Chapter Forty-Nine: The Auction Begins

The next day, at exactly six in the evening—three hours before the monster auction was set to begin—inside Liu Shiyu’s home.

Cheng Feng sat in front of the vanity mirror, gazing at his own reflection: a neatly tailored black suit and hair slicked into a precise side part with gel. He fell silent for a moment.

“Is it really necessary to dress me up like this just to go to an auction?” he muttered, feeling uncomfortable in the black suit. The man in the mirror was a far cry from his usual self. “I really don’t look right like this.”

“What do you mean, not right? I think you look great! Hey, don’t move,” Liu Shiyu chided gently as she stood behind him, her slender fingers working deftly with a comb, smoothing his short hair and spritzing it lightly with hairspray to keep it in place.

Only when she was satisfied with his appearance did she continue, “The monster auction tonight is a grand affair. If you want to sneak in and rescue your sister, you at least have to look the part of an upper-class gentleman. If you show up looking like a pauper, you won’t even get in—they’ll toss you out the moment they see you.”

When Cheng Feng realized it was for his sister’s sake, he straightened up, his tone turning serious. “I understand. But I don’t have any monster scent on me. How am I supposed to pass myself off as a vampire and blend in? Won’t the monsters at the door see right through me?”

“Don’t worry. The Disaster Association has a special cologne made from vampire blood,” Liu Shiyu replied with a gentle laugh. “I’ve prepared a bottle. Just spray some on and you’ll be able to fool them.”

She had made thorough preparations for their plan—vampire cologne, and with Cheng Feng’s own bloodline abilities, there shouldn’t be any issue.

Xueju watched from the side, barely able to contain a giggle at the sight of Cheng Feng in his black formalwear, looking so unlike his usual self.

Cheng Feng shot her a sidelong glance. “What’s so funny, you little cat?”

“Nothing, nothing at all—I didn’t mean to laugh, I swear… pfft!”

“You’re not getting any cat food tonight!”

“Hey! You’re so mean!”

“All right, that’s enough,” Liu Shiyu said after finishing the final touches. She turned to Xueju. “You’d better get ready too. We’ll be heading to the auction soon.”

“Huh?” Xueju scratched her fair cheek with a delicate finger, her bright eyes blinking. “Does that mean I have to dress up as well?”

“No need—I have a plan for you,” Liu Shiyu replied, setting the hairspray down on the dressing table and walking over to the wardrobe. She began selecting from the array of colorful dresses hanging inside.

Seeing this, a thought occurred to Cheng Feng. “Liu Shiyu, are you coming with me?”

“Of course. The auction will be crawling with monsters, and you’re so hot-headed. I can’t just let you go in there alone, or your sister might end up being bought by someone else,” Liu Shiyu replied, her eyes scanning the myriad dresses. “Without me at your side, I’m afraid your temper will get the better of you and you’ll cause a scene.”

Cheng Feng realized she was right and rubbed his nose awkwardly.

If he saw his sister appear on the auction stage, wounded and suffering, he knew he might lose control and blow their cover in a fit of rage.

“So when do we leave?”

“In an hour.”

…

At seven in the evening, night had fallen and the full moon hung high in the sky.

There were still two hours left before the Disaster Association’s planned raid on the auction. Cheng Feng and his companions needed to complete their mission before that.

At the entrance to the auction in the North District—disguised as an ordinary bar—two monsters posing as security guards stood watch. These ‘security staff’ eyed every entrant with suspicion, scrutinizing the steady stream of ‘people’ heading inside.

All those lined up at the entrance were monsters in disguise, dressed without exception in the finery of high society, all here to attend the eight o’clock auction.

Cheng Feng and Liu Shiyu arrived as well. Liu Shiyu was dressed as a stunning socialite, all traces of youthful innocence gone. Her glossy black hair, softly curled, was tied back and fell gracefully to her chest. She wore a sky-blue evening gown, her flawless skin glowing under the lights, her look completed by crystal heels that made her tall and elegant.

She drew stares and envious glances from everyone they passed.

Arm in arm, Cheng Feng and Liu Shiyu approached the entrance, their manner intimate, like a pair of lovers.

As they reached the doorway, one of the burly guards fixed them with a searching gaze. Its true form was that of a dog demon; a single sniff was enough to distinguish human from monster. If it sensed a human, it would bar their entry.

Cheng Feng forced himself to relax, hiding his nerves. He’d sprayed on the vampire cologne before leaving, so there shouldn’t be any problem. Still, the guard’s suspicious look made him uneasy.

“Wait a moment,” the guard said, extending a muscular arm in front of Cheng Feng. He eyed him skeptically. “Sir, are you a vampire?”

“Is there a problem?” Cheng Feng responded calmly, activating his vampiric abilities. His black pupils turned crimson, fangs glinting, his complexion draining of color—he looked every inch the true vampire.

“My apologies. No problem at all. And this lady…?” The guard’s attention shifted to Liu Shiyu.

Liu Shiyu tightened her hold on Cheng Feng’s arm and rested her head on his shoulder, giving a dazzling smile. “I’m his lover.”

They had agreed beforehand to pose as a couple.

The guard caught the scent of a cat demon on her and withdrew his arm, allowing them to pass.

Xueju, in her kitten form, was hidden in Liu Shiyu’s clothing, and so managed to slip past the dog demon undetected.

Stepping into the auction hall, they were greeted by thundering music and flashing lights. The dance floor was packed with young men and women, their bodies pressed together, hormones running wild.

The dim lighting, garish spotlights, and deafening music made Cheng Feng and Liu Shiyu wonder if they’d wandered into a nightclub by mistake.

The place was crowded to the brim, monsters sitting at tables, chatting and drinking.

Cheng Feng and Liu Shiyu found a place to sit. A monster waiter approached and handed them bidding paddles for the upcoming auction.

Xueju poked her tiny cat head out from Liu Shiyu’s collar—she’d shrunk herself down to fit comfortably. Her feline eyes sparkled with curiosity as she surveyed the crowd. “Wow, so many of my kind! I haven’t seen this many monsters since the Crimson Moon City.”

“Careful—don’t let anyone notice you,” Liu Shiyu said, gently pushing her head back down.

An hour later, at eight o’clock sharp, the auction hall’s white lights blazed on and the music stopped.

The monsters on the dance floor ceased their revelry and drifted apart.

Under the gaze of countless monsters, a man appeared onstage: he wore a magician’s top hat and a white smiling mask.

Cheng Feng’s eyes darkened. “That’s the Magician.”