Reincarnated into a Snow Griffin-Chapter 72

We were not at the front with the rich, but weren’t sitting all the way in the back either, staying on the second floor and having a pretty good view of down bellow from where we sat, or at least for me since my eyesight is sharper and better than humans, cultivator or not.

And yet for the first few minutes there wasn’t much to see that I did not already have outside, and as people came in and filled the place up the chitter chatter grows with it, filling my waiting time with gathering information as bored immortal cultivators seem to very kin to gossip.

"There are so many great items this time around, I’ll be lucky to be able to buy even one!"

"Yeah, there will be quite the competition this time around... though if things go that way at least we can win over these kids."

It is not the first I hear talking about the possibility of some sort of competition or event, but something in the way they spoke told me it was nothing as simple as having the highest bidder.

I can’t say I’m surprised by their loose tongues, but when the subject turns out to be us I perch my ears to listen.

"Did you hear the news though? The Void Master took a direct apprentice a few months back, you are just back so you must have missed it."

"What?! When? Who is the poor bastard who ended under Master Zedar’s claws?"

I frown at that particular conversation, the name ringing bells in the back of my head but it still takes me some time to connect the dots, only doing so when they progress their talk:

"Some strange kid names E-something, the poor brat, although..." The one talking drags his words out, keeping the silence in between his words to explore its effect and raise the expectation, and I see myself inclining my head as the man beside him to hear his next words better. "I head he is quite the genius, that one, beats all his colleagues to a pulp, strong as a bull they say."

The other fakes a shiver. "That’s one we must stay away from, they always bring trouble with them." The other nods, talking a little bit more about the subject and the sect, enough for the E-something guy beside me to lean his face towards mine and whisper in my ears:

"Impressed? To have seen this genius moves first hand is quite the privilege..." He says, a wicked smile playing on his lips as his eyes shine with pride.

"Then next time sell tickets." I say, staring forward once more.

"Ugh." I bet this stubborn devil would not have stopped there in his attempt to sell himself high for me if the ones from before had not changed the subject to a much more... delicate topic.

"There is a strange mysterious one as well." The gossiping cultivator starts, making the other lean so much that there is almost no space left between them, and at this point the ones surrounding him are attempting to hide anymore and look uninterested in their conversation for their ears were free and up in the air.

"Do tell."

"He came from nowhere and became an inner disciple for Master Jiang Min out of the bat, and not only his origins are weird but..."

"...But?"

"Nobody has ever seen his face."

"What, how? No joke?"

"He actually wears a veil all the time, can you believe that? He even takes his meals in his room, away from prying eyes." Just one more talking about me, I think at that point, sighing internally, already losing interest as the subject shifts to me as I’m used to being the focus of gossip, but I can tell my calmness has the opposite effect on Ethan, especially when their talk ends badly.

"A veil you say?" The other scoffs as he continues. "What is mysterious about the guy? Master Jiang Min must have taken pity of the ugly thing and been kindhearted as he is decided to bring him back from one of his missions, like he did with that stray once..."

As soon as his words leave his lips Ethan stands up and, without ceremony, stares angrily at the gossiping cultivators, who stop for a moment to look back, at lost.

"Take what you said back." Ethan says through gritted teeth, fisting hands pulsating with power as anger sweep over his face like I’ve never seen before, surprising me as much as the first time I saw him training, the seriousness akin to his usual mocking playful one.

"What?" The other says in a cocky way, as if unaware of the danger he is putting himself in.

"I said take that back!"

"Oh hey there boy no need to attack up like that." At the confusion rising and catching the attention of the ones surrounding me I do not see it fitting to keep sitting down either, especially when I am somehow the cause for such uproar so with a sigh I stand and turn towards the gossipers.

"Good evening fellow young brother cultivators." I say after asserting my seniority is above the outer circle gossiping cultivators.

They look from me to Ethan, paling faces as the reality of the situation downs on them, that the subject of their gossip is sitting right in front of them, except that the cocky one still tries to act tough even though he just insulted a higher ranked senior cultivator from the inner circle... and a direct disciple of a master at that on my side.

"So what? W-why should I apologize and take it back? If it is not true then why not show your face uhm? What are you hiding?"

"That is none of your business!" Ethan says, and I can tell the moment the friend of the cocky cultivator recognizes him too, widening eyes and all, but as he reaches towards his friend’s shoulder the other is already digging his own grave.

"Not only such an ugly thing but to appeal to a master’s kindness to get in a high position that fast? Am I supposed to greet such a senior brother like that? So despicable!"

I can barely see the glint of silver in the air when suddenly Ethan’s sword is in his hand, the tip resting at the other’s neck before he could even react, his cry of terror coming a few seconds too late.

"I.Said.Take.It.Back!"

This time around the cocky one finally understands the situation he is at, not only for the sword being drawn too fast for him to even react, undoubtedly being able to take his head off before he could even notice the attack, but because he could now take in the long black sharp edge of the sword, such particular weapon that could not be mistaken by anyone who did not live under a rock, that is, much more the gossiping type he is.

"T-the- Inhering disciple, w-we didn’t mean to offend." I can feel the bloodlust growing in Ethan’s eyes as he narrows them down his prey, the passing crimson light on them only being visible to his victim that cowers even more under the tip of his blade that presses down enough to draw blood, the intricate patterns on the blade surging along its edge in contact with the crimson drop, shinning in red against the obsidian black that the blade is made of, and I could swear is shuddered in anticipation.

And yet, to everyone’s surprise, I reach out and smoothly push Ethan’s arm down and the weapon away from its victim.

At that point I take my blue fan out of my sleeve, the intricate design blurring ever so slightly by me moving it back and forth, and as the silence drags out and the others swallow dry in expectation, with a bang I slash a soft wind out as I close the fan that nobody notices, only to say:

"Such a silly man who courts death and doesn’t even know how to dress up is not even worthy of our time." I say coldly, and before people could even start asking themselves what did I mean by it his clothes rips in half out of the blue, and the moment it takes for him to cover his parts with his hands the entire place is already laughing out loud at him, their focus aimed at the humiliated man who now is being dragged away by his friend, minutes before the auction starts.

At that point we are already sitting down once more, giving me barely enough time to turn towards Ethan to say:

"I don’t need your protection, don’t cause unnecessary trouble."

As the lights dim around us his only answer is a knowing smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes, shinning against the growing dark surroundings.

Then the red curtains open, and the auction finally begins.