Due to Xue Beng's dissolute and reckless nature, his subordinate had already done many such deeds. Previously, he had drugged a young girl and delivered her to Xue Beng's bed, allowing him to savor her delicate body.
The girl named Xiao Wu looked even more tender. If he could get a taste of her, the experience would surely be exquisite.
However, he remembered Xue Beng's instructions.
The boy beside Xiao Wu, Tang San, was not to be trifled with.
Xue Beng had investigated Tang San and knew he was a master of poison—even the toxins of Dugu Yan, granddaughter of the Academy's Dugu Bo, were ineffective against him.
After learning this, the subordinate began devising a plan. How could he drug Xiao Wu and deliver her to Xue Beng's bed?
"Tang San is highly skilled with poisons. If he's around, it'll be difficult to drug her. He might even neutralize the poison."
"Hmm, it seems I'll need to find a way to separate the two. Then, I can lure Xiao Wu away alone, drug her, and deliver her to His Highness Xue Beng's bed."
Having settled on his plan, he began taking action.
To execute his scheme flawlessly, he needed to prepare thoroughly—ensuring Xiao Wu could be knocked out effortlessly when the time came.
Meanwhile...
In the white seating area, Tang San and Xiao Wu were focused on the ongoing auction, unaware that a man was plotting to separate them and drug Xiao Wu.
At this moment, the auction hall was sparsely populated, with only about a fifth of the seats occupied.
On the auction stage, a soul tool resembling a belt was being auctioned, with bids already reaching forty thousand gold soul coins.
The auctioneer, holding a microphone, smiled and announced to the bidders, "Next, we will be auctioning an exceedingly rare treasure. Interested guests, please pay attention—especially our male guests."
As he spoke, he signaled to the stage, and three burly men wheeled out a cart covered with a red cloth.
The shape beneath the cloth suggested a large square box, but its contents remained hidden.
Tang San and Xiao Wu, intrigued by the new item, stopped their conversation to watch.
The auctioneer said mysteriously, "Can anyone guess what this is? Let me reveal the starting bid—this item begins at one hundred thousand gold soul coins, with increments of no less than ten thousand. This is truly a treasure among treasures."
As an auctioneer, stirring excitement was part of his expertise—and he succeeded in capturing the audience's attention.
"Now, let's give our distinguished guests a clear look." With that, he grabbed the red cloth and yanked it off.
A flash of red later, what was revealed was not a box but a massive iron cage. Inside, curled up, was a young girl.
Most of her body was exposed, with only the critical areas covered by minimal clothing. Her posture made it hard to see her face clearly, but her figure was near perfection.
Her fair skin resembled polished jade, and her short, light-pink hair gave her a unique charm.
"You may wonder why a mere girl commands such a high starting price, equal to the meticulously trained beauties of our auction house. But if you observe closely, you'll notice her… peculiarity."
As he spoke, the auctioneer pulled out a rod and gently lifted the girl's pink hair near her ear, revealing it.
It was not a human ear—but a small, pointed feline ear, which reddened slightly at the rod's touch.
"That's right, esteemed guests. You are not mistaken. This is an exceedingly rare cat girl. During her martial soul awakening, her body mutated, granting her feline traits. Her eyes—one blue, one green—are uniquely enchanting. She even has a long tail."
He tapped the rod against the girl's hip, causing her to flinch and twist, revealing a previously hidden white cat tail.
The auctioneer wore a suggestive smile as he swirled the rod in the air. "Now, honored guests, you may begin bidding."
"These bastards! They're selling people like pets?!" Xiao Wu nearly jumped up in fury.
Tang San quickly grabbed her hand, signaling her to stay calm—though his own heart was anything but tranquil.
He had witnessed the darker sides of this world before, but this was his first time confronting it so directly. In this auction house, it seemed all traces of humanity had vanished, leaving only greed and primal desire.
A cold glint flickered in Tang San's eyes as he leaned back in his seat, watching silently.
He was intelligent enough to understand that this situation was beyond his and Xiao Wu's ability to change.
Even if they could save this cat girl, what about future "leopard girls" or "tiger girls"? Could they intervene every time?
His teacher had once said auction houses were places of both opportunity and filth. It seemed he was right.
Only because Tang San held Xiao Wu's hand tightly did she restrain herself. She noticed his grip was firm—his heart, too, was unsettled.
Seeing the flickering intensity in Tang San's eyes, she gradually calmed down, though she lowered her head and refused to look at the stage again.
It was an unfortunate coincidence that the auction house began selling live humans right after Tang San and Xiao Wu arrived, leaving an extremely deep—and extremely foul—impression on them.
By now, the bidding had reached one hundred and sixty thousand gold soul coins and showed no signs of stopping.
The auctioneer announced, "One hundred seventy thousand! A red-tier guest has offered one hundred seventy thousand gold soul coins! Are there any higher bids?"
The bidder, naturally, was the dissolute prince Xue Beng.
The moment he saw the alluring cat girl, he had decided to buy her—first to savor, then to keep as a plaything.
And…
Xue Beng glanced back at Xiao Wu, a wicked smirk flashing across his lips.
His subordinate, noticing Xue Beng's gaze shifting between the cat girl and Xiao Wu, instantly understood his master's intentions.
He planned to take both the cat girl and Xiao Wu—to play with them together. That would undoubtedly be… thrilling.
Little did Xue Beng know, everything he did would later become another's gain—while he could only watch helplessly.
In the end, the cat girl was successfully purchased by Xue Beng.
As for Xiao Wu and Tang San, no matter how furious they were, there was nothing they could do.
Meanwhile...
Tang Yin (Tang Yin is referred to as "Tang Yin" in the original text, but note that in the context of Douluo Dalu, this is likely "Tang San" or another character. If this is a different character, the name should be adjusted accordingly.) had also arrived in Heaven Dou City.
However, he was currently standing before a place called Moon Pavilion.
"My adoptive father's sister—my nominal aunt."
"A woman of remarkable grace and beauty."
"How intriguing."
With a mischievous smile, Tang Yin stepped into Moon Pavilion.
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