On the border of the Heavenly Dou Empire, there is a bustling city called Black Rock.
This place is a melting pot of all sorts of people, and its unique geographical location has fostered a thriving underground trade.
Ling Ye changed his appearance slightly, donned an inconspicuous gray cloak, paid a hefty entrance fee, and followed the guide into the secret auction house located deep underground in the city.
His goal in coming here was clear: to find some special soul tools that could better conceal his aura.
While relying on the Myriad Transformations Concealing Breath Technique to maintain disguise doesn't consume much soul power, it always puts a slight burden on the mind, and there's an inevitable risk of being seen through by top-tier experts.
He had to be wary of the Spirit Hall's investigation and the watchful eyes of the two great empires and the three upper sects.
The auction room was dimly lit, with a tense yet frenzied atmosphere.
Bidders wearing various masks or hoods hid in the booths, watching as one shady item after another was presented on stage, followed by a fierce bidding war.
Ling Ye sat quietly in the corner, his mental energy slightly spreading out to sense the energy fluctuations of the auction items.
The first few items were nothing more than stolen goods or fragments of soul bones of unknown origin, which he had little interest in.
It wasn't until a jade pendant soul tool that could randomly alter one's subtle aura appeared that he used the gold soul coins he had earned from selling a Crimson Blood Ginseng to easily bid for it.
"The next item is one of tonight's 'highlights'!" The auctioneer's voice was laced with excitement. "A top-tier 'catwoman' from the Star Luo Empire! Not only is she stunningly beautiful, but her figure is also exceptional. More importantly... she's a genuine Soul Master! Although her Soul Power is currently sealed, her foundation is still intact! Buying her, whether as a bed warmer or a bodyguard, is absolutely worth it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a huge iron cage was pushed up.
Inside the cage, a girl huddled in a corner.
She wore a tattered gauze dress that barely covered her body, outlining her stunningly voluptuous curves and slender waist.
She had fair skin, a stunningly beautiful face, and long, flowing black hair.
What is most striking are her eyes, like purple gemstones, which should have been dazzling, but now only cold despair and deathly silence remain, as if she has become numb to everything in the world.
She wore specially made soul-guided shackles on her wrists and ankles, sealing her power.
Even in such dire straits, she still carried an inescapable air of aloofness and pride.
Ling Ye's pupils contracted slightly.
He recognized the girl!
Zhu Zhuqing, the second young lady of the Zhu family in the Star Luo Empire and Dai Mubai's fiancée!
How did she end up here? And have she become a slave? The plot seems to have taken a turn because of his butterfly effect?
Perhaps it was because the competition for the throne in the Star Luo Empire was even more fierce that she fled in advance and met with misfortune?
A chorus of heavy breathing and greedy stares erupted from the audience.
Such a stunning beauty is also a Soul Master, enough to ignite the possessive desire of any man.
"Starting bid: 10,000 gold soul coins!" the auctioneer announced loudly.
"Eleven thousand!"
"Fifteen thousand!"
"Twenty thousand!"
Prices soared, and bidders were on a roll.
Zhu Zhuqing remained curled up, staring blankly at the iron cage bars, unresponsive to the commotion outside, as if her soul had already died.
Looking into her desperate and numb eyes, Ling Ye was inexplicably touched.
He recalled the time when he struggled at the bottom of the Spirit Hall and suffered endless scorn; he had experienced that sense of powerlessness and despair.
Moreover, this is Zhu Zhuqing, who has a strong personality and a tragic fate in the original work.
Just as the price had been driven up to 50,000 gold soul coins and was about to be won by a bloated, noble-looking man, Ling Ye finally spoke.
His voice, processed by his soul power, sounded deep and hoarse: "One hundred thousand."
The entire room fell silent instantly!
All eyes turned to the figure sitting in the corner, shrouded in a cloak, with suspicion and uncertainty.
Doubling it all? That's a huge move!
The fat nobleman's face turned ugly, and he gritted his teeth: "110,000!"
"Two hundred thousand." Ling Ye's voice remained calm, yet it carried a sense of unwavering determination.
hiss!
A collective gasp filled the arena.
Two hundred thousand gold soul coins, just to buy a female slave?
This has far exceeded its intrinsic value!
The fat nobleman's face turned ashen, and he reluctantly sat back down; no one dared to raise the price again.
The auctioneer excitedly shouted three times, "Sold!"
Ling Ye went directly onto the stage, paid for a storage soul tool containing a large amount of gold soul coins and several rare herbs, and received the key to unlock the shackles and Zhu Zhuqing's soul master identity certificate.
He dragged the iron cage outside the auction house and found a safe spot.
He walked to the iron cage and opened the cage door.
Zhu Zhuqing finally reacted. She raised her head, her lifeless purple eyes looking at Ling Ye with a hint of mockery and resigned indifference, awaiting the humiliation to come.
However, Ling Ye did not touch her. He simply put the key and identification into her hand, then took out a large black cloak from his soul tool and gently draped it over her body, covering her alluring figure.
"Put it on, you're free." Ling Ye's voice was still hoarse, but it carried an undeniable gentleness.
Zhu Zhuqing froze, a sudden surge of emotion appearing in her icy eyes for the first time as she stared in disbelief at the mysterious figure shrouded in a cloak.
free?
This word was too distant and too luxurious for her.
"Why...why?" Her voice was dry and hoarse, tinged with the awkwardness of someone who hadn't spoken in a long time.
"It's nothing, I just can't stand it," Ling Ye said calmly. "Let's go, leave this place, and go wherever we want."
After saying that, he turned and left, as if he had really just done a small thing on a whim and had no ulterior motives towards her.
Zhu Zhuqing watched his retreating figure, then looked down at the keys and identification in her hand, and felt the warm cloak carrying the scent of a strange man.
My cold heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something, and a crack appeared in the solid ice.
She struggled to her feet, dragging her weak body, and staggered out of the auction house.
It was already late at night, and a cool breeze made her instinctively pull her cloak tighter around herself.
Seeing Ling Ye's figure about to disappear around the street corner, she couldn't help but call out, "Wait...wait a minute!"
Ling Ye stopped and looked back.
Zhu Zhuqing stood in the cold moonlight, her black hair loose, her face pale, wrapped in a large cloak, looking both fragile and stubborn.
A complex light flickered in her eyes, a mixture of wariness, gratitude, and a hint of confusion.
"I...I have nowhere to go." Her voice trembled slightly, revealing a hint of helplessness.
She can't go back to the Star Luo Empire; her sister and Dai Mubai's people are hunting her down.
With the continent vast and the soul power sealed, where could she, a girl severely injured, go?
Ling Ye looked at the ill-fated girl in front of him and remained silent for a moment.
He hadn't intended to meddle; rescuing her was just a momentary impulse.
But now...
"Following me might be more dangerous," Ling Ye said truthfully. "My enemies might be more terrifying than the people who are hunting you down."
Zhu Zhuqing bit her lip, but her eyes gradually hardened: "I'm not afraid of danger. I just want to... become stronger!" She needed power to avenge herself on those who betrayed and hunted her down!
The mysterious and powerful man before her might be her only hope.
Ling Ye looked at the flame that had reignited in her eyes, a desperate desire to survive.
He smiled and said, "Want to become stronger? Sure. I happen to need a maid to serve me tea and water."
After saying that, he turned around and continued walking forward.
Zhu Zhuqing paused for a moment, looked at his back, and finally took a step forward, silently and resolutely following after him.
The moonlight cast long shadows of the two of them.
A new journey seems to have begun.
Ling Ye, meanwhile, was pondering how to break her seal and find her a suitable soul ring.
This little wildcat, whose fate has taken a wrong turn, might be trained into a fine weapon.
Of course, the premise is that she has to be obedient enough.
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(End of chapter)