The Yellow-Haired Villain in Soaring Phoenix’s Novels Also Desires Happiness

Chapter 74, Tears of True Love

“Alright, I didn’t take that matter to heart at all, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

Mu En pulled the alluring woman up, casually tucking her somewhat disheveled hair behind her ear.

Although her makeup was heavy, Mu En could still tell that this woman was quite young, at most just over twenty, in the prime of her youth.

“When you’re out, don’t demean yourself like this.”

“But…”

The alluring woman hesitated a bit.

In the black market, where the empire’s glory doesn’t shine, for someone as weak as her, this was the way to survive.

Expecting unprovoked kindness from others would only lead to a bad end, just like her suddenly disappearing “seniors.”

“Does the sir think this isn’t enough? I… I’m more open-minded; if the sir has other requests or games, I can accommodate.

Even, I can—”

“Enough!”

Mu En frowned, sternly interrupting the woman’s self-promotion.

“I don’t need it.”

“Well…”

The woman’s face turned slightly pale; she thought Mu En was not going to forgive her. Clutching the hem of her dress, she appeared somewhat lost and helpless.

“Alas.”

Seeing her like this, Mu En knew that continued refusal would only have the opposite effect, so he couldn’t help but sigh and say:

“Forget it, since you insist on doing something, I can only…”

……

“Sir, is it comfortable?”

“Ah, yes, comfortable, um, just there…”

Under the service of the enchanting woman, Mu En couldn’t help but let out a pleasurable moan.

“Yes, yes, yes, a little closer, harder, um, that’s right, it feels amazing, your technique is really great.”

“Sir is overpraising me; after all, I do this quite often.”

The enchanting woman smiled seductively, then couldn’t help but become a bit dazed.

She didn’t expect that what this man wanted her to do was… just to massage his shoulders and back.

“Sir, is this really okay? After all, this is already included in the original service.” The enchanting woman said, still a bit anxious. She was massaging earnestly, and even though her hands had started to ache, she didn’t dare to slack off at all.

“That’s enough, I played too hard last night, and my back and waist are a bit sore; it’s great that you’re good at this.”

Mu En got up, signaling the woman to stop.

He stretched comfortably, indeed feeling his body relax quite a bit.

“Alright, you can go out now; the auction is about to start.”

“Yes.”

The enchanting woman nodded obediently.

She knew that during the auction, it was easy to involve some privacy, so most guests wouldn’t let outsiders stay by their side.

Their purpose was merely to help the guests pass the boring time before the auction began.

“If you need anything, feel free to call me.”

The enchanting woman respectfully took her leave, but just as she was about to turn and leave, Mu En suddenly called out to her.

“Wait, this is for you.”

“What is this…”

The enchanting woman looked at the heavy envelope thrown over by Mu En, somewhat astonished.

“This is a tip.”

“A tip, this much?”

Mu En did not turn back, resting his chin on his hand as he gazed out the window.

At this moment, the entire hall dimmed, and then a spotlight illuminated the center stage.

The curtain rose.

Everything fell silent, and that small exhibition platform seemed to become the very center of the world.

The darkness deepened, more pronounced.

In the thick fog of darkness, Mu En stared at the spotlight, softly murmuring to himself:

“A beautiful girl who stays in a dark place for too long will also get darker skin, you know, but I prefer it a bit whiter.”

“…Sir.”

The alluring woman stared blankly at Mu En’s back, suddenly feeling a bit misty-eyed. She took a deep breath and bowed deeply, saying:

“…Thank you, sir. I will do my best to try.”

She clutched the heavy envelope in her hand, as if holding onto a lifeline.

……

……

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this secret auction. I am the host of the auction; you may call me… Miss Fairy.”

In the spotlight, a captivating woman in a flesh-colored, diamond-studded gown slowly rose from the platform. Her figure was devilishly alluring, the tight dress accentuating curves that made hearts race, the plunging V-neckline nearly revealing half of her rounded bosom.

With a voice dripping with seduction, the woman who called herself Miss Fairy casually brushed her fingers across her fair chest, instantly igniting the atmosphere of the auction hall.

“Heh, is this the usual trick of the auction?”

Mu En found a comfortable position, reclining on the sofa, his gaze as pure as if he were appraising a piece of art, completely unfazed by the display.

After all, the echoes of last night’s madness had yet to fade; he remained in sage mode, and no matter how beautiful the woman, she could not stir even a flicker of desire within him.

Miss Fairy, of course, could not compare to a real little fairy.

At this moment, he was merely a heartless auction machine; aside from the essence of Gu Long, nothing could pique his interest.

“Without further ado, let us unveil today’s first auction item.”

After sharing a few risqué jokes and showcasing her enchanting figure, causing a few hapless virgins to bleed from their noses, Miss Fairy finally got to the point.

With a graceful wave of her delicate hand, a similarly scantily clad girl approached, holding a tray covered with a red cloth.

Since it was only the first auction item, she didn’t keep them in suspense for long. After throwing a few flirtatious glances at the audience, she lifted the red cloth.

A pink teardrop-shaped gem appeared before everyone’s eyes.

“The gem, the Tear of True Love!”

As her enchanting voice spread through the hall, Miss Fairy lifted the gilded gem box with her delicate hand, circling the entire platform. The lights focused, illuminating the pink teardrop gem in a dazzling display.

A special imaging magic projected the gem’s form onto a massive screen, allowing all the audience members to clearly admire every detail from various angles.

The Tear of True Love?

Mu En suddenly straightened up from the sofa, his gaze somewhat astonished as he stared at the pink gemstone.

What a coincidence? Just recently he had been swindled with a fake, and now here was the real thing?

“The Tear of True Love, a gemstone symbolizing pure romance, is said that if you give this gemstone to the one you desire, you will win their heart…”

“Apart from the symbolic meaning of the gemstone itself, the material of this gemstone is also of the highest quality. The entire teardrop shape shows no signs of artificial carving, as if it were naturally formed…”

After the fairy lady spent a full five minutes introducing the gemstone, she announced the starting price.

“Starting bid, one hundred thousand!”

One hundred thousand?

Hearing this price, Mu En was again somewhat astonished.

Even with a discount, it wouldn’t be this low, right? After all, when the Tear of True Love was at its peak in the noble circles, there were nobles who bid millions for their lovers.

Could it be some sort of special marketing tactic?

Mu En scanned the surroundings, only to find that the atmosphere in the venue was not as lively as he had imagined.

Only a few voices were disinterestedly placing bids, and after a long while, the price had only been pushed to three hundred thousand.

“What’s going on…”

Mu En stroked his chin, suddenly realizing.

This wasn’t a proper auction; it was a black market auction.

Most of those who could come here were fugitives roaming the lower districts, living lives on the edge every day.

For this group, a magical scroll that could blow their enemies’ entire families to the sky, or an alchemical weapon that could chop people down like chopping vegetables, was worth much more than this gemstone that was merely pretty and ridiculously expensive.

After all, in a magical world, this ordinary gemstone that couldn’t even emit a laser would only attract those nobles with pig fat in their heads who were willing to spend money to please women; otherwise, no one would be willing to pay a high price for it.

Naturally, Mu En wouldn’t be that fool. His family had all sorts of gemstones; why would he need to buy such an unremarkable item? He could pull out gemstones the size of pigeon eggs or even goose eggs.

“Hey, wait a minute.”

But just as Mu En was about to continue lying back and waiting for Gu Long’s inspiration, a sudden flash of insight struck him, and he remembered something.

“I recall… Senior Sister seems to really like this Tear of True Love.”

After all, during their previous date, even though he knew it was ninety-nine percent fake, Senior Sister still wouldn’t give up on that one percent possibility, drawn in by the old man’s shouts.

That was one of the rare times Senior Sister Anna had shown interest in something in front of him!

“So if I give this to Senior Sister, she’ll definitely be happy!”

Mu En’s eyes lit up; thoughts of pig fat in the head, only wanting to please women, being a fool, and so on were instantly cast aside.

He had made up his mind; he would bid on this Tear of True Love!

……

……

“Listen, Ariel.”

“The so-called secret to dominating the auction scene, to being invincible, is to keep a low profile.”

“Every bid must not exceed the previous one by too much, but it also can’t be too low, or else people will catch on.”

“The price you offer should reflect a slight interest in the item, without revealing its true value.”

“Remember, silence is golden; only then can you amass great wealth.”

In the ordinary seating area, Ariel was wrapped in a black robe that concealed her presence, her eyes closed as she attentively listened to her master’s teachings echoing in her mind.

It was as if she were absorbing the wisdom of her predecessors, transforming it into her own. Suddenly, Ariel opened her eyes, and from her clear gaze, a thunderous brilliance erupted.

She raised her bidding paddle, and after the previous bid of three hundred thousand, she immediately called out a new price.

“Three hundred thousand… plus one thousand!”

“Tsk.”

After Ariel’s bid, the person who had offered three hundred thousand clicked their tongue, abandoning the thought of continuing to bid.

Seeing this, a habitual, carefree smile crept onto Ariel’s lips.

“Don’t let your guard down; it’s not over yet.”

“Three hundred thousand… plus two thousand!”

Just as her master’s warning faded, someone in the corner of the other seating area raised paddle number fifty, adding a mere thousand to the pot.

Ariel squinted her eyes and looked over.

The person in the corner was also cloaked in a black robe, but even through the loose fabric, the breathtaking curve of her chest was visible.

Upon seeing this, Ariel proudly puffed out her chest.

Hmph, not professional at all.

With a chest that large, can’t others tell at a glance that you’re a woman?

Look at me, in my black robe, who can tell if I’m male or female?

In a place like the black market, one must not show any signs of weakness; sometimes, a small oversight can lead to a hefty price.

These are all lessons learned through blood.

However, at this moment, Ariel did not underestimate the woman who had placed the bid.

Because the way she bid clearly indicated that she was also a seasoned player in the auction game.

More importantly, she might have, like her master, realized that this Tear of True Love was not as simple as it appeared!

“You don’t need to worry too much about that.”

Her master’s voice echoed in Ariel’s mind once more.

“That Tear of True Love may contain some special ability; even I can only speculate slightly and cannot be completely certain. Given the level of the people present, it would take them a hundred or eighty years to discover any clues. They wouldn’t, and couldn’t, let you pick up a bargain at this auction.

That person is probably just thinking of buying it and then reselling it at a high price to those nobles.”

“Then I can rest easy!”

Ariel nodded, raising her numbered paddle once more.

“Three hundred thousand… zero three thousand.”

“Three hundred thousand… zero four thousand.”

“Three hundred thousand… zero five thousand.”

“Three hundred thousand…”

In the room, only Ariel’s number thirty-eight and that mysterious woman’s number fifty remained, their bids echoing back and forth like a contest of wills.

But after bidding for so long, the price was still crawling up like a snail, barely breaking into the thirty-something thousands.

The fairy lady was somewhat speechless; having hosted so many auctions, she had never seen bids rise like this, akin to an old lady haggling for vegetables. The others were growing impatient, letting out hisses of discontent.

Yet Ariel didn’t care in the slightest.

Because that number fifty had clearly begun to hesitate; as long as she held her ground, victory would surely belong to her!

A gem imbued with some special mystique, bought for just a few hundred thousand—this was not just a profit; it was a windfall!

Thinking of this, Ariel couldn’t help but feel tears welling in her eyes.

What kind of days had she been living lately?

With the black market closed, studying ancient magic required heaps of money, forcing her to tighten her belt every day. Her weekly food budget was a mere two hundred Aimer!

Two hundred! A sum she wouldn’t have bothered to pick up if it had fallen on the ground before!

But not only that, she had lost that two hundred for two consecutive weeks.

All because of that detestable Mu En Campbell!

She had been reduced to eating nearly ten days’ worth of stale bread, nearly starving her chest flat.

But thankfully, the black market had reopened just in time.

With nearly two months’ worth of ancient magic scrolls and alchemical tools helped by her master, she quickly sold everything through the black market channels.

After all, these items were always in greater supply than demand, and due to their ancient origins, their quality far surpassed what was available on the market, so this time she naturally made a hefty profit.

With money in hand, of course, she had to come to the auction to see if there were any good items.

Although she had been tricked out of a little money by that woman at the black shop with a flyer before coming, such trivial matters were hardly worth mentioning. As long as she could secure this Tear of True Love, all grievances could be endured!

“Three hundred thirty-five thousand and two thousand!”

“…”

Efforts do not betray the determined; after Ariel called out this number with resolute conviction, that mysterious number fifty seemed to finally give up, no longer bidding.

Everything seemed to have settled.

“Three hundred thirty-five thousand and two thousand once.”

“Three hundred thirty-five thousand and two thousand twice.”

The fairy lady’s auction hammer struck quickly; she no longer cared about selling for a few thousand more, just hoping to wrap it up quickly, or else the atmosphere she had worked so hard to build would completely cool down.

Amidst the continuous hammering sounds from the auctioneer, Ariel clenched her fists tightly, unable to hold back her breath, her eyes reflecting eager anticipation.

As long as this deal goes through, not to mention having chicken legs for every meal, even feasting on whole roasted chickens every day would be completely fine!

Hmph, damn Mu En Campbell, you can’t possibly interfere with my good fortune now!

“Three hundred thousand and two thousand third…”

“Number eighty-eight, five hundred thousand.”

Just as the auction hammer was about to fall for the third time, the cold announcement echoed through the entire auction hall via the specially designed magical loudspeaker in the private room.

The voice was deep and hoarse, clearly processed in a special way, yet filled with noble arrogance and the swagger of a wealthy tycoon, causing Ariel to feel as if she had been struck by a hammer, her vision momentarily darkening.

“F… five hundred thousand?”

Ariel almost couldn’t catch her breath:

“Is number eighty-eight insane? Adding over a hundred thousand in one go?”

“Five hundred thousand! Number eighty-eight bids five hundred thousand!”

The fairy lady was also taken aback, her expression instantly turning excited.

She glanced towards the hidden private room of number eighty-eight, her beautiful eyes sparkling with a different kind of brilliance.

This is more like it, this is how an auction should be!

Those incremental bids of a thousand, why not just go haggle with the old lady at the market? What are you doing at my auction?

“Five hundred thousand! Is there anyone else who wants to raise the bid?”

“I… five hundred thousand… plus one thousand!”

Ariel’s eyes turned crimson, nearly biting her silver teeth to call out this number.

It’s fine, five hundred thousand can still yield a profit, it’s just gone from a blood profit to a big profit.

“Six hundred thousand.”

But that voice rang out again, so nonchalantly, as if what was being thrown out wasn’t six hundred thousand, but sixty pieces of toilet paper.

“Six hundred thousand… plus one thousand.” Ariel’s expression twisted.

“Seven hundred thousand.”

“Seven hundred thousand… plus one thousand.” Ariel’s face contorted in rage.

“Eight hundred thousand.”

“Eight hundred thousand! Plus one thousand!”

Ariel was driven to madness!

I don’t believe it, you can keep this up forever!

Come on!

Bring it on!

The Tears of True Love are just an ordinary gem to you. I refuse to believe you could be so wasteful, spending nearly a million just to buy a piece of broken stone!

“Hah, what a hassle.”

But at that moment, a sigh came from the hidden booth of No. 88:

“Then let’s just go for a million!”

A million!

The entire auction hall erupted in an uproar.

Even the fairy lady, who had experienced countless auctions, showed a hint of surprise.

This is not the kind of noble auction house where a piece of calligraphy or painting can fetch over a hundred million.

For many here, a million might be their entire fortune.

Yet now someone is putting up a million just to buy an ordinary gem?

Of course, some here had heard the rumors about the Tears of True Love, but this ordinary gem, which had no special function, only gained a bit of value due to the hype surrounding its supposed representation of true love. If you take it to those nobles and ask for a few million, they would just elegantly spit on you and curse you out!

“A… a million? How is that possible…”

Ariel lay back in her chair, clutching her chest and gasping heavily.

“Hah.

Hahaha.

It’s just a mere million, help me up, I can still…”

“No way, Ariel!”

This time, even the master couldn’t sit still.

“Give it up, we don’t have that much money! There will definitely be better things later; there’s no need to hang ourselves on this one tree.”

“Sell, we continue to sell! Sell it for cash!”

“We already have nothing left to sell. If we sell anymore, we can only sell…”

The master paused and said:

“Then we can only sell your Heavenly Fire Greatsword. Are you willing to do that?”

“But…”

Ariel looked at the gem that might hold secrets, her face showing immense reluctance.

A chance to make a huge profit and have roasted chicken for every meal was right in front of her, yet she could only let it slip away. How could she be willing?

“Damn it!”

But no matter how unwilling she was, no money meant no money. In the end, under the sound of the fairy lady’s third hammer strike, Ariel could only look with rage and sorrow towards the mysterious booth of No. 88.

The dark one-way glass obscured all sights within, but just by looking, Ariel felt a blazing fire ignite in her heart.

“Who on earth are you?”

Why does this unsettling feeling feel so familiar?

……

……

“Isn’t this a bit extravagant?”

In the private room, Mu En, who had just spent a million in one go, suddenly fell into a deep sense of guilt.

Although a mere million was nothing to the duke’s estate, spending that much on gifts for a girl felt like something a spoiled rich kid, thinking with his lower half, would do.

“No, that’s not right. I’m different. I’m not trying to pursue my senior; I just want to repay her kindness.

After all, for me, the value of my senior’s patient guidance over that month has long surpassed a mere million. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it priceless!”

Mu En self-persuaded and soon emerged from his feelings of guilt.

Look at those charming and cunning women; the reason of repaying kindness is truly universal!

……

The auction continued.

However, the subsequent exhibits failed to pique Mu En’s interest.

Most of the auction items were prohibited goods that were difficult to circulate in the market.

For instance, there were drugs that could temporarily boost combat power by fifty percent but had the side effect of impotence.

Or magical scrolls powerful enough to blow up a square but could only be detonated manually.

Though strange, these items surprisingly sold very well, with prices soaring, and there were even instances of people nearly coming to blows over them.

The only thing that surprised Mu En was that among the auctioned items were fifteen military-grade magical crossbows and ten sets of standard third-generation magical armor.

“These are dangerous items that, if found in a noble’s home, would be considered evidence of rebellion. To think they circulate in the black market—could it be that the people behind the black market have connections to the military?”

Thinking this way, the so-called black market tycoon seemed to have quite an extraordinary identity.

Mu En stroked his chin, continuing to observe the happenings below.

At that moment, he suddenly noticed that the few people who had previously bid on the crossbows and magical armor were sneaking out of the auction hall. After they left, some others quietly followed, clearly not part of the same group.

“What is this…”

Mu En raised an eyebrow, as if recalling something, and picked up the copper bell placed at the corner of the table, giving it a shake.

A heavily made-up, alluring woman pushed the door open and respectfully said, “Sir, did you call for me?”

“Does your auction house guarantee the safety of its guests?” Mu En asked.

“Of course! As long as they are within the venue, we will resolutely protect our guests.”

“Within the venue, huh?”

Mu En understood, then chuckled lightly:

“Can you do me a favor?”

“A favor?”

The woman paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously:

“Please, go ahead.”

“Go to the entrance of the auction house.”

“The entrance… and then?”

“Then just wait there.”

Mu En said:

“Just do what you usually do there; all you need to do is remember the directions of those who leave early. Don’t worry about anything else.”