I am destroying the protagonist in the fantasy world!

Chapter 155: Stormy weather before the meeting, hidden dangers

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the ancient city walls, gilding them with a golden hue. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli walked side by side in the city about to host a grand auction. However, unlike the bustling scene they had imagined, the atmosphere inside the city was oppressive, and a tense feeling of impending storm permeated the air.

Most of the shops along the street were tightly closed, and the streets were sparsely populated. The few passersby who occasionally hurried by all had hurried expressions, as if they were avoiding something. The city walls were heavily guarded. Soldiers wearing heavy armor and holding sharp blades, their eyes like hawks scanned the passersby, meticulously carrying out their patrol duties.

"It seems that this auction has attracted a lot of people's attention." Lei Yi looked at the towering auction house in the distance and said in a low voice with a hint of solemnity in his tone.

Dongfang Liuli nodded gently, a hint of worry flashing in her beautiful eyes, "Yes, this atmosphere is too abnormal."

As they walked along, they found that many inns in the city were full. They finally found one with vacancies, but the owner was a middle-aged man with flickering eyes and a panicked look.

"Dear guests, would you like to stay in our hotel? Although we don't have many rooms here, they are clean and tidy." The owner's tone was pretended to be enthusiastic, but he could not hide the vigilance and uneasiness in his eyes.

Lei Yi looked at the owner calmly and said calmly, "Then let's go to a room upstairs."

"Okay, sir, please go upstairs!" the owner responded quickly and led them upstairs.

The room was elegantly decorated, but Lei Yi was keenly aware of a faint lingering scent of blood in the corner. He frowned slightly and calmly checked the room. Finding nothing unusual, he finally felt relieved.

As night falls and the lights come on, the whole city seems to be covered with a mysterious veil.

Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli sat by the window of the inn, enjoying simple food and wine while listening to the discussions coming from the hall downstairs.

"Have you heard? This auction is a once-in-a-century event! It's said that even the royal family has sent people!"

"That's right. I heard that the grand prize of this auction is the legendary..."

The person who spoke lowered his voice, but Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli heard it clearly. They looked at each other and saw a hint of solemnity in each other's eyes.

"It seems that we really have to be careful this time." Lei Yi put down his wine glass and said in a low voice.

Dongfang Liuli nodded slightly and was about to speak when she suddenly heard a commotion downstairs, followed by a sharp voice:

"Boss, get out here!"

The noise downstairs grew louder. Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli exchanged a glance, then stood up and went downstairs. In the inn lobby, a young man in splendid brocade clothes was pointing at the innkeeper's nose and cursing loudly. He was accompanied by several fierce-looking followers, and it was obvious that he was from a prominent family.

"You're such a jerk! Do you know who I am? How dare you say there's no room? Believe it or not, I'll tear down this shabby shop of yours!"

The shopkeeper bowed and apologized, "Sir, please calm down, calm down! Our shop is really full. How about you look elsewhere?"

"Go somewhere else? Who do you think I am? Can I live in a place like that?" The man in brocade clothes became even more furious and grabbed the shopkeeper by the collar. "If you don't give me a room upstairs today, I will shut down your shop!"

The guests around were furious but dared not speak out, avoiding the area as much as possible. Lei Yi watched coldly from the sidelines, thinking to himself, "It seems this auction has really attracted quite a few evildoers."

"Sir, please forgive me when you can," a cold voice rang out. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Dongfang Liuli slowly approaching and speaking calmly, "The shopkeeper said the rooms are full. I guess there really are no vacancies. Why are you making things difficult for him?"

The man in brocade clothes looked Dongfang Liuli up and down, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, and his tone softened a bit, "Miss, I advise you to mind your own business."

"I'm just discussing the matter at hand," Dongfang Liuli replied calmly, "If you really need to stay in a hotel, I can give up my room."

Lei Yi frowned slightly and was about to speak, but was stopped by Dongfang Liuli with a look.

"Oh? Miss, are you willing to give me the room?" The man in brocade clothes looked at Dongfang Liuli with a smile, a hint of cunning in his eyes.

Dongfang Liuli smiled faintly, "It's just a guest room. If you don't mind, you can stay here."

The man in brocade clothes wanted to say something else, but at this moment, one of his followers leaned over and whispered something in his ear. The man in brocade clothes' expression suddenly changed. He looked deeply at Dongfang Liuli and Lei Yi, then waved his hand and turned to leave the inn with his followers.

Watching the brocade-robed man and his group depart, Dongfang Liuli's eyes flashed with a chill. She turned to Lei Yi and said, "It seems we've been targeted."

Lei Yi nodded, his expression solemn. "There's something strange going on everywhere in this city. We need to be extra careful."

After returning to the room, Dongfang Liuli was still restless. Lei Yi saw this and comforted her, "Don't worry, I will protect you."

Dongfang Liuli forced a smile, walked to the window, looked at the bustling crowd outside, but felt more and more uneasy.

Suddenly, her gaze focused and she saw a woman in a red dress going in and out of a teahouse opposite the inn. She looked furtive, as if she was monitoring something.

"Lei Yi, look!" Dongfang Liuli pointed at the woman in the red dress and said in a low voice.

Lei Yi followed Dongfang Liuli's gaze and also saw the woman in the red dress. A gleam flashed in his eyes, and he whispered, "Looks like we need to get moving tonight..."

He put down the teacup in his hand, stood up, walked over to Dongfang Liuli, and whispered a few words. Dongfang Liuli nodded. The two looked at each other, and a hint of determination flashed in their eyes. Lei Yi gently pushed open the door, slipped out, and disappeared into the night, leaving Dongfang Liuli alone waiting in the room. As night fell and the lights came on, Lei Yi quietly followed the woman in the red dress. The woman shuttled through the crowded crowd and finally stopped in a secluded alley. Lei Yi quickly hid under the eaves nearby, holding his breath and observing the woman's movements.

The woman in the red dress looked around, making sure no one was following her, then slipped into a dilapidated teahouse. Lei Yi paused for a moment before deciding to take a chance and investigate. He quietly entered the teahouse, finding it empty except for a mysterious figure in black and a conical hat sitting at a table in the corner. The woman in the red dress had her back to Lei Yi, speaking in low voices to the mysterious figure.

"Did you bring the things?" The mysterious man's hoarse voice sounded like the cry of a night owl, making people shudder.

"I brought it." The woman in the red dress took out an exquisite wooden box from her bosom and handed it to the mysterious man, "It's all here."

The mysterious man took the wooden box, opened it and took a look, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Very good, you did a good job."

Lei Yi's mind raced, speculating that the wooden box might contain information related to the auction. Just as he was about to get closer to see the box's contents, the floor beneath his feet suddenly creaked.

The mysterious man raised his head alertly, his eyes sweeping towards Lei Yi's hiding place. Lei Yi muttered to himself, "Not good," and turned to leave, but heard a sneer behind him: "Since you're here, don't hide anymore."

Lei Yi knew his whereabouts were exposed, so he stopped hiding and turned to face the mysterious man. However, the moment he turned around, the mysterious man and the woman in the red dress had disappeared, leaving behind only a table of leftover tea and a faint smell of blood in the air.

Lei Yi's heart sank, knowing he had alerted the enemy. He hurried back to the inn. He told Dongfang Liuli what he had seen tonight. Dongfang Liuli frowned and said, "It seems this auction is even more dangerous than we imagined."

"That's right," Lei Yi said in a deep voice, "We must be extremely alert to deal with the upcoming changes."

The next day, Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli arrived at the auction venue early. Before they could even get close, two guards in black uniforms blocked their path. One of them looked them up and down and said in a cold voice, "Please show us your invitations."

Lei Yi calmly pulled two invitations from his pocket and handed them to the guard. The guard took the invitations, carefully examined them, and after confirming they were correct, said coldly, "Follow me." He then turned and led Lei Yi and Dongfang Liuli into the venue, his eyes never leaving them, full of scrutiny...