Mysterious Underworld Sect Sets a Trap for Jiang Nannan? No Fear, Cao Longyan Will Act

As the aftereffects of the whale glue dissipated, a highly anticipated auction item was slowly raised onto the stage.

The Mystic Water Pill, translucent and radiating a pale cyan halo, emitted a crisp, refreshing fragrance; one could vaguely sense the pure vitality contained within it.

"The Mystic Water Pill can purify impurities in the body, nourish the meridians, cure incurable diseases, and even boost soul power to break through bottlenecks. The starting bid is five hundred gold soul coins!"

As the auctioneer's impassioned voice fell, a slender, petite figure immediately raised her bidding paddle—it was the very same person who had brushed past Cao Longyan earlier.

It was Jiang Nannan as a child!

She wore simple clothing, and a pair of soft, pink rabbit ears sat atop her golden wavy hair. Though her complexion was somewhat pale and she was still young, nothing could hide her natural beauty.

She stared at the Mystic Water Pill on the stage, a burning light igniting in her eyes as if she were determined to win it at any cost.

"Six hundred gold soul coins!"

Jiang Nannan's voice carried a hint of trembling, yet it was exceptionally firm. She gripped the paddle tightly, her knuckles turning white.

She didn't have much money to begin with; this was all she had saved through frugality and odd jobs. Hearing that this auction would feature a Mystic Water Pill, she had brought her entire savings, hoping only to win the pill and save her bedridden mother.

"Number seventy-three, six hundred gold soul coins!"

Before Jiang Nannan could even lower her paddle, a counter-bid rang out.

"Number thirty-six, seven hundred gold soul coins!"

"Eight hundred gold soul coins!"

Jiang Nannan gritted her teeth. Without even lowering her hand, she hurriedly called out her raise; she did not want to lose this rare opportunity.

"Number seventy-three, eight hundred gold soul coins!"

At this moment, all eyes turned toward Jiang Nannan's position.

Seeing her age and beauty, the crowd involuntarily stopped what they were doing and closed their mouths.

Some felt pity, while others wanted to leave a good impression...

Cao Longyan sat in a VIP suite, his gaze fixed on Jiang Nannan. His brows furrowed slightly, and he couldn't help but break into a cold sweat for her.

Her bidding was too desperate, her objective too obvious, and her motives too glaring. If there were ill-intentioned people present, she would surely invite trouble.

Sure enough, just as the auctioneer was about to strike the gavel and Jiang Nannan was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief, it happened.

An arrogant voice suddenly rang out from VIP Room No. 2 on the second floor, shattering the rhythm of the auction.

"Two thousand gold soul coins!"

The entire hall was in an uproar. Everyone turned to look at Room No. 2, though they quickly retracted their heads after a fleeting glance.

Those were people from the Mysterious Underworld Sect. The Mysterious Underworld Sect held significant power in the Heaven Dou Empire and acted with arrogance and tyranny; no one dared to offend them lightly.

However, Jiang Nannan, still young and attending an auction for the first time, had no idea who was inside!

Even if she had known, her desperate desire to save her mother would have led her to stand her ground regardless.

Jiang Nannan's body stiffened, the light in her eyes dimming slightly. Yet, she gritted her teeth and raised her paddle once more. Her hand trembled violently, and though her voice carried a hint of a sob, she remained stubborn.

"Two thousand one hundred gold soul coins!"

"Three thousand gold soul coins!"

The voice from Room No. 2 rang out again, filled with coldness and disdain.

Jiang Nannan swayed, her nails digging deep into her palms until bloodstains appeared, but she still did not give up and raised the bid again.

"Three thousand one hundred gold soul coins!"

The subsequent bidding turned into a complete torment of Jiang Nannan by the members of the Mysterious Underworld Sect.

They looked at Jiang Nannan as if watching a little white rabbit struggling in a quagmire, playing with her in the palm of their hands.

Every time, Jiang Nannan only dared to raise the bid by one hundred gold soul coins, hoping to secure it at the lowest possible cost.

The people from the Mysterious Underworld Sect, however, added one thousand gold soul coins each time. Their tone was arrogant, deliberately driving up the price, and their mocking attitude permeated the entire auction hall—it was clearly a targeted attack on Jiang Nannan.

Seeing this, the other guests in the hall understood the situation. One by one, they watched silently, their eyes filled with sympathy and regret.

However, the regret they felt was only that they hadn't been the ones to personally claim this beautiful young girl.

No one was willing to offend the powerful Mysterious Underworld Sect for the sake of a Mystic Water Pill and a stranger from a poor family.

Watching this scene, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but frown. She leaned toward Cao Longyan's ear and whispered softly.

"Little Brother Longyan, they are doing this on purpose. They are making things difficult for that little girl."

Cao Longyan nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on Jiang Nannan. He clenched his hands, his breathing quickening; it was clear that he found the people from the Mysterious Underworld Sect very distasteful.

"Sister Lexuan, I know. But this is a trap they've dug for her. Once the auction ends, they will definitely go after her. We'll follow them then."

Although he didn't know who the girl was, his sense of justice was overflowing at this moment. He was determined to meddle in this affair!

Zhang Lexuan nodded firmly. Looking at the indignant Cao Longyan, her eyes narrowed involuntarily, and the corners of her mouth curled upward.

This version of Little Brother Longyan is so handsome!

The two of them continued to observe silently, keeping a close watch on the movements in Room No. 2.

The price soared, rising from Jiang Nannan's initial eight hundred gold soul coins to six thousand one hundred.

The voice from Room 2 rang out once more, carrying a mockery they didn't even bother to hide.

They weren't even pretending anymore.

"Ten thousand gold soul coins! Little girl, do you still dare to bid?!"

Jiang Nannan raised her hand, wanting to lift her paddle again, but her arm felt as heavy as lead; she couldn't raise it another inch.

Ten thousand gold soul coins was undoubtedly an astronomical figure to her. Even if she exhausted everything she had and mortgaged herself, she couldn't scrape together that much money. This was like the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Unless... she agreed to the Mysterious Underworld Sect...

The light in her eyes extinguished completely. Despair drowned her like a rising tide, and tears of resentment slid down her cheeks, dripping onto her lapel and blooming into small, damp stains.

She bit her lip so hard that she tasted blood before slowly lowering her hand. After the auction ended, she stood up mechanically and walked toward the exit, her soul lost and her spirit shattered.

Inside Room 2, the three Mysterious Underworld Sect disciples exchanged glances, their faces twisted into smiles of successful conspiracy.

"Senior Brother, it's done! By driving this girl to total despair and then appearing to offer her hope, won't she just obediently agree to our terms? Hahaha!"

One disciple looked at the leader with a fawning expression, his mouth curling upward uncontrollably as he let out a demonic laugh.

The lead Mysterious Underworld Sect senior brother smirked with triumph.

"Hmph, naturally. Do you even know who your senior brother is? I had people scout her background long ago. Her father died early, her mother is critically ill and in urgent need of a Mystic Water Pill, and her family is destitute. Aside from agreeing to become a sacrifice for our sect's awakening ceremony, she has no other choice."

After the auction concluded, Cao Longyan and Zhang Lexuan quietly followed behind Jiang Nannan, maintaining a distance neither too near nor too far.

Jiang Nannan walked very slowly, her figure thin and lonely, her shoulders trembling slightly as she was clearly still immersed in despair.

Not long after she stepped out of the auction house, the three Mysterious Underworld Sect disciples emerged from the shadows and blocked her path—it was the same trio from Room 2.

"Little girl, don't be in such a rush to leave."

The lead senior brother shook the jade bottle in his hand, which contained the very Mystic Water Pill, his tone mocking.

"If you want this Mystic Water Pill to save your mother, it's not impossible. Just agree to one condition: become a sacrifice for our Mysterious Underworld Sect's martial soul awakening ceremony, and we'll give it to you."

Jiang Nannan jerked her head up, a glimmer of hope flashing in her eyes, but it dimmed instantly upon hearing the sect's condition.

She knew the Mysterious Underworld Sect had a foul reputation. If she followed them, it would be no different than a lamb walking into a tiger's den, and that was without even considering the prospect of being a sacrifice for their awakening ceremony. She feared that...

Yet, thinking of her terminally ill mother and knowing this Mystic Water Pill was the only chance for a cure, the final string in her heart snapped. Her eyes went hollow, and her lips moved, just about to nod in agreement.

"Don't agree to them!"

A crisp, firm voice, still carrying a hint of childishness, rang out suddenly!