"I heard all the slaves here are quite capable."
Lai Yi smiled, deliberately jiggling the money pouch at his waist—so deliberately that the slave trader Louis couldn't help but nod along eagerly.
"Guaranteed capable, sir! The female slaves I have here are the most competent in the entire kingdom," Louis replied, a lewd grin
spreading across his face. Yet beneath that smile lurked a deep-seated disdain. After all, Lai Yi was a notorious ne'er-do-well in the royal capital, a man everyone knew was ruled by his base desires.
If it weren't for his lucky birth into the famous Greystone family—famous solely for his privileged lineage—he'd likely be beaten to death on the street one day, and the crowds would cheer.
"Recently, your family helped the kingdom conquer the Elven Realm of Eldora. We've got a lot of elven female slaves in stock now. Would you like to take a look, Lord Lai Yi?"
"Elves?"
As they spoke, a group of elves passed by. Each one was breathtakingly beautiful, yet their wrists were shackled, and they huddled on the ground—their faces empty, as if all hope had been crushed.
Their kingdom was gone, their homes destroyed, and they themselves had become nothing more than commodities to be bought and sold.
Lai Yi, however, showed no interest whatsoever.
"Lord Lai Yi, you don't like elves?" Louis asked, puzzled.
What Louis didn't know was that Lai Yi was a transmigrator, hailing from a great country in the East. How could he possibly be the kind of man ruled by his base instincts?
Quietly, he pulled up his status panel:
Name: Lai Yi
Level: 1
Status: Kidney Deficiency
Class: None
Sanity: 49/100 (Below 50: Enter Madness; Below 30: Witness Indescribable Horrors; Below 10: Devolve into a Monster)
Vitality: 90/100
Talents:
Strong Kidneys: You possess exceptionally robust kidneys—they might fetch a high price in Northern Myanmar.
Drug-Tolerant Body: Years of drug use have left your sanity teetering on the edge of normalcy, but you've gained extraordinary drug resistance. No matter the drug, it will grow ineffective after a few uses.
Information Maven: Daily, you randomly receive one piece of intelligence.
Today's Intelligence: [Ophelia, the exiled princess of Eldora, is hiding among Louis' slaves, preparing to escape.]
Faced with Louis' question, Lai Yi slowly uttered a four-character remark, sharp and precise:
"Elves are overrated."
"Pardon?" Louis stared, completely confused.
Lai Yi's eyes darted around the room—not aimlessly, but in search of Ophelia, who was disguised as a ugly slave. His gaze lit up when it fell on an iron cage, where a fox-eared girl sat.
The reason for his excitement was obvious: her chest was bigger than his head.
"That's Nanako—she's the finest slave I have here," Louis said, noticing his interest. "With a little training, she'll become the most obedient servant you could ask for. Nobles love fox-girls like her, and—she's still 'untouched,' pure and natural."
After elaborating on her virtues, he paused, then added, "The only downside is she's a bit pricey—80 gold coins."
Lai Yi lost interest immediately. The problem, of course, was the cost.
He scanned dozens of iron cages, and finally, he spotted his target: an elven girl so ugly that, if not for her long, pointed elven ears, Lai Yi would never have guessed her race.
Yet Lai Yi's eyes sparkled. Instantly, her status panel popped up:
Name: Ophelia
Level: 50
Class: Lightbearer
Sanity: 100/100 (Below 50: Enter Madness; Below 30: Witness Indescribable Horrors; Below 10: Devolve into a Monster)
Vitality: 100/100
Talents: ???
There was no mistake. This was Ophelia—he'd found her.
"This elf… she's hideous, and she never speaks. Worse, she's got a terrible temper," Louis explained quickly, trying to downplay her.
"Keeping her here is a waste of rations. I've hidden her in the farthest corner to avoid scaring off other customers."
Lai Yi sneered inwardly. "Avoid scaring customers" was just an excuse. Louis' real goal was to help the princess escape capture.
Louis' heart skipped a beat. Lai Yi had ignored so many beautiful elves—could it be that he actually liked ugly ones? The more Louis
thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Nobles often grew tired of beautiful things and sought out "oddities" to spice things up.
Panic set in: What if Lai Yi demanded this elf? He couldn't let anything happen to the princess!
Inside the iron cage, Ophelia felt uneasy under the handsome man's gaze. She'd used magic to make herself this ugly—why was he still looking at her?
Louis, the slave trader, was actually her former royal steward. He's one of my people, she thought. Why aren't you looking at that fox-girl? She's far more desirable.
Why would any man pay attention to her now?
Memories of her mother flashed through her mind—her mother, who'd been killed by the enemy, had once told her, "You're the most gifted among us. If you can escape, you'll avenge Eldora."
Her mother's last words echoed in her head: Ophelia, no matter what you endure, you must be patient. Be strong. Hide your true self. Never act on impulse… You have to blend in with the captured slaves, wait for your chance to escape, and then seek revenge.
The road ahead will be full of hardships, but I know you'll survive.
Mother… I will. I promise.
Ophelia had cried all her tears the day her kingdom fell. Now, she was nothing but strength and resolve.
Lai Yi, however, had no intention of revealing his true motives. He put on a disgusted expression, then turned back to the fox-eared
girl Nanako—her face was pure and pretty, her big eyes as innocent as a deer drinking from a stream.
And her chest… it was so large, one couldn't help but wonder: Does she need someone to hold them up?
"She's not bad," he said. "How much for this fox-girl?"
"A flat price—80 gold dragons," Louis replied, rubbing his hands together like a greedy fly, his face oozing cunning.
Lai Yi tossed his money pouch to Louis, pretending to be a reckless spendthrift. "Keep the change."
Inside the pouch was only about 50 gold dragons. Truly living up to my reputation as a wastrel, Lai Yi thought. In the Kingdom of Catisia, he was infamously known for his prodigal ways.
Louis forced a smile, though his face had turned dark. But with the princess watching, protecting her safety came first—he had no choice but to accept.
"Hehe, little one," Lai Yi cooed at Nanako, feigning infatuation. "What should you call me now?"
"Master," Nanako whispered, her voice trembling. She had been a slave in the Elven Realm, and after Eldora's fall, she'd been taken to Catisia, where she'd become a slave once again.
Her only wish was to find a kind master—someone who would let her eat her fill every day.
Lai Yi kept up his act, pretending to be utterly enchanted. But out of the corner of his eye, he never stopped watching Ophelia.
You're the most valuable slave here, Princess Ophelia.
Seeing Lai Yi's idiotic, lovestruck expression, Ophelia felt a surge of relief. Men are all the same—fools ruled by their desires.
Good. He hasn't discovered me.
"She's mine, then," Lai Yi said, then suddenly changed his tone—like a general unfolding a battle map, his words struck directly at Ophelia, who had been silently watching, relieved just moments before.
"As for this one," he nodded at Ophelia, "she's ugly, and you'll never sell her anyway. Why not sell her to me? I'm tired of pretty things—I want something 'different' for a change. Besides, I need someone to fetch me water and bring me meals."
"What?!" Ophelia's heart lurched. She looked up, only to meet Lai Yi's playful gaze.
Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you?
Could this man be into ugly women? Ophelia thought in horror. I made myself so repulsive, even I can barely stand to look in the mirror… and he still wants me?
Louis panicked. He couldn't let this happen—not to the princess he'd sworn to protect!
"Lord Lai Yi… perhaps I could give you another beautiful elven maid for free?" he suggested, desperation creeping into his voice.
At his signal, some of the nearby elves stepped forward, dancing gracefully to show off their elegance, hoping their beauty would make Lai Yi change his mind.
Others sang, their voices clear and melodious
The beautiful, blonde, blue-eyed elf nearby took the initiative, her slender hands stripping off her ragged clothes.
She pinched the areola of her nipple and began to rub it slowly, suppressing a moan as she said,
"Young master, please choose me."
She hoped she could take the princess's place and be chosen by the lecherous Lai Yi.
Seeing that Lai Yi was completely unmoved, she steeled herself and brazenly exposed her small, pink labia to him.
Her fingers dug crudely inside, making a gurgling, wet sound.
Along with the wet sounds, she moaned wantonly, "Young master, you're so big, so amazing."
Lai Yi said nothing, just watching with great interest as she pleasured herself like a sow in heat.
Seeing Lai Yi's seemingly captivated expression, Alice was overjoyed and worked her cunt even more vigorously.
Crimson blood trickled from her tight little cunt; she was actually still a virgin.
Ophelia's heart bled as she watched this unfold.
Everyone had sacrificed so much for her.
Who knew that Lai Yi would just sneer contemptuously and say, "Me? I'm used to playing with pretty ones. Now I want to play with an ugly one."
Of course, there was no way he would let his lust get the better of him and release the elven princess, Ophelia.
Tears of anguish pricked Ophelia's eyes. They're sacrificing themselves for me…
"Lord Lai Yi, please—choose one of the pretty ones!" Louis begged. "This one is so ugly—what if she offends you? I couldn't bear the responsibility!"
"Didn't I just say I'm tired of pretty things?!" Lai Yi snapped. "I want this ugly slave today! You're rambling on so much—are you hiding something from me? You better not forget—I'm utterly shameless."
Louis' lips tightened. A murderous glint flashed in his eyes. Should I do it? Kill him here, then disappear with princess before anyone finds out?
Lai Yi, sensing his intent, added casually, "You know, all I have to do is shout, and the city guards will be here in an instant. Do you really want to oppose me?"
With Sanity at 49, he didn't back down—he confronted Louis head-on.
Louis felt as if he'd been plunged into an ice bath. Right… the city guards. If he attacked now, all hope of reviving Eldora would be lost.