"You want me to buy it!"
Wang Zhong knew Zhao Ren's intention and asked directly.
"Yes!" Zhao Ren readily admitted without much explanation.
A crystal with no use, only an extremely hard characteristic, was sold for twenty-five thousand gold soul coins, which was a considerable income.
What Zhao Ren didn't mention at the auction was that not only could Soul Douluo not leave a mark on this crystal, but the current Star Luo Emperor, a Titled Douluo-level expert, also couldn't leave any trace on it!
The initial test had shocked many people. Everyone's thoughts were surprisingly consistent: if this rough stone could be smelted, whether into armor or weapons, its defense or attack power would be extraordinary.
But unfortunately, the auction house had consulted the Divine Craftsman Tower of Gengxin City, and also the Divine Craftsman Tower of the Strength Clan, but the only result they got was "cannot be forged."
If not for the disappearance of Tang Hao, the continent's number one Divine Craftsman from the Clear Sky Sect, they might have racked their brains to ask for his advice.
But with the Clear Sky Sect in seclusion and Tang Hao having disappeared, this extremely hard crystal had become a piece of chicken rib – useless to keep, but a pity to discard.
Finally, after trials and discussions by various forces, they jointly decided to put it up for auction, with the highest bidder taking it, as a form of return.
Wang Zhong stared at the crimson crystal, his eyes filled with hesitation.
He and the little fox were likely the only ones who knew what this crystal specifically was. The little fox had also solemnly told Wang Zhong that to condense a blood qi spirit ring, a powerful exotic blood was needed as a guide. Combined with various reasons, he couldn't give up this crystal.
The reason he stopped bidding at the auction was because Wang Zhong believed Keynes did not have the financial means to buy it. Another reason was, as mentioned before, he wanted to see how Keynes would handle such a situation.
The outcome left Wang Zhong very disappointed!
It could be stated plainly that if he had the chance in the future, Wang Zhong would definitely remove Keynes from his position.
What qualification did a person who lacked virtue, decorum, and trustworthiness have to sit in the position of a Platinum Bishop!
However, up to this point, Keynes was still fortunate. He only lacked virtue, decorum, and trustworthiness. Although he might have other flaws, they had not yet been revealed, nor had they touched Wang Zhong's bottom line.
"Of course, my actions might have been somewhat inappropriate."
"We can compromise further. Before you contend with Prince Davis, the price will be two thousand gold soul coins."
"Let this be the final auction price, how about it."
Zhao Ren had a look of helplessness on his face, his tone somewhat weak.
This was not his decision but an instruction from higher authorities.
Because someone had become curious, or rather interested, in Wang Zhong, they wanted to see what gave this person the audacity to contend with Platinum Bishop Keynes in front of everyone.
Moreover, they also intended to use the pressure from Keynes to achieve another goal: to take Wang Zhong as a son-in-law!
That's right, these instructions from higher authorities came from the Zhu family! More precisely, from the current Empress, Zhu Jingjing!
In another inconspicuous private room in the auction house, the curtains were drawn tightly, and a warm, slightly dim night-shining pearl emitted a soft glow.
Zhu Yaning sat upright on the sofa, looking with reverence at another woman opposite her.
Dressed in a white dress, with cloud-like hair, her beauty was both exquisite and cold, her age indeterminable. She also possessed a remarkably voluptuous figure, which even the loose white dress couldn't entirely conceal.
"Yaning, are you that optimistic about that young man named Wang Zhong?"
Her red lips moved, and her voice was like a cold spring, clear and chilling, with a hint of inquiry.
"A talented young man, in some aspects, he is far more outstanding than several princes," Zhu Yaning replied calmly to the other person's question.
"Oh, more outstanding than several princes. This is quite a high evaluation." Zhu Jingjing's slender fingers tapped her chin.
The eldest prince, Davis, the second prince, Dai Weili, and the third prince, Dai Mubai, were all paragons educated by the royal family. Even the third prince, Dai Mubai, at only eight years old, was outstanding in both intellect and strength compared to his peers.
"A single game of chess showed you that much?"
"A single game of chess is not enough. It also includes the attitude of my daughters towards him!"
Facing Zhu Jingjing's question, Zhu Yaning spoke with a sigh.
"Empress..."
"Call me Jingjing!"
Zhu Jingjing gave Zhu Yaning a sideways glance. Her extremely cold and elegant face and expression now held a unique tenderness and affection.
"Alright!"
"Jingjing, do you know that the young man named Wang Zhong has, in just half a month, nearly captured my four daughters! Making three of them fall for him, including Zhu Yun!"
Zhu Jingjing's eyebrows raised slightly, her gaze towards Zhu Yaning filled with astonishment and surprise.
"Yaning, do you know what you're saying?"
Zhu Yaning sighed heavily at Zhu Jingjing's surprised exclamation and shook her head, "A mother knows her daughter best!"
"I know my four daughters' personalities too well."
"Zhu Yun is generous and aloof. Apart from her sisters, she is extremely indifferent even to Davis. If not for the engagement, she probably wouldn't even spare Davis a glance."
"Zhu Ya is gentle and serene, outwardly soft but inwardly strong. However, she rarely shows warmth to anyone outside of her sisters."
"Zhu Yi is outwardly tough but inwardly soft. She appears cold, but her heart is kind. Yet, for her to show a gentle side to anyone other than her sisters is incredibly difficult."
"Even the youngest, Zhu Qing, despite her young age, possesses a coldness and aloofness ingrained in her from birth. Have you ever seen her actively cling to anyone, let alone let someone other than her sisters and family hold her?"
"Yet, these four daughters of mine, who are almost cold to their bones, are all chatting and laughing with a man, inexplicably affectionate, inviting him home as a guest, inviting him to the auction house together. Such a thing, I never even dreamed of."
"A cold and noble cat willingly nuzzles up to someone. Apart from developing feelings for him, I cannot think of any other explanation!"
The simple analysis led to an extremely troublesome result. Zhu Yaning, who had just considered this, was stunned and took a long time to recover.
"Could it be that you're overthinking it?"
"They're just friends?"
Although Zhu Jingjing was somewhat surprised by Zhu Yaning's conclusion, she still found it a bit exaggerated.
"Zhu Qing probably sees Wang Zhong as an older brother. As for Zhu Yun, Zhu Ya, and Zhu Yi, they have probably fallen for him." Zhu Yaning sighed heavily, giving the most definitive answer.
"Fallen for him!"
"That sounds quite interesting!"
Zhu Jingjing expressed her utmost interest, even a hint of malice, at this fact!
"Jingjing!" Zhu Yaning looked at Zhu Jingjing with concern in her eyes, full of care.
But at this moment, Zhu Jingjing pushed Zhu Yaning onto the sofa, their bodies pressed tightly together, a fire burning fiercely in her eyes.
"That Wang Zhong dared to contend with Keynes. His background must be extraordinary."
"If he has the ability, I won't have any objections even if he takes all four of your daughters away!"
"I've had enough! Enough of the damn family rules set by those cursed old farts!"
"Their royal family can fight to the death, kill as many as they want. What business is it of my Zhu family's daughters!"
"Isn't it just the Nether White Tiger martial soul fusion skill! Based on this alone, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands, of women from our Zhu family have died over the centuries!"
"Those three sons of the Dai family are not my biological sons. Why should I consider them? If they're incapable and their fiancées run away, they deserve it!"
"Mother... mmm!"
Before the angry words spewing from her mouth could be fully expressed, Zhu Jingjing's red lips were pressed by a slender finger, preventing such vulgar language from being spoken by the noble and esteemed Empress.
In Zhu Yaning's eyes, Zhu Jingjing was the only light in the cold and ruthless family rules, a light that was always pure and noble.
And in Zhu Jingjing's eyes, Zhu Yaning was the only calming agent for her suppressed rage, the desire to kill everyone in the Zhu and Dai families.
Their generation of sisters, whether biological or cousins, had all died except for these two due to those so-called family rules. Witnessing all this, Zhu Yaning chose to use music, chess, calligraphy, and painting to alleviate her inner pain, while Zhu Jingjing used cultivation to numb herself.