Chapter 48

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Chapter 48: Coveting Your Beauty!

Is the demon cultivator not smart, or is he cunning?

This question cannot be answered.

Wen Yun clearly brought out a lot of old clothes to auction, but Hong Yan on the stage made it seem like it was the only one in the entire Demon Realm, causing the emotions of the confused second-generation demons below to rise even more.

She looked down from above for a while, and if she guessed correctly, there were only a few fools among them, while the others who were making the loudest noise…

Those are the bidders at the auction house.

But it’s okay, the more expensive the bids, the happier she is.

Wen Yun looked at Ye Shubai with relief and said, "Alright, we’ve got the living expenses for the next few days."

However, there are still a lot of unsold sword cultivator clothes.

Hong Yan wasn’t in a rush to bring them out, instead, she auctioned off a few common demon cultivator items before releasing another batch.

The person who didn’t win the bid suddenly became interested again, while the demon cultivator who had just won the bid at a high price was dumbfounded.

The man immediately stood up and angrily shouted, "Darn it, you’re deceiving us in the auction! Clearly there are so many items here, but you told us there was only one, treating us as fools!"

Hong Yan on the stage smiled discreetly, with charming eyes, and said, "I never said that was the only item, you know."

Indeed, she only boasted about how rare the clothes were from start to finish, but never claimed there was only one of them; it’s not considered deceiving.

The demon cultivator in pigskin rolled up his sleeves ready to fight in anger, but Hong Yan calmly clapped her hands, and the auction guards immediately stepped forward carrying big knives.

The pigskin brother glanced around quietly, and in the end could only reluctantly lower his rolled-up sleeves.

Wen Yun sighed in the VIP seat, saying seriously, "You see, demon cultivators are actually quite cunning, not as naive as we thought."

At least this female demon cultivator named Hong Yan is much smarter than her two sword cultivator brothers at home. She divided this pile of old clothes into three separate auctions, successfully raising the prices by at least three times.

Wen Yun slouched on the soft chair, putting sweet little fruits into her mouth while calculating how many magic crystals she could get in total.

"The first item was auctioned for seventy thousand, the next ten items were sold for a total of five hundred sixty thousand, and the last three items were auctioned for three hundred thousand. After deducting the twenty percent commission to the auction house, we now have…"

She struggled to do the math, and Ye Shubai across from her gently reminded, "Seven hundred and forty-four thousand magic crystals."

"Though it’s not a sudden fortune, but the spending in the Demon Realm for the next while will be enough. Tonight, let’s go to the best restaurant in town for dinner."

After saying that, Wen Yun playfully tossed a fruit over, "You calculated quickly. The fruit tastes great, consider it a reward."

Ye Shubai examined the fruit and remembered the incident when Wen Yun deceived him with a sour fruit that he thought was delicious.

He pursed his lips slightly, decided to bring the fruit to his mouth, and took a small bite.

The refreshing sweetness spread on his lips and tongue, this time the fruit tasted exceptionally good.

Unaware of Ye Shubai’s inner struggle, Wen Yun rested her chin on her hand, half-reclining on the soft chair, curiously watching the auction below.

Compared to the Four Continents, the Demon Realm’s environment is not as rich in resources, and the items being auctioned below are far inferior to those from Wanbao Pavilion.

But the soil nurtures the cultivator, and many things Wen Yun had never seen before were brought out to show.

She squatted down with great interest, watching those strange and curious items, wondering if she could find something special, maybe a treasure that could be used to make a wand.

However, before the wand material arrived, she stumbled upon another treasure.

Hong Yan on stage had a bright smile in her eyes, holding an old book delicately in her fair hands.

The pages of the book seemed like paper but not quite, like leather but not exactly, the material was extremely peculiar.

Wen Yun’s casual expression gradually faded, and she instinctively sat up straight, examining it closely.

Ye Shubai noticed her change in mood and slightly turned his head to ask, "What’s wrong?"

"This thing looks very familiar," Wen Yun only said this.

What she didn’t elaborate on was that this book gave her a strong sense of familiarity, just like the high-grade scroll materials in the Magic World…

Because magicians have limited mental power, chanting magic spells for a long time makes their body very weak and they can easily be knocked out with a stick.

So, making scrolls that can cast magic instantly is a crucial skill for magicians, essential for their survival.

Different levels of scrolls require different materials for crafting.

They often use special magic paper to make scrolls, which can hold most of the magical elements. However, the power will gradually fade away after some time, usually lasting for just over ten days.

When Wen Yun arrived in the realm of cultivation with limited resources, she also used homemade magic paper. Luckily, her skills were so exquisite that her scrolls were much stronger than the average ones.

Wealthier magicians tend to choose various magical beast skins as materials. These scrolls can last for hundreds of years, making them excellent for scroll-making.

At the highest level, like when storing super-advanced magic just below forbidden spells, those big shots would choose… dragon skin.

Wen Yun held a fruit in her hand, staring thoughtfully at the book.

This thing really resembles the dragon skin in the Magic World.

Underneath, Hong Yan smiled and said, "This was sent for auction by a prince of an ancient tribe. Though many people now don’t know the name of their tribe, it is said that thousands of years ago, it was the biggest tribe in the Demon Realm. This treasure has survived for thousands of years. Wouldn’t it be interesting to buy it and study it?"

The crowd instantly understood.

So, it was the grandson of a forgotten tribe who decided to sell off his ancestors’ treasure!

These kinds of things are very common in the Demon Realm, as there are constant conflicts and power struggles among the tribes. During the most intense battles, one tribe might be in power during the day, only to be replaced by another at night.

Therefore, if one were to trace their ancestry, everyone could boast of having a powerful ancestor. Who hasn’t had moments of glory!

However, the fact that it has not decayed for thousands of years is quite miraculous.

However, after Hong Yan revealed the origin of the item, those who were initially interested lost their enthusiasm.

"It is said that this item contains the secrets of soul cultivation."

Wen Yun’s interest was piqued even more. She had always been fascinated by the laws of soul cultivation since her time in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm and never expected to come across it here.

So she casually threw a sign into the bidding, but this time, there were very few people participating compared to before.

Wen Yun became curious for a moment and turned to the knowledgeable Ye Shubai, asking, "Don’t they say that demon cultivators also have awakened soul talents? Why do they seem so indifferent?"

Before she could hear Ye Shubai’s answer, a dispute arose below because of the cultivation technique.

The two demon cultivators sitting in the front seemed to be at odds: one raised a sign, and the other demon cultivator in tiger skin clothes sarcastically remarked.

"Only you awakened soul talent wastes would pin your hopes on all sorts of cultivation techniques. Those of us with innate talents know that to become stronger, we can only rely on continuous battles and training…"

Before he could finish speaking, the red-haired demon cultivator beside him immediately stood up and angrily challenged, "Tiger Spirit, dare you duel with me!"

The demon cultivator called Tiger Spirit immediately revealed a pair of giant hands bigger than boulders and disdainfully said, "You, a weakling as skinny as a chicken, dare to declare war on me?"

Before he could finish speaking, another demon cultivator with pale face stood up from the back. A red light emanated from his hand and sinisterly aimed towards Tiger Spirit’s head.

"You look down on our soul talents? I will make you kneel to me like an animal!"

Wen Yun was really surprised.

Wen Yun knew that demon cultivators had a bad temper, but she never expected them to fight at the auction.

Ye Shubai, unfazed by what he saw, calmly said, "Demon cultivators always prefer to fight amongst themselves. In the past, their Transmigration Realm experts were much stronger than the righteous path, but due to their lack of unity, we were able to surpass them."

After a pause, he added, "Most demon cultivators awaken talents in their physical bodies, only a very few awaken talents in their spiritual souls, and these two factions look down on each other."

"…" Wen Yun was speechless. Could they really fight over anything, from clans to talents?

Chaos erupted below, but Hong Yan remained composed on stage, seemingly accustomed to such scenes.

As expected, shortly after they started fighting, the auction house guards all rushed out and threw out all the troublemakers, and the manual that caused the conflict was also taken down.

Hong Yan calmly adjusted her hair and waved her hand as if nothing had happened, saying, "We have thrown out those who don’t follow the rules. Let’s continue the auction."

Wen Yun sighed to Ye Shubai, "I wanted to buy that to study."

At that moment, there were three light knocks on the door from outside. When it opened, it was the steward with a big smile on his face, followed by a beautiful lady carrying a tray made of white jade.

"Miss Tianlang Yun, this is the ninety-three thousand ink crystals you earned from the auction, please count them."

Wen Yun’s hand paused, her lips hidden beneath the fur coat curled up, looking puzzled as she asked, "Oh? Do we really not need to pay the twenty percent magic crystal?"

The steward seemed to have anticipated Wen Yun’s question and replied smoothly, "Since you were able to obtain so much from the Qingliu Sword Sect, you must have some impressive methods to trade overseas. I don’t seek to make a profit, I just hope to build some good karma with you two."

After saying that, he gestured towards another maid who brought a tray, on which was the technique that had caused a sensation earlier.

The steward kindly said, "When I saw you two bidding for this item earlier, I had it removed and decided to give it to you as a gift."

This technique was actually quite awkward because there were very few demon cultivators who had awakened the talent for soul cultivation, and one could only cultivate one type of soul technique. If one wanted to cultivate this new technique, they would have to abandon their previous one and start anew. If the new technique didn’t match their talents, then they would be out of luck.

Most importantly, demon cultivators from different tribes all looked down on each other. If a declining tribe had a powerful technique, then their tribe wouldn’t have fallen into such a state.

Due to its awkward position, this item was priced low, and not many people were willing to bid for it.

The manager felt it was perfect to use it as a favor.

After presenting the technique, he continued to speak respectfully to Wen Yun, saying, "In the future, if you bring back anything good, don’t forget to consider trading with us first. We will offer you the best price."

It turned out they mistook them for professional smugglers and were ready to offer some benefits to establish long-term cooperation.

Wen Yun immediately nodded in understanding, feeling proud and not pleased, "Of course, dealing with intelligent people is simple. I will definitely look for you first when I come back!"

Both parties reached a good understanding, and the atmosphere in the room became a bit more friendly. The manager casually glanced at Ye Shubai and said with a smile, "Your older brother is quite impressive. I suppose you’re obtaining this technique for him?"

Wen Yun blinked as if casually saying, "No, I have awakened the innate soul talent. My brother has the physical talent."

The manager looked surprised and said, "Oh? Seeing the young master’s outstanding demeanor, I presume the awakened talent is extraordinary as well?"

After hearing this, Wen Yun slammed the table with excitement, saying, "Yes, he has awakened an extremely powerful talent. He cannot feel pain. This talent is destined to make him a fearless and unmatched warrior. The revival of my Skywolf Tribe is within reach!"

Ye Shubai, "…"

She acted very convincingly.

The steward lifted a cup of tea to toast and said, "I am not good at drinking, so I offer tea instead of wine, to wish you both great success in the world."

He spoke properly and politely, but the servant girl behind him was a bit clumsy and accidentally touched his hand, causing the hot tea to spill all over Ye Shubai.

"You insolent servant! How dare you offend our honored guest!" The steward’s face suddenly changed, and he turned around to scold the servant girl harshly, "Take her away to feed the dogs!"

Just then, the silent Ye Shubai finally spoke, "It’s nothing."

The gem on his forehead shimmered brightly in the light, yet his expression remained unchanged. He didn’t even glance at where the hot water had spilled, as if he was completely unaware of it.

The steward quickly bowed apologetically, "My servant girl is ignorant. Since both of you have come from outside Cold Abyss City, and with accommodations scarce in the inn, our auction house would like to offer you a separate courtyard. I will personally entertain you with fine wine and cuisine."

He was ready to lead the two to the courtyard, but the young woman concealed in fur suddenly spoke, "No need, we have already found a place to stay."

The manager’s expression stiffened for a moment, then he smiled again, "Then I will have the servants move your luggage to the courtyard…"

Wen Yun firmly refused, saying, "No need, we’re too lazy to move, but we appreciate the gesture."

The steward had to give up and apologize, feeling ashamed as he exited.

Once the group left, Wen Yun quickly took out a Magic Stone and quickly set up a hiding spell in the room to prevent spying or eavesdropping.

After finishing, she approached Ye Shubai and without a word tried to lift his animal skin, but he immediately stopped her hand, looking at her with a slightly wary expression and asked, "What are you doing?"

Wen Yun, feeling helpless, said, "I wanted to see how you got burned."

She had seen clearly just now that the pot of water was boiling hot, and the maid’s acting was stiff, clearly trying to test Ye Shubai.

It was fortunate that he could endure it. If it was someone else, they would have definitely jumped up when burned, but he sat there without even blinking.

Ye Shubai relaxed his brows, but still did not let go, calmly explaining, "I’m fine."

"Taking care of one’s own sword spirit is the owner’s responsibility."

In the end, Ye Shubai didn’t want Wen Yun to care about his thigh, so Wen Yun had to give up and sat beside him, whispering, "Can you see it now?"

Ye Shubai nodded and said, "Hmm."

"Those clothes may be rare, but they are only worth a few magic crystals. Compared to treasures auctioned off for millions, they are insignificant. In the end, they are just trivial little things that make the authorities try so hard to please us… Although they enjoy internal conflicts, they are not foolish at all."

Not only are they not foolish, you can see from the young master of the Black Snake Tribe in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm that demon cultivators are cunning and strategic. If Wen Yun and Ye Shubai had not been randomly transported to the secret realm, the Four Continents would have long been in chaos.

Wen Yun reached out and picked up a piece of magic crystal, holding it in her palm to examine.

"Of course, it could also mean that they want to use us to smuggle things from the Four Continents. But it’s strange, I was the one who took out the item and talked to him, yet his gaze always falls on you."

Wen Yun rubbed her head and concluded, "It’s both surveillance and testing you, and they are eager to invite us to stay in a separate courtyard… Ye Xiaobai, it seems like their real target is you."

Ye Shubai had naturally already sensed this and said calmly, "If they come, we will kill them."

This answer matched Wen Yun’s thoughts. Neither of them were skilled at scheming or plotting. Wen Yun was better at it, with her superb acting skills and ability to deceive people, but Ye Shubai was not good at it.

When faced with suspicious situations, he could only act cool and stay silent.

So the best way, as he said, is to be cautious. If they dare to come again, kill them!

The girl hiding under the animal skin lifted the big hat on her head, revealing a brightly painted red face, with eyes shining brightly.

"I have a bold guess."

Ye Shubai felt that her smile was too cunning, with a hint of deceit, but he did not stop her, just calmly waited for her guess.

She looked up with a small, charming face, eyes full of laughter, "You see, we clearly came together, but the other party only pays attention to you. Could it be that my beauty is hidden, so they targeted you, planning to take you away to become some kind of City Master’s mistress…"

"…"

Ye Shubai truly regretted letting her speak.

*

Being suspected by Wen Yun of having feelings for Ye Shubai, the City Master stood humbly at the steps of a grand palace. Oddly enough, he was the ruler of the whole Cold Abyss City, but he appeared like a subordinate among the palace dwellers.

In fact, it’s not wrong to say so. Different major tribes control several cities, and this Lord of the Cold Abyss City actually comes from the Black Snake Tribe, supported by the tribe to rise to power. Therefore, the true owner of Cold Abyss City is not him, but the people inside the palace.

Seeing a black-clad attendant appear, the City Master immediately approached, asking eagerly, "May I know if Young Master You is willing to see me?"

The black-clad attendant coldly replied, "Young Master You is unavailable."

The City Master’s face stiffened, looking disappointed as he stepped back, but he couldn’t help but glance inside the palace.

The young master of the Black Snake Tribe, named Mo You, possesses skills and power that are terrifying for a young person of his age. If he hadn’t voluntarily gone to the Four Continents ten years ago to hide, he might have already become the true leader of the Black Snake Tribe.

A few days ago, a group of Dark Guards from the Black Snake Tribe arrived in Cold Abyss City with Mo You. The City Master only saw the family token but didn’t see the person. This young master also hides in the palace and never shows himself.

He came to seek an audience almost ten times, yet he never saw him even once! The most recent time, he only heard a few instructions issued by the young master at the door of the main hall.

The instructions given were strange, inviting demon cultivators from various tribes to attend Mo You’s hundredth birthday banquet, along with some peculiar requests mentioned in private.

If you meet young men from small tribes who are very talented and good-looking, remember to bring them to the big feast.

There’s something even stranger, don’t awaken their extraordinary talents.

The City Master complained to his son in private many times, "Young Master, isn’t this difficult for me? Everyone knows that those who awaken extraordinary talents are always better than those with physical talents just by looking at their faces. And most people in the small tribes wander around in the mountains and forests, exposed to the wind and sun, and grow rough and ugly. Where can I find a young handsome man for him?"

The City Master’s son is also notorious for being a playboy. When he heard this request, he couldn’t help but sneer, "I think Young Master You must have picked up some strange habits during your long stay across the sea."

The City Master’s face changed dramatically, "Shut up! How dare you say such things!"

When his son had been behaving arrogantly in the city since childhood, and now suddenly there was someone younger than him who was overshadowing him, he was naturally unhappy. He sneered, "What’s so great about this guy Mo You? This Cold Abyss City belongs to you, and as soon as he arrives here, he starts acting all high and mighty. Ha!"

The City Master felt a pang at his son’s words, and as he looked at his son who was indignant on his behalf, he couldn’t bring himself to reprimand him. He just sighed softly, "After all, he’s the young master, so bear with it."

…

The Dark Guard knelt on the dark tiles and quickly bowed his head after recounting this conversation.

After a long time, a cold voice came from behind the layers of curtains, "Do they really dare to say that?"

The Dark Guard immediately replied, "I will go kill those two who disrespect the master!"

"Forget it." Mo You said coldly, "I am still injured and need them to do things for me now, so let them stay for now."

The Dark Guard respectfully agreed.

Mo You asked again, "What about the person I brought back?"

The Dark Guard answered promptly, "A few of us have him securely guarded, he won’t escape."

The curtains hung low, blocking out all light, making it impossible to see inside. After a while, a hoarse voice spoke —

"Leave."

If anyone dared to enter, they would find not a person on the bed, but a coiled black python, its vertical pupils widening and narrowing, its snake tail weakly moving in pain from time to time.

He only said a few words, but he felt a sharp pain in his soul, as if another soul was fighting for control of his body.

When he was in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm before, the Holy Light Sanction from Wen Yun left him with severe injuries. In a desperate situation, Mo You had to awkwardly control his soul to escape by possessing a nearby giant python. If the Dark Guard waiting at the edge of the sea hadn’t opened the hidden exit in time, he might have died on the spot.

Even though he miraculously escaped, his soul was still seriously injured. Now, it was extremely difficult for him to possess another body again. Returning to his original Black Snake Tribe was a long way off, and if he encountered people from other major tribes along the way, it would likely lead to trouble.

In this situation, Mo You decisively chose to temporarily hide in the Frost Abyss City, informing his elders to come there while also attending the so-called Hundred-Year Banquet to select a suitable body for himself!

He couldn’t choose someone with awakened soul talents, as anyone who understood soul techniques could easily counter-attack him in his current state.

Young people from small tribes without a background were the most suitable temporary body candidates, but it was a pity that the two bodies he had previously chosen were no longer available.

First, the extremely dark-body Xie Mian that he had painstakingly prepared was killed, and then Yu Qinghong’s body was destroyed… Adding to the heavy injuries his soul currently suffered, all of this was caused by the same person!

"Wen Yun…"

With narrowed eyes, Mo You hissed these two words out, sounding chilling as if speaking from the depths of hell.

If it weren’t for Wen Yun, he would have taken over Xie Mian’s body by now and become the strongest Dark Yin body!

If it weren’t for Wen Yun, he would have already had his subordinates take over the bodies of those righteous heroes in the Dark Heaven Secret Realm. They wouldn’t need to do anything at that time, just wait for those old folks with declining life force to die. Once the "young masters" take over, the Black Snake Tribe will control the entire Four Continents.

Why fight over this barren Demon Realm? If you’re going to fight, fight for control over the whole world!

He has been scheming this plan day and night, even willing to hide his identity and lurk in the Xie Family for ten years, all for the sake of reaping the final rewards.

Everything went perfectly as planned. Those righteous individuals had no idea about body possession at all. Just like how he quietly took control of the Xie Family, this time he can effortlessly infiltrate the enemy’s top echelon. This move is the most sinister and deadly!

However—

"Wen Yun…"

Mo You uttered the name that ruined everything again, his voice cold and full of resentment.

"Wait until I get a new body and heal my injuries, your time to die will come! By then, I will take all that belongs to your lover’s body and your body…everything!"

*

On the other side, Wen Yun, who was staying in a luxurious suite at the inn, lazily opened a delicate booklet.

"Look, the auction house was worried that we wouldn’t be able to attend the feast, so they specially sent us an invitation."

She casually threw the invitation aside and looked at Ye Shubai with raised eyebrows.

"They’re so attentive. I bet they’re just after your body. Look at me, once I hide my beauty, no one stares at me."

Ye Shubai looked at her helplessly, not sure how to respond.

Wen Yun, however, excitedly pulled out a pen from somewhere, dipped it in black ink, and eagerly approached him, "Come on, for your safety and our discreet plan, let me draw a mask of a hungry wolf on your face…"

Ye Shubai gracefully leaped back, saying firmly, "No need, I’ll wear a mask."

She continued forward, smiling, "Wearing a mask is too conspicuous, it’s better to paint a wolf on your face."

Ye Shubai remembered the dog she drew that day, and quietly continued to step back, "No, not good."

Wen Yun frowned, "Do you look down on my drawing skills?"

This time he actually guessed right, but of course he couldn’t hurt her feelings directly, so he chose to stay silent instead.

Isn’t this attitude a form of agreement?

Wen Yun was very upset, "I want to see how well you can draw, yet you look down on me like this."

With those words, she casually walked into the next room, revealing a tattoo on the back of her neck in the mirror, then turned her head to look back.

After a while, a furious Archmage holding a pen suddenly rushed out from inside, his expression indicating his anger had reached its peak.

"Ye Shubai! You turned the wolf into a dog in your drawing, how dare you criticize mine!"