The auction was held in the tallest building in the Ghost Market which belonged to the Eternal Night Pavilion.
The Eternal Night Pavilion was an organization that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the past few years yet in an incredibly short time, it had become one of the most mysterious and influential powers.
No one knew who was behind it. At first, many powerful families and organizations had secretly tried to investigate the pavilion's background. But instead of finding answers, they suffered heavy losses as a warning. After that, no one dared to probe further.
The Eternal Night Pavilion mainly dealt in antiques, jade, paintings, rare treasures, and countless other things ordinary people would never even get the chance to see. Auctions were just a side business they held from time to time.
Like the rest of the market, the building also looked ancient. The roof tiles are deep vermillion red with edges that curve up sharply at the corners. From a distance, the roof seems to be floating. Along the ridges sit small clay statues of mythical beasts.
The front of the building had tall wooden doors that were currently open, giving a glimpse of inside.
The moment they entered, a rich scent of sandalwood drifted through the air
The walls were painted in a warm cream color with red wooden frames. Beautiful paintings and calligraphies were hanging on the wall, each was more expansive then the other one. Some were priceless pieces from past dynasties, while others were works from famous modern artists.
Between the paintings, bronze lanterns shaped like birds hung from hooks, their flames casting flickering shadows.
The building had four floors.
The first floor was the main auction hall, open to everyone who entered the Ghost Market. The second floor belonged to VIP guests who owned jade tokens. Each room had its own private balcony overlooking the auction stage below. The third floor was a trading area where guests could buy or sell rare items that were not part of the auction.
As for the forth floor, no one knew what was there. No guest had ever been allowed inside.
Even the staff members of the pavilion were mysterious. Every single one wore black robes along with plain black masks that completely hid their faces and identities.
When Shen Yelan entered the building with Huo Ziyan and Mo Shiyu, the staff immediately led them to the elevator once they saw Huo Ziyan's jade token. Soon, they arrived at one of the VIP rooms on the second floor.
The room was spacious and decorated in the same traditional style as the rest of the pavilion.
"The auction will start in about ten minutes. Until then, please enjoy the performance downstairs. The tablet on the table contains information about tonight's auction items. You may also use it to order food or drinks," The staff explained.
"You can leave," Mo Shiyu said lazily with a wave of his hand as he sat on the sofa.
This was not their first time here, so he already knew the rules. The only reason he had allowed the explanation to continue was because Shen Yelan was here.
"Of course. Please enjoy your evening."
The staff member bowed slightly. But before leaving, his gaze paused briefly on Shen Yelan's hand. More specifically, he was staring at the old ring on her finger. It was a simple silver ring with a rough, hammered texture. At the center sat a deep red gemstone. Nothing about it seemed expensive or eye-catching, so most people would not even notice it.
But the moment the staff member saw it, his expression changed ever so slightly. He quietly lowered his head and left the room.
Shen Yelan rolled her wheelchair closer to the balcony railing and looked down at the stage below.
A woman was playing a guzheng while a man accompanied her on a flute. They were both wearing traditional robes and masks on their face. Several women danced in flowing robes and elaborated masks. Their movements were so light and graceful that they looked like fairies descending from the sky.
Shen Yelan rested her chin on the back of her hand and watched the performance with interest.
Huo Ziyan stared at Shen Yelan and his gaze softened. He picked up the tablet and ordered some snacks for her. Most of them were the specialties here and cost a fortune but Huo Ziyan did not seem to notice the price.
A little while later, there was a knock, and then the door opened. A staff member came in with the food that had just been ordered. This time, the staff member was a woman.
"This is complementary tea by the pavilion," she said as she started setting the items down on the table. Her gaze flickered toward Shen Yelan just as Shen Yelan happened to look over. Their eyes met for a split second. Then Shen Yelan looked away and focused back on the show. The woman also turned her attention back to what she was doing.
"You didn't offer complimentary tea the last time we were here," Mo Shiyu said.
It must be noted that the tea from Eternal Night Pavilion was famously expensive and could not be bought from anywhere else.
"We normally don't, but our boss happens to be in a good mood tonight," The woman responded, then asked, "Would you like me to brew it for you?"
"Sure," Mo Shiyu said with interest.
He didn't know much about tea himself, but his grandfather loved it. The old man also loved collecting tea leaves and tea sets. His birthday was coming soon. He wondered if he could secretly learn something useful today.
Unfortunately, only a few minutes later, that thought completely disappeared from his mind.
Why had no one told him making tea was so complicated?
Once the tea was ready, the woman poured it carefully into three cups.
She picked up the first cup and handed it toward Huo Ziyan. However, before she could move toward Shen Yelan with the second cup, Huo Ziyan passed his own cup to Shen Yelan first.
"Careful, it's hot."
The woman paused and looked at them with a complicated gaze. Then she lowered her head and stared at the cup still in her hand. No one could tell what was going through her mind.
A moment later, she handed the remaining cups to Huo Ziyan and Mo Shiyu as if nthing had happened and left the room.
The moment the door closed behind her, she stood still for a long moment as if her brain had completely stopped working.
The staff member posted near the end of the hall glanced over. He had worked here long enough to recognize his employer, even in the standard robes and mask.
"Madam Qing?" the nearby staff member called out. This was the first time he had ever seen his boss react like this.
Qing Rouxi snapped out of her daze and waved her hand. "It's fine. Go back to your work."
Then she took out her phone while walking away and quickly typed a message into a group chat.
"It's over. Xiao Lan got kidnapped by a devil."