Chapter Five: Delightful Moments

"My dear Viscount Cavendish, I wonder if you have heard about what happened at the city gates at noon today?"

At the entrance of the largest opera house in Douling City, two gentlemen-like nobles stepped out of their carriage, engaging in conversation with practiced, formulaic smiles.

Upon hearing the other man’s words, Cavendish’s expression shifted. He glanced left and right to ensure they were unobserved before shooting a fierce glare at the minor noble, who held a rank one tier below his own.

The minor noble realized at once that this was not a matter to be discussed openly. Just as he intended to change the subject, Cavendish spoke up: "Who hasn't heard? So many people ran out at the time; by tomorrow, I fear everyone in Douling City will know that a Golden Cavalry Commander died at the city gates."

"You are truly prescient," the minor noble flattered him, then added, "I imagine your wise eyes have long since seen through all the darkness?"

"Merely some wild hyenas. Under the leadership of our wise and martial Emperor, the Douling Empire shall be great once more!" At this, Cavendish shifted his tone, speaking with the utmost reverence for the current Douling Emperor, a sentiment the minor noble mirrored in due time.

Having concluded that topic, the two moved on to other matters. Guided by an attendant, they walked toward the opera house. Surprisingly, however, they did not enter the main hall where famous arias were being performed; instead, they turned and stepped into a dim, shadowed room.

The attendant opened another door within, revealing a hall far larger and more luxurious than the opera house itself. Countless high-ranking nobles were mingling and conversing; here, a viscount like Cavendish would not even cause a ripple.

This was an auction house concealed by the opera house, dedicated to items of dubious origin or those strictly prohibited by law—a place where the elite threw away fortunes without a second thought.

By the time Cavendish and his companion arrived, the auction had already begun.

"Respected lords and ladies, pray look at the next rare treasure!"

The beautiful hostess flirted and postured, inciting a stir among the men. Under her hand, item after item sold for exorbitantly inflated prices. The bids shouted by the noble gentlemen made her face blossom with delight, leaving little doubt that if the price were right, she would gladly shed the last of her clothes in that very setting.

The hostess struck the auction gavel three times and cried out, "Twenty-five thousand Gold Soul Coins! Congratulations to Lady Lodicca for acquiring the only Millennium Snow Spirit Fox to be found in all of Douling City!"

"To think they are even selling wild spirit beasts," the minor noble, having followed Cavendish in, remarked as he watched the ferociously untamable Snow Spirit Fox being removed from the stage.

Cavendish glanced at him and curled his lip. "A mere spirit beast. The main event is coming next; since this is your first time here, consider it a lesson."

"Oh? My thanks for your guidance, Viscount."

Hearing this, the minor noble perked up, staring intently at the stage. Just then, a large iron cage covered by a cloth was brought out.

As the cage appeared, many nobles rose, eyes wide, as if trying to peer through the fabric at the contents within.

The hostess smiled at the sight. "Next is the highlight of this auction, the grand finale. I believe you have all been waiting impatiently, so, behold!"

Without further ado, she strode to the cage and yanked the cloth away. The entire hall gasped!

Inside the cage was not some rare spirit beast, but a person! A living, breathing human!

Long, rice-white hair draped over his unclad frame like a thin veil. His skin was translucent and jade-like, delicate enough to break at a touch. His snow-white, slender feet were naturally exquisite, and his ten rounded fingers were as pale and tender as freshly peeled eggs.

Seemingly unaccustomed to the light, the beautiful creature huddled in the corner, clutching his legs in fear. His movements revealed a heart-wrenching face, and his tear-filled eyes made one long to pull him into their arms and offer comfort.

The auction house fell into a deathly silence—but this silence was merely the prelude to the storm.

"Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

"Thirty thousand!"

"If you lack the wealth, don't come out here to embarrass yourself! I bid sixty thousand!"

By the second bid, the price had already surpassed that of the Millennium Snow Spirit Fox. Yet, for these nobles who might spend their entire lives confined within Douling City, such a sum meant nothing.

Some, overcome with excitement, even emptied their pockets, scattering glittering Gold Soul Coins onto the stage and against the "beauty." Seeing him wince in fear and hearing his pained gasps only sent the crowd's fervor soaring higher.

"Wait, is that a man?"

Amidst the countless bids, an ill-suited voice suddenly piped up. The speaker was a young noble, and no sooner had he finished than a dozen strange, piercing gazes landed upon him.

The young noble, confused by what had transpired, was quickly pulled back into his seat by a companion who felt humiliated by his outburst.

It was but a minor episode; no one cared for the words of such a youth, for as the saying goes—he was still young; what could he possibly know of "interests"?

The price continued to climb, reaching a figure unimaginable to the common folk in the blink of an eye.

"Two hundred and forty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

Once this number was announced, the other bids fell away. The nobles were wealthy, to be sure, but their money did not blow in on the wind—it was squeezed from the hard labor of the peasants. For a mere plaything, it simply was not worth it.

Just as the noble who bid the two hundred and forty thousand felt smug in his victory, the beautiful hostess spoke: "I am terribly sorry, my lord, but this final treasure is not traded for Gold Soul Coins; it follows a more unique set of rules."

"Are you insulting the dignity of a noble?" the man’s face darkened, his voice cold.

The expressions of the vast majority of the nobles present mirrored his own. To not announce the special rules beforehand, only to watch them play the fool as they shouted out bids—now that they had regained their senses, they felt their noble pride had been dragged through the mud.

"Not at all," the hostess said, her smile unwavering. "The reason it was not announced earlier was that the true bidders had not yet arrived. Now, I invite them..."

"Countess Xue Yinmu... Archduke Herar... Finance Minister Armand..."

As each name was called, the nobles grew increasingly silent, submissively sinking back into their seats. Just as there is an unbridgeable chasm between commoners and nobles, there was a similar void between these attendees and the owners of those names.

These individuals were royalty, landed nobles, high-ranking ministers, and powerful spirit masters—any one of them carried more weight than all the others in the room tied together.

Lu Chun, inside the iron cage, deeply appreciated their submissive demeanor. From the climax to the denouement, the various faces these nobles wore provided him with a feast for the eyes.

The theatrical nature of the scene brought him a sense of delight.

To this, he was pleased to offer what he considered the highest possible critique:

"Just like a group of livestock sitting at the dining table."