Chapter 79

Seeing Tu Shou and Xu Gang start to quarrel, Yang Yijun felt very pleased in his heart; this old man had finally met his match.

He cleared his throat twice and said, "Old Tu, Mr. Zhao is a friend of those few people. It's no wonder they got angry when you insulted Mr. Zhao here. Let's not make a fuss about it, okay?"

Xu Gang chimed in, "Right, you can act like an old man without respect, but you can't let others criticize you?"

"You! You little brat, do you believe I'll beat you up or not!" Tu Shou had a playful personality. Even though he was in his seventies or eighties, he still wanted to beat someone up, which was just asking for trouble.

"Alright, alright, both of you stop arguing. There are many guests here today, don't ruin the harmony! Also, I want to say, Yang, as the organizer, you can't start on time. Many of the people here are making money by the minute. Wasting an hour means wasting a lot of money. What do you plan to do about it?" The old lady with the dragon-headed cane acted as a mediator and shifted the topic.

Yang Yijun smiled and said, "We have a policy of 'voluntary participation.' If anyone doesn't want to wait, they can leave, and we won't stop them. But if they miss out on a good item, don't say we didn't prepare properly."

This statement truly made him sound like a big boss with a powerful background, as if he was saying, "If you want to play, play; if not, scram!"

"Hmph, you brat, you've learned to put on airs, haven't you? Fine, fine, we're all so lowly, right?" The old lady snorted, her face not looking too good.

"Well, to be honest, there is a benefit this time. We will give a gift to whoever wins the auction for the best item." Yang Yijun said.

"What gift?"

"A relic!"

Upon hearing these three words, Zhang Tianyuan almost stood up, but he managed to suppress his excitement and didn't show his emotions. His main purpose for coming here was to get the relic, and he didn't expect there to actually be one.

"Hmph, a dead man's thing, what do we want it for?" Mother Yi, with her large perm, said angrily, "It's just bad luck. Even if I bid the highest for the best item, I won't want it. Don't bother giving us the relic; we don't care."

"Idiot—!" This time it wasn't Xu Gang who said it, but Zhang Tianyuan, and he said it loudly.

He was very upset. This guy was simply brain-dead. If you don't want it, fine, but why say it out loud? If the organizers change the gift, wouldn't I be hurt?

Xu Gang also knew why Zhang Tianyuan was angry. He had probably learned from Mou Ying about Liu Mengxun's grandfather, who needed the relic to be cured. Zhang Tianyuan was genuinely concerned about Liu Mengxun, and as a good friend, how could he not see that?

Mother Yi, hearing this young man, who looked like a bookish and polite person, dare to curse at him, felt a surge of anger. Xu Gang had just offended him, and now it was Zhang Tianyuan's turn. Was he deliberately looking for trouble?

Relying on his tall stature, he didn't let his bodyguards intervene but walked over himself and suddenly slapped Zhang Tianyuan across the face.

However, just as his hand was about to hit, it was caught by She Lin.

It was as if he was holding a child's hand, very easily.

"Pain... pain..." Mother Yi shouted, "Are you two just watching? I'm paying you to protect me, not to watch me get bullied."

He was obviously talking to his two bodyguards.

But She Lin's grip tightened, and he said coldly, "It's best if they don't move. Otherwise, if I accidentally use a bit more force, 'snap,' someone's arm will break."

"You dare! Do you know who I am?" Mother Yi's forehead was drenched in cold sweat, but he still wouldn't back down.

"Heh, more of the same nonsense. I don't care who you are. Even if the king himself came, I'd still do what I want. Do you believe I can cripple you right now?" She Lin used to be a soldier, but no one knew what kind. Even Lan Fenghuang didn't know, and Xu Gang and Zhang Tianyuan knew even less. But from She Lin's appearance, he seemed ruthless and even a bit vicious, probably having done some dangerous things in the past.

"You..."

"What about me? Have you seen a dead man before? I've killed people, and not just one." She Lin continued to threaten.

At this point, even the surrounding people were intimidated. They didn't expect She Lin to have killed people.

Zhang Tianyuan quickly explained, "She Lin used to be a soldier on the border."

The crowd felt a bit more at ease.

"This brother, give me some face and let Mother Yi go," Yang Yijun said, not wanting the situation to escalate.

Zhang Tianyuan also didn't want to continue the conflict. If things got out of hand, it wouldn't be good. So he said to She Lin, "She Team, just teach him a lesson. Let him remember that we're not to be messed with."

He still called She Lin "She Team" out of habit, as their journey to Shenluo Valley was the key to their friendship.

She Lin nodded and threw Mother Yi out, landing him precisely back in his seat.

Mother Yi's chest heaved up and down, and after a while, he finally came to his senses. Looking at She Lin's cold smile, he finally backed down, "Hmph, I'm a civilized person and won't stoop to your level."

The two models were soothing Mother Yi, saying, "Mother Yi, you have a big heart. A prime minister's belly can hold a ship, so you won't mind these barbarians."

This flattery made Mother Yi feel like a prime minister, and he smiled happily.

Seeing both sides stop arguing, Yang Yijun felt relieved. Although he had a powerful background, if someone really died here, he wouldn't be able to handle it, and his backers would also be in trouble. Human life is no small matter, especially with the current tight security.

Just then, a young man ran in and shouted to Yang Yijun, "Uncle, everyone is here, the auction can start."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Waiting here wasn't a solution, as the old lady had said, many people here were making money by the minute, and even a minute's delay meant a lot of money lost.

But just as things were about to start, another issue arose. The young man who came in saw the little eagle Shenluo in Zhang Tianyuan's arms.

Shenluo had been standing on Zhang Tianyuan's shoulder, but because it was too conspicuous, Zhang Tianyuan had it hide under his clothes. The little guy was small and easy to hide, but now it might have wanted some fresh air, so it poked its head out, just in time for the young man to see it.

"Snow Eagle!" the young man shouted, drawing the attention of the surrounding people.

Zhang Tianyuan frowned slightly and said, "There's no Snow Eagle here, just a little eagle I keep. No need to make a fuss."

"No, no! It must be a Snow Eagle! The sharp eyes, the white feathers, the beak like a piece of jade, these are the most distinctive features." The young man continued to shout.

"Yang Zhao, what are you raving about? There's no Snow Eagle here. It's just a myth. Even if it existed, it would have been extinct for many years." Yang Yijun was puzzled. His nephew was usually carefree but not this crazy.

"Uncle, don't you believe me? I studied zoology. I learned about the Snow Eagle in class. It's a bird more beautiful than any other, completely white, small in size but the fiercest bird in the sky. No bird can match it. More importantly, it's said that once it recognizes its owner, it becomes loyal. In ancient times, armies with these eagles could get the fastest and most accurate information." Yang Zhao explained, and the crowd started to believe him.

Yang Yijun looked at the little eagle in Zhang Tianyuan's arms and said with a smile, "Mr. Zhang, can we take a look at this eagle?"

"There's no need. It's not a Snow Eagle," Zhang Tianyuan said calmly. Some things could be compromised, but not this.

Yang Yijun didn't know what to say, but Yang Zhao, as if possessed, lunged at Zhang Tianyuan, and She Lin didn't have time to stop him.

Shenluo, startled, flew out of Zhang Tianyuan's arms and fiercely scratched Yang Zhao's arm, tearing his down jacket.

Yang Zhao, with his clothes torn, didn't seem to care and pointed at Shenluo, shouting, "Look, look, I wasn't wrong. It's a Snow Eagle, it's a Snow Eagle!"

Zhang Tianyuan, looking at the young man who seemed to have lost his mind, sighed and said, "I bought this eagle in Dali. Its feathers were originally grayish-white, but something happened, and it turned completely white overnight. It can't be the Snow Eagle you're talking about."

"No, I don't believe it. Even if it is, it could be a case of atavism. Maybe its ancestor was a Snow Eagle, and this atavism has made it the only Snow Eagle of its time. Did you notice the eagle's eyes? They have three colors: the outer layer is black, the second layer is silver, and the third layer is golden. This is the proof of a Snow Eagle." Yang Zhao's words left Zhang Tianyuan speechless.

Could this little thing, influenced by the earth's energy, really have undergone atavism and become the only Snow Eagle of its time?

"Brother, sell it to me, any price, I can afford it!" Yang Zhao looked at Shenluo with a mad look, as if he would snatch it if Zhang Tianyuan didn't agree.

Yang Yijun sighed and said, "Mr. Zhang, how about this? I'll offer 500,000 for this eagle. This price isn't low, right? Can you show some kindness and sympathy for my nephew?"

Zhang Tianyuan shook his head and said, "Sorry, this little eagle has shared life and death with me. I treat it like a friend. Do you think I would sell my friend? Of course, even if you would, I wouldn't."