"You're saying it was *them*?" Hearing this, Bread shuddered. Shock and astonishment flashed across his face. He hadn't expected that the one bold enough to oppose him would be that arrogant Easterner from before. His expression quickly warped into a fierce, savage sneer as a cold light entered his eyes. "If that's the case, then this is fine. He dares to steal from me, Bread? He'd better not be afraid of winning the prize but not living long enough to enjoy it!"

"Young Master Bread, I just found out something," the man he had sent out couldn't help but say.

"What is it?"

"It seems Elder Vance intends to recruit them. It's said that Duke Babidi met with them privately before." The scout immediately relayed what he had learned.

"Young Master, we must consider this carefully," a powerful elder said slowly from within the VIP room. "After all, Ovilia has the Brad Family behind him. Even if their strength can't compare to our Ashford Family, they cannot be underestimated. If we move against Ovilia and sour our relations with the entire Brad Family—or worse, push them into Elder Vance's camp—it will be troublesome."

This was a powerhouse at the peak of the Blood Clan Duke level, a loyal pillar of Elder 'Black Dragon' Nemosyne's faction.

"Uncle Dumal, you're being too cautious," Bread said with utter arrogance. "The Brad Family isn't a monolith. Besides, I'm only teaching that ignorant Easterner a lesson. As for Ovilia, I'll give him a warning at most. What problem could there be? That Easterner has also offended Vivian. Even if Ovilia is a fool, he wouldn't dare to offend both me and Vivian at the same time, right?"

He paused, a disdainful sneer spreading across his face. "As for Elder Vance? Hmph! Once my grandfather breaks through to our Blood Clan's legendary Prince Realm, what will Vance be then?"

Hearing this, the powerful elder fell silent.

Indeed. Even if Ovilia was a fool, he would never dare to offend both Bread and Vivian of the Nuo Weiya Family simultaneously. Even if he had the gall, the Brad Family wouldn't dare back him up. After all, the Ashford Family had Elder 'Black Dragon' Nemosyne, while the Nuo Weiya Family had Granny Doya, one of their two giants. These were figures not to be trifled with. One was hailed as invincible below the legendary Prince Realm, and the other was a true Prince of the Blood Clan! Who would be so bold as to provoke them?

"You," Bread commanded with a wave of his hand, his face full of disdain, "keep a close watch on the Brad Family's VIP room. The moment that Easterner comes out, notify me. Also, send someone to Vivian's VIP room. Tell her the bidder is an enemy of mine, and that I will personally kill him, retrieve the Blood Ancestor Essence Stone, and present it to her. While you're at it, mention Elder Vance's recent moves."

In Europe, besides a select few, anyone who dared to disrespect or challenge him was either dead or hadn't been born yet. So this time, I'm truly curious. Let's see how this ignorant Easterner plans to escape my grasp. Heh heh... A mocking, icy smirk spread across his lips as he sneered.

...

Meanwhile, as Bread was having this conversation in his VIP room, out in the main auction hall, Grand Duke Abel's gavel fell, announcing the Blood Ancestor Essence Stone, also known as the Blood Moon Stone, had been sold. Instantly, the hall was abuzz with commotion.

"No way, Bread actually gave up? Didn't he say he was going to buy that Blood Ancestor Essence Stone for Vivian of the Nuo Weiya Family?"

"I can't believe it... Bread actually backed down? Can he really swallow his pride like that?"

"What choice did he have? The price for the Blood Ancestor Essence Stone hit the astronomical sum of forty thousand Magic Gold Coins. Even someone like Bread probably couldn't pull out any more cash. Why else would he stop?"

"Still, knowing Bread's personality, there's no way he'll let this go. I bet the buyer has the money to buy it but won't live to use it!"

"You mean...? That can't be right. If word of that got out, who would dare do business with the Ashford Family again?"

"You don't believe me? Just you watch."

...

The venue filled with such hushed, and sometimes harsh, discussions. It was clear they knew Bread well. Given his vindictive and narrow-minded nature, how could he possibly let things slide after being publicly outbid and losing face? Not to mention, this now involved another major figure: Vivian, the great-granddaughter of Granny Doya, one of the two giants of the Nuo Weiya Family. Who on earth was brazen enough to cross both of them at once?

"Hmph!"

At that moment, watching from her VIP room as Grand Duke Abel awarded the Blood Ancestor Essence Stone to another bidder, Vivian—a girl with cute twin ponytails and large, seemingly innocent eyes—let out a cold snort. Her pretty face was gloomy and ashen; she couldn't believe the stone had been sold to someone else.

If I had gotten that stone, I would've had an eighty to ninety percent chance of immediately breaking through to the peak of the Duke realm. But now someone else has it! How could I possibly be happy? Of course, she could have continued bidding herself, but forty thousand Magic Gold Coins was a truly staggering price. Even with the Nuo Weiya Family's great wealth and power, they couldn't spend money so frivolously. And so, she had reluctantly given up.

Just as her irritation was peaking, a knock came at the door of her VIP room. It was one of Bread's men, who relayed his master's message to her. Hearing what the messenger said, Vivian's expression softened slightly. She nodded slowly. "Alright, I understand. Have someone notify me the moment that Easterner leaves the Brad Family's VIP room." Bread's man nodded and respectfully departed.

"Miss, the Brad Family is one of the Three Mafia Families, just like us. Their underlying strength is formidable. Is it really necessary to do this over a single Blood Ancestor Essence Stone?" After the messenger left, a woman who appeared to be in her fifties approached Vivian and whispered this warning. The woman's aura was terrifying, shockingly on par with Grand Duke Abel on the stage—she was a Grand Duke of the Blood Clan!

"Granny Melissa, it's the Brad Family that's disrespecting us. They knew perfectly well that I, Vivian, wanted that Blood Ancestor Essence Stone, yet they continued to bid. And so what if they're one of the Three Mafia Families? They've always been the weakest of the three. What is there to fear? Hmph!" Vivian waved her hand dismissively, her expression full of contempt.

In my eyes, the so-called Brad Family doesn't even qualify to be compared with the Nuo Weiya Family! If they know what's good for them, fine. But if they don't... heh heh...

At that moment, Chen Fei, Young Master Chen, received the unexpected prize of his trip: the Blood Moon Stone. It was delivered personally by Duke Babidi of the Ashford Family.

"Duke Ovilia, young man, congratulations on winning the Blood Ancestor Essence Stone," Duke Babidi said as he entered, bowing towards Ovilia. His eyes and his words, however, were directed at Chen Fei. He had recognized Chen Fei's voice as the one bidding against Bread and Vivian.

Hearing Duke Babidi's congratulations, Chen Fei's eyes twinkled. He turned slightly and raised a hand with a light chuckle. "Thank you for your congratulations, Duke Babidi."

With this, Chen Fei confirmed that he was indeed the one who had competed against Bread and Vivian.

Duke Babidi's eyes flickered, and a look of concern appeared on his face. "Young man, it is a joyous occasion that you've won the Blood Ancestor Essence Stone, but I want to offer a private word of caution. Your actions have likely offended both Bread of the Ashford Family and Vivian of the Nuo Weiya Family. This is a very serious and dangerous matter. You should prepare yourselves." As he spoke, his gaze drifted discreetly towards Ovilia. The Brad Family must be this Easterner's backing, but this time, even they might be powerless to help, right?

"Heh, thank you for your kind reminder, Duke Babidi. But you don't need to worry about me," Chen Fei replied with a chuckle, his words causing Duke Babidi's expression to freeze. "Since I had the guts to compete with them, I'm certainly not afraid of them. If they know what's good for them, fine. If not, I'll just deal with them both at the same time."

Deal with them... both? At the same time?! He had offered a kind warning, only to receive such a reply. Deal with Bread and Vivian together? This... Duke Babidi's jaw went slack, and he was speechless for a moment.

It's understandable why he's so shocked. Not only are Bread and Vivian both Dukes of the Blood Clan, but they are also accompanied by even stronger followers—experts at the peak Duke level or even Grand Dukes! And that wasn't even the most important part. The most important part was their terrifying backers. One was Elder 'Black Dragon' Nemosyne of the Ashford Family, said to be invincible below the Prince Realm! The other was Granny Doya of the Nuo Weiya Family, one of its two giants and a legendary Prince-level powerhouse in her own right! In all of Europe, almost no one dared to offend Bread and Vivian simultaneously. The patrons behind them were simply too fearsome to provoke. And yet, what did this Easterner just say? Does he have any idea who their backers are?

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