Ning Fengzhi

Seeing that Zuzong seemed a bit unwilling, Xiao Wu immediately became unhappy.

She quickly used the tactic she learned from Dugu Yan to deal with her boyfriend—acting cute.

"Come on, let's go! I just want to take a quick look," Xiao Wu whined as she pulled Zuzong's arm into her embrace.

"Uh..." Zuzong was taken aback. When did this girl learn this trick?. "Alright, let's go and have a look."

Holding Xiao Wu's hand, Zuzong headed toward the auction house.

As they got closer, they could finally appreciate the scale of the round building.

By Zuzong's estimation, the dome resting on the ground had a diameter of nearly 500 meters, with the highest point exceeding 80 meters. Though it was slightly smaller than the large battle arena he had seen before, it was important to remember that this was just an auction house and didn't need an audience.

Moreover, this was Heaven Dou City, the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, where land was as precious as gold. This showed how important the auction house was in the entire city, with an incredibly deep and powerful background.

Zuzong couldn't help but mutter, "This really is a gold mine for the rich!"

"Xiao Zong, what are you mumbling about? Let's go in!" Xiao Wu pulled Zuzong along, quickening her pace.

The auction house's entrance was also arched, matching the overall design of the building. It was an off-white color, and four tall girls stood guard at the door.

These girls had clearly been carefully selected, all standing around 1.75 meters tall, with well-proportioned figures. While not absolute beauties, they were still quite attractive, appearing to be no older than twenty.

They wore floor-length dresses that covered their arms, leaving no skin exposed, but the dresses were form-fitting, perfectly outlining their graceful curves.

The pure white dresses had silver embroidery, which seemed to form words, though neither Zuzong nor Xiao Wu could tell what they were. The four girls stood with their hands crossed in front of them, smiling. Though their smiles were professional, they still made a good impression.

As the two of them approached, one of the girls stepped forward, bowed slightly, and asked, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

"We want to—" Xiao Wu started to reply, but Zuzong stopped her. Being familiar with the original story, he knew a little about the Heaven Dou auction house. To enter, one needed a "bidding certificate," which only high-ranking nobles of the city or disciples of powerful sects possessed, or they had to show considerable wealth. That's why Zuzong called it a gold mine for the rich.

Although Zuzong had money, he wasn't the type to flaunt it.

There was, however, another way to get in—auctioning an item.

With that in mind, Zuzong pulled out the revolver he had stolen the day before. "We want to auction something."

"What is this?" The girl did not dismiss the strange object. She had worked at the auction house long enough to know that the rarer something looked, the more valuable it often was.

Xiao Wu, who recognized it immediately since she had one herself, although in a different style, acted mysterious and said, "Don't you have an appraiser? Let them see if it's valuable or not."

After the appraiser thoroughly examined it, the auction house set the starting bid at 2,000 gold coins, impressed by the revolver's simplicity and power, and especially after Zuzong included a box of bullets.

With the help of the attendant, Xiao Wu finally got what she wanted, leading Zuzong by the hand into the heart of the auction house.

The auction center was on the second floor. There were eight staircases leading up from the main hall. Before entering, the attendant gave each of them a mask, explaining that it was for their safety and that future visits would not include a personal guide.

The girl led them to the entrance of the auction center before turning away, and a new group of attendants took over.

These attendants, all women, wore white dresses similar to the first attendant's, but they gave off a different vibe altogether.

The auction center's attendants were even more voluptuous, with low-cut, sleeveless dresses. Their short skirts barely reached mid-thigh, revealing their smooth legs. Paired with white high heels, their appearance was highly seductive. Their plunging necklines and round hips made them impossible to ignore.

Zuzong glanced at them but quickly lost interest. He didn't mind looking at pretty women, but he preferred genuine beauty. These women, though tempting, had lifeless eyes, as if they had lost themselves.

Zuzong looked over at Xiao Wu and said softly, "Let's go inside."

Xiao Wu was clearly pleased with Zuzong's reaction. She glanced down at her own chest, satisfied, and nodded to herself.

Gradually, Xiao Wu also noticed something odd about the attendants.

In a soft voice, she asked, "Xiao Zong, don't you think these maids are a bit strange?"

Zuzong nodded. "They're slaves who have lost their sense of self."

At that moment, a calm voice came from the side. "Young man, you have good eyes."

Zuzong and Xiao Wu turned to see a middle-aged man dressed in white, smiling warmly and nodding at them.

The man had a refined and gentle appearance, with smooth, jet-black hair falling loosely over his shoulders. He looked to be around forty years old, with a handsome and graceful face. Everything about him seemed relaxed and natural, without any pretense.

Curious, Xiao Wu asked, "People who have lost their sense of self? What does that mean? Were these women sold here because they went mad?"

The middle-aged man chuckled softly. "In this world, there is much helplessness. This is the Heaven Dou Auction House. There is nothing they wouldn't dare to sell here. Those girls are not insane; they've simply lost their hearts and can no longer control their fates. All they can do now is obey. Although they appear beautiful, they have no souls of their own. I can only pity them."

The man's words made Xiao Wu fall silent, finally understanding why Zuzong had been reluctant to come. After spending over six years with him, she knew that despite Zuzong's outward black-bellied nature, he was actually kind-hearted and hated anything to do with darkness.

Zuzong stayed quiet, observing the middle-aged man. He felt a strange sense of familiarity but couldn't quite place it.

Wait—the way he smiles, his demeanor... Could this be Ning Fengzhi, the father of Ning Rongrong?

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