The RoFan Novel Fan Has Reincarnated Into A Martial Arts Novel-Chapter 42: Wounded Beasts
“G-Gold? One hundred gold coins?”
The auctioneer’s flustered voice rang out, and Namgung Jihyeon thought she’d misheard.
“Did he just say one hundred gold?”
One gold coin was worth ten silver coins. That meant one hundred gold equaled a thousand silver. For a single, ordinary necklace? Even if the embedded gem was unusual, that was absurd.
Namgung Jihyeon turned her head toward Yi Cheongang, whom she’d deliberately been ignoring until now. Sitting beside him, Hwangbo Yeon looked slightly startled, but behind the white egret mask, Yi Cheongang gave her a reassuring look.
Namgung Jihyeon felt her stomach twist at the sight of a gentle gaze she’d never seen from him before.
“O-One hundred gold coins! Does anyone wish to place a higher bid? If not, we’ll proceed. One, two...”
Desperate to wrap things up, the auctioneer, his eyes practically spinning, began counting down on his fingers.
“Brother! Are you just going to sit there!?”
Jihyeon urged, and Namgung Myeong finally raised his hand with an exaggerated, leisurely air. It was a signal to pause the auction. As the most important guest in attendance, the auctioneer immediately froze.
“What’s going on?”
“What’s happening?”
All attention turned to Namgung Myeong as he exercised his privilege. But he looked unconcerned as he addressed Yi Cheongang.
“One hundred gold coins? Did I mishear? You’re not the type to joke around.”
“It’s something I need.”
“That necklace? You need that? Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t tell me...”
Namgung Myeong’s gaze shifted to Hwangbo Yeon. A smirk crept from beneath the dragon mask as he jeered.
“You’re planning to give it to her?”
Yi Cheongang, gifting a necklace to a woman? It was practically a declaration.
Namgung Jihyeon waited for Yi Cheongang’s usual icy rebuke. He was famous for never allowing any speculation when it came to man-woman relationships.
But Yi Cheongang’s response completely shattered her expectations.
“And if I am?”
“...What?”
The moment passed between the two men, and Namgung Jihyeon clenched her fists without realizing it. Her nails dug into her palms, but she felt no pain.
“This can’t be real.”
She refused to accept it. The man once called stone-hearted—why was Yi Cheongang acting like this? Was it really because of that pitiful little tramp, Hwangbo Yeon?
At that moment, Namgung Myeong growled through clenched teeth.
“Is that so? Then what a shame.”
He pulled a heavy pouch from his coat and tossed a glance at the auctioneer.
“I’ll match the 100 gold—and add whatever silver I have left. Should be around 300.”
“Yes, understood. Then—”
“Two hundred gold.”
It was Yi Cheongang’s voice.
Namgung Myeong finally lost his composure and {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} shouted,
“Two hundred!? That’s insane!”
With the price doubling in an instant, the auctioneer began to sweat bullets.
“L-Let me confirm, please. That’s... quite a large amount...”
Descending from the stage, the auctioneer approached their table. He first reached for Namgung Myeong’s pouch—but of course, Namgung Myeong wasn’t having it.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Do you have any idea how much money I’ve spent here already?”
“M-My apologies.”
Deflated by his frosty glare, the auctioneer turned instead to Yi Cheongang.
“I’m very sorry, but... would you mind if I check? You’re a first-time guest...”
“No problem.”
Yi Cheongang nodded, and the auctioneer bowed before carefully opening his pouch. After rummaging around for a moment, he looked up.
“They’re real gold, no doubt. I’d have to count to confirm the exact number, but it looks about right.”
“This is insane. He really is dropping two hundred gold?”
“Why not?”
At Yi Cheongang’s nonchalant reply, Namgung Jihyeon bit her lip. She knew her brother had brought everything they had. Carrying around 200 gold was already well beyond normal.
The auctioneer, now trying to steady his nerves, spoke up again.
“Then the necklace will go to the guest who bid 200 gold coins.”
The crowd erupted with whispers. Some gasped aloud, others speculated about the masked bidder’s identity.
“Who is he?”
“He looks young—where’d he come from, some rich noble family? And he seems pretty strong too...”
“That girl next to him isn’t ordinary either. Even with the veil, you can’t hide a face like that.”
“Right? He must’ve dropped 200 gold just for her!”
The sudden wave of attention directed at the pair scraped at Namgung Jihyeon’s nerves. She glanced over and saw Hwangbo Yeon and Yi Cheongang whispering to each other as they exchanged a look.
The auctioneer brought the necklace over himself, placing it on their table, still in its adorned display.
“Thank you.”
Yeon spoke softly and reached out to touch the necklace—but at that moment, Namgung Jihyeon couldn’t take it anymore and shot up from her seat.
“This isn’t over yet!”
Yeon stopped mid-motion and looked at her. Even through the veil, the calm in Yeon’s eyes grated on Jihyeon like sandpaper.
“That empty-headed bitch... What, does she think she’s someone just because she clings to Yi Cheongang like a dog?”
Jihyeon yanked a ring off her right hand—the one her grandfather Namgung Yuryong had gifted her while alive.
She tossed it to the auctioneer without hesitation. Namgung Myeong gasped.
“Jihyeon!”
Ignoring him, Jihyeon said to the auctioneer,
“That ring’s worth at least 100 gold. If you have eyes, you’ll know.”
“You can’t! Are you insane, putting that up for auction?!”
“Brother.”
Jihyeon glared at him with sharp eyes.
“Do you want to walk out of here humiliated? Get a grip. Have you forgotten who we are? We are...”
We are the Namgung Clan. The Namgung Clan.
She left the words unsaid—but they blazed in her expression. Namgung Myeong had no response.
Jihyeon snapped her gaze back to the auctioneer.
“Well? I’m taking the necklace.”
Just then, the previously silent Hwangbo Yeon spoke.
“Do you accept physical items?”
“Ah, well...”
The auctioneer hesitated, but Jihyeon cut in sharply.
“Quit dragging it out and back off. That ring’s more than good enough. Not like your cheap little trinkets could compare.”
Her voice oozed contempt as she threw a sideways glance at Yi Cheongang.
“You too—wake up. Do you really think that low-born brat suits you?”
But just then, Hwangbo Yeon pulled something from her coat.
A small, deep-blue case.
“What kind of knockoff junk is that supposed to be...”
But Namgung Jihyeon didn’t get the chance to finish her sentence.
The box opened, and the deep green gemstone was revealed.
Namgung Jihyeon, who prided herself on her eye for jewels, was struck speechless.
It was a jade of such exceptional quality that even “top-grade” felt inadequate. Its flawless clarity and auspicious glow created the illusion that it was casting light into the surrounding darkness.
“Th-This is...”
Even the auctioneer, whose eyes had been sharpened by years of evaluating items day in and day out, couldn’t close his mouth.
Snapping out of her stupor, Namgung Jihyeon shook her head.
“...No. There’s no way that’s real. Bring in an appraiser. Now!”
So flustered she forgot to speak politely, she barked out the order. The auctioneer scrambled off somewhere, and before long, an elderly man with a tired face appeared in the hall.
“Sir, please, take a quick look at this.”
The auctioneer, who’d practically dragged the old man over, whispered urgently.
“This could break our auction house’s all-time sales record!”
“Tch. This ain’t my first day in business. What’s got everyone so riled up?”
Grumbling, the old man still pulled out his magnifying lens. By then, a crowd had already gathered.
“Well now, this is a first.”
Glancing nervously at the onlookers, the elder first inspected the ring that Namgung Jihyeon had offered. His sleepy eyes immediately sharpened.
“Oh ho... now this is something you don’t see every day. Certainly not something just anyone could possess.”
Namgung Jihyeon found a bit of relief in the way the old man glanced at her. Of course—something her grandfather gave her couldn’t be ordinary. Honestly, trading it for that necklace felt like too much of a waste.
The old man, likely having heard the situation on his way over, looked toward the auction necklace and said,
“Not to speak too boldly, but this ring might be better suited for auction than that necklace. You’d need to start it at no less than a hundred gold.”
“Oooh...”
Gasps of admiration followed. Namgung Jihyeon finally felt like her footing had returned. She gave a haughty scoff for good measure.
“At least there’s someone here who knows quality.”
The elder chuckled and turned to the auctioneer.
“What’s the next item?”
“This way.”
The auctioneer gestured. But the moment the appraiser saw the gem in the navy blue case, his old eyes widened like a blind man regaining sight.
“Wha—!”
He carefully took the box into his hands and stared at the gem, unmoving. Then he turned to Hwangbo Yeon and asked,
“Where in the world did you come across something like this?”
“Is it necessary to disclose the source?”
Yeon’s calm reply made the old man wrinkle his nose and raise his lens again.
“Not necessarily, but I can’t deny I’m curious. Wait a minute—are you seriously planning to use this as payment for that necklace?”
“Yes.”
“What!? That’s outrageous!”
“Sir!”
The auctioneer quickly cut in and shot him a warning glance. Namgung Jihyeon, watching the exchange, began to feel a creeping sense of unease.
“Hey! Why are you making such a fuss over a fake gem?”
“Fake?”
The old man’s face soured instantly at her words. Whatever admiration he’d shown her moments ago vanished completely.
“This is real. And ‘real’ doesn’t even begin to cover it. This jade is among the top three I’ve seen in my entire life.”
“What...?”
“There’s no need to look at me like that. No matter who you bring in, they’ll say the same thing.”
His unshakable tone made Namgung Jihyeon grit her teeth.
The auctioneer cautiously asked,
“Sir, so... what would you say it’s worth?”
“Hmph. You think putting a price on something like this is easy?”
“Well, we do need a number...”
At the auctioneer’s prompting glance, the elder reluctantly cleared his throat.
“Ahem... If I had to say, it’s worth at least 400 gold. And if you auctioned it properly, it’d go for far more...”
“Four hundred gold!?”
“He’s insane!”
The crowd exploded before the old man even finished his sentence. Some whistled at the staggering sum.
“That veiled lady’s jade is worth four hundred gold!”
As cheers erupted toward Hwangbo Yeon, Namgung Jihyeon quietly retrieved her own ring. She clutched it tightly in her palm where no one could see.
“This can’t be happening...”
Her head bowed, and into her ears came Hwangbo Yeon’s bright, cheerful voice.
“Well, that’s settled then. We’ll be taking the necklace. No problem, right?”
“Y-Yes! Of course, no problem at all! We’ll take the jade as payment and subtract the winning fee. You’ll still have credit left over. Haha...”
Terrified she might cancel the deal, the auctioneer hurriedly added,
“Would you also like the defensive vest from earlier?”
“Oh, you remembered. I did like that one. Yes, please.”
“Of course! We’ll include the vest and calculate the remaining amount. Based on the 400 gold valuation, that still leaves quite a bit to spare.”
“Perfect.”
“Thank you! We’ll prepare everything immediately!”
As footsteps faded into the background, Namgung Jihyeon felt a bubbling rage swell in her gut. Just before she could explode, a hand settled on her shoulder.
It was Namgung Myeong.
“Jihyeon.”
“Brother...”
“No more disgraceful scenes.”
“But... I can’t just—”
“Jihyeon!”
He cupped her face in both hands and lifted it. Through the dragon mask, she could see his eyes struggling to contain their fury.
In that moment, Jihyeon found herself disgusted by the mask she always wore. Not just her brother’s—her own tiger mask as well. She wanted to tear it all to shreds.
Namgung Myeong spoke in a low voice.
“Jihyeon, now’s not the time for anger. Use your head.”
“...What do you mean?”
“Do you really think that’s just a necklace?”
Her mind snapped back into place. It felt like someone had dumped ice water over her head.
“Then what?”
“Two hundred gold isn’t the kind of money you spend just for pride. There’s definitely more to it.”
“......”
“Let’s leave. I have an idea.”
And so, the dragon and the tiger quietly exited the auction hall.
No one spared a thought for the two wounded beasts as they disappeared into the crowd.
