Chapter 244: Woman

This is Mu Xu.

The wife of Da She Yi, she is the most outstanding talent of the younger generation of the Bodhi Clan, and also a representative figure of the most radical faction within the Bodhi Clan, and even within the Twelve Executor Families.

Even the Bodhi Clan dispatched twenty thousand elite troops to cooperate with Da She Yi's expedition into the Black Snake Domain, which was solely advocated by Mu Xu; only after a fierce struggle with the conservative forces within the Bodhi Clan did this expedition take place.

One can imagine how great a blow the failure of Da She Yi's expedition dealt to Mu Xu.

Mu Xu sat alone in a private room that could hold a hundred people, with everyone around staring at her from afar.

She sat there, and an invisible force field naturally filled the venue. Even without a single maid, attendant, or guard by her side, everyone present seemed to be a head shorter than her, as if they were her maids, attendants, and guards.

Such authority.

Even though there was someone like Feng Ming, a direct-heir young master, present, no one could stand shoulder to shoulder with Mu Xu.

Feng Ming and the others sat back in their seats feeling ill at ease, each wanting to say something, opening their mouths, but unable to utter a sound.

Mu Xu sat there, and everyone's mouths seemed to be sealed, feeling that whatever they did or said was somewhat inappropriate.

Wu Tie looked at Mu Xu.

Who would have thought, Da She Yi's wife is actually such a remarkable and stunning person.

"What a pity, truly a flower stuck on cow dung." Wu Tie thought about Da She Yi's behavior before and after his capture, and couldn't help but grin; he really wasn't worthy of her.

However, thinking back on what I've seen and heard these days in Three Linked City,

Wu Tie couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.

Compared to these foppish young masters of Three Linked City, Da She Yi is practically wise and mighty, extraordinarily intelligent.

Given Mu Xu's personality, her marriage must be decided by herself, and her husband naturally chosen by her own hand.

It's likely she had picked through all the young men of Three Linked City, only to find in despair that the outsider Da She Yi was still somewhat stronger.

"Interesting." Wu Tie smiled, pursing his lips.

Jin Man Cang had already, via some secret channels within Three Linked City, conveyed Wu Tie's demands to Mu Xu.

The fact that Mu Xu, who has been secluded for the past few months and never shows her face, is able to appear here indicates that she has accepted Wu Tie's conditions—she will buy Grey Master and then trade Grey Master for Da She Yi.

"Da She Yi... can be considered making use of waste. I don't expect to gain much from him; exchanging him for Grey Master is already a premium." Wu Tie's mood inexplicably improved greatly.

That Da She Yi fellow still has some use.

Mu Xu sat silently, motionless, allowing everyone in the venue to be unsettled by her invisible authority.

The eyes of Xuan Zhu in the neighboring private room flickered; she looked at the silently seated Mu Xu, whose whole body exuded an inexplicable dignity, and suddenly laughed, 'Pfft,' saying, 'Are you Mu Xu? I've heard of you.'

Xuan Zhu very much disliked the atmosphere on site.

Everyone, men and women, old and young, was actually overawed by the aura of Mu Xu, that green-haired girl.

No one even noticed her?

She had spent over two hours meticulously dressing up before going out.

Not mentioning how much time she spent on makeup, just speaking of this set of jewelry she wore, according to Hua Yan, they are all heirloom treasures taken from the royal treasury of the Great Peacock Dynasty.

This set of jewelry was previously worn by the empress of the Great Peacock Dynasty, only appearing during a few major annual festival sacrifices. Precious, luxurious, radiant, each piece is exquisitely beautiful; even Xuan Zhu had to admit that these jewels are of the highest quality.

Despite being adorned head to toe in pearls and jewels, dressed to bewitch the nation, Xuan Zhu was actually outshone by a girl who wore no adornment at all.

Xuan Zhu smiled, but in her heart she wished to seize a dagger and slash Mu Xu's face three thousand times.

But she certainly could not put on such a resentful, vicious expression.

She smiled sweetly, silently exercising her divine ability, turning her charm into invisible waves that spread outward in all directions.

Mu Xu's aura was like an iceberg, sealing off the entire venue's atmosphere.

Xuan Zhu's aura, however, was like a pink sun, waves of warm, alluring, slightly seductive energy accompanying faint traces of floral and honey scent, gently diffusing.

Mu Xu's austere aura was canceled out, eroded, canceled out.

Everyone in the venue felt their pores open as if blossoming, strands of warm air entering their bodies, their five viscera and six bowels tingling and soft, as if a faint pink light flickered before their eyes.

Xuan Zhu's voice was so melodious.

Her appearance was so capable of overturning states and cities.

Her figure was so alluring with its curves.

Feng Ming and the other direct-heir young masters of the great families stared at Xuan Zhu, their eyes dazzled, some gulping air with a 'hiss' and hastily sucking back the saliva hanging at the corner of their mouths.

In the private room next to Feng Ming's, Long Xiang of the Celestial Dragon Clan among the Twelve Executor Families took a deep breath, bowed to Xuan Zhu, and said, 'Miss, I feel I've seen you somewhere before; let me think, when was it?'

Xuan Zhu gave Long Xiang a flirtatious glance, saying, 'Young master, you're joking; I've only just arrived in Three Linked City, how could you have seen me? Heh, I am the adopted daughter of Lord Hua Yan, my name is... Xuan Zhu.'

Long Xiang, Feng Ming, and the young masters of the surrounding great families simultaneously cursed Hua Yan's old mother in their hearts.

'Adopted daughter'?

Heh, what are those immortals of the Twelve Executor Families using their adopted daughters for? These young masters know full well.

They cursed in their hearts, 'A fine piece of meat falling into a dog's mouth is nothing; if that dog were one of them, it wouldn't matter. But a fine piece of meat falling into an old dog's mouth... is unbearable...'

These old fogeys have spent their lives eating, drinking, and playing, and now they still compete with these youngsters for resources!

Feng Ming also couldn't help but rise, smiling as he saluted Xuan Zhu: 'Miss Xuan Zhu, no wonder, if I had seen you before I would certainly not forget... uh, are you interested in today's slave auction?'

Feng Ming waved his hand generously: 'Whatever slaves you want, I'll get them for you.'

Long Xiang chuckled ambiguously on the side: 'Feng Ming, are you rich? With so many brothers here, when would it be your turn to step up? Did your elder brother go missing, making you act like this?'

Xuan Zhu smiled slightly, showing Feng Ming an extremely sweet smile.

Feng Ming felt his heart blaze with evil fire; he turned away, glaring fiercely at Long Xiang, and shouted with full fury: 'If you don't speak, no one will treat you as a dead man. Long Xiang, are you looking to stir up trouble?'

Long Xiang glanced at the smiling Xuan Zhu.

Xuan Zhu gave him a perfectly timed flirtatious glance, and Long Xiang's heart immediately heated up.

Rolling up his sleeves, Long Xiang pointed at Feng Ming and sneered, 'Stir up trouble? No, I just want to teach you a lesson!'

The Phoenix clansmen beside Feng Ming all rose to their feet, eyeing Long Xiang with hostility.

Beside Long Xiang, the youngsters of the Celestial Dragon Clan also rose, cracking their knuckles as they looked this way.

The Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan are notorious rivals among the Twelve Executor Families; their cultivation methods mutually promote and restrain each other. Whether the Dragon Clan seizes the Phoenix Clan's cultivation or vice versa, the beneficiary's cultivation will surge dramatically in a short time, their proficiency skyrocketing.

Especially at certain special bottlenecks, such as the barrier from Sensing Profound Realm to Chonglou Realm, from Chonglou Realm to Life Pool Realm, or even when breaking through the Life Pool Realm to a higher realm, if members of the two clans can seize the cultivation of an opponent of similar realm, the bottleneck will surely be passed smoothly.

For countless years, they have schemed against each other, secretly plotting, and have long formed a deadly feud.

Back then, the Great Peacock King Clan kept them in check, so the Dragon and Phoenix clans could barely maintain a harmonious coexistence.

Now the Great Peacock King Clan has fallen, and the Twelve Executor Families have joined forces to seize power; in just a few years the Dragon and Phoenix clans have repeatedly come close to breaking out into open conflict. Were it not for the pressure from the other ten families, they would have already launched a full-scale war.

Xuan Zhu merely threw two flirtatious glances, like two sparks falling into a fuel tank; it seemed the youngsters of the two houses were about to come to blows.

"If you want to die, go outside."

Mu Xu's icy voice rang throughout the hall: "I came today to buy slaves; whoever dares to delay my business, heh."

Mu Xu gave a light smile, as if two basins of ice water had been poured over his head.

Long Xiang and Feng Ming exchanged glances; the fire in their chests had dissipated by eighty or ninety percent.

They both fiercely stared at the peerlessly beautiful Xuan Zhu, then looked at Mu Xu with full wariness and caution, and silently returned to their seats.

From the surrounding private rooms came a faint hum of chatter.

Too bad, the two houses never came to blows.

Xuan Zhu frowned slightly, giving Mu Xu a deep look.

Excellent—Mu Xu's intimidating power once again overcame Xuan Zhu's allure, worsening her mood.

She completely forgot her main purpose for coming to the auction, and couldn't be bothered to wonder whether Wu Tie and Hua Guang would come to bid on Grey Master; all her thoughts were focused solely on Mu Xu.

She must make that hateful woman pay the price.

Xuan Zhu's lips twitched slightly as she suppressed the jealousy in her heart, slowly sitting down; with absolutely perfect grace she pinched a purple grape and slowly brought it to her mouth.

Her posture while eating the grape was so perfect and alluring that the playboys of the major clans and forces in the nearby hundred or so private rooms all swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

The small disturbance thus paused, and the guests in the hall had nearly all arrived.

A tall, elegant white-haired old man wearing a silver-furred robe came to the high platform before the hall, smiling all over his face.

He glanced at the thousands of guests in the hall, then swept his gaze over the playboys of the great clans seated in the private rooms, smiling as he said: "Esteemed guests, the recent wind and snow in Triple Link City have been fierce; at this critical juncture, your making it to the Twelve Heavenly Palace to attend this auction fills me with gratitude."

Light laughter rose from the hall.

The members of the Twelve Executor Families remained silent, while the other guests understood and laughed.

The wind and snow in Triple Link City were fierce, clearly aimed at the Twelve Executor Families, so Feng Ming and Long Xiang couldn't laugh, whereas others, uninvolved, could naturally laugh heartily.

"However, Triple Link City's foundations are deep; no matter how fierce the wind and snow, it will eventually clear and reveal blue skies." The old man said calmly: "Therefore, let the wind and snow dance as they will; the grand gathering that the Twelve Heavenly Palace ought to have will never cease."

"This is just like Triple Link City, fearless of any provocation." The old man's eyes like blades swept quickly across the hall.

"Enough, let's cut the small talk and get to the point. Today's auction has prepared for you guests the finest slaves imaginable—handsome men, beautiful women, brave and skilled warriors, rare and extraordinary peoples—everything you could desire."

The old man smiled at the guests, speaking calmly: "Alright, the first batch of warm-up slaves is this pair of exquisite twin sisters… and they are winged people!"

Behind the old man the ground split open, a platform rose slowly; amidst rolling white mist, two golden crosses appeared in the mist.

On the three-meter-high crosses, silver shackles bound two slender, graceful figures.

They were a pair of girls identical in appearance, their features peerlessly pure and beautiful.

Compared to ordinary people, their bodies were extraordinarily slender, their waists truly able to be encircled by one hand; coupled with their beautiful, identical little faces, this caused several of the playboys in the hall to utter excited murmurs.

But that was not all.

The two girls suddenly heard the loud murmurs; in their nervousness, a pair of large white wings on their backs snapped open.

"Boom!"

The entire hall nearly exploded.

Countless people rose to their feet, watching the two girls shriek shrilly, each frenzied like a wild beast.

"Winged people!"

"Winged people!"

"Winged people!"

Many young men of status comparable to Feng Ming and Long Xiang shouted in unison: "They're mine!"

Wu Tie's mind instantly flashed with countless pieces of information.

Winged people, also called the 'Feather Folk,' are recorded in the knowledge Old Tie passed to Wu Tie, and in many ancient texts.

The white-haired old man said unhurriedly: "This pair of winged sisters was discovered six months ago by a slave-hunting squad of the Twelve Heavenly Palace that lost its way, broke through a layer of rock, and found them in a hidden stone cavern."

"In that cavern dwelled a winged tribe numbering over thirty thousand; these sisters are the finest among them, brought here especially for your appraisal."

The old man suddenly raised his voice: "A pair of superb winged twin sisters, opening bid one hundred thousand gold coins; I ask the guests to bid."

The hall went mad; countless people roared, shouting one staggering high bid after another.

Xuan Zhu gazed with an ugly expression at the frenzied playboys throughout the hall.

Her allure actually paled in comparison to these two winged girls?

She slowly raised her right hand, cooing: "Three hundred thousand gold coins—I've also taken a fancy to these two little girls."