Huo Tian held Huo Yutong's little hand as they walked side by side through the auction house's entrance. The interior was lavishly decorated, befitting the finest auction house in the Star Luo Empire.
"Hello, honored guests! Have you come to consign something for auction?"
As the two entered the auction house lobby, a young maid in an auction house uniform approached and asked them politely.
Huo Tian shook his head. "We're here to inquire about an item. The price is negotiable."
Hearing that they had come to buy something, and seeing their expensive clothes, which made it obvious that they came from distinguished backgrounds, the maid hurried to the back to notify someone of higher rank.
"Please come inside, everyone!"
"Please wait a moment. I'll go notify the manager."
Huo Tian and Huo Yutong followed the maid to a reception room, where she poured each of them a cup of fine tea.
The maid immediately left the reception room to notify her superior to attend to them.
Before long, a middle-aged man politely pushed open the door with a smile and looked cheerfully at the two before him.
"Young master! May I ask what you wish to purchase?"
The auction house manager brought his palms together and rubbed his hands, looking at Huo Tian with a thoroughly ingratiating tone.
After all, if Huo Tian bought an expensive item, the manager's commission would be quite substantial. He treated every customer with great respect.
At the Star Dou Auction House, aside from bidding at auctions, one could buy most things so long as one had money.
"I want the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife!"
Huo Tian smiled faintly and got straight to the point.
At those words, even the highly professional manager froze.
"Sir, are you certain you want this carving knife? It was cursed by an Evil Soul Master."
The manager immediately tried to dissuade Huo Tian out of kindness. Seeing how young Huo Tian was, he feared that if the knife's curse truly killed him or corrupted him into an Evil Soul Master, the auction house might end up with a reputation for harming people.
After all, in the manager's eyes, buying this carving knife was no different from courting death.
Although Huo Tian knew how severe the backlash from the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife's curse could be, with Electrolux's help in the future, this little curse would amount to nothing.
This Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife could further strengthen his disciple Huo Yutong. After all, the stronger Huo Yutong became, the more feedback he would receive.
"Manager! I am certain I want to purchase this Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife. Whatever happens, it will have nothing to do with your auction house."
Huo Tian tapped his finger against the tea table and spoke with ironclad resolve, his deep gaze fixed on the manager.
Huo Yutong sat quietly beside him and began meditating to cultivate. Under the effects of the Mystic Water Pill, her soul power had already reached rank ten. She only needed to obtain a soul ring to become a Soul Master.
"All right! Please wait a moment, young master."
The manager rose and pushed the door open to leave. He would fetch the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife now, and also notify the person in charge of the Starlight Auction House.
"Master, when will you take me to hunt for a soul ring?"
Huo Yutong opened her eyes and propped her fair chin on her hands, looking excitedly at Huo Tian. Once she obtained a soul ring, she could become a Soul Master and take another great step toward avenging her mother.
"There's no rush. I'll help you obtain your first soul ring when I take you back to Shrek in a year."
"Huh! Master, are you from Shrek Academy?"
When Huo Tian mentioned Shrek Academy, Huo Yutong visibly froze before growing excited, her little face flushing red.
Although Huo Yutong had become Huo Tian's disciple, she had never known that he was from Shrek Academy. It was the continent's number one academy, and Huo Yutong had never imagined that she, too, would one day be able to join it.
"Oh, right! Master, may I be so bold as to ask your name? It would be a little awkward if we became master and disciple without even knowing each other's names."
Huo Yutong asked cautiously, rubbing the back of her head with her right hand.
"Oh, right. My surname is Huo, and my given name is Tian."
Only then did Huo Tian realize that he had never shared any information about himself with Huo Yutong since taking her as his disciple.
"Master, your surname is Huo too? What a coincidence!"
Hearing that Huo Tian shared her surname, Huo Yutong felt a little pleasantly surprised. She wondered whether this was all arranged by an unseen hand.
"Brother Huo, so you're the one buying the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife!"
Just as master and disciple were chatting happily, a lovely female voice came from outside the reception room. A sixteen-year-old girl in a luxurious pink dress pushed open the door and entered.
It was Xu Jiujiu, princess of the Star Luo Empire and younger sister of the reigning emperor, Xu Jiawei. Seeing a familiar face, Xu Jiujiu immediately sat primly to one side.
"I didn't expect this would bring even you here!"
Huo Tian looked at Xu Jiujiu, who was sitting opposite him, with a smile. He picked up the teacup from the table and took a sip.
While obtaining his sixth soul ring, Huo Tian had saved Xu Jiujiu in passing when she was being chased by soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, so they could be considered acquaintances.
"Come in!"
Xu Jiujiu clapped her hands, and a maid entered from outside, carrying a soul tool box in both hands. Traces of a cursed, evil aura seeped from the box from time to time.
This soul tool box had been made specifically for the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife, with the purpose of suppressing the curse it emitted.
"I'll take this carving knife for one hundred thousand gold soul coins."
Huo Tian took a gold card from the pocket inside his clothes and laid it flat on the tea table. He felt that even one hundred thousand gold soul coins was too much for this carving knife.
If the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife itself had not been made of gold of life, Huo Tian would never have bought it.
"Big Brother Huo, I won't charge you for this carving knife. I only want to ask you for a favor!"
Xu Jiujiu took the soul tool box from the maid and slid it beside Huo Tian's gold card. The two exchanged a glance. Huo Tian had not expected her to give it to him outright.
Seeing how close Huo Tian and Xu Jiujiu seemed, Huo Yutong felt a bad premonition well up in her heart and tightly gripped the cuffs of her blue dress with both hands.
"All right, I'll accept it. What's the favor?"
Quick of eye and hand, Huo Tian put both the soul tool box and the gold card into his Storage Soul Tool. Of course he would take something free.
"A nest of Evil Soul Masters is hiding in Liuchun City in the southern part of our Star Luo Empire. Their strongest member is a Soul Emperor. Sorry for the trouble, but I'd like you to help me wipe them out!"
"You will be generously rewarded afterward, and I'll also owe you a favor!"
Xu Jiujiu stated her purpose, pinching her nose tightly with a worried look on her face.
Recently, some conflict had broken out along the border between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire, so most of the Offering Hall's Titled Douluos had gone to the border.
Xu Jiujiu had only recently received word that a nest of Evil Soul Masters was hiding in Liuchun City. She had then come to the Star Luo Auction House and happened to encounter Huo Tian.
Xu Jiujiu had seen Huo Tian's heaven-defying soul ring configuration with her own eyes. His sixth soul ring was already a hundred-thousand-year one. Her true aim was to win him over.
"All right!"
Huo Tian agreed without hesitation. He was idle and bored anyway, and ridding the people of a menace was a good thing. He could also see that Xu Jiujiu wanted to win him over.
Having the princess of the Star Luo Empire owe him a favor might prove useful in the future. After all, debts of gratitude were the hardest debts in the world to repay.