During the entire bid, Cao Yun and Sister Lisha were staring at each other. However, there was no animosity of any kind the crowd could perceive. What others perceived was that they were both hiding their true intentions. People were not fools and they guessed that there was more about this calligraphy than what they had thought. Some even wondered whether it had been written by Demon God Da Mo himself and not Holy Pang Yu. That being said, everyone knew what Demon God Da Mo's handwriting and calligraphy looked like and this was nothing like what they had in front of them.
Besides, against a Sister of the Abyss, no one would bid, except for Mo Yun apparently. If he was ready to outbid a Sister, he had to have a very good reason. Thus, many rumors would spread all around the city. But what happened later would totally make Mo Yun famous. And ironically, it would also protect him from several nefarious people while speeding up his plan.
Indeed, as the bid had exceeded 400 Heidai Coins, the equivalent of 160 Yuanbao, Sister Lisha didn't raise her bid. Like before, the attendant on stage was tongue tied and didn't know what to do. But this time, Cao Yun was patient. Instead of pressuring the attendant and Sister Lisha herself, he kept looking her in the eyes. The both of them had a vast wealth. But if push came to shove, she could probably outbid him without too much problem. After all, she was a representative of the largest religious order on the continent. Still, Cao Yun could pay up with pills. The true question was how much each one was ready to pay for the parchment. And hidden behind this first question was how well they understood the value of this parchment.
Cao Yun was certain that it had some connection with his mind cultivation. Obviously he was interested in it as he was trying to cultivate faster. The recent doubts he had had about his mind might also disappear thanks to it. Although he had remembered all the characters, studying their aspect and having access to the real deal were two different concepts. Maybe there were subtleties he hadn't yet seen. Furthermore, the demon who had written it had left his blood in the ink. Certainly, this would add something to it. Since blood was precious, they wouldn't waste it, even though it wasn't blood essence. Finally, there were Antique Sixian characters in the mix. They might help unlock the secrets of this language.
Thankfully, Sister Lisha was lenient. After long seconds, she closed her eyes and smiled. With this smile, she projected a serene aura all around her. She had been beautiful all along, but now her beauty had something religious, sacred, to it. Even Cao Yun who had nothing to do with their beliefs was moved for an instant. She reminded him of some monks he had met when they had visited his parents a long time ago. Those Sisters were dangerous. Someone with a weak mind would easily be converted by them. Their words were mysterious and could take several meanings to please their listeners too.
In the demons' eyes, Sister Lisha was almost a saint, while in Cao Yun, she was some tempting witch. That being said, he had no animosity toward her, he was only wary of her and her entire order. After all, he didn't know enough about that and that didn't sit well with him.
"Lord Mo, it seems that the Weaver of Souls is smiling upon your Blood today. Considering how far you were willing to go for this historical parchment, I do believe that it was meant for you. I retract my bid."
"Thank you for letting me win, Sister. I will make it up to your order."
"Lord Mo is too generous. As long as you use your talents for our Nalupu Kingdom and keeps your Blood flowing, we will be happy."
That expression didn't mean to literally make his blood flow, but to continue his bloodline. That way, his blood would keep flowing in his descendants. Although this was a set phrase of the Sisters, Cao Yun found something else behind those words. Once again, it felt as though she was looking through him. And his Drop of Wrath got agitated for an instant even with 'Ashen Feather Seal'. Those Sisters truly were dangerous. His priority would be to learn as much as he could about them. But he had already done everything he could on that front, short of invading their temple in Duma City. Despite his confidence in his stealth, he somehow wasn't sure this was such a bright idea. For the time being, he would focus on the array formations around. Maybe Boss Gui could tell him a bit more as well.
"Then, this parchment is sold for 412 Heidai Coins to Lord Mo Yun. Thank you for your patronage, Lord Mo. Thank you to you all for your presence today. Although you might not have obtained what you were expecting, we were happy to receive you all today. Hopefully, you will all be luckier during our next auction."
Slowly, everyone left the auction hall. Several attendants brought the different buyers the items they had bought. For most people, they recovered a part of their deposit. A small part of it was used as an entry fee. But the rest, after subtracting what they had bought, was given back to the bidders. Only a handful of buyers were led to private chambers, either because their bids had a bit exceeded their deposit or because their purchases needed to be handled with care.
Cao Yun was among those few. After all, even by subtracting what he had won during the auction, he had far exceeded his deposit which had only amounted to a hundred Heidai Coins. In theory, he couldn't even have had bid 412 Heidai Coins on the parchment, but he had bribed enough people so they completely disregarded it. Besides, they knew he was good for it considering his Blazing Swallow company.
A young attendant brought him to a secluded room where he barely had time to sit before someone came to him. Since he had bid so much, the auction hall's leader came in person to see him. He was a rather short man with dark hair. His skin was clearly old despite many efforts to look as young as possible, just like Lady Gu Xue in Ruohe. Youth was a symbol of strength among demons as it showcased their vitality and by extension their Jing. Upon entry, this small old man kowtowed in front of Cao Yun.
"Lord Mo, this insignificant one apologizes for the behavior of his attendants. That lady will be severely chastised for her affront."
Waving his sleeve, Cao Yun dismissed another servant who was pouring some wine in a cup. Without standing up, he let the leader kowtowing on the floor.
"I do not care how you handle your personnel, I want my belongings. Here is my payment!"
From his spatial ring, Cao Yun took the Heidai Coins he was missing. They appeared in front of the leader in very neat stack of fifty coins. The Heidai Coins were oblong flat gold ingots with engravings to show that they were legit. The weight and concentration of various ores were strictly monitored. At the very least, it was one of the greatest achievements of the Xinian Confederation, if not the greatest. Anyone could trust in Heidai Coins.
"You can check them and count them easily and then give me my purchases."
"Lord Mo, I wouldn't dare doubt you."
Just as he said so, the leader was already counting the various stacks and making sure he had received the right amount. Later on, he would even weigh them all just to be sure that he wasn't missing even a fen* of gold. However, he had no intention of doing so in front of Mo Yun himself, it would have been a bit disrespectful. And just as he was discreetly counting the coins, he had made a slight hand gesture to other attendants. Before he was done counting, the two items he had purchased arrived in front of him.
The first one was the parchment. Without any hesitation, he sent his spiritual senses within the paper and the ink to make sure that everything was in order. Then, he simply took it in his spatial ring.
After the parchment, it was the turn of Meiyue to arrive. She was still wearing very revealing clothes and a few chains. The chains were clearly for show since she had a Slavery Brand in her soul. Not every slave were thus branded, after all the brand was expensive. Most slaves were just controlled through fear. Besides, the slaves who had sold themselves to pay off a debt had no reason to really rebel. And those who had been condemned would be put to death if they were not compliant. Slaves used as warriors or bodyguards were often branded in such a manner though. After all, they could be a threat to their masters. For dual cultivation slaves, a pathetic euphemism for sex slaves, brands could alter the dual cultivation. The fact that she had been branded showed how much she had probably fought at first, until the pain broke her will. And demons had very strong wills to begin with.
On the other hand, the nomad tribes often required a Slavery Brand. After all, it was illegal to enslave them. So they could technically ask for their freedom. Of course, with a Slavery Brand putting their life in someone else's hands, this was absolutely impossible. Even without the Slavery Brand, few would have listened to them anyway. Sometimes, the brand was mainly used for transportation when there was a real possibility for the slave to escape. If they did, they would simply be put through terrifying agony and quickly brought back.
While the attendants were dealing with paperwork, Cao Yun used his Flying Poison to imitate spiritual senses and talk with Meiyue.
"Girl, you have no reason to trust me, but listen well. Do not react to my words until I tell you to. Soon, I will get rid of your Slavery Brand."
No matter what Cao Yun could say to her, Meiyue did not react. It wasn't because she was obeying him, even though as a slave she should. No, she was simply used to her masters playing mind games with her. Oftentimes, they appeared to be nice at first before they really got into it. But after that, she was only an object in their eyes. She wasn't valued much more than a pill that could help their cultivation. As long as they could get a bit of progress or pleasure from her, they would do anything. A few of her masters had even bathed in her blood, slowly draining her body over several weeks to make sure she stayed alive. To be fair, it did have a good effect on them. But among her masters, she had also met one woman who had been exceptionally cruel for no reason. And she loved to mess with her mind.
Thus, Meiyue simply didn't care about what Cao Yun could tell her. Ironically, it was a good thing for him. Even now, he was taking a small risk telling her everything here in the auction hall. But he also wanted to make a small show for his audience. And he felt ashamed to go back home with a slave in chains behind him. While he was speaking with her, he was also studying the Slavery Brand. There was nothing very different from the Slavery Brands he had already erased. So he knew exactly what to do to get rid of it easily.
Finally, the auction hall's leader was done reviewing all the paperwork.
"Lord Mo, we just have to give you control of her Slavery Brand and..."
"This won't be necessary!"
Cao Yun simply waved his hand. In Meiyue's mind, she kept hearing his voice. This time though, she was sincerely surprised and reacted.
"I am working with your cousin Xixue. She came here to find information on her sister and we found you."
As soon as he was done speaking, her Slavery Brand disappeared as if it had never existed. Meiyue was genuinely shocked, but she soon controlled herself. For the people around her, the scene meant something else entirely. They couldn't know that she had been shocked by the news about her cousin. They were certain that Cao Yun had done something to her. And the auction hall's leader knew what it was. Since he was connected to her Slavery Brand, he knew that it was done. The man in front of him had erased a Slavery Brand as though it was nothing. There was no doubt at all. Mo Yun had definitely been working for City Lord Sihe. In fact, he even started to suspect that Mo Yun had taken part in the creation of the Slavery Brand. Otherwise, there was no way he could get rid of it so easily.
Obviously, the rumor would spread around Duma City. Once again, that was Cao Yun's point. He wanted people to think he was equal to City Lord Sihe. For now, they thought he was a servant who had escaped. But then, his alchemy and his knowledge of the Slavery Brand would slowly shift things around. Maybe Mo Yun was the real brain behind City Lord Sihe's business. City Lord Sihe was being attacked and he didn't even know it yet. Worse, he had no way of defending himself because Cao Yun had no past to exploit and no one would believe it.
"Is there anything else?"
"No, Lord Mo. Everything is in order."
"Thank you."
Before leaving, he gave a few smaller coins to everyone. Meiyue followed him as if in a trance. After hearing the name of her cousin, there were only two possibilities in her mind. Either Xixue had also been captured, or what that alchemist had told her was true. For the time being, she didn't want to get her hopes high, but she did have hopes, as much as she didn't want to entertain them. Unwilling to walk in the streets with a girl in chains and almost naked, Cao Yun sent the chains in his spatial ring and gave her real clothes. Once again, this brought hope to Meiyue and she hated herself for feeling hopeful. A dark voice in the back of her mind kept telling her that this was just a trap to play with her.
Cao Yun couldn't be oblivious to her turmoil. It fed his anger a bit more.
*1 fen (alchemy unit) = 373 mg