The Auction Begins

A night passed.

Ling Estate training ground.

A towering figure stood silently at the center, his right hand resting on the hilt at his waist, his eyes tightly shut.

At that moment, a breeze drifted past.

Ling Yun's eyes flew open. Before anyone could clearly see his movements, the long blade in his hand had already left its sheath, slashing at a falling leaf before him!

As he moved, three illusory blade shadows emerged from different directions, nearly simultaneously cutting toward one corner of the leaf.

"Slash!"

A flash of blade light passed by. By the time one came back to their senses, the blade had already returned to its sheath.

The leaf spiraled down onto the ground, seemingly completely unharmed.

But upon closer inspection, one could see four identical notches had appeared on it!

"Huff!"

Ling Yun let out a long breath. Looking at the fallen leaf before him, he was not particularly satisfied.

The combination of Burst Force's eruption and Hundred Rends' technique was far more difficult than he had imagined.

Even with his current strength, he could only barely split off three blade shadows.

Ling Yun carefully replayed that slash in his mind, from the angle of the strike to the arc of his wrist's tremor, attempting to refine it into a more perfect cut.

Though the system's existence allowed his realm of strength to rise at a breakneck pace—

It was like a soaring skyscraper. As for how exquisitely its interior could be decorated, that could only rely on himself.

Just as he was deep in thought, Zhang Mu, who had long been waiting nearby, suddenly hurried over and respectfully said, "Master Ling, the auction is about to begin."

His thoughts interrupted, Ling Yun could not help frowning slightly.

He raised his head to glance at the sky. Although there was still some time before noon, it was indeed about time to set off.

"I understand."

Ling Yun stopped, casually taking a pristine white towel from a maid at his side. He waved a hand, signaling Zhang Mu to make the preparations first.

Just as he changed into clean clothes and was about to leave, he noticed that the maid before him kept averting her gaze, looking as though she wanted to speak but hesitated.

"Is something wrong?" Ling Yun frowned slightly as her information surfaced in his mind.

The maid was called Xiao Lu. Among all the servants, she was the most obedient and conscientious, which was why Zhang Mu had assigned her specifically to attend to Ling Yun's daily needs.

After observing her over the past few days, Ling Yun had indeed been quite satisfied.

Under Ling Yun's gaze, Xiao Lu nervously clasped her hands before her and said with some hesitation:

"M-Master, this servant's mother is gravely ill, so I... I want to return to my hometown for a few days."

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

Just as Xiao Lu began to regret being so rash, Ling Yun's voice sounded from ahead.

"You may. Be careful on the road, and take the official roads whenever possible."

"If you need silver, go find Zhang Mu. Tell him I said so."

Xiao Lu's little face brightened. She gratefully watched Ling Yun's departing back, an unusual thought flashing through her heart.

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

Fortunately, Ling Yun could not read minds. Otherwise, he would surely have shown her what true ferocity was.

Outside the gates, Zhang Mu had already prepared a carriage and was waiting.

Behind him, three people stood in neat formation.

The moment Ling Yun approached, he saw them shout excitedly:

"Master Ling! x3"

Seeing the black lines spread across Ling Yun's face, Zhang Mu hurriedly explained, "Master Ling, these three admire your great reputation and wish to serve at your side."

With that, he began introducing them one by one.

"Master Ling, this is Xue Liu. Don't be fooled by his lecherous-looking face—he's known as Cloud City's know-it-all. There isn't a thing, great or small, in Cloud City that he doesn't know."

"This one is..."

As Zhang Mu continued the introductions, Ling Yun finally understood what was going on.

He had not expected this kid to be so ambitious. In just a few days, he had already gathered a small force of his own!

Still, it was not as though Ling Yun was angry.

Just as when he had first taken Zhang Mu in, he did not care what the people under him did or what thoughts they harbored.

As long as they wholeheartedly completed the tasks he assigned, and did not stir up trouble for him, that was enough.

Ling Yun glanced at the three tense men. Their strength was fairly decent as well; all were Force Conduit martial artists.

Even in an ordinary martial arts school, they could at least have become formal disciples.

He had no idea how Zhang Mu had sweet-talked them into coming.

He said nothing further, climbing directly into the carriage before saying blandly:

"Alright, let's go."

Xue Liu and the other two looked at each other, their expressions puzzled as they wondered what exactly Ling Yun's attitude was.

Fortunately, Zhang Mu had been by Ling Yun's side for quite some time and understood a little of his temperament. He immediately kicked each of the three men without ceremony.

"What are you standing around stupidly for? Master Ling has accepted you!"

Only then did the three snap out of it, their faces brimming with excitement.

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

Ling Yun did not answer, merely extending one hand and giving it a slight wave.

The group immediately understood. Those meant to lead the horses led the horses, while those meant to drive the carriage drove it.

Soon, accompanied by a neigh, the carriage gradually headed into the distance.

Before long, after swaying along the road, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

Ling Yun lifted the curtain and stepped down. Before him stood a vast, magnificent venue.

A broad plaza stretched before the venue.

All manner of exquisite carriages were parked there, and those stepping out of them were either wealthy or noble.

The area around the venue was also packed with vendors, their cries and shouts blending into a noisy din.

By comparison, their group seemed rather inconspicuous among the crowd.

Seeing the bustling scene before him, Ling Yun's gaze flickered slightly.

It seemed that because the Demon Suppression Envoys had been active lately, the mood throughout Cloud City had also eased considerably.

After all, the impact caused by the Deng Family incident had only just faded away.

At that moment, Zhang Mu and the others had finished parking the carriage, and the group headed directly toward the venue.

Cloud City First Auction

Ling Yun glanced at the enormous plaque overhead and could not help chuckling inwardly. The name was rather imposing.

Quite a few people were coming and going through the entrance.

After a simple inspection, Ling Yun and his group entered the auction house.

The interior was spacious as well, its layout somewhat resembling a stadium from his previous life.

At the very center stood a lofty platform, while rows of seats rose tier by tier around it.

At the highest point above the seating area was a ring of uniquely designed private rooms. Those able to enter them were clearly either wealthy or noble.

Intense bidding echoed by his ears. The auction seemed to have already begun.

On the central platform stood a woman of exceptional beauty and bearing, holding an exquisite porcelain piece as she introduced it in detail.

Her voice was alluring and mellifluous. In just a few sentences, she sent the price of the porcelain climbing steadily.

Who knew whether these people were bidding for the auction item in the woman's hands—or for the woman herself.