CHAPTER 552: CHAPTER 9: SEVEN SMILES AUCTION HOUSE

Under Yue Jinghua’s consolation, Lie Rou finally showed a hint of a smile and joined the other women in teasing the pair of qilins.

Just as Shalman said earlier, the pair of qilins was one male and one female. After being transformed by Yue Jinghua’s Dark Skill, they appeared even more spirited.

The most unique aspect was that they had learned the qilin’s inherent Dark Skill, the Qilin Technique, which allowed them to alter their size at will. Perhaps recognizing Lie Rou’s scent, the two stout creatures suddenly shrank to the size of lion dogs, scrambling to burrow under Lie Rou’s skirt, spinning her around in place and bringing to her face a smile that had been absent for a long time.

Remembering the recent assassination attempt on Lie Rou, a thought crossed Yue Jinghua’s mind, and she took out the Star Falling Diamond Ring that had been improved on the Titan, adorned with a Dragon Pattern and a Storage Pattern.

Since it was her first attempt at crafting, this new piece of equipment named the "Hidden Dragon Ring" was theoretically only able to harbor a single Dark Beast at a time. However, this pair of qilins, being a rare yin and yang combined Dark Beast, were unexpectedly both admitted into the Hidden Dragon Ring by Yue Jinghua all at once.

Seeing the Gold and Silver Qilins disappear abruptly, Lie Rou was startled.

A new ring, smooth and luminous as jade, had appeared on her finger, featuring two tiny qilin insignias.

"Mother, from now on, the Gold and Silver Qilins will be housed within this Hidden Dragon Ring. I have made them remember your scent, and aside from me, only you will be able to command them. Remember, if you ever encounter an enemy attack again, release this pair of qilins and show no mercy," a pair of Eighth Rank Qilins, although not yet able to roam freely across the continent, in Imperial City, as long as they do not encounter top experts, would be more than capable of protecting Lie Rou.

"Hidden Dragon Ring?!" Women always have a penchant for exquisite things. Lie Rou caressed the ring in her hand; although unsure of the material, the brilliance of the Star Falling Diamond was as dazzling as Venus, making it irresistible to put down.

She had never used a summoning ring before, and inevitably felt a little nervous trying it out for the first time. Little did she know, she merely whispered "Idiot, Er Sha" in her heart,

And the two qilins popped out as if drilling up from the ground, springing to life and bouncing around on the spot.

This sight made all the women envious, and Shalman shamelessly pressed Yue Jinghua for a ring of her own.

"One ring for each Dark Beast, with so many Dark Beasts under my care, I should have at least seven or eight," Shalman indicated with her fingers.

A hand full of Star Falling Diamond Rings? Yue Jinghua rolled her eyes; Shalman really was the epitome of a nouveau riche, thinking Star Falling Diamond Sand was so easy to refine.

After much persuasion, she promised one to each.

The Airport Guard Army who were watching were dumbfounded. Such divine Storage Rings, and this so-called young lord of the bankrupt Duke Mansion had one for each person; it made them itch with desire.

One must understand that Imperial City is unlike any other place. Although you can’t walk dragons on the street like a Dragon Rider, nearly every family with a decent income breeds one or two Dark Beasts. Hence, it’s common to see people walking Dark Beasts along Wohua Avenue during dawn or dusk.

Such a splendid scene is unimaginable for those who haven’t lived in Imperial City.

If you could flaunt a similar ring at that time and suddenly produce a Dark Beast, the boost to your prestige would be immense.

Contemplating this, the Airport Guard Captain brazenly inquired with Yue Jinghua whether there were any spare rings and if she would sell one to him.

Yue Jinghua raised an eyebrow and exchanged a covert glance with Hong Yao.

Hong Yao immediately stepped forward; Yue Jinghua was in charge of internal affairs while she and Hongling managed external affairs. This was the standard model they had established over the course of long-term practice.

After leaving Shang Kingdom, Hong Yao no longer needed to conceal her true appearance. Now Hong Yao had reverted to dressing as an exotic beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes.

She winked at the small team leader and crisply threw out a standard merchant’s offer: "Team leader, if you want a ring similar to this, you can custom order one in advance. Our ’Seven Smiles’ auction house will provide home delivery service for the first batch of customers who visit."

"If you need, I can also engrave your name or your family name on the Hidden Dragon Ring," Yue Jinghua very "thoughtfully" took the first order for the ’Seven Smiles’ auction house.

Upon hearing that the team leader could customize a unique Storage Ring, the Imperial Soldiers in the Sky Port were stirred up and came to inquire about the ’Seven Smiles’ mini-auction house one after another.

The number of people was so large that Yue Jinghua and others had to pause for a while to explain to them about the possible Elixir Pills and devices in the auction house.

Before entering Wo Hua Imperial City, Yue Jinghua was extra cautious and first inquired about the major chambers of commerce in Wo Hua Imperial City from Jin Nuo.

Wo Hua Imperial City, with its booming economy and its well-connected transport, has a variety of exotic and rare items for sale, far more than any other place on the continent.

There are as many small and large business chambers and caravans as there are carps crossing the river—countless.

But there are only two main major chambers of commerce, namely Yunhu Chamber of Commerce and Yanyue Chamber of Commerce, and together they have monopolized sixty percent of the trade activities in the Imperial City.

Yunhu Chamber of Commerce mainly deals in various Elixir Pills and Holy Runes, while Yanyue Chamber of Commerce specializes in trading various Spiritual Artifacts and Dark Beast Cubs.

What’s more important, the shops of these two chambers of commerce almost occupy the major commercial districts of the Imperial City. It’s almost impossible for new caravans or sellers to enter.

Such a business pattern is clearly not favorable for Yue Jinghua to open new stores locally.

According to Yue Jinghua’s initial budget, if the Duke Mansion is to rise again, it must revive its family business.

With the Elixir Pills and Green Liquid she had on hand, as well as the Star Falling Mine developed on the Xuan Beast Ridge, Blue Snow Candles, and a reliable local supply of Dark Beasts, it wouldn’t be difficult to establish a local industry. However, if she were to be squeezed out by the Imperial Merchants of Yunhu Chamber of Commerce and Yanyue Chamber of Commerce, it would be impossible to survive there.

However, Jin Nuo also revealed a piece of good news in his words: there was no nightclub. Perhaps, under the pincer attack of Yunhu Chamber of Commerce and Yanyue Chamber of Commerce, nightclubs could not survive.

Given this, starting the small ’Seven Smiles’ auction house first is a good trial. As for the first batch of target customers, it will be the numerous Imperial Soldiers in the Imperial City with steady military pay.

The Hidden Dragon Rings for external sales do not need to be crafted from Star-falling Diamond Sand, but other suitable materials can be selected.

In this way, the Hidden Dragon Rings can be produced on a large scale and in batches.

After some contemplation, Yue Jinghua decided that her idea was not entirely unfeasible, but it would be somewhat difficult to carry out alone.

To gain a foothold in the commercial circles of the Imperial City, she must first make a trip to the Yunhu Chamber of Commerce, visit her old friend Yun Luo, and also meet the head of the Yunhu Chamber of Commerce, Yun Shangjun.