"One hundred and ten taels!"
The bearded man suddenly raised his bidding paddle, as if he'd been waiting for this very moment.
Though this Snake Tribe demon-human was difficult to tame, she was undeniably a master at the peak of Bright Force.
If they used slow-acting poison or similar means to keep her in line, then combined that with a mixture of kindness and threats, it would be very easy to establish a delicate relationship of obedience.
"One hundred and twenty taels!"
Someone immediately raised the bid. This time, the bidder was a spirited, dashing woman.
Her eyes swept over the men staring at her strangely. She gave them a disdainful look and said, "What? My family needs a demon-human bodyguard too. Is that not allowed?"
The men said nothing more, quietly raising their paddles instead.
"One hundred and thirty taels."
"One hundred and forty taels."
"One hundred and sixty taels..."
The price of this Snake Tribe demon-human quickly climbed to two hundred and fifty taels. Even Chen Jingping raised the bid twice, seeming rather interested.
As for Zhou Yun, he had completely given up on obtaining a Snake Tribe demon-human through the auction.
He believed that if he bothered Senior Brother Chen again and invoked the name of the Xiang City Chen Clan, his chances of getting the Snake Tribe demon-human would be very high.
But in return, he'd be bound to the Chen Family's ship for good.
Though Chen Jingping had always treated him well, Zhou Yun had no plans to bind himself to any family just yet.
"Three hundred and twenty taels!"
A man in a blue-green robe quickly raised his paddle and called out a price in a chilly voice.
Everyone was startled. The price had exceeded three hundred taels of silver, making many hesitate.
If she were a Snake Tribe demon-human at the peak of Bright Force who could be tamed—and could even break through to Dark Force or become a Transformation Force grandmaster in the future—then three hundred taels of silver would be nothing.
But if this Snake Tribe demon-human couldn't be tamed, and could only be made to obey temporarily through threats, the investment would be far too great.
Not only would slow-acting poison damage her potential, but whether she could reach such heights afterward was anyone's guess.
Three hundred taels of silver alone represented the life savings of some Dark Force martial artists. It simply wasn't worth paying that much for a demon-human who couldn't be fully tamed.
Even Chen Jingping balked at the price, seemingly unwilling to get further entangled in the matter.
It seemed that even he had to pay a price to make the Snake Tribe demon-human submit completely, and that price certainly wasn't worth three hundred taels.
"Congratulations, young master. You've won this Snake Tribe demon-human, a master at the peak of Bright Force."
The beautiful auctioneer smiled gently and clapped her hands. Two Bright Force martial artists brought the Snake Tribe demon-human out from the side.
Two chains bound her hands and feet, and an iron collar encircled her neck. She would never break free unless she reached Dark Force.
"Please take good care of her, young master."
As if handing over an object, the Bright Force martial artist passed the end of the chain to the man in the blue-green robe.
The man took the chain, his expression utterly cold. He said nothing and walked straight out of the hall.
His gait was strange. His legs seemed poorly coordinated; he looked nothing like a martial artist, but more like a white-haired old man hobbling along.
"This man... Does anyone know which great family he belongs to?"
The spirited woman frowned as she asked.
The guests around her exchanged glances, confusion plain in every face.
Anyone who could casually produce three hundred taels of silver, especially such a young man, ought to have been somewhat familiar to them, no matter how little they involved themselves in worldly affairs.
Yet no one recognized the man in the blue-green robe. Even Lu Tianxiong looked utterly puzzled, unsure when he'd invited such a wealthy young master.
"Wait, look at his palm!"
Just then, the bearded man abruptly pointed at the man's palm. A few blue scales were faintly visible on it.
Everyone present had seen those blue scales before. They were exactly like the snake scales on the Snake Tribe demon-human's face!
"That man isn't a human martial artist. He's a Snake Tribe demon-human!"
Someone suddenly shouted. Every martial artist present felt their hair stand on end, and Lu Tianxiong strode over to the man in a few quick steps.
"Brother, would you mind letting me take a look at your arm...?"
Lu Tianxiong saw the man's face. It was so gloomy it seemed ready to drip water, and it bore all the distinctive traits of a Snake-Man.
In an instant, he searched his memory for that face, confirming that it didn't match any young master from a great family.
Lu Tianxiong slowly shifted his feet, preparing to take the man down in one decisive move.
Seeing this, the Sea Whale Gang martial artists surrounding them grew hostile and gradually formed a circle around the man in the blue-green robe.
"Is this how the Sea Whale Gang treats its guests?"
The man in the blue-green robe tried to explain, but the blue scales on his palm suddenly spread.
Swish!
The three chains on the Snake Tribe woman were severed in an instant. The man in the blue-green robe suddenly shouted, "Saintess, run! I'll hold them off!"
The Snake Tribe woman's blue-green eyes swept over the nearest martial artist, and she charged toward the weakest point in the encirclement.
Several martial artists tried to stop her, but a few unfamiliar martial artists suddenly appeared beside them and started fighting.
Every one of these martial artists had blue scales on their bodies. Their movements were strange, but they possessed astonishing strength.
"The Snake Tribe is attacking! Snake-Men are attacking!"
A martial artist shouted at the top of his lungs, but a Snake-Man engaged him in the next instant, leaving him unable to spare a hand.
"The Snake Tribe... raiding a human auction?"
Zhou Yun furrowed his brows. He gathered Dark Force in his palm and struck a Snake-Man in the back, only to find that his force seemed to slam into a thick wall, leaving no more than a slight crack in it.
If that palm strike had hit a human martial artist, anyone without Dark Force to protect them would have been killed or crippled.
The Snake-Man grunted in pain and fixed Zhou Yun with venomous green eyes, as if it wanted to tear him limb from limb.
But two martial artists in front of it seized the opportunity and drove their swords into its abdomen.
"For now, there are still more human martial artists. The situation will be under control soon."
Zhou Yun swept his gaze over the surroundings. Chen Jingping was holding his own against two Snake-Men and looked close to finishing the fight.
When Liang Chengshi saw the Snake-Men, it was as if he'd stumbled upon something fascinating. Excitement shone in his eyes... and he seemed to grow more courageous with every battle.
"Now's my chance..."
Seeing that no one was watching him, Zhou Yun turned and vanished into the crowd, chasing after the Snake Tribe woman who had fled.
On the street, the night was dark and the wind was high.
Bai Qingzhi gritted her teeth and sprinted through the night, racing toward the county's checkpoint.
She knew that her people had created the best opportunity she would ever get. Otherwise, she would be imprisoned by those humans for good and turned into an outlet for their lust—or a loyal dog.
She'd come to the outskirts of the Black Profound Mountain Range out of curiosity, hoping to find something interesting. She hadn't expected the humans to figure out her movements and lie in wait for her, then capture her and bring her to the auction.
Bai Qingzhi swore that if she made it back to Luoqiu Slope this time, she'd listen to her great-grandmother. She wouldn't appear along the human border again until she'd undergone her third molt.
"Hiss, a young woman leaving town in the middle of the night..."
The guards at the gate seemed to have some idea in mind. With a lecherous grin, one of them stepped in Bai Qingzhi's way.
"Stop! Which family are you from?"
The guard still wanted to take advantage of the chance to cop a feel, but then his neck suddenly went cold, and a thin line of blood appeared across his throat.
"You... You..."
The guard clutched his neck and fell to the ground. His companion had only just realized what was happening when everything suddenly went black before his eyes.
Bai Qingzhi hurried through the city gate, checked which way she was facing, then ran toward the mountains.
Just as she was about to step into the forest, a figure suddenly appeared before her.
"Miss, you killed members of our human race and now you're just walking away. Isn't that against the rules?"
Zhou Yun stood before Bai Qingzhi, his gaze calm.
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