The auctioneer was extremely excited today.
Although he had more than twenty years of experience in the field, successful auctions like this one were rare.
Many of the previous items had sold for prices far beyond expectations, and not a single one had gone unsold.
Even among true master auctioneers, this was something worth bragging about.
After all, it was extremely uncommon for every single item in an auction to find a buyer.
Thinking of this, the auctioneer cleared his slightly excited throat, steadied his somewhat trembling voice, and announced,
“Congratulations to the distinguished guest in Box Ninety-Five for successfully winning the Heavy Forest Tiger. Please proceed to the front counter afterward, where dedicated staff will assist you.”
He then continued,
“Next up is the final item of this auction. As the grand finale, why don’t you esteemed guests take a guess at what it might be? There could be a pleasant surprise waiting.”
With the auctioneer’s skillful buildup, the distinguished guests below the stage began whispering among themselves.
Murmurs rippled through the auction hall.
Watching the nobles and officials below exchange glances, the auctioneer felt quite satisfied.
He knew they did not necessarily need to guess correctly; they were simply enjoying the thrilling atmosphere of the live event.
By guiding them now and letting their imaginations run wild about what the item could be, the true reveal of the final “item” would create an even stronger contrast and heighten the excitement.
This was a tried-and-true tactic in their line of work, one that never failed.
After a moment, once the hall had quieted somewhat, the auctioneer judged the timing right and declared,
“It seems everyone has an answer in mind. Then let us bring out the next ‘treasure’ and see exactly what it is.”
“Is it the treasure you all imagined?”
As the auctioneer’s words fell, the venue gradually fell silent.
The guests refocused their attention on the stage.
After all the buildup the auctioneer had provided, this grand finale might truly hold something extraordinary.
A servant responsible for transporting the auction items slowly pushed a large iron cage covered by a curtain onto the stage.
After gently setting it down, he withdrew.
Now only the auctioneer and the large iron cage remained on the platform.
With all eyes from the distinguished guests fixed on it, the auctioneer finally pulled the curtain down just a little.
The contents inside the cage remained hidden.
Only when a sliver of clothing peeked out did he give a firm tug, yanking the entire curtain away and simultaneously removing the cloth that had covered Yun Hao’s eyes.
Yun Hao was now completely exposed to everyone’s view.
The once-quiet auction hall gradually filled with heavier breathing.
Every gaze locked onto the “young maiden” inside the cage.
Even though the assembled nobles and officials had seen countless women of all charms and styles, they had to admit that this caged “maiden” was truly one of the finest in the mortal world.
Her eyes held a spring-like allure, her brows carried a refined grace, her cheeks were as smooth as congealed fat, her lips bloomed like cherry petals, her slender hands were white as jade, her waist was thin as a willow branch that could be encircled in one grasp, her jade feet curled tenderly like snow, and her expression resembled that of a sheltered young lady who had mistakenly wandered into a stranger’s room—helpless, terrified, yet revealing a trace of innate charm.
Looking at the stunned guests below, the auctioneer felt a surge of pride.
He gave a light cough and said,
“Esteemed guests, this is the final ‘item’ of our auction today—a youth.”
The nobles and officials, who had been dazed at first, did not immediately react.
They were still pondering how to acquire this “stunning beauty” at the lowest possible cost and bring her home.
It was only when someone suddenly exclaimed in surprise,
“A youth? This is a man?”
that the crowd slowly came to their senses.
Then even more intense chatter erupted.
No one had expected this peerless beauty to actually be a man dressed in women’s clothing.
More importantly, they had nearly been bewitched by a man just moments ago.
If word got out, it would indeed be somewhat embarrassing.
After a while, the heated discussion gradually died down.
Most of the guests looking at Yun Hao in the cage no longer showed the same fervent gaze as before.
No matter how beautiful he was, the fact that he was a man remained.
Who would casually think of sharing a bed with a man?
There were exceptions, however.
A proper-looking young master who had been sitting in the back row and showing little interest throughout the auction suddenly fixed his eyes on Yun Hao.
He made no effort to conceal the burning heat in his stare.
Anyone unaware might have thought the youth in the cage owed his family five hundred bushels of grain.
Aside from this young master, a small number of others also revealed sharp glints in their eyes, their expressions filled with greed as if they wanted to devour the caged youth in the next second.
The auctioneer was not flustered by the guests who had not lost interest in Yun Hao.
Their reactions were exactly as expected.
The selling point of this caged youth was not merely his appearance.
More importantly, it was his identity—the fifth son of Prince Yun Zhen of the Cloud Town in the Hua Fu Kingdom.
That was his true value as an auction item.
At this thought, the corners of the auctioneer’s mouth curved upward slightly as he announced,
“Esteemed guests, the person in the cage is named Yun Hao. As you can see, he is a slave.”
The auctioneer’s words did not rekindle the guests’ interest.
A somewhat beautiful slave was nothing special.
Which of their households had not kept a few slaves for amusement?
In the eyes of these nobles and officials, slaves ranked even lower than servants.
They were not even considered human beings but rather “objects”—items that could be discarded at will once used.
If a servant displeased them and was killed, they still had to provide some compensation to the servant’s family to keep them quiet.
After all, if the family came to the mansion gates to cry injustice and other court officials learned of it, it would cause them to lose face.
This was something the face-conscious nobles and officials could not tolerate.
Slaves, however, were different.
According to the laws of the Yuan Sheng Empire, slaves were not considered people but “livestock”—property belonging to their owner.
Therefore, killing a slave at will was not illegal in the Yuan Sheng Empire.
It was simply done, with no consequences to worry about.
Of course, if the slave killed belonged to someone else, compensation still had to be paid to the owner.
Because of these laws, slaves generally failed to interest these nobles and officials.
They had played with all kinds of slaves since childhood.
Such things could no longer please them.
Observing the guests’ expressions, the auctioneer spoke again,
“In addition, he has a rather special identity. Esteemed guests may try to guess it. You might just get it right.”
The auctioneer used an enticing tone to continually guide the nobles and officials, attempting to spark their interest.
But perhaps this final “item” had disappointed them too much.
For a moment, the auction hall fell completely silent.
Almost no one exchanged words.
They simply stared faintly at the auctioneer, silently conveying their mood.
Seeing the sudden chill in the atmosphere, the auctioneer steadied himself.
He had encountered such situations before.
Just as he prepared to speak at an appropriate moment, the young master in the back row suddenly declared,
“This slave was probably bought from the army that returned to the capital a while ago. If I am not mistaken, he must be some imperial relative. Otherwise, he could not possibly be this beautiful.”
Seeing that someone had finally spoken, the auctioneer stopped keeping them in suspense and continued along the young master’s words,
“This esteemed guest has guessed correctly. This slave was indeed purchased from the army that returned to the capital recently. However, he is not an imperial relative.”
Now that the auctioneer had revealed a bit more about Yun Hao’s background, the guests grew interested again.
The reason for their renewed interest was face.
There was a long-standing unhealthy custom in the official circles of the Yuan Sheng Empire: officials were extremely concerned with appearances.
If Official Li gained glory at a banquet today with a treasure, Official Wang would find a way tomorrow to obtain an even rarer delicacy and outshine him.
Owning a slave who was once the son of a great figure would perfectly satisfy their vanity and showcase the strength of their own family.
Thus, the guests’ gazes returned to the auction stage.
The auctioneer saw that he had recaptured the attention of the nobles and officials below and knew he could not drag out the suspense any longer.
Otherwise, their patience would wear thin.
“This slave’s identity is neither that of a prince nor the son of some high minister, but…”
As the auctioneer slowly unveiled Yun Hao’s identity, the guests unconsciously leaned their heads forward toward the center of the hall, afraid of missing any crucial detail.
“But… he is the fifth son of Prince Yun Zhen of the Hua Fu Kingdom—Yun Hao.”
“He is the true son of a prince.”
The auctioneer’s voice echoed slowly through the hall.
After an initial silence, the guests below began to frown in thought.
They had heard of the Hua Fu Kingdom before—a mere small country to the west.
As for Prince Yun Zhen, however, they had not.
After all, why would they bother remembering a prince from a minor nation?
After pondering for a moment, some impatient guests below were about to question the auctioneer when a voice filled with disbelief suddenly rang out,
“That so-called Prince Yun Zhen of Cloud Town… could it be the Yun Ba Dao who thirty years ago utterly defeated the top martial geniuses from various countries—the Cloud Tyrant Blade?!”
The moment these words were spoken, every noble and official present changed color.
With this reminder, they recalled the dazzling young man from thirty years ago.
Back then, Yun Ba Dao had crushed the finest talents from all nations in the Hundred Kingdoms Martial Competition hosted by the Yuan Sheng Empire.
He advanced like a hot knife through butter, his great saber swinging with unstoppable might.
Especially during the fight for the top martial title, he had viciously knocked Zheng Yao—the young prodigy of the Yuan Sheng Empire—off the stage, slapping the empire’s face.
Because of his domineering saber techniques, people no longer remembered his original name of Yun Zhen.
They only remembered that great saber and the three words “Cloud Tyrant Blade.”
Normally, foreign countries would show some respect when facing the Yuan Sheng Empire.
After all, the Yuan Sheng Empire was the strongest mortal empire in the Eastern Spirit Continent, its national power so prosperous that it could rival the combined strength of all other mortal dynasties in the continent besides itself.
Therefore, in any event involving the Yuan Sheng Empire, the various dynasties would intentionally or unintentionally yield ground.
The Yuan Sheng Empire naturally enjoyed this unquestioned dominance.
Yet in that Hundred Kingdoms Martial Competition thirty years ago, against this backdrop of universal deference, Yun Ba Dao had unhesitatingly kicked Zheng Yao off the stage.
Moreover, the competition had been personally hosted by the Yuan Sheng Empire, making it an undisguised provocation.
From then on, the Yuan Sheng Empire harbored a deep grudge against Yun Ba Dao and the Hua Fu Kingdom.
They set an ambush on the road back to his country, but Yun Ba Dao’s martial prowess was too high.
Protected by his guards’ desperate defense, he fought his way back to the Hua Fu Kingdom.
Later, he even helped the Hua Fu Kingdom repel several invasions from other nations, saving it from crisis.
This left the Yuan Sheng Empire both hateful and envious—hateful of Yun Ba Dao’s talent, envious that the Yuan Sheng Empire lacked such a prodigy.
Fortunately, just days ago the Yuan Sheng Empire had taken personal action and finally dealt with the Hua Fu Kingdom.
It was said that Yun Ba Dao, the Cloud Tyrant Blade, had been slain by the empire’s top general while still on horseback, resolving one of the Yuan Sheng Empire’s long-standing concerns.
After recalling the matter of Yun Ba Dao, the guests’ hearts could no longer remain calm.
All their attention focused on the auctioneer as they awaited final confirmation.
Hearing someone finally guess Yun Hao’s true identity correctly, the auctioneer no longer hid anything.
He nodded generously,
“Correct. The person in the cage is indeed the fifth son of Yun Ba Dao, the Cloud Tyrant Blade.”
With the auctioneer’s confirmation, the atmosphere in the hall finally exploded.
Every noble and official wanted to win Yun Hao in the auction.
Some sought to torture him later to vent the grudge from years ago—after all, a father’s debt being repaid by his son was only natural.
Others wanted to buy him as a slave to showcase their family’s power and use him as a symbol of status.
Seeing the ignited atmosphere, the auctioneer announced Yun Hao’s starting bid.
“Then for this final item, the starting price is one hundred gold!”
“I bid two hundred gold!”
“Three hundred gold! Everyone, please do not compete with me. My household happens to need a sweeping slave, and I think this Yun Hao is perfect for the job.”
“Pah! Official Li, your household already has plenty of slaves. My household keeps fewer slaves on a regular basis. Let me have this Yun Hao. I bid five hundred gold!”
“Everyone, stop arguing. I believe this child is most suitable for my household. In the future, I will make him my second son’s study companion and allow him to receive the proper education of our Yuan Sheng Empire!”
“Hah! Official Zhang, I suspect you are only satisfying your own private desires. You should save your breath. I am determined to obtain this slave!”
With round after round of bidding below the stage, Yun Hao’s price skyrocketed from the initial one hundred gold all the way past three thousand gold.
Inside the cage, Yun Hao heard the bidding sounds gradually thin out and could already envision his own fate.
He would probably be tortured to death.
Just moments ago, he had overheard those people discussing his country and his so-called father.
From the fragments he caught, it was clear they harbored intense hatred toward that so-called father.
If he were auctioned off to one of their households, nothing good awaited him.
A wave of despair rose in Yun Hao’s heart.
In the Yun Prince Mansion, he had always been an unwanted wretch who should never have been born.
Ever since he could remember, the most he had experienced were curses and bullying.
His so-called elder brothers would often lock him in a dark room and beat him.
No matter how his mother cried and begged outside, they would not stop.
It was as if only by beating him could they vent the anger in their hearts.
Four years ago, his mother had contracted consumption and left him forever.
Now he had been captured by an enemy nation and would bear the fury of those people in place of the so-called father who had never cared about him or his mother.
An endless abyss of darkness lay before him.
Nothing good had ever happened to him.
No matter who bought him now, the outcome would not be good.
At this thought, tears flowed uncontrollably down Yun Hao’s face.
Self-abandonment spread through his heart.
Even the dying wish his mother had left him—to live well—could no longer support him.
The only path ahead seemed to be death.
“Four thousand two hundred gold! Everyone, please do not compete with me!”
The moment this voice rang out, the entire auction hall fell deathly silent.
Four thousand two hundred gold was roughly four years of salary for a first-rank court official.
This price had already exceeded what ordinary nobles and officials could bear.
All the guests seated in their places turned to look at the bidder.
Upon closer inspection, they realized it was the Zheng family—the very ones who had harbored a great grudge against Yun Ba Dao thirty years ago.
Some guests shook their heads inwardly.
It seemed Yun Hao would not survive even half a month.
The Zheng family was probably not buying him for appearances but purely to take revenge.
Those nobles and officials with peculiar tastes secretly felt regret.
They looked at Yun Hao with eyes full of reluctance.
A situation like this—both the son of an enemy and so pleasing to the eye, especially as a male—was extremely rare.
If they could buy him, the stimulation in bed would surely be endless.
It was a pity that with the Zheng family taking him, there would be no such chance.
“Is there a higher bid? Anyone?”
The auctioneer’s face was full of excitement as he kept repeating,
“Four thousand two hundred gold once!”
“Four thousand two hundred gold twice!”
“Four thousand two hundred gold three times!”
Smack!
The auctioneer slammed his wooden gavel hard on the table and declared loudly,
“Then this final item goes to—”
Just as the auctioneer was about to finish his sentence, a clear, cold voice that brooked no argument rang out,
“This person—I want him.”