That night, the underground prison that should have been pitch-black and deathly silent echoed with faint, muffled sounds of pleasure.
The woman gazed down at the youth beneath her. He had struggled fiercely just moments before but had now given up all resistance. A surge of satisfied conquest filled her heart, and she ground her hips with even greater force, completely ignoring the youth’s already frail body.
“Yun Lang, you should be satisfied now, right? You won’t leave me again, will you? We’ll be together forever, won’t we?”
The woman asked coquettishly as she looked at the youth below her. Her eyes brimmed with sincere and fervent affection. If one overlooked the tear stains on the youth’s cheeks and his expression of utter despair, anyone would see this as a lovestruck woman pouring out her feelings to her beloved.
“Yun Lang, you’re not speaking, so that means you agree, doesn’t it?”
Seeing no response from the youth beneath her, the woman thrust against him even harder. The movements of their intertwined bodies grew more intense, and the youth’s already hoarse throat began to let out muffled groans.
Seeing this, the woman grew even more excited. Her spiritual power unconsciously began to radiate outward. After enduring such prolonged torment, the youth finally succumbed to the mounting pressure of her spiritual energy and gradually lost consciousness.
In the final moment before he blacked out, endless regret filled the youth’s heart.
Why did it come to this? What did I do wrong for things to become so irreversible?
The image of the woman writhing atop him blurred before the youth’s eyes. Memories of their days spent together flashed through his mind in rapid succession. Under the woman’s relentless waves of impact, the youth finally passed out.
The vast underground prison fell silent once more, leaving only the woman to continue taking what she desired…
…………..
…………..
Yuan Sheng Empire, Imperial Capital Auction House.
“Have you heard? It seems several important figures from the sects will be attending today’s auction. It’s really making people nervous and excited.”
“I heard, I heard! Those are the legendary immortals. Ordinary folks like us would never get to see them in our entire lifetimes. To think we get to see them at the auction today—our ancestors must have truly accumulated virtue.”
“I wonder what kind of treasure could draw even the immortals to compete for it. Could it be…”
Smack!
“Ouch!”
A heavy smack interrupted the idle chatter of the two servants. One servant clutched the back of his head where he had been struck, his face twisting in anger as he turned around. He was about to curse whoever had dared hit him when he saw a greasy-faced middle-aged man staring at him with a murderous glare. He deflated instantly like a punctured ball. All anger vanished from his eyes, replaced by pure fear.
It was not without reason. The greasy-faced middle-aged man was the head manager of this auction. With a single word, he could have them fired. Moreover, if they angered him, being secretly disposed of in the shadows was not out of the question.
“On such an important day, you two actually dare to slack off? If you don’t want to work, pack your things and get lost! If this auction has even the slightest error, ten heads won’t be enough for me to chop off!”
“Yes! Yes! Please calm down, sir. It was our mistake. Please punish us.”
Faced with the head manager’s tirade, the two servants showed no trace of anger. Instead, they trembled in fear, terrified that he might kill them in a fit of displeasure. After all, in the Yuan Sheng Empire, the death of a commoner was nothing. No one would bother investigating the head manager of the Imperial Capital Auction House over a mere commoner. It was a thankless task that no one would undertake.
“Hurry up and get back to work. Carefully inspect every auction item to ensure there are no issues whatsoever. Also, notify the auctioneer to prepare to take the stage precisely at the Hour of Xu. Not a quarter hour early, not a quarter hour late! Do you hear me?”
“Yes! Yes! We’ll check the items and notify the auctioneer immediately. Thank you for your mercy, sir! Thank you!”
Upon hearing the head manager’s words, the two servants felt as if they had received a great pardon and scurried away at the fastest speed of their lives.
After scolding the two slacking servants, Zhang Li took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead. This was the first time he had encountered cultivators from the sects coming to the imperial capital for an auction. Normally, sect members looked down on mortal realm goods. After all, what cultivators required were spiritual treasures that naturally contained spiritual power. Mortal items simply could not catch their eye. Their presence this time was likely just for novelty and entertainment.
Even so, the auction house’s top manager had given him strict orders to accommodate these cultivators perfectly. He must not cause the slightest displeasure to these immortals, or regret would come too late if they casually destroyed everything.
I hope this auction passes peacefully.
Zhang Li thought to himself. While dealing with cultivators carried risks, it also brought opportunities. If they took a liking to him and offered even a few words of praise, he might receive a promotion and rise even higher.
At this thought, his heart grew somewhat heated. As the son of a merchant, reaching the position of head manager was already the greatest achievement of his life. If he handled this well, the headquarters might favor him more and give him a chance to advance—becoming a vice manager or even a head manager at a branch division. It was not impossible.
Harboring such hopes, Zhang Li awaited tonight’s auction with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. The excitement came from the possibility that tonight could be his chance to rise to prominence. The anxiety came from the fear that even the smallest mistake could ruin his career at best or cost him his life at worst.
To ensure nothing went wrong tonight, Zhang Li decided to personally inspect the storage warehouse holding the auction items. Afterward, he would check on those immortals in the private rooms to see if their service was satisfactory and if they had any requests.
Just as Zhang Li strolled leisurely toward the storage warehouse while humming a small tune, a servant suddenly hurried over to report on the evening’s auction arrangements.
“Head Manager, all the auction items have been prepared. It’s just that…”
Faced with the servant’s hesitant manner, Zhang Li grew impatient. He glanced sideways and asked:
“Just what?”
“It’s just that… the item… should we still auction it last as originally planned, or… should we postpone it for now…”
Seeing his manager urging him, the servant stopped hesitating and answered quickly.
Zhang Li stroked his beard thoughtfully upon hearing this. This was indeed a problem. Normally, auctioning that “thing” would be fine, but with several sect cultivators suddenly present, following the original plan might cause them displeasure.
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Li spoke to the servant beside him:
“Take me to see him.”
“Yes.”
The servant immediately led the way. Soon, the two arrived beside a cage.
Rattle… rattle…
Sensing someone approaching, the “thing” inside the cage began to twist uneasily. The chains binding it clattered noisily.
Zhang Li looked down at the youth in the cage from above and clicked his tongue.
“Clearly a man, yet so beautiful. What a shame.”
Hearing the man outside the cage speak this way, Yun Hao grew even more uneasy. He tried to shrink backward for even a shred of security. However, the shackles on his feet and the collar around his neck prevented any movement. He could only futilely produce the sound of rattling chains.
Seeing Yun Hao’s fearful appearance, Zhang Li felt a growing excitement inside. If not for the fact that the person before him was a genuine man despite his beauty, Zhang Li would have wanted to buy him himself to keep as a concubine.
Born with such a good face. What a pity. But it’s not completely useless. There are some young masters in the imperial capital’s great clans with a taste for male lovers. Selling him to them wouldn’t be bad.
This was Zhang Li’s true inner thought.
“Change him into women’s clothing. Make it luxurious and a bit revealing. Then auction him last as planned.”
“Yes, this servant will handle it immediately.”
With that, Zhang Li left the storage warehouse. After confirming no issues with the final auction item, he breathed easier.
Now I only need to check on those immortals.
Thinking this, Zhang Li turned and headed toward the top-floor private rooms of the auction building. As he walked, he imagined how he should present himself to the immortals later.