C11 The Death of the Crew Cut and the Ratel!

"Ah!" Fatty let out a sigh and ultimately decided not to place another bid.

"Dafu, it's okay, let's not worry about it," Zhong Qin consoled Fatty with a sympathetic tone.

Fatty shook his head. "I'm alright."

Despite the eager anticipation of the crowd, Fatty ultimately refrained from bidding.

"Nine million, nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand for the third time!"

The gavel struck the table!

Kong Lingyue had successfully acquired the highly gifted flame tiger.

"Congratulations to the guest in room number one for securing the final highlight of our auction. You will shortly receive a complimentary gift from our establishment," announced Mike, his face betraying no emotion.

Yet, his heart was racing with excitement.

Sold! And sold again!

It's worth noting that the auction house takes a 10% fee on the final sale price, and as the auctioneer, Mike would receive 10% of the house's earnings.

This meant that with a closing bid approaching ten million, the auction house would profit one million, and Mike would pocket a tidy sum of one hundred thousand!

Adding this to the proceeds from earlier sales and other consigned items, Mike had made a whopping two to three hundred thousand in just one evening.

If this wasn't striking it rich, what was?

Standing on the auction stage, Mike was already making plans.

Such grand auctions were rare, as were such substantial earnings. He intended to spend the night out, treating himself to a couple of lavish meals.

Afterwards, he'd enjoy a relaxing bath, followed by a night out with some company...

...

As the auction came to a close, the crowd dispersed.

Lin Yi, too, made his way home, carrying his knife and holding the bracelet.

Click! The sound of the door handle turning echoed.

"Bark! Bark!"

Tiny, who had been quietly lying at the door, sprang to life at the sound, its short tail wagging furiously.

"Tiny, you're still here!"

Lin Yi felt a surge of emotion. It was now five in the morning, and he had left the house at ten the previous night.

Tiny had been waiting at the door for Lin Yi for seven hours...

Ever since his father had brought Tiny home, the little one had been especially attached to Lin Yi.

It seemed that Tiny had decided from the start that Lin Yi was its true owner.

Although Lin Yi had never planned to bond with Tiny as a familiar, it seemed like he was now playing with an unfair advantage, didn't it? Regardless, he had to ensure both their safety. Consequently, he decided to let Tiny tag along, providing mutual support as they both grew.

"Good boy! Time for you to rest," Lin Yi said softly as he stroked Tiny's head, then let out a deep yawn. Before heading off, he tucked the earth essence stone he had purchased into Tiny's mouth. It was already five in the morning, and thankfully, it was a holiday. Lin Yi quickly retreated to his room, hoping to catch up on some sleep. As he drifted off, a rather ludicrous idea began to take root in his mind.

Three hours earlier, at two a.m., the pitch-black forest was eerily terrifying, with pairs of luminescent green eyes gleaming in the darkness.

"Roar!"

Deeper in the forest, a massive tiger, standing three meters tall, roared furiously, its cry echoing far and wide. Soon, the once silent forest buzzed with activity.

Gradually, four spirit animals assembled around the flame tiger. With a loud "Caw!" and a "Bang!" the King Bullfrog leaped dramatically before the beast king, stirring up a puff of dust.

"Whoosh!"

Nearby, the imposing figure of the Wolf King emerged from the underbrush. "Hua! Hua!" A giant snake with inverted triangular eyes lifted its head on a tree branch close by, its bright red tongue flicking in and out, seemingly gathering information from the surroundings.

"Puff! Puff!"

The entrance of the last spirit animal was far less dramatic. It moved hesitantly, alternating between crawling and walking upright. This creature had a broad head, tiny eyes, and barely visible ears. Its back was gray, its fur loose and coarse, and it sported a blunt nose on its face.

This was the ratel, also known as crew cut. It was known for its ferocity and strong will to survive, always ready to fight and never backing down. Most importantly, aside from its combative nature, it was incredibly powerful. It was the only golden spirit animal in the forest, with the exception of the beast king, the flame tiger.

"Roar!"

Upon seeing his subordinates gathered around, the flame tiger let out another roar.

"Sssii!"

Crew Cut twitched his ears in response.

The flame tiger fought back the sadness in his heart and cast a grave look at the ratel.

"Do you want to fight me again? This guy's strength is really increasing."

Crew Cut flicked his ears again and took a sniff of the air.

After a moment, Crew Cut stood upright and spoke in human language.

"Ssssii! There's the scent of a human."

At this, the Wolf King and King Bullfrog anxiously scanned the pitch-black surroundings, while the giant snake remained perched on the tree, flicking its tongue.

In reality, there is a vast chasm between the silver and gold stages for spirit animals.

Below the gold stage, wild spirit animals typically behave according to their instincts, and their spiritual wisdom is quite basic. It's only when they reach the pinnacle of the silver stage that they experience a brief surge in spiritual wisdom. Once they break through to the gold stage, their spiritual wisdom fully matures to that of a normal person, and they gradually gain the ability to speak.

In the dark, chilly forest night, even the slightest noise can seem magnified.

The crew cut's unexpected speech startled not only the other spirit animals but also the short man hiding in the shadows.

"Impressive, indeed! You truly are the mightiest in this forest, second only to the flame tiger!"

Amidst the tense mood among the animals, a man with a scarred face, cloaked in a black robe, was compelled to step out from the shadows behind the flame tiger.

He was short, but he was accompanied by two brown-furred black bears, large and small. The aura of menace they inadvertently exuded was a clear indication that he was not someone to be trifled with.

"Squeak! Squeak! Are you here to challenge me as well?" Crew Cut excitedly bared his teeth at the two black bears following the man.

He seemed quite intrigued by these two unfamiliar black bears.

"Roar! Human!"

The flame tiger's fur bristled at the sight of the human. It let out an angry roar and lunged at the short man.

Meanwhile, the giant snake on the branch didn't stay put. Unnoticed by the other animals, it had already stealthily moved through the underbrush to position itself behind the man on the tree trunk.

Who among the present animals despised humans the most? It was likely the beast king, having nearly lost its life to humans several times in its youth. Thus, after the short man was forced into the open, the beast king silently positioned itself behind him, ready to strike.