His parents had always lived at the An family estate in the city, where they worked in a spirit tool shop assigned to them by the clan. The work was easy, the pay was good, and they had always been proud of it.
Now, after only a few days of no contact, they had suddenly been transferred elsewhere?
"Was it Song Wanníng? Was it her? Is she taking revenge on me by sending my parents away? Is it her?!" An Ze snapped. He grabbed the collar of the person in front of him, shouting with fury.
The man pried off An Ze's hands in irritation, sneering as he straightened his clothes.
"You think Grandmaster Song has nothing better to do than worry about your family? She didn't move them. It was our clan head. He got tired of your parents freeloading.
They've been pocketing benefits behind the scenes for years. The fact he didn't punish them sooner was already a kindness. If you make a fuss about it, you can all get ready to be kicked out of the clan.
Not that you care, right? After all, you've got your precious Ye Chuxue to protect you. Hahaha!" The group burst into mocking laughter, ignoring An Ze's darkening face as they walked off, arm in arm.
Everyone was laughing at An Ze now, and the worst part was, he still didn't realize it.
Seeing him fall from grace was the highlight of their day.
—
An Ze returned to Wentian Sect in a daze. Wherever he went, people whispered behind his back. The ridicule was driving him mad.
From a core disciple to a powerless inner disciple, the drop was too steep, too sudden. He couldn't adjust. He especially couldn't stand the gloating looks.
Thanks to Bai Yang and Ye Chuxue, no one dared to openly bully him, but no one treated him kindly either. He had made too many enemies in the past.
Outside Ye Chuxue's quarters, An Ze stood looking drained, guilt eating at him for not being able to help.
Ye Chuxue noticed something was off. After a few words of comfort, she handed Gu Qingyuan over to him and set off for Tianlai City.
Tianlai City wasn't far from Wentian Sect. At most, half a day's journey.
As soon as she left the sect gates, Bai Yang caught up.
Ye Chuxue glanced at him briefly, then said nothing. She didn't stop him from joining her.
The two traveled in silence.
Somewhere along the way, a distance had grown between them. Perhaps it had started when Bai Yang refused to stand firmly against Song Wanníng.
—
In the Shénxíng Tiānxià Auction House of Tianlai City, Song Wanníng sat at the head seat, a small jade bottle before her.
Inside was the last remaining Heavenly Origin Nurturing Heart Pill.
"Mistress, are you sure you want to auction this?"
The shopkeeper looked reluctant, heart aching as he stared at the bottle.
This pill was nearly impossible to obtain. Song Wanníng had gone through considerable effort to refine just a few, and now only one was left.
But she didn't lack money. There was no reason to auction something so rare and life-saving.
"Why not?" Song Wanníng twirled a strand of hair and passed the bottle to him.
"Let A Yue take the stage for this one."
"A Yue? He's still too green. He's never hosted a formal auction. He might not be able to handle the crowd." The shopkeeper looked even more confused. He didn't understand what she was planning.
"Just do as I say." Song Wanníng waved her hand, already losing patience. She knew the shopkeeper meant well, but she didn't like explaining herself.
Left alone in the room, Song Wanníng walked to the window and looked down.
She spotted Ye Chuxue and Bai Yang checking into an inn nearby.
"Sister, sister!" A genderless, cheerful voice echoed in her spiritual sea. It came from the golden little sword—her sword spirit.
Unlike ordinary sword spirits bound to a weapon, this one was born from her own soul. It had nothing to do with her life-bound sword.
It was fully sentient, and unusually powerful.
During her last closed-door cultivation, while comprehending the intent of the Sword of Slaughter, this golden sword awakened, its strength soaring. It had helped her break through to the mid-stage of Nascent Soul.
Even a glimpse of Immortal King Moyang's legacy had been enough to change her fate.
"Sister, is this A Yue the demon clan prince you mentioned, Mo Yuan?"
The golden sword zipped around her sea of consciousness, voice childish yet tinged with killing intent.
Song Wanníng returned to her seat and poured herself a cup of hot tea, a faint smile tugging at her lips through the rising steam.
"Yes. Who would've thought that the demon prince, once hunted to the brink by his own kin, would now be working humbly in my auction house?" She never would have guessed, had she not lived through it once before.
Mo Yuan, heir of the demon clan. His mother had been the previous matriarch, a dominant ruler. But she died in an accident years ago, leaving the clan in chaos.
Mo Yuan should have inherited the throne. But his father, a useless schemer, joined forces with a bastard son to betray him. Mo Yuan barely escaped death by fire.
He fled, hiding his name, and ended up working as a menial in Shénxíng Tiānxià Auction House.
In her previous life, Mo Yuan met Ye Chuxue during this very auction. He had been scolded publicly, and Ye Chuxue stepped in to defend him. That one act captured his heart, and from then on, he became her loyal supporter.
She accepted him without hesitation, even helped him reclaim his title as the demon lord.
From then on, the demon clan stood behind Ye Chuxue.
And it didn't stop there. The beast clans, too, joined her cause...
Everything in the world bent to clear the path for her ascension, regardless of how many others were trampled.
Song Wanníng's smile grew sharper.
"This time, I would make sure their bond ran even deeper."
—
The day of the auction arrived. Cultivators gathered in droves, some familiar local faces, others from faraway cities. As usual, everyone wore cloaks that shielded them from spiritual sense. Their true identities were impossible to guess.
When it was over, a teleportation array would scatter the guests randomly across the region. It was a system designed for maximum safety.
Ye Chuxue and Bai Yang, using their Wentian Sect core disciple tokens, easily secured a third-floor private room, drawing envious stares from those below. As they settled in, a sudden stir rippled through the auction hall.
"It's the Yun family from Yunxiang City!"
"Is that... could that be the young master Yun Jinyue?"
"She's beautiful!"
Everyone craned their necks toward the entrance.
Ye Chuxue and Bai Yang, curious, leaned over to look as well.
A figure in flowing blue robes stepped into view...