Chapter 24: Thanks to the Old Red-Clad Pervert (4)

The two of them plunged into the frigid pool simultaneously.

Under the cover of night, a fierce glint flickered in the phoenix eyes of the man in red.

Changge Yue gulped down several mouthfuls of the icy water before she could barely steady herself. Looking at the man in red again, she thought, "His eyes..." Were they already healed? Was he even human?

The man's gaze grew even more ominous. Changge Yue bit her lip slightly. Just as he expected her to strike, she suddenly dove headlong into the depths of the pool. Like a slippery loach, she vanished without a trace.

At that moment, four dark silhouettes descended from the sky. They exchanged glances, one of them saying, "Master, the Pearl King has been secured." None dared to ask why their master had so inexplicably plunged into the icy pool.

A dark shadow passed over the man’s eyes, followed instantly by a flash of cold intensity. He leapt from the water, his sword drawn from his waist in a single fluid motion. With a burst of sword energy, the Pearl King was pulverized into mist, vanishing between heaven and earth.

Not far away, hidden within the depths of the pool, Changge Yue’s heart shattered.

Upon returning to the Changge estate, Changge Yue soaked in a wooden tub, adding several buckets of hot water until she finally felt she had come back to life. She glanced at the medicinal herbs she had collected over the past few days. Restoring her appearance was not an issue, but without the Taihu Pearl King, how could she repair skin that had been eroded by toxins for years?

Changge Yue frowned slightly. It was not impossible to use other medicines as substitutes, but they would never be as effective as the Pearl King.

"A clever housewife cannot cook without rice!" Changge Yue leaned back against the tub, her willow-leaf brows slightly arched.

Bizhu, who was guarding outside, pouted and asked hesitantly, "Miss, do you wish to cook?"

Changge Yue was speechless.

Donning a silk robe, Changge Yue sat by the window, chin in hand. After thinking for a long time, she remained convinced that the Taihu Pearl King was irreplaceable.

"The Taihu Pearl King..." she murmured to herself.

Bizhu pondered for a moment. "Miss, do you want the Taihu Pearl King?"

Changge Yue nodded. "Only one is produced every thirty years." Was she expected to wait thirty years to restore her looks?

Bizhu immediately smiled. "Miss, I know where there is one."

Changge Yue raised an eyebrow. Bizhu continued, "While I was picking vegetables in the garden today, I overheard the Second Miss mentioning it to the Madame."

Changge Yue smiled. Since Changge Yu’s face had been ruined and her body was festering, it seemed the Zhuge woman had also set her sights on the Taihu Pearl King.

"I was too far away to hear clearly, but I did hear the Second Miss mention 'Zhen'... 'Bao'..." Bizhu struggled to recall.

Changge Yue’s eyes lit up. "Zhenbao Pavilion?"

Bizhu nodded instantly. "Yes, that’s it, Zhenbao Pavilion."

Changge Yue smiled faintly. Jindu was the imperial capital of Dongmo; how could it not have a major auction house? Zhenbao Pavilion was the largest of them all, and to describe it as a gold mine would be no exaggeration. Zongzheng Moyin had tried countless times to get his hands on such a lucrative business, only to return empty-handed every time, which showed that the people behind it were not to be underestimated.

Every item auctioned at Zhenbao Pavilion was a rare treasure of the world. It was unexpected that they would even manage to procure something as precious as the Taihu Pearl King.

Changge Yue smiled thinly. "I already know the whereabouts of the two currently in this dynasty; the one appearing at Zhenbao Pavilion must be a relic from the previous dynasty."

The world was currently divided into four: Dongmo, Nantang, Xishang, and Beihuang. However, none of these four nations had been established for more than forty years; they had all usurped their power from the Changdi imperial family of the previous dynasty.

"Are you planning to attend the auction, Miss?"