of surprise flashed across her face as she glanced at Feng Yu with a curious light."Honored Guests! Please follow me to the VIP quarters," The beautiful woman replied with a more respectful tone. As she said this, she then began to lead Feng Yu and his party towards the VIP Booth."Eh? Brother Yu, how did you get a VIP token? I've heard that it's difficult for even the most powerful of influences in this kingdom's capital," Hui Ying said as he had a puzzling look on his face.Dai Lin in the corner smiled as he had already noticed the strangeness of the Feng Clan through his years of service."My aunt gave it to me, she said it could be useful," Feng Yu replied vaguely.Hui Ying hearing this had a strange expression on his face, but he didn't bother to delve any deeper.Eventually, they came in front of a large room. The room had a personal bartender and even a game table with a myriad of games loaded inside, as a few strange runes powered it from the energies taken from low tier essence stones. There was also a tinted glass window that took up an entire wall for itself, and a few luxurious cushions with a small gray orb floating at their sides, positioned 1 meter away from the window.The beautiful woman upon arriving here pointed towards the gaming platform and bartender before speaking once more, "Honored Guests, this will be your betting quarters, we have an assortment of entertainment devices that can be used to occupy your time until the start of the auction. We have also provided a personal wine mixer who will provide you with the finest quality of liquors in our storage."Afterward, she then pointed towards the window and cushions and continued to speak, "This tinted window is where you will be able to see the auction's proceedings. Simply touch the floating orb beside your cushions of choice, and you will be able to remove its tint. Also, no one on the outside will be able to see through this window as it will simply appear as another layer of wall. To place your bets on an item there is a choice available in the menu of those RelayOrb's, simply inject your essence-energies, and it will prompt you with that option.""Well then, Honored Guests, if that is all I will now be taking my leave. You may contact our staff using one of the RelayOrb's at any time," As she said this, she then bowed curtly then left the room.Feng Yu looked around the room in surprise as he murmured, "Incredible, this Mystery Pavilion is more than I'd originally thought it would be, such interesting facilities. I wonder, how did they go about creating such things?""Indeed, they truly are a unique and resourceful set of individuals at that," Hui Ying replied as he went towards the wine mixer to get some drinks.Dai Lin walked towards the gaming platform and inspected it for a bit, placing his finger on one of the compartments. Soon, a strange scene occurred as a virtual board beamed itself on top of the platform and in plain text prompted him to choose an option."Select your desired game:" system prompt."Go, Shogi, Chess, Dungeon and Lycans, Battle of the Dummies," system prompt."Eh? Young Master Yu, this looks very interesting would you like to try it," Dai Lin said with a look of slight excitement visible in his eyes.As Feng Yu used the RelayOrb to remove the tint from the window, he heard Dai Lin's words. Quickly, he left the RelayOrb then headed towards Dai Lin while asking."What's the matter Dai Lin? Has this thing caught your interest?" He asked as he made his way over.Hui Ying who got himself a few drinks also made his way over to see what was going on."Oh! Interesting, this looks pretty fun why don't we try it," Hui Ying said as he pointed at the option for Battle of the Dummies."Fine! Even though the name sounds a bit strange it should prove to be quite interesting," Feng Yu said.Quickly, they each placed their hands at opposing compartments made on the platform, following which there was a change.Phew! A beam of light shone across the platform, and three tiny puppets made of unknown materials appeared in the center of a simulated battlefield. The three puppets had no aura, but they each had a strange feeling as if they connected to the very souls of Feng Yu, Dai Lin, and Hui Ying.Ping! "Choose your weapons:" system prompt."Swords, Bow, Spear, Blade, Hatchet, Axe, Chains, Knives, Stick, Stone, Knuckle Guards," system prompt.Feng Yu seeing this felt curious as he responded, "Two Swords!"Ping! Suddenly, two sharp-looking swords appeared in the hands of the puppet with red hair. They gleam with a threatening light at the edges of their blades."Interesting, it feels as if I'm the one controlling these swords myself," Feng Yu said as he looked at the puppet with interest while injecting his essence energy into the platform to move the puppet around.Dai Lin and Hui Ying seeing this also chose their weapons."Knuckles!" Dai Lin said as a pair of blue knuckles appeared on his puppet with blue hair."Bow!" Hui Yin said as a large bow appeared on the back of the black-haired puppet.As soon as all three puppets were armed for battle, the board once again changed as countdown had started."The battle will commence in - 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." system prompt."Commence Battle Royal Mode: Free for All," system prompt."Let's do this!" They said in unison as a fire blazed in their eyes prepared to do battle, they pushed their consciousness into their puppets and commenced a showdown like none other before.Outside of Machen Town on a large hill.A group of people could be viewed making their way downwards towards the town in the distance, at the head of those individuals were five imposing individuals, 3 of whom were quite familiar."Brother Zang, it seems that this small town has quite a few secrets," A brawny and confident looking youth said."Hmph! A place of nothing but bumpkins and strays from tiny affiliate kingdoms," A pretty looking girl said."...." The young man being spoken to did not respond, he thought inwardly, "Hmm, I wonder if he is already here," As he thought this a smile could be seen trailing at the edge of his lips.Soon, their figures vanished across the horizon followed by a large group of individuals, who slowly made their way towards the small town in the distance
