Ring

"May I ask your honored name, young master?"

Shui Bing'er asked with a smile,

her smile as gentle as a spring breeze.

It truly proved the saying, "Even ice has its warm and gentle side."

"My name is Lin Yichen. I came to this auction to purchase a storage soul tool."

"Mm, please have a seat, Young Master."

Lin Yichen sat beside Shui Bing'er, and the refreshing aura unique to ice-element soul masters washed over him.

So this was what it meant for them to stack.

It was not only Lin Yichen; even Shui Bing'er beside him seemed somewhat unable to sit still.

Little did they know that their cold yin soul power was slowly intertwining.

This was the lowest level of dual cultivation: resonance and exchange of auras.

"Welcome, honored guests, to our Soto Auction House! Please have some water; the bidding will begin shortly!"

The auction host was a young woman. To Lin Yichen's surprise, every staff member here, including the host, was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

They wore white dresses with deeply plunging fronts and no sleeves, barely covering their hips.

Even Lin Yichen could not help blushing a little.

"Lin, are you blushing?"

The one who spoke was Shui Bing'er, a teasing glint in her eyes.

Lin Yichen smiled awkwardly and cleared his throat.

"Calling me Young Master Lin is too formal. Just call me by my name."

Shui Bing'er smiled charmingly, looking utterly captivating.

"Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony, Lin Yichen."

Lin Yichen suddenly realized that Shui Bing'er was not as cold and noble as she appeared.

The childlike heart hidden beneath her icy exterior seemed to have been drawn out by his seductive aura.

So his seductive aura could even uncover people's true inner feelings?

So that was it.

"Lin Yichen, looks like this is your first time at an auction house?"

As Shui Bing'er said this, her voice suddenly caught, and her eyes immediately dimmed.

"The service staff here are required to dress like this all year round. This place isn't as respectable as we imagine. Who knows how many service staff secretly serve noblemen behind the scenes."

Lin Yichen tapped his fingers on the tabletop, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.

"So they're basically no different from prostitutes?"

Shui Bing'er nodded gently and said,

"Mm. But they cost far more than prostitutes, and if a wealthy patron actually selects one of them, ninety percent of the profit is taken by the auction house."

"As for the remaining ten percent, the auction house returns it to curry favor with the patron."

Lin Yichen's fingers finally stopped scratching at the table. Instead, they dug fiercely into its surface.

"So they are nothing more than tools made to serve others, without even a shred of dignity?"

Shui Bing'er's tone carried a trace of trembling anger.

She was a woman too, so she naturally found it easier to empathize with the hardships those women faced.

"That's right. And if someone wants to redeem them, the minimum price is one hundred thousand gold soul coins."

"Even if a kindhearted person buys them, they'll end up on the streets and eventually drift into pleasure houses, serving men."

Lin Yichen clenched his fists tightly, but what could he do?

Heaven had given him a compassionate heart, yet not the power to end the tragedies of this world.

How tragic...

"Lin Yichen, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's focus on the auction."

While Lin Yichen and Shui Bing'er had been talking, two items had already been sold.

But they were nothing important, not what Lin Yichen wanted.

"The next auction item is a storage soul tool called the Cold Jade Belt. It has three storage compartments, each with a capacity of one cubic meter!"

"Moreover, ice-element soul masters who wear it will have their soul power cultivation speed increased!"

"The starting bid is ten thousand gold soul coins! Each bid increase must be no less than one thousand gold soul coins!"

Lin Yichen: "..."

He only had a little over four thousand gold soul coins in total!

The starting bid alone was ten thousand...

Looks like he had gotten the order wrong today. He should have fought a few more soul battles before coming to the auction.

Lin Yichen sighed softly.

"You want it?"

Shui Bing'er's voice came from beside Lin Yichen's ear, filled with confusion.

"Yeah. I only have a little over four thousand. The starting bid is too high."

"How about I buy it and give it to you?"

After saying that, Shui Bing'er was a little stunned herself.

She had known this man for less than an hour. Why did she suddenly feel like buying him something?

But that thought was quickly suppressed by physical desire.

I just want to buy him something!

So what!

"You don't need to spend money on me, you really don't! I just won't buy it, alright? Don't be like this."

"Lin Yichen! Do you want it or not?!"

Shui Bing'er was already a little sulky, her lips pouting adorably.

Her fingers pinched Lin Yichen's arm, carrying a faint trace of ice-element soul power.

The spot she pinched even formed a thin layer of frost.

"I'll spend my money however I want! I want to buy it for you, so what!"

Lin Yichen had somewhat given in by now, but he still could not bring himself to let a girl spend money on him.

"How about we compromise? Do you have a storage soul tool?"

At this, the tips of Shui Bing'er's ears turned slightly red, and her voice was noticeably gentler than before.

"I do... but it's a storage ring... and the space is very limited..."

As if he had grabbed onto a lifeline, Lin Yichen hurriedly replied.

"Then I'll buy yours! Is four thousand gold soul coins enough?"

Shui Bing'er's eyes froze slightly. She bit down on her lower lip, looking as though she wanted to speak but could not.

Then Lin Yichen saw her raise her number plate.

The host was currently saying,

"Seventeen thousand gold soul coins, going once. Seventeen thousand gold soul coins, going twice..."

"Eighteen thousand gold soul coins!"

Shui Bing'er called out directly, startling Lin Yichen beside her.

"No, you really don't need to buy it!"

"I'm buying it for myself! If you buy my storage soul tool, then I won't have one anymore, so I need to buy another!"

"And I'm an ice-element soul master too! It can increase my cultivation speed as well!"

Shui Bing'er said this with her chin raised, as if it were only natural.

What can you do about it?

Fine, Lin Yichen could only shrug.

"Alright, after you buy this, I'll buy your... ring..."

"Mm..."

Shui Bing'er lowered her head shyly again, biting her lip without saying anything.

"Eighteen thousand gold soul coins, going once. Eighteen thousand gold soul coins, going twice. Eighteen thousand gold soul coins, going three times. Sold! Congratulations to guest number six!"

Eighteen thousand...

Lin Yichen had never even seen that much money before.

While he was still stunned, Shui Bing'er had already blushingly removed her ring.

It glittered crystal-clear beneath the lights.

"Here. Don't forget to give me four thousand..."

Lin Yichen nodded and counted out four thousand five hundred gold soul coins from his robe before handing them to Shui Bing'er.

"Hey! Why did you add an extra five hundred?"

"I can't let you spend too much!"

Lin Yichen said with a cheeky grin.

Indeed, he had already made her spend money on him, so he could only add another five hundred.

After counting the money, just as Lin Yichen was about to take the ring, Shui Bing'er suddenly pulled away.

Then, beneath Lin Yichen's astonished gaze, Shui Bing'er personally put the ring on his finger.

Her face was red all the way to her neck.

"You added an extra five hundred, so it's not too much for me to put it on you myself, right? Consider it a service fee! Don't you dare deny it!"