Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei Returns from the Elden Ring

“He’s that kind of brat.” Susie brushed a strand of hair from her temple, her eyes lowered. “Different brats are different. When they’re helpless, some brats will wail and cry, while others will stubbornly walk their own way with their heads down. He’s the stubborn brat. But no matter what kind of brat it is, they need help. Maybe one day he’ll realize my feelings, maybe he won’t. Until then, I can stay with him, and that’s good enough.”

"So that's how it's said." Lu Mingfei nodded.

“I still have patrol duties.” Susie waved to him, then turned and returned to the group of branch specialists. “Goodbye, junior.”

Lu Mingfei watched the girl's slender figure disappear into the darkness. After a moment, he took out his phone and gave Norma a small instruction.

Susie thought she was well hidden in the dim light, but Lu Mingfei's eyesight was like a super high-definition night vision device. He could even see the pimples on the girl's face caused by staying up all night to carry out the mission, let alone such obvious resentment... like a flame slowly burning in her eyes.

Susie's phone vibrated; a mission message from Norma had been sent to her email: "Susie, your mission information has been updated. Please check your inbox promptly. The reconnaissance team mission has concluded, and your credits will be calculated after the person in charge's evaluation."

She turned around in confusion, only to find that Lu Mingfei had already disappeared.

……

In a cramped single room, a naked girl wakes up. Her body is slender and delicate, but covered with iron-blue scales. The sharp scales slowly unfold with her breathing, and the joints of her limbs twist in a strange way. Her whole body is covered with bone spurs that pierce the skin, and her fingernails are jet-black claws.

The bed beneath her was cut into pieces, with fragments of clothing mixed in.

Xia Mi, or in this form, she could be called Jormungandr, a giant sea serpent in mythology that can encircle the human world, and also the younger sister of the twin kings of the earth and mountains.

She hugged her knees, leaning against the wall. The dragonification phenomenon on her body was slowly fading, and her wounds were healing rapidly. Her new skin was as delicate and tender as a baby's.

In the world of dragons, the weak are food. At this table now, she and her brother are becoming food, while the King of Sky and Wind and Lu Mingfei are the hunters. Her plans have all failed; the mastermind behind it all wants to corner her and then devour her whole.

She's a desperate fugitive... she has nowhere to run!

She slowly got up, humming a melodious tune, and dressed herself methodically. Finally, she stood in front of the mirror and patted her cheeks.

The girl in the mirror had an elegant figure and a calm expression, but her eyes were so cold and fierce.

……

Chu Zihang had a very long dream.

In his dream, there were many familiar figures: on the basketball court stands, in the little house under the tree, in the dimly lit aquarium, in the movie theater... Every girl's face was blurry, and only when they looked at each other could Chu Zihang see a pair of bright eyes in the mist or a fleeting radiant smile.

The girl walked on tiptoe, so lightly it was as if a breeze was following her...

The girl had her hair tied in a long ponytail, and her fluffy bangs resembled clouds...

The girl sat in the stands, her hands supporting her chin, her face delicate and pretty...

Chu Zihang didn't remember ever seeing this girl, but images related to her filled all his dreams. He had heard a legend that people can't see the faces of strangers clearly in their dreams. If you see someone you don't recognize, that person might be a ghost passing through your dream, wandering in the world of the dead, only to meet you for a fleeting moment by chance.

Chu Zihang was about to get a clear look at the girl's face when the bright sunlight shone from all directions, a fiery red, as if it were about to burst into flames.

He slowly opened his eyes, and all he saw was pure white, everything was blurry.

Someone drew back the curtains, so the sunlight shone bright red on his thin eyelids. At the same time, a hand waved in front of his eyes, and a familiar voice rang out, "Can you see? Why are you staring blankly..."

In the sunlight, someone leaned down and looked at him, their long, cascading hair obscuring their face.

Chapter 114 Auction

"Susie?" Chu Zihang's vision gradually cleared. He was lying in an intensive care unit. Sunlight shone through the white gauze curtains. His body was covered with various tubes and wires, and doctors and nurses were coming and going.

"Don't move." Susie stopped him from getting up. "The doctor said you have a severe muscle strain and multiple fractures in your arm. You'll need to rest in the hospital for a while."

Chu Zihang then realized that his hands were in casts.

His memory abruptly ended; he had no recollection of what happened after the assassin appeared. He only felt someone gently hug him from behind, a warm hallucination that is said to occur when a person is near death.

He really couldn't figure out how to dodge that sword strike; the opponent's speed far exceeded his limits.

"Don't think about it, it was Lu Mingfei who saved you." Susie seemed to be able to guess what Chu Zihang was thinking. "He's fine too, after all, he's a bloodline rating S."

Chu Zihang had no recollection of it at all. In his view, the last thing he saw before waking up in the hospital was the masked assassin and the black blade.

"Alright, let's eat." Susie opened the insulated food box on the table. "Since the night before last, you've only had some glucose injections. The doctor said that there will be hematoma at the fracture site, which will take about four or five days to subside. In the meantime, eat something light."

Chu Zihang noticed that the food box contained spinach and tofu soup, steamed egg custard, and fish soup. When the lid was opened, steam rose up, and a fragrant aroma wafted out, which diluted the smell of disinfectant in the ward.

Unable to move his hands, he had no choice but to obediently open his mouth and eat the steamed egg custard that Susie handed him with a spoon. It had a smooth texture like tofu pudding and no eggy smell.

"How does it taste?" Susie asked. "The branch kitchen can only make simple dishes."

“Very good.” Chu Zihang nodded.

Actually, this dish isn't difficult to make; you just need to get the amount of water and the cooking time right. But the chefs in Chu Zihang's family are mostly head chefs, and by his exacting standards, Su Xi's cooking skills are impeccable.

"Has Lu Mingfei been here?" Chu Zihang asked suddenly after finishing the last bite of his steamed egg custard.

“He came by once this morning,” Susie replied. “He said he would let you rest here after you woke up, and that you didn’t need to worry about anything else. When he came, he seemed to be carrying an art brochure, but that was about it.”

"understood."

His calculations indeed didn't need to continue; the model was misleading. Perhaps, as Fingel said, the Dragon King had been playing tricks on him all along.

……

As night falls and the city lights begin to twinkle, a variety of high-end cars line the entrance of the "Treasure Gallery," located in the heart of Beijing's CBD, their red taillights flashing in succession.

A red carpet was laid out in front of the convention center, flanked by elegantly dressed hostesses in uniform. Smiling and graceful, they guided each guest into the venue. A subtle blend of perfume and the fragrance of camphor wood filled the air, creating a luxurious yet ethereal atmosphere.

Among a group of well-dressed people, Lu Mingfei stood out. He was wearing a black trench coat and looked more like a bodyguard than an attendee.

The guests seemed to know each other, and they formed small groups of two or three at the entrance, exchanging simple greetings.

They cast curious glances at Lu Mingfei, but he completely ignored them and went straight into the venue.

Because it was a special "targeted auction," there was no preview. After passing through a corridor, you would reach the entrance to the main venue. The walls of the corridor were adorned with all sorts of famous paintings, including ancient Chinese landscape and flower-and-bird paintings as well as Western abstract oil paintings. Each one was priceless, but they were displayed here only as decorations for the actual auction items.

Upon entering the venue, the first thing that catches the eye is the enormous crystal chandelier, which hangs in mid-air, emitting a soft yet bright light.

On the auction stage, there was a display stand and a screen the size of a movie screen.

The room, with several hundred seats, was arranged like a fan-shaped grandstand at a gala. This hall was normally used for multimedia presentations of artwork. Many concealed lights on the ceiling were currently off, making the room somewhat dim.

Lu Mingfei found his seat in the VIP section at the front; the seat next to him was empty.

The lights in the chandelier suddenly went out, like a movie opening, leaving only the screen and the display stand lit. A waiter in white walked down the aisle and rang a bell, silencing the guests' conversations. A door opened on one side, and a man in a black tuxedo walked onto the display stand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Sotheby's Targeted Auction - BJ Cologne Special Auction will begin in five minutes. I am the auctioneer. Please hold onto your paddles and don't miss out on anything you desire, because each item we are about to auction is unique." The auctioneer paused. "Now, it's dark, please close your eyes."

Lu Mingfei didn't see this segment in the brochure; it sounded like a "Werewolf" game that Lao Tang and his brother were playing with netizens in a chat room.

The guests all closed their eyes and bowed their heads slightly.

"It's dawn, please open your eyes!"

Everyone opened their eyes at the same moment, and in an instant it seemed as if the hall was brightly lit again, but what illuminated the place was no longer the crystal chandelier, but... hundreds of pairs of golden eyes!

A method of verifying identity?

Lu Mingfei was slightly puzzled. In his opinion, the scene was a bit of light pollution. He didn't feel anything when he looked directly at the sunlight, but the golden light now was not pure light. The golden eyes were a way of unleashing the dragon's might. In his perception, this area was as disgusting as if it were shrouded in smog.

"Young friend, could you do me a favor?" A gentle voice sounded from the side.

The newcomer was a young man around twenty years old, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, his gaze as black as ink. He wore a long coat that was even more eye-catching than Lu Mingfei's trench coat, and his long hair was tied up at the back of his head.

Lu Mingfei stood up to let him pass, and the young man sat down in the seat inside Lu Mingfei.

"Young friend, you are merciful." The Taoist clasped his hands in greeting, while also looking at Lu Mingfei with some curiosity.

"Hello, Taoist priest?" Lu Mingfei was not quite sure how to address him.

"My name is Zhuge Mingjue," the Taoist priest said with a smile. "I am the twentieth generation disciple of the Zixiao Tiangang Sect."

"Lu Mingfei." Lu Mingfei nodded. He had a good impression of this guy who hadn't activated his golden eyes. "A Taoist priest also comes to the auction to buy things?"

“Let me take a look. These kinds of auctions often end up with some dangerous items,” Zhuge Mingjue said in a low voice. “It’s best to prevent some unnecessary disasters before they happen.”

Lu Mingfei remembered Su Enxi's address to Zhuge Mingjue: "Regulator," which sounded like his role was indeed to monitor and control.

Chapter 115 was originally for overseeing the auction.

Lu Mingfei quietly turned around and glanced around. Everyone's attention was on the display stand and the auctioneer. Two people dressed as assistants were carrying the first exhibit onto the stand. A documentary about the auction item was playing on a large screen nearby. An archaeologist in protective clothing was shown with a lush rainforest in South America in the background. He looked German and was describing the ruins and the strange object he had unearthed in German in a low voice.

The mixed-race individuals present still shone with golden eyes, seemingly unfazed by fatigue. Despite the fact that each of them was straining to ignite the dragon blood, their faces were as cold as ice. The people sitting in the hall didn't seem human; they looked more like a group of cold-blooded monsters.

Lu Mingfei disliked them; looking at them was like looking at Odin's Deadpool.

Suddenly, everyone's golden eyes flickered and went out, and their cold faces turned truly pale. However, the pain on their faces made them seem more human. The most severely injured people arched their backs in agony, clutching their throats. They felt as if they were standing on a cold, icy mountain, breathing in a breath of biting, oxygen-deprived wind!

Lu Mingfei turned around and watched the auctioneer introduce the exhibits with a relaxed expression.

That feels much better.

The attendees looked at each other with astonishment and uncertainty, unsure of what had happened. Most of them were heirs or heads of various hybrid families and had never faced a real dragon before. Anyone who had been on a battlefield against dragons would realize that they had just been enveloped in the spiritual domain of a pure-blooded ancient dragon.

If that ancient dragon had shown even a fraction more hostility, many people here would have died of heart failure.

"Next up for auction is the 'Painted Pottery Bowl from the Guatemalan Il-Zoz Archaeological Site.' This Mayan sacrificial artifact is approximately 1600 years old and was unearthed beneath a small pyramid completely hidden in the jungle. When it was first discovered, it was filled with the fingers of human victims used as sacrifices and teeth wrapped in rotten leaves." The auctioneer scanned the room. "According to the authentication of authoritative alchemists, this is both a sacrificial artifact and an alchemical vessel. It is powered by dragon blood and can release a low-intensity form of the Word of Power: King's Servants. The fingers and teeth inside are not symbolic sacrificial meat, but rather the flesh and blood of an ancient hybrid race."

"After restoration, we have recreated the incomplete alchemical matrix without damaging its appearance, so the buyer of this item will also receive a copy of the alchemical matrix!" the auctioneer smiled. "Starting bid: $1200 million. Please place your bids now."

Zhuge Mingjue took out a small booklet from his cloth bag and began to write and draw on it.

It was a form; the first few columns contained information related to the auction items, while the rest were blank. Lu Mingfei saw that Zhuge Mingjue had written two words on the back of the painted pottery bowl: Low Risk.

"If the rating is high-risk, would you rush up and take the auction item away and control it?" Lu Mingfei asked.

Zhuge Mingjue turned to look at him and said with a smile, "How could it be high-risk? If it were high-risk, I wouldn't have been sent here. The last time a high-risk incident occurred was about 80 years ago, and almost all sects mobilized their core forces, including your 'families'."

"Not even considered a high-risk event now?" Lu Mingfei couldn't help but feel a deep respect for this group called "Regulators". Everyone knows there's a dragon in Beijing, but according to this faction's evaluation criteria, it doesn't even qualify as "high-risk".

"How could an auction where a few dangerous items might leak out be considered a high-risk event?" Zhuge Mingjue waved his hand.

After a moment of silence, Lu Mingfei slowly said, "You didn't come for the Dragon King?"

"Dragon King?" Zhuge Mingjue was stunned. "What Dragon King?"

Lu Mingfei didn't know if he was covering up or not, nor was he interested in guessing. He pulled up the Hunter Market information from his phone's photo album, which contained a compilation of dragon clan secrets that had been leaked online.

Zhuge Mingjue grew increasingly silent as he looked at the phone, until finally a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead. He handed the phone back to Lu Mingfei, then slowly covered his face. "My master said there might be some 'minor disturbance' in this area and sent me to check it out. I didn't know it was the Dragon King..."

Lu Mingfei also fell silent. He had initially thought of getting information from the "overseer," but he didn't expect that the guy was so carefree because he had no idea that there was a dragon here.

"Strange, very strange," Zhuge Mingjue muttered to himself. "I clearly consulted the oracle before I left, and it said this trip would be very auspicious..."

The painted pottery bowl has been priced at $4500 million. Many of the mixed-race people present come from small families. Perhaps to the Secret Society, such alchemical vessels are not as useful as chemical reagents, but to small families of three to five people who consider themselves "dragon blood families," this is a precious "collection."

Dragons are the race that developed alchemy, the pinnacle of craftsmanship. Dragons are often obsessed with art; for example, Attila the Hun buried himself in three coffins made of gold, silver, and iron, each exquisitely crafted and inlaid with various gemstones. Hybrids have inherited this fascination with dragons, and half of the top collectors are hybrids.