At this time, there weren't many bidders in the auction center—only about a fifth of the seats were occupied, scattered sparsely throughout the hall.
On the stage, an auction was underway for a soul tool that resembled a belt. The price had already climbed to forty thousand gold soul coins.
Each seat had a bidding panel next to it, with buttons for adding 100, 1,000, 10,000, or 100,000 gold soul coins per bid increment.
By the time Li Chang'an figured out the rules, that soul tool had already been sold for 43,000 gold soul coins.
The auction host on stage, holding a loudspeaker and wearing a warm smile, announced, "Next up, we have a truly rare treasure. Interested bidders, especially our esteemed male guests, please pay close attention."
As he spoke, he gestured to the side of the stage. Three burly men wheeled out a cart draped in red cloth. The contents were hidden, but the general shape suggested it was a large, boxy container.
With a mysterious tone, the host continued, "Can anyone guess what's inside? Let me give you a hint—the starting bid for this item is 100,000 gold soul coins, with a minimum increment of 10,000. This is the crème de la crème."
As an auctioneer, riling up the crowd and stirring excitement among bidders was second nature. He was clearly succeeding at grabbing their attention.
"Now, please take a good look, everyone." With those words, he grabbed the red cloth and yanked it off.
A flash of red light passed, revealing not a box—but a massive iron cage. Inside, a young girl was curled up tightly.
She was mostly unclothed, with only some strategically placed seashells covering her. Due to her curled position, her face wasn't clearly visible, but her figure was undeniably exquisite.
Her fair skin gleamed like jade, and her short light-green hair added a unique charm.
"Some of you might be wondering why a girl like this is starting at such a high price—on par with our expertly trained auction beauties. But if you look closely, you'll see why she's special."
As he spoke, the host pulled out a stick from somewhere and gently used it to lift the girl's light-green hair, revealing her ears.
They weren't human ears—but pointed, feline ones. At the light touch of the stick, they flushed a faint red.
"That's right, you're not seeing things. This girl is a rare catgirl. During her Martial Soul awakening, her body mutated and took on feline traits. Her eyes—one blue, one green—are mesmerizing. And yes, she even has a long tail."
To prove his point, the host tapped her lower back with the stick. The girl winced and twisted slightly, revealing a white feline tail that had been tucked behind her.
"She's one of a kind on the entire continent. To own a catgirl as your pet—just imagine the joy. Imagine grabbing that soft tail during... certain moments—what a sight that would be!"
As he said this, an ambiguous grin spread across his face, and he twirled the stick in the air. "Esteemed guests, the bidding may now begin."
"These bastards... Selling people like pets!" Xiao Wu could no longer hold back and was about to leap to her feet.
Li Chang'an quickly grabbed her arm and gently shook his head. This wasn't something they could change immediately—not even as the Holy Son. Only with societal progress would these outdated customs eventually fade away.
Still, now that he'd seen it firsthand, he wasn't about to sit by and do nothing.
"Brother, can we buy her? She's so pitiful…" Xiao Wu looked at Li Chang'an with teary eyes, afraid he might say no.
Li Chang'an gently stroked her head. "Alright, we'll buy her."
Only in a situation like this would Xiao Wu be okay with adding another girl to their group—she was even encouraging it. But Li Chang'an's heart wasn't clouded with lust. This was about saving a life—nothing else mattered right now.
By this point, bidding was already underway, and the price had risen to 180,000 gold soul coins.
"190,000! A guest in the red VIP section has bid 190,000! Any higher offers?" the auctioneer shouted as loudly as he could from the stage. It was a good price, but he wanted to push it further. After all, the higher the final bid, the larger his commission.
Li Chang'an showed no reaction. He simply signaled to Xiao Wu to raise the bid again—this time, by a full 100,000—bringing the price to 290,000 gold soul coins.
"Let's see who's got the guts to bid against me!" A brash, arrogant voice echoed from the red VIP box.
A pale-faced young man in luxurious yellow robes leaned forward, revealing himself and glaring at Li Chang'an's box.
'Hmph. So it's him.'
Li Chang'an immediately recognized the man—he had once planted a soul imprint on this very prince. Of course he'd remember him.
Fourth Prince—Xue Beng!
"Your Highness, even in an auction house, there are rules. I suggest you conduct yourself properly." Li Chang'an stepped forward instead of letting Xiao Wu face the spotlight.
His current appearance was subtly disguised, thanks to some changes made while at Shrek Academy, so Xue Beng didn't recognize him. But Li Chang'an's aura—his complete disregard for the prince—was unmistakable.
He spoke to Xue Beng as if addressing an annoying fly rather than royalty.
"Fine. Very well. I'll remember this!" Xue Beng growled and retreated. He couldn't afford to make a scene at the Hong Auction house. After all, it was now second only to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and no pushover.
Since his backer, Prince Xue Xing, had been stripped of his title, Xue Beng had kept a low profile. Crown Prince Xue Qinghe ruled with an iron grip, and without support, Xue Beng had to keep his ambitions under wraps.
He had come today specifically for this catgirl—hoping to vent his frustrations—but someone had intercepted her midway!
And he couldn't offer more than 290,000 gold soul coins. Even 190,000 had been his limit. But Xue Beng wasn't planning to let this slide…
Li Chang'an closed the deal with a final bid, securing the catgirl and refusing to be intimidated by the Fourth Prince. This bold move sparked curiosity among the guests—after all, sitting in a black VIP box wasn't something just anyone could do.
Seeing it all settled, Xiao Wu finally let out a sigh of relief. But then she looked at Li Chang'an apologetically. "Sorry, Brother. I made things difficult for you... and even offended a prince."
Li Chang'an gently squeezed her hand and offered a few comforting words, though inside, he was secretly thrilled. Xiao Wu didn't realize it yet, but she'd basically gifted him a maid.
Once the catgirl auction was concluded, it was time for the final round of bidding. This last item was the highlight of the night, and only those with assets over a million gold soul coins could participate.
It was here.
Li Chang'an straightened up in his seat. That strange, familiar sensation was getting stronger.
This last item—it was going to be something very important to him.
____
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