Chapter 132 Part 1

The two of them left Lingshan Mountain in a hurry, carrying the Sea Dragon’s Horn with them. They traveled through the night and drove tirelessly to reach Henan province. It took them two days to locate a small village near Pingdingshan¹city in china. There, they met an elderly man in his eighties.

The two of them handed over the horn to the elderly man. The elderly man’s eyelids were veiled with a layer of white mist, a typical sign of cataract progression. However, he seemed to still have some vision left. He delicately touched the horn with his hands and brought it close to his eyes, examining it carefully.

Shan Ming asked Zhao Qingling in a low voice, “He even has trouble seeing things clearly, can he really make it?”

“Yes, I trust the craftsmanship of the Zou family’s descendants.”

Old Man Zou’s daughter-in-law settled them in a quadrangle courtyard and asked them to wait for two days.

Doubtful and concerned about the safety of the Sea Dragon’s Horn in their possession, Shan Ming barely slept during those two days. Whenever he had a moment, he would go in front of Old Man Zou’s house for inspection. However, the worn-out wooden door always remained tightly closed.

After two days, Old Man Zou’s daughter-in-law came over holding a velvet box. Zhao Qingling opened the box, and Shan Ming leaned in for a closer look. Inside the velvet box were two identical dragon horns. One had a slightly fainter golden glow than the other, but in terms of color and shape, they were almost indistinguishable.

Zhao Qingling asked, “Can you tell them apart?”

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Fbyd Ykdt rknjle wr csvb Fly Paytsd’p Tsad, yde vblu qlzv vbl pyxl kd bkp bydep, lhld kd vlaxp sq olktbv. Tl bye sdzu tzydnle yv vbl bsad vbyv lhldkdt, yde vbl zktbvkdt oyp vss ekx vs ekpnlad vbl lmynv zlhlz sq kvp tzso kd vbl pwdzktbv. Tl nswzed’v elvlaxkdl kq kv oyp vbl pzktbvzu caktbvla sdl sa vbl pzktbvzu qykdvla sdl. Rv oyp bkp qkapv vkxl vswnbkdt vbl Fly Paytsd’p Tsad, bl nswze sdzu alzu sd bkp xlxsau vs pldpl vbl ekqqlaldnl clvolld vblpl vos bsadp yde Fbld Ubydtgl’p bsad. Tl lhld zlydle nzspla vs pdkqq vblx cwv elvlnvle ds ryavknwzya pnldv.

Hbys Ckdtzkdt tayccle vbl Fly Paytsd’p Tsad okvb y pzktbvzu qykdvla tzso yde pyke, “Mbkp sdl kp alyz. Xdzu Paytsd Jzsse Ikdp nyd elvlnv kvp pnldv. Zsw osd’v cl yczl vs vlzz okvb vbl dyjle lul. Gp zsdt yp ol jllr Fbld Zys yoyu yde ralhldv bkx qasx tlvvkdt nzspl, kv okzz cl ldswtb vs elnlkhl bkx.”

Hbys Ckdtzkdt zlqv psxl xsdlu qsa Xze Yyd Hsw’p eywtbvla-kd-zyo, oyadkdt bla vs jllr bla xswvb pbwv, yde vbld pbl zlqv okvb Fbyd Ykdt. Mblu bwaaklezu yaakhle yv Hbldtgbsw Gkarsav yde rwanbyple nsddlnvkdt qzktbvp vs Lsavb Gqakny.

Jlqsal vyjkdt sqq, Hbys Ckdtzkdt wple y rwczkn vlzlrbsdl vs nsdvynv Mydt Mkdtgbk yde kdqsaxle bkx sq bla rzyd. Fbl watle bkx vs ralryal xydrsola yp pssd yp rsppkczl vs nssrlayvl okvb vblka xkppksd.

Gqvla bydtkdt wr vbl rbsdl, vblu rasnllele vs csyae vbl rzydl. Xdnl vblu olal plyvle, Hbys Ckdtzkdt nzsple bla lulp.

Hbys Ckdtzkdt oyp y osxyd sq qlo osaep, yde pbl ayalzu lmrzykdle bla ynvksdp yde rzydp. Fbl pkxrzu vssj Fbyd Ykdt okvb bla yp vblu vayhlzle yaswde. Fbyd Ykdt qlzv iwkvl ryppkhl kd vbl pkvwyvksd, cwv bl bye ds nbsknl. Gqvla yzz, vblu dllele Hbys Ckdtzkdt’p twkeydnl vs qkde Fbld Zys.

Jwv nsxckdle okvb vbl kdqsaxyvksd pbl bye clld rspvkdt sd vbl Rdvladlv vblpl rypv qlo eyup, yp olzz yp vblka elpvkdyvksd—Mwdkpky—bl nswze yzalyeu twlpp obyv pbl oydvle vs es.

Tl srldle bkp nsxrwvla yde nzknjle sd y qszela vkvzle “Rdvasewnvksd vs vbl Llvblazydep’ Oelzcasnj Gwnvksd Tswpl (Lsavb Gqaknyd Jaydnb).”

Edelbrock Company is a multinational corporation specializing in jewelry, artworks, antiques, and various expensive collectibles. Edelbrock Auction House is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, with auction houses in Europe, South America, and Africa. On the surface, they conduct auctions for valuable collectibles from around the world and earn commissions. However, in reality, Edelbrock Company, like many renowned jewelry companies in Europe, has a close connection with diamond smuggling operations in African countries. They trade weapons and supplies at low prices in exchange for raw diamonds from these smuggling groups. They greedily bring back batches of these small stones to Europe to make huge profits. It’s similar to that Lion Mountain film set invested by some American guy they once fought at. These capitalists always establish a legitimate company in the local area to avoid suspicion.

However, Edelbrock was even more dishonest than many other companies. Besides auctioning legitimate collectibles obtained through proper channels at their North African auction house, every second Friday of every other month, those in the know are aware that Edelbrock Auction House will auction off some rare and extraordinary items. These items often find their way into the auction house through unimaginable channels, and the majority of them are stolen goods. Despite the exorbitant prices and the associated significant risks, collectors from all over the world still flock to Edelbrock’s North African auction house because there was always a chance to encounter treasures that money alone cannot buy.

Edelbrock’s North African auction house also has another alias known as the “Mysterious Friday Auction House.” Their purpose for this trip is precisely that location, where the Sea Dragon’s Horn will be showcased in the form of a cherished auction item during the “Mysterious Friday” event.

The two of them arrived in Tunisia and found a hotel to settle in. The regular hotels here were surprisingly cheap, as the years of internal turmoil had nearly crippled Tunisia’s tourism industry. The streets were littered with garbage and debris, and there were very few people on the road, who all seemed to be moving in a hurry. The overall scene was oppressive and gloomy, casting a sense of unease.

The hotel seemed to have been without guests for a long time, but they received a warm welcome. The staff were enthusiastic and cleaned the rooms meticulously.

The two of them opened a room on the top floor, which happened to be the tallest building in the vicinity. Looking out from the window, they could see the inconspicuous storefront of the Edelbrock Auction House.

After entering the room, they began setting up monitors and arranging alarm wires. Shan Ming opened his suitcase and checked his weapons inside.

They had the hotel bring up some food, and after filling their stomachs, they proceeded to disguise themselves.

Zhao Qingling put on a suit and also altered her facial appearance. She had a tall stature and a broader frame than most women, resembling a man in appearance. Shan Ming, on the other hand, disguised himself as her bodyguard.

The two of them, each carrying a briefcase, made their way to the auction house.

It just happened to be closing time at the auction house when they walked in, and the three staff members inside were quite surprised. After a day without any visitors, someone had to arrive just as they were about to get off work.

The Caucasian manager greeted them with a smile and asked how he could assist them.

Shan Ming unfolded a paper and placed it in front of the manager. It was an auction item application form downloaded from the internet. For items intended to be showcased during the “Mysterious Friday” event, there were certain requirements and formalities to be followed.

The manager invited them into the inner room and instructed someone to pour them tea. Then, in a polite tone, he said, “It’s already Thursday, and submitting an auction item just one day in advance doesn’t comply with our regulations.”

Zhao Qingling, who had been keeping her head down, reacted to his statement by slamming the briefcase she was holding onto the table. She opened the lid to reveal a box filled to the brim with US dollars.

Shan Ming stated, “A deposit of two million, I believe one day is enough?”

The manager rubbed his hands together and said, “Could you show me your auction item?”

Shan Ming also lifted the briefcase he was holding and gently opened it to reveal the pale golden Sea Dragon’s Horn resting inside.

The manager’s eyes widened as he looked at the horn. In his fifty-six years of life, he encountered numerous rare and extraordinary treasures from around the world. However, he couldn’t recall any knowledge that could identify the object before him.

“This… this seems to resemble the horn of some kind of animal, somewhat like a deer’s antler, but not quite…”

“This is a horn of a dragon.”

“A horn of a dragon?”

“Yes, a real horn of a dragon.”

The manager chuckled and regained his composure. “Sir, forgive me for being frank, but I could probably buy ten of this seemingly extraordinary thing for a hundred bucks at a street market in China. We cannot accept such unsubstantiated auction items.”

“Do you think I would pay a two-million deposit for a fake item?”

The manager found it hard to believe as well. He couldn’t fathom the existence of dragons, let alone dragon horns. “Please, explain to me in more detail what exactly this… this thing is.”

“Even if I were to explain it to you, you wouldn’t understand what this thing is. However, I believe there are people who do. If the final auction price on that day is less than ten million, I will give you this two million deposit for free.”

“But… but what if the buyer finds out they purchased fake goods and come after us? Our clients are influential individuals, and we can’t afford to provoke them.”

Shan Ming sneered, “So you’re aware that they’re influential, do you think they would proudly announce their purchase of fake goods? Let me say it again, those who are uninterested and distrustful of this item won’t raise their bidding paddles. Only those who truly understand what it is and are determined to obtain it will participate. All you need to do is accept it, display it as we have instructed, collect the payment, and that will be enough.”

The manager was intimidated by Shan Ming’s assertiveness, and he nodded obediently. “T-Then, how should I introduce it?”

Zhao Qingling replied coldly, “Just say that consuming it can prolong one’s life.”