“A golden invitation? What kind of invitation?” Li Feng was stunned and looked at Ge Ying in confusion.
“It’s the invitation for this auction. How come you have a golden invitation?” Ge Ying explained.
“Invitation?” Li Feng turned to Zhong Shuhui. Zhong Shuhui took out the invitation and handed it to him. Li Feng glanced at it and said, “You mean this is a golden invitation? There’s nothing special about it.”
“How can it not be special?” Ge Ying took the invitation from Li Feng’s hand, pointed at a few large golden characters on the cover, and said, “Look, this is gold-plated. This is our invitation, it has no gold plating.” As she spoke, Ge Ying took out their own invitation and passed it to Li Feng.
Li Feng looked and, sure enough, it was exactly as Ge Ying had said.
“Only diamond-level VIPs of the Ancient Martial Arts Association can obtain a golden invitation. How do you have one? Could you be a diamond-level VIP of the Ancient Martial Arts Association?” Ge Ying asked in disbelief.
“This invitation was given to me by a friend.” Li Feng hadn’t expected Old Tu to show him such favour by giving him a golden invitation.
“Given by a friend? Your friend must be extraordinary.” Ge Ying said in shock.
“By the way, what’s different about this golden invitation?” Li Feng asked curiously.
“The invitations issued by the Ancient Martial Arts Association are divided into ordinary invitations, silver invitations, and golden invitations. Ordinary invitations can be bought with money. Holders can only sit in the main hall of the auction venue, and each person with an ordinary invitation may bring just one person into the Ancient Martial Arts Association’s underground city. Silver invitations are only issued to ancient martial artists. During the auction, holders can only sit in the elegant seats on the second floor, and each silver invitation holder may bring three people into the underground city. Holders of golden invitations can sit in the private boxes on the third floor, may bring ten people into the underground city, and enjoy an twenty-percent discount at the auction.” Ge Ying explained.
Li Feng was taken aback. He hadn’t expected so many distinctions among the invitations. Even more surprising was that the golden invitation granted a twenty-percent discount. One should not underestimate that twenty percent. Items auctioned here cost at least tens of millions, so the discount could save a huge sum.
“What about the diamond-level VIP of the Ancient Martial Arts Association?” Li Feng asked curiously.
“The Ancient Martial Arts Association is like a club. It issues VIP cards to the public, divided into six levels: ordinary VIP card, black iron VIP card, bronze VIP card, silver VIP card, gold VIP card, and diamond VIP card. Each level enjoys different benefits. I don’t know the exact details, but I do know that fewer than fifty people in the entire world possess a diamond-level VIP card.” Ge Ying replied.
“Fifty people?” Li Feng was startled, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. Ge Ying had just said that only diamond-level VIPs could obtain golden invitations. Did that mean there were fewer than fifty golden invitations?
“You’re thinking correctly. There are fewer than fifty golden invitations, which is why we were so surprised that you have one. That friend of yours is no ordinary person.” Ge Ying nodded. Even their family was not qualified to obtain a golden invitation. At this moment, Ge Ying was extremely curious about the friend Li Feng had mentioned.
Ge Feng, standing beside them, did not think too deeply about it. A friend? What kind of friend would give away a golden invitation? In Ge Feng’s view, the “friend” Li Feng spoke of was either his master or a family member. Otherwise, how could anyone casually hand over a golden invitation?
At this moment, Ge Feng grew even more curious about Li Feng’s background. Whether it was his master or family giving him the golden invitation, it all pointed to Li Feng having an extraordinary identity. But just what was that identity?
“So that’s how it is.” A glint flashed in Li Feng’s eyes. Unlike the Ge siblings, Li Feng was now increasingly curious about Old Tu’s true status. Before learning that Wenjun Pavilion Pharmacy was a branch of the Ancient Martial Arts Association, Old Tu had merely been an old man who could procure medicinal herbs. After discovering the pharmacy’s connection to the association, Li Feng had assumed Old Tu held some position within it. But now, after hearing Ge Ying’s words, he realised that even within the association, Old Tu’s status was far from ordinary.
Just who was this Old Tu? Why had he given him a golden invitation?
Thinking back to the previous time when Old Tu had given him information about the Golden Cicada Fruit in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and now this extremely important golden invitation, what was his purpose?
Li Feng racked his brains but still had no clue. Anyone capable of producing a golden invitation must hold considerable standing within the Ancient Martial Arts Association. What could such a person possibly see in him?
His strength?
Li Feng shook his head. According to Ge Ying, even innate-realm experts might not necessarily obtain a golden invitation. After all, there were certainly more than fifty innate-realm experts in the whole of China. If Old Tu valued his strength, he would be better off courting those innate-realm experts.
After thinking for a while, Li Feng still could not figure it out. He could only set his doubts aside and asked the Ge siblings, “When did you arrive in Tianhai City? Why didn’t you come find me?”
“We only arrived in Tianhai City today. The purpose was to attend this Ancient Martial Arts Association auction. We originally planned to look for you after the auction ended, but we didn’t expect to run into you here.” Ge Feng answered.
“Yes, yes. Tianhai City is so big. Although you gave us your address, we’re unfamiliar with the place and didn’t know how to find you. Meeting you here is wonderful.” Ge Ying nodded beside him, then said to Li Feng, “Before coming to the underground city, I told my brother that you definitely wouldn’t miss an Ancient Martial Arts Association auction like this. He didn’t believe me. See, I was right.”
Ge Feng gave an embarrassed smile. He really had no way to deal with this sister of his. She treated Li Feng even better than she treated her own brother. He had no idea what she was thinking.
“That just shows we’re fated to meet.” Li Feng smiled, took out the small booklet the bunny girl had given him, and said, “Let’s see what good items are up for auction today.”
“Hehe, there are lots of good things at today’s auction, I promise they’ll shock you.” Ge Ying giggled when she heard Li Feng’s words.
“What did you say?”
While Li Feng and the others were chatting in their box, in another box overlooking the arena, the young man wearing a fox mask stared at the old man before him in disbelief. “You said they entered box thirty-five in the auction hall?”
“Yes, young master.” The old man nodded.
“How is that possible? How is that possible?” The fox-masked youth was utterly incredulous. He had never imagined that the person who possessed Foundation Establishment Pills would actually be qualified to enter one of the auction hall’s private boxes. Even he himself was not qualified to enter those boxes.
He had originally thought that person was merely a bit stronger than average, and obtaining a few Foundation Establishment Pills from him would not be difficult. But if the other party could enter a private box at the auction, that changed everything.
Of the fifty private boxes at the Ancient Martial Arts Association auction, only a handful were ever occupied each time. Every person who used them was a titan within China. Those were not people he could afford to offend.
Even if that person was not a titan himself, anyone who could bring a golden invitation almost certainly had a titan standing behind them.
“No wonder, no wonder he has Foundation Establishment Pills.” A look of sudden understanding flashed across the fox-masked youth’s eyes.
Although Foundation Establishment Pills were precious, for someone backed by a titan, producing them was not impossible. He had originally planned to use some special methods to obtain the pills, but now it seemed impossible. The pills were valuable, but offending someone with a titan behind them just for the pills was not worth it.
The fox-masked youth secretly rejoiced that he had not acted rashly earlier. Even if he failed to obtain the pills, merely offending the titan behind that person would be a disaster he could not bear. Even his family would never forgive him if they found out.
Yet the Foundation Establishment Pills were vitally important to him. Was he really going to give up just like that?
Strong reluctance surged in the fox-masked youth’s heart.
“Young master, actually there are still ways to obtain the Foundation Establishment Pills.” Seeing the hesitation in the youth’s eyes, the old man immediately understood what his young master was thinking. Having served him for so long, how could he not know his young master’s situation?
“Oh? What ways?” The fox-masked youth’s eyes lit up as he looked expectantly at the old man.
“There are two methods to obtain the pills. Today’s auction includes five Foundation Establishment Pills. I believe those pills were also consigned by that person to the auction house. As long as we can afford the price, we may still be able to secure them.” The old man took out a small booklet and showed it to the youth.
The fox-masked youth nodded, but there would be many competitors at the auction. With his status, he might not win the bidding for the pills. More importantly, he had his own targets to bid on today and did not have spare funds.
“The second method is to trade directly with that person. Since he can consign Foundation Establishment Pills for auction and use them in bets, the pills are clearly not rare to him. If young master can offer something he values, a trade may be possible.” The old man continued.
“Something he values?” The youth’s eyes brightened for aHearing this, but he quickly shook his head. He knew exactly what he had brought on this trip, and he doubted any of it would interest someone backed by a titan. A titan would lack for nothing.
“Is there really no other way?” the fox-masked youth asked unwillingly.
“There is one more way, but…” The old man looked hesitantly at the youth.
“What is it?” the youth asked quickly.
“Young master, this method is rather sinister. We would need to do the following…” The old man leaned close to the youth’s ear and whispered.
Hearing the plan, the fox-masked youth gave a cold, sinister laugh. “Now that’s a good method. We can obtain the Foundation Establishment Pills without any effort at all. We’ll use this one.”
