Ning Fengzhi wore a warm smile as his gaze slowly swept over everyone, his gentle demeanor making them feel as if they were bathed in a spring breeze.
" Sect Master Ning, you flatter me. These children are simply lucky and hardworking," Liu Erlong said, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.
After all, she had been running the academy in Heaven Dou City for so many years, so she and Ning Fengzhi naturally knew each other, though they weren't very close.
Ning Fengzhi gently shook his head, "Luck is also a part of strength, not to mention these children have achieved so much at such a young age, their future is limitless."
At this moment, Tang San also returned from the appraisal room and saw Xiao Wu and her group gathered together.
" Xiao San, mistress, over here." Ning Rongrong waved to her.
Tang San hesitated for a moment, but still walked over.
" Xiao San, this is my dad, and this is my Grandpa Sword," Ning Rongrong introduced.
Tang San was slightly taken aback, then quickly bowed and greeted, " Sect Master Ning, Senior Sword Douluo."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and nodded, " Tang San, I've heard Rongrong mention you before. Seeing you today, you are indeed a handsome man. I heard you have some things to auction off, may I ask what they are?"
Tang San hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth, "They are some Hidden Weapon I made myself. They are fairly powerful, and I hope to exchange them for some funds to buy higher-grade materials."
A hint of interest flashed in Ning Fengzhi's eyes. " Hidden Weapon? I've heard Rongrong mention them before. Since I have the chance today, could I see them for myself?"
Tang San nodded and took out a small Zhuge Repeating Crossbow from the Twenty-Four Moonlit Bridges. "This item is called the Godly Zhuge Crossbow. It has forty-eight bolts and can fire three times in succession. Although its power is not comparable to the Soul Skill of high-level Soul Master, it can play a role in surprise at crucial moments."
Ning Fengzhi took the Godly Zhuge Crossbow and examined it carefully. His fingers gently traced the crossbow's body, appreciating its exquisite craftsmanship. "Truly ingenious! Such a small object can fire bolts continuously. Tang San, you really are a genius."
Chen Xin also came over, his eyes full of admiration, "This Hidden Weapon is ingeniously designed. If it were used on a large scale on the battlefield, it would definitely change the course of the battle."
Tang San humbly replied, "Senior, you flatter me. This Hidden Weapon also has its limitations; its power is still somewhat insufficient against high-level Soul Master."
Ning Fengzhi handed the Godly Zhuge Crossbow back to Tang San. "Even so, this Hidden Weapon is still a life-saving artifact for Auxiliary System Soul Master and some low-level Soul Master. Tang San, my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is interested in cooperating with you and purchasing a large quantity of your Hidden Weapon. Are you willing?"
Upon hearing this, Tang San hesitated. Ning Rongrong had already mentioned this matter to him before, and he had initially considered it as well. However, the relationship between Ning Rongrong and his teacher was becoming increasingly strained. If he were to cooperate with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect at this time, his teacher would likely be very upset upon hearing about it.
" Sect Master Ning, Tang San's Hidden Weapon are indeed exquisite, but they are nothing special." Liu Erlong stepped forward and stood in front of Tang San.
"I'm afraid it's not worth Sect Master Ning Ning's attention."
Ning Fengzhi was slightly taken aback. " Dean Erlong, don't misunderstand. This is just a collaboration. The decision rests with Tang San. Besides, we can discuss this matter slowly; there's no rush."
Liu Erlong remained vigilant, her gaze fixed on Ning Fengzhi. " Sect Master Ning, Tang San is still young, and there are some things he may not have considered thoroughly. Making Hidden Weapon is not an easy task, involving many aspects. I'm worried it might cause him unnecessary trouble."
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect School is a powerful force, and if there are any mishaps in the cooperation, Tang San could very well find himself in a complicated situation.
Ning Fengzhi smiled, his eyes gentle yet revealing an undeniable firmness. " Dean Erlong, our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has always upheld integrity as its foundation, and our cooperation with all parties adheres to the principle of mutual benefit and win-win. In cooperating with Tang San, we value his talent and potential, and we will certainly support him with all our might. How could we possibly cause him any trouble?"
Tang San stood aside, feeling extremely conflicted.
On the one hand, he does need funds and resources to further improve the quality and output of his Hidden Weapon, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is undoubtedly an excellent partner.
On the other hand, he didn't want to upset his teacher because of this.
However, if he misses this opportunity, he may find it difficult to find a suitable partner again.
" Tang San, don't rush. Take your time to think about this. If you're interested, you can contact me through Rongrong anytime," Ning Fengzhi said.
I will definitely give you a satisfactory price.
Tang San nodded. "Thank you Sect Master Ning."
Chapter 182 Dancing in the Minefield
As the auction progressed, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heated. One rare item after another was presented, prompting fierce bidding from the crowd, with shouts of "bid!" rising and falling.
Finally, we arrived at one of the highlights of this auction.
The auctioneer clapped his hands lightly, and then several burly men carried a huge iron cage slowly onto the auction stage.
The iron cage was covered by a huge black cloth, making it impossible to see what was inside.
"Distinguished guests, the next item is definitely one of the highlights of this auction!" The auctioneer's voice was full of enthusiasm, deliberately keeping everyone in suspense, "I'm sure you're all very curious about what treasure is hidden under this black cloth."
The crowd below whispered amongst themselves, speculating about what was under the black cloth.
Ning Rongrong also curiously peeked out, her eyes fixed on the auction stage.
"Now, let's unveil this mystery!" The auctioneer suddenly ripped off the black cloth, and the scene inside the iron cage was instantly revealed to everyone.
That was a catwoman.
She has short, light green hair, fair skin like crystal jade, and triangular ears with slightly upturned tips, quite unlike ordinary humans. This is clearly a characteristic of a cat-like Martial Soul Awakening.
His eyes were like two dazzling blue sapphires, clear and bright, yet revealing a hint of wariness and fear.
Her body was bound by a thin chain, her skin was as white as snow, and she was only wearing a tattered animal skin skirt, revealing her long and shapely legs. She also wore a pair of heavy shackles on her feet.
The auctioneer waved his stick, ready to begin the auction, when the temperature in the auction hall suddenly dropped. A bone-chilling cold surged forth, only to vanish in an instant, as if it had never been there.
Oh no!
Ning Fengzhi and his group exchanged glances, all turning their gazes toward the same target.
Xuan Ming's expression remained unchanged, but the two dragons behind him had an endless chill in their eyes!
"If I remember correctly, one of the clauses in the contract I signed with the Seven Great Families was that they would prohibit all human trafficking in the auction house." Xuan Ming turned to look at Ning Rongrong.
"Did I remember wrong?"
Ning Rongrong opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.
She's about to explode! She's about to explode!
"And His Highness the Crown Prince." Xuan Ming looked at Ning Fengzhi.
"Do we seem to have talked about this, or am I mistaken?"
Ning Fengzhi was solemn. He nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the trembling catwoman on the auction stage, and said in a deep voice, "The royal family and the Seven Great Families have indeed issued relevant regulations prohibiting any form of human trafficking from occurring at auctions, however..."
"So I haven't misremembered?" Xuan Ming's lips curled up slightly, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Ning Rongrong and the others, however, were well aware of what this meant.
Did you laugh?
This is because she can't control her temper!
"It seems that this auction house has blatantly violated the agreement." Xuan Ming's voice was not loud, but it clearly resonated in every corner of the auction house, like an icy blade in the dead of winter, sending chills down everyone's spine.
At this moment, the previously lively atmosphere in the auction hall instantly plummeted to freezing point, and everyone turned their astonished gazes toward Xuan Ming and his group.
The burly men were so frightened by this sudden turn of events that they almost dropped the sticks they were holding.
The auctioneer, recognizing Xuan Ming, turned deathly pale, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He stammered, "This... this might be a misunderstanding. We... we just found out..."
"Don't be nervous, continue." Xuan Ming wore a smile that revealed no problem whatsoever, a smile that every student who had studied at the Moonlight Pavilion possessed—polite and friendly.
However, this smile on Xuan Ming's face just didn't look right at all!
"Mr. Xuan Ming, we..."
"Do I need to repeat myself?" Xuan Ming asked calmly, his tone carrying an undeniable authority.
The host froze, his lips trembling, but he dared not utter another word.
The guests present also recognized Xuan Ming, Ning Fengzhi standing beside him, and Sword Douluo Chen Xin. They all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.
The once bustling auction hall was now eerily quiet; even breathing was deliberately suppressed to a minimum, as everyone was afraid of becoming the center of attention.
"No one's bidding?" Xuan Ming glanced at the audience.
"Alright, I'll pay."
"One hundred million Gold Soul Coin!"
These words shocked everyone present. They stared wide-eyed at Xuan Ming in disbelief.
The auctioneer's body trembled violently, and he nearly dropped the gavel. His voice trembled as he stammered, "Mr. Xuan... Mr. Xuan Ming, you... you..."
"Isn't that enough?" Xuan Ming asked.
"Alright, two hundred million!"
Is that enough?
"..."
The auctioneer collapsed to the ground, his face deathly pale. How could he not understand what Xuan Ming meant!
However, the auction house's behind-the-scenes owners will not admit to this, and in the end, all the responsibility will fall on the participants!
It's over!
They're finished!
The auction was interrupted, and all the guests who participated quickly left. Even though many of them hadn't won their items, it didn't matter anymore; they just wanted to get away from this troublesome place as soon as possible.
After making his offer, Xuan Ming spoke with Ning Fengzhi and then left. As for the catwoman, Ning Fengzhi would take care of her.
He had no intention of causing a scene at the auction; this matter would be eagerly resolved by countless others.
But since this kind of thing has happened before his eyes, it means it has never stopped.
The Seven Great Families played a joke on him, and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family also played a joke on him.
He took the contract, written in black and white, seriously; he was the only one who took it seriously.
"Dad, what happened?" Ning Rongrong asked, her face full of worry.
"It wasn't like that back then..."
Ning Fengzhi sighed, "These kinds of things aren't so easy to eliminate."
Xuan Ming initially had no interest in the contract for the Great Soul Arena. It was only after Xue Qinghe inadvertently mentioned it that Xuan Ming relented and agreed to sign the contract to cooperate with the promotion of the Great Soul Arena.
However, the Seven Great Families clearly did not take this matter to heart.
As for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, both empires already have laws prohibiting the buying and selling of slaves. Even if Xue Qinghe, as the crown prince, were to push for it, it wouldn't be something that could be achieved overnight.
"Where there's demand, there's a market. As long as there are people who want to buy these things, there will always be someone selling them," Tang San said.
"Especially those things that are openly prohibited, the profits involved are enough to make countless people take the risk for them."
Ning Fengzhi nodded. "That's true. To truly eliminate this problem, we need to make people stop having this kind of thinking, but that's obviously impossible."
How many people could the laws of these two great empires effectively govern?
Can it restrain the nobles? Or can it restrain those powerful Soul Master?
Even the laws of the Spirit Hall cannot accomplish this.
Because a large portion of those who enforce these laws are also involved in these activities and profit from them.
While rules prohibit certain things, they also create huge opportunities for those who break them!
"But, Xuan Ming..." Ning Rongrong with some worry.
"This matter is likely to cause quite a stir. I need to contact the Seven Great Families, and also the royal family," Ning Fengzhi said.
" Rongrong, you two go back first. Xuan Ming won't do anything reckless."
At first glance, Xuan Ming was indeed a very impulsive and naive child with too many innocent ideas.
But over the years, Xuan Ming is no longer the naive young man he once was.
Instead of taking direct action, he chose to offer 200 million Gold Soul Coin, intending to leave the matter to the Seven Great Families and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
After all, taking action can only resolve today's issue, and may even cause more trouble.
The Crown Prince's Residence.
Hearing that Xuan Ming had returned to Heaven Dou City from Sunset Forest, Qian Renxue dressed up specially, planning to call him over again that evening. Perhaps they could even go for a walk together under the cover of night...
"Young Master, something has happened."
The Snake Lance Douluo's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door, breaking the tranquility and anticipation.
"What's wrong?" Qian Renxue asked casually as she sat in front of the dressing mirror.
" Xuan Ming just went to the auction house and happened to come across a slave auction," said Snake Lance Douluo.