Chapter 54

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Chapter 54: Making a Deal

“Ten thousand middle-grade spirit stones!” Ming He’s serene and composed voice resonated through the expansive underground auction hall of Baiyu Building, like a pebble dropped into a tranquil lake, sending ripples across the surface.

Some gasped in astonishment, “Ten thousand middle-grade spirit stones! Such extravagance!”

Others cast curious glances her way, murmuring, “A sword cultivator in blue, at the peak of the Spirit Guiding stage—could there truly be such a figure among the younger generation of prominent families?”

“I’ve never seen her before; perhaps she hails from another region or state?”

A sword cultivator in her twenties, already at the peak of the Spirit Guiding stage, was undeniably more gifted, skilled, and perceptive than most of her peers.

Yet, some mocked her for being a woman, sneering, “Seems this mermaid beauty has quite the allure! Even a young female cultivator can’t resist splurging for her!”

Though the cultivation world allowed both men and women to establish contracts without regard to gender, it was still uncommon for women to form such bonds with one another.

Thus, many in the crowd viewed Ming He and the mermaid with a mix of amusement and curiosity, content to simply watch the spectacle unfold. After all, ten thousand spirit stones was a sum far beyond the reach of most.

Moreover, Ming He’s origins were shrouded in mystery, her background unclear, making others hesitant to provoke her unnecessarily.

While most couldn’t afford such a bid, a few still could.

“Ten thousand and one middle-grade spirit stones.” A cultivator raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with mockery, “A beauty like this is better suited for someone like me. I doubt that young girl can handle her!”

His words, laced with innuendo, were met with raucous laughter from the crowd.

“Eleven thousand spirit stones.” Another cultivator chimed in, his gaze fixed on the woman in the cage, filled with unmistakable desire and possessiveness. “A beauty like this is coveted by all, and naturally, it will go to the one with the deepest pockets.”

The woman in the cage paid no heed to the others, her piercing blue eyes locked on Ming He, shimmering like radiant sapphires.

“Fifteen thousand spirit stones.” Ming He’s voice remained steady, her tone unwavering, and she didn’t so much as blink, as if the staggering sum meant nothing to her.

Yet, her right hand clenched into a tight fist, betraying her calm exterior.

“Fifteen thousand spirit stones!” The competing cultivator’s expression shifted, and with a bitter laugh, he retreated to his seat in the private room.

He didn’t have the resources to match such a bid, and even if he did, he couldn’t justify risking it all on the mermaid. Without spirit stones, a cultivator’s progress would grind to a halt, and he couldn’t afford such a gamble.

Moreover, the enigmatic sword cultivator in blue seemed utterly unfazed, as if fifteen thousand spirit stones were a trivial amount, effortlessly raising the bid by another five thousand. Her confidence was palpable, and her victory seemed assured.

Why would he knowingly provoke an adversary he couldn’t hope to outmatch?

Many shared this sentiment, and after Ming He’s bid, several sighed and returned to their seats, torn between disappointment at missing the chance to claim the mermaid and relief at avoiding a significant financial burden.

Only one cultivator remained standing, his expression fierce and determined, ready to compete until the end.

He stood in a private room to Ming He’s left, positioned at an angle to the woman in the cage.

Just as he was about to speak, Ming He noticed the woman in the cage blink her sky-blue eyes in his direction. The room fell silent, and no further bids were made.

Ming He secured the woman in the cage for fifteen thousand middle-grade spirit stones—a mermaid from the central region’s deep sea, of royal bloodline, her cultivation nearly depleted and her body marred by injuries.

“The Mermaid Clan, fifteen thousand middle-grade spirit stones, goes to Room 97,” Shu Er announced with a radiant smile, her satisfaction evident.

Her initial expectations for the mermaid’s price had been much higher. After all, a furnace capable of aiding a cultivator in overcoming obstacles and advancing to the Wind Master realm was not something that could be acquired so cheaply, especially for a beauty of such extraordinary allure.

Had a young master from a noble family been willing to bid extravagantly, whether out of rivalry or infatuation, Baiyu Building would have reaped the benefits, as would Shu Er, the auction’s overseer.

But the revelation of the mermaid’s royal bloodline changed everything.

As Young Master Gongsun had anticipated, her royal status deterred the sons of noble families from bidding. Her fate would now be decided by rogue cultivators—reckless, fearless, and unburdened by the constraints of lineage.

Rogue cultivators, who lived by their wits and fought for survival, always made the most of their resources. They were unlikely to possess vast sums of spirit stones, but they were bold and unyielding in their pursuits.

So she was already quite satisfied with the price at which the item had been sold, but she was unsure about the background of that Sword Cultivator in Blue—she didn’t seem like a rogue cultivator, yet whether she had a powerful backing remained uncertain.

Shu Er raised an eyebrow and glanced around the other cultivators, withholding her judgment. Regardless of their nature, bloodshed was inevitable after the auction; she just didn’t know whose blood it would be.

Rogue cultivators felt little concern for the Sword Cultivator in Blue, mainly because they simply didn’t have the funds.

When a normal auction didn’t yield success, they could only resort to stealing.

However, those matters no longer concerned her; after this auction, her status would advance once again, and that was enough.

With a smile, Shu Er concluded the auction, “The last Auction Item has been successfully traded. This marks the end of Baiyu Building’s 352nd auction. Thank you, dear friends, for your attendance.”

After delivering the official closing remarks, she turned and left the podium, her silk robe swaying gracefully, leaving behind some cultivators reflecting on yet another event they had merely watched and continuing to anticipate the next.

At the top of the auction hall, the circular golden lamp was either controlled by someone or had run out of spiritual energy, causing it to hang precariously, swaying back and forth, its light gradually fading.

The already dim auction hall became even darker, illuminated only by the shimmering gemstones embedded in the black pillars, flickering ominously, creating a foreboding atmosphere of impending storm.

“Guest, here is your Auction Item.” Ming He opened the door to the private room. Someone guided her through another long corridor into a small palace.

The palace was not large, but it was empty, appearing surprisingly spacious.

The cage, symbolizing humiliation and confinement, stood in the center of the palace, covered in black cloth just as Ming He had first seen it.

“Guest, exiting through the side door of this palace leads you to Ding Kang City’s Xingyuan Square, just a street away from Baiyu Building,” the servant who escorted Ming He bowed respectfully before stepping back.

As for the earlier remarks, they would be counted as a gift from Baiyu Building.

“I understand,” Ming He replied without turning around, standing silently before the cage covered in black cloth, her fists clenched, her gaze heavy and silent.

A member of the Mermaid Clan, of Royal Bloodline, above the Wind Master realm.

She let out a cold laugh and quickly lifted the black cloth, looking at the woman inside the cage, whose eyes squinted against the bright light, her gaze unchanged. With a swift motion, she drew her sword, cutting through the cage’s locks and the woman’s blood-stained chains, then turned without a glance back, heading towards the palace’s side door.

As the servant had mentioned, the door led to a street just across from Baiyu Building.

After stepping out of the hall door, Ming He adjusted to the sudden brightness after stepping out of the darkness, pressed her lips tightly, and continued forward, her pace steady, neither hurried nor slow. The blood-stained woman behind her wobbled unsteadily but managed to follow at a distance, her figure flickering before she turned into a deep alley and disappeared from sight.

The blood-stained woman followed closely behind Ming He, her eyes displaying a hint of surprise when the chains were severed by the sword. As she emerged from the darkness, feeling the warm sunlight on her face once more, a complex expression flashed in her eyes.

She watched Ming He’s quickly departing figure, blinking slightly, following behind. With her current diminished cultivation, she knew she couldn’t survive here on her own; she could only rely on that Sword Cultivator in Blue.

However, it seemed that the Sword Cultivator was much stronger than she had assumed.

The woman thought this as she stumbled, ignoring the astonished and curious gazes of those nearby. She hurriedly turned into the deep alley, catching up to Ming He’s pace.

Just as the woman stepped into the alley, a figure in blue swiftly appeared, gripping her neck and slamming her against the wall. “Friend, good techniques!”

Ming He looked at the woman, whose pained expression distorted her features, without an ounce of compassion. “You dare to follow me!”

She laughed in anger, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?”

“You could use some unknown method to control my mind, forcing me to buy you. Now that I’m following, is it to control me again to serve you?” Ming He sneered, gradually tightening her grip.

It was enough pressure to cause discomfort but not lethal.

“My name is Bai Mengjiao, and I want to make a deal with you,” the woman, held by her neck, struggled to speak, her eyes showing a flicker of confidence, with a myriad of emotions, except fear.

“A deal?” Ming He replied with a sardonic smile, “What sort of deal requires me to part with fifteen thousand middle-grade spirit stones?”

Earlier at the auction, she had merely been a spectator, watching as numerous cultivators vied for a chance to break through to the Wind Master realm, but because of the glance from the woman before her, she was now unwillingly pulled into the drama herself.

When she said, “Buy me,” she lost control of her own fate.

Again, this method of controlling the mind!

She recalled Ji Wu Xu from the ancient cave dwelling, and the techniques employed by this woman, who called herself Bai Mengjiao, surpassed even those of Ji Wu Xu.

From the moment their eyes met, her mind was ensnared, and she lost control until she barely managed to break free in the main hall.

The more Ming He pondered, the more a surge of anger welled up within her. That was fifteen thousand middle-grade spirit stones, all that Qin Chu Yi had given her—no more, no less—but now they were no longer hers.

Because of the Mermaid Clan woman standing before her.

Beyond her fury over the lost spirit stones, there was a deep-seated resentment at being manipulated; she had trained to seize control of her own destiny. No one could dominate her—her heart answered only to herself, and her consciousness was hers alone to command.

Ming He tightened her grip around Bai Mengjiao’s neck, increasing the pressure. “So confident I won’t kill you?”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Bai Mengjiao slightly raised her chin. “I am of the Royal Bloodline of the Mermaid Clan, while you stand alone—utterly unsupported.”

Ming He laughed. “Don’t you realize that those with nothing to lose are the most fearsome?” She drew the Moon Crescent Dagger and, without hesitation, plunged it into the spot beside Bai Mengjiao’s heart, precisely where she had once stabbed Ji Wu Xu.

The depth was identical.

“You all sit high above, delighting in manipulating others and weaving your schemes, which I despise.” Ming He continued to smile, meeting Bai Mengjiao’s pained and narrowing pupils. “So, what deal do you propose?”

“But think carefully. You must offer me more than what I’m sacrificing; otherwise, your life will be in danger.” Ming He lightly adjusted the dagger’s handle, observing the calmness in the woman’s eyes.

“I am of the Royal Bloodline of the Mermaid Clan,” Bai Mengjiao said, struggling to ignore the pain in her chest as she spoke weakly. “If you save me, save my life, I can give you the entire Mermaid Tribe. Once I reclaim my throne, the treasures of the Mermaid Clan will be yours to choose from.” She took a breath and continued, “I have already made preparations. As soon as I return to Zhongming, I will be the sole ruler of the Mermaid Clan.”

“I want it now.” Ming He narrowed her eyes, impatient with the grand promises. “Now, what can you give me?” She asked while keeping her right hand on the dagger’s handle, exuding a menacing aura.

“You—” Bai Mengjiao’s expression shifted as she finally grasped how formidable Ming He was. She raised her eyes to scrutinize Ming He before lowering them. “I can give you a Mermaid Pearl.”

In that fleeting moment, she had glimpsed the true nature of the sword cultivator in blue—beneath her composed exterior lay a seething anger and a latent force, ready to erupt.

She was indeed powerful and dangerously unpredictable.

Bai Mengjiao forced a bitter smile, feeling a pang of regret; it seemed she had chosen the most unmanageable cultivator, but she had no other choice.

“A Mermaid Pearl?” Ming He repeated, accepting the shimmering object resembling a small pearl from the woman’s hand. It felt icy to the touch, swirling with spiritual energy, exuding a chilling aura.

“What is it for?” Ming He asked.

Bai Mengjiao looked at her in surprise, finally confirming her identity, “It’s said that we, the Mermaid Clan, shed tears that turn into pearls, and that is indeed true.

However, those pearls are merely surrounded by a faint spiritual energy; in the mortal realm, they are priceless treasures, but in the cultivation world, they are insignificant, unworthy of the name ‘Mermaid Pearl.’

The true Mermaid Pearls are forged from the purest spiritual energy of the Mermaid Clan, embodying boundless wonders and transformative power.

The Mermaid Pearl you hold is at least a treasure of the Earth level, capable of enhancing your cultivation speed and comprehension of the Great Path; it grants immunity to all poisons and ensures a tranquil mind—those are just the basics.

Moreover, with this pearl, you will no longer be easily swayed by mind-control techniques, like those I employ. Such a treasure—don’t even mention fifteen thousand middle-grade spirit stones; even a hundred thousand middle-grade spirit stones wouldn’t suffice to purchase it.”

“But it’s not enough.” Ming He secured the Mermaid Pearl while keeping her right hand on the dagger’s handle. “What I take by my own will and what is taken from me cannot be compared. If you wish to strike a deal with me, this Mermaid Pearl is insufficient.”

“What else do you want? I have nothing left!” Bai Mengjiao’s brows furrowed, and she averted her gaze.

“You do have something,” Ming He replied with certainty, watching the shifting sky, her composure unshaken.

“What more do you want?” Bai Mengjiao’s expression darkened as she realized something, her face instantly turning as cold as ice. Her once gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by an air of aloofness and indifference, pushing all away.