Chapter 404: I Want That Book
Franca was conflicted. She really couldn"t get this auction. Every book was different from what she saw, leaving her unable to differentiate what was true. She, too, didn"t dare say anything, but everyone else seemed really excited.
Mike let out a suppressed growl, like the whimper of an injured beast as everyone fell into a state of blurry confusion. When Ji Bonong took out Soul of Vengeance, this immense power had struck their consciousness once more, and even ordinary folk could clearly discern the crumbling gap between their souls and bodies at this very moment.
Ji Bonong had a smile on his lips. The situation unfolding before him was what he had imagined.
Seku Family, Palachi Family, Aldreu Family, Ludwig Family, Hanno Family, Stuart Family... Ji Bonong recited in his heart as if he were counting something.
Two-thirds of the Central District n.o.bles were gathered here.
To think that these oppressive and powerful n.o.ble families would have such a day... Just days ago, they could come to Rolle Resources and order him around like a dog, but now, they weren"t even aware that they were like quarries that had fallen into a hunter"s trap.
All of you will have to pay the price for oppressing us Ji and the exploitation of all the poor and common folk!
I"m going to thoroughly kill all of you—
This is what I, Ji Bonong, have been waiting and hoping for till this very day!
His grip on the auction gavel tightened in excitement as glee nearly overwhelmed him.
"Father, Father!"
Ji Bonong suddenly heard Ji Zhixiu call out from behind him. He immediately looked over and realized that he had been in a daze on stage for quite a while.
He couldn"t help feeling a little shocked at this realization. When he glanced at Soul of Vengeance once more, he suddenly became aware that even he had been bewitched by the book.
Cold sweat broke out on his back as he silently recalled the contents of the book that Boss Lin had given him—Void Palm.
"Father!" Ji Zhixiu called out again and Ji Bonong realized that his daughter was trying to remind him that someone had raised a paddle.
Hmm? In just a few minutes, Ji Bonong had understood the horror of Soul of Vengeance and couldn"t help wondering who this book would belong to.
Ji Bonong looked up at the only young man who was maintaining his calm in the chaotic venue. The brown-haired boy with a freckled face who was raising his paddle.
Isn"t he... a descendant of the Katya Family? Ji Bonong fell into thought. He would have to go back to the time when his daughter was still learning to speak when the Katya Family was still around.
Even Ji Bonong wasn’t able to know all the concrete details. After all, at that time, he hadn"t yet fully inherited all of Rolle Resource.
The only thing he knew, though, was that the Katya family had disappeared in an instant. That family that had once been one of the top ten families with a reputation famed throughout Norzin"s upper echelons was wiped out because they didn"t get along with the other families.
Hahaha, that"s great! This book, this person. It would make for a great performance!
Ji Bonong cheered. There was no better way to die than at the hands of an avenger of a ruined family.
“Young man, is this your choice?” Ji Bonong asked gleefully.
"Yes. Yes, but for the time being, I..." Tom Katya said timidly. He was the last descendant of a down-and-out family and was already resigned to the fact that he had no hope of revenge. He had chanced upon an invitation by accident and had strangely found his way to this auction. If he were to trade his sole life, perhaps he might be able to write a new legend.
At the moment when he saw this book, boundless power filled his soul.
Every inch of his soul was clamoring. This was his last burning hope and his only chance.
The opportunity was fleeting and he needed to seize it. Even if he was broke, he was still urged on by the same mysterious power that had guided him into the auction and made him raise his paddle.
“It"s fine!” Ji Bonong smiled, a.s.suming the professional demeanor that Boss Lin usually had. "As long as you have the courage to bid for it, you can take however long you like to repay the master of this book.”
"Thank you, Mr. Ji Bonong." Tom choked up with emotion. "Thank you so much."
Tom slowly reached out and took the book that had been brought to him, staring in awe at the blazing flames that were all over the book"s jet-black cover.
The Count of Monte Cristo… Haa, that"s a boring sounding name. Books like these that depict the lives of aristocrats are everywhere. Why would all these people be so excited as if they are seeing such a theme for the first time...
Young Miss Franca looked all around her while being lost in thought once more.
When will I be able to get the recipe book I want?
But in fact, Franca didn"t have to wait long as Ji Bonong presented the third book of the auction—
This time, it was an exquisite sandalwood box sealed by rubies. Emeralds represented mind, amethysts represented soul, and rubies represented flesh and blood.
At this moment, everyone in the audience was already at the limits of their mental threshold and could easily collapse at any moment.
And this book was the final and heaviest blow...
Ji Zhixiu, who was backstage, knew that even she herself would find it difficult to withstand this book, which was a feast of flesh and blood.
Ji Bonong slowly opened the wooden box. Although Soul of Vengeance had nearly affected his state, the next book probably wouldn"t have that much of an impact as it could turn a reader into a believer of Boss Lin"s near instantly.
However, Ji Bonong had long been one.
The more he came into contact with such things, the more he believed in great divine existences like Boss Lin.
When the book was revealed, the entire venue seemed to be engulfed by the color of blood—
The book was t.i.tled Blood Sacrifice.
Chaotic aether seemed to warp everything as a tumultuous stream of consciousness instantly filled up everyone"s minds.
Tables and chairs turned into livers, while walls became flesh full of fat. The floor became a pool of gastric fluids, bright lights on the ceiling became rows of eyeb.a.l.l.s. Ceiling beams turned into interconnected intestines, wires became blood vessels, and the book—
It was no longer a book but a beating heart with countless veins connecting it to the other tissue.
Some people sighed in satisfaction, while others screamed in fear. The entire hall almost instantly descended into chaos. There were even some people present that mutated on the spot and their bodies disintegrated.
Only Franca raised her hand high.
"I want that book!" Franca proclaimed loudly, afraid that others might act quicker…
I want it! No matter how much it costs! This recipe book!
Moreover, this time, the young miss had seen very clearly that there were the words ‘Complete Colored 365 Days Edition’ written on it. This was just awesome. She definitely wouldn"t suffer a loss even if she bought it for collection purposes. Norzin had never seen such a book before.
“You… want it?” A surprised Ji Bonong asked.
"Yes," said Franca, smiling broadly. "I"ll take it, no matter how much it costs afterward."
Franca—of course, Ji Bonong knew her. The only heir of the reputable white magician family, the Curtis Family. However, she was also known to everyone as… trash.
Blood Sacrifice could definitely be considered to rank second in terms of how frightening and powerful it was amongst the five books Boss Lin had given him.
Franca...? No way, right? But n.o.body else raised their hands. Did the book choose her?
"Alright, this book is yours." Ji Bonong was still baffled, but he obeyed the will of the book.
Franca quickly skipped over gleefully to collect the book. This joyous skipping was a familiar scene to the n.o.bles that had known and watched Franca since she was a young girl. But now, in the eyes of everyone, this young lady in a white dress was like a gorgeous grim reaper dancing and skipping on flesh.
She took the beating heart and clutched it tightly in her arms, revealing a comforted smile like a young girl hugging her favorite teddy bear.