The individual who had just arrived was indeed the modest
gentleman with whom Mo Ran had shared a residence at Peach Blossom
Springs: Ye Wangxi.
Today he had come donned in the colors of Rufeng Sect, his blue cloak
embroidered in silver with a crane. His hair was fastened with a deep, vivid
blue ribbon, and hanging at his waist was a silver incense bell filigreed with
a pattern of a rare beast carrying a pearl in its mouth. Perhaps it was because
he wasn't wearing armor, but his usual aura of valiant heroism carried a
trace of a refined, elegant air.
Xuanyuan Pavilion's chief steward approached and greeted Ye
Wangxi, eyes lowered and head inclined. "Ye-xianjun."
Ye Wangxi nodded. "I've come in my yifu's name to bid for an item.
Would it please the chief steward to lead us to the upper floors?"
"The pavilion master anticipated Xianjun's presence, and a booth has
been reserved for Rufeng Sect. Allow me to lead my lord there
straightaway."
Ye Wangxi then led the group of ten or so Rufeng Sect disciples
upstairs, leaving behind an entire hall of hooded figures who whispered
amongst themselves.
"Have Rufeng's people also come today?"
"Who's that xianjun? How come we've never seen him before?"
Obviously there's a reason none of you have seen him before, Mo Ran
thought, but he found himself curious too. He watched Ye Wangxi's back
disappear around the corner before he turned to Chu Wanning. "Shizun,
you've stayed with Rufeng Sect before. Do you know this Ye-xianjun?"
"No." Chu Wanning's brows knitted slightly. "Although for some
reason he looks rather familiar…" He paused for a moment and closed his
eyes to think, but he shook his head. "I can't quite put my finger on it."
Mo Ran scratched his head. "This Ye-xianjun stayed in the same
residence as I did back at Peach Blossom Springs. Ability-wise, he isn't bad.
If he's been sent to bid on behalf of Rufeng Sect, I imagine his status within
the sect can't be low either. Shizun really doesn't know him?"
"There are seventy-two cities within Rufeng Sect; its people are
spread far and wide. Furthermore, I don't like to run around and can't be
bothered to pry into internal affairs, so it's not strange that I wouldn't know
him."
As they spoke, the booth reserved for Rufeng Sect on the third floor lit
up with a bright yellow glow. No doubt the lights had been lit for Ye Wangxi
and company, who had entered and settled in their seats. The highest level of
Xuanyuan Pavilion was specially reserved for the great sects, so it was
seldom used. Thus the crowd looked up to see, thinking it a rare event.
The instant Rufeng Sect arrived, anticipation for the auction had
increased a few notches. After a quarter of an hour, the white jade lotus
platform at the center of the hall began to glow, and a vibrant length of
brilliant red satin unrolled from the ceiling of Xuanyuan Pavilion. A dainty
young girl of eleven or twelve, barefoot and dressed in delicate, snow-white
silk, spun through the air holding onto the satin banner. She landed light and
dainty on the ice-cold lotus platform.
"Honored Xianjun, thank you for waiting. I am the Second Pavilion
Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion." The pretty little girl smiled. "You have come
from all across the four seas, and we are honored by your presence.
Naturally, Xuanyuan Pavilion will, as always, express our gratitude by
putting the rarest and best of items on display."
Mo Ran's excellent hearing picked up murmurs from the crowd below.
"The Second Pavilion Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion is just a little girl,
still wet behind the ears?"
"Aiyoh, buddy, you really don't know anything, do you? Do you know
how old this 'little girl' is?"
"Ten? Fifteen? She can't be more than twenty at most."
"Heh. Stunned, are you? She's over a hundred now. You should call
her Great Granny, not 'little girl.'"
"What?! Liu-xiong, you're pulling my leg! How can that little thing be
a hundred?!"
"This is Guyueye, the number one medical sect in the world. How
could anything be impossible? It's just some medicine of everlasting youth or
whatever."
"Whoa…"
This was doubtless the awestruck man's first time at the pavilion.
After that conversation, he excitedly craned his neck, his hands clutching his
money pouch. He was obviously impatient to see what manner of miraculous
medicine and sacred items Xuanyuan Pavilion would produce for the auction.
The Second Pavilion Master didn't disappoint either. With a snap of
her fingers, a gap cracked open at the center of the jade lotus platform, and a
small stand shaped like the seedpod of a lotus flower slowly rose. Upon it
rested five silk brocade boxes the size of one's palm, and each box was open
wide, revealing the medicinal pills within and their pearlescent sheen.
Someone burst out laughing. "Aren't those just infatuation pills?
What's so rare about those?"
"That's right! Even if you don't start out with rare treasures, at least
make it something better than basic infatuation pills!"
The Second Pavilion Master wasn't at all irritated by the crowd's
gripes. Instead she smiled with delight in her eyes and said in a clear, bright
voice: "You certainly have good eyes, everyone. These are indeed infatuation
pills. As you all know, while these pills are difficult to refine, they aren't
remotely exotic. And of course, Xuanyuan Pavilion would never offer
ordinary items merely to placate our customers."
As she spoke, she picked up one of the brocade boxes and, holding it
in her palm, snapped the box shut.
Though the crowd was seated at varying distances from the stage, an
enchanted mirror had been placed in front of each individual; it allowed them
to view the treasures in detail. Only then did the crowd notice the serpentine
emblem on the cover of the box.
Someone gasped. "Hanlin the Sage?!"
The Second Pavilion Master smiled. "That's right. Each of these five
pills came from the refinery cauldron of the elder of my sect: Hanlin the
Sage. Ordinary infatuation pills can confound the heart and cause whomever
takes one to become obsessed with whomever gave it to them, but the effect
lasts for a mere half a year, and the antidote is very easy to produce.
However, these five pills…" Her delicate, tender fingertips held the brocade
box as she continued solemnly. "These are guaranteed to work for ten years,
and they have no antidote."
"What?"
"My heavens, how is that possible?"
"Hanlin the Sage is frightening…"
The Second Pavilion Master waited until the commotion died down
somewhat before she smiled again. "In order to differentiate these from
ordinary infatuation pills, Hanlin the Sage has named them 'Love Pills.'
Purchase only one of these pills, dissolve it in water, and convince your
object of desire to drink it. Then, for the duration of ten years, we guarantee
they will remain obsessed with you without ever wavering."
"Is there really no cure after one takes the pill?" a female cultivator
called from down below. "If I lose interest in him before the ten years are up,
wouldn't I be stuck with him crawling all over me?"
The crowd chuckled and laughed, and the Second Pavilion Master
smiled politely. "My lady has only pointed out a true thing. This is why
Xuanyuan Pavilion will take this chance to remind everyone that the Love
Pill has no known cure. Until the ten years are up, nothing will be able to
break the bond they create. Outside of a case of tormented, unrequited love,
we cannot recommend delivering the pill to another party."
With that conclusion, the bidding began, and the price started to rise.
Mo Ran noticed that it was mostly female cultivators screaming to fight for
bids, and he couldn't help but click his tongue. "This is unbelievably scary."
"Indeed. To earn sentiments thusly would truly be beyond tasteless."
This response made Mo Ran turn to glance at Chu Wanning. "Shizun,
you'll have to watch out," he said, smiling. "You're awfully good-looking.
What if there are female cultivators from Sisheng Peak here and they buy one
of the pills, then secretly drop it in your water to make you fall in love with
them? Better be careful you don't fall for that, since you're a married man
and all."
Chu Wanning couldn't respond. Mo Ran was undoubtedly saying such
things to mock him, and his instinct was to be angry. However, never in his
life had he ever heard Mo Ran call him good-looking, and he couldn't find it
in himself to be upset. His lips pressed into a cool and distant line and,
turning his head away, he refused to acknowledge his disciple.
"If they're resorting to using pills like these, they must be desperately
in love," Mo Ran mumbled. When he saw how fast those five boxes were
purchased, he sighed and shook his head. "How pitiful."
Chu Wanning stared at that snow-white wall for a moment, then replied
calmly, "If they truly loved the object of their affection, how could they have
the heart to use a pill like these? You're still young. There are some things
you don't understand."
I'm still young? Mo Ran turned his head, dimples deepening with his
smile. "I don't understand, but Shizun does? Is Shizun going to tell me about
Shiniang?"
"Begone."
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha."
In the midst of their banter, the second item had been presented on the
platform.
"Tapir Fragrance Dew," the Second Pavilion Master announced
crisply. "Also from the kiln of Hanlin the Sage. This is the newest medicinal
dew refined by Hanlin. The first generation of disciples of Guyueye have
tried it, and it works like magic."
Cultivator A was somewhat learned. "Typing Fragrance Dew?"
Cultivator B was a little hungry. "Tapas Fragrance Dew?"
Cultivator C was perverted. "Tupping Fragrance Dew?"
Chu Wanning gave it a ponder, then raised his gaze to those five
porcelain bottles. The thick curtain of his lashes trembled fractionally. "Tapir
Fragrance Dew…from the Dream-Consuming Tapir?"
The Second Pavilion Master had no intention of losing the audience's
interest. The instant she realized that the crowd was confused, she explained
with a smile: "The reason this is called Tapir Fragrance Dew is because the
formula requires blood taken from the quick of Dream-Consuming Tapir
claws. A single drop in a cup of tea will guarantee good dreams, every
single night, for a week. This might not mean much to ordinary cultivators,
but after the influence of certain cultivation methods and spells, some xianjun
experience relentless nightmares and have difficulty finding peaceful
slumber. If the problem persists, it can lead to qi deviation, in which case
this Tapir Fragrance Dew would be the absolute best remedy."
When Chu Wanning heard this, he was reminded of that realistic dream
he'd experienced. Though it hadn't been a nightmare, it had indeed made him
feel rather unsettled…
The Second Pavilion Master pushed this product with all she had.
"Besides all that, the Tapir Fragrance Dew also has the ability to regulate
spiritual energy and aid in one's cultivation."
Chu Wanning was still deep in thought and remained unmoved.
"Moreover, if one has children training at home, the Tapir Fragrance
Dew would be extremely beneficial for them. Hanlin the Sage had the
foresight to expect that elders and teachers might purchase the dew for their
young trainees, so he specially made the five bottles of Tapir Fragrance Dew
in five different flavors. The red bottle is lychee, the yellow bottle is orange,
the white bottle is milk candy, the purple bottle is grape, and the black bottle
is mulberry. Furthermore, with but one sip, the taste will remain on one's lips
and tongue for an entire day—it's quite lovely."
Just as she finished, a silver stick was dropped from a dignitary booth
on the second floor.
The second and third floors were much farther away from the platform,
and it was thus inconvenient to yell to bid, so bidders up there wrote their
offer on a silver stick before tossing it down.
A spell had been cast on those silver sticks that made them float to the
Pavilion Master without error.
The Second Pavilion Master caught the stick that drifted toward her
and gave it a glance, only to be stunned.
At the same time, within the dignitary booth, Chu Wanning casually
laid down the brush he had just used and leisurely took a sip of tea. Mo Ran
watched from the side, and his lips twitched.
The voice of the Second Pavilion Master rang from below. "From the
Tian dignitary booth on the second floor: five-hundred-thousand gold. Do I
hear any other offers?"
When these words were spoken, the crowd was abuzz. The Tapir
Fragrance Dew was good, sure, but it obviously wasn't as popular as the
Love Pill. The five boxes of Love Pills had gone for three hundred thousand
gold altogether, so an offer of five hundred thousand gold for these five
bottles of dew was already considerably high.
"Probably an offer from the parents of some little gongzi," someone
grumbled.
"Must be for some rich little gongzi's training."
Meanwhile, some cultivators in the crowd had suffered enough of qi
deviations. One steeled himself and said, "I'll take all five. I offer fivehundred-and-fifty-thousand gold."
"The Tapir Fragrance Dew, now going for five hundred and fifty
thousand. Do I hear—"
Before the Second Pavilion Master could finish, another silver stick
floated errantly through the air, again tossed from the Tian dignitary booth on
the second floor. She glanced at it and her eyes unconsciously widened.
"I apologize, everyone. I misunderstood the initial offer, and I will
rectify my error now. What the customer on the second floor actually meant
was that he is offering five hundred thousand per bottle, for a total of two
million and five hundred thousand…"
Only a fool would fight Chu Wanning at that price point. As Mo Ran
watched those five bottles of Tapir Fragrance Dews being delivered into the
room, he felt like his soul was leaving his body.
Chu Wanning had spent two-and-a-half million… On sweets…
Sensing Mo Ran's incredulous look, Chu Wanning asked indifferently,
"What is it?"
"Ah ha ha, nothing. I just didn't think Shizun was partial to stuff like
this."
"Why would I care for childish things?" Chu Wanning replied placidly.
"I bought them for Xia Sini."
Mo Ran had no words. What an act! His brows twitched. Let's see
how much longer you can keep this up.
The auctioned items continued to be presented one by one, and while
everything that came afterward was also a unique spiritual medicine or
treasure, they held no value for either Mo Ran or Chu Wanning. They sipped
tea as they waited for the holy weapon Guilai to appear.
Mo Ran leaned by the window, his black clothes wrapped tightly
around his thin waist, emphasizing the broadness of his shoulders and the
length of his legs. He glanced down at the lively event below, then looked up
to gaze at the reserved Rufeng booth upstairs.
"Come to think of it, Shizun, how did Uncle settle the affair at Peach
Blossom Springs? You never gave me the details."
"It isn't really settled. We can't call attention to the affair lest we alert
the enemy. Even though the sect leader knows the truth, he can't make much
of a fuss. However, he did entirely sever ties with the feathered tribe and
brought both Shi Mei and Xue Meng back to Sisheng Peak. Moreover, our
fight was rather intense, and disciples of several sects bore witness to it.
Some began to harbor doubts about Peach Blossom Springs and thus
departed. I imagine this Ye Wangxi was one of them." Chu Wanning finished
an orange osmanthus cake and reached for a second. "The sect leader told the
rest of the world that you caused some trouble and are therefore confined to
Sisheng Peak for reflection. That should cover your tracks for a while at
least."
Mo Ran scratched his head. "Sounds like quite the mess. I've really
troubled Uncle…"
As he was mumbling, the Second Pavilion Master of the Xuanyuan
Pavilion, still standing upon the nine-petaled lotus platform, used an
amplification spell to clear her throat. Her voice, sonorous and pleasant as
the sound of tinkling jade, echoed throughout every nook and cranny: "The
next auction item is a rare treasure of the highest grade, extremely difficult to
come by. It has ranked among the top ten items in our auction guide for the
past three years."
With those few words, silence fell. After a moment, it was like a
spoonful of clear water had splashed into a pot of boiling oil. The audience
erupted with murmurs as they whispered to each other, and nearly every eye
glinted with interest.
Just what manner of treasure could rank among the top ten items
auctioned at Xuanyuan Pavilion in the past three years? Never mind actually
buying something like that, for many people, even catching a glimpse of it
with their own eyes would be extremely good luck in itself. The buyers
became more and more excited, and the air grew so tense that it was almost
tangible.
The people below strained their necks to look, and those in the booths
also lifted the blinds. All eyes were on the lotus platform.
"Is it the holy weapon Guilai?" Mo Ran wondered in a soft voice.
Chu Wanning didn't reply.
As the gap at the center of the platform cracked open once more, the
clear voice of the Second Pavilion Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion echoed.
"Presenting the next treasured item: a Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast."
"What?!" Mo Ran was stunned, his hands gripping the windowsill.
"It's not a holy weapon?!"
Chu Wanning hadn't expected this either. He abruptly rose to his feet,
coming to Mo Ran's side to look down with him.
A stone divan slowly rose from the open center of the lotus platform.
Eight iron chains, each as thick as a wrist, crisscrossed the divan to hold
down a living creature that struggled unceasingly upon it. However, that
living creature was fully covered beneath a drape, and it was hard to see
what it was at first glance.
That didn't dampen the boiling excitement below in the slightest. A
"Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast," no matter its class or appearance, was an
object in itself renowned throughout the world.
According to legend, during the primordial era, when the heavens and
the earth had yet to be separated, demons had lived alongside humans on the
cultivation continent. At that time, there had lived a clan of demons called the
Butterfly-Boned Clan. While their martial prowess had been wanting, their
bodies had contained an immense amount of spiritual energy. To consume the
blood and flesh of one of the Butterfly-Boned Clan, or to engage in
intercourse with them, could greatly enhance a human's cultivation. Those
without spiritual roots could instantly establish a foundation, and those who
had roots could directly achieve the power of a zongshi.
That was why, after the demons were defeated, the Butterfly-Boned Clan had
been hunted to extinction. They were all either captured to be bed slaves or
directly killed and eaten.
In the present day, the full-blooded Butterfly-Boned Clan had long
since been eradicated from the world. However, within the vast sea of
humanity, there were individuals in whose veins the blood of the ButterflyBoned Clan yet ran. The flesh and blood of the majority of these individuals
had no effects whatsoever, and they were indistinguishable from that of any
other cultivator. However, a very small number of descendants manifested
the traits of their ancestral bloodline. The flesh and blood of such
individuals, although not as potent as that of their primordial ancestors, could
still greatly enhance a cultivator's ability.
These people were called Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feasts, and this
"feast" had two meanings: a feast in bed, or a feast of the flesh.
In other words, they could be taken to bed or eaten alive. Whether it was the
former or the latter depended entirely on the buyer.
In the cultivation world, someone descended from the Butterfly-Boned
Clan who manifested ancestral traits wasn't seen as "human." Even though
they were no different from ordinary people, out of collective self-interest,
the cultivation world had deemed them "merchandise." Thus, although
horrible, the act of selling a Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast did not violate any
taboos.
However, Chu Wanning, righteous zongshi that he was, had an ugly
look on his face.
"This Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast was not obtained by Guyueye.
Rather, this sale is on consignment, and thus Xuanyuan Pavilion will take an
additional thirty percent of the agreed transaction payment as commission.
Honored Xianjun, please take this into account when bidding and make an
offer within your means."
Once the Second Pavilion Master had spoken, she snapped her fingers,
and with the signal, the wool blanket covering the divan fell.
Silence abruptly blanketed the pavilion.
Everyone was staring at the body chained to the stone divan with such
rapt attention that within the vast Xuanyuan Pavilion, one could almost hear
breath and heartbeats.
On the divan was a delicate young girl with snowy fair skin. Long
locks like silk draped across her nearly naked body, and she was wrapped in
only a translucent silk tulle. Her supple, smooth bare body trembled like
frozen fresh snow or dampened jade, and she glowed gently under the light.
Eight iron chains firmly restrained her delicate body and clanged with
her struggling. This only served to more easily arouse the savage desires of
the men in the crowd. Even experienced philanderers would admit without
hesitation that this girl was a rare beauty.
"A supreme treasure of the highest grade: a female Butterfly-Boned
Beauty Feast at her ripening age." The Second Pavilion Master smiled, then
approached to release one of the chains. Before the girl could fight back, her
hand was caught as fast as lightning and raised to the air. "Hanlin the Sage
has marked her with a dot of chastity cinnabar. As everyone can see, she is
still a virgin."
A snow-white cloth was bound around the girl's mouth, muffling her
pitiful cries. Large beads of tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes;
those golden tears confirmed her identity as a descendant of the ButterflyBoned Clan who had maintained ancestral traits.
Some sucked in their breaths, some swallowed hungrily. This
revelation had turned the atmosphere of Xuanyuan Pavilion from that of an
establishment filled with cultivators into that of a house squeezed to the brim
with starving wolves, whose drool dripped from the corner of their mouths
as they greedily eyed their prey.
A sharp crack resounded.
Chu Wanning's cool gaze withdrew and landed on Mo Ran.
Mo Ran's face was pale, his nails digging into the wood. He had broken a
corner of the windowsill with his grip.
"What's wrong?"
"No… It's nothing." Mo Ran inhaled deeply before he managed to
calm himself and shook his head at Chu Wanning. "I just think selling live
humans like this is…incredibly disgusting."
He wasn't telling the truth. His eyes quietly returned to the form of that
Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast.
This woman was none other than the number one beauty of the
cultivation world, the woman whom he had taken as his wife after he'd
named himself emperor in his previous life: Song Qiutong.