Just as Liu Junyi and his brother Liu Qianshan contacted the Huaxia Embassy in London, believing they had everything under control, Chen Fei received a phone call. Under the cover of night, he quietly slipped out of his hotel, got into a black Rolls-Royce with an intimidating license plate, and vanished.
About an hour later, a motorcade of black Rolls-Royces with striking license plates stopped in front of the London Royal Knights Garden Hotel. It was one of the world's most famous six-star hotels, its name and luxury a common feature on television. A stay there was a point of pride even for the wealthiest of patrons.
It was also one of the few publicly known businesses owned by the Brad Family in London.
Because of the Ashford Family's presence, few powers from outside London dared to interfere in their affairs. Even if they did, they certainly wouldn't dare operate so brazenly; that would be tantamount to openly opposing the formidable Ashford Family. Who would be so bold?
At this moment, as the line of Rolls-Royces came to a halt, dozens of men in sharp black suits stood arrayed on both sides of the entrance, their expressions perfectly calm. A red carpet stretched from the hotel elevators to the lead Rolls-Royce. At the forefront of this formation stood a gray-haired, blue-eyed man in his thirties or forties. His pale complexion conveyed the gravity of someone awaiting a prominent figure. The sight shocked the hotel's senior management, including the general manager and the owner.
It made sense. Ordinary hotel staff might not recognize him, but as the general manager and owner of the Royal Knights Garden Hotel, how could they not? The blue-eyed, gray-haired man was none other than the Marquis of Blisto, the eldest son of Old Brad and the most prized fledgling of the current Brad Family Clan Leader, the Lord Duke himself. To them, he was an unimaginably powerful figure, and yet… now… They found it hard to comprehend why such a Marquis, who held extraordinary status even within the Brad Family, had suddenly rushed here from Rome and put on such a grand display.
Just then, a man with distinctly East Asian features stepped out of the lead Rolls-Royce, a sight that left the hotel's general manager and owner trembling, their jaws nearly hitting the floor. The gray-haired, blue-eyed Blisto immediately stepped forward, bowed deeply to the young man, and said, "Respected Mr. Chen, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am Old Brad's son, Blisto."
Clearly, the young man was none other than Chen Fei, Young Master Chen.
"Hello," Chen Fei replied with a smile, nodding at Blisto. "Can we depart now?"
"The decision is yours. The lands occupied by the Ashford Family are about a two or three-hour drive from London. If we were to go tomorrow…" Blisto said with the utmost respect.
"Then let's leave now," Chen Fei decided without hesitation.
After all, for people like them, what real difference was there between day and night, aside from habit? Besides, wouldn't leaving tomorrow be a bit late?
At this thought, Blisto acted instantly. Under the astounded gazes of the hotel manager and owner, he rushed ahead of Chen Fei to open the rear door of the Rolls-Royce, then stood aside, waiting for him to enter first. Chen Fei didn't think much of it and bent down to get into the car. He then saw Blisto preparing to close the door, intending to get in the front seat.
Seeing this, Chen Fei stopped him. "You can sit in the back with me. I have a few things I'd like to ask you."
"Yes, Mr. Chen!" A flattered expression instantly appeared on Blisto's face as he followed Chen Fei into the back seat.
The door closed, and the Rolls-Royce slowly pulled away from the hotel, heading out of London.
Gazing at the brightly lit cityscape and the long, luxurious motorcade escorting them, Chen Fei felt a bit out of place and decided to break the silence. "Where is the Ashford Family located?"
"The Ashford Family is in the Peiersido Grand Canyon," Blisto replied, sounding somewhat reserved.
"Peiersido Grand Canyon?" The name made Chen Fei frown in confusion. Peiersido Grand Canyon… I don't think I've ever heard of that place. Where is it?
"Yes. The Peiersido Grand Canyon is a place you won't find on any map. It's difficult for satellites to detect, or rather, it's an area they deliberately avoid. The Ashford Family has designated that place as their family's fiefdom. Its existence is generally unknown, except to top-tier powers like our Brad Family," Blisto explained.
"I see…" Chen Fei's expression was one of genuine surprise. The Ashford Family really lives up to its reputation as one of the three great Mafia families of the European Dark World. To have enough influence to be deliberately omitted from world maps… that's incredible.
At that moment, Blisto suddenly added, "If our Brad Family wanted to do the same, we could. Our elders just don't see the need."
Hearing this, Chen Fei paused for a second before a slight smile touched his lips. "Old Brad mentioned your family is in some trouble. For him to be confined to the family grounds… it must be serious, right?"
"Well…" A look of hesitation and distress crossed Blisto's face, his eyes betraying a hint of worry. He replied evasively, "Yes, but our father and the elders have all taken action personally. It should be resolved soon."
"Your father and your family elders have all personally taken action?" Chen Fei couldn't help but look startled. He wasn't a fool. He knew that any matter requiring Old Brad and all the family elders to act personally was definitely no small thing. However, since Blisto was reluctant to talk about it, Chen Fei tactfully dropped the subject.
Then, recalling something else, he asked, "Right, one more thing. Your father mentioned that the Ashford Family's celebration will include an auction. How are transactions handled there? Surely not with money? Or is it barter?" This was clearly his main concern. For people like them, secular currency is practically useless. So, what do you use for bidding at these auctions? It can't be money, can it? Is it barter?
"No, not with money. In the Western Dark World, auctions like this typically use Magic Gold Coins for bidding," Blisto immediately replied.
"Magic Gold Coins?" Chen Fei echoed, having never heard of such a thing.
"Yes. This is a Magic Gold Coin." Seeing Chen Fei's confusion, Blisto took a shimmering gold coin from his pocket. It radiated a faint, mysterious glow that immediately captured Chen Fei's attention.
"This is…"
Chen Fei took the intriguing Magic Gold Coin from Blisto's hand. Feeling the unusual pulse it emitted, his eyes flashed. "Are these magical elements on it?"
"Yes, they are. You have a keen eye, Mr. Chen, to see it at a glance," Blisto praised, then continued to explain. "It's different from the cultivation methods of you Ancient Martial Artists of the East. In the West, nearly all Ability Users and Magicians base their cultivation on the magical elements scattered throughout the world. As for these Magic Gold Coins…"
He paused briefly. "They contain a certain amount of magical elements. Using them for cultivation can significantly increase a Western practitioner's speed. Thus, within our Western Dark World circles, we use these Magic Gold Coins as currency for transactions."
"But don't you Blood Clan cultivate Blood Energy?" Chen Fei interjected.
"The energy we of the Blood Clan cultivate is called Blood Energy. It can be converted into magical energy, so it makes little difference," Blisto explained.
"I see," Chen Fei said, a wave of understanding washing over him. Still, he had another question. "So where do these come from?"
"We make them ourselves," Blisto said.
"You make them yourselves?" Chen Fei asked, startled.
"Yes," Blisto confirmed. "Aside from the magical energy, it's just an ordinary gold coin. Nearly every practitioner in the West knows how to make them; the only difference is the speed at which they can do it."
Blisto paused, then continued without waiting for a question, "A Marquis of the Blood Clan, like myself, needs about a full day to create one standard Magic Gold Coin. A Duke, even one who has just broken through, can make one in less than an hour."
"The speed is the same for an A+ Level Ability User or an S-Level," he added.
"From the sound of it, these Magic Gold Coins are quite hard to come by. And I don't have any," Chen Fei said, finally understanding but now faced with a new problem. Where was he supposed to get them?
However, in the next second, Blisto resolved his worries. "Respected Mr. Chen, you need not be concerned about that. This time, my father had me bring 30,000 Magic Gold Coins from the family. As long as you don't plan on buying out the entire auction, it should be more than enough." It seemed Old Brad had anticipated that Chen Fei wouldn't have any Magic Gold Coins and prepared them in advance.
Hearing this, Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, was taken aback for a moment, then he smiled. "Thank Old Brad for me when you have the chance. Consider this a favor I owe your family."
"Not at all, not at all, respected Mr. Chen! You are being too formal," Blisto said, shaking his head, though he was inwardly ecstatic. His father had prepared so thoroughly, providing a full thirty thousand Magic Gold Coins. Wasn't it all for the sake of earning this very favor?
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