Just as they were about to leave, Lu Yaoyao pressed the button next to her chair, “one hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones!”
When her friends heard this bid, they turned back in surprise.
“Yaoyao, listen to your senior brother. Don’t cause trouble,” Yan Zihui frowned.
“I’m not causing trouble.” Lu Yaoyao’s expression was emotionless as her gaze remained fixed on the screen. At that moment, she didn’t seem like a child at all.
Chao Muxue tried to ease the tension, “It’s an auction, after all. Yaoyao’s bid is within the normal range.”
After Lu Yaoyao placed her bid, no one else offered a higher amount. Many people decided to step back when the price, which had been fluctuating around fifty thousand, abruptly doubled.
This ‘item,’ in any case, was just a weak female demon—not worth such a sky-high price. One hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones could buy several demon slaves.
“Yaoyao, do you want a demon servant?” Her friends asked. For some reason, they inexplicably became cautious seeing the current Lu Yaoyao.
Lu Yaoyao shook her head but did not explain further.
The rabbit demon was successfully won by Lu Yaoyao and was soon taken away, though it wasn’t immediately brought to her. Meanwhile, on the platform, the next special lot item was being presented. This time, it was also a demon, but a handsome young boy.
Once again, Lu Yaoyao won the bid with a price of one hundred thousand top-grade spirit stones.
Then came the next one…
Wen Zixing and the others watched Lu Yaoyao, hesitant to speak. “It’s useless,” Yan Zihui’s expression was particularly complicated as he muttered. There was more than just one underground auction in this world, and special lots like this were commonplace. Business would keep going as long as the demand was sufficient. While Yaoyao might be able to save a few, she couldn’t save them all.
Besides, these enslaved people were not human. Who would be willing to offend the forces behind these auctions for the sake of different races? Every underground auction was backed by powerful entities that were not easily shaken.
Lu Yaoyao turned to Yan Zihui and asked, “What if it were my father—would it be useful, then?”
Yan Zihui didn’t know what to answer.
“I can’t save them all. But at least I can save the ones I see,” the girl said earnestly. “This… this is wrong! Even if they are of different races, we are all living beings. We can kill each other on the battlefield, but we have no right to treat them as… as commodities to be bought and sold.”
“This is wrong.”
If she had her father’s strength, she wouldn’t need to bid in an auction to save these demons; she would have simply destroyed the underground auction house. An auction that openly engages in the trafficking of beings should not continue to exist.
Yan Zihui sighed silently. He walked over to Lu Yaoyao and gently patted her head. “I know.” But after seeing the same scene so many times, one’s heart eventually became hardened. The small amount of pity and compassion toward these non-humans was not enough to make them intervene. They all knew it was wrong and many were disgusted by this practice, including him, but very few would actually extend a hand to help.
“The three races have been in a state of hostility for generations. When we encounter demons or devils outside, it’s common to end up in a life-or-death battle.”
So why go out of your way to save those enslaved demons and devils?
Save them, only to release them and kill them again later?
Lu Yaoyao lowered her eyes, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering as tears began to fall, one by one.
“Senior Brother Zihui, can we help just this once? If these demons had taken the lives of humans, we would have nothing to say. But look at how weak they are; they haven’t harmed humans, and they don’t even have the ability to, yet they are being treated so cruelly by humans…” Chao Muxue couldn’t help but plead, feeling heartbroken for the demons.
“Senior Brother…” Wen Zixing and Du Qianshan didn’t say anything, but they stood by Lu Yaoyao’s side.
Yan Zihui couldn’t help but soften. “Just this once, then. But in the future… never mind, just avoid underground auctions if you can.”
This was exactly why he didn’t want to bring his juniors here; they were still just children, and seeing such things could easily disturb their state of mind.
Lu Yaoyao went on to successfully bid on all the special lot items one by one. Each time, it was the guest from room 19 who won, drawing the attention of many.
The cultivators present knew well the purposes these auctioned items could serve once taken back. What kind of person would be so enamored with beauty that they would want to buy them all at once?
Regardless of the speculation, there was nothing other bidders could do. Even if they offered a high price, the other party could always bid higher, making it impossible to compete.
The auction finally reached its final special lot. The auctioneer didn’t hurry to uncover the black cloth. Instead, he flashed a well-practiced smile. “The final special lot item is the most precious one we’ve had in a hundred years. I’m sure everyone is curious, so without further ado, let me unveil the mystery.”
The auctioneer pulled off the black cloth, revealing a pair of blood-red eyes glaring forward with aggression. The being’s blood-soaked hands furiously tried to pry open the iron cage, but the flashing talismans repelled him, causing his skin to sizzle as he gripped the bars.
The crowd gasped in unison.
“A devil!”
“A high-level devil!”
“To think they even have a high-level devil, no less!”
High-level devils were so proud that they would rather be shattered into pieces with their backs straight than bend their knees. They always considered themselves superior and looked down on other beings, including their weaker fellow devils. Yet now, a high-level devil with a pure bloodline had been reduced to a prisoner, becoming a special lot item on the auction platform!
The auctioneer was very pleased with the crowd’s reaction. He announced loudly, “Next, we will auction off the final special item, a high-level devil, starting at one million top-grade spirit stones!”
No sooner had the auctioneer finished speaking than many people eagerly began to bid, including some of the VIPs in the private rooms.
It was a high-level devil, after all!
If they could buy him and seal a slave contract…
The more the crowd thought about it, the more tempted they became, driving the bids with an even higher frenzy.
Meanwhile, Lu Yaoyao seemed in a trance. Instead of pressing the button to join the bidding, she was staring blankly at the figure in the cage, who was defiantly struggling to escape despite his wounds.
Her friends were also observing the legendary high-level devil—
So this was a high-level devil? Aside from his red eyes, he didn’t look much different from a human.
“I’ve heard that the purer a high-level devil’s bloodline is, the better-looking they are,” Du Qianshan remarked, causing the other two to scrutinize the figure on the screen more closely. Despite his wretched state, the devil boy’s handsome face was still unmistakable, and the bloodstains on his cheeks only added to his inexplicable allure.
“It seems this devil’s bloodline is very pure,” said Du Qianshan again.
Wen Zixing, feeling a bit competitive, responded, “It’s just so-so; I’m more handsome.”
Straightforward as always, Du Qianshan glanced over and said bluntly, “You’re not as handsome, couldn’t you see it yourself?” He wasn’t blind; of all the people he had encountered, very few could compare in appearance to this demon youth.
Chao Muxue agreed, “Once he fully matures, he might only be slightly less handsome than His Venerable.” This was a high compliment, considering that His Venerable’s appearance was famously as outstanding as his power.
Wen Zixing felt like he had taken a hit to the knees, feeling both envious and pained.
“Yaoyao, why aren’t you bidding?” Chao Muxue asked curiously when she noticed that the girl had her hand on the button but hadn’t pressed it.
“Is Yaoyao mesmerized as well?” Wen Zixing teased.
Lu Yaoyao snapped out of her thoughts and shot Wen Zixing a glare. What a joke! She had grown up surrounded by world-class beauties. Why would she be dazed by someone who was clearly not as good-looking?
“Seven million top-grade spirit stones,” she pressed the button.
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Was it her devil friend? I forgot his name though.
I’m so glad Lu Yaoyao was able to save all those innocent demons, but I’m curious how and where she’ll relocate them because she can’t personally go to the Demon Realm to drop them off, but it would be great if they could actually live on Cangshan Mountain where they would be safe.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀