Yama Rising

Ming Shiyin couldn’t stand it any longer, “Why are you acting in such an effeminate manner?! No wonder Arthis has been calling you a submissive man.”

“Are you really in the mood to look the part?” Ming Shiyin couldn’t come to terms with the fact that a future King Yanluo would be standing in front of a mirror with a selection of beautifying products, “And even if you’ve got the luxury of time, wouldn’t that time be more well spent contemplating how you’re going to seize the Obsidian Heaven’s Eye Bowl from the pack of wolves eyeing it hungrily?”

Just as Ming Shiyin was staring at Qin Ye with great incredulity, Qin Ye casually reached out, picked up Ming Shiyin, and began to preen himself in the reflection on Ming Shiyin’s surface… What the hell is this?!

“Don’t sully this pristine mirror with your dirty, disgusting looks!” Ming Shiyin urgently wrested itself free of Qin Ye’s grasp and immediately backed some distance away. Then, moments later, it leaned back in and asked, “Hey, seriously speaking, don’t you wanna kill that bastard Grandmaster Chu?”

Without missing a beat, Qin Ye continued, “Humans are strange beings. But they’re also incredibly fascinating and interesting creatures. Everyone has their own perspectives, and their actions and reactions naturally flow from these perspectives of theirs. We humans don’t go all out all the time. In my case, I wouldn’t even waste my time and effort reaping the soul of Grandmaster Chu. Make sure to note this down. I’ll test you on my preferences in future.”

You’re not even King Yanluo, and yet you’re already delegating work like one?

Showtime.

“Mr Qin, this is your number plate.” Another doorman handed Qin Ye a number plate - number 21.

He scanned his surroundings. It had to be said that Guardian Auctions were experts at running an auction. The auction booths were located some distance away from each other, while each booth comprised of more than one seat.

These were seats for the working group.

The auction venue was massive, and it contained slightly in excess of forty such booths. Furthermore, there was a red stage erected right at the front of the entire hall.

Qin Ye located his corresponding booth and took his seat. He didn’t have assistants with him, so he turned around to make small talk with his auction assistant from time to time. Incidentally, he was the only person in the entire venue who didn’t have any assistants with him.

Time passed quickly. At 6.30 p.m., the music suddenly stopped, and the doors to the auction venue softly clicked shut. The lights darkened to a warm glow, and the entire cruise liner instantly exuded the ambience of a nocturnal city drifting on the sea.

There was no reaction from the audience, save for some soft whispers of discussions that buzzed within each booth. Bai Yishan didn’t mind this. He was an adept when it came to auctions like these. What else was the audience supposed to do - applaud him?

He turned around, and the lights in the room promptly dimmed. The LED screen began to display several patterns which slowly converged to form an image of the ancient, scarred bowl.

Qin Ye squinted his eyes and immediately sized up the image. His ears perked up, and he soon began to pick up the chatter in his surroundings.

Qin Ye shook his head and glanced at Bai Yishan with a look of great astonishment. Several moments later, he finally responded, “They’re looking to auction the Obsidian Heaven’s Eye Bowl right off the cuff. The other attendees have also noticed this peculiarity.”

Qin Ye shook his head. He finally understood everything. Grandmaster Chu was also afraid, because he was keenly aware of the fact that he had offended some powerful and influential parties. But rather than drag things on just to whet their appetites, he would much prefer to open the auctions with the grand finale and serve up the main dish right off the cuff.

After all, Qin Ye wouldn’t be moved by this “gesture of sincerity” of his. Neither would Master Kamo, Mr Iwasaki, or the two Hellguards from Mount Koya.

“The Obsidian Heaven’s Eye Bowl.” Bai Yishan’s voice quivered lightly as he declared the first item of auction with gravitas. He continued hoarsely, “There are only two such heirloom pieces belonging to the Song Dynasty. One fell into the hands of Tokugawa Ieyasu, one of the great names of the Nipponese Warring States era, while the other one, as pictured above, had at all times been in possession of none other than the eminent Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga. It was later lost in the wake of the Honnoji incident.”

“That’s right. It might be scarred, but these scars are directly inflicted upon this artifact by the indomitable weight of history. It allows us to relive the great blaze at Honnoji which changed the course of history in Nippon. The scars don’t make it hideous. Rather, these historical scars make it a most unique piece, one that is even more distinguishable and invaluable than the one located at the Nipponese Seikado Bunko Art Museum!”

Buzz…

It’s true! They’re opening with the finale! What’s going on with Guardian Auctions?!

Sounds of ragged breaths broke out throughout the auction venue. A man seated in the first row and dressed in a white thawb sat up straight. Likewise, a graceful and elegant Nipponese woman next to him straightened up as well. In fact, all of the tycoons, even those in the second and third rows of booths, immediately set down their teacups and sat up attentively.

The answer lay hidden under the bandages wrapped tightly around Grandmaster Chu’s hands. Grandmaster Chu walked up on stage with the X-magic box, ostensibly wounded. Everyone raised their eyebrows immediately, and they immediately got a hint of what transpired down at the cargo hold.

“He’s attempting to buy his safety with this.” Back in one of the booths located in the first row, Iwasaki Kyouya chuckled contemptuously at him, sipping his tea as he murmured aloud, “But are you sure that the safety you’re after is only worth a few billion RMB?”

Grandmaster Chu didn’t say a word. He simply walked up to the stage and placed the X-magic box down gently onto the table. Then, he cleared his throat, “Distinguished guests, please accept my sincerest apologies. These developments have happened too suddenly, so please understand when we say that we have to keep the Obsidian Heaven’s Eye Bowl within the confines of this security measure until the auction is over. Once the gavel falls, the bowl can immediately be verified. After all, the three people required to gain access to the contents of the box are all present right now.”

We’ve come so far, so how can I afford to look back?!

He turned to Bai Yishan, only to receive an inquisitive gaze in return. Grandmaster Chu drew several deep breaths. Then, he slowly made his way to the side of the auction table, “Now, it is with the greatest honour that I declare--...”

“The first lot is none other than the Obsidian Heaven’s Eye Bowl. Bidding starts at one billion RMB. Each increment shall be no less than twenty million RMB. All are welcome to participate!”