Fu Ye gazed down at Yu Xiaogang and the others with an air of indifference.
'Now that the two living Buddhas, Tang San and Tang Chuan, are keeping each other in check, I don't even need to lift a finger—they'll tear each other apart on their own.'
After all, in his perception, the potential of Tang Chuan, the reincarnated God King, was nearly exhausted.
'A useless martial soul is just that—useless.'
Tang Chuan's Blue Silver King could, at best, support him up to the Soul King realm. If he wished to advance further, the only path was to refine his own bloodline.
'Blue Silver Grass will never become a powerhouse.'
That was the conclusion drawn from millennia of experimentation across the continent. The ceiling for an ordinary Blue Silver Grass was the ninth-level Soul Master—it was simply too weak, too common.
Tang Chuan's cultivation journey was almost at its end. He had likely already noticed that his progress was slowing, gradually falling behind those around him.
Tang San could always switch to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer—but what about our reincarnated God King Tang Chuan?
'When the time comes, our God King Tang will turn against his own brother for the sake of power. Heh heh heh…'
'I can't wait to witness these two half-brothers, these living Buddhas, slaughter one another.'
A faint smile flickered in Fu Ye's eyes, but just then, Shui Bing'er took his hand. The cool touch of her skin snapped him back to reality instantly.
"Hehe, Brother Fu Ye, I want extra lessons tonight too."
…
The Heaven Dou Auction House was a paradise for the wealthy—the largest den of extravagance in the imperial city, second only to the brothels.
After letting the girls enjoy themselves that afternoon, Fu Ye had sent them back to train. Fun was fun, but cultivation must never stop.
He, on the other hand, put on a mask and headed to the auction house for some amusement.
Of course, he hadn't come specifically to buy a cat maid.
Upon entering the auction hall, Fu Ye's first impression was one of opulence.
The towering dome was adorned with brilliantly colored murals, each stroke flaunting unimaginable wealth.
A massive crystal chandelier shone with dazzling light, scattering like starlight across the spacious interior. The floor was covered in plush, exquisite carpets that muffled footsteps, lending an air of refined luxury.
Tiered seating surrounded the hall, crafted from high-grade wood and intricately carved. Each seat was spacious and comfortable, offering guests an optimal view of the auction.
At the center stood a solemn auction podium made of precious stone. The auctioneer stood atop it, enthusiastically presenting each rare treasure.
The atmosphere was tense and heated. Officials and nobles clad in lavish attire gathered, their manners elegant as they vied for the items they coveted.
Every corner of the auction hall exuded luxury and nobility—a perfect mix of wealth and art.
"Sir, here is your entry pass. Please keep it safe."
Once the attendant completed the admission formalities, Fu Ye stepped inside.
The Heaven Dou Auction House, the largest in the empire, divided its seating into five sections. The three rows closest to the stage were crimson—reserved for the most distinguished guests.
Radiating outward were black, purple, and white sections. At the heart of the hall was a large circular stage for displaying auction items, surrounded by concentric rings of seats that served as markers of status.
But Fu Ye preferred to keep a low profile. He merely presented a card worth 50,000 gold soul coins, so his seat wasn't among the highest grade.
The auction house attendants were all beauties. They were not just staff—they were also commodities.
These waitresses had been purchased and trained by the auction house since childhood. Emotionless and soulless, their faces remained perpet blank.
Fu Ye felt a pang of sympathy for these girls, but he felt nothing beyond that. A body without a soul was worthless, no matter how beautiful.
Soon, Fu Ye arrived at his seat.
The auction hall was only about a quarter full.
A storage soul tool, similar to a ring, was being auctioned, and the bid had already reached 70,000 gold soul coins.
To Fu Ye's left was a special bidding device with six buttons: 100, 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 50,000, and 100,000—each representing the increment per bid.
Fu Ye had only just sat down when a scholarly-looking middle-aged man took the seat to his left. Sensing the man' aura, Fu Ye raised an eyebrow slightly but gave no other reaction.
Finally, the storage soul tool was sold to a noble for 83,000 gold soul coins.
The host on stage smiled warmly into his microphone, addressing the crowd:
"Next up, we have a truly rare item. Interested guests, especially our gentlemen, please pay close attention."
With a theatrical gesture, he signaled offstage. Three strong men wheeled out a cart covered tightly with red cloth. The contents were hidden, but the shape suggested a large square box.
Fu Ye knew immediately—inside was the kitten girl from the Soul Land 1. Due to a mutation in her martial soul, her body had undergone irreversible changes, granting her a rare and powerful talent.
Unfortunately, she was born into a fallen noble family. Her father had gambled away their entire fortune, reducing this young lady to a mere auction item. The proceeds from her sale would go toward repaying his debts.
The host played up the mystery.
"Can anyone guess what this is? Let me give you a hint: the starting bid is 100,000 gold soul coins, with increments of no less than 10,000. This is a top-tier treasure!"
In the next moment, he yanked the red cloth away with a flourish.
A flash of red light later, it was revealed—not a box, but a large iron cage. Crouched inside was a young girl.
She wore only simple garments that barely covered her body. Curled up as she was, her face wasn't clearly visible, but her figure was nearly perfect.
Her fair skin resembled warm jade; her short, light-green hair gave her an exotic charm.
"You may wonder why this girl commands such a high reserve price, on par with the beauties we've trained for years. But look closely—you'll see what makes her special."
As he spoke, the host produced a rod, reached into the cage, and gently lifted the hair beside the girl's ears, revealing them clearly.
They were not human ears, but pointed—like a cat's. At that moment, they flushed slightly red from the touch of the rod.
...
"Indeed, she is a rare cat-girl! When her martial soul awakened, her body mutated and developed certain feline traits. Her eyes—one blue, one green—are particularly striking. She even has a long tail."
As the auctioneer pressed a rod against the cat-girl's waist, her tail instinctively curled out in fear, exposed to the watching crowd.
The nobles all stared greedily at the cat-girl trapped inside the cage. It was clear every one of them desired to take her for themselves.
The elegant middle-aged man seated nearby was the first to break composure. Without hesitation, he pressed the button to raise the bid.
Following his lead, the wealthy nobles behind him also began competing fiercely for the auction item.
One hundred thousand.
One hundred twenty thousand.
One hundred fifty thousand.
The bidding didn't stop until it reached one hundred eighty thousand.
The one who offered such a high price was none other than the elegant middle-aged man sitting next to Fu Ye—though Fu Ye preferred to call him the old fox, Ning Fengzhi.
Even from half a mountain away, Fu Ye could recognize his scent, let alone when he was seated right beside him.
"One hundred eighty thousand! The guest in white has raised the bid to one hundred eighty thousand! Is there anyone willing to go higher?"
Soon, another number flashed on the large display.
"One hundred ninety thousand! Another guest in white has raised it to one hundred ninety thousand!"
Fu Ye was wearing a full-face mask. It had been a long time since they last met, so Ning Fengzhi didn't recognize him.
But when he noticed that the young man beside him was the one raising the bid, a faint, almost imperceptible sneer flashed in his eyes.
Daring to compete in wealth with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Without a second thought, Ning Fengzhi raised the price again.
"Two hundred thousand! This guest has actually offered two hundred thousand!"
Seeing the other party upping the bid, Fu Ye followed suit. But he wasn't in the mood to play small—he'd already swindled plenty from Xue Ye anyway. What did it matter if he spent a little more to buy a cat-girl?
"Three hundred thousand! This guest in white has raised the bid by one hundred thousand all at once! Could it be he truly favors this little cat-girl? Is that why he's offering such an astronomical price?!"
Ning Fengzhi's mouth twitched when he saw the young man beside him raise the bid by a hundred thousand in one go.
After all, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's money didn't come from thin air. Wasn't raising by a hundred thousand a bit too much?
"Three hundred ten thousand! Another guest in white—"
Two and a half minutes later.
"Boy, are you deliberately trying to provoke me? Three million! Did you come here just to make trouble?!"
When the bid reached three million, the old fox Ning Fengzhi finally lost his temper. He had, after all, promised the cat-girl's mother that he would buy her freedom—and she, in turn, had promised that her daughter would join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
That was the very reason Ning Fengzhi was willing to spend money on the cat-girl. Once she entered the sect, wouldn't she be his to command?
[Author's Note: The characters written by Tang Jia San Shao do have a certain… flair. In the original work, it's mentioned that the auctioned cat-girl wore only three shell coverings. I've toned it down slightly for acceptability.]
Fu Ye raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. He simply clicked the +100,000 button silently.
Sometimes, silence speaks louder than words. Ning Fengzhi felt as though his pride had been ground underfoot—trampled not once, but twice.
Before he could even react, another series of changes appeared on the big screen.
"Three and a half million! Three and a half million!"
The auctioneer was nearly going mad. Three and a half million gold soul coins! No one in their right mind would spend that much on a slave!
With that amount, one could buy over thirty beautiful and well-trained female slaves in this very place!
Ning Fengzhi's face turned ashen. As the master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, he had never been beaten in a contest of wealth! But was a cat-girl really worth this much?
Originally, he had planned to spend a few hundred thousand at most—two hundred thousand would already have been extravagant.
But now? Three and a half million! Let some other fool pay that price!
He was a businessman, first and foremost. Profit was everything. As special as the cat-girl was, and despite his promise to her mother, her value simply couldn't compare to 3.5 million gold soul coins!
"Hah… Fine, kid, you win. But I'd like to see if you even have the money to pay such an exorbitant price."
Ning Fengzhi was already scheming—if the other party couldn't pay, the cat-girl would still be his!
"Tsk. Ning Fengzhi, after all these years, you've started a family. What do you think would happen if I told Rongrong that you were spending millions to buy a cat-girl? Do you think she'd still acknowledge you as her father?"
Finally, Fu Ye dropped the act and revealed himself.
He lifted a corner of his red full-face mask, revealing a strikingly handsome face.
"Damn! I knew it! It's you—alright, alright, you win."
Ning Fengzhi cut himself off mid-sentence, suddenly recalling the fear he once felt under Fu Ye's dominance.
"Oh? Just as sharp as ever, you old fox. You catch on quick."
Hearing Ning Fengzhi concede, Fu Ye felt quite pleased. It seemed the intimidating impression he'd left was still effective.
"Alright, the cat-girl is mine now. But I'll be sure to have a nice long chat with Rongrong about how you tried to outbid me with three million."
Fu Ye flashed a wicked grin. Given Ning Rongrong's temperament, Ning Fengzhi would need quite a while to smooth things over.
"I—!"
Ning Fengzhi's words stuck in his throat. He chewed them over again and again, but in the end, nothing came out.
"The competition is about to begin. Rongrong said she has a surprise for you. You wouldn't want to miss it."
With the collapse of the evil capitalist Ning Fengzhi, Fu Ye successfully purchased the cat-girl for 3.5 million.
Not only were the auctioneer and the nobles in shock—even the cat-girl herself felt numb with disbelief when she heard the final bid.
Three and a half million gold soul coins! She knew her father's debt, even with compound interest, only amounted to two million!
"Let us congratulate this guest in white for acquiring this one-of-a-kind cat-girl for 3.5 million gold soul coins!"
Fu Ye only bought one item at this auction—the cat-girl. He truly had no interest in the other lots. Just a glance at the 99,999+ items available in his system mall was enough to leave him feeling deeply jaded.
He was filthy rich—he really didn't need anything else!
It could be said that his cheat device had everything… except living beings.
Even a full set of Dragon God soul bones was priced at 99,999+. Was there anything it couldn't do?
...
"Alright, old fox. I'm going to check the goods first. You made me spend so much money—don't forget to treat me to a meal later."
With that, Fu Ye left the auction center. As soon as he stepped outside, an attendant approached him.
Unlike the others he had seen before, this one wasn't dressed provocatively. She wore a elegant silver gown and was exceptionally beautiful.
But that was all.
"Honored guest, please follow me."
The silver-gowned girl bowed respectfully to Fu Ye and gestured for him to follow.
Guided by her, Fu Ye entered a building next to the auction center.
The room was spacious and warm, tastefully decorated with a comfortable brown leather sofa and a round coffee table adorned with exquisite fruits.
"Please rest here for a moment. Your items will be delivered shortly."
Fu Ye relaxed comfortably on the soft sofa. The fruits looked appealing, but he wasn't in the mood for them.
Before long, several burly men carried in a large iron cage. Inside was the catgirl, locked up.
Fu Ye casually took out a black card and handed it to the silver-gowned attendant standing respectfully beside him. She understood immediately and went to complete the payment.
At that moment, the catgirl was curled up in the cage, her blue-green eyes filled with fear and resentment.
Fu Ye wasn't surprised by her reaction. Being auctioned off like an object was hardly a pleasant experience. She knew all too well what kind of treatment awaited her after being purchased.
Fu Ye slowly walked over to the iron cage and observed the still-wild little girl huddled in the opposite corner.
She wasn't wearing much—just enough to cover her private areas. Under the light, her delicate face was fully exposed.
"Click."
With a casual wave of Fu Ye's hand, the heavy iron cage shattered into pieces and collapsed beside him.
Although the catgirl was startled by this, seeing the cage broken and her freedom restored, her first instinct was to escape.
She knew all too well the abuse that would follow if she were taken away from here.
"Tsk, still so untamed. But it's useless against me."
He had no special fondness for a girl like this. He hadn't spent a fortune to rescue her out of charity. If she were as obedient as that little girl Xue Ke, Fu Ye wouldn't lay a hand on her.
But if she kept trying to escape, he would have to resort to his own methods.
In truth, after branding Zhu Zhuyun with the slave seal, he hadn't planned to bring her into his harem. He didn't want any unstable factors in his inner circle. But she was so sensible that she managed to earn her place.
The same went for Xue Ke. She was also bought by Fu Ye at a high price, but she was clever and quick to learn—whether it was massage techniques or acupressure, she mastered them with precision.
Most importantly, although she was once a princess, she never acted entitled after coming to Fu Ye.
Even the girls from the Tianshui team had built a good relationship with Xue Ke, the support staff. After all, she was now a master masseuse—a ten-minute session from her could ease the whole day's fatigue.
That was also why Fu Ye loved getting massages from Xue Ke—it was simply too comfortable.
As for this catgirl, Fu Ye had already used the system to check her information earlier. Her record was clean, and her martial soul was a black cat that had undergone mutation.
According to the system's description, her mutated martial soul even carried a trace of auspicious energy.
But Fu Ye didn't sense any auspicious aura from her. After all, if she were truly lucky, would she have ended up on the auction block?
After some thought, he decided to assign this little catgirl to be Xue Ke's assistant. As it stood, the internal affairs of the Tianshui team were largely managed by Xue Ke and Dou Dou, the two support staff.
Now that Dou Dou had been sent to Spirit City for training under Bibi Dong—since she was slated to be the referee for the upcoming Continental Advanced Soul Master Grand Tournament in Spirit City—it made sense.
Besides, Bibi Dong had reached the eighth trial of the Asura God Inheritance and could spare some time to guide her.
With Dou Dou gone, Xue Ke had been swamped with work. Bringing this catgirl back to assist her was a timely solution.
Meanwhile, in Spirit City, inside the Pope's private chamber, within a secret room.
"Sister Pope, the training you mentioned is…"
"Shh~ Don't move. As the future referee for the tournament in Spirit City, you need a custom uniform. Lower your arm—you're blocking my measurements."
…
In the Divine Realm, inside the Asura Temple, upon the Asura Throne.
"Heh heh, I'm triumphant, absolutely triumphant! I can finally escape. Bibi Dong's talent is the best I've ever seen in my life."
The Asura God sitting on the throne was brimming with pride. After all, one day in the God Realm was equivalent to one year on the mortal plane.
Now that Bibi Dong had begun her eighth trial, it was worth noting that the ninth trial required her to ascend to the God Realm and succeed him within ten years.
Most individuals could choose to remain on the mortal plane for another century even after inheriting a godhood. But he had nearly gone mad staying in the God Realm.
Now that he had finally encountered a genius with twin martial souls, wasn't it only right to offer some special treatment?
To his right hung an oven, from which dangled a figure entirely shrouded in black, radiating a sinister aura.
"Asura, you bastard! It's been twenty days—a full twenty days! That's twenty years on the mortal plane! Even if I was in the wrong, you can't roast me with divine fire for this long!"
Hearing the other's futile curses, the Asura God paid no mind. Instead, a sly smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Rakshasa, you covered your tracks well last time—I couldn't find any evidence to hold against you. But we still need to have a long talk about your attempt to steal my inheritance."
"Weren't you acting all high and mighty, old woman? Claiming you're pure and innocent, that you've never done anything wrong? Pah!"
As he spoke, the Asura God stood up and turned his back to the Rakshasa Goddess, a glint of cunning in his eyes.
"Just hang in there a little longer, old timer. I'll hand you over to my successor once I depart. As I recall, she suffered quite a bit at your hands, so… hehehe."
As his figure vanished from the Asura Temple, the Rakshasa Goddess finally snapped.
"Asura! #@#￥@#￥@#￥#￥!"
"If you have the guts, come back here and @#￥￥%￥#%#￥%#￥!"
(＃｀)凸
Just as Asura God stepped out of his temple, he ran into the Sea God, an old acquaintance of thirty years.
"Hey, still haven't found a successor? Let me tell you, mine has already reached the eighth trial! Her ninth trial requires her to take my place within ten years—get it?"
Sea God: 'Damn it! I just wanted to have a pleasant chat, and you ambush me with your ultimate move?'
"Asura God, you #￥#￥@#￥! You #@￥#￥#@@!"
Asura God: (⊙﹏⊙)
...
Inside the room, Fu Ye had sealed all the doors and windows with his soul power. As for the feisty little cat girl, a mere flicker of his aura was enough to freeze her in place, completely immobilizing her.
The methods used to tame a house cat would never work on a wild one. After all, not everyone possessed a mind as sharp as Zhu Zhuqing—the quintessential house cat.
The Catgirl before him was a wildcat, and a fiercely unruly one at that.
For a little wildcat like her, Fu Ye had no choice but to use his strength to teach her exactly what she could and could not do.
She watched as Fu Ye reached his hand toward her. Desperate to escape, she found herself utterly powerless against the overwhelming force pressing down on her.
Even with her eyes tightly shut from nervousness, she felt a warm touch on her forehead. Her eyes snapped open to see the masked man before her channeling a stream of golden energy from his finger directly into her forehead!
Veins bulged on her forehead as she struggled frantically against the restraints, but the more she resisted, the tighter they became!
[Catgirl's Favorability: -10%]
[Catgirl's Favorability: -15%]
Fu Ye couldn't help but feel amused hearing the system's real-time updates on her favorability in his mind.
After all, he'd seen plenty of people with maxed-out favorability, but this was his first time encountering a negative rating.
'Well, since it's already like this,' Fu Ye thought, 'I might as well see just how low this favorability can go.'
As he imprinted the slave mark onto the Catgirl, he deliberately controlled its energy output to the minimum.
A flicker of curiosity shone in his eyes. He was genuinely intrigued—if the upper limit of favorability was 100, what was the lower limit?
As the saying goes, if you're already drowning in debt, a little more won't hurt. Since her favorability was already negative, he might as well push it to the absolute bottom.
"Tsk, you really are something special. I wonder what your actual figure looks like under all that."
As Fu Ye's gaze settled on her, the Catgirl's eyes finally revealed pure panic and fear.
Yet, she remained completely paralyzed, forced to watch everything unfold before her.
"Rip."
With the sound of tearing cloth, the Catgirl, now bathed in holy light, was fully exposed before Fu Ye.
"Tsk, not bad at all. Quite interesting."
Just then, the system reported a truly startling number.
[Catgirl's Current Favorability: -80%]
Fu Ye then slowly closed the distance between them, and the system provided another live update.
[Catgirl's Current Favorability: -90%]
'Tsk, this is truly fascinating.'
A -90% favorability rating was a first for Fu Ye.
The Catgirl glared at him, her face a mask of fury, but he simply pinched her chin.
"Alright, stop looking at me like you want to devour me. You're much better off being bought by me than by anyone else."
After giving her figure an appreciative once-over, Fu Ye directly selected a dark green maid outfit from the system mall. As for taking things further with her right here?
Sorry, but Fu Ye wasn't that desperate. He had a harem, after all; he wouldn't just do something like that outside. This little wildcat could be properly trained later.
Casually, Fu Ye released the pressure restraining the Catgirl. Just as expected, fueled by that -90% favorability, she immediately launched an attack against him.
However, before she could even get close, he pinned her to the sofa with one hand.
Three minutes later, the Catgirl obediently put on her clothes. Under the maid outfit, a large, red handprint marked her little bottom.
"Master."
A slight tremble was audible in her voice. She had truly been hurt and frightened by Fu Ye, her brutal buyer.
Her little backside still felt numb and hadn't recovered yet. Finally, she accepted her fate.
The person before her was not someone she could resist.
[Catgirl's Current Favorability: 0%]
That's right. This Catgirl's favorability actually reset to zero after a spanking—though it might also be because Fu Ye hadn't actually violated her.
"You still seem unconvinced. Let me make this clear: as long as you behave yourself and don't cause trouble, I won't lay a hand on you. But if you disobey…"
Fu Ye turned his gaze toward the little cat girl.
"You'll find out what happens then."
With that, Fu Ye opened the door directly. Standing outside was the silver-skirted girl who had earlier helped him pay with the black card.
"This is your black card."
As she handed over the card, Fu Ye simply nodded without a word.
Meanwhile, the Catgirl followed behind Fu Ye obediently, head lowered, lost in her own thoughts.
Soon, the Catgirl's exotic beast's ears drew amazed stares from the crowd outside. Those nobles who had failed to win her at the auction secretly lamented their loss, pounding their thighs in regret.
As for attacking Fu Ye, the masked youth? Don't be ridiculous. Anyone who could casually spend over three million just to buy a toy was clearly no simple figure.
They might not be geniuses, but they weren't stupid enough to pick a fight they couldn't win.
Besides, given that Fu Ye had recently robbed the Heaven Dou Royal Treasury alongside Princess Xue Ke, provoking another devil like him was the last thing they wanted to risk.
Soon after leaving the auction venue, he ran into the old fox, Ning Fengzhi.
Standing beside him was an elderly woman with gray hair, who bore a slight resemblance to the Catgirl behind Fu Ye.
"Jinger!"
The old voice reached the Catgirl's ears, and her eyes widened instantly.
"Mother!"
Watching the Catgirl rush over to hug the old woman, Fu Ye turned his interested gaze toward Ning Fengzhi.
"Old fox, if you keep stirring up trouble, don't blame me for beating you up."
Fu Ye cracked his knuckles. The hairs on Ning Fengzhi's neck stood on end. If anyone else threatened to beat him, he might not believe it—but if Fu Ye said it, he meant it!
"Ahem! I was merely asked by her mother to come see her daughter."
Ning Fengzhi truly didn't dare to upset Fu Ye. He was genuinely afraid the other party would publicly thrash him, the leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, right then and there.
However, Fu Ye's attention shifted elsewhere.
"Tsk, didn't I tell you before? Don't hide in spatial pockets in front of me."
A phantom dragon claw materialized on Fu Ye's right hand, and with a tearing motion, he ripped open the space before him.
Into view tumbled a very disheveled Bone Douluo, Gu Rong.
"Brother, have some mercy—there are so many people watching!"
"You're the one being dramatic. Get out here now!"
Fu Ye reached into the spatial rift, and the next second, he hauled out a middle-aged man in light brown clothes and flung him to the ground.
"Ow, my butt! You ruffian, have you no shame with so many people watching?!"
Gu Rong tumbled on the ground for a good while before scrambling back to his feet. Fu Ye looked down at this old fellow he hadn't seen in nearly twenty years.
"Not bad. You've already reached Rank 97? Your strength has improved quite quickly."
…
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