When the day of the auction finally arrived, the beasts were dragged out of the basement. Bound in sinister chains, they were pulled toward the surface. In the magnificent auction hall above, they were placed in a corner, an unseen art preventing them from making a single sound or motion. The white wolf struggled against his bonds, but the more he fought, the tighter the chains became, inflicting greater pain. He gave up and took in his surroundings.
The hall was filled with an overwhelming number of humans. All the floor seats were occupied, and more were seated in private rooms, watching from above. The wolf felt as though he was prey, and their assessing gazes swept over his body. A white wolf, particularly a low-level one, was a rarity on the Northern Desolate Continent. The legendary White Wolves were said to be powerful, living deep in the Endless Forest, and rumored to be so formidable that they dwarfed even Xiantian cultivators. Ancient records described them as creatures that freely roamed the world, but today's humans had little to no contact with them.
The humans in the hall studied the white wolf for a while before concluding that he had no relation to the powerful White Wolves. His connection to the two grey wolves beside him suggested he was simply a mutation.
The hall buzzed with conversation as small groups of humans spoke about what they hoped to acquire. Then, a woman in a long purple dress walked onto the stage, and the crowd fell into a profound silence. She wore purple earrings, a necklace with a red gem, and a purple hairpin that held her black hair in place. Her dress failed to hide her mesmerizing figure, which was both curvy and perfect. At five-foot-five, her brown eyes shone with a powerful light that seemed to outshine the sun and stars. She exuded the aura of a goddess—a being no one dared to blaspheme.
The white wolf could smell the spike in sexual desire from the crowd, both male and female. He looked at the woman and, to his surprise, found her incredibly beautiful. His heart raced, his yellow eyes dilated, and the hair on his back stood on end. Ashamed, he quickly looked away. These were his captors, yet he was filled with such senseless thoughts.
"My name is Huang Shengyi," the woman said, bowing to the crowd. "I will be your auctioneer today. I hope to serve you well."
Her gesture of respect and appreciation instantly won over the crowd, who erupted in praise. Some, who had glimpsed her cleavage as she bowed, felt an even stronger attraction. Those who recognized her name realized she was from the Huang family, one of the five powerful families that ruled the Tinding Kingdom and could even suppress the royal family. Lustful thoughts quickly disappeared from the minds of those who had plotted to get her into their bed chambers. They understood that when it came to this beauty, all they were allowed to do was look.
"Let the auction begin," she announced. "I promise that today, you will all leave the Blue Merchant Auction Hall satisfied, as long as you have enough gold coins."