Auction Begins

One night passed.

The Ling Estate training grounds.

A figure as imposing as an iron tower stood quietly in the center, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his waist, eyes tightly shut.

At that moment, a gentle breeze blew past.

Ling Yun's eyes snapped open. His movement was so swift it was almost imperceptible; his long saber was already unsheathed, slashing towards a falling leaf in front of him!

As he moved, three illusory blade shadows appeared from various directions, striking a corner of the falling leaf almost simultaneously.

"Swish!"

A flash of blade light, and by the time anyone could react, the saber was already back in its sheath.

The leaf spiraled to the ground, appearing completely unharmed.

But if one looked closely, they would find four identical nicks on it!

"Hoo!"

Ling Yun let out a long breath, looking at the leaf before him, but he was not satisfied.

The combination of Burst Force and the Hundredfold Rend technique was much more difficult than he had imagined.

Even with his current strength, he could only manage to split the blade into three shadows.

Ling Yun meticulously simulated that strike in his mind, from the angle of his draw to the arc of his wrist's flick, attempting to optimize a more perfect slash.

Although the system's existence allowed his strength and realm to ascend rapidly.

It was like a towering skyscraper; how to decorate the interior more exquisitely was something he had to achieve himself.

Just as he was deep in thought, Zhang Mu, who had been waiting nearby, quickly walked up and said respectfully, "Lord Ling, the auction is about to begin."

His thoughts interrupted, Ling Yun couldn't help but frown slightly.

He glanced up at the sky. Although there was still some time before noon, it was indeed about time to leave.

"I know."

Ling Yun stopped, casually took a clean white towel from a nearby maid, and waved for Zhang Mu to go prepare.

As he changed into clean clothes, ready to leave, he noticed the maid's eyes darting away, looking as if she had something to say but hesitated.

"Is something wrong?" Ling Yun frowned slightly, recalling the maid's information.

The maid's name was Xiao Lu. She was the most obedient and diligent among all the household servants, which was why Zhang Mu had assigned her to specifically attend to his daily needs.

From his observations over the past few days, she had indeed been very satisfactory.

Under Ling Yun's gaze, Xiao Lu nervously clasped her hands in front of her and said somewhat tensely, "M-Master, my mother is gravely ill, so I would like to... return to my hometown for a few days."

As her words fell, the air fell into a brief silence.

Just as Xiao Lu began to regret her impulsiveness, Ling Yun's voice sounded from a distance.

"You may. Be careful on the road, and try to stick to the main roads."

"If you need money, go find Zhang Mu and tell him I sent you."

Xiao Lu's face lit up with joy. She looked gratefully at Ling Yun's departing back, a peculiar thought flashing through her mind.

"Master looks very fierce, but he's actually quite gentle."

It was fortunate that Ling Yun didn't have mind-reading abilities, or he would surely have let her know what true ferocity was.

Outside the door at this moment, Zhang Mu had a carriage prepared and waiting.

Behind him stood three people in neat formation.

As Ling Yun approached, he saw them all excitedly shout, "Lord Ling! x3"

Seeing Ling Yun's darkened expression, Zhang Mu quickly explained, "Lord Ling, these three admire your reputation and wish to serve by your side."

He then began to introduce them one by one.

"Lord Ling, this is Xue Liu. Don't let his shifty appearance fool you; he's known as Cloud City's Mr. Everything. There's nothing in Cloud City, big or small, that he doesn't know."

"This one is..."

As Zhang Mu continued his introductions, Ling Yun finally understood what was happening.

He hadn't expected this kid to be so ambitious. In just a few short days, he had already built a small force!

However, he wasn't angry.

It was the same reason he had taken in Zhang Mu initially; he didn't care what his subordinates did or what their thoughts were.

As long as they diligently completed the tasks he assigned and didn't cause him any trouble, that was enough.

He glanced at the three nervous individuals. Their strength was not bad; they were all Force Conduit level martial artists.

Even in a regular martial arts school, they could at least get the status of official disciples.

I wonder how Zhang Mu managed to trick them into coming here.

He didn't say anything further, directly got into the carriage, and said faintly:

"Alright, let's go."

Xue Liu and the other two looked at each other, their expressions a little confused, unsure of Ling Yun's attitude.

Fortunately, Zhang Mu had been by Ling Yun's side for a while and understood his personality to some extent. He immediately kicked each of the three without restraint.

"What are you still standing there dumbfounded for? Lord Ling has accepted you!"

Only then did the three snap back to reality, their faces filled with excitement.

"Thank you, Lord Ling, for taking us in! x3"

Ling Yun didn't reply, merely extending a hand and waving slightly.

The others immediately understood, with some leading the horses and others driving the carriage.

Soon, with a neigh from the horse, the carriage gradually drove into the distance.

Not long after, after a bumpy ride, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

Ling Yun lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out, revealing a magnificent and grand venue before him.

In front of the venue was a wide platform.

All sorts of exquisite carriages were stopped here, and the people disembarking were all wealthy and influential.

The area around the venue was also filled with various stalls, with cries of vendors and shouts mixing together.

In comparison, the few of them seemed rather inconspicuous.

Looking at the lively scene before him, Ling Yun's eyes couldn't help but flicker slightly.

It seemed that due to the recent activity of the Demon Suppression Envoys, the entire atmosphere of Cloud City had become much more relaxed.

After all, the impact of the Deng Family incident had only recently subsided.

At this moment, Zhang Mu and the others had also finished parking the carriage, and the group walked directly towards the venue.

[Cloud City First Auction]

Ling Yun glanced at the huge plaque above his head, feeling a slight chuckle in his heart. The name was quite imposing.

Many people were entering and exiting the doorway.

After a simple check, Ling Yun and the others entered the auction house.

The interior space was also very large, with a layout somewhat similar to the stadiums of his previous life.

At the very center was a towering platform, surrounded by tiered seating arranged from bottom to top.

And at the very top of the seating area, there was a circle of uniquely designed small rooms. Those who could enter them were clearly the wealthy and influential.

At this moment, a series of intense bidding sounds reached his ears; the auction seemed to have already begun.

On the central platform stood a woman of exceptional beauty and temperament, holding a delicate porcelain vase and introducing it in detail.

Her voice was charming and melodious, and within a few sentences, the price of the porcelain vase had soared.

He wondered if these people were here for the auction item in the woman's hand, or for the woman herself.