Xie Weiyuan’s dark hair cascaded over his shoulders like a waterfall. His collar had loosened unconsciously, revealing a glimpse of his collarbone. His eyes were unfocused, and the usually sharp, imposing features now held a sleepy, bewildered air.
“You were sleepwalking. You climbed up here yourself.”
Shen Yunjin’s gaze lingered on that faint, exposed patch of collarbone, and his Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. How could he have slept so deeply last night that he didn’t even notice himself climbing into bed?
He shifted his gaze to Xie Weiyuan’s face, searching for any sign of deception, but found none. Composing himself, he replied in a low, husky voice:
“Disciple has disturbed Master.”
“It is no matter. Pack up and let us be on our way. This ‘Huangliang Scroll’ consumes a person’s consciousness and soul; we must find a way out as soon as possible.”
Xie Weiyuan, dressed only in his undergarments, changed his clothes in front of his disciple without the slightest reservation. After getting dressed, he habitually reached for his waist
The Cloud-Hidden Flute was gone.
The flute was still in the shopkeeper’s hands!
The System whimpered in his consciousness: “Do not worry, Host. The Cloud-Hidden Flute recognizes its master; you only need to recite the incantation to summon it back.”
“Doing that… is it not a bit dishonorable?”
“It’s fine! It perfectly fits your treacherous and cunning persona, Host~”
“…”
Shen Yunjin watched the shifting expressions on his face, feeling puzzled. “What is the matter, Master?”
Xie Weiyuan coughed twice to cover it up. “Nothing. Let us depart.”
As soon as they stepped out of the inn, they saw a squad of heavily armored cultivators escorting prisoner carts. The guards were all burly, imposing figures wielding blades that gleamed with golden spiritual light; they were clearly no ordinary men.
The prisoner carts were covered tightly with black cloth. Amidst the clanking of iron chains, faint, whimpering sobs could be heard.
“Are these prisoners?”
An elderly woman standing nearby to watch the commotion glanced at them and pursed her lips. “Are you two outsiders? You don’t even know this?”
Xie Weiyuan had not been in this world for long, so he truly did not know.
Shen Yunjin… could be considered half a local.
“Could this sister please enlighten us as to what they are doing?”
The woman was delighted by the address and gave him a coy look before revealing the truth: “Those people? They are traders of ‘Spiritual Slaves’.”
Shen Yunjin’s expression darkened as he looked at the carts.
“What is a Spiritual Slave?”
The old woman’s eyes flashed with greed. “Young master, you don’t even know this? These are the most precious treasures for the wealthy masters after all, not everyone in this world has the affinity for immortality. But if one can steam or boil a high-grade Spiritual Slave and consume their flesh and blood to nourish one’s own roots and bones, one can compensate for congenital deficiencies and cultivate to attain immortality.”
“There is such a cruel practice?” Xie Weiyuan was shocked and could not help but sigh.
Shen Yunjin glanced at him. Xie Weiyuan was one to call others cruel? Who didn’t know that Linghua-jun would stop at nothing to achieve the Great Dao?
Xie Weiyuan felt guilty under that gaze and rubbed the tip of his nose. “This cannibalistic savagery is truly terrifying.”
They quietly followed the carts to see where they were headed.
The carts jolted along until they finally stopped at a street corner. A waist-high stage had been erected there. A Daoist in gray robes stood atop it, his sleeves billowing in the wind. With a fly-whisk resting on his wrist, he chanted complex spells.
The guards pushed the prisoner carts onto the platform, stopping in front of the Daoist. The man slowly opened his eyes and took a Spirit-Measuring Stone from his sleeve.
He shouted, “Today, High-grade Spiritual Slaves!”
The surrounding crowd was stirred by his shout, and a noisy mass of people quickly gathered around the stage. Xie Weiyuan and Shen Yunjin were squeezed into the center of the crowd, watching the carts intently.
The black cloth was suddenly ripped away
A familiar face came into view!
Why is Ji Yunlan here?
He appeared to have been drugged to drain his spiritual energy; he leaned limply against the cart, his face pale and lacking his usual radiant charm. He wore only a thin white robe, and there were still drying tear tracks on his face, with bruises visible on the backs of his hands and his neck.
Shen Yunjin and Xie Weiyuan were both shocked, their expressions heavy. This was, after all, someone from their Jiuyou Sect; to see him shackled in such a degrading manner was unbearable.
Unfortunately, spiritual energy could not be used within the Huangliang Scroll, or Xie Weiyuan would have surely punished these villains severely.
Fearing that Shen Yunjin might act rashly and lose his composure, Xie Weiyuan quietly pressed down on his wrist.
There were other boys and girls of similar age caged alongside Ji Yunlan. It seemed they were all individuals with high-grade spiritual roots, brought here to be auctioned off together.
The gray-robed Daoist performed a spell, suspending the Spirit-Measuring Stone in mid-air before moving it over Ji Yunlan’s head.
When a Spirit-Measuring Stone tested spiritual roots, it forced the flow of energy through the entire meridian system, often causing the subject’s blood to boil as if being bitten by poisonous ants. Clearly in agony, Ji Yunlan could not help but let out a few pained groans.
“High-grade Water Spiritual Root!”
The shout went out, and the crowd cheered.
“Good! This one is good!”
“This one will surely fetch over three hundred taels.”
“How long has it been since we saw a high-grade? Consuming this will surely help one ascend to immortality, ha-ha!”
“The Xuanwei Sect’s efforts are getting bigger and bigger.”
“Xuanwei Sect?” Xie Weiyuan lowered his voice, frowning.
This Xuanwei Sect was a minor, obscure sect in the Central Continent. It would be a miracle if they could produce even two or three high-grade cultivators; how could they now be capturing high-grade individuals for sale?
Even if Ji Yunlan specialized in healing, he shouldn’t have been captured by a group of low-level cultivators.
Xie Weiyuan grew suspicious, watching as the Daoist moved the stone to another person.
Soon, the stone confirmed the result: Another high-grade Fire Spiritual Root!
Shen Yunjin’s face turned pale; not knowing what unpleasant memories had been triggered, his eyes grew gloomy.
“How are your legs?” Xie Weiyuan asked in a low voice.
“Reasonable,” he nodded.
“Then you will bid later. I will go to save him. If we are discovered, run for your life, do you understand?”
Xie Weiyuan’s instructions were very serious, giving Shen Yunjin the illusion that he was being treated like a three-year-old.
He straightened his posture with some dissatisfaction. “Master need not worry. This disciple is now about the same stature as you; I certainly will not hold you back.”
“Very well, watch for my signal.”
Xie Weiyuan retreated from the crowd and quietly snuck behind the platform pillar.
The Daoist soon finished testing the three individuals, but like he was dangling bait, he refused to test the others, instead beginning the auction for the first three.
He held a sprig of Orchid Grass, tapping it lightly against the tip of Ji Yunlan’s hair.
“Starting bid, five hundred taels!”
The crowd’s expressions changed instantly, and they began to discuss loudly.
“The Xuanwei Sect is truly getting more arrogant. Relying on their monopoly, they have actually raised the price by so much silver?”
“This is a ghost market; no one dares to regulate it, so of course they set the price as they please. I think that Water Spiritual Root looks quite good. Both his appearance and his spiritual root are high-grade; he would be perfect for dual cultivation.” The man gave a lecherous smile.
Ji Yunlan sat blankly in the cart, his face ashen, his body drained of strength as he slumped against the cage.
Just as he was looking dazedly at the rowdy crowd, a clear voice suddenly resonated in his mind.
“Yunlan, can you still walk?”
It was Xie Weiyuan’s voice!
Upon joining the Jiuyou Sect, they had fused their blood into the same jade disc, allowing them to communicate via telepathy. The cold, austere voice he usually feared now sounded reassuring and reliable. He instantly regained some strength and braced himself up.
“Master, I have been fed a demonic herb; I cannot run.”
“When the cart is opened, I will come to rescue you. Do not panic. Lean on me, and I will take you away.”
Ji Yunlan’s lips were as pale as paper. Seeming to lack the strength to respond via telepathy again, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
After the crowd haggled for a while, a plump wealthy merchant began to bid: “Five hundred and fifty taels!”
Once he started, more people began to join in.
“Six hundred taels!”
“Seven hundred taels!”
“Eight hundred and fifty taels!”
As the price climbed higher, the number of bidders dwindled. It was then that Shen Yunjin raised his hand and spoke unhurriedly:
“One thousand taels!”
The moment he spoke, the people beside him changed expressions, glaring at him with displeasure.
Could this brat in rough hemp clothes actually afford that price? He was likely just a troublemaker.
Convinced he couldn’t pay, they opted to watch for a joke, whispering among themselves and stopping their bids.
The gray-robed Daoist didn’t say anything, but stroked his beard and looked at Shen Yunjin inscrutably.
“Does anyone else wish to bid?”
There was murmuring in the crowd, but no one raised the price. They pointed at Shen Yunjin, looking down on the “poor boy” who pretended to have money he didn’t have.
They were right, Shen Yunjin had no money.
Seeing no more bids, the Daoist pointed his fly-whisk at Shen Yunjin.
“This guest, according to the rules, you must pay first before you can take him.”
At this, the crowd began to snicker. The Xuanwei Sect’s rule was “silver and goods exchanged at once” verify the goods, then pay the silver. But today, they were making an exception for Shen Yunjin, clearly intent on humiliating him.
Xie Weiyuan’s expression hardened. If they didn’t open the cage, he had no way to save Ji Yunlan.
Shen Yunjin’s eyes turned cold, and he prepared to speak.
Suddenly, a clear, youthful voice came from behind.
“I bid one thousand two hundred taels.”
The crowd turned to see a tall, slender cultivator wearing a white jade mask.
The man wore his hair in a high ponytail, cradling a sword as he stood there. His luxurious brocade robes were embroidered with gold trim, he wore jade earrings, and even the hilt of the sword he held was encrusted with precious spiritual stones. He looked incredibly wealthy.
The black market did not care about the order of arrival. Seeing this, the Daoist’s face immediately twisted into a fawning smile.
“This honorable guest, please come up to the stage to verify the goods.”
The man walked onto the wooden stage cradling his sword and tilted his chin, signaling for the guards to open the cage.
It was clear this was some pampered young master out on a stroll. The guards nodded and bowed, rushing to unlock the carts.
Seeing his chance, Xie Weiyuan flew forward, shouting the summoning incantation:
“The crane hides in the returning clouds, the sound enters the great void!”
“Cloud-Hidden Flute, appear!”
He was dressed in white as snow. The Cloud-Hidden Flute tore through the air from miles away, landing perfectly in Xie Weiyuan’s palm.
The ghostly green flute instantly transformed into a sword, glowing with a brilliant light.