What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

"What time? Where?"

"7 p.m., Jiangcheng Hotel, second basement level."

Dress smartly. Even though that place is called "underground," it's not low-class. Don't get stopped by security.

After hanging up the phone, I glanced at the time; it was still early.

Since it's a formal occasion, it's definitely inappropriate to wear work clothes that smell like disinfectant.

I said goodbye to Director Wang and slipped away early.

Back in my rented room, I rummaged through my drawers and found the only formal suit I had.

That was a dark gray suit I bought when I first came to Jiangcheng for a job interview.

I tried it on and it fit me fairly well, making me look much taller.

I stood in front of the mirror and straightened my collar.

The young man in the mirror had delicate features and a determined look in his eyes.

At 6:30 p.m., I drove my modified Toyota Prado and parked it in the parking lot of Jiangcheng Hotel on time.

As soon as I got off the bus, I saw Li Qing and Jin Wanliang standing next to the revolving door.

I glanced around briefly and didn't see Jin Wanliang's car; it seemed the two of them had come by taxi.

Jin Wanliang was dressed like a nouveau riche, wearing a designer suit and a gold watch on his wrist, and was talking animatedly to Li Qing.

Li Qing, on the other hand, looked impatient.

Although he had changed into a suit, his tie was tied crookedly and looked worse than when he wore a Taoist robe. He was also holding a handheld game console and pressing buttons incessantly.

"Oh my, handsome Chen is here!"

Jin Wanliang, with his sharp eyes, saw me and immediately came over, looking me up and down and marveling at me.

"Great! With this makeover, people would believe he's the young master of some prestigious family."

He's much better than Li Qing; he doesn't even look like a prince in a dragon robe.

"Get lost."

Li Qing didn't even look up, his fingers flying across the keys.

"I was playing a group game, and you had to drag me here. What's so interesting about this lousy auction? It's just a bunch of nouveau riche trying to be sophisticated."

"Since we're already here, there's no need to spend money to go in and take a look."

I walked over and patted Li Qing on the shoulder.

"I heard there are a lot of good stuff tonight, don't you want to snag a couple of magical artifacts?"

"Tch, nine out of ten magical artifacts on the market are fake, and the one that's left is a defective product."

Although Li Qing complained, he still put away the handheld console and straightened his tie.

"Let's go in and see what tricks this so-called high society is up to."

The three of us walked into the grand hotel side by side.

Jin Wanliang was clearly a regular here; the lobby manager almost bent over when he saw him.

He personally led us into the private elevator, which took us directly to the second basement level.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, a faint scent of sandalwood wafted out.

This place is nothing like the gloomy ghost market I imagined; on the contrary, it is magnificent and exquisitely decorated.

Thick wool carpets covered the floor, antique paintings of dubious authenticity hung on the walls, and rows of comfortable genuine leather sofas lined the hall.

There was a security checkpoint at the entrance, guarded by several burly men in black suits and wearing headsets.

Please show me the invitation.

Jin Wanliang handed over the invitation, and the security personnel checked it and then handed over three exquisite half-face masks.

"That's the rule," Jin Wanliang explained in a low voice.

"To protect buyer privacy. After all, some items are of dubious origin, and some buyers have sensitive identities; nobody wants to show their face."

I nodded, took the mask, and put it on.

The mask has a nice texture, but only the lower half of the face is visible.

Upon entering the venue, one finds that quite a few people are already seated.

Most of them wore masks and gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones.

Although his face is not clearly visible, his clothing and demeanor suggest that he is either wealthy or of high social standing.

We found a seat in the back row and sat down. The waiter quickly brought us tea and a fruit platter.

"See that old man in the Tang suit in the front row?"

Jin Wanliang leaned close to my ear and pointed to a figure in the first row from behind.

"That's a big collector from the provincial capital, specializing in bronzes."

The woman next to me is in the jewelry business; she's rumored to have connections in both the legitimate and underworld circles.

I followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

This small auction house was surprisingly full of hidden talents.

At seven o'clock sharp, the lights in the hall dimmed, leaving only a spotlight shining on the stage.

A middle-aged auctioneer in a tuxedo walked up, holding a small gavel and wearing a professional smile.

Good evening, distinguished guests. Welcome to the Jiangcheng Spring Appreciation Event.

Everyone knows the rules, so I won't go into details.

Tonight's auction features twelve lots, each a masterpiece.

Now, please present the first item for auction...

As he spoke, two beautiful women in cheongsams pushed a small cart up.

When the red cloth was lifted, a blue and white porcelain vase was revealed.

"A blue and white porcelain vase with dragon design from the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, starting bid: 800,000."

The auction officially begins.

The first few items were antique paintings and calligraphy. Although I'm not an expert, judging from the intensity of the bidding, they should be genuine.

Jin Wanliang watched with great interest, occasionally offering a comment to Li Qing.

"That bottle is a genuine product, but 800,000 is a bit too high."

"This calligraphy is no good; the brushstrokes are too weak. Even if it's an authentic work, it's just a perfunctory piece."

The atmosphere suddenly changed with the eighth item.

"The next item in the auction is somewhat special."

The auctioneer smiled mysteriously: "This is a peach wood sword. It is said to be a magical artifact used by a high-ranking Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain in his early years. It has the effect of warding off evil spirits and protecting the home."

On the tray lay a dark-colored wooden sword, its blade engraved with intricate runes.

Li Qing glanced at it only once, then curled her lip and snorted disdainfully.

"What kind of high-ranking master is he? He's just a mass-produced handicraft that's been buried in incense ash for a few years to absorb some of the fire's energy. You wouldn't even want to use him as a fire poker because of the smoke."

Sure enough, while the sword did attract the interest of some wealthy merchants, it was utterly insignificant in the eyes of a few experts.

In the end, it was bought by a coal mine owner who wanted psychological comfort for 50,000 yuan.

"The next item is also one of the highlight lots of tonight."

The auctioneer's voice suddenly rose a few octaves.

"This item is not the work of a famous craftsman; it is a creation of heaven and earth."

A beautiful woman pushed the cart up, and this time, under the red cloth, was a transparent crystal box.

Inside the box, a black crystal lay quietly.

It is about the size of an egg, completely black, and its surface is not smooth, but covered with irregular edges.

Even from this distance, I could feel a chilling aura emanating from that direction.

It is indeed a Xuan Yin Sha Crystal, there's no mistake.

Moreover, to my impression, its quality is not much worse than the one I received from the provincial bureau, it's just a bit smaller.

"This object is called the Mysterious Yin Stone."

The auctioneer explained, "According to expert identification, this is an extremely rare mineral, which has been buried in an extremely yin place for many years and contains special magnetic field energy."

For collectors in certain specialized fields, this is an invaluable treasure.

Starting bid: one million.