Chapter 440: Chapter 440 A Lesson In Deception
Sensing that odd stare, I also felt something was off.
But I didn’t give it much thought.
After all, being in the Grandmaster Realm, I feared no one.
If this Walton Greer truly harbored any malicious plans, I wouldn’t hesitate to end him.
"Walton, what did you shell out for that inner core you’ve got there?" I asked, gesturing toward the core in Walton’s grasp.
Walton replied, "These wealthy folks don’t have a clue. They mistook it for a Night-luminescent Pearl, so I snagged it for three hundred grand."
"I’m done talking about it. We’ve got nearly three days left before we arrive, and I plan to spend that time in retreat and meditation." Walton said while toying with the inner core.
I gave a nod.
Once Walton departed, my eyebrows drew together slightly.
"Can you sense what’s going through Walton’s head?" I asked Zendaya Andrew.
Zendaya shook her head and replied, "Sadly, no. Every time I attempt to probe his thoughts, some odd force blocks me immediately."
Reading minds actually relied on divine sense.
Clearly, Walton’s divine sense surpassed Zendaya’s.
It also exceeded mine.
Since Zendaya could peek into my thoughts but not Walton’s.
"Looks like we’re both thinking the same thing." Zendaya said coolly.
I glanced at Zendaya and motioned for her to go on.
Zendaya continued, "Before now, Walton and I had no connection. I didn’t even know the guy existed."
"He suddenly asks me to Brightheart Island - how could I not be suspicious?"
I chuckled, "Maybe you caught his eye."
Zendaya shook her head, her expression grave, "This guy’s divine sense is incredibly strong, way beyond what someone his age should possess."
"So... I’m thinking..."
"Possession!"
We both blurted it out together!
Just as I suspected, Zendaya had already figured this out!
"You came to Brightheart Island with him - aren’t you worried he might kill you?" I asked coldly.
Zendaya laughed teasingly, "With Mr. Raymond around, I trust you’ll keep me safe."
I narrowed my eyes and stayed quiet.
Before this, Zendaya had no idea I would show up, so where was this talk of protection coming from?
There were only two explanations for why Zendaya dared to go.
Either she believed Walton wouldn’t harm her.
Or she wasn’t scared of Walton at all!
...
On this massive ship, only four martial artists were aboard:
Mason Raymond, Lord Summers Wesson Noelle, Zendaya Andrew, and Walton Greer, who had already gone into retreat.
Apart from them, everyone else was ordinary folk.
"Don’t these rich people hire protection?" I wondered aloud as I headed toward the auction.
While speaking, I reached the auction venue.
I planned to test my luck, but sadly, the auction only ran once daily, and today’s single event had already wrapped up.
Left with no choice, I had to wait until tomorrow.
Afterward, I felt pretty bored.
I turned my attention to Lord Summers Wesson Noelle.
This man’s story was somewhat like Walton’s, but different because Joey Ebony most likely wasn’t possessed.
Creating multiple Grandmasters through possession in such a short time wasn’t feasible.
Joey Ebony lived like regular people. That evening he ate and drank with a bunch of rich folks and got completely wasted.
The following day, Joey Ebony didn’t even wake up, showing just how much he’d consumed.
The afternoon brought the second auction.
I definitely wouldn’t miss this one.
Jerry Sean and I got to the auction entrance early to wait for entry.
"So many people here." Looking at the crowd by the entrance, I couldn’t help but comment.
Jerry Sean said casually, "Nobody can resist the lure of gambling and scoring deals, not even the wealthy."
"Yeah, people are naturally greedy and love to gamble." I sighed.
As we talked, the auction doors finally opened.
"Let’s head in." Jerry Sean said.
I nodded, and we both entered the auction together.
After finding seats, my eyes swept the area.
As expected, not one martial artist in sight.
"These people have serious money, so be careful with your bids." Jerry Sean warned.
I nodded, "Don’t worry. Since I’m here hunting for bargains, I won’t pay crazy prices."
Jerry Sean nodded slightly without saying more.
Then we sat there, quietly waiting for the auction to start.
About thirty minutes later, the auction finally began.
Even though this was just a cruise ship auction, its scale was incredible.
Simple reason - the ship was packed with wealthy people!
Word was the auction house spent a fortune just to get aboard this cruise!
Their spending power far outstripped ordinary folks, making the auction perfect for them.
The first item was a relic from the previous dynasty, which sold for three million.
The second was a century-old antique, priced at over ten million.
The third, fourth, fifth...
Dozens of items in a row, nearly every one was some worldly treasure.
As for the inner cores I wanted, I didn’t see a single one.
"Looks like inner cores aren’t as common as I figured." I thought to myself.
It also made me appreciate just how lucky Walton really was.
"The next item is a rockery. This rockery is special, supposedly taken from a Dragon Vein location, capable of drawing wealth and changing fortune."
Right then, the auctioneer brought out a rockery about the size of a car tire.
While the rockery looked quite refined, it didn’t seem like a modern creation, but rather a naturally formed work of art.
"According to expert research, this rockery’s previous owner was the local richest man, and before that, a high-ranking official! Going back even further, every owner was a top-tier individual!" the auctioneer announced.
These words caused an uproar in the room.
Suddenly, everyone was interested in this rockery.
"Aren’t they worried this is some scam by the auction house?" Seeing this, I couldn’t help but ask.
Jerry Sean said casually, "Many people think only the poor get conned, but that’s wrong. The wealthy get scammed too, just in different ways."
"A pile of crap, for poor folks, just needs to be wrapped in shiny, attractive packaging to sell."
"What about rich people?" I asked.
Jerry Sean said casually, "For rich people, just get some experts and celebrities to hype up this pile of crap, then create some mysterious history for it."
"For instance... claim this pile of crap was left behind by some saint." Jerry Sean said flatly.
Hearing this, I couldn’t help but suppress my laughter and nearly burst out.
"Jerry Sean, you just reminded me of something." My mouth curved into a sly smile.
Maybe... I could pull off a major con on these wealthy people!
