Auction!

Xiang Jun shook his head, feeling sorry for Zhu Lu.

She was a cat-eared girl with fine talent and exceptional looks, and she had eyes only for her fiancé. Yet that fiancé was Dai Huabin.

What rotten luck.

"I see..."

Despair flashed in Zhu Lu's eyes. When Xiang Jun and the others had fought Zhou Yi that day, the others might not have recognized the little hammer in Tang Wutong's hand, but Zhu Lu had known it at a glance.

The Clear Sky Hammer!

The inherited Martial Soul of the sect that had once ranked first on the continent.

Her surname was Tang, and her Martial Soul was the Clear Sky Hammer. Tang Wutong's identity could hardly have been more obvious.

If anything happened to Tang Wutong, it would spell disaster for both the Dai Family and the Zhu Family.

But hatred had long since clouded Dai Huabin's judgment. He had gone so far as to hire someone to assassinate Tang Wutong, and nothing Zhu Lu said could dissuade him.

Watching the cat-eared girl leave in a daze, Xiang Jun could only shake his head in regret.

If you did wrong, you had to own up to it and take what came.

People had to answer for what they did.

Just then, the door to the Fitting Room opened. Huo Yuxi stepped out in a maid outfit, her face full of embarrassment.

"Brother Xiang Jun, isn't this outfit a little too..." Huo Yuxi's face flushed. Unsure what to do with her hands, she clasped them in front of her chest.

Well, now!

The sight of Huo Yuxi lit up Xiang Jun's eyes. A maid outfit really was the perfect look for her!

If he had to name a flaw, it was that the weight on her chest might not be quite as substantial as he had imagined.

"Mm, this one's good. Yuxi, you can wear it in the Dormitory whenever no one else is around!" Xiang Jun nodded in satisfaction, giving himself full marks for his taste.

"Mm..."

Huo Yuxi felt rather awkward, especially about the white stockings on her legs. She had never worn anything like them before.

They packed everything up and paid. Once that was done, Xiang Jun took Huo Yuxi's hand and headed back toward the academy.

Feeling the warmth of his hand, Huo Yuxi simply kept her head down and let him lead her along.

When they returned to the Dormitory, Tang Wutong still had not gotten out of bed, though it was already noon.

"Hey, why are you still asleep? I know it's a day off, but you can't be this lazy." Xiang Jun pinched Tang Wutong's cheek, sounding helpless.

"Mmph... Hey, what are you doing? Are you asking for a beating?"

She slapped away the hand bothering her face and sat up, glaring at Xiang Jun for waking her.

She stretched hard, putting every curve of her figure on display.

Mm. She wasn't that far ahead of Huo Yuxi.

"Hurry up and wash. There's an auction this afternoon. We'll go take a look."

Tang Wutong perked up at once. "No wonder you woke this princess. You want me to help you pick out treasures! Don't worry, I have an excellent eye!"

Xiang Jun shook his head. "No."

"Then what did you wake me for?"

"To borrow money."

Tang Wutong: ...

Borrow money?

Suspicion flashed in Tang Wutong's eyes as she looked Xiang Jun up and down.

"If you don't have any, forget it. I'll ask someone else."

On the way back, Xiang Jun had learned that quite a few treasures useful to him would appear at the afternoon auction.

There would even be a soul bone over ten thousand years old!

"Brother Xiang Jun, I have a little money. You can use it for now, if you don't mind." Huo Yuxi took out a purse filled with a jumble of silver and copper coins.

"No need. I've still got over a hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins." Xiang Jun smiled and waved her offer away, then ruffled her hair.

Watching the two of them, Tang Wutong felt a pang of jealousy.

After rolling her eyes at them, Tang Wutong pulled a gleaming gold card from her Soul Tool and held it out to Xiang Jun. "Here. Spend it. If it's not enough, I have more."

Xiang Jun stared at the long string of digits on the card. Good grief!

The only time he had seen that many zeroes was in Chengdu!

"Thanks." Taking the gold card, Xiang Jun wished more than ever that he belonged to the Body Sect or the Holy Spirit Cult. Then he would not have to worry about mere Gold Soul Coins.

After all, those people liked to take what they wanted without paying...

Time passed, and soon afternoon arrived.

Knowing they were going to an auction, Tang Wutong had dressed up for the occasion. Her blue-and-gold princess dress and Xiang Jun's long robe looked almost like matching outfits.

The handsome young man and beautiful young woman drew countless curious looks. But this was Shrek City, so no one harassed Tang Wutong for no reason and gave Xiang Jun a chance to step in and show off.

He found that a little disappointing.

"This is the place. I heard this auction house is backed by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, though I don't know if it's true."

The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

Tang Wutong blinked, unable to help thinking of all her uncles and aunts in the Divine Realm.

Huo Yuxi followed close behind them, looking around with curiosity.

Once Tang Wutong showed a token bearing the character "Hao," a staff member escorted the group straight to a lavish private room.

Tang Wutong glanced at Xiang Jun, who was waiting quietly, and edged a little closer to him.

"Oh, right. Be careful lately. Someone might be out to get you," Xiang Jun said casually, looking at Tang Wutong as she pretended nothing had happened.

Out to get me?

Tang Wutong blinked. A blush rose to her cheeks as she asked sweetly, "Are you worried about this princess?"

"I'm worried you'll get yourself killed and your family will come after me!" Xiang Jun said helplessly.

"Hmph. The person who can kill this princess hasn't been born yet on the Douluo Continent!" Tang Wutong tipped up her chin, brimming with confidence.

As they talked, the auction began below.

Whale Rubber, Dragon Scale Fruit, Worryfree Grass...

Valuable treasures came and went, but none caught Xiang Jun's interest.

"Hey, don't tell me you came for this soul bone?"

Seeing that Xiang Jun had no intention of bidding, Tang Wutong pointed to the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone listed in the auction catalog.

"That's right. I heard it has the Water-Lightning Dual Attribute. If the quality's right, I'll bid on it."

Xiang Jun did not deny it. Age alone was the wrong way to judge a soul bone; what mattered most was how well it matched his Martial Soul.

"What? You'd settle for a mere Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?"

Tang Wutong pursed her lips, then said with the confidence of someone who could afford it, "How about this? Join the Clear Sky Sect, and this princess will give you a top-quality soul bone over fifty thousand years old. What do you say?"