People who had never personally experienced the despair of being targeted by a Grandmaster could never truly understand the feeling. It was as if the entire world had abandoned you, leaving you isolated with a bone-chilling cold. Just as Jade felt like she was falling into an abyss of despair, Seth stepped forward. His figure might not be particularly imposing, but it gave Jade a strong sense of security. He had pulled her out of the abyss and back into the sunlight. At that moment, Jade's heart melted. She looked at Seth with an endless tenderness.Sometimes, winning a woman's heart happened unexpectedly. The moment Seth stood up, shock erupted through the crowd. Everyone looked at him as if he were a fool. He was definitely lacking wits to have the balls to play the hero in such a situation.Seth looked at Kronk and said calmly, "That's enough. Bullying a woman doesn't demonstrate any skill."Terrifying malice flickered in Kronk's eyes. He growled. "Who do you think you are? G
Jade gritted her teeth. "You dense man! There's no hope for you!"At this point, the calligraphy and painting masters had become the center of attention in the room. Apart from the highly respected elders, there was also a middle-aged man among them. When the people learned of his identity, they were filled with amazement."Mr. Wilder is so young?""I'm a devoted fan of yours, Mr. Wilder!""Did you bring any new works this time, Mr. Wilder?"Basking in the limelight, 'Wilder' answered everyone's questions with a smile. In particular, he seemed to favor the attention of beautiful women.Seth also asked a question, "I wonder who you learned your craft from, Mr. Wilder?"'Wilder' proudly replied, "I'm self-taught!"This instantly earned him a shower of flattery. Everyone recognized the enormous commercial value attached to Wilder's work. A single painting of his could easily sell for over millions, and with some marketing, the potential was limitless.After exchanging some initia
Jade leaned in close to Seth's ear, her voice filled with excitement. "Do you see that? That's my idol. This painting is absolutely priceless. I have to get it, no matter how much it costs."Seth's expression was odd, but he did not reply with anything.After the introduction, the host immediately announced the starting bid, which was set at ten million. This was mainly to respect the dignity of the elderly masters in attendance.The moment the bidding began, Jade made the first offer, "80 million!" She was determined to win it. Her bid did nothing to intimidate others, however."90 million!""120 million!""130 million!"In a matter of moments, the price had skyrocketed to about 200 million. In a city like Imperial City, where wealth and prestige were more prominent, prices were bound to be even higher.The price for Wilder's piece had reached a point where it exceeded the annual profits of many publicly traded companies. Even the fake 'Wilder' was smiling broadly. "This i
Kronk's lips twitched. He wanted to dismiss the situation at first, but his fear of losing that much money made him decide to follow Seth's advice. They brought out some vinegar and began fumigating the scroll.All eyes in the room were locked onto the scroll as it was subjected to the test. The impersonator, on the other hand, was anxiously scanning the room. He was searching for a possible escape route. Unfortunately, every exit was guarded, and he had no chance to flee.As the scroll was fumigated with the vinegar, it began to exhibit clear signs of aging."It's really getting old!""Oh my god, does this mean the painting is a fake?"The elderly gentlemen present, experts in their field, approached the scroll and examined it closely. They even used various tools for further analysis. The results were consistent with the fact that the painting was indeed from hundreds of years ago.Although it shared similarities to Seth's style, the impersonator had altered it slightly. It bec
They watched Seth's brushwork with awe and amazement. He painted with a seamless flow, and like a god, his strokes were bold and unrestrained. His brush never left the paper."Is this what's called the 'One-Stroke Creation’?""My goodness, this long-lost art is making a comeback!""Am I dreaming?"Several of the elderly artists could not nontain their curiosity as they rushed to Seth's side. They stared at the desk in fascination, captivated by what they were witnessing. One of them asked, "What's the One-Stroke Creation?"An informed observer explained, "It means completing a painting with a single stroke from start to finish. The tip of the brush can't ever leave the paper or touch more ink during the process. It requires an extremely high level of skill and control to achieve."Someone inquired, "Can't masters do it?"One of the elderly artists shook his head and replied, "We can't. Unless we practice diligently for another 30 years."Another elderly artist chimed in, "We
"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight has truly been an eventful one!"The youthful and beautiful host, after a few brief words, got straight to the point. "As Mr. Wilder intended, the starting price for this painting, named 'Dragon Traverses the World,' is 100 million, with each bid increment being not less than ten milli—"Before the final word was even said, Kronk opened the bidding by shouting, "500 million." He was determined to win this painting because he believed that the painting was of him and that he was the dragon in flight.Jade refused to back down. "600 million!"The host was so shocked that her jaw dropped. She had hosted many auctions, but none of them had been as insane as tonight. The bids kept increasing by a hundred million each time, and even that did not extinguish the enthusiasm of these wealthy bidders.The price continued to soar. In no time, the figure reached 800 million. At this point, some of the people had regained their senses, but a small group of them we
"Sir!"The driver was astonished and hurried over. However, he too suddenly went blank and lost consciousness.Seth took the scroll.After a moment's thought, he stripped Kronk and the driver of their clothes, posed them in various positions, and took some photos.Then, he left.On Jade's side, she picked up her phone and called Charmaine upon returning home. She chatted excitedly over the phone, describing everything that had happened tonight to Charmaine.Of course, she did not reveal Seth's identity.Having listened to her, Charmaine teased, "You're all worked up. Are you in love?"Jade was not a little girl and was not shy about discussing such topics. In fact, she openly admitted to it."That's right. I do have strong feelings for him. It seems that he has really high standards, though. I'm not sure if I can succeed."On the other end of the call, Charmaine was thoughtful as she hummed. "What kind of man is he that renders even Jade Beth herself insecure?"Jade thought
Seth was momentarily puzzled. "You'd be okay with what?"Jade punched Seth's chest playfully and said, blushing, "Oh, you're so annoying. You're just asking for the sake of it now. Hold on. I'll take a quick shower."With that, she turned around and went back to her room, leaving Seth rather bewildered.He shook his head and went to check on Alaska. At the door, he listened carefully. Both mother and daughter were sleeping soundly together, their breaths steady. Seth decided not to disturb them and returned to his own room to take a shower.Meanwhile, Jade entered the bathroom, removed her clothes, and took out the precious bath gel that cost her a heaping fortune. She had only used this gel once on her wedding day. It was one of ten limited-edition bottles in the world. It was so expensive that even the wealthy could not purchase it.She applied the gel to her body. It had a pleasant fragrance that had the power to subtly awaken the deepest desires within a person. The scent imme