The guards didn't question him. The moment they saw the engraved symbol on the token, there was nothing to ask. Without hesitation or scrutiny, Feng Ye was in.
The interior was a stark contrast to the exterior. It's much more grand than the exterior.
It was luxurious. Marble floors, gold trimmed pillars could be seen throughout. Beautifully, unique lanterns hung on the walls and from the ceiling casting a warm glow through the hall. The extravagance felt out of place in Redwood Town. The sheer wealth poured into this building alone was more than what most common folk would see in their lifetimes.
Feng Ye walked to the double doors at the end of the hall. Here, a seating area can be found.
It was crowded. This seating area was divided into two clear sections: the main floor and the balcony suites.
On the main floor, rows of long tables and cushioned seats were packed with adventures, mid level merchants, and independents.
This area was where the bold fought with their wealth in plain sight. It was a game of numbers and wealth where those who had the most resources could outbid the other. A true way of paying to win.
On the second floor, numerous private viewing balconies overlooked the main floor. The best views of the stage. Each had curtains hung, obscuring most of the occupants from direct sight. The individuals within would be where the real power sat wielding large amounts of influences and wealth. Here, on the second floor is where the nobiles, guild heads, and elites played an entirely different game.
Feng Ye's eyes lingered on the upper level. Curtains meant more than privacy. They meant you didn't need to be seen to win.
There was no assigned seating. Seating was here on the main floor was based on first come first serve.
By the time Feng Ye arrived, the front rows were already filled. The middle rows were filling fast. The back rows had open seats, but fewer people wanted to sit too far away. Feng Ye chose a seat in the middle, right by the aisle. A strategic choice.
Not too close to attract attention. Not too far to be out of the game. And an easy exit if needed.
For now, he was just here to observe. He didn't have the financial resources to play.
Adventurers, traders, and mysterious figures filled the room. Some left gaps between seats, unwilling to sit too close to strangers. Around 20 minutes passed by, Feng Ye looked around and most of the rows have been filled now.
At this time, the lights dimmed. The low murmur of voices slowly stopped. A hush fell over the room. Only one the center stage remained lit enabling it to become the focus of everyone's attention.
All eyes turned to the center stage.
Feng Ye leaned back, relaxed but alert.
He wasn't just here to see who bid on what. He was here to see who truly held power. Above him, in the private suites, curtains remained drawn. But soon, he would know who was watching. And more importantly, who was worth watching back.
The sound of steps could be heard. A woman stepped on the stage.
She was tall, slender, and wore a rich crimson colored silk. Her movements were precise and controlled. She stepped to the center of the stage and smiled at the audience.
"Welcome, esteemed guests," she spoke, her words carrying across the hall.
"Tonight, we present numerous treasures that bring forth shock and wonder." She paused and glanced at the main audience and then scanned the balconies on the second floor before continuing.
"And for the right price…futures will change."
Feng Ye watched her closely.
"I will be your host tonight. Now, without further delay. Let us begin."
A side door opened, and two attendants dressed in deep blue uniforms emerged. Between them, they carried a polished wooden chest set upon a velvet-lined cart. They rolled it to the center of the stage, then stepped back. The auctioneer gestured toward the chest.
The lid was lifted revealing an eerie looking black dagger. A faint dark aura seemed to surround it and along its edges as if it were alive.
The auctioneer stepped closer and began her introduction.
"Our first item is a weapon from the depths of ruins located far north of the capital. It is forged from the fangs of a shadow wolf said to lurk in the shadows up north."
The audience curiously looked at the dagger and a murmur spread throughout the hall.
"Let's start the bidding at ten high grade beast cores."
"Ten." Immediately, a merchant with fine robes placed his bid.
"Fifteen." An adventurer raised a hand.
The auction had begun.
The next item was revealed beneath a glass case. A small, golden coin.
Simple and unassuming.
The auctioneer's voice dropped slightly.
"The next one is a relic of history. An unknown token from a falling kingdom. We can only confirm that it dates to the era of warring states before the establishment of Radiant Kingdom.
A noble from the private suites tapped his cane.
"Fifty."
No hesitation. A scholar in the middle rows hesitated, then raised his parchment.
"Sixty."
The noble sighed.
"Eighty."
Nobody else continued to increase the price. The noble really wanted this for unknown reasons.
Feng Ye's gaze flickered. That noble wasn't buying a keepsake. Perhaps, he was burying a secret.
A few more auctions occurred and went by quickly. Some potions, some materials, some more weapons.
None caught Feng Ye's interest and were noteworthy until the sixth item arrived.
Immediately the atmosphere within the auction floor shifted.
The auctioneer's tone changed.
"The next is a rarity unlike any other. A relic from beyond this world."
The glass case opened. Inside was a small, metallic device.
Intricate, sleek, alien. It didn't belong to this time of cold weapons and magic.
The auctioneer continued.
"Recovered from a lost ruin. A treasure of unknown origin. Some say… from the Otherworlders themselves."
The room remained silent.
At a glance, he knew exactly what it was. A mobile phone. Feng Ye's stared at the device. Wasn't that a mobile phone from his world? Or at least, something eerily close to one. How did it get here?
An Otherworlder artifact? Here?
His mind raced. This wasn't just an artifact from another ruin. This was technology that he was familiar with.
The first bid then came from a balcony suite. A calm and confident voice from balcony three clearly spoke.
"One hundred."
Feng Ye raised an eyebrow. One hundred for this device? What were they thinking.
"Two hundred." Balcony number seven also increased the bid.
The bidding war between the second floor begun.
The bidding war continued for some time. From the voices, Feng Ye could determine that the voice from balcony three was patient and seemed to understand what he was looking to bid for.
Balcony seven seemed to be aggressive as though trying to make a statement or demonstration of authority. Why was seven trying to deny? Perhaps an effort to raise prices to have better chances for later bids?
The bidding war broke five hundred.
The crowd murmurs.
"Six hundred." Balcony seven bids with an incredibly high price.
Balcony three now remained silent.
One second passed. Two. Three.
A shadow moved inside Balcony three. Then, a voice. "Withdrawn."
A small satisfied exhale came from Balcony seven.
The auctioneer's voice rang out.
"Six hundred going once."
"Going twice."
"Sold to Balcony seven!"
A round of applause followed.
Balcony three gave up. Not because they couldn't afford it, but as a strategic retreat. There were more items coming and it wasn't worth it for them to bid for this.
Balcony seven however seemed to have plenty of resources. They were playing a different game.
As the auction continued, Feng Ye noticed something strange.
A merchant sitting several rows away had been watching the bidding war closely. They got up silently and was now leaving. Too fast and nervous. It gave him away.
Feng Ye's instincts and observation came handy at this time. This wasn't just a speculator but perhaps an insider. An insider who may have realized something they shouldn't have.
The guild emblem stitched into his sleeve confirmed it. This merchant was a guild approved trader. What would cause them to panic?
As expected, Feng Ye noticed that the moment the merchant stepped into the halwlay, two figures got up and seemed to tag along. It was blatant and wasn't hidden.
They wanted him to know. That meant this wasn't a simple mugging. This was a message.
Feng Ye exhaled slightly. The Guild had influence here, but the Auction House wasn't entirely theirs. It seems to operate independently and free from the guild's influence.
The Guild controlled the economy, the Beast Core Exchange, and the flow of commerce in Redwood.
This auction house, however, seemed to be neutral. That's why other factions dared to bid against Guild-backed bidders. However, a guild affiliated merchant just left as though he were terrified. If the guild controlled the auction house, this merchant wouldn't be afraid.
This also meant that perhaps the guild's enemies are still operating in Redwood Town despite the guild's strong control. They weren't just surviving. They were operating.
Feng Ye glanced at the balconies above. He still had no way to figure out who the power players were. The auction continued.
Tonight, it seems that the trip was somewhat useful for information collection but not completely. He would need to continue to observe.
The water was muddy within Redwood Town. The Guild had a stranglehold on power. But shadows still moved beneath their feet.
And Feng Ye? He was starting to see where the cracks formed.