Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Mona looked Damien up and down with an irritated expression.

"Ironclaw confirmed that as long as someone has taken the antidote, the secret drug poses no immediate danger, so it's worth sending Tobias in to scout things out," Damien explained.

Mona smiled. "I knew it. Sending him in beats us wandering around blindly."

"It's not like I'm heartless. Tobias isn't just the bodyguard Mrs. Ashford assigned to me — there's something a little special about him physically." Mona spoke in a mysterious tone, then stopped right after sparking curiosity.

"What's so special about him?" Damien thought it over but couldn't figure out anything unusual about Tobias.

Mona grinned smugly. "That's a secret."

She turned and walked away, and even the way her long hair swept through the air showed how good a mood she was in.

Damien shook his head helplessly and pulled out his phone to call Ghosthand. He had earlier asked Ghosthand to keep an eye on Crescent City's official website, and now they needed to set up an identity for Tobias.

"Can you try hacking into Crescent City's official website?" Damien asked.

To create a solid, believable identity, they had to work from the back end — otherwise Tobias would be exposed the moment he reached the front gate.

"No, I already tried. Crescent City's firewall is seriously strong, and there's an alarm system on top of it. I can't get in," Ghosthand replied, sounding a bit defeated.

Damien didn't push him further. He thought of Jared, hung up, and called him instead.

"Crescent City's firewall is top of the line — it's the hacker Sawyer's greatest work. No one has ever broken through it, and the alarm system inside is all interconnected. There's really nothing I can do."

After hearing what Damien wanted, Jared didn't even bother saying he'd give it a shot — he just flat-out refused, which said a lot about how the firewall was regarded in the field.

"But I do want to thank you for keeping your word and sending me the arena blueprints," Jared added.

"No need to thank me. I promised I would," Damien said, not thinking much of it.

"Honestly, my advice is to just drop it. Even if you managed to change the back-end info, if they catch on, you're done. Better find another way."

That was Jared's final word of advice to Damien.

When Mona heard about the situation, she said directly, "Just have Tobias go in under the Ashford family name. Eloise will definitely cooperate."

"We just need to find the Wraith Grass — no need to make it so complicated," as far as Mona was concerned.

"Each person can only attend once, and we don't know which auction the Wraith Grass will show up at. That's why I wanted to modify the back-end records — so Tobias could go multiple times without getting caught," Damien explained.

Mona nodded in agreement, but that option was off the table now.

"Since that's not going to work, I'd still rather you go in under the Ashford family name. As for Tobias, we'll find him a different identity," Damien continued.

"You really know how to work the angles," Mona teased.

"Fine. Since we're on the same side now, I'll go in under your Evil Dragon organization's name, and Tobias can use the Ashford family identity."

Damien nodded. "That's actually well thought out."

There was another reason Damien was doing this — he didn't want to draw Celestial Temple's attention. Based on what Ghosthand had passed along, Celestial Temple had likely arrived in Crescent City before them, yet everything around them was completely quiet.

That quiet didn't sit right with Damien.

Before long, Crescent City's official website posted the exact date of the end-of-month auction. Shortly after, the hotel where Damien was staying filled up fast — everyone was coming for Crescent City's rare herbs.

With so many people around, Damien's group blended in much more easily.

One day, Mona headed downstairs to eat, and ran straight into a group of thugs.

Her pretty face was tight with anger as she glared at the men in front of her.

"Get out of my way!"

"Hey, don't be like that. Just chat for a bit — what's the harm? I'm with Dragon Society. Stick with me and I'll make sure you live well."

A fat man in a cheap wig leered at Mona's figure.

He had been watching her for two days. She didn't seem to have any powerful backing, and the people around her were few — so he figured it was safe to make a move.

Mona laughed coldly. "I'm telling you to get lost before you make me angry."

Her sharp, icy look only made the man more eager.

Mona was disgusted by the way he was staring and didn't hold back. "Looking at you makes me sick. Even a second glance is too much."

Her words set him off. "Pin her down — I'm going to have her today no matter what!"

At his command, his guys moved in and grabbed Mona. He was already reaching out with a gross grin on his face.

But in the next second, a large hand shot out, grabbed the man's hand, and snapped it downward. A sharp crack of breaking bone rang out, followed by a shriek that echoed through the entire hall.

"Let go of me!"

The man screamed in pain. Damien released his hand, then swung his leg and kicked him straight into the wall.

Beside him, Ironclaw had already taken care of the lackeys — they were all sprawled out on the floor.

"You hit me! Do you know who I am?! Dragon Society won't let this go!" The greasy man stumbled to his feet, clutching his hand, and shouted back over his shoulder as he ran.

"Brainless idiot," Mona spat at his retreating figure.

"Things are messy around here lately. Tobias can't stay by your side right now, so watch yourself — try not to go out alone," Damien said, looking at Mona.

"Got it." Mona's good mood was completely ruined.

The group ate together, and when Damien headed out afterward, he brought Mona along, figuring they'd take a look around and see if anything caught their eye.

Because of the auction, people had poured in from all over, and a small street market had formed in the area during this time.

Along both sides of the market were shops that stayed open year-round. Because of their proximity to Crescent City, these shops occasionally carried things you wouldn't find anywhere else.

Once Mona heard that, her earlier bad mood vanished completely, and she eagerly pushed Damien to hurry up and go.

Damien walked the streets with Mona without any particular destination in mind, and eventually they stepped into a shop that looked like it had been around for a long time.

Everything about it — from the sign above the door to the decorations inside — gave off an old, mysterious feel.

The wind chimes at the entrance rang out, followed by a soft, warm "Welcome." Damien and Mona looked up to see a woman inside wearing a long dress.

Mona had worn a qipao before — on her, it looked sharp and striking. The woman in front of them wasn't a stunning beauty, but she wore her long dress in a way that brought out every bit of its gentle, graceful quality.

"Feel free to look around. It's all old stuff. Let me know if anything catches your eye," the woman said with a smile.

Mona started browsing and eventually settled on a painting. She asked the price — and got a number that even she found outrageous.