Chapter 80: This Venerable One’s Ex-Wife… Is Here

The individual who had just arrived was indeed the modest

gentleman with whom Mo Ran had shared a residence at Peach Blossom

Springs: Ye Wangxi.

Today he had come donned in the colors of Rufeng Sect, his blue cloak

embroidered in silver with a crane. His hair was fastened with a deep, vivid

blue ribbon, and hanging at his waist was a silver incense bell filigreed with

a pattern of a rare beast carrying a pearl in its mouth. Perhaps it was because

he wasn't wearing armor, but his usual aura of valiant heroism carried a

trace of a refined, elegant air.

Xuanyuan Pavilion's chief steward approached and greeted Ye

Wangxi, eyes lowered and head inclined. "Ye-xianjun."

Ye Wangxi nodded. "I've come in my yifu's name to bid for an item.

Would it please the chief steward to lead us to the upper floors?"

"The pavilion master anticipated Xianjun's presence, and a booth has

been reserved for Rufeng Sect. Allow me to lead my lord there

straightaway."

Ye Wangxi then led the group of ten or so Rufeng Sect disciples

upstairs, leaving behind an entire hall of hooded figures who whispered

amongst themselves.

"Have Rufeng's people also come today?"

"Who's that xianjun? How come we've never seen him before?"

Obviously there's a reason none of you have seen him before, Mo Ran

thought, but he found himself curious too. He watched Ye Wangxi's back

disappear around the corner before he turned to Chu Wanning. "Shizun,

you've stayed with Rufeng Sect before. Do you know this Ye-xianjun?"

"No." Chu Wanning's brows knitted slightly. "Although for some

reason he looks rather familiar…" He paused for a moment and closed his

eyes to think, but he shook his head. "I can't quite put my finger on it."

Mo Ran scratched his head. "This Ye-xianjun stayed in the same

residence as I did back at Peach Blossom Springs. Ability-wise, he isn't bad.

If he's been sent to bid on behalf of Rufeng Sect, I imagine his status within

the sect can't be low either. Shizun really doesn't know him?"

"There are seventy-two cities within Rufeng Sect; its people are

spread far and wide. Furthermore, I don't like to run around and can't be

bothered to pry into internal affairs, so it's not strange that I wouldn't know

him."

As they spoke, the booth reserved for Rufeng Sect on the third floor lit

up with a bright yellow glow. No doubt the lights had been lit for Ye Wangxi

and company, who had entered and settled in their seats. The highest level of

Xuanyuan Pavilion was specially reserved for the great sects, so it was

seldom used. Thus the crowd looked up to see, thinking it a rare event.

The instant Rufeng Sect arrived, anticipation for the auction had

increased a few notches. After a quarter of an hour, the white jade lotus

platform at the center of the hall began to glow, and a vibrant length of

brilliant red satin unrolled from the ceiling of Xuanyuan Pavilion. A dainty

young girl of eleven or twelve, barefoot and dressed in delicate, snow-white

silk, spun through the air holding onto the satin banner. She landed light and

dainty on the ice-cold lotus platform.

"Honored Xianjun, thank you for waiting. I am the Second Pavilion

Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion." The pretty little girl smiled. "You have come

from all across the four seas, and we are honored by your presence.

Naturally, Xuanyuan Pavilion will, as always, express our gratitude by

putting the rarest and best of items on display."

Mo Ran's excellent hearing picked up murmurs from the crowd below.

"The Second Pavilion Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion is just a little girl,

still wet behind the ears?"

"Aiyoh, buddy, you really don't know anything, do you? Do you know

how old this 'little girl' is?"

"Ten? Fifteen? She can't be more than twenty at most."

"Heh. Stunned, are you? She's over a hundred now. You should call

her Great Granny, not 'little girl.'"

"What?! Liu-xiong, you're pulling my leg! How can that little thing be

a hundred?!"

"This is Guyueye, the number one medical sect in the world. How

could anything be impossible? It's just some medicine of everlasting youth or

whatever."

"Whoa…"

This was doubtless the awestruck man's first time at the pavilion.

After that conversation, he excitedly craned his neck, his hands clutching his

money pouch. He was obviously impatient to see what manner of miraculous

medicine and sacred items Xuanyuan Pavilion would produce for the auction.

The Second Pavilion Master didn't disappoint either. With a snap of

her fingers, a gap cracked open at the center of the jade lotus platform, and a

small stand shaped like the seedpod of a lotus flower slowly rose. Upon it

rested five silk brocade boxes the size of one's palm, and each box was open

wide, revealing the medicinal pills within and their pearlescent sheen.

Someone burst out laughing. "Aren't those just infatuation pills?

What's so rare about those?"

"That's right! Even if you don't start out with rare treasures, at least

make it something better than basic infatuation pills!"

The Second Pavilion Master wasn't at all irritated by the crowd's

gripes. Instead she smiled with delight in her eyes and said in a clear, bright

voice: "You certainly have good eyes, everyone. These are indeed infatuation

pills. As you all know, while these pills are difficult to refine, they aren't

remotely exotic. And of course, Xuanyuan Pavilion would never offer

ordinary items merely to placate our customers."

As she spoke, she picked up one of the brocade boxes and, holding it

in her palm, snapped the box shut.

Though the crowd was seated at varying distances from the stage, an

enchanted mirror had been placed in front of each individual; it allowed them

to view the treasures in detail. Only then did the crowd notice the serpentine

emblem on the cover of the box.

Someone gasped. "Hanlin the Sage?!"

The Second Pavilion Master smiled. "That's right. Each of these five

pills came from the refinery cauldron of the elder of my sect: Hanlin the

Sage. Ordinary infatuation pills can confound the heart and cause whomever

takes one to become obsessed with whomever gave it to them, but the effect

lasts for a mere half a year, and the antidote is very easy to produce.

However, these five pills…" Her delicate, tender fingertips held the brocade

box as she continued solemnly. "These are guaranteed to work for ten years,

and they have no antidote."

"What?"

"My heavens, how is that possible?"

"Hanlin the Sage is frightening…"

The Second Pavilion Master waited until the commotion died down

somewhat before she smiled again. "In order to differentiate these from

ordinary infatuation pills, Hanlin the Sage has named them 'Love Pills.'

Purchase only one of these pills, dissolve it in water, and convince your

object of desire to drink it. Then, for the duration of ten years, we guarantee

they will remain obsessed with you without ever wavering."

"Is there really no cure after one takes the pill?" a female cultivator

called from down below. "If I lose interest in him before the ten years are up,

wouldn't I be stuck with him crawling all over me?"

The crowd chuckled and laughed, and the Second Pavilion Master

smiled politely. "My lady has only pointed out a true thing. This is why

Xuanyuan Pavilion will take this chance to remind everyone that the Love

Pill has no known cure. Until the ten years are up, nothing will be able to

break the bond they create. Outside of a case of tormented, unrequited love,

we cannot recommend delivering the pill to another party."

With that conclusion, the bidding began, and the price started to rise.

Mo Ran noticed that it was mostly female cultivators screaming to fight for

bids, and he couldn't help but click his tongue. "This is unbelievably scary."

"Indeed. To earn sentiments thusly would truly be beyond tasteless."

This response made Mo Ran turn to glance at Chu Wanning. "Shizun,

you'll have to watch out," he said, smiling. "You're awfully good-looking.

What if there are female cultivators from Sisheng Peak here and they buy one

of the pills, then secretly drop it in your water to make you fall in love with

them? Better be careful you don't fall for that, since you're a married man

and all."

Chu Wanning couldn't respond. Mo Ran was undoubtedly saying such

things to mock him, and his instinct was to be angry. However, never in his

life had he ever heard Mo Ran call him good-looking, and he couldn't find it

in himself to be upset. His lips pressed into a cool and distant line and,

turning his head away, he refused to acknowledge his disciple.

"If they're resorting to using pills like these, they must be desperately

in love," Mo Ran mumbled. When he saw how fast those five boxes were

purchased, he sighed and shook his head. "How pitiful."

Chu Wanning stared at that snow-white wall for a moment, then replied

calmly, "If they truly loved the object of their affection, how could they have

the heart to use a pill like these? You're still young. There are some things

you don't understand."

I'm still young? Mo Ran turned his head, dimples deepening with his

smile. "I don't understand, but Shizun does? Is Shizun going to tell me about

Shiniang?"

"Begone."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha."

In the midst of their banter, the second item had been presented on the

platform.

"Tapir Fragrance Dew," the Second Pavilion Master announced

crisply. "Also from the kiln of Hanlin the Sage. This is the newest medicinal

dew refined by Hanlin. The first generation of disciples of Guyueye have

tried it, and it works like magic."

Cultivator A was somewhat learned. "Typing Fragrance Dew?"

Cultivator B was a little hungry. "Tapas Fragrance Dew?"

Cultivator C was perverted. "Tupping Fragrance Dew?"

Chu Wanning gave it a ponder, then raised his gaze to those five

porcelain bottles. The thick curtain of his lashes trembled fractionally. "Tapir

Fragrance Dew…from the Dream-Consuming Tapir?"

The Second Pavilion Master had no intention of losing the audience's

interest. The instant she realized that the crowd was confused, she explained

with a smile: "The reason this is called Tapir Fragrance Dew is because the

formula requires blood taken from the quick of Dream-Consuming Tapir

claws. A single drop in a cup of tea will guarantee good dreams, every

single night, for a week. This might not mean much to ordinary cultivators,

but after the influence of certain cultivation methods and spells, some xianjun

experience relentless nightmares and have difficulty finding peaceful

slumber. If the problem persists, it can lead to qi deviation, in which case

this Tapir Fragrance Dew would be the absolute best remedy."

When Chu Wanning heard this, he was reminded of that realistic dream

he'd experienced. Though it hadn't been a nightmare, it had indeed made him

feel rather unsettled…

The Second Pavilion Master pushed this product with all she had.

"Besides all that, the Tapir Fragrance Dew also has the ability to regulate

spiritual energy and aid in one's cultivation."

Chu Wanning was still deep in thought and remained unmoved.

"Moreover, if one has children training at home, the Tapir Fragrance

Dew would be extremely beneficial for them. Hanlin the Sage had the

foresight to expect that elders and teachers might purchase the dew for their

young trainees, so he specially made the five bottles of Tapir Fragrance Dew

in five different flavors. The red bottle is lychee, the yellow bottle is orange,

the white bottle is milk candy, the purple bottle is grape, and the black bottle

is mulberry. Furthermore, with but one sip, the taste will remain on one's lips

and tongue for an entire day—it's quite lovely."

Just as she finished, a silver stick was dropped from a dignitary booth

on the second floor.

The second and third floors were much farther away from the platform,

and it was thus inconvenient to yell to bid, so bidders up there wrote their

offer on a silver stick before tossing it down.

A spell had been cast on those silver sticks that made them float to the

Pavilion Master without error.

The Second Pavilion Master caught the stick that drifted toward her

and gave it a glance, only to be stunned.

At the same time, within the dignitary booth, Chu Wanning casually

laid down the brush he had just used and leisurely took a sip of tea. Mo Ran

watched from the side, and his lips twitched.

The voice of the Second Pavilion Master rang from below. "From the

Tian dignitary booth on the second floor: five-hundred-thousand gold. Do I

hear any other offers?"

When these words were spoken, the crowd was abuzz. The Tapir

Fragrance Dew was good, sure, but it obviously wasn't as popular as the

Love Pill. The five boxes of Love Pills had gone for three hundred thousand

gold altogether, so an offer of five hundred thousand gold for these five

bottles of dew was already considerably high.

"Probably an offer from the parents of some little gongzi," someone

grumbled.

"Must be for some rich little gongzi's training."

Meanwhile, some cultivators in the crowd had suffered enough of qi

deviations. One steeled himself and said, "I'll take all five. I offer fivehundred-and-fifty-thousand gold."

"The Tapir Fragrance Dew, now going for five hundred and fifty

thousand. Do I hear—"

Before the Second Pavilion Master could finish, another silver stick

floated errantly through the air, again tossed from the Tian dignitary booth on

the second floor. She glanced at it and her eyes unconsciously widened.

"I apologize, everyone. I misunderstood the initial offer, and I will

rectify my error now. What the customer on the second floor actually meant

was that he is offering five hundred thousand per bottle, for a total of two

million and five hundred thousand…"

Only a fool would fight Chu Wanning at that price point. As Mo Ran

watched those five bottles of Tapir Fragrance Dews being delivered into the

room, he felt like his soul was leaving his body.

Chu Wanning had spent two-and-a-half million… On sweets…

Sensing Mo Ran's incredulous look, Chu Wanning asked indifferently,

"What is it?"

"Ah ha ha, nothing. I just didn't think Shizun was partial to stuff like

this."

"Why would I care for childish things?" Chu Wanning replied placidly.

"I bought them for Xia Sini."

Mo Ran had no words. What an act! His brows twitched. Let's see

how much longer you can keep this up.

The auctioned items continued to be presented one by one, and while

everything that came afterward was also a unique spiritual medicine or

treasure, they held no value for either Mo Ran or Chu Wanning. They sipped

tea as they waited for the holy weapon Guilai to appear.

Mo Ran leaned by the window, his black clothes wrapped tightly

around his thin waist, emphasizing the broadness of his shoulders and the

length of his legs. He glanced down at the lively event below, then looked up

to gaze at the reserved Rufeng booth upstairs.

"Come to think of it, Shizun, how did Uncle settle the affair at Peach

Blossom Springs? You never gave me the details."

"It isn't really settled. We can't call attention to the affair lest we alert

the enemy. Even though the sect leader knows the truth, he can't make much

of a fuss. However, he did entirely sever ties with the feathered tribe and

brought both Shi Mei and Xue Meng back to Sisheng Peak. Moreover, our

fight was rather intense, and disciples of several sects bore witness to it.

Some began to harbor doubts about Peach Blossom Springs and thus

departed. I imagine this Ye Wangxi was one of them." Chu Wanning finished

an orange osmanthus cake and reached for a second. "The sect leader told the

rest of the world that you caused some trouble and are therefore confined to

Sisheng Peak for reflection. That should cover your tracks for a while at

least."

Mo Ran scratched his head. "Sounds like quite the mess. I've really

troubled Uncle…"

As he was mumbling, the Second Pavilion Master of the Xuanyuan

Pavilion, still standing upon the nine-petaled lotus platform, used an

amplification spell to clear her throat. Her voice, sonorous and pleasant as

the sound of tinkling jade, echoed throughout every nook and cranny: "The

next auction item is a rare treasure of the highest grade, extremely difficult to

come by. It has ranked among the top ten items in our auction guide for the

past three years."

With those few words, silence fell. After a moment, it was like a

spoonful of clear water had splashed into a pot of boiling oil. The audience

erupted with murmurs as they whispered to each other, and nearly every eye

glinted with interest.

Just what manner of treasure could rank among the top ten items

auctioned at Xuanyuan Pavilion in the past three years? Never mind actually

buying something like that, for many people, even catching a glimpse of it

with their own eyes would be extremely good luck in itself. The buyers

became more and more excited, and the air grew so tense that it was almost

tangible.

The people below strained their necks to look, and those in the booths

also lifted the blinds. All eyes were on the lotus platform.

"Is it the holy weapon Guilai?" Mo Ran wondered in a soft voice.

Chu Wanning didn't reply.

As the gap at the center of the platform cracked open once more, the

clear voice of the Second Pavilion Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion echoed.

"Presenting the next treasured item: a Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast."

"What?!" Mo Ran was stunned, his hands gripping the windowsill.

"It's not a holy weapon?!"

Chu Wanning hadn't expected this either. He abruptly rose to his feet,

coming to Mo Ran's side to look down with him.

A stone divan slowly rose from the open center of the lotus platform.

Eight iron chains, each as thick as a wrist, crisscrossed the divan to hold

down a living creature that struggled unceasingly upon it. However, that

living creature was fully covered beneath a drape, and it was hard to see

what it was at first glance.

That didn't dampen the boiling excitement below in the slightest. A

"Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast," no matter its class or appearance, was an

object in itself renowned throughout the world.

According to legend, during the primordial era, when the heavens and

the earth had yet to be separated, demons had lived alongside humans on the

cultivation continent. At that time, there had lived a clan of demons called the

Butterfly-Boned Clan. While their martial prowess had been wanting, their

bodies had contained an immense amount of spiritual energy. To consume the

blood and flesh of one of the Butterfly-Boned Clan, or to engage in

intercourse with them, could greatly enhance a human's cultivation. Those

without spiritual roots could instantly establish a foundation, and those who

had roots could directly achieve the power of a zongshi.

That was why, after the demons were defeated, the Butterfly-Boned Clan had

been hunted to extinction. They were all either captured to be bed slaves or

directly killed and eaten.

In the present day, the full-blooded Butterfly-Boned Clan had long

since been eradicated from the world. However, within the vast sea of

humanity, there were individuals in whose veins the blood of the ButterflyBoned Clan yet ran. The flesh and blood of the majority of these individuals

had no effects whatsoever, and they were indistinguishable from that of any

other cultivator. However, a very small number of descendants manifested

the traits of their ancestral bloodline. The flesh and blood of such

individuals, although not as potent as that of their primordial ancestors, could

still greatly enhance a cultivator's ability.

These people were called Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feasts, and this

"feast" had two meanings: a feast in bed, or a feast of the flesh.

In other words, they could be taken to bed or eaten alive. Whether it was the

former or the latter depended entirely on the buyer.

In the cultivation world, someone descended from the Butterfly-Boned

Clan who manifested ancestral traits wasn't seen as "human." Even though

they were no different from ordinary people, out of collective self-interest,

the cultivation world had deemed them "merchandise." Thus, although

horrible, the act of selling a Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast did not violate any

taboos.

However, Chu Wanning, righteous zongshi that he was, had an ugly

look on his face.

"This Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast was not obtained by Guyueye.

Rather, this sale is on consignment, and thus Xuanyuan Pavilion will take an

additional thirty percent of the agreed transaction payment as commission.

Honored Xianjun, please take this into account when bidding and make an

offer within your means."

Once the Second Pavilion Master had spoken, she snapped her fingers,

and with the signal, the wool blanket covering the divan fell.

Silence abruptly blanketed the pavilion.

Everyone was staring at the body chained to the stone divan with such

rapt attention that within the vast Xuanyuan Pavilion, one could almost hear

breath and heartbeats.

On the divan was a delicate young girl with snowy fair skin. Long

locks like silk draped across her nearly naked body, and she was wrapped in

only a translucent silk tulle. Her supple, smooth bare body trembled like

frozen fresh snow or dampened jade, and she glowed gently under the light.

Eight iron chains firmly restrained her delicate body and clanged with

her struggling. This only served to more easily arouse the savage desires of

the men in the crowd. Even experienced philanderers would admit without

hesitation that this girl was a rare beauty.

"A supreme treasure of the highest grade: a female Butterfly-Boned

Beauty Feast at her ripening age." The Second Pavilion Master smiled, then

approached to release one of the chains. Before the girl could fight back, her

hand was caught as fast as lightning and raised to the air. "Hanlin the Sage

has marked her with a dot of chastity cinnabar. As everyone can see, she is

still a virgin."

A snow-white cloth was bound around the girl's mouth, muffling her

pitiful cries. Large beads of tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes;

those golden tears confirmed her identity as a descendant of the ButterflyBoned Clan who had maintained ancestral traits.

Some sucked in their breaths, some swallowed hungrily. This

revelation had turned the atmosphere of Xuanyuan Pavilion from that of an

establishment filled with cultivators into that of a house squeezed to the brim

with starving wolves, whose drool dripped from the corner of their mouths

as they greedily eyed their prey.

A sharp crack resounded.

Chu Wanning's cool gaze withdrew and landed on Mo Ran.

Mo Ran's face was pale, his nails digging into the wood. He had broken a

corner of the windowsill with his grip.

"What's wrong?"

"No… It's nothing." Mo Ran inhaled deeply before he managed to

calm himself and shook his head at Chu Wanning. "I just think selling live

humans like this is…incredibly disgusting."

He wasn't telling the truth. His eyes quietly returned to the form of that

Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast.

This woman was none other than the number one beauty of the

cultivation world, the woman whom he had taken as his wife after he'd

named himself emperor in his previous life: Song Qiutong.