Tonight is the Grand Auction

Chapter 17: Tonight is the Grand Auction

Day 20th of the 3rd Month, Year 1764 of the New Era. Whitegold Capital City, Redragia Kingdom, Fallen Dragon Continent.

At the same time Yang Xian(Aram Hadrian) was having orgy party with his women, his fiancée, Fang Tongxin was busy organizing the upcoming Whitegold Grand Auction. 

When she sent out an emergency letter to her Second Uncle that was the President of the Whitegold Headquarter and wrote that she have a good quality porcelain set, a set of crystal glass, and treasured wine that worth more than the famous Thousand Brew Wine ..., her uncle only sent a reply that he simply don't believe it and won't send someone to fetch it. 

If she really have the goods, then she should come herself to the Whitegold Capital City. As she was infuriated with that, Fang Tongxin departed that very morning to the Capital City with her fastest carriage. 

But it was all trick from her uncle. He just want additional workforce to help him organize the upcoming Whitegold Grand Auction. 

"I shouldn't have come all the way here from Bluebell, if I know I'll be busy like this!?"

But for Fang Tongxin, forced to deal with numerous responsibilities all of sudden ..., she was tired to death. Even if her uncle said there will be share for her, she was unwilling tire herself like this! She began miss the relaxing day as auction house manager in the small town like Bluebell.

"Young Miss, complaining isn't a good habit. Isn't it better if you just finish the work as soon as possible rather than voice out complaint."

"You shut up for a bit, stupid Wei!" Fang Tongxin snapped at the black-robed girl's word as she lied down on the leather couch rubbing her temple.

"Miss ..., I recall today is not the the day when your great aunt came to visit. Why are you this sentimental?"

"Damned Wei, stupid Wei! I'll fire you if I have to! Shut up!?"

"Alright, you're the boss. I'll shut up now." Yuan Wei shrugged her shoulder, she disappeared as if her presence blended into the air.

Fang Tongxin opened a jug of wine and then poured it over a cup. She drank it but feel the sourness unlike the wine that Yang Xian want to auction. She spit it back to the cup and place it back to the end table.

"Shit, even Thousand Brew Wine now taste like shit compared to that wine!"

If the Thousand Brew Master heard what she said, then he would be greatly shocked that he might have a stroke because of what she said. His wine was acknowledged as the best and the utmost perfect wine in the continent. But to use such crude and vulgar word like 'shit' to describe it's taste, and it's come out from a woman ..., nonetheless. As what Fang Tongxin meant by 'that' wine, it was obviously the one which Yang Xuan brought.

Yuan Wei didn't come out this time. As Fang Tongxin shadow bodyguard and her advisor, she's the closest person in her life. And thus, she was the one who know Fang Tongxin's better than anyone else. She know everything about Fang Tongxin, even what her father and other member of Fang family didn't. 

There was the time, usually after she received a shocking piece of news or when her mind overwhelmed with work, Fang Tongxin would enter what so-called Mood-swing Mode. When in this mode, she who usually calm, collected, and calculative suddenly turn hasty, panicky, and temperamental.

She learned from experience, that it's best to leave her alone and not let her get out when she's in this mood-swing mode. She would surely get better after sometimes passed. There's the time when Fang Tongxin shown such abnormal behavior to other people, and she regretted it a lot and was depressed for days.

After sometimes passed, Fang Tongxin take a short nap. And after she woke up, she found her room was in a mess. Like ..., a typhon stormed the room making a mess out of it. She was startled and befuddled with that, but then recalled that it was her who done it.

"Wei, call the maids to clean the room ..., and what time is it?"

"Young Miss, it's currently Hours of Ren." 

"It's about time ...,"

"Does Young Miss want to go down?"

"Of course, it's not everyday you can watch interesting show such as this."

(o)__(o)

Noble Clan's Patriarch and Madam, Young Master and Miss, and Merchant from all over the continent entered Whitegold Fang Auction House. They flashed the invitation card to the receptionist before entering the majestic pavilion building. 

These guests was here to attend Whitegold Grand Auction. An auspicious annual event which Fang clan held. In this event, all of the rare goods and antiques will be auctioned to the guest all over the continent. That's right, even those merchants and nobles from neighboring kingdoms also come over to join the fun.

One exquisite box-carriage stopped just before the entrance. It was pulled by two Rank-2 Magical Beast, Darksteed, like it's name it was a horse with black mane and hide. With such beasts pulling the carriage, anyone would definitely notice their presence. And what more, the huge character engraved on the carriage's door was not something to overlook. It was 'Yu' of the four Great Clan.

Inside such carriage. Gloomy looking young man with similar sullen looking young lady was seated. The reason for their expression was because of the previous conversation.

"Let me warn you one more time ..., don't embarrass me! Don't talk nonsense, don't provoke anyone, and don't you ever dare to strike a conversation with the ladies!" the young lady in her early twenties with aloof and untouchable aura gave a series of prohibition to the young man in front of her.

"Aye, you've told me that for who know how many times. I'm tired of hearing it already. I'll just be a mute this night. That won't be a problem to you, right?"

"No, at least you must answer to someone else greeting?! What if your silence was misunderstood as degrading them? Just be normal and don't say things recklessly like what you did in last week banquet!"

'But that's how I am normally ...' the young man didn't have quite the courage to say that word out loud. He just glumly smiled.

"Lin, remember that you are not only yourself ..., you are the head of your faction, you represent many people. What you said will affect the faction and everyone who choose to follow you ...,"

"Sigh, I understand. Right, how about we skip all the troublesome greetings and such, let's just directly enter our box? Won't that solve the problem?" 

"Don't you see that this is rare chance for you to get acquainted with numerous nobles and merchants from all over the continent? Anyway you must at least make them know who you are in this auction. Mayhap some of them would be willing to join our faction."

'Faction this, faction that ..., fuck with all of that! I faced at least six assassination attempt on my little life! That mean one assassin in every month! And while my life was in danger, what those men of this so-called faction do, huh? Nothing?! Nay, worse than nothing ..., I bet they were partying as if spitting on my misfortunate self.' Lin Wutang thought in his mind with full irritation.

"Say, O exalted noble lady ..., is it really our faction or is it your faction?" 

A surprise flashed through her beautiful eyes, Yu Huiqin recollected her thought and then said. "Of course, it is yours. You are the leader and everyone follows you, right?"

"Oh really? Half a year ago, I am just a pickpocket who stole that insignia from you. I was captured by your men and now, here I am ..., becoming your puppet. I never intended to be this Dragon King things, you're the one who forced me to this. And I know that those men were join into my faction because of your clan. If they really are following me, then why they never heed to my order. Nor help me when I need them to. Am I the faction leader, or figurehead? Are they the member of this faction, or they just leeching off of mine being this doragon kingu candidate?" Lin Wutang stated all of his discontentment that he hold up from the last six months.

Yu Huiqin looked at him with unconcealed worry on her face, or maybe she just put on façade and tried to look worried. Nevertheless, Lin Wutang already started to see her in negative light. Even if deep inside she was truly worried, it become something different through his eyes.

"Lin, you are not anyone puppet! You know this yourself, the one who truly hold the Dragon King's fragmented power is none other than you. I am here to advise you, not to tell you do everything I told you to. As I am your advisor, it is in my duty to let you know what's the best course of action. You can always ignore my word, but just so you know that I would never stop advising you ... unless you decided to place someone else to do the job."

"Then, advisor Yu. Your previous 'don't embarrass me' ..., what do you mean by that? If I'm truly the faction leader, why is that your face which matter?"

"Is it because I'm accompanying you, and everyone else know who am I while they do not yet know who you are. Lin ..., you haven't yet established your influence. And many other thought that you're relying me. It is not false, because my family indeed sponsoring you. But have we ever commanded you to do this and that? Aside from forcing you to learn etiquette and compulsory lesson, have we --, I ..., ever asked you to do something?"

"..." Lin Wutang went mum hearing that question.

"You never publicly raise a campaign, neither recruit men and followers, that's fine. Even if I and my family know it will weaken your faction, we never ask nor force you to do as opposite of your decision. No matter what your decision maybe, before you come into decision ..., I always advised you the best course of action based on my understanding. And have I ever protested or mad when you didn't use my advise?"

"No, it's ..., you never did that."

"You are the Lordship candidate, and we helped you in your campaign ..., just what makes you think I and Yu clan controlled you? Have we done such thing to you?"

"It's not ..., but the way you speak, it's really getting to my ire. I don't like when someone else told me what I must do. It's like you're dictating me or something."

"Then what am I supposed to do? I'm your advisor, should I just stay silent all the time and let you run wild and do as you please? And that's how I speak, if you don't like it then don't, it's not like I'm saying thing to make you like me ..., or should I admonish you like how a mother does to her child? I can't do that! If you don't like the way I speak ..., which you call 'dictating', then why don't you just for once, not mess up at time like this?"

Both Yu Huiqin and Lin Wutang went silent after that. They have worked together for the last six months. Yu Huiqin was of highborn and aloof young lady because of her look and capabilities, but she was willing to be his advisor because he's the Dragon King candidate. Despite him being a lowborn and former pickpocket. No matter what his past, his present and future is what matters. 

But sometimes, Lin Wutang and Yu Huiqin has different viewpoint and opinion which caused them to have a friction. Even small issues could be big if it was picked up. It was always like this that they never got along with each other.

Return to the present ..., Lin Wutang thought about her word for a moment before he sighed. It's true, the Yu never dictate him to do anything. And in fact, they did give him high degree of freedom and life full of luxury.

But the matter of how fragile his faction is true. They never considered themselves as his follower, they just be a part of the faction because they want to curry favor with the Yu clan. And he want to change that.

"Yu Huiqin, I ..., I'm sorry for before. It's, I'm still haven't adapt with all of this. Alright, I will follow your advise tonight."

"..., I will appreciate if you kindly listen to my humble word."

"Let's go then ..."

They stepped out of the carriage, Yu Huiqin showed the invitation card for Lin Wutang and entered the auction room. She used to follow her father the Yu Clan Patriarch in the Grand Auction, but now she was with Lin Wutang as his company.

The auction will start in about half an hour, and so they crowded in the lobby as they started greeting fellow acquaintances and other guests from the other nations.

Yu Huiqin followed behind Lin Wutang, but the man himself immediately went to nearby table and grabbed a glutton rice snack and ate it with relish. Some of the guest noticed him, mainly because of Yu Huiqin who was accompanying him. But they refrained on greeting him because he immediately went to snack corner.

"Lin ..., did you already forget our conversation?" Yu Huiqin who had her face thrown in a full fling asked him, feeling a little bit uncomfortable with other peoples' stare.

"Hmmm? Oh don't worry, I'll be done in a moment. But damn, this mochi is good. The chef must be professional. As expected of the richest clan, I guess."

"You really don't give a single damn to them. I have to wonder how could you be so thick-skinned." Yu Huiqin murmured beside him who was nonchalant and didn't have the intention on acquainting himself with other guests.

"Yu Huiqin ..., I think rather than adding more stone on the already fragile foundation, we should remove the bad rocks and add mortar to it." Lin Wutang said while picking a coconut rice ball.

"Even so ..., bad rocks also has it own uses." 

Yu Huiqin know what he's talking about, it's about their faction and its member. They recently argued about this anyway. To her comment, Lin Wutang swallowed another coconut rice ball and drank a juice.

"True, but not in the foundation. It's better to clean it up right now before it become a hidden danger that could damage the whole building later on."