Not Good! It's a Trap!

Hire this penguin to step in? Bai Zhou paused, quietly sizing it up. Even if he couldn't fathom its true depth, there was no question that this fat penguin was absurdly powerful. There was a very strong possibility it was an entity comparable to a legendary titled Rank 6 Extraordinary. It was hard for Bai Zhou to imagine such an existence bending the knee for mere "money." ...Cautious as always, he felt there had to be a catch. Tightening his cloak, he asked in a low voice, "If I were to hire you... how many cinders would it cost?" "My rates don't come cheap." The giant penguin wobbled side to side. "I'm prepared for that." Bai Zhou nodded. Hearing this, it looked Bai Zhou up and down. Across its painted, doll-like, permanently unchanging face, an illusion of a smile faintly seemed to emerge. "Then that will be ten thousand cinders, plus..." Beneath his cloak, Bai Zhou raised an eyebrow knowingly, thinking, *I knew it.* He said nothing, merely observing the other with cool detachment. He wanted to hear what kind of ivory could possibly come out of this flat beak. Under Bai Zhou's gaze, the penguin rubbed its flippers together expectantly. "Plus—your smile." Bai Zhou blinked. "My smile?" He had never in his wildest dreams anticipated this answer. The penguin nodded repeatedly, its eyes fervent. "I want your smiles for the coming year." "In exchange, I will guarantee your absolute safety while you remain in the ghost market. No matter who comes, no one will be able to touch a hair on your head—no one!" "Why would you want that?" Bai Zhou asked, bewildered. "In truth, I dabble a bit in tarot," the penguin said, bobbing its head. *Tarot?* Bai Zhou blinked. The very thing he had mocked not long ago with Fang Xiaoxia had now descended right before him in the unexpected form of a plump penguin. "The destiny I foresaw told me that your smile is exceptionally valuable." "Just look at your past fate—the bitterness is practically pitch-black..." "Yet in such an environment, amid a mountain of misfortune, you still managed to salvage your own smile." The penguin explained, "The scions of financial cartels born with silver spoons in their mouths, or the Extraordinary nobility with secret fonts coursing through their veins—their smiles are cheap and worthless." "It is precisely a smile like yours that is the most precious, because you tempered it to be harder than any secret material—it is an unbreakable smile." *An unbreakable smile.* Growing up as an orphan in the oppressive, grotesque city of Wancheng, he had never lost that optimistic smile. It was Bai Zhou's priceless treasure. Yet he never could have imagined this was what the penguin wanted to "trade" for. He looked back at the penguin. Vivid and lively as it was, it couldn't strictly be called facial paralysis. Yet just like a genuine doll, its expression never changed. No matter how fast its eyes darted or how wide its flat beak opened, it lacked a human's ability to "smile." Unless it made a trade. Perhaps it had always wanted a "human" smile to appear on its face. And it only wanted the very best. The patrons of the auction house were all big figures of the occult world, but their smiles were the least rare things of all. —Until it met Bai Zhou. ...This harmless-looking fat penguin might be far more enigmatic and terrifying than he had assumed. The plump, towering penguin cast a long shadow over Bai Zhou, resembling... a stretched, yearning demon. It reminded Bai Zhou of adventure tales about dealing with devils. The moment one signed their name to a contract, miraculous things would occur, but an irreparable, lifelong mistake would be made. Therefore, Bai Zhou prudently stepped back two paces, putting a measured distance between himself and the penguin. "Let's stick to talking about the Rank 5 Emperor Penguin." Sure enough, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. A Rank 5 Extraordinary bodyguard would be more than enough. As for selling his "smile"... No matter how much wealth or power one possessed, if one lost their ability to smile, they were nothing more than a wretch. —A person always needed to coax a smile out of themselves, especially during the hardest times to endure. That was the fountain of strength that had brought him this far, a treasure he could never surrender! It was not something that cinders could measure, but Bai Zhou's very own, unique "Philosopher's Stone." "Well then, what a pity." The penguin shook its head, sighing over having failed to trade for Bai Zhou's smile. "However, my promise remains valid at any time." It still seemed unwilling to give up. "You may come find me here in the ghost market whenever you wish." "We can talk more. Given the quality of your smile, there is so much it could buy." "No thanks..." Bai Zhou waved his hand impassively. "Hiring a Rank 5 Emperor Penguin doesn't require anything other than cinders, does it?" If there was another trap... He would turn around and leave immediately to find another way. "Yes, of course!" "That will be 1,266 cinders. How does that sound?" The penguin nodded dutifully, though its tone lacked much of its earlier warmth. "It will guarantee your absolute safety within the ghost market. You could even spend an entire day here." *What a rip-off.* Paying five hundred cinders for the Tears of the Moon Goddess had already been an astronomical sum. Charging 1,266 cinders for a Rank 5 Extraordinary to serve as a bodyguard for such a brief time was undeniably steep. This penguin was outright price-gouging on the spot. Much like tourist traps marking up food tenfold, it saw Bai Zhou's desperation and felt emboldened to quote a take-it-or-leave-it price. *Crooked merchant!* However... "Money is not an issue." Bai Zhou shook his head. His calm, generous demeanor instantly revived the penguin's enthusiastic attitude. Then, Bai Zhou asked in a low voice, "—Though, I do have a question." "What is it?" The penguin's large eyes blinked twice. "Please, ask." "What is the threshold for becoming one of your Level 10 VIP members?" The penguin replied with practiced ease, "Spending at least 250 cinders in a single transaction qualifies a customer as a Level 10 VIP member of our establishment, granting priority access to our specialized services." "Oh..." Hearing that, Bai Zhou gave the penguin a meaningful look. "Which means... I'm not the only one who knows about and can purchase these services, right?" "...?" At that, the penguin's tone stiffened. Its eyeballs rolled erratically, darting back and forth. "Well, that... that is..." Just then, Bai Zhou's voice drifted over calmly. "Don't worry, I'll still pay for the service." *Crooked merchant, through and through!* Though he cursed inwardly, Bai Zhou showed no reaction outwardly. He simply reached into his robes and withdrew a handful of cinders. In quantity, it clearly exceeded 1,266. "This is the entirety of my savings," Bai Zhou "lied" without batting an eye. Facing the penguin's confusion, he said seriously, "As long as you fulfill one more request for me." "—Of course, you maintain strict confidentiality for all your clients, don't you?" *** "Congratulations on winning the items you desired!" Just as Bai Zhou had anticipated. In the backstage area of the auction hall, inside a secluded adjacent room, an almost identical scene was unfolding. A stuffed penguin, slightly smaller than the auctioneer, was presenting the Major with the lots he had just won. Including that Vial of Regret he had bought at a hefty price. The penguin was radiating goodwill toward the Major. "Since your spending at our establishment has met the quota, congratulations! You have been automatically upgraded to a Level 10 VIP member!" "..." Beneath his cloak, the Major gave a sullen nod, remaining silent and appearing thoroughly dejected. "You seem to be in low spirits. Is it because of that little interlude during the auction?" The penguin bobbed its head side to side. "To help relieve your worries and solve your problems—" "Please allow me to recommend a brand-new service currently in closed beta!" "...A brand-new service?" The Major frowned. "Yes! Our establishment offers the 'Bang Bang Beatdown' service. We can dispatch corresponding enforcers for just a modest sum of money." "If you are willing to name the price, you can even hire me directly!" The penguin bowed slowly toward the Major, looking delightfully clumsy, honest, and reliable. "—All it requires is for you to pay with all the wrath of your remaining lifetime." *All... my wrath?* "No, no need!" The Major waved his hand dismissively without hesitation. It sounded like a deal with a demon. Dealing with these occult "monsters" truly required vigilance at every step. However... "Before coming here, I heard certain rumors about your establishment." The Major measured his words carefully. "So, I want to know: besides this so-called 'Bang Bang Beatdown' service, did you offer similar or even better services to VIP Number 22?" "—Of course, compensation for this information will not be an issue." With that, the Major produced five cinders and offered them cordially to the penguin. This mysterious auction house situated in the ghost market had an enigmatic background, and no one dared provoke it. Yet it was also notorious. Because these doll-like penguins of inexplicable origin treated whoever had money as god, while having zero business integrity! Examples of them swindling every customer while leaving no grounds for complaint were a common occurrence here. Since it was pitching a "Bang Bang Beatdown" service to him— It definitely had a corresponding "escort" service on offer! Taking money from both ends of the same deal to wring every drop of value from everyone... The Major was all too familiar with this playbook. Right now, that fat auctioneer penguin was probably in the room next door, hard at work pitching to that nouveau riche Number 22! "No, we cannot disclose client information." The penguin ignored the five cinders the Major offered, lifting its head slightly. "You are questioning my professional ethics!" "...Moreover, you have no intention of purchasing our services, do you?" It cast a meaningful glance at the Major. "Are you certain? You won't reconsider?" The Major's mind stirred, and he inquired tentatively, "...Then how much for a Rank 5 Extraordinary 'Bang Bang Beatdown'?" "That will be 1,266 cinders!" Hearing the inquiry, the penguin's enthusiasm returned instantly, its flippers flapping with delight. "We will dispatch our invincible Rank 5 'Green Giant Penguin' for you—mighty, imposing, and ready to meet your every demand!" "—How much?!" The Major was dumbfounded, then flatly refused, "No, forget it!" 1,266 cinders! *Crooked merchant!* Simultaneously, the Major cursed inwardly with the exact same words as Bai Zhou in the adjoining room. That much money! It could buy him five assembly lines for manufacturing Human Material! It could hire four top-ranking Rank 4 Painters from the Fine Arts Society! It could even hire two Rank 5 Artists, capable of assassinating anyone! The notoriously cutthroat killer syndicate suddenly looked remarkably wholesome in comparison to this auction house. It was as if they had instantly become fair, honest, and bargain-priced. "I have business to attend to. I'll take my leave." Lifting the items he had purchased, the Major immediately beckoned Edvard Munch, who had remained silent at his side, and practically fled the room. "Sir! Sir!" The penguin called out after him in vain. Yet the Major's silhouette had already vanished from its sight. With its enthusiasm wasted, the penguin's eyes turned dull, soon flickering with a sinister glint. "To come all this way and still refuse to spend money..." It muttered softly under its breath, "You'll regret this!" *** Stepping outside and walking through the building, the Major looked at Munch beside him. "Knowing how this auction house operates, it must have pitched a similar service to Number 22 at the same price." "A Rank 4 Extraordinary is nothing to worry about, but if he has a Rank 5 penguin escorting him closely..." The Major's voice was laced with concern. "Although he shouldn't be able to afford it, that brat is utterly unfathomable in that regard alone." "We must account for that possibility." As for anything higher? In every sense, no one could afford that kind of price. It wasn't even worth considering. Munch kept his head lowered, pondering before speaking, "Your meaning is..." "You should know that thing is vital to me." The Major patted Munch's shoulder, his low voice brooking no refusal. "I must have it, whatever the cost!" Munch stayed silent for a moment before finally nodding. "...Understood." He possessed a secret art capable of temporarily severing an enemy from the current battlefield, exiling them alongside himself into a special domain. If he paid a tremendous price, burning through all his spirituality to overload the technique, even a Rank 5 Extraordinary would be dragged away and stalled. —When that happened, bidder Number 22 would be at the Major's complete mercy. As for Munch's sacrifice and losses... "Once this is done, an Extraordinary weapon." The Major gave his promise, his tone firm and resounding. "I never mistreat anyone who works for me!" *** Hurrying through the backstage corridor, passing room Number 22, the Major saw the tightly closed door... Beneath his cloak, a meaningful, satisfied smile spread across his face. *As expected, he hasn't finished the final transaction procedures yet.* *He's still inside.* Rushing ahead of everyone else had all been for this exact moment. Heading out of the building and slipping through the shadows, they reached the wall connecting the auction house to the ghost market. The Major and Munch took up their ambush positions in advance, silently waiting for their prey to emerge. Before long— A distinct figure clad in a Mass Grave Real Estate cloak emerged from the shadows, stepping briskly while warily scanning the surroundings. Beside him was a tall, cloaked figure guarding him closely. "Just as I feared... he hired an escort." The Major grunted coldly, then turned to his side. "Do it!" Munch sprang into action at once. "*Galloping swift through vibrant life,* *Yet destined to return to the cliff's edge rife—* *That is the path decreed for you,* *Walk it you must, whether willing or no.*" Chanting and striding forward, a colorful domain unfurled from beneath Munch's feet, reaching straight for that tall, cloaked silhouette. "Admire my painting..." "—Just you and me!" The moment his words fell, the colorful lines transformed into brilliant streaks of flowing light. Both figures vanished from the spot simultaneously, spirited away to who knew where. "No one takes what is mine." The Major closed in. There were too many eyes around and time was short... Munch wouldn't be able to hold out for long. Therefore, he had no time to waste words on a dead man. A flash of sword-light— The figure wearing the mysterious Real Estate cloak collapsed. A bewildered head was sent flying high into the air. It had only managed to erupt with spirituality before being decapitated by the sword, completely unable to fight back. "I told you..." A smile appeared on the Major's face. *Roll, roll, roll...* The severed head rolled to the Major's feet. Looking down, he saw it clearly. It was— A pair of wide-open, disbelieving eyes, utterly stunned by its sudden death... A penguin head. "?" The smile vanished from the Major's face, his expression freezing. *Where is bidder Number 22?* While he was still reeling in confusion, the black "Real Estate" cloak abruptly vanished, revealing the headless corpse's true form. A chubby half-torso of a penguin, still warm. A small penguin, many sizes smaller than the auctioneer, and two sizes smaller than a Rank 5 penguin. ...Recalling the intensity of the spirituality that had erupted from this penguin just before its death, it had clearly only been at the level of a Rank 3 Extraordinary! —*Where did a Rank 3 penguin come from?!* *Where the hell is that brat?!* As if realizing something... The Major's face drained of color. Killing an auction house employee inside the ghost market? ...*Not good!* He only had time to gasp out a single cry: "It's a trap!" The very next instant— Beneath everyone's feet, a massive tremor shook the entire ghost market.