"This… who is this guy? He's terrifying!"
"Whoa, did you see that clearly? What kind of soul skill was that?"
"A full-fledged Soul Sage got one-shotted? Don't tell me he's that legendary Sword Douluo?"
"Don't be ridiculous! Sword Douluo isn't some teenage boy!"
"Wait—how can a teenager kill a Soul Sage in one strike?"
"That's not right. I don't think he even revealed his soul rings…"
"Who knows where this kid came from, but that flying thing next to him just shot out of private room No. 2 upstairs…"
"…"
Rather than panic, the crowd in the auction house erupted into noisy debate.
Everyone was arguing about who the mysterious youth was, why there was no soul power fluctuation from him, and how he could possibly kill a Soul Sage in an instant.
Some even started placing bets on whether the auction house would come out on top or if the interloper would walk away the victor.
Someone daring to cause a scene in the auction house? Now that was something you didn't see every day!
Wasn't this even more thrilling than the slave gladiator matches?
The nobles, who were already here just for the spectacle, eagerly began betting.
Tap, tap.
At that moment, three more people emerged from a corner of the auction house. Leading them was a portly middle-aged man, his oily face practically gleaming.
Behind him were two soul masters who had already activated their martial souls. One held a long spear and radiated intimidating pressure—clearly a weapon-type martial soul. The other's hands glowed with green light, though it was harder to identify.
But judging by the seven soul rings circling around both of them, they were at least Soul Sage level.
"Honored guest, I am the manager of this auction house. May I ask how we've offended you to warrant such a violent response?"
The middle-aged man approached the auction platform with his two Soul Sage bodyguards in tow. He gave a slight bow as he spoke, his eyes locked sharply onto Aether, calculating something in silence.
"You captured Keke and tried to sell her like merchandise. You're all nothing but villains!"
Paimon flew to Aether's side, pointing accusingly at the man. Despite the two intimidating figures behind him, she wasn't scared in the slightest—not with the Traveler standing beside her.
"…This young lady was not captured by our auction house. Someone simply commissioned us to sell her. We're just earning an honest broker's fee."
The middle-aged man didn't know who this "Keke" Paimon was referring to, but he could guess easily enough that the boy and his flying companion were here for the fox girl on stage.
And with just a few words, he skillfully tried to wash the auction house's hands clean of the entire affair.
If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have bothered with explanations—he'd have sent someone to crush the troublemaker.
How much damage could a random soul master cause, after all? Running an auction house in this city wasn't something just any riffraff could challenge.
But this youth? He'd drawn his sword without a word and cut down their Soul Sage guest elder in one blow.
That elder hadn't even survived a single exchange.
That was not something he could just ignore.
Their auction house's greatest open display of strength was, after all, only Soul Sage level—aside from their deeper connections.
"Hmph! And did you know Keke was kidnapped before she ended up here?"
Paimon puffed up her cheeks and continued pressing.
"Well… normally, when customers consign goods to us, we aren't allowed to inquire about where they came from."
The middle-aged man was caught off guard by how sharp Paimon's words were. Every single sentence went straight for the jugular.
"And if your own family was taken without your knowledge and sold here, would you pretend nothing happened?"
"That…"
"Hmph! Still trying to justify it? You all turned a blind eye and allowed this to happen!"
"..."
The man faltered under Paimon's relentless pressure, unable to find anything to say in response.
The Heaven Dou Empire officially prohibited this kind of gray-market trade—but those rules were meant for ordinary people.
For the rich and powerful, they made the rules. They stood above them.
This kind of transaction had happened countless times before.
No matter how the product came in, they always found a way to register the person as a vagabond and then force them to sign a slave contract.
Legally speaking, that would make the sale legitimate and exempt from punishment.
And that was just the surface.
Behind closed doors, things were even bloodier and more brutal.
Everyone present understood the unspoken rules—there was no need to spell them out.
The auction house even delivered invitations directly to the royal palace. You think they didn't make it clear what they were selling?
Truth was, even Emperor Xue Ye turned a blind eye to this sort of thing.
"Let's drop the matter here. You may take the girl, and we won't pursue the matter of you causing a disturbance. How does that sound?"
After a brief silence, the man's eyes flicked to the second floor. Seeing no signs of movement, he seemed to have come up with a compromise and offered it with cupped fists.
"Of course we're taking her. But we want accountability."
Aether glanced at Yu Keke, then shook his head slightly and spoke in a cool, steady voice.
Letting this go with a simple apology? How naïve.
"What kind of accountability does your excellency require?"
Seeing Aether had no intention of backing down, the man instinctively stepped back toward the two Soul Sages, as if that would give him a sense of security.
"First, hand over the one who captured her."
Aether pointed to Keke behind him.
"That… I'm afraid we can't agree to that." The man shook his head without hesitation and added,
"Our auction house guarantees absolute confidentiality for both buyers and sellers. Business runs on trust. Please don't make things difficult for us…"
"You preach 'trust' while condoning filth like this? Hah."
Aether's gaze turned razor-sharp. A gale began swirling around him, whipping his robe violently.
"So your trump card is those two Soul Sages behind you?"
As his voice fell, Aether swept his hand, unleashing an invisible vortex straight at the two Soul Sages.
The man only heard a sudden whooshing near his ear before anguished screams erupted behind him.
"Now… do you understand what I'm saying?"
Aether's tone remained calm, as if the destruction he caused had nothing to do with him.
The middle-aged man staggered back several steps, sweat streaming down his face.
"Hmph~ You better hand them over, or you're next!"
Paimon crossed her arms and put on her fiercest glare, trying her best to look intimidating.
"Y-Yes, right away…"
The man quickly waved over a maid and whispered a few instructions. She nodded and hurried off.
"Your excellency, I've already sent someone to detain Zhou Laoda and his group backstage. They're the ones who brought the fox girl in for auction."
Faced with overwhelming power and the instant defeat of his two Soul Sage guards, the man abandoned any thoughts of 'business integrity.'
_
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