ICAWZ Chapter 100

Accompanied by Zog’s teasing voice, all zergs in the compartment subconsciously looked towards the door. There stood a fair-skinned male zerg, his facial features handsome, with mysterious dark eyes that were hard to fathom. Shadows obscured his head, lending him an even more ethereal and chilly beauty. A moment of silence fell upon the air.

“…”

The Northern General who had just spoken saw this and his pupils slightly contracted for a moment, falling into a daze. Unconsciously, he released his hold on Hill and felt that compared to the male zerg in front of him, the one in his arms seemed somewhat inferior. He asked in astonishment, “Zog, who is this gentleman…?”

Hill’s expression darkened for a moment.

Zog, seeing this, smirked slightly. That’s right, this was exactly how it should be. He detested Hill’s ignorant attitude, always following behind his cousin and then turning around to throw himself into the arms of several noble female zergs. Did he really think he was some kind of irresistible charm?

Pointing towards Xu Cenfeng, Zog’s tone carried a teasing edge. “You should have heard of him. This gentleman won two bouts in the ring at the Morhan Arena yesterday… Well, he lost to my cousin in the end.”

Cousin? Wouldn’t that be the leader, Faeus?

Upon hearing this, the zergs present immediately recognized Xu Cenfeng. After all, the three bouts in the arena yesterday had caused quite a stir, with almost the entire Hossburgh buzzing with gossip. The most embarrassed of all was Hill. Faeus ignored him, yet he went out of his way to pursue a male zerg whose blood purity was only 35%. Wasn’t that clearly a slap in his face?

Xu Cenfeng had no choice but to introduce himself. With a polite nod, he quietly uttered two words, “Xu Cenfeng.”

Upon hearing this, the female zergs regained their senses and promptly stood up, greeting him with an enthusiasm that seemed exaggerated. They even offered him the central seat. Xu Cenfeng wasn’t accustomed to squeezing in with others, so he settled in a spot at the edge of the sofa. He exuded a calm and quiet demeanor, contrasting sharply with the noisy environment around him.

Zog snapped his fingers at a nearby waiter and chuckled, “This gentleman is here for the first time. You all should take good care of him.”

The Lagona Auction House existed in a semi-gray area. In order to cater to the high-ranking nobles, the services offered were diverse, including the X-service, of course.

The nearby female zerg waiter immediately approached upon hearing this, showing tactfulness. They were dressed in tight-fitting shirt uniforms, their sturdy physique barely concealed. Half-kneeling at Xu Cenfeng’s feet, one of them poured him a glass of wine. “Your Excellency, please enjoy.”

Although the North upheld the supremacy of females over males, this “supremacy” was also based on wealth and power. Most of the inhabitants of Hossburgh were struggling commoners who would do anything to make ends meet.

Xu Cenfeng gracefully sidestepped their kneeling gesture, reaching out to accept the glass of wine with a simple “thank you” before lightly touching his lips to it and setting it down on the table. He noticed a scattered promotional flier for auction items on the sofa and picked it up, curious to see if the item he remembered was listed.

Rarely did they encounter such a handsome male zerg. Not only Zog’s companions, even the waiters were somewhat intrigued. One of them deliberately approached Xu Cenfeng, placing a hand on his leg and gently caressing it, trying to pique his interest. Lowering their voice, they hinted, “Your Excellency, what are you looking at? I can introduce it to you.”

These waiters were not only responsible for pouring drinks but also for accompanying the guests. In another part of the room, another male zerg was embracing a beautiful waiter, engaging in flirtatious banter, a sight that everyone was accustomed to and didn’t find inappropriate at all.

However, Xu Cenfeng remained unfazed as he gently removed the hand from his leg, politely declining, “Thank you, I don’t need any service.”

He then shifted slightly on the sofa, gesturing for the waiter to stand beside him for service without the need to kneel and pour drinks by his leg.

This was the first time the waiter encountered such a situation, feeling a bit bewildered, they instinctively looked towards Zog. Zog waved his hand, indicating for the waiter to step aside, and with legs crossed, he deliberately asked, “Your Excellency, are these female zergs not pleasing enough for your eyes?”

Xu Cenfeng lowered his gaze, flipping through the promotional flier in his hand, ignoring the misleading nature of Zog’s words. “Even if they please my eyes, so what?”

Zog was momentarily taken aback. What else could it mean if they pleased his eyes? Of course, it meant taking them back to bed in style. Was Xu Cenfeng really that naive or just pretending to be? Awkwardly, Zog laughed it off, trying to save face, “It seems you’re only interested in the auction items. I hope that rare deep-sea black pearl will satisfy you.”

He finally realized that Xu Cenfeng was indeed different from other male zergs. He neither enjoyed flirting nor indulged in ambiguity. Instead, he was courteous and proper, leaving no room for criticism.

Zog glanced around and noticed that his companions were all somewhat distracted, their gaze continuously drifting towards Xu Cenfeng. Even Hill, who had been quite popular recently, was being ignored.

Hill’s recent “fling” was with General Goldman. Upon hearing Zog’s words, he suddenly became interested, finally finding an opportunity to please the aloof Xu Cenfeng. “Oh? Are you also interested in that deep-sea black pearl?”

Xu Cenfeng wasn’t particularly interested and just smiled lightly. “Just taking a casual look.”

General Goldman was dazzled by his smile and became even more enthusiastic. “They say that black pearl was recovered by the auction house from the Lagona Sea after decades of effort. I’d also love to see its splendor. If you like it, I could bid for it and gift it to you.”

These cynical noble officers not only shared similar attitudes but also pursued male zergs in the same manner. Hill endured and endured, but he couldn’t hold back any longer and secretly tugged on Goldman’s sleeve, angrily growling, “Goldman! That pearl is what I want!”

Were these female zergs blind? Pursuing a male zerg with only 35% blood purity like this?!

Goldman casually hooked his finger under Hill’s chin, smiling cheekily. “Hill, why get angry? Besides that black pearl, there are many other items up for auction. Just pick another one.”

Hill was infuriated by his indifferent attitude and threatened, “Goldman, if you continue like this, don’t expect to see me again! I should have accepted Haite’s invitation back then!”

Those who could play with Zog tended to have similar personalities. Goldman clearly wasn’t fazed by Hill’s threats. Upon hearing Hill’s words, he lost interest, retracting his hand from Hill’s grasp and speaking nonchalantly, “Hill, if you’re willing, of course you can. But the condition is that Haite has enough star coins to help you bid for that black pearl. After all, not long ago, he racked up a ton of debts trying to buy luxury items to please you. That’s why you dumped him and ended up in my embrace, isn’t it?”

Laughter erupted around them, with mocking remarks echoing. Hill was known for his extravagant spending habits, treating those female zergs like walking credit cards, maxing them out and then moving on to the next one. Everyone in the upper circles knew his true colors.

Only poor Haite was misled by Hill, thinking he had found true love when in reality, Hill only saw him as a backup option, to be discarded once he was no longer useful.

Hill had always been treated like a star among the female zergs, so he couldn’t bear such insults. Hearing the mocking laughter around him, his face flushed with embarrassment and anger. With a sudden rise from his seat, he glared at Goldman furiously. “Goldman, you’ll regret this!”

Xu Cenfeng, seeing the situation, folded the promotional flier in his hand. He thought that whether it was the Western region where males were dominant or the Northern region where females held sway, it was difficult to find balance in such extreme gender imbalances. The Northern females already looked down on weak and incompetent male zergs, and Hill’s behavior would only further disgust and disdain them.

Goldman clearly didn’t care. “Please do.”

Hill was seething with anger, but unfortunately, he hadn’t brought any guards with him today, and he had no one to help him regain his dignity. Fuming, he kicked the table and turned to leave, but in his haste, he didn’t notice the waiter kneeling on the ground serving him and tripped over them. Enraged, he slapped them directly across the face. “Who told you to kneel here? Are you blind?!”

It wasn’t clear whether he was scolding the waiter or Goldman and his companions.

The Lagona Auction House was financially robust, and the identity of its owner was extraordinary. There had never been a customer who dared to cause trouble here, let alone physically assault a waiter. The incident of assaulting a waiter wouldn’t have occurred. The waiter who was kneeling on the ground suddenly received a slap, causing a buzzing sensation in their ears. Reacting immediately, they covered their face and retorted, “Your Excellency, I’ve been kneeling here all along. Please don’t falsely accuse me. It was you who bumped into me accidentally just now!”

Indeed, the Northern female zergs were generally more resilient than those from the Western region.

Hill was consumed with anger. He was used to being unrestrained at home and couldn’t tolerate any zerg disobeying him. Upon hearing the retort, he grabbed the bottle from the table and swung it directly at the waiter’s head. “You dare to talk back?!”

While Hill usually maintained a decent facade in public, he had a habit of abusing female zergs in private. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been disabled by a shot from Faeus in his past life. No one expected him to suddenly resort to violence. The entire room was shocked, with Zog and Goldman preparing to intervene, but before they could act, another figure moved even faster to stop Hill.

Xu Cenfeng happened to be sitting nearby. Upon seeing Hill resort to violence, he immediately stood up and positioned himself in front of the waiter, simultaneously gripping Hill’s wrist. His brow furrowed, clearly disapproving of such behavior. “Lord Hill, this is a public place. Please mind your manners.”

Hill harbored a deep hatred for Xu Cenfeng, this male zerg who repeatedly stole his spotlight. Upon hearing his words, Hill glared at him fiercely, his frustration evident. “Get out of my way! What business is it of yours if I discipline a waiter? If you keep blocking me, I’ll hit you too!”

He had left the arena early that day and hadn’t seen the subsequent matches. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said such foolish words.

Xu Cenfeng tightened his grip. “He’s here to serve drinks, not to be hit.”

Hill smirked coldly. “I want to hit him. What’s it to you?!”

Xu Cenfeng’s dark eyes resembled a calm, cold pool. He shook his head slightly, feeling that this male zerg was truly beyond redemption. “Those who do wrong will eventually meet their downfall.”

As Xu Cenfeng’s words trailed off, Hill suddenly felt a tingling sensation in the palm of his hand gripped by Xu Cenfeng. Then, in the next instant, the bottle in his hand shattered with a loud crash, shards of glass scattering all over the floor.

“Ah!!!”

Hill let out a scream, immediately retreating in panic to avoid the shards of broken glass. He backed against the wall, his expression a mix of shock and anger as he glared at Xu Cenfeng. “You!”

However, Xu Cenfeng remained unfazed. He calmly kicked aside the broken glass at his feet, causing a crisp sound to resonate in the silent compartment. With a meaningful glance, he remarked, “It seems being hit by a bottle isn’t a pleasant experience, Lord Hill.”

Hill would scream even if glass shards fell on his shoes, so how could he dare to use a bottle to injure another zerg?

The zergs in the compartment were stunned by Xu Cenfeng’s actions and took quite a while to recover. Zog, standing nearby, struggled to swallow and thought he had seriously misjudged the situation. He had thought Xu Cenfeng was a weakling, but he didn’t expect him to be so sharp.

Goldman rose from his seat and walked directly to Hill, warning him impatiently, “Hill, this is the Lagona Auction House, not your home. If security comes to take you away later, I swear I won’t intervene.”

Another male zerg in the compartment frowned and admonished, “Hill, how can you be so rude?”

Hill instantly became the target of everyone’s criticism. He knew he couldn’t contend with this group of zergs. With a resentful glare at Goldman and then at Xu Cenfeng, he silently swore to make them pay in the future. Frustrated and angry, he stormed out of the compartment, slamming the door behind him with a loud “bang.”

“Bang—”

The compartment door closed with a resounding noise.

Goldman had no intention of chasing after Hill. He turned to look at the sofa and noticed that while everyone was distracted, Xu Cenfeng discreetly handed some tips to the waiter who had been struck, signaling for them to go and tend to their wounds. Though his demeanor remained aloof, it was evident that he possessed underlying refinement and kindness.

It was quite rare. Zog had actually brought a decent-looking male zerg with him today.

Goldman couldn’t help but become a little intrigued. He approached Xu Cenfeng and inquired, “Lord Xu Cenfeng, I hope you weren’t too alarmed just now?”

Xu Cenfeng was about to respond when Zog preemptively interjected, “Hey, mind your own business, Goldman.”

Zog could easily discern Goldman’s intentions. In the past, he might have been pleased to see them unfold, but not anymore. He had thought Xu Cenfeng was no different from those other male zergs, and he had invited him here today just for amusement. However, he had unexpectedly shown some capability, which explained why Faeus made an exception for him.

The fat water should stay within the fields of their own¹ zergs; all good things belonged to his cousin. No one should even think about coveting them.

Zog was starting to regret bringing Xu Cenfeng here today. After all, Goldman and his companions were not to be underestimated. He rose from his seat, immediately intending to escort Xu Cenfeng out of this den of wolves. “It seems there’s no more fun to be had today. Let’s go, Your Excellency. I’ll take you back to your hotel.”

However, Xu Cenfeng had no intention of leaving just yet. He had heard the commotion of items being auctioned outside. “No hurry. Let’s wait a while longer. I’d like to see what they’re auctioning out there.”

He finished speaking and walked straight out of the compartment, heading to the outdoor exhibition hall in the corridor. The other zergs followed suit. In the center of the first floor’s hall stood a large cage covered with a black curtain. It was unclear what was inside. The auctioneer, dressed in a suit, stood on the platform, feigning mystery. “Esteemed guests, the upcoming item is truly remarkable. It drifted in the Lagona Sea for over half a month before reaching shore. The starting bid is 150,000 star coins, with increments of 10,000 star coins. Let’s see who will be fortunate enough to claim it!”

Outside in the exhibition hall, there were seats available, and a telescope was placed on the tables. Xu Cenfeng picked it up but couldn’t see what was behind the black cloth. He couldn’t help but inquire, “What’s inside the cage?”

Zog scoffed, “Just some cheap items worth only 150,000 star coins.”

Precious items are usually brought out later in the auction; the ones at the front tend to be less valuable. This is a common practice in most auction houses.

Goldman evidently understands more about this and explained to Xu Cenfeng attentively, “These are probably criminals brought over by sea. They mostly come from lower-tier planets and have committed capital crimes in the Lagona Sea area. If they happen to be good-looking, they’re sent to the auction house to be sold, gaining a chance to escape death.”

As he finished speaking, the auctioneer below lifted the black cloth just in time, revealing a group of disheveled-looking females inside. Each one appeared emaciated, with sallow complexions and darkened skin, having no relation to the word “beautiful.”

The auctioneer appeared somewhat embarrassed and, with a forced smile, explained to the guests around, “These slaves have been floating at sea for half a month, so they’re a bit under the weather. But with proper care when taken back, they can still turn out quite beautiful.”

With that, he clapped his hands, and his assistant opened the cage, pulling out a frail-looking female from inside. He appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old, resembling a thin monkey with disheveled hair and a dirty face that obscured his facial features, revealing only a pair of green eyes.

The auctioneer bowed to the crowd, “Next up is the first item of this auction, starting at fifteen thousand.”

Xu Cenfeng adjusted the focus of the telescope and carefully observed the appearance of the female. When he noticed his green eyes, he suddenly turned to his side and asked Zog, “I want to bid for him. How should I go about it?”

Zog was surprised at the question and exclaimed, “What? He’s skinny and dark. Why would you want to bid for him?”

However, without explaining, Xu Cenfeng’s gaze remained fixed on the frail female on the auction stage.

In a previous life, there was a significant mutiny in Hossburgh, where it took Faeus several days of bloody battles to regain his position as the Supreme Leader. Apart from the cunning instigators behind the scenes, a substantial part of the reason was the betrayal of General Wesley, who held a significant portion of the city’s military forces and played a crucial role in the military.

General Wesley controlled a third of the city’s military forces and held a pivotal position in the military. He had two offspring in his lifetime, his eldest son, Zog, and his youngest son, Uguz. Unfortunately, during his initial campaigns, his youngest son was abducted by an enemy general and never found, leaving Zog as his only descendant.

Xu Cenfeng vaguely remembered that in the previous life, Faeus sent Zog on a mission, but due to some mistake, Zog unexpectedly encountered a pack of beasts and died in the wilderness. This event led to General Wesley harboring resentment, dealing a heavy blow to Faeus during the mutiny.

Xu Cenfeng didn’t want Faeus to repeat the same mistake, so in this lifetime, he would find a way to ensure Zog’s safety. At the same time, he would leave Faeus a lifeline—

For example, the green-eyed female zerg on the stage.

Xu Cenfeng asked again earnestly, “I want to bid for him. What should I do?”

Zog shrugged helplessly. “You need to go to the auction house with a star card for property assessment and deposit a certain amount of auction funds to participate in the bidding. Otherwise, you won’t be able to join the auction.”

To prevent some “poor customers” from bidding recklessly, auction houses typically conduct asset assessments beforehand. Nobles like Zog often frequent auction houses and have their own auction accounts. If Xu Cenfeng wants to participate in bidding, the procedure might be a bit troublesome.

Hearing this, Xu Cenfeng subconsciously reached into his pocket, vaguely remembering that there was a star card given by Faeus, but he wasn’t sure how much money was left on it. He was contemplating whether to ask Zog to help him bid for the convict. Suddenly, he heard a panicked shout coming closer and closer:

“Master Zog! Master Zog! Something’s wrong!”

Everyone subconsciously turned to look in the direction of the sound, only to see one of Zog’s guards rushing up from downstairs in a panic, his face pale as if the sky was about to fall.

Zog frowned. “What’s going on?”

The guard, gasping for breath, pointed downstairs with one hand while clutching his knee with the other, and stuttered, “N… Not good… the Supreme Leader is coming!”

Zog’s expression changed immediately, looking as startled as a mouse encountering a cat. He exclaimed, “What did you say?! My brother is coming?!”

The guard nodded vigorously with a pained expression. “He’s already at the door!”

Zog was stunned upon hearing this, and in his mind, three bright words immediately flashed: This! Is! Bad!!

Subconsciously, Xu Cenfeng glanced towards the staircase, only to see a group of figures in black military uniforms appearing around the corner at some point. Leading them was a female zerg with red hair and green eyes, proud and defiant—it was unmistakably Faeus, but for some reason, his expression was extremely grim.

The author has something to say:

Zog (terrified): Oh no, they’re here to kill me.

Xu Cenfeng (smirking): Great, they’re here to bring money.

Author (riding a tractor, bouncing along): Hello everyone, I’ve got a new car today~