Chapter 63: Buy and Sell.
For the next period of time, Tang San became strangely quiet. He stopped investigating Xiao Wu's situation and stopped bothering Shi Yi. He seemed to have seen through everything and quietly cultivated.
While the others were surprised by Tang San's calmness, Shi Yi had a hunch. With the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Competition about to begin, Tang Hao must have met Tang San.
Only the truth Tang Hao had revealed could calm Tang San. Shi Yi suspected that Tang Hao had told Tang San that Xiao Wu was not dead, but had simply left for some reason. Aside from fitting Xiao Wu with the resurrection armor, Shi Yi couldn't think of any other way to calm Tang San.
Shi Yi was pleased to see this. A quiet Tang San clearly wouldn't act rashly again. Although he now had Tang San's weak spot, Shi Yi had remained extremely cautious, staying within the academy and not leaving.
"Xiao Yi, come here," a familiar voice echoed in Shi Yi's ears.
Shi Yi, still cultivating, looked at Zhao Wuji with a puzzled expression.
"The dean said someone wants to see you," Zhao Wuji explained to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi looked surprised and asked, "Someone else wants to see me?"
"I don't know who it is either. Stop talking nonsense. You'll find out when you get there. It's in the reception room on the same floor as Flanders' office," Zhao Wuji urged Shi Yi.
Shi Yi nodded, packed up briefly, and headed towards the academy office building with a suspicious look on his face.
"Could it be that old guy Tang Hao? He's probably a bit more capable than someone like Dugu Bo. But since they're meeting in the office building, it shouldn't be too dangerous," Shi Yi thought to himself.
Soon, Shi Yi arrived at the reception room door and knocked gently. Flanders' voice came from inside: "Come in."
Hearing that, Shi Yi pushed the door open and entered, only to find an unfamiliar nobleman sitting across from Flanders.
Shi Yi was somewhat bewildered by this; he didn't recognize the person before him. Flender then spoke up, introducing them: "Xiao Yi, this is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. He's come specifically to see you."
With that, Flender slowly rose and politely addressed Xue Qinghe: "Your Royal Highness, I won't bother you any more."
Xue Qinghe nodded with a warm smile and whispered to Flender: "Please, Dean Flender. Brother Xiao Yi and I will be at your service."
Shi Yi stared at Xue Qinghe, or rather Qian Renxue, in surprise, his mind racing with thoughts about Qian Renxue's purpose.
After Flender left, Shi Yi bowed slightly to Qian Renxue and whispered: "Young man, greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"No need to be so formal. It's an honor for me to meet a genius like Brother Shi Yi. If you don't mind, you can call me Brother Xue. You don't have to mention the Crown Prince," Qian Renxue said with a chuckle at Shi Yi.
A glint flashed in Shi Yi's eyes, and he suddenly understood why Qian Renxue had come here.
Shi Yi suspected that after the previous incident, Ning Fengzhi was well aware that Shi Yi could no longer join the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect. However, he remained a rare talent, and recommending him to Xue Qinghe, a disciple, would also benefit the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
However, Ning Fengzhi didn't know that the Xue Qinghe before Shi Yi was actually Qian Renxue, the daughter of the previous Pope.
Shi Yi tactfully replied, "Brother Xue, you are so kind! I wonder why you've been looking for me?"
Qian Renxue smiled slightly at this. "It's nothing serious. I just happened to be passing by here with nothing else to do. You helped me a lot at the Tiandou Imperial Academy. Xue Beng is young and naive, so I owe you and the teachers at Shrek an apology."
"Brother Xue, you're too kind! It's just that people from the countryside have little luck and limited connections. How can I blame you?" Shi Yi said with a smile.
Hearing this, Qian Renxue nodded slightly, slowly rising and saying to Shi Yi, "Brother Yi, please forgive me. If you don't mind, I'd like to invite you to our palace today."
Shi Yi feigned flattery and nodded, saying matter-of-factly, "Thank you, Brother Xue, for your kindness. I'll be your companion."
Soon, the two of them slowly arrived at the academy gate and boarded the carriage.
In the carriage, Shi Yi and Qian Renxue engaged in a casual conversation. Qian Renxue discovered that Shi Yi was not only very talkative, but also very knowledgeable and well-informed. He could always follow up on what he said, even offering his own opinions, often from a novel perspective.
Soon, the carriage slowly stopped in front of a very luxurious restaurant.
At the dining table.
Qian Renxue handed the menu to Shi Yi and said generously, "Today, our palace is hosting you. Brother Shi Yi, just order whatever you want."
Shi Yi didn't hesitate to order a few dishes, and Qian Renxue made some additional comments.
Before long, the table was overflowing with food, and the two of them slowly began to eat.
Qian Renxue ate politely, bit by bit, occasionally wiping the corners of her mouth with a napkin.
Seeing this, Shi Yi also smiled and said, "Brother Xue, you are eating too seriously. Relax and just eat whatever you want on weekdays."
Qian Renxue put down the chopsticks in her hand and chuckled, "Xiao Yi, this is a matter of etiquette. I, the prince, am not as relaxed as you. If I do something wrong, I will be regarded as a target of attack by others. So I must do everything seriously, even eating."
Shi Yi nodded and smiled when he heard it, "No wonder Xue Beng wants to hide himself. You put too much pressure on me."
Qian Renxue was slightly stunned when he heard it. She came back to her senses and looked at Shi Yi. There was a different meaning in her eyes. She smiled at Shi Yi and said, "Brother Xue, I have learned a lot. It seems that Xiao Yi is not only a genius in cultivation, but also well versed in the way of power."
Shi Yi shook his head and smiled, "This is not the way of power at all. It's just doing the right thing at the right time. You have to eat well. Such delicious food will be more enjoyable if you eat it with big mouthfuls."
As he said that, Shi Yi also started to eat with big mouthfuls.
"That makes sense." Qian Renxue nodded.
After that, Qian Renxue also smiled and imitated Shi Yi to eat. This small change really made Qian Renxue feel a different taste, and even felt a little relieved.
"Brother Xue, does it feel different?" Shi Yi chuckled.
"Indeed, it is different." Qian Renxue imitated Shi Yi and took another bite and smiled.
The two smiled at each other and started eating silently. Their appetite was much larger than usual.
Before long, most of the food on the table had gone into their stomachs. Shi Yi also smiled and burped, and said to Qian Renxue, "Thank you for your hospitality, Brother Xue."
Qian Renxue waved her hand and showed a warm smile, "You're welcome. Where would you like to go next, Brother Yi?"
"It's up to the host. You can make the arrangements." Shi Yi smiled.
Soon seeing the familiar building, Shi Yi couldn't help but look helpless. It was obvious that Qian Renxue had also learned from Ning Fengzhi and brought Shi Yi to the auction house.
After all, men only have such a hobby. After eating and drinking, of course... But due to their status, Ning Fengzhi and Qian Renxue couldn't take Shi Yi to such a place, so they could only do this kind of borderline ball. After all, if you really want to buy here, the confidentiality is also very high.
As if catching the change in Shi Yi's expression, Qian Renxue asked with some confusion: "What's the matter, Brother Yi?"
Shi Yi smiled and said, "It's nothing. It's just that Sect Master Ning of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect brought me here last time, and I was a little surprised."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue also pretended to be surprised and said, "Teacher brought you here?"
Shi Yi joined Qian Renxue in the drama, surprised, and asked, "Is Sect Master Ning your teacher?"
After a brief exchange of words, the two slowly entered the Tiandou Auction Hall.
Xue Qinghe smiled and said, "Xiao Yi, if there's anything you want, you're welcome."
Shi Yi, listening to the same rhetoric as Ning Fengzhi, nodded with a smile. Coming back here, the scenery was just as beautiful.
Noticing Shi Yi's lingering gaze, Qian Renxue said generously, "If you're interested, Brother Yi, you can choose any of them. It's my way of thanking you."
A hint of disgust flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes as she spoke.
Shi Yi shook his head slightly in refusal. Seeing this, Qian Renxue said nothing more, but in her heart, she labeled Shi Yi a hypocrite. If she hadn't learned of Shi Yi's talent from Ning Fengzhi, she wouldn't have wasted her time here with him.
Qian Renxue, however, was very tactful. He didn't take Shi Yi into the VIP room, but instead took him to a seat outside. This allowed Shi Yi to occasionally see the scantily clad service staff milling about.
Meanwhile, the soul guide on the stage had been successfully sold for 53,000 gold soul coins.
The host, speaking through a megaphone, addressed the bidders with a smile, "Next, we're auctioning a rare and precious item. Interested parties, please take note, especially male VIPs; this could change an entire family."
He gestured to the audience, and three sturdy men pushed a cart up. The cart was covered with a red cloth, obscuring its contents, but from its exterior, it resembled a large square box.
Qian Renxue frowned at this familiar rhetoric. Having lived in Tiandou for so long, he naturally understood what was about to be auctioned.
"Now, distinguished guests, please take a closer look. This lot has a reserve price of four hundred thousand!" He said, grabbing the red cloth and yanking it off.
The red cloth lifted, revealing a massive iron cage. Inside, crouched a girl.
She was dressed casually, crouching in the corner of the cage, her head bowed, her thoughts unsettled.
"Little girl," Shi Yi muttered softly, his pupils constricted.
"Perhaps you, distinguished guests, are wondering why such an ordinary girl could command such a high reserve price, even more so than the beauties we've trained for years in our auction house. This child has awakened an innate eighth-level soul power, and her martial spirit is a wind-breaking blade. You should all know what this means. Do you wish to bring prosperity to your family? Everyone, please place your bids!" The host's final call instantly stirred the audience's emotions.
Seeing this, Shi Yi couldn't help but sigh. He understood that female spirit masters only comprised one-tenth of the total number of spirit masters, but no one had ever understood why.
While women's bodies were inherently inferior to men's, and they were more likely to die in spirit master battles, Shi Yi suspected the most fundamental reason was this: because martial spirits and innate spirit power were hereditary, female spirit masters were an extremely valuable resource.
Shi Yi's heart surged like a turbulent sea. He had seen the dark side of the world, but his past life's upbringing had taught him that this was far more disgusting than Tang San's assassination attempt on his life. He had never imagined that the buying and selling of female spirit masters would actually happen before him.
Hearing Shi Yi's sigh, Qian Renxue's eyes flashed with surprise. She said to Shi Yi, "Surprised, right, Xiaoyi?"
Shi Yi nodded slightly and said, "Indeed."
"The people who sell these children specialize in helping girls awaken their spirits. Once they are targeted, they are sent here before they even enter the Junior Spirit Master Academy for training. Of course, only children of this level can be sent to the Tiandou Auction House. Those of lower levels are probably sent to the auction houses in the major cities." Qian Renxue's voice was soft, but Shi Yi could clearly feel the chill in her words.
"In this respect, the two great empires are indeed inferior to the Spirit Hall," Shi Yi sighed softly.
A strange glint flashed in Qian Renxue's eyes. "Xiao Yi, you can't say that out loud."
Hearing this, Shi Yi pretended to come to his senses and said to Qian Renxue, "No offense, Brother Xue, please forgive me." Qian Renxue continued, "Although this child has great talent, the emergence of a Soul Saint requires approximately fifty years of cultivation and consumes a vast amount of resources. A Soul Douluo takes even longer. Many nobles buy these children and don't carefully nurture them. They simply feed them basic meditation techniques and food, letting them bear children repeatedly so they can improve their cultivation, acquire a few ordinary spirit rings, and then have more children."
"They control their cultivation and the quality of their spirit rings, fearing revenge," Shi Yi whispered.
"Indeed, even if they can absorb a hundred-year spirit ring, those who bought her will only let her absorb ten-year spirit rings," Qian Renxue sighed.
"Brother Xue, can you help me buy her?" Shi Yi whispered to Qian Renxue.
Qian Renxue watched Shi Yi's face fill with surprise, a hint of suspicion flickering deep within her eyes. But she nodded and pressed the bid button beside her.
Even if Shi Yi wasn't here today, she would have bought the child.
Here, Gold Soul Coins seemed like mere numbers. The girl's value, amidst the constant bidding, even surpassed 800,000 Gold Soul Coins.
"880,000 Gold Soul Coins, second bid. 880,000 Gold Soul Coins, third bid. Deal! This girl belongs to a VIP in the Red VIP Zone!" the host shouted excitedly, as if buying this girl would bring her a powerful family.
"Let's go, let's go see the child together," Qian Renxue whispered to Shi Yi.
Shi Yi nodded slightly, and they slowly stood up together.
"Dear guests, please follow me," the girl in the silver skirt bowed respectfully to the two of them, then gestured for them to come.
Soon, a cage containing the girl was wheeled into a room.
When the little girl emerged from the cage, she looked at Shi Yi and Qian Renxue with a bewildered expression.
"You don't even understand your own situation," Shi Yi sighed, his expression complicated, as he gently stroked the little girl's head.
"They all come from small villages, and many don't even know they've been sold," Qian Renxue whispered.
"Brother Xue, can you take her in?" Shi Yi asked, a little embarrassed, looking at Qian Renxue.
A look of surprise crossed Qian Renxue's face. "Didn't you ask me to buy her? Don't worry, as the Crown Prince, I can afford this."
Shi Yi shook his head slightly, "That's not what I meant. I'm still a child myself, how can I take care of her?"
Qian Renxue looked deeply at Shi Yi, nodded slightly, and smiled. "You're the good guy, but I'm the one taking care of the child. You're quite clever."
"Having her with you will give her a better future. Besides, she's one of your people, Tiandou," Shi Yi chuckled.
"Okay." Qian Renxue nodded, pulled out a gold medal from her bosom, and handed it to Shi Yi. "If you have time, you can always come to the East Palace to see this child."
Shi Yi nodded slightly.
Then the two of them took the child for a brief stroll around Tiandou City, and Qian Renxue sent Shi Yi back to the academy.
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(End of this chapter)