The slave, unable to endure the continuous flogging, gradually grew weaker until he finally lay still, breathing his last. The thick scent of blood filled the air, further intensifying the devil’s innate bloodlust, making his eyes flash even more fiercely.
A life was beaten to death right in front of many eyes, but the supervisor only frowned in disgust, “Get rid of this dirty thing quickly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Another guard stepped forward, pulling out a bottle. He carefully poured a few drops of liquid from the bottle onto the bloodied corpse on the ground. As the liquid touched the body, it emitted a faint sizzling sound, as if the flesh was being corroded.
Not long after, the corpse on the ground was reduced to nothingness; leaving not even a single trace of blood.
“This batch of goods is precious, and there can be no mistakes. Stay alert,” the supervisor commanded. He didn’t regard the ferocity shown by the young devil as anything significant. Once someone became auction material, they were no longer considered a person but merely goods to be sold.
Demons, devils, humans—the race didn’t matter. Once ended up in their hands, even the toughest individuals eventually had to submit. The auction usually received ordinary demons and devils, but this time, a rare stroke of luck had allowed them to capture a high-ranking devil. This particular object was set to be one of the highlights of the upcoming auction.
“Hurry up and place the goods properly,” the supervisor ordered, waving his hand. The kneeling slave beside him picked up the black cloth and covered the iron cage once again.
The large warehouse quickly returned to order, with the slaves quietly continuing to move the goods.
…
Since Lu Yaoyao’s group was planning to attend the underground auction in three days, it was clear they couldn’t leave Moxuan City as originally planned, so they extended their stay for a few extra days and intended to depart once the auction ended. Too preoccupied with the upcoming auction, they lost interest in exploring the city. Instead, they gathered at Baitong’s residence, listening to Yan Zihui and Baitong talk about various underground auctions they had attended.
Finally, the third day arrived. As the night approached and excitement grew, Lu Yaoyao’s group, filled with anticipation for the auction, set out with Baitong.
They dressed in low-key yet luxurious attire, donned masks that concealed their faces and auras, and traveled to the auction site in a flying carriage. The carriage was spacious, comfortably accommodating all six of them.
Lu Yaoyao wore a red mask that matched her outfit, with only her pair of lively eyes visible. She attempted to extend her spiritual sense outside, but it was blocked by the barrier of the carriage, preventing them from seeing anything outside. This meant they had no idea of the route to the underground auction or its exact location.
Curious, Lu Yaoyao asked Baitong, “Senior Brother Bai, do you always travel to the underground auction like this? Do you know where it is?”
“Of course,” Baitong replied. “I know a little about this underground auction. Although I don’t know its exact location, the auction site is always shrouded in a special array, with barriers surrounding it. The array was personally set up by a legendary array master thousands of years ago. The entrance is never fixed and can only be reached by the auction’s flying carriages.”
“So mysterious?” Lu Yaoyao’s curiosity was piqued even further.
Baitong nodded. The underground auction was different from formal auctions. Many of the items there had unclear origins, making it an ideal place for disposing of stolen goods. To prevent troublemakers or raids by righteous cultivators, the auction site was naturally well hidden.
Yan Zhihui, worried about his naïve junior brothers and sisters, repeatedly warned them, “When we get inside, behave yourselves and don’t cause any trouble, understood?”
Wen Zixing and the others almost swore oaths, “Don’t worry, Senior Brother, we definitely won’t cause any trouble.”
However, their senior brother wasn’t entirely convinced by their assurances and took precautions, “Even if you see anything that upsets you, don’t intervene, understand?”
Yan Zhihui knew all too well the mindset of inexperienced youngsters. Having just stepped into the world, witnessing its darkness firsthand would make their sense of justice and righteousness burn hot, making it hard for them to stand by and do nothing. But with more experience, they would come to realize that the world wasn’t simply black and white; there were many shades of gray. They simply weren’t yet strong enough to shape the world into what they wanted it to be.
Lu Yaoyao and the others nodded repeatedly, afraid that their overly concerned senior brother might change his mind midway.
The flying carriage traveled for a long time along the dark, silent streets before entering what seemed like an illusory barrier. The barrier’s ripples shimmered for a moment, then returned to stillness as the carriage fully disappeared into it. Moments later, the carriage slowly came to a stop on a cobblestone street, halting in front of a large mansion.
“We’ve arrived,” Baitong said, pushing open the closed carriage door and jumping out first.
Yan Zhihui and the others followed, stepping out of the carriage and standing next to the Know-it-all. The flying carriage slowly moved away and quickly vanished. Lu Yaoyao carefully observed the surroundings. The direction they had come from was shrouded in a misty gray, allowing them to see only about twenty meters around them. The sky and the surrounding area were enveloped in a gray haze, with the only visible landmark being the towering mansion ahead.
The mansion’s large gates were open, but there was no one in sight.
“What a vibe…” Wen Zixing muttered to himself, feeling as though they were in a horror scene.
Baitong stepped forward first, and Yan Zhihui led the others to follow him. Since they were on someone else’s turf and unsure if they were being watched, Lu Yaoyao kept her many questions to herself, maintaining a serious and composed demeanor as they approached the gate.
Baitong led Yan Zihui’s group to a section of the mansion, where they finally encountered someone who seemed to be there to receive them.
“Welcome, guests. Please show your tokens,” said the person, who wore a black beast-like mask. Their voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.
Baitong took out his token and handed it over, and the others followed suit, handing over their tokens.
After confirming the tokens were correct, the person collected them and said, “Please follow me this way.”
Lu Yaoyao followed the person through courtyards and corridors, eventually entering a passageway. Although lamps were lit on both sides, their flickering candlelight flames were dim, casting an eerie atmosphere. Lu Yaoyao tried to memorize the route they took, but there were too many twists and turns; a moment of distraction, and she lost track of where they had been.
Finally, they were led into a side room.
The guide quickly left, leaving the group alone in the room.
“Alright, we can talk now,” Baitong said.
Lu Yaoyao and her friends breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had been lifted.
“Senior Brother Bai, is it always this quiet here?” Someone asked. They had been wandering around this eerie place for so long without encountering another auction guest.
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Even though their faces and cultivation levels are hidden, I would think the fact that Lu Yaoyao is a child in an underground auction would make some people suspicious of her identity.
Also, hopefully Baitong and Yan Zihui warned them of the various immoral things they could encounter at the underground auction, such as people being sold as merchandise, so that they aren’t too shocked and infuriated at the sight of such things, and end up acting rashly at the time.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀