Chapter 438: Hope DiamondTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“You are testing my limits,” Royce said, with a dark expression.
He could sense that the youth going against him was not a simple character. Although he was not able to pinpoint a reason, and could not sense any terrifying force exuding from the youth’s body, he could smell the bloody scent on him. That was because he was a Blood Kindred. The bloody smell on the youth’s body made his heart shiver. It was very possible that he could have come into contact with the blood of a master, like the Blood Kindred’s Earl.
“I hope that this person is not the enemy of our mission this time. If not, we will be in a tight fix,” Henry said with a solemn expression as he glanced at Mo Wen from afar.
“Nobody can stop us from obtaining the Divine Blood; I’ll remind you all of something about the Divine Blood,” Royce said. “You had better not have any designs on it. If you did, not only would you be harmed, your families would be dragged in as well. The betrayer who devours the Divine Blood all by himself will be faced with the world’s most cruel punishment.” Royce looked over at Henry with clear and bright eyes, as if he could see through Henry’s thoughts.
“Humph, Royce, you mean you dare tell me that you harbor no designs? That is the Divine Blood. It is the blood essence that would only work on the fourth generation of the Blood Kindred, and very possibly originated from an ancient Lord; if we can obtain that Divine Blood, even just half would very possibly turn us into Lords at once. There would also be a high chance of becoming a Marquis in the future. Don’t forget that if we don’t become Lords, we will forever be unable to step on the Divine Way of the Blood Kindred.”
Henry let out a cold humph. The general public all said that they, the Blood Kindred, enjoyed a very long life and basically would not die; but they did not know that only the Blood Kindred who stepped onto the Divine Way would enjoy a long life. The normal Blood Kindred would still have to endure the usual life process of aging and dying.
However, the Blood Kindred put too much emphasis on the ranking of the bloodline. With their ranking of bloodline, even if they worked hard for their whole life, it was still very difficult to become an Earl of the Blood Kindred. Only if they were able to join as one with the Divine Blood would they have the possibility of stepping onto the path of the Divine Way.
“Of course, I really do want to have the Divine Blood. But you have to know that if we dare to keep the Divine Blood all to ourselves, we will end up just like that betrayer. Do you think living is more important or is it worth it dying for the Divine Blood?” Royce asked calmly.
“Don’t speak too soon,” Henry replied. “It is still unknown whether or not we will be able to attain the Divine Blood; if we are unable to, and the other organizations get their hands on it instead, the clan would know that we are not capable enough and I believe they would not blame us for it.” Henry smiled, as a look of cunning flashed through his eyes.
“We definitely have to attain the Divine Blood. The Divine Blood cannot be allowed to be lost to others…” Royce’s words stopped suddenly as he fixed his eyes on Henry and a murderous look flashed through his eyes. Only after a while, did he ask, “You… are prepared to collaborate with other organizations?”
“I did not say that. How could I possibly be collaborating with other organizations? These couple of days, the two of us have been together all the time and we have not left this place.” Henry shook his head and laughed.
“I hope you will not do anything rash,” Royce said with a very solemn expression. “The issue about the Divine Blood is very big. If it had not been for the fact that the betrayer was on the Sword of the Seas and the two of them were located very close to Fusang, such a thing would not even be a job for me or you to interfere with. It was even likely that the clan would send an Earl over to say hi.”
Them coming forth this time was a last-minute order. If it had not been for the fact that they were both holidaying in Fusang, they would not have been able to rush over in time; meanwhile, the other organizations had also received this news, including some of their competitor forces. Royce and Henry were under enormous pressure to ensure that the Divine Blood did not fall into the hands of outsiders.
On the other side, Mo Wen had successfully bid for the mysterious bronze statue. As before, he wanted to do an immediate transfer. Hence, he received the bronze statue immediately and held it in his hands.
“Why did you bid for that?” Shen Jing asked curiously.
“In order to prove that it is a deity statue, since you don’t believe, do you?” Mo Wen smiled.
Shen Jing let out a light humph. “What’s there to prove? Anyway, whether it is or not is up to you to justify.”
The auction continued and suddenly, Mo Wen no longer had the interest to participate any further. Meanwhile, Shen Jing was running out of patience as well.
As the auction was nearing the end, the Emcee walked onto the stage as he introduced the final item up for auction.
“The item that will now be auctioned is the most precious item in the entire auction. It is also the treasure that is the most unusual and unexpected.”
His first sentence instantly attracted everybody’s attention. Something that was able to gain such a label on such an auction definitely had to be a very rare item.
The Emcee smiled mysteriously, “As for what it is exactly, I will present it to all of you so you can have a look at it yourself.”
Immediately, a lady-in-waiting brought a tray up onto the stage. The tray was covered with a very high-quality silky gauze scarf and there seemed to be a cylindrical item hidden beneath it.
The Emcee tugged on the corner of the white gauze and slowly revealed the item. His action was slow and gentle, as if he was afraid to destroy the item beneath.
At the same time, all the lights on the stage brightened and each of them shone down on the same spot. It was a very beautiful sight.
A very radiant deep blue rose gradually from the gauze. It was like the rays of the sun, glowing brighter and brighter. All of the rays originated from it in the center and rotated all around it. It was just like a king that was basking in the glory of admiration from everyone.
“Hope!”
“The Hope Diamond!”
“How can it be! It… shouldn’t be appearing in such a place.”
In the great hall, everyone had been thrown into a frenzy. All of the people were looking in shock at the Hope Diamond with expressions of disbelief. Everyone knew of the item but nobody had imagined that it would actually appear on stage at the auction.
Shen Jing covered her mouth with one hand as she fixated upon the beautiful and dream-like diamond. It was just like a shiny blue star as it emanated a very eye-catching luster. It was bright and big, possessed of great depth, and so mysterious… When faced with such a diamond, it was as though one was looking at an entire ocean. One’s entire body and soul would be absorbed into the deep blue, bringing eternal feelings of peace and calm.
Any woman who saw such a beautiful item could not help but be filled with an eternal infatuation by and an obsession for it.
A white middle-aged guy stood up at his seat and said loudly, “I am seriously doubtful! That cannot be the authentic diamond; 60 years ago, it had been donated to the Smithsonian Institute in America. It has never left that place so it cannot possibly appear on the auction.”
Not only was he in disbelief, but everybody else in the great hall had disbelieving expressions on them. Things that were placed in Washington’s Smithsonian Institute would hardly ever appear in any transactions. One would only be lucky enough to have a look at this diamond if they made a trip all the way down to the Jewelry Exhibition Hall of the Smithsonian Institute.
It was impossible for two Hope Diamonds to exist in the world, because the Hope Diamond was unique. If the Hope Diamond on the stage was real, the one that was placed in Washington’s Smithsonian Institute had to be fake.
As the most valuable item in the world, the diamond was naturally extremely coveted by every person in the room. As the king of diamonds, there were many legends about it.
For the past 300 years, the Hope Diamond had given anyone who owned it bad luck that was worse than a witch’s curse. This had caused it to be portrayed in a very mysterious and scary light, and it had earned itself the reputation of being a mysterious yet unlucky item.
It was called the Hope Diamond but it had always brought people despair. According to legend, the people who possessed the Hope Diamond would always die without reason. This nightmare had continued for 300 years, until it had been donated to the Smithsonian Institute in America, putting an end to all the misfortune.
The Emcee pointed at the blue-colored diamond on the stage. “Dear respected ladies and gentlemen,” he said with gusto, “our auction has an established record of credibility going back a hundred years, never coming up with a counterfeit item. I can say, bearing full responsibility, that it truly is the Hope Diamond. The one and only Hope Diamond in the world!”
“If that is indeed the real Hope Diamond, it does not belong here. It should not be part of this auction. It belongs to America. I seriously beseech the auctioneers to return it to the staff of the Smithsonian Institute.”
“I protest! No matter how the Hope Diamond had been obtained, I demand that you return it to its rightful owner immediately.”
“You auctioneers truly do not know your limits. You are simply thieves, robbers…”
A few of the American attendees could not hold themselves back as they stood from their seats and protested strongly against what was happening. Everyone knew that the Hope Diamond belonged to the Smithsonian Institute in America. Yet, there were actually people who so daringly placed it for auction. It was simply too shameful for the Americans.
The Emcee furrowed his brows as he glanced across those people, saying expressionlessly, “We don’t like participants who cause so much trouble. Please escort those guests who have lost control out of the auction.”
Immediately, a few big, hefty security guards appeared. They walked over, pulling those people out of the hall. The guards were not at all polite and were very violent in their actions.
Very quickly, those few who had protested had been chased out of the venue. Inside, there was still quite a bit of quiet discussion going on amongst the people but nobody dared to stand up to protest this time.
“My dear distinguished guests, I believe everyone should be clear about the policy of our auction. All along, we have always stood by our policy of being able to auction any item at all in the world; even if I were to say it in jest, it would not be impossible for a nuclear bomb to appear at this auction. This is precisely the charm of our auction that attracts all of you. Anyone who breaks the rules will never receive an invitation from us.”
The Emcee continued, “I can tell you, taking full responsibility, that the Hope Diamond is certainly real. Information other than that, such as the provider of the Hope Diamond and other related news will not be revealed at all. If any of you have anything that you wish to send for auction but it is not very convenient for you to do personally, you are welcome to collaborate with us.”
The people in the great hall shared glances. The words of the Emcee were clear. He unmistakably meant that if anyone had any dirty and illegal items in their possession, or perhaps any item that was not obtained by proper means, it could be handed over to them and they would be glad to destroy the incriminating evidence on the person’s behalf, through the auction.
“I will save on the nonsense. We will now proceed with the auction. The starting price is two hundred million US dollars. With every new bid, the price has to rise by at least one million.”
The Emcee cut to the chase, without exaggeration or embellishment. That was because there was no need for any further introduction for such a rare treasure. He was able to start the bidding immediately.