Chương 123: Timeline
Someone had died, so the auction couldn't continue.
The scene was chaotic, but Blake didn't bother being polite. He went straight to the auction's backstage.
In front of all the Christie's staff, he transferred the money and took the bronze animal head.
As for the other mysterious auction item, it would have to wait until the next time Christie's resumed the auction.
After handling his business, Blake was eager to leave. After all, while he wasn't afraid of the trouble caused by killing someone, avoiding direct conflict with the police was best—keeping a low profile was preferable.
But just as Blake was about to leave with Natasha, something lying on the ground caught his eye.
In an instant, his pupils dilated.
An obviously ancient golden coffin was quietly lying on the ground.
Earlier, a cart placed next to it had blocked his view, so he hadn't noticed. But after the transaction, the staff had moved the cart away.
The coffin was simple, with minimal carvings on it.
However, the lid had raised corners, resembling the eaves of ancient buildings.
Blake remembered suggesting this design when he commissioned a coffin, thinking it would add a playful touch—after all, it was a marriage, a brief indulgence in his dark sense of humor.
"This... can't be..."
Blake muttered to himself as he walked toward the coffin.
"Mr. Blake , are you interested in this as well? It took us a lot of effort to acquire this piece. It's incredibly old, but unfortunately, some symbols on the front have worn off. Only a few traces remain, and we're unsure what they represent, which diminishes its archaeological value."
Following the staff member's words, Blake looked at the front of the coffin. He saw a horizontal stroke, followed by a slanted line, and then a barely visible small mark. The rest was so worn it was impossible to make out.
"These aren't symbols—they're part of Chinese characters... '百年好盒' (A lifetime of happiness, with 'box' replacing 'union')."
Blake stared intently at the remaining characters on the golden coffin, a storm brewing in his mind.
"Blake , we need to go. What's wrong?" Natasha asked with concern. He hadn't shown much reaction after killing someone earlier, but now he seemed deeply affected. What had happened?
For once, Blake ignored Natasha. He stood up and asked the Christie's staff member directly, "Is this coffin consigned by someone, or does it belong to the auction house?"
"This... this is our company's item. Mr. Blake ... is there a problem?"
The staff member was clearly frightened—after all, Blake had just killed someone earlier in front of everyone.
"How did this item come into your possession? Tell me!"
"I... I don't know, Mr. Blake . I'll have to call the head office and ask."
"Then call them right now!"
"But... it's late at night there, no one's working!"
"Where is the auctioneer?" Blake turned around and found the auctioneer still present.
"You're auctioning off this item today, and you don't know its origins?"
"We only know it belonged to the owner of a castle. He sold it to our auction house. As for where it came from, he said it had been in his family's collection since his grandfather's time. No one knows exactly how they got it. That's what the company told me. If you want more details, you'll have to wait until the staff at the main office are back at work, Mr. Blake ."
The auctioneer remained calm, explaining the situation clearly and even adding a remark: "However, Mr. Blake , our company usually doesn't hide the origins of items from auctioneers. You know, with antiques, if there's no story, we're eager to invent one. So even if you inquire with the company, I believe you'll be satisfied."
"Hoo..." Blake let out a deep breath.
The situation was too bizarre; he needed to calm himself.
After a moment of silence, Blake dialed a number.
A minute later, a portal opened at the scene. Blake hoisted the coffin and, with Natasha, stepped into the portal.
Before leaving, Blake turned to the auctioneer and said, "I have to take this item. Have your company name a price and contact me later."
...
New York Sanctum.
Natasha, having traveled through a portal for the first time, was amazed at how they had gone from France to New York in an instant. But seeing Blake's expression, she knew something was weighing on him.
Sensing this, she wandered off to explore the Sanctum, giving Blake and the Ancient One enough space.
"What's going on? Why did you bring a coffin here?" The Ancient One hadn't asked about the details earlier, given Blake's urgency.
"Can you figure out where this came from?"
"Where it originated, when it appeared, why it's here—Ancient One, I know you can use the Time Stone to see both the future and the past. I don't know what price must be paid for this, but if it's within acceptable limits, please tell me. This matter is *extremely* important!" Blake emphasized the last words.
The Ancient One gave Blake a surprised look but said nothing. Instead, she circled the coffin once and then placed her hand lightly on it.
The Eye of Agamotto on her chest began to emit a faint green glow.
Her figure started flickering in the space around them.
After a while…
The Ancient One grunted and abruptly pulled out of the trance.
"What did you see?" Blake quickly stepped forward to support her, eager for answers.
With a strange expression on her face, the Ancient One waved her hand to signal she was fine. Without answering Blake, she touched the coffin again, and the green light appeared once more.
After about the same amount of time, she again grunted and exited the state.
"This can't be! It's impossible!" The disbelief on her face surpassed even Blake's when he first saw the golden coffin.
Ignoring Blake, she sat down cross-legged, clasping the Eye of Agamotto between her hands as she entered the time-browsing state once more.
This time, it lasted much longer.
Natasha came by twice, but upon seeing the scene, left again both times.
Just as Blake was about to lose patience and consider kicking the Ancient One to snap her out of the state, she let out a loud cry, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and slowly opened her eyes.
"What did you see?" Blake rushed over, helping her to sit and anxiously asked.
"Our timeline... has been severed!"
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