As Xu Zihuang and Qingmu conversed, the group had unknowingly entered the inner city of Moonwheel City—its very heart and most prosperous area.
Tall buildings stood in rows, though compared to the industrial chill of Mingdu, where Xu Zihuang had spent most of his life, this place had a warmer, more classical charm. The architecture was ornate and retro, evoking a sense of ancient elegance.
Particularly striking was a massive clock tower not far away, nearly a hundred meters tall. Judging by the weathered marks on its surface, it had to be several centuries old.
The bell rang out deeply, startling a flock of white doves from the tower's summit.
Xu Zihuang stopped in front of a peculiar circular building.
This building covered a vast area—at least 500 meters in diameter, with its tallest point soaring over 80 meters. Even within the dense inner city, few structures could compare in size and presence.
And given that this was the inner city, where every inch of land was precious, the building's prominence spoke volumes about the power behind it.
That power was indeed significant. This was the Moonwheel Auction House, owned by none other than Viscount Yao Yang, the de facto ruler of the Moon South Archipelago. It was also the predetermined rendezvous point between Xu Zihuang and Wang Xiao.
The auction house's main doors were semi-circular, matching the platinum-white exterior of the building.
Standing by the entrance were several tall greeter girls, all around 1.75 meters in height, with well-proportioned figures. While not stunning beauties, their graceful appearance and youthful energy were still quite captivating.
On either side, guards in white-plated armor stood with long spears in hand. Xu Zihuang clearly sensed soul power emanating from them.
Their cultivation wasn't far off from his own—around the low-20s in soul power rank.
These must be the city guards Yao-ge mentioned.
Xu Zihuang thought to himself. When the greeters approached, he calmly retrieved a white jade crescent-shaped token from the soul tool ring on his left index finger—the same token he had used earlier.
Upon seeing the token, the greeter girls' expressions changed immediately. They whispered briefly among themselves before one of them hurried into the auction house, while the others bowed respectfully to Xu Zihuang and his group.
"This way, please."
Inside, the auction hall was not ostentatious but elegant. The floor was paved with creamy white marble, and the walls were adorned with ornate relief carvings. The design was bright and refined.
Built-in display cases along the walls contained shimmering rare metals and finely crafted soul tools. These were lower-end items—none worth more than 1,000 gold soul coins.
Several well-dressed guests were milling about, pretending to evaluate the goods—perhaps finding a sense of superiority in doing so.
Just then, the sound of rapid, crisp footsteps echoed down from the staircase at the rear of the hall.
A glamorous woman in a form-fitting purple gown appeared at the top, her gaze sweeping the hall before locking onto Xu Zihuang and his entourage.
"Isn't that Director Zhu? Why is she here in person?"
The crowd erupted in surprise, clearly startled by her arrival.
Unbothered by the commotion, Director Zhu gracefully approached Xu Zihuang.
Even from afar, Xu Zihuang could see she was taller than the greeter girls by a noticeable margin—easily close to 1.8 meters. She looked no older than twenty-five. Her long black hair was elegantly pinned up, her complexion like fine porcelain, and her face both dignified and alluring—a striking combination.
But what truly caught Xu Zihuang's attention were her eyes—deep violet, just like his.
Director Zhu flashed him a stunning smile and casually placed her slender hand on his shoulder.
Seeing her close in, Meng Lang immediately grew alert. When she actually made physical contact, he was ready to react—not just out of caution, but from offense.
How dare someone like her touch the young master so casually?
"Don't be reckless!"
Qingmu grabbed Meng Lang's wrist, using soul power to transmit a warning.
"This is Viscount Yao Yang's domain. Think about the relationship between him and the young master."
Meng Lang hesitated, then slowly relaxed his clenched hand, thoughts swirling behind his eyes.
Director Zhu didn't notice the brief exchange. Her focus was entirely on Xu Zihuang.
"The city lord has been expecting you. Let me take you to him."
Xu Zihuang gave her a strange look—her overly familiar behavior made him slightly uneasy. He couldn't help but wonder what exactly Yao-ge had said to her. Clearly, she and Yao-ge shared more than a simple working relationship.
Thanks to his Golden Eye Martial Soul, Xu Zihuang could clearly detect subtle emotional shifts in her. And when she mentioned the city lord—Yao Yang—her affection and longing were plain as day.
Without a word, he motioned to Meng Lang and the others to stay behind, then silently followed Director Zhu. Each time he glanced at her, she would return a gentle smile.
It gave off the unmistakable feeling of loving the house for the crow perched on it.
Back in the hall, the group of "ambitious" and "worldly" guests couldn't tear their eyes away.
"Which powerful family is that young man from, to receive a personal audience with the city lord?"
"Not just an audience—didn't you hear Director Zhu say the lord's been waiting for him? Just what kind of identity does he have?"
…
Climbing the golden sandalwood stairs to the second-floor hall, they found significantly fewer guests there.
Luxurious corridors branched off from the hall, each leading to a VIP room. The floors were carpeted with soul beast pelts, rare flowers lined the walls, and even sleep-inducing lotus-type plant soul beasts lay peacefully inside crystal containers.
Director Zhu led them expertly to one corridor, explaining that each led to a separate VIP suite.
There were only six top-tier VIP rooms in total.
Just as she was about to speak again, her smile suddenly froze. She lifted her chin proudly, eyes fixed on a different corridor entrance.
Xu Zihuang followed her gaze to see two blue-haired girls approaching. They looked somewhat alike—one younger, about twelve or thirteen, and the other around Director Zhu's age. Her soft, water-blue eyes met Director Zhu's cold gaze without flinching. In terms of beauty, she was no less stunning, though she carried a gentler, more delicate aura.
"Zhu-jiejie," the younger girl said sweetly, trying to please her.
"Oh, it's Shui-meimei. I'm afraid I can't accompany you today—I have important matters to attend to. I'm escorting a very important guest to meet the city lord. Unlike some people, who've been wanting a meeting and still haven't gotten one."
Director Zhu's voice took on a cooler tone, then shifted to one laced with subtle mockery. Her smile remained, but the meaning behind it was unmistakably sharp.
Xu Zihuang could feel two burning gazes land squarely on him, and he sighed internally.
Great. What kind of situation am I walking into now?
(End of Chapter)
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