บท 71: Conclusion

"Gingge, tell me, what the heck was that back in there?" Walking side by side towards the hall where both the auction and an honorary banquet would be held, Ku Lo asked Gingge in a low voice so as to not let it reach their merry Huang followers.

"later." She whispered. "There are too many people around."

Suppressing the feeling of déjà vu, he entered through the dark wooden doors covered in ornamental carvings. Behind lay a room not entirely dissimilar to the Huang family hall, but much larger and without a throne at the far end.

Instead, long tables were arranged in a disconnected half circle. A few contestants were already seated at the left hand one, which Gingge led him towards.

But as she tried to sit down, she staggered and Ku Lo had to catch her before she fell off the bench. "are you alright?" Despite his hand being on her shoulder, he could not feel any of the familiar connection to his Qi inside her.