The next morning Maren woke up pretty early, while Niita was still sleeping in his bed, exhausted from last night, as a high-level Cultivator like Maren had several times the... vigour of normal people. Added to the fact that he took her first time just a while ago it was understandable that she got tired both in mind and body. Glancing at her body that was covered by the sheets, Maren let out a satisfied smile and then started to collect his clothes, that were chaotically spread around the room. After getting dressed he went downstairs to get some breakfast, both for himself and Niita. Although Maren didn't see her as anything close to a lover, he still had basic courtesy and thus cared about her enough to not just throw her away immediately after having his fun.
On his way to the dining hall, he passed by the counter, where Mrs Pen was sitting, as if already waiting for him.
"Good morning sir Cultivator! I hope you had a pleasant night?"
Her voice sounded disgustingly sweet, causing Maren to harrumph his nose slightly.
"Stop being so disgustingly friendly with me."
Maren gave her a replay dripping with disdain. Although he enjoyed Niita to the fullest yesterday, that didn't mean he had a good impression of Mrs Pen. Quite the opposite, in fact, he really hated the woman's treatment towards her own daughter. Remembering his own parents, Maren's thoughts were filled with warmth and seeing a mother completely disregarding her daughter's well-being hit a soft spot.
Yes, he was a hypocrite, but who cared? Maren always lived how he wanted to, and had others bow their heads in front of him.
"I'll take Niita with me, how much silver do you want."
Noticing Maren's unfriendly attitude towards her Mrs Pen slightly frowned, but as she heard him talking about his desire of wanting to buy Niita, her eyes glowed with insatiable greed.
"Please sir Cultivator, we're only a poor family, so I hope you understan-"
"I'll give you one thousand silver. Is that enough?"
Mrs Pen choked on the words she wanted to say just now. Originally she would have sold Niita's life for a measly 300 silver, but Maren was obviously a rich tycoon.
"Deal!"
She happily chirped, while greedily staring at Maren. The latter just took out a pouch and counted the silver coins. He then threw it at the reception counter.
"Get me something to eat too."
He gave a stern gaze towards Mrs Pen.
"Two portions."
"Yes, yes sir."
Mrs Pen was blinded by the silver coins, and didn't put Maren's change of attitude towards her, in her mind. She happily walked to the kitchen, while Maren sat down at one of the tables.
He quietly circulated his Qi in a relaying manner for half an hour, until Mrs Pen left the kitchen with an ordinary looking lunch box in her hands. She wordlessly put it on the table in front of Maren and then walked away while fumbling around with the silver coins. Maren's gaze followed her for a bit, then he picked up the lunch box and left the dining hall.
When he got back in his room, he saw Niita still sleeping, even snoring a bit. He couldn't help but chuckle slightly. After putting the breakfast on the table he proceeded to wake her up swiftly.
After getting woken up, Niita let out a soft scream. She remembered the events of last night and couldn't help but blush heavily, but her red face was soon replaced by a painful one. Maren wasn't exactly gentle last night...
Originally she believed her mother gifted her to an old and grumpy expert, who happened to stop by in their inn, but after Maren took off his mask yesterday she realized that wasn't true at all! The cultivating expert was actually quite young!
'It could have been worse, it could have been worse... '
She continuously chanted in her head.
Seeing her flustered behaviour, Maren signalled Niita to be quiet and then pointed towards the breakfast on the table.
"Eat, we'll have much stuff to do today."
Niita timidly nodded and got to the table. She was still naked and tried her best to cover her private parts. Seeing her pitifully fumbling around, Maren opened the system shop and bought the same things he bought for Mark and Tori too, a mask and a cloak. He then threw the items towards her.
"Here, you can wear this from now on."
Niita hurriedly put on the clothes.
"You have two senior brothers back at the sect, just so you know. Also, from now on you aren't allowed to take off the mask I gave you, unless I give you permission, or you are in our sect grounds."
He watched Niita with an amused glimmer in his eyes. When she started eating he sat down and continued to create weapons. They both just silently sat in the room together, minding their own things. Silent tears were running down Niita's face, dripping in the food. She knew that she had been completely abandoned by her mother, and sold to the Cultivator. After a while, Maren got up and beckoned her to follow him. She hurriedly cleaned her mouth and put on the mask. They then left in the direction of the market.
While on the street, Maren continuously asked nearby people whether there was an auction house in the city, and where it's location was. Like this, they arrived in front of a grand hall that was decorated with golden ornaments and gave out a feeling of transcendence. While Niita was stunned by the awe-inspiring look of the auction house, Maren just walked inside without hesitation, as he had seen quite a lot even grander looking buildings back on earth. When they walked in, they received disdainful gazes from the people inside the hall, as the outfits Maren and Niita were wearing were considered quite cheap compared to the luxurious robes everybody wore.
While Niita got nervous from being scared at this much, Maren just stood there, taking out one of the weapons he had crafted this morning. When the sword's aura spread in the hall, many people held their breaths and revealed astonished faces.
Just a short moment later, a slightly plump man wearing glasses and a purple robe come from somewhere and gave a quick bow.
"Sir grandmaster, we, the Golden-Prism, welcome you and your disciple in our humble Koda city department's auction house. Might I ask what sir expert searches for here today?"
The man humbled himself quite a bit and even used an extremely respectful tone.
"Isn't that the manager?!? Why is he so respectful towards that brat?"
Some of the crowd started discussing in loud voices.
"Did he just address that brat as grandmaster?"
"No way, look at him, he has a feeble body, and from his stature, he doesn't look old either."
"Guys, look at the woman following behind him, hehehe her body is top notch. That brat is probably a rich young master from some big family."
Some perverts couldn't hold themselves back.
"She doesn't have any Cultivation at all, is she a slave he bought somewhere?"
Their words made Niita burn in shame, and tears started flowing under her mask like a waterfall, drenching her collar. She was, after all, just a 14-year-old girl, and even adults would be affected by those remarks.
The discussions in the hall got louder and more chaotic by the second, but Maren didn't really care.
"I wish to sell some weapons today."
Maren pointed at the sword he took out moments ago.
"Might I ask, sir expert, are all the weapons you brought of this quality?"
The manager in purple robes had a happy shimmer in his eyes. As he was the department leader for this auction house, he would get quite a great bonus from the Golden-Prism, if he successfully introduced lucrative deals.
"En, all of the weapons I brought today are of this quality and...."
His voice got softer, so only Niita and the manager could still hear him.
"...better."
The manager's mouth was agape. Did he just hear incorrectly? The weapon Maren showed just now was already of the Execution-Mortal realm, a peak tear weapon on the island, and yet he dared to say he had even better ones? Sweat started to form on the manager's forehead.
"I apologize to master expert, should I have offended you with my earlier casualness!"
He quickly gave a bow and, seeing Maren just waving as if not bothered by it, released a breath of relief.
"Then please follow me, master expert, as a transaction of this size shouldn't be made in public."
He then brought them towards a staircase at the end of the hall, that lead towards the manager's office, a big room decorated with all kinds of valuable collectables. There was even a giant chair, made of some kind of blue crystal.
Arriving there, they all sat down.
Taking a deep breath, the manager began to talk.
"How many weapons does master expert want to sell?"
He hoped that Maren had more than a few ones, even though that was not very likely, as his bonus would hit the roof and soar through the skies!
Maren calculated in his head for a moment and then gave a terrifying number.
"I want to sell a total of 206 Mortal-realm weapons and 13 Practitioner realms."
The manager stood petrified in the same spot for a short while.
"I-Is master expert serious?"
He couldn't help but ask, as that number was just too unbelievable. Maren decided to let the man judge by himself and poured out a cascade of shimmering weapons, ranging from spears and bows to swords.
"Does master expert want to sell them directly to us, or auction them off?"
"I'll sell them to you if you want."
Maren didn't want to wait for the weapons to sell at a high price, as he could just easily make countless of them, and get rich in the process. Even though he was taking a loss by selling them directly to Golden-Prism it wasn't a big deal, as he engraved his sigil on every weapon, and the reputation he would earn in the long term could balance out the monetary loss. He though for a while and quoted his price.
"I'll sell them for 330 billion silver coins."
The manager showed a disbelieving and surprised look. But not because of the sky-high price, as, although that was almost all of the Golden-Prism's fluid funds, and they even had to liquify some of their assets to effort it, it was still mortal currency, and couldn't buy high-tier resources. But since the grandmaster himself had quoted the price, the manager was obviously happy. With this cheap of a deal, the organization could probably make double the profits from that deal!
Of course, just taking out so much money from the organization's pockets couldn't be decided by one person, but, as a department leader, the manager was basically an elder of the clan, and as the other elders were currently in secluded cultivation, he held the highest authority for the time being. He thus immediately agreed to Maren's terms.
"But master expert, I need a bit of time to get all of our assets together, I ask you to give me three days, no two days, and I'll have the money!"
"En."
Maren didn't bother with a meagre two days, he could still explore the city, and could have some 'other' fun in the meantime.
They were then brought to the exit of the auction hall by the respectful manager, earning a few envious glances from other Cultivator's.
During the entire exchange, Niita didn't say a single word. She was first stunned by the grand atmosphere of the auction hall, then the respectful manager who obviously held a high position, then the impossibly high price Maren quoted nearly knocked her out, and she got finished after seeing how easily the manager agreed to that term.
Now she just silently mustered up the Cultivator that bought her just this morning.
*DING*
A mission objective has been fulfilled - get in contact with the influences of Koda city
Name: "The second step is easier"
Description: Get in touch with the underground, overlord, and influences of Koda city
Steps completed: (1/3)
Reward(s): 1 free Design - Alchemic subspace, Uma-corn seeds 250x, Fleeting Enlightenment Pill recipe