576 Chapter 576 - A Bold Suspicion (2/2)
”Did you think of something?” Brother Assist hurriedly asked.
”Plenty.”
”Let me hear them.”
”Version 1: That guy's working together with Southern Lone Blade's team. Everything is progressing just as they've planned, and they're using this method to loot Vast Lushness's magic staff. If that's really what has happened, then I'll have to see them in a new light, for they'll truly be a promising gang of larcenists. Unfortunately, seeing how those two rascals from Southern Lone Blade's team are still staking the Auction House like a pair of hawks, I reckon that they're stagnating at the level of criminals that go about their business plainly fighting and killing for loot. There's no way that they could think up of such a clever method to take off with the magic staff.”
I think you're the one not showing promise by not committing larceny! Brother Assist cried out to himself.
”Version 2: Silver Moon was once part of the abolished Past Deeds, so our buyer could of course be considered as an acquaintance of Silver Moon. Meaning, there's a possibility that this entire situation was Silver Moon's orchestration. First, he hired Southern Lone Blade's bunch to hunt down Vast Lushness for her magic staff, creating a situation which resulted in her letting go of the magic staff like this. Even if he didn't end up with the staff, he'd still manage to swindle out a tidy sum. What's even more amazing is how Southern Lone Blade's gang might fail this assignment as a corollary. Those larcenists must be obligated to pay a recompense if they fail to deliver on their assignment, mustn't they? Heh… Obtaining the magic staff and getting compensated – that's two birds with one stone. How brilliant. Still, wouldn't it be too huge a heavenly injustice if a scumbag like Silver Moon managed to come up with such a wonderful ploy?”
You're truly wasting your heavenly given talent by not running this act of duplicity! Brother Assist cried out to himself again.
”As for version 3: It's a spur-of-the-moment greed. That man suddenly desired that magic staff, so he crafted that lie to take off with it. That's probably what the average player would do,” Young Master Han said.
”So, which one is it? What's Vast Lushness take on this?” Brother Assist asked.
”Her? I think she has already made up her mind to trust that man fully.”
”That's probably true. There's no way she'd entrust this job to that man if she doesn't have that level of trust in him to begin with.”
”Is her life story so much of a tragedy that she'll be betrayed by those she trusts at every turn? Let's go to the Auction House,” Young Master Han recommended.
”Auction House?” Brother Assist was baffled.
”That guy's at the Auction House,” Young Master Han explained.
”If he's there… Is he looking for a chance to retrieve the magic staff in secret?” Brother Assist asked.
”Vast Lushness claimed that he's there to make up for his blunder by locating the buyer and convincing the person to sell the item to him in exchange for an exorbitant sum,” Young Master Han said.
”Has Wounds made any discovery on his end?” Brother Assist suddenly asked.
”Do they know each other?” Young Master Han deflected the question with his very own.
”We don't recognize him, either,” Brother Assist said.
”Vast Lushness' making her way over as well.”
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The Auction House was rather crowded right now. This was the time when players like Gu Fei, who adhered to a very reasonable gaming schedule, would call it a day. These were players that did not have the time to head over to the Peddler's Street or other player-created marketplaces to set up a shop or hawk goods, so they would simply collect their harvest for the day and put it up on sale at the Auction House, all along taking a gander at what else was up for sale.
For a time, there was plenty of human traffic at the Auction House, with many busying themselves before the various auction panels inside. The distribution NPC was also welcoming the arrival of one of the busiest times of the day as players queued before it at this period. However, the system would only pass over the items to the purchasers themselves; the line naturally progressed smoothly since it would not make any mistakes in the process. The only ones having a hard time were Glue and Flame Singed Clothes; currently, they were struggling as they kept watch of the distribution NPC. Their eyes stared fixedly at the items being passed by the NPC to the players' hands with lightning speed. They would get visibly excited whenever they saw some staff-like equipment, but would quickly deflate once they realized that it was not the item they were waiting for upon closer inspection.
Because this was a VRMMO, the outward appearance was very important. Hence, every item in the Auction House would be displayed for all to see. These two had already committed to memory the Utopian Magic Staff's appearance, but it was just unfortunate that neither of them had yet to see this item appear before their eyes.
The two were having a hard time with the task at hand, yet it was War Without Wounds who was truly making them feel exasperated. With the increase in the flow of people coming and going in the Auction House, his hunting ground had increased as well, and this served to reinvigorate him. Currently, he was no longer showing even a shred of concern on what the distribution NPC was doing, only casually glancing at it from time to time, showing a fierce expression whenever he saw the two men look at him.
”Why isn't he taking note of the distribution NPC?” Flame Singed Clothes found this to be strange. Even if he were intentionally acting this way, he should be focusing on the actual task at hand at such a crucial moment, but they only saw him continuing to act so lackadaisically by wholly ignoring the equipment being retrieved.
”Hmph. Big South is right; that guy's here just to throw us off with his antics,” Glue sneered.
”But during such a time—” Flame Singed Clothes was saying even as he kept a close eye on the many goods exchanging hands.
”Look at that one.” Glue nudged Flame Singed Clothes.
Flame Singed Clothes followed the direction Glue was gesturing and spotted a dazed Priest, whose eyes were listlessly watching the exchange between the distribution NPC and the players.
”Did you see that? That person's the real one assigned to watch the NPC for them. Hmph. Did they think we won't notice just because they found an unfamiliar face to do the job? That's too naïve.” Glue laughed mirthlessly.
The instant he finished that line, they saw several players walk out from the brush and stand right before that person.
The two men were startled to find that these players were Vast Lushness, Young Master Han, and Brother Assist.
Why would all these players step out right now? Could the situation have changed? The two men were puzzled.