After Zhao Wuji left, Zhao Su stood up and stretched, ready to take a walk and stop by a certain place along the way.
"Zhao Su!"
But as soon as he stepped outside, he ran into Zhang Ying, who was heading toward the meeting room.
She had clearly come to find him.
"Going out for a stroll? I've got nothing to do anyway. I'll come with you!"
"I'm coming too!"
Just then, a cold voice sounded behind them. It was Zhu Zhuqing. Without wasting another word, she walked past the two of them and headed out of the academy.
"Zhuqing, don't walk so fast. We're out shopping, not exercising."
On the bustling street, Zhu Zhuqing walked so quickly that she was almost running.
Zhao Su chased after her as he spoke.
Zhu Zhuqing stopped, glanced at Zhang Ying, who had stayed by Zhao Su's side the whole time, then looked back at Zhao Su.
"Do you really need to run to get exercise? Don't you get enough exercise at night?"
Her remark left Zhao Su momentarily at a loss.
"Where do I go to exercise at night?"
A rare hint of embarrassment appeared on Zhao Su's face. He stepped forward, took Zhu Zhuqing's small hand, and said with a cheeky grin, "If you're willing, we could exercise together at night."
"Get lost. Who wants to exercise with you?"
Zhu Zhuqing blushed faintly, rolled her eyes at him, and hurried away.
Afterward, she slowed down, though she deliberately kept some distance between herself and Zhao Su.
"Master, Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin!"
They had spent a while wandering along the busiest streets in Heaven Dou City.
Then Zhang Ying spotted a middle-aged man whose clothing and bearing were both first-rate.
He entered an auction house with a tall elderly man whose long silver hair was meticulously groomed.
"Come on, let's follow them!"
Zhao Su glanced at Zhu Zhuqing up ahead, considered for a moment, then slipped away quietly with Zhang Ying.
When Zhu Zhuqing turned to look back at where Zhao Su had been following her, she discovered that both he and Zhang Ying had vanished.
She hurriedly looked around, but there was still no sign of Zhao Su.
"Hmph! Zhao Su, don't ever expect me to speak to you again!"
Zhu Zhuqing stamped her foot and huffed, feeling wronged.
By then, Zhao Su and Zhang Ying had reached the auction house entrance.
They were stopped at the door. No one was allowed inside without an invitation.
Recalling the plot of the original story, Zhao Su took the Godly Zhuge Crossbow he had been tinkering with out of his Storage Jade Pendant and handed it over.
Sure enough, the hostess at the entrance showed great curiosity when she saw the Godly Zhuge Crossbow he offered.
She led them to the appraiser.
They soon gained permission to enter. Once inside the auction hall, Zhao Su swept a seemingly casual glance around.
The pairing of Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo Chen Xin was easy to spot.
Zhao Su gave Zhang Ying a meaningful look, then went over and sat beside Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin.
When Zhang Ying sat down, Chen Xin, who had been resting with his eyes closed, sensed the aura of a Titled Douluo. He slowly opened his eyes and looked at her first.
Then he looked at Zhao Su.
Yet he could not sense Zhao Su's soul power level.
"Fengzhi, that young woman is a Titled Douluo. She might even be a level ninety-five Super Douluo!"
Chen Xin leaned toward Ning Fengzhi's ear and spoke softly.
He had deliberately lowered his voice and sealed off the surrounding area with soul power.
"What?" Ning Fengzhi trusted Chen Xin's judgment.
Precisely because of that, he could hardly conceal his shock. Zhang Ying looked only twenty-three or twenty-four, yet she had already reached the rank of a Super Douluo.
But it was Zhao Su who drew even more of Ning Fengzhi's attention.
Dressed entirely in white, Zhao Su wore a faint smile. His tall, slender frame exuded an extraordinary bearing.
Most notably, Ning Fengzhi could sense no fluctuations of soul power from him at all.
While Ning Fengzhi was still reeling in shock, the auction officially began.
The first lot was Catwoman, whose body had mutated when it fused with her martial soul during martial soul awakening.
Catwoman was locked in a cage, crouching inside with frightened eyes and several bloody marks on her body.
"Hmph! Shameless, auctioning a person off like a pet!"
At the sight of Catwoman, Zhang Ying snorted coldly, her aura spilling out beyond her control.
If she had not met Zhao Su and been saved by him, she would probably have spent her entire life in darkness.
Now she was watching Catwoman being auctioned off to become someone else's plaything because of a martial soul mutation.
Perhaps it had reminded her of her own past.
Unlike Catwoman's martial soul, Zhang Ying's had not given her feline features all over her body.
Nor did Catwoman have any possibility of cultivating.
Yet the peculiar nature of Zhang Ying's shadow martial soul had caused her to merge with shadows from childhood, leaving her unable to live like an ordinary person.
Zhao Su had helped her evolve her shadow martial soul into the more advanced Shadow, freeing her from the flaws of her shadow martial soul.
She could now live like an ordinary person.
The bids for Catwoman soon exceeded ten thousand Gold Soul Coins.
The bidders were all lavishly dressed nobles. They did not care how much it cost; they only wanted to buy Catwoman and take her home for some unusual erotic amusement.
"Twenty thousand!"
Ning Fengzhi placed a bid as well, doubling the price outright.
The auctioneer onstage and the nobles who had just bid all looked toward Ning Fengzhi, and every one of them recognized him.
Naturally, no one bid again.
"Should we bid?"
When no further bids came, Shadow turned to Zhao Su and asked.
"No need!"
Zhao Su shook his head. He knew Ning Fengzhi's reasons for buying Catwoman were different from those of the nobles.
In truth, Zhao Su admired Ning Fengzhi quite a bit.
Originally, Zhao Su had wanted to win Ning Fengzhi over directly. But he also understood that the Upper Three Sects had always been branches of the same tree, united in purpose. Given Ning Fengzhi's character, he would certainly never join Spirit Hall.
Nor would he join them in taking on the two great empires and the other sects.
That was why Zhao Su had set his sights on Ning Rongrong instead.
When necessary, he would help Ning Rongrong become the new sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
That was also the agreement between Zhao Su and Ning Rongrong.
"Young friend, may I ask your name?"
After hearing what Zhao Su had said to Zhang Ying, Ning Fengzhi grew even more interested in him. Only then did he set aside his lofty status and greet him.
"My name is Zhao Su!"
"With such an extraordinary bearing, you must come from some distinguished house, young friend?"
Ning Fengzhi continued probing, other plans already forming in his mind. Because of the unique nature of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, without powerful guest elders protecting the family, they could not guarantee even the safety of their direct descendants, much less the standing of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong were powerful, but they were not immortal.
If the two guest elders passed away one day, it would be an enormous disaster for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Thus, within his lifetime, he had to help the next sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect complete a smooth transition.
Before you continue