Ling Tian Sword God

Chapter 59: Chapter 58 Flower God_1

”This Ling Chen is really arrogant.”

A young man in a blue robe looked down at Ling Chen below, having overheard the previous conversation between Xiao Muyu and Ying Wuqing. He seemed displeased with Ling Chen’s attitude.

This young man was named Li Tai, a renowned rising star in the capital. Together with the Crown Prince and another young man at their table named Zhou Heng, they were all members of the ”Ten Heroes of the Capital.”

”After all, he is the widely-known first genius of the Martial World. How could he not be a little arrogant? Moreover, he is Miss Xu Ruoyan’s fiancé,” the Crown Prince said, his signature smile still on his face.

”Being proud can be a good thing, but it needs to be within limits. If not polished from a young age, one’s future path can easily go astray,” Zhou Heng, a youth with a stern expression, remarked. His eyes, fixed on Ling Chen, held a hint of hostility.

Xu Ruoyan naturally understood Ling Chen’s talent. When it comes to cultivation talent, the ’Ten Heroes of the Capital’ might not be his match.

Of course, she couldn’t say this aloud.

”While Ling Chen’s current strength isn’t formidable, his talent is extremely high. Within the Five Kingdoms, very few can compare to him. Now that he has advanced into the realm of a Martial Artist, if he can maintain this terrifying speed of cultivation, he won’t be far from ranking on the Heavenly List,” Xu Ruoyan said with an intoxicating smile.

In just a few short months, he had reached the level of a First Layer Martial Master from a state where his cultivation had been crippled. Such speed was unprecedented.

It wasn’t that she deliberately wanted to praise Ling Chen; she was genuinely astounded by such a cultivation speed.

”Is that so?” Upon hearing her words, Li Tai and Zhou Heng frowned almost simultaneously, their expressions revealing displeasure.

”Since Miss Xu has praised Ling Chen to the heavens, then later on, I’ll have to spar with this young genius,” Li Tai declared, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

It seems that guy is in for some trouble. Xu Ruoyan frowned inwardly but soon dismissed the thought. Glancing at Ling Chen, her eyes held a hint of ’serves him right.’ Who asked you to always offend me? It’ll serve you right to suffer a little.

Thinking this, Xu Ruoyan felt much better. Besides, Ling Chen had been capable of killing so many experts in the hunting grounds. This fellow’s potential was immeasurable. As for a bout with Li Tai, the outcome was uncertain.

Ling Chen’s fighting ability had undoubtedly been severely underestimated by these people. After all, no one would believe that the three highly skilled assassins in black had been killed by Ling Chen. She, however, was convinced of it.

Half an hour into the banquet, after the third round of drinks, the event gradually moved towards its main attraction.

Although Ling Chen didn’t actively mingle with people at other tables, quite a few came to offer him toasts, allowing him to make some acquaintances. Moreover, their table included Xiao Muyu, who had ranked first in the Autumn Hunt and was a great beauty, inevitably attracting many distinguished young masters eager to curry favor with her.

However, by the midpoint of the banquet, this lively atmosphere had gradually subsided.

”The main event of this banquet is about to begin.” Dai Chao’s eyes lit up as he sensed the change in the surrounding atmosphere.

”What main event?” Ling Chen and Xiao Muyu looked at Dai Chao curiously.

”It’s those ten virgin beauties.” Dai Chao pointed to the ten beautiful girls dancing in the center of the hall and continued, ”As I just said, these ten girls were specially trained for this banquet. Later, they will be auctioned off by the Cui Yu Building at a high price to the guests present.”

”That wretched Cui Yu Building! These women are so pitiful!” Xiao Muyu slammed her hand on the table, her voice filled with indignation.

”Not necessarily.” Dai Chao shook his head. ”These girls were all selected from various small towns. Without the Cui Yu Building, they wouldn’t enjoy their current life of glory and wealth, nor would they receive the kind of adoration they do now. From another perspective, compared to living an ordinary, impoverished life, this might not be an unwelcome change to their fate.”

”Senior Brother Dai has a point,” Ling Chen conceded, then changed the subject. ”However, I still believe it’s better to be a free, ordinary person than to be a plaything in the hands of the rich.”

Destiny, only when held in one’s own hands, can be considered complete. Yet, many people seemed not to understand this simple truth.

As soon as Ling Chen finished speaking, the atmosphere in the banquet hall became charged with excitement.

”The bidding has started.” Dai Chao’s gaze turned towards the center of the venue.

Spurred on by several rounds of fervent calls from a mature, provocatively dressed woman, the bidding for the ten beauties began in full swing.

In the blink of an eye, all ten girls were snapped up. Even the one with the lowest price sold for 10,000 taels of gold. The highest bid was close to 50,000 taels of gold.

Those who bought these girls were high officials and nobles of the capital. While tens of thousands of taels of gold was not a small sum, it was an amount they could afford.

They made three to four hundred thousand taels of gold just by selling ten girls. The Cui Yu Building really knows how to profiteer. Ling Chen shook his head with a smile. The Crown Prince seems to have a keen business mind. Although human trafficking isn’t a respectable business, it’s rampant on the Mixed Yuan Continent, not just in the Wind Country. It’s probably even more widespread in the Black Market.

”Yes, when these girls were bought, they probably cost no more than a few hundred taels of silver each. After being trained by the Cui Yu Building, their price increased by more than a thousand times,” Dai Chao remarked. Being a savvy man, he naturally understood the ins and outs of this business. However, only someone as powerful as the Crown Prince could operate a business of this magnitude.

”Next up is the bidding for the Goddess of Flowers,” Dai Chao announced. Ling Chen also looked towards the center of the venue, where a young woman was being led onto the stage.

The Goddess of Flowers was a gimmick created by the Cui Yu Building, billed as the most beautiful woman in the entire Wind Country. There was only one each year, and any woman named Goddess of Flowers was guaranteed to possess first-class beauty.

Similarly, the price of the Goddess of Flowers was much higher than that of the other girls.

The girl looked to be around fifteen or sixteen, dressed in a red Ice Silkworm Silk Dress, with a tall and slender figure, rosy cheeks, and glistening lips—unquestionably a one-in-a-million beauty.

What surprised people was that her hair was distinctly divided into two colors: half black and half white. Such a hair color had never been seen before.

Exotic People? Astonishment flashed in Ling Chen’s eyes. He had never heard of anyone within the Five Kingdoms possessing such hair.

Not just her hair color, but the girl’s entire aura was distinctly different. Her cultivation was not high, probably only at the Warrior 6th Stage.

Although her Martial Arts cultivation was not high, her stunning beauty and exceptional disposition made her highly sought after. Many men wanted to possess her. Moreover, her novelty captivated everyone. They had almost never seen a woman with this hair color before; she was truly a rare gem among women.

At first, many people bid, but once the price exceeded 100,000 taels of gold, the bidders dwindled.

One hundred thousand taels of gold was a significant sum of wealth, even for Great Master Level Powerhouses, enough to buy many Cultivation Resources. No one wanted to spend so much gold on a woman. For the high officials and nobles, buying a woman was for momentary pleasure, but spending 100,000 taels of gold on one felt unjustified.

The person who offered 100,000 taels was none other than Ying Wuqing.

”One hundred thousand taels of gold for an ordinary girl... Crown Prince, this younger brother of yours is quite the spendthrift,” Xu Ruoyan remarked to the Crown Prince beside her on the viewing platform.

Spending 100,000 taels of gold on a girl was indeed an extravagant act.

Xu Ruoyan shook her head. Ying Wuqing is truly a debauchee. People like him rarely achieve much.

”My younger brother has always had this one hobby. Those 100,000 taels of gold must be his entire savings,” the Crown Prince said with a mere smile.

It didn’t matter much to him how his fourth brother squandered his money, especially since this Cui Yu Building was his own enterprise. If his younger brother was willing to contribute to his coffers, why wouldn’t he accept it?

”110,000 Taels.”

At this moment, in the banquet hall, a calm voice suddenly echoed with a new bid.