Chapter 101: The Dragon's Etiquette and Poison in the Cup
I. The Art of Silent War
The day of the auction arrived with a thin rain that washed the soot from the rooftops of the Bronze Citadel, but could not wash away the tension in the air.
In the inn room, temporarily converted into the Morningstar headquarters, the atmosphere was not one of relaxation but of strategic preparation. The bed was covered not with weapons, but with fabrics—black silks, blue velvets, and red brocades bought with their remaining coins and the intimidating "credit" they now held in the district.
Kael stood before a full-length mirror, adjusting a coal-colored ceremonial battle tunic. No armor was visible, but beneath the fabric, his muscles were taut, and his skin, reinforced by the Crimson Dragon Bloodline, was tougher than any chainmail.
—"In the jungle, survival depends on how silent you are," Kael said, looking at his sisters' reflections. "In high society, it depends on how loud your presence is without saying a single word."
Eris stepped out from behind a screen. She wore a long, blood-red dress with wide sleeves that hid her hands, where small black flames danced between her fingers out of impatience. Her red hair cascaded over her back, free and wild.
—"I feel ridiculous," Eris grumbled, tugging at the high collar of the dress. "If someone looks at me the wrong way, can I incinerate them?"
—"No," Kael corrected calmly. "If someone looks at you the wrong way, you smile at them. A smile that tells them you could incinerate them, but today you have chosen to be merciful. That is more frightening than fire. That is power."
Violeta sat in a chair, motionless as a porcelain doll. She wore a pale blue and silver dress that seemed woven from moonlight and frost. Her aura of Ice and Space made the fabric appear to float slightly around her, distorting the vision of anyone who stared at her for too long.
—"Samael hated these parties," Violeta said softly, touching a crystal necklace. "He said people with wine glasses are more dangerous than beasts with claws, because beasts don't lie before they kill you."
—"Samael was right," Kael nodded, donning a simple silver mask that covered the upper half of his face. "That is why today we do not go as guests. We go as predators in disguise. Remember: we are not fugitives from a fallen clan. We are the Morningstar Siblings, nobles from a distant and dangerous land. No one must doubt our strength."
Elara emerged from the shadows of the corner, dressed in a tight black leather suit and a misty gray cloak that seemed to fade at the edges. She would act as the group's escort and bodyguard, hiding her face under a deep hood.
—"Kael," Elara said, "we have a visitor."
II. The Tribute of Fear
A knock came at the door. Three rhythmic, respectful, almost fearful taps. Kael gestured, and Elara opened the door.
In the hallway stood Bonebreaker, the giant Iron Viper lieutenant whom Kael had defeated two days prior. He no longer carried his hammer, and his nose was bandaged and crooked. He held a small wooden box with both hands, his head bowed.
—"Lord... Lord Morningstar," the giant stammered. "I have brought... information. As requested."
Kael did not move from the mirror. —"Enter, Bonebreaker. What have you found?"
The giant entered, glancing at Eris and Violeta with pure terror. He knew these beautiful women were just as lethal as the man who had humbled him.
—"The guest list for the Jade Serpent Auction," he said, placing the box on the table. "My boys... they heard things at the docks and the luxury brothels."
Kael approached and opened the box. Inside were crumpled scrolls with names and scribbled notes.
—"There are three major players tonight who will want the Earth Phoenix Tear," Bonebreaker explained, sweating. —"First, the Venom Clan. Their elder, Green Viper, seeks the tear to cure a failed alchemy reaction that is rotting his arm. They have a lot of liquid assets."
—"Second?" Kael asked, memorizing the name.
—"The Young Governor, Cassius of Bronze. He is the son of the City Lord. He is arrogant and capricious. He wants the tear to gift it to an imperial concubine to gain political favor. He doesn't care about the price; he will use the city treasury if necessary."
Kael clenched his jaw. A politician wasting vital resources on whims while his elder brother lay in a coma for saving his people. The injustice made his dragon blood boil, but he remained calm. —"And the third?"
—"That's the one that worries me most, my lord," Bonebreaker said, lowering his voice. —"A foreign merchant. No one knows his name; they just call him 'The Bone Collector.' He comes from the North. They say he travels with living corpses."
Kael closed the box. —"Well done."
Bonebreaker blinked, surprised not to be struck. —"My lord?" —"You have fulfilled your task. Keep your men out of my way tonight and watch the inn while we are gone. If anyone tries to enter our rooms..." —"They will die!" the giant promised. —"No one will touch your things, I swear it!" —"Leave."
When the bandit left, Kael looked at his sisters. —"Venom, Politics, and Necromancy," Kael summarized. "A lovely party. But none of them have the motivation we have. They want power or favor. We want our family. That makes us invincible."
III. The Serpent's Mansion
The Jade Serpent Mansion stood on the highest hill of the Noble District, an imposing structure of dark green stone and lacquered wood, illuminated by thousands of floating lanterns that created a path of light toward the main entrance.
The Morningstars' rented carriage stopped at the foot of the steps. Kael stepped out first, offering his hand to Violeta and Eris. The crowd at the entrance was a parade of vanities. Cultivators in gold-embroidered robes, ladies with fans made of spiritual beast feathers, and guards in ceremonial armor radiating Foundation-level Qi.
As the Morningstars climbed the stairs, heads turned. Not because of their fame—which was still a whisper—but because of their presence. Kael walked with a straight back, his stride heavy and steady, emanating a subtle physical pressure that forced people to instinctively move aside. It was the Dragon Aura, a biological intimidation that screamed "apex predator." Beside him, Violeta's cold, untouchable beauty and Eris's fiery intensity created a magnetic contrast.
At the door, the head steward, a thin man with a monocle, reviewed invitations with disdain. —"Invitation," he requested curtly, without looking Kael in the eye.
Kael handed him the golden card they had "persuaded" from the alchemist. The steward looked at it, frowned, and then looked at Kael. —"This invitation belongs to Alchemist Master Ren. You are not Master Ren."
The queue of guests stopped. Whispers began. "Impostors?" "Thieves?"
Kael did not flinch. He leaned slightly toward the steward, invading his personal space. —"Master Ren has suffered a... sudden indisposition," Kael said, his voice soft but laden with a metallic vibration. —"He has ceded his place and his credit to us. Does the House of the Jade Serpent reject the guests of honor of its partners?"
The steward tried to hold Kael's gaze but felt a sharp sting in his chest, as if an invisible sword were pressing against his throat. It was Kael's Sword Heart projecting his intent. The man swallowed hard, turning pale.
—"N-no, of course not, my lord. Forgive the confusion. Please, enter."
IV. The Hall of Mirrors and Shadows
The interior of the mansion was a cavern of opulence. The main auction hall was a circular amphitheater with private tables arranged on tiered terraces. The ceiling was a dome of enchanted glass showing the stars, and in the center, a raised stage awaited the treasures.
An usher guided them to a table on the second level. A good position: high enough to see the crowd, but not as exposed as the VIP boxes on the third level. As they sat, Kael scanned the room.
—"At three o'clock," Kael said discretely. "The Venom Clan." At a nearby table, an old man with sickly greenish skin drank wine from a silver goblet. His left arm was bandaged, emanating a pungent smell of rotting herbs. Green Viper.
—"At twelve o'clock, upper box," Elara pointed with her gaze. There was the Young Governor. A man in his twenties, handsome but with an expression of perpetual boredom, surrounded by guards and maids peeling grapes for him. He wore ceremonial gold armor worth more than the Morningstars' entire home village.
—"And the third..." Violeta whispered, her blue eyes focusing on a dark corner of the first level. In a solitary table, a figure wrapped in high-quality gray rags sat motionless. He didn't drink or eat. Behind him, two "guards" stood completely covered, but Kael noticed they did not breathe. The Bone Collector.
V. The First Lot and the Demonstration
The lights dimmed. A man in purple silk robes took the stage. —"Welcome, honorable guests, to the Night of the Serpent!" he announced, his voice amplified by magic. —"Today we bring treasures from the four corners of the world. Let the auction begin!"
The first item was brought out: a pair of twin daggers glowing with blue light. —"Glacial Wolf Fang Daggers! Starting price: five hundred spirit stones!"
Kael crossed his arms. He didn't want them. But he needed to establish his presence. —"Six hundred," the Young Governor said from his box, without even looking. —"Seven hundred," a merchant responded. —"One thousand," the Governor said, yawning.
The room went silent. The Young Governor was marking his territory: "I have infinite money, don't bother." Kael looked at Eris. She nodded slightly.
—"One thousand five hundred," Kael said. His voice was calm, but it resonated clearly. The Governor stopped with a grape halfway to his mouth. He looked toward Kael's table. —"Two thousand," the Governor said, frowning. —"Two thousand five hundred," Kael replied instantly.
The Governor leaned over the railing. —"Who dares? Do you know who I am?" Kael turned his head slowly toward the box. The light from the lamps reflected off his silver mask, hiding his eyes but not his disdain. —"I know who you are," Kael said. "You are someone who pays too much for toys. Three thousand."
There was a collective gasp. Insulting the City Lord's son was suicidal. The Governor turned red with rage. —"Three thousand five hundred! And I want the guards to investigate this insolent fool!"
Kael smiled under the mask. —"They are yours," Kael said, withdrawing from the bid. The Governor blinked. He had won, yes, but he had paid three thousand five hundred stones for daggers worth eight hundred. Kael had forced him to bleed money out of pure pride.
—"Well played," Elara whispered. "You made him waste resources and lose his composure before the main prize appeared." —"He's a child with his father's wallet," Kael said. "When the Tear comes out, he will make a mistake. And we will be there to take advantage of it."
Kael clenched his fists under the table. He felt the call of his blood. The true battle would not be with money, but with will. In his mind, the image of Samael in the medicinal pond was the only fuel he needed.
"Wait, elder brother. The medicine is coming."
[End of Chapter 101]