TCPUAAV Chapter 7

 

Although Ruan Shiqing didn’t plan to participate in the first part of the auction, it was still worth watching to broaden his horizons.

 

The quality of the items on display seemed exceptional, and the enthusiastic reactions from the audience reflected this. Even the usually indifferent Xiong Fangfang and Xiong Yuanyuan were gradually drawn in, occasionally letting out envious sighs.

 

Sitting upright, Ruan Shiqing watched as one item after another was brought to the exhibition platform and auctioned off at sky-high prices amid the host’s impassioned commentary. He couldn’t help but marvel at the stark wealth disparity on this planet—these high-priced auction items were a playground for the rich.

 

“And now, we present a truly special item,” the host announced. “Those of you who have been following our auction updates will already know what I’m referring to, but let me assure you—this is far more stunning than you could have imagined.”

 

The host paused dramatically, surveying the audience before revealing, “Behold our grand finale for this auction—”

 

“A Nine-Tailed Fox cub! Female. And… not protected under the Nine-Tailed Fox Protection Act.”

 

“Starting bid: 100,000 star coins!”

 

As the words fell, the hall’s lights dimmed abruptly. A spotlight beamed down onto the central stage, illuminating a uniquely designed crystal cage that slowly rose from below.

 

Inside the cage was a small fox with fiery red fur. She spread her ten flame-like tails and let out a fierce growl at the spectators.

 

But she was far too young—her faint growls were quickly drowned out by the audience’s astonished murmurs.

 

“It’s really a Nine-Tailed Fox cub!”

 

“Every member of the Nine-Tailed Fox clan is a beauty, male or female.”

 

“But wait, aren’t Nine-Tailed Foxes supposed to have only nine tails? Why does this one have ten?”

 

“And isn’t their fur supposed to be pure white? Why is this one red?”

 

“Are you all stupid? If this were a purebred Nine-Tailed Fox, no one would dare auction her. They’d be risking their lives.”

 

The audience buzzed with speculation and excitement. The appearance of this finale item had clearly captivated everyone. Only Ruan Shiqing was left puzzled. “What is a Nine-Tailed Fox?”

 

In his world, Nine-Tailed Foxes were mythological creatures.

 

“The Nine-Tailed Fox clan is one of the ancient noble races, just below the Ymirs, Dragons, and Merfolk,” Xiong Yuanyuan explained, though most of his knowledge was second-hand. After all, as a low-ranking Beastkin from a remote junk planet, he couldn’t truly understand such ancient and noble races.

 

“I heard that the Nine-Tailed Fox clan values bloodlines highly, with white fur being considered the most prestigious. They’re very exclusionary and discriminate heavily against hybrids with impure fur colors.” Looking at the fox cub repeatedly ramming into the crystal cage, Xiong Yuanyuan’s expression softened with sympathy. “This cub has red fur and an extra tail, making her a complete outcast. She’d be the most discriminated against in her clan.”

 

This was likely why she had ended up at an auction.

 

If a purebred Nine-Tailed Fox cub had been treated like this, the clan would have issued a galaxy-wide bounty long ago.

 

The Nine-Tailed Fox clan was renowned for their strength and beauty, as well as their innate ability to charm others. Few could resist their allure.

 

However, such ancient races were notoriously proud and never intermarried with outsiders. This made a cub with Nine-Tailed Fox blood—but none of the accompanying political risks—highly sought after.

 

“So… this cub is technically a Beastkin?” Ruan Shiqing asked, increasingly astonished.

 

He had initially thought she was merely an exotic pet. But from what he had just learned, the cub was clearly a sentient Beastkin.

 

How was this any different from child trafficking?

 

“In a broad sense, yes,” Xiong Fangfang replied. “But the noble clans despise being called Beastkin. They see it as a derogatory term.”

 

Ruan Shiqing found the situation absurd. “Doesn’t this break the law?”

 

“The empire’s laws probably prohibit it,” Xiong Yuanyuan replied hesitantly. He had never read the legal code. “But no one here follows the law anyway.”

 

His tone was calm, merely stating a fact.

 

Ruan Shiqing fell silent.

 

Rong Heng was equally quiet. With his sharp senses, he could discern the fox cub’s growls amid the surrounding noise.

 

They weren’t cries of despair or fear but expressions of anger and resistance.

 

This was a remarkably resilient cub.

 

Despite being born an outcast, exiled by her clan, and reduced to this state, she remained unyielding and defiant.

 

“Are we just… going to watch?” Ruan Shiqing struggled to find the right words. He wanted to say something, but the weight of the situation rendered him powerless.

 

Xiong Yuanyuan misunderstood his question, thinking Ruan Shiqing liked the cub. Scratching his ear awkwardly, he said, “The starting bid is 100,000 star coins. We don’t have that kind of money, so of course, we can only watch.”

 

He couldn’t imagine ever seeing such a large sum of money in his lifetime.

 

Ruan Shiqing was struck speechless.

 

Xiong Yuanyuan was right. He didn’t have that kind of money. Forget bidding—he couldn’t even meet the starting price of 100,000 star coins.

 

Even if he sold the engine and drive, it would be too late; the fox would already be sold.

 

From then on, Ruan Shiqing said nothing more. He reached out to find the pup’s warm little paw and held it tightly as he silently watched the auction screen. The bids climbed higher and higher.

 

The audience grew increasingly frenzied, the host’s exuberant commentary fanning the flames.

 

The bidding war lasted half an hour. After several rounds of back-and-forth, the cub was sold for an astounding 350,000 star coins—a price rarely seen in previous auctions.

 

The host celebrated with a fiery rumba on the spot before ordering the crystal cage to be taken away.

 

Inside the cage, the Nine-Tailed Fox cub’s growls had weakened to the point of near silence. Yet she continued to bare her not-yet-sharp teeth at the spectators, defiant to the end.

 

The crystal cage finally disappeared backstage.

 

That small, fiery presence disappeared along with the crystal cage.

 

The host announced a break with a cheerful smile, inviting those who had brought items to be auctioned to have them appraised in the adjoining valuation area, preparing for the second half of the auction.

 

Ruan Shiqing felt a bit downhearted but didn’t forget his primary goal. Handing the little pup over to Xiong Yuanyuan for safekeeping, he went with Xiong Fangfang to get the engine and drive appraised.

 

With so many attendees, there was no shortage of people bringing items to auction. However, not every item was worth the organizers’ time and effort. Only items that passed the appraisal process would make it to the stage, with the auction house taking a 10% commission on the sale.

 

Ruan Shiqing found himself in the middle of the line, waiting with the crowd to enter the appraisal area. He opened the inconspicuous cloth sack, ensuring the side engraved with the falcon emblem and serial number faced up, and tapped it lightly with his fingers.

 

Based on Honick’s reaction, Ruan Shiqing suspected the crashed spacecraft had been extraordinary. He intended to draw attention to its significance.

 

The appraiser initially assumed it was yet another worthless attempt to sell junk. He was about to impatiently call for the next person when his gaze landed on the falcon emblem and serial number. His breath caught.

 

“The Silver Falcon?” He rushed forward, carefully examining the engine and drive. After a thorough inspection, the appraiser called over two colleagues and invited Ruan Shiqing and Xiong Fangfang into a private meeting room.

 

Behind them, murmurs of astonishment rippled through the crowd, with many casting envious looks their way.

 

Back in the auction hall, Xiong Yuanyuan sat stiffly, regretting his earlier enthusiasm.

 

When Ruan Shiqing had asked him to look after the pup, he’d been happy to oblige. The pup seemed soft, harmless, and undeniably cute—who could refuse?

 

But once the boy left, the “soft, harmless” pup began emanating an inexplicable aura that left Xiong Yuanyuan restless and on edge.

 

He felt as though he were sitting on a bed of needles—uncomfortable if he stayed still, but too nervous to move.

 

What is this, guarding an ancestor? Even that wouldn’t be this nerve-wracking!

 

Sweat beaded on his back as Xiong Yuanyuan glanced repeatedly toward the long line at the appraisal area, mentally sending countless SOS signals to Ruan Shiqing.

 

But Ruan Shiqing didn’t receive them. Time passed, and the boy didn’t return. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Xiong Yuanyuan carefully took off his jacket, laid it on an adjacent seat, and gingerly placed the pup on it.

 

Breathing a sigh of relief, he meant to tell the pup to stay put but found himself blurting out instead, “Please… stay still.”

 

“???” Xiong Yuanyuan was stunned. Am I seriously intimidated by a dog cub?

 

Rong Heng shot him a frosty glare, remaining silent and still—like a grim reaper.

 

After holding eye contact for three seconds, Xiong Yuanyuan looked away in defeat, his gaze darting elsewhere.

 

There’s no way this is just a pup. Too terrifying!

 

Muttering under his breath to steel himself, Xiong Yuanyuan eventually mustered the courage to look back, only to freeze in shock.

 

Where’s the pup?!

 

The dog cub that had been right there a moment ago had vanished. Panic-stricken, Xiong Yuanyuan searched frantically, even crawling under the seats, but the pup was nowhere to be found.

 

Meanwhile, Rong Heng had slipped away, using his diminutive size to infiltrate the storage area where the auction items were kept.

 

Amid the various goods, a crystal cage stood out, glittering even in the darkness.

 

As expected, the buyer of the Nine-Tailed Fox cub hadn’t yet taken possession of their purchase.

 

Inside the cage, the cub was highly alert. Though she hadn’t seen anyone yet, her ears perked up as she sensed danger.

 

Rong Heng approached leisurely, releasing the oppressive aura of an Ymir—a tactic he had just used to intimidate Xiong Yuanyuan.

 

The greater the disparity in power, the more his aura would evoke instinctive fear and unease in others.

 

The fox cub flinched and took a cautious step back, but a moment later, she straightened her posture, bared her fangs, and crouched to pounce like a predator preparing to hunt. Were it not for the crystal cage, she would have launched herself at Rong Heng without hesitation.

 

“As blind as ever, that Nine-Tailed Fox clan,” Rong Heng muttered, sneering.

 

Effortlessly dismantling the lock on the crystal cage, he discarded the broken piece onto the ground and left without sparing the cub another glance, his form melding into the shadows along the wall.

 

When Ruan Shiqing emerged from signing the auction agreement, he was greeted by the sight of Xiong Yuanyuan crying outside the appraisal area.

 

Most people had finished their appraisals by now, so the sobbing figure drew a fair amount of attention, with onlookers pointing and whispering among themselves.

 

Xiong Fangfang, mortified by his brother’s display, hurried over and hauled him to his feet. Brushing off the dust, he asked, “What are you crying for?”

 

With swollen eyes and a sniffly nose, Xiong Yuanyuan turned to Ruan Shiqing, guilt written all over his face. “I’m sorry… I lost Snowball.” He stammered an attempt at explanation but ultimately hung his head in shame. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, voice trembling.

 

Ruan Shiqing felt his heart skip a beat, his mind blanking momentarily. Regaining composure, he forced himself to ask calmly, “What happened?”

 

“I-I just placed him on the seat for a moment, and then when I turned back, he was gone.”

 

Xiong Yuanyuan’s explanation was vague and abrupt, but there wasn’t much else to say. The situation was as absurd as it sounded: he had turned his head, and the pup had vanished.

 

“Maybe he’s just hiding nearby.” Ruan Shiqing restrained his panic, trying to think logically as his steps quickened. “Let’s search the area.”

 

“I already looked everywhere,” Xiong Yuanyuan mumbled, ears drooping in defeat. “Nothing.”

 

“Maybe you missed some—”

 

Ruan Shiqing’s words cut off as he turned and pointed. “Isn’t Snowball sitting right there on my seat?”

 

Xiong Yuanyuan’s jaw dropped as he spotted the dog cub calmly perched on the chair.

 

Ruan Shiqing strode over, scooped up the pup, and asked, “Were you being naughty?”

 

Rong Heng tilted his head, responding with a trio of clueless expressions: What? I don’t understand. Who, me?

 

“Thankfully, it was just a false alarm,” Xiong Fangfang said, trying to smooth things over. “If you couldn’t find him, we’d just keep looking. No need to cry and embarrass yourself. See? Problem solved.”

 

“…” Xiong Yuanyuan felt thoroughly wronged but didn’t dare speak up.

 

Casting a furtive glance at the seemingly innocent pup nestled in Ruan Shiqing’s arms, he shivered and ducked behind his brother.

 

He was certain this pup was out to get him.

 

 

 

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Ahaha, the little bully is at work! Also, did we get a glimpse of a future cub…~?

 

Thanks for reading!