Boiling Beast Bloodline
Chapter 1238 - 338 Desert Star-tailed Turtle_2

Chapter 1238: Chapter 338 Desert Star-tailed Turtle_2

Liu Zhenhan shifted his large buttocks and glanced at the sculpture behind him. It was a Broken-Arm Goddess carved from snowy white marble; despite the slightly cracked surface due to age, the divine craftsmanship left it flawless. The goddess’s silk robe had slipped below her navel, barely covering the critical areas.

"This sculpture was modeled after Cleopatra Vellans, the famous queen of Aiji Country in the desert, dating back over a thousand years," Rommel explained. "Do you see the broken arm? The master sculptor, Mick, felt that he had carved the arms too perfectly and, in his indignation, chopped them off, resulting in his own beheading for desecrating the queen’s majesty. Even if it’s a replica, it’s not a bad imitation and even captures the queen’s captivating charm."

"If that old beast were still alive, I’d chop off his head too," Liu Zhenhan lamented sorrowfully. "Damn it! Who sculpts like that? Why didn’t he slide that silk robe down another inch!"

Rommel sighed, unable to fathom how such a perfect work of art could only evoke lascivious thoughts in a Beamon’s eyes.

Suddenly, a crisp tinkling of bells rang out, and a graceful middle-aged beauty stepped onto the marble podium. Although a veil half-covered her lovely face, her stunning curves still hinted at her beauty.

"What is she talking about?" Liu Zhenhan, hearing the enticing voice of the beautiful woman yet unable to understand a word, questioned. This was, after all, Mulan, and it was unlikely that people would commonly speak the universal language of the continent here.

"She’s introducing tonight’s auction items," Rommel replied quietly, turning his head slightly. "’Crown Pearls’ is a luxury auction in Kalimantan City owned by His Highness the Caliph. Tomorrow is the Bowl Festival, and tonight is just a warm-up."

"Are there any Beamon beauties being auctioned tonight?" Liu Zhenhan asked.

"Are you planning to kill someone again?" Rommel chuckled. "I’m afraid you’re out of luck. Tomorrow is the Bowl Festival; the Beamon beauties won’t be brought out now. That royal noble you just killed probably had backdoor access to pick a Beamon beauty in advance."

Before Liu Zhenhan could express any thoughts, the auction had already begun. Exquisite jewelry, eight-foot-tall corals, ancient gem-studded ornaments, and magically enhanced weapons and armor were paraded one after another by stunning maids, while magical spotlights shone brightly on these treasures, casting a myriad of colorful reflections around the room as bids were called out continuously.

Rommel, while translating the beautiful woman’s introduction, also offered his personal appraisals of the rare wonders, none of which caught Liu Zhenhan’s eye. Magic-enhanced armor was only slightly enchanted, but listening to Rommel’s insights was quite enlightening.

"Don’t underestimate this auction," Rommel said, patting his waist. "I got my Kagaride Gem here."

"Holy crap!" Liu Zhenhan was wildly envious; he hadn’t expected that such incredible stuff could be found in a place like this.

As they talked, a huge, gasping green-haired Giant Tortoise with its head drooping was carried onto the stage by about ten strong men using thick wooden poles, grunting as they lifted it. Liu Zhenhan’s eyes lit up—wasn’t this a Star-tailed turtle? This one seemed even older than the one he had killed, its shell’s rings turned dark, and its tail, resembling a meteor hammer, was also smashed off at the end. One could only wonder who managed to damage such a nearly indestructible Magical Beast so badly.

"This tortoise was trafficked by Bobo Country traders. They say it fought a giant python and was severely injured before being captured," Rommel explained to Liu Zhenhan. "People from Bobo Country are skilled at recognizing treasures and are known for ’Bobo offers treasures.’ Two years ago, someone brought a stone from the Silk Continent claiming it had a treasure inside. A curious person paid a high price, split open the stone, and indeed, a horse was inside."

"Dead or alive?" Liu Zhenhan asked eagerly.

"Alive," Rommel replied.

"Can it fly?" Liu Zhenhan asked.

"It’s not a Pegasus, but the horse managed to conceal its tail, which it could extend from time to time to whip people. Getting hit by its tail felt almost like a blunt blow," Rommel chuckled. "The bidding has reached 6000 now. Do you want this beaten tortoise?"

"Put a bid for 6001 Gold Coins!" Liu Zhenhan sniffled.

"Just so you know, even though Bobo people are good at identifying treasures, they prefer deceiving," Rommel said with a laugh after placing the bid. "This is a very rare Magical Beast known as the ’Underground Drunken Tortoise’ from our desert. It usually lives in Wine Spring underground; no idea how it came to the surface. But this beast’s Crystal Heart definitely isn’t worth 6001 Gold Coins."

"An underground Wine Spring?" Liu Zhenhan laughed.

It seemed that someone had great faith in the Bobo people as the price rose to 6,500 Gold Coins.

"That’s right! According to the elders in the desert, there is a lake hidden underground filled with wine. The Desert Dwarfs said their ancestors encountered it when they were mining," Rommel added, his voice suddenly dropping after mentioning the Desert Dwarfs.

"Dwarfs love their liquor; this should make us rich," Liu Zhenhan pretended not to have seen: "Bid for me, 6,501 Gold Coins!"

"The wine from the underground Wine Spring can’t be drunk. The ancestors of the Desert Dwarfs who drank it either went mad or blind," Rommel reported the bid again.

The bid suddenly jumped to 7,000 Gold Coins.

"I swear, this bidder must be a plant! Tell them I’m offering 8,000 Gold Coins, and if anyone else competes, I’m out!" Liu Zhenhan became enraged.

"You must be crazy! How is the Crystal Heart of this drunken turtle worth 8,000 Gold Coins?" Rommel asked incredulously, "What use do you have for this drunken turtle at such a high price?"

"Idiot! I have 14,000 Gold Coins that I won from you; what else would I keep it for?" Liu Zhenhan snorted with laughter.

With 8,001 bid, indeed there was no further contention.

"Now it’s time to inspect the goods; I really want to see what treasures are inside this turtle," Rommel’s eyes shone.

The brawny men on the display stage lifted the barely alive desert Star-tailed turtle again, someone carried over a blazing brazier, brushed the turtle with a layer of red medicinal liquid, and then placed it over the coal to roast. Strangely, the giant turtle, which had been barely alive, squealed and slid out of its shell shiny, red, and smooth.

"Damn!" Liu Zhenhan jumped in shock.

"Don’t be scared, this is a Far East method. Diviners from the Silk Continent predict with live tortoise shells because it is more accurate. They use a secret medicinal liquid and fire to roast, allowing the tortoise shell and body to easily slide off," Rommel signaled Liu not to be so surprised.

A bearded man pulled a golden knife from his waist, spaced his fingers, and measured a spot on the belly of the shell-less turtle. He plunged the knife into the unprotected turtle belly, picked with the tip of the knife, and scraped out a bloody gem the size of a goose egg, rough and textured, emitting an overpowering smell of liquor.

Gasps filled the hall!

The man continued his task. The desert Star-tailed turtle, even without its shell, was about the size of a cow. He extracted twelve identical black pearls from the turtle’s belly, the largest the size of a pumpkin and the smallest about the size of an egg, all dull and knobby, emitting a strong pungent smell that made the man’s face wet with tears.

With each extraction of a black pearl, a gasp echoed around, the pearls are valuable when round, and although these were not round, their sheer size was rare indeed. The Bobo people said there were treasures in the turtle’s belly, and it seemed there really were, only the smell of the pearls was a bit unbearable.

**

Highly recommend a similar work "Fierce Doctor"! It’s about mechanical humans!