Chapter 35: Auction House

After seeing the Jonshons out, she locked her room and set up her own protection formations. Once she was sure that her suite was secure, she pulled out the piece of worm meat she’d shown them and offered it to Sharp Eyes. The bird took the flesh and consumed it while she went about her nightly practices. Two hours later, she put out the lights and went to sleep.

The next morning, Ki Jung wakes up to find her friend Sharp Eyes has grown. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that while the growth is not a natural occurrence, it isn’t dangerous. Ki Jung comes to the conclusion that it has to do with the worm meat. With this in mind, she empties a spatial ring and stores 5 cubic meters of the meat inside it. The gear that had been inside the ring gets piled in a corner, for now. She’ll buy a new ring after they visit the Auction House.

With her backpack filled with Juvenile worm parts still attached to the travois, Ki Jung pulls it behind her down into the Inn’s dining room where she gets her breakfast. When Valorie brings her, her breakfast, Ki Jung notices that she seems different. She appears a little younger. Her face seems smoother, her step lighter.

“Good morning, Ki Jung. Did you sleep well,” asks Valorie as she brings Ki Jung’s morning meal over. This meal is much more substantial than usual.

Without missing a beat, Ki Jung smiles and replies, “Good morning to you, my friend. I did sleep well, thank you. By the looks of things, so did you. Is it the same for Matthew?”

Valorie looks around, even though she already knows no one else is close enough to listen in on their conversation easily. Leaning in, she whispers in Ki Jung’s ear, “We each had a small amount of the meat before we went to bed. This morning, we both look and feel younger. We’re going to have to be careful about eating the meat. Too much too fast, and others might take notice.”

“Yes, I can believe that. Just look at Sharp Eyes. I fed my friend a hunk of it last night, and he’s grown and become stronger, too.”

They chat for a moment more before Valorie heads back to the kitchen. Other guests are coming down for their breakfasts. In a short while, about ten people are in the room having breakfast.

As usual, none of the other customers come close to Ki Jung due to Sharp Eyes’ presence. Even though they don’t intrude on her space, people do notice the travois and pack attached to it. One of those who takes notice of it becomes curious about the contents. That pack must weigh a lot if the woman cannot carry it. Even if the materials contained therein are low grade, that volume could be worth a few gold coins. He hurriedly finishes his breakfast and leaves the payment on the table and departs.

The man makes his way to someone he knows who can gather a group in short order to ambush the woman and take the pack. He has to explain why he wants to do this and what possible problems might arise. The man is not familiar with the young woman since he doesn’t breakfast there frequently. She seemed fit, and he saw a spear next to the travois. The real problem would be the bird. But, to be in town, it had to have magical jesses to curb its dangerous nature.

After giving it some thought, the second man agrees to set up the ambush. It would cost two gold upfront or half the contents of the pack. Grumbling, the first man, pays the two gold. The second man tells him to meet them a block from the Inn at a specific intersection. They are gambling on the woman heading towards the auction house. It is unlikely that any local merchant would be able to purchase what she has in her pack.

Half an hour later, Ki Jung is finished eating. Valorie picks up the dishes and heads back to the kitchen. A moment later, Matthew and their eldest son come out. Each is wearing leather armor and carrying a spear in hand. Valorie will be in charge of the Inn while they are gone. She won’t be alone. Their middle son and eldest daughter will be there to help.

After some discussion, the three of them are now carrying spatial backpacks. Each contains a third of the total mass of the worm. This change allows them to move without being too encumbered. It also frees Ki Jung up to fight or run if needed.

The fact that Ki Jung is not pulling a travois, and is accompanied by two armed men causes some problems with the intended ambush. The men were expecting the woman to be alone and slowed by her travois. Now, she is much more mobile. This does not change anything in the overall plan. The ambush will still take place, but quick modifications are made.

Ki Jung senses the intent directed towards her as they approach the intersection. Without changing her pace, she turns her head to say two words to Matthew and Jacob.

“Ambush Ahead,” she says just loud enough for the two men to hear as she speaks to them.

“Understood,” is Matthew’s response.

“Got it,” replies Jacob.

Ten more strides will place them within the ambush. And then, they are in it. Groups of men block off the intersection with large carts. A team of ten bruisers with weapons drawn approach the trio. One man, who stays back tells them to drop the packs, and they can leave unharmed. Ki Jung laughs upon hearing this and drives her spear into the nearest man. Her two companions watch her flanks, to prevent a sneak attack against her.

The first attacker screams for just a split second and then is silent. Ki Jung’s spear is energized with elemental ice. When it pierced his chest, it instantly froze his heart and lungs. The corpse falls over and shatters.

Two of the other assailants saw what happened. They froze in their tracks long enough to become her next victims as her spear penetrates one through the throat, and the other’s neck is ripped open with a slash of her spear.

The leader watches as this woman slaughters his men. The woman was not supposed to be this powerful. No one was this powerful in the First Realm! Yet, there she is. She had taken out three men in a matter of seconds. Two more have been wounded as they fought the two men escorting her. It was evident that she did not require the escort. Two more of his men died in the following attacks. Even if the value of their packs is more than a merchant’s ransom, the dead cannot spend it. With a sharp whistle, the man signals a full retreat, and he disappears into the shadows.

Ki Jung does not chase after the retreating figures. She tells Jacob and Matthew to let them go. Without consideration for the dead and wounded, she leads her party forward towards the auction house. Soon, they arrive without further problems.

At the entrance, Matthew takes the lead and asks to see the head of the auction house. There are questions and answers. Some about appointments, which they do not have. Others about what they have that is so important that they believe Jade will see them immediately.

Matthew pulls out a small cube of meat and tells the guard to have it sent to Jade to be examined. The guard calls for another to take his place and heads inside. A few minutes later, the guard returns accompanied by a well-dressed woman.

The woman thanks the guard and dismisses him. He returns to his station, while the other guard returns to his duties. She invites the trio inside and leads them to a finely appointed room where the aroma of tea and delicacies fill the air. With a smile, she asks them to have a seat. As they sit, she begins to pour tea for them and herself.

“I am Jade, the head of this auction house. Please, relax and enjoy the tea and food I have provided. I am very interested in this cube of worm meat you have presented me with.”

Matthew introduces Ki Jung and his son, Jacob. He then looks to Ki Jung, who takes over.

“Master Jade, thank you for agreeing to see us. It isn’t very polite of us to come barging in as we have, but as I understand it, what we are carrying is too valuable for most to keep safe.

“We’re here to see about selling a significant amount of the meat and other portions of the beast. We came here first because Matthew tells me that you have the best and most reputable auction house in the city.”

These words bring a new smile to Jade’s lovely face.

“I see. And, please, just call me Jade.

“Could you tell me how much of the meat do you have? And, is what else besides the worm’s flesh is to be auctioned,” asks Jade.

With a smile, Ki Jung tells Jade, “We have more meat than you would want us to pull out in this room. The total volume is close to six cubic meters. The flesh and other parts of the worm were separated using a spell. Everything from the beast is in the packs, except the fluids and feces, which I chilled and stored separately.”

“Oh, very good. I am confident that my auction house can take care of everything for you. Usually, there is a 10% fee deducted from each sale. However, I am willing to drop it to 5% if you will allow Jade Auction House to be the sole distributor of this bounty of yours.”

“That’s quite generous of you, Jade. I find your terms quite agreeable. However, I would like to understand what the different parts of the worm are good for. I’m willing to sell the majority of the worm meat, which is everything in these packs. But, without knowing the uses of the rest, I wouldn’t be able to let it go. I might have use for it personally.”

Jade sighs and says, “Give me a moment to call one of my experts in. He will be able to tell you all you wish to know.”

Jade reaches over and giving a sharp tug on a tasseled rope. A couple of seconds later, a young woman hurriedly enters the room and kneels before Jade, who instructs her to bring Master Ming Li to the salon. Like a swift-moving breeze, the woman is out the door. Shortly, a middle-aged man enters the room and bows respectfully to Jade and then to Ki Jung and company.

“You require my expertise, Jade?”

“Yes, Master Ming Li. Miss Lee here would like to learn about the uses of the various parts of a juvenile rock worm,” Jade tells him.

“As you wish, Jade,” he tells her.

Turning to Ki Jung, he asks if she can bring out the different items she has to sell, other than the meat. A moment later, examples of everything are presented, though the fluids and fecal matter are left in their containers.

Item by item, Master Ming Li goes over the known properties and uses of everything before them.

The meat can increase one’s strength and constitution, but consuming too much of it often leads to paralysis or death. The ratio is believed to be about 100 grams of meat per kilo of body weight. Its value depends on scarcity but is no less than 10 gold per 100 grams on the open market.

The blood is useful to alchemists as a base for healing potions, while the other fluids have their own uses. All of them are worth more than their weight in gold.

The same is true of the organs. They have alchemical uses. Some even believe the spleen is good for male enhancement. The brainstem is of particular interest to Qi cultivators as it has been proven to help expand and strengthen the Dantians of those who consume it.

When he finishes, he looks around as if something is missing. Ki Jung notices and asks him about it.

“Was there a ball of glowing material, or something like that? I don’t see one here, but it should have been part of what you gathered.”

“You mean this,” she says as she pulls out the item in question.

“Yes, that’s it! That is worth more than all the rest together to a cultivator. It is said that the core of a worm, even a juvenile rock worm, has the power to open a person’s entire Qi system multiple levels. I don’t know how much to believe, but one legend says that a novice Qi cultivator opened up six Qi-locks with a core similar in size to yours.”

“Are there any known downsides to using it,” asks Ki Jung.

“Only in how fast to consume it. There are tales of those who tried to consume them too fast. In those cases, the carbonized remains were all that was left.”

“How would one know when to slow down and stop, and start again?”

“Are you a cultivator, Miss Lee?”

“Yes, I am. I’ve opened three locks of my Blessed cultivation techniques.”