Chapter 80: This Venerable One's Ex-Wife... Has Come

The one who had come was the modest gentleman who shared the same residence with Mo Ran back at the Peach Blossom Springs Ye Wangxi.

Today, he had come donned in the heron mantle with blue underlinings and silver silk threads of the Rufeng sect, his hair fastened with a royal blue ribbon,

and adorned around his waist was a silver fragrance pouch embroidered of a rare beast with a pearl in its mouth. Perhaps it was because the armour was removed, so while the strong aura of valiance still rested between his brows,

there were traces of an elegant air.

Xuanyuan Pavilion's Grand Manager approached in greeting, his eyes lowered and his head inclined, "Ye-xianjun." Ye Wangxi nodded and said, "I've come in my sworn father's name to bid for an item. Will the Grand Master please lead me up the pavilion." "The Pavilion Master had already known xianjun was coming, and a booth was already reserved for the Rufeng sect. I will lead my lord up straight away." Ye Wangxi then led the ten something disciples of the Rufeng sect upstairs,

leaving behind an entire hall of hooded crowd whispering to themselves.

"Have people of Rufeng also come today?" "Who's that xianjun? How come we've never seen him before…" Obviously there's a reason why none of you had seen him before, Mo Ran thought, but couldn't help but be curious too, and watched as Ye Wangxi's back disappeared around the corner before he turned to Chu Wanning, "Shizun,

you've sayed with the Rufeng sect before, do you know this Ye-xianjun?" "No." Chu Wanning knitted his brows slightly, "But for some reason he looks rather familiar…" He paused a bit, closed his eyes to think, but still shook his head, "I don't recall anything." Mo Ran scratched his head, "This Ye-xianjun stayed in the same residence as me back at the Peach Blossoms Springs. His ability isn't bad. Now that he's come on behalf of the Rufeng sect to bid for things, I imagine his status within the sect can't be too low either, but Shizun actually doesn't know him?" "There are seventy-two city fortresses within the Rufeng sect, personnel are spread far and wide. I don't like to run around, and am too lazy to pry into internal affairs, so it's not strange that I don't know him." The two were just conversing when the candlelight within the booth reserved for the Rufeng sect was lit up in a bright yellow glow, no doubt it was Ye Wangxi and company who had already entered and settled in their seats. The highest level of this Xuanyuan Pavilion was especially reserved for the great sects, so normally it was very seldom used. Thus, the crowd looked up to see, thinking it a rather rare event.

Now that the Rufeng sect had joined, everyone's anticipation for this auction instantly increased by a few notches. After a pot of tea time, the white jaded lotus platform in the centre suddenly brightened immensely, and from the ceiling of Xuanyuan Pavilion, a vibrant and brilliant red satin roll was dropped. A dainty young girl of eleven or twelve in bare feet donned in a snow-white shark muslin, caught the satin and spun and landed lightly and delicately onto the ice-cold white jaded lotus platform.

"Thank you for waiting, honored xianjuns. I am the Second Pavilion Master in Command." That clever and handsome little girl smiled demurely, "Honored xianjuns have come from all over the four seas in praise of our name. Naturally,

the Xuanyuan Pavilion will, as always, return our gratitude with the rarest and best of items to show for everyone." Mo Ran's hearing was excellent, and heard down below there were people griping, "The Second Pavilion Master of Xuanyuan Pavilion is actually an immature, underaged little girl?" "Aiyoh, buddy you really haven't seen much. Do you know how old this 'little girl' is?" "Ten? Fifteen? She can't be more than twenty?" "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 here? How can that little thing be a hundred!" "This is Guyue'ye, the number one medicine sect of the world, how is anything impossible? It's just some medicine of everlasting youth." "Whoa—" This must've been the first time that man who was wowing in awe had come,

and after that conversation, he excitedly stretched out his neck, his hands clutching the wallet pouch on his person, obviously impatient to see just what kind of miraculous medicine and sacred tools Xuanyuan Pavilion would bring out for the auction.

The Second Pavilion Master didn't disappoint either, and with a snap of her fingers, a gap cracked open at the centre of the stone lotus, and a small podium the shape of a bulb slowly rose up. Upon it rested five silk brocade boxes the size of a palm, and each box was opened wide generously, revealing the medicinal pills with the shine of pearls.

Immediately, someone called out with a laugh, "Isn't that the Pill of Obsessive Affection? What's so rare about that?" "It is indeed, but even if the first one out isn't going to be some rare treasure,

you can't just bring some love pills out to make up the numbers." The Second Pavilion Master heard the people's gripes but wasn't irritated in the least, and instead she smiled with crescent eyes, speaking loudly and clearly, "Everyone certainly has good eyes. This is indeed the Pill of Obsessive Affection. But everyone knows that while these pills are hard to refine, they aren't anything exotic. Our Xuanyuan Pavilion will naturally never bring any ordinary items out to placate our customers." As she spoke, she took one of the brocade boxes and presented it in her hand, clack, and closed the box.

Although the crowd was seated at various distances, there was a spiritual mirror prepared in front of each individual that could show the treasure's details without faut. Only then did everyone notice the snake markings on the cover of the box.

"Hanlin[1] the Sage?!" Someone sucked in a breath.

The Second Pavilion Master smiled, "That's right. These five Pills of Obsessive-Affection, each box has come from the refinery kiln of the elder of my sect——Hanlin the Sage. Regular Pill of Obsessive Affection can confound the heart, and have the user become obsessed with oneself, but the effect only lasts for half a year, and it's very easy to produce an antidote for it. But these five pills…" Her delicate, tender fingertips held the brocade box and explained solemnly, "These can guarantee for ten years, without any antidote to cure." "WHAT?" "My heavens, how is that possible…" "Hanlin the Sage really is too frightening…" The Second Pavilion Master waited until the commotion died down somewhat before she smiled again, "In order to differentiate from ordinary Pills of Obsessive Affection, Hanlin the Sage has named these Love Pills. With the purchase of only one of these pills, dissolve it in water and convince the other party to drink it, in the span of ten years, we guarantee the other party will remain obsessed with you without any wavering." A female cultivator asked with a high voice down below, "Is there really no cure for it after taking the pill? If in ten years I don't like him anymore, wouldn't he still harass me?"" The crowd started chuckling and laughing, and the Second Pavilion Master also smiled politely, "My lady has pointed out a truth, which is why the Xuanyuan Pavilion will take this chance to remind everyone that the Love Pill has no cure in the world, and until the ten years is up, there is nothing that can break the bond.

If it isn't a case of unanswered tormented love, we recommend not to feed the other party the pill." With that conclusion, the bidding started, and the price started rising. Mo Ran saw that the ones screaming to fight the prices were mostly female cultivators, and he subconsciously clicked his tongue.

"This is really too scary." "Indeed. To earn sentiments thus truly is too tasteless." Having heard Chu Wanning's response, Mo Ran turned his head around and glanced at him, smiling, "Shizun you'll have to watch out. You're so good looking,

who knows if there are women cultivators from ShiSeng Peak here who'd buy this and secretly drop this in your water to have you fall in love with them. You're a married man, there's no way you can be affectionate with another." "..." This man said this to ridicule him, and Chu Wanning wanted to be angry, but this was the first time in his life that he heard Mo Ran call him good looking, so he couldn't find it in himself to be angry. His lips pressed into a cool and distant straight line, turning his head away, not wanting to acknowledge him.

"But if the other party really does take the pill, they must fall tragically in love,

huh." Mo Ran mumbled, and seeing how fast those five boxes of pills were purchased, he sighed, and shook his head, "How sad." Chu Wanning stared at that snow-white wall for a moment, then replied calmly, "If they truly loved the other, how could they actually have the heart to use a pill like that. You're still young. There are some things you don't understand." Still young?

Mo Ran twisted around, his dimples deepening with his smile, "I don't understand, but Shizun does? Is Shizun going to tell me about Shizun's wife?" "Get the hell out" "Hahahahahaha." In between playing around, the second item had been presented on the platform.

"Tapir Fragrance Dew." The Second Pavilion Master introduced crisply, "Also from the kiln of Hanling the Sage. This is the newest medicinal dew refined by Hanlin. The first generation of disciples of Guyue'ye have tried it, and it works magic." Cultivator A was somewhat learned, "Typing Fragrance Dew?" Cultivator B was a little hungry, "Tapas Fragrance Dew?" Cultivator C was perverted, "Tapping Fragrance Dew?" Chu Wanning gave it a ponder, and raised his trembling lashes, gazing over to those five porcelain bottles, "Tapir Fragrance Dew… from the DreamConsuming Tapir?" The Second Pavilion Master didn't have the intention to lose people's interest, and seeing how the crowd was confused, she immediately explained with a smile, "The reason it's called the Tapir Fragrance Dew is because the formula has the claw blood of Dream Tapirs. With only a drop in a cup of tea, the effect will last for seven days, and every night is guaranteed a good dream. This may not mean much to ordinary cultivators, but with the influence of cultivation methods and spells, some xianjun experiences relentless nightmares and trouble with peaceful slumber. If the problem persists it can lead to qi deviation,

which is why this Tapir Fragrance Dew is the uttermost best choice." After Chu Wanning heard, he was suddenly reminded of that realistic dream he had, and while it wasn't a nightmare, it did indeed make him feel rather unsettled…

The Second Pavilion Master was still pushing her medicine with all she had,

"Besides that, the Tapir Fragrance Dew also has the ability to manage spiritual energy, and aid in cultivation." Chu Wanning was still deep in thought, untouched by it.

"If there are any children training at home, the Tapir Fragrance Dew is also extremely beneficial for them. Hanlin the Sage had the foresight that there might be elders and teachers purchasing for young trainees, and specially made the five bottles of Tapir Fragrance Dews into five different flavours. The red bottle is lychee flavour, the yellow bottle is orange flavour, the white bottle is milk candy flavour, the purple bottle is grape flavour, and the black bottle is mulberry flavour.

Also, with but one sip, the taste will remain on the lips and tongue for an entire day, quite lovely." Just as she finished, a silver stick was dropped from the dignitary seat from the second floor.

Since the second and third floors were much further away and it was inconvenient to yell to bid for prices, they would write their price on a silver stick before tossing it down. Those silver sticks were cast with a spell, and would float to the Pavilion Master without fault.

The Second Pavilion Master caught the stick that came drifting, and gave it a glance, ".....

Right at the same time, within the dignitary booth, Chu Wanning casually laid down the brush he had just used, and leisurely drank tea. Mo Ran watched from the side, and his lips couldn't help but twitch.

The voice of the Second Pavilion Master rang from below, "From the Tian dignitary seat of the second floor, five hundred thousand gold. Is anyone going to bid higher?" The moment the words were out, the crowd started chattering.

This Tapir Fragrance Dew might be good, but it obviously wasn't as popular as the Love Pill earlier. Five boxes of Love Pills went for three hundred thousand gold altogether, so asking for five hundred thousand gold for  these five bottles of dew was already considerably high.

"Probably be the parents of some little gongzi who's buying." Someone grumbled.

"Must be for some rich little gongzi's training." There were cultivators in the crowd who had suffered enough of qi deviation,

and hardened themselves, "I'll take all five. I bid for five hundred and fifty thousand gold." "The Tapir Fragrance Dew, the price now is five hundred and fifty thousand,

is there anyone——" Before the Second Pavilion Master even finished, another silver stick came errantly floating down the air, again tossed from the Tian dignitary seat on the second floor. She glanced at it, and her eyes widened unwittingly.

"I apologize, everyone. I understood it incorrectly the first time, so I will rectify my mistake now. Earlier, what the customer from the second floor had meant was, he would be paying 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 his entire person feeling bad.

Chu Wanning spent two million and five hundred thousand…...

On sweets…...

Sensing Mo Ran's incredulous look, Chu Wanning asked indifferently, "What is it?" "Ahaha, nothing, I just didn't think Shizun would like something like this." "Why would I like children's things." Chu Wanning replied calmly, "I bought it for Xia Sini." "..." What an act.

Mo Ran's 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 afterwards were also unique spiritual medicine and treasures, they held no value for both Mo Ran and Chu Wanning. The two sipped on tea as they waited for the holy weapon 'Guilai' to appear.

Mo Ran leaned by the window, his black shirt wrapped tightly around his thin waist, making his shoulders look broader and his legs longer. He glanced down at the lively event down below, then looked up to gaze at the reserved Rufeng booth upstairs.

"By the way, Shizun, how did uncle settle the affair at the Peach Blossoms Springs? You never told me the details." "It's not really settled. This affair can't get bigger than it is lest we alert the enemy. Even though the Sect Leader knew the truth he couldn't make a big deal of it, but he did end things completely with the feathered tribe and brought both Shi Mei and Xue Meng back to Shisheng Peak. The fight was severe at the time,

and the disciples of several sects all saw. Some thought the Peach Blossoms Springs weren't reliable and had already left. I imagine this Ye Wangxi is the same." Chu Wanning finished an orange osmanthus cake and reached for a second one, "The Sect Leader told the outside world that you caused trouble,

and currently shut in Sisheng Peak in reflection, so this could hide your tracks for a while at least." Mo Ran scratched his head, "Sounds like quite the mess, I've really troubled uncle…" Just as he was grumbling, the Pavilion Master of the Xuanyuan Pavilion standing upon the nine-petaled lotus platform suddenly used an amplification spell to clear her throat, and the sonorous and pleasant voice instantly echoed throughout every nook and cranny.

"The next auction number is a rare treasure of the highest grade, extremely hard to come by, and is considered within the top ten in our auction guide of the past three years." With only those words, silence fell.

After a moment, the crowd was like splashing a spoon of clear water into a pot of boiling oil, and instantly everything exploded. Almost everyone's eyes were glinting, and they whispered excitedly to each other.

To be able to rank in the top ten among the items auctioned off at Xuanyuan Pavilion in the past three years, just what grade of a treasure could this be? For something like this, nevermind buying, to a lot of people, a simple glance of such a thing with their own eyes was already an extreme good luck. The buyers were becoming more and more excited, and the air was so tense it was almost tangible.

The people down below were stretching their necks to look, and those in the booths also lifted the blinds. All eyes were on the lotus platform.

Mo Ran wondered in a soft voice, "Is it the holy weapon Guilai?" Chu Wanning didn't speak.

Along with the gap at the centre of the platform cracking open once more,

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

"Presenting the next treasured item, the Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast." "What?!" Mo Ran was stunned, his hands gripping the window sill, "It's not a holy weapon?!" Chu Wanning hadn't expected this either, and he rose to his feet abruptly,

coming to Mo Ran's side, looking down the building with him. From within the centre of the lotus platform slowly rose a stone divan, and crisscrossing upon the divan were eight iron imprisonment chains as thick as arms, locking a living creature that was struggling unceasingly. However, that living creature was completely covered by a wool blanket, and it was hard to see what it was underneath with a first look.

But that didn't affect the boiling excitement in the least.

"The Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast", no matter its class or appearance, was already in itself a renowned name in the world.

Legends said during the HongMeng Period in history, before the heavens and the earth were separated, the demon clans and the human clans both lived upon the cultivation continent. At the time, there was a branch of demons called the "Butterfly-Boned clan". Their martial might was weak, but their bodies contained an immense amount of spiritual energy. To consume the blood and flesh of the Butterfly-Boned clan, or to engage in intercourse with them, could both greatly enhance a human's cultivation. Those without a spiritual foundation could instantly have one form, and those who did have one could enter zongshi level directly. And it was precisely because of this that during the beginning of World Chaos, they suffered the tragedy of clan extermination. They were either captured to be bed slaves, or they were directly killed for their flesh and blood to be devoured.

Presently, the real Butterfly-Boned clan had long since been eradicated from the world, but among the vastness of people, there would still be descendents in whose veins flowed the blood of the Butterfly-Boned clan. The blood of the majority of them possessed zero effects, and were no different than ordinary cultivators. However, there were also a very small number of those who'd show signs of returning to their ancestral ways. The blood and flesh of those people weren't as strong in effect as their ancestors had been during the HongHuang Period, but they 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.

Meaning they could be placed by the pillowside to be mated, or eaten directly. Whether it was the former or the latter was entirely dependent on the buyer.

Someone of the Butterfly-Boned clan with ancestral characteristics weren't seen as 'human' in the cultivation world. Even though they were no different than ordinary people, out of personal greed, the cultivation world had deemed them to be 'merchandise'. Thus, while selling Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast was a horrifying ordeal, it did not violate any taboos.

It's just, a just and dignified zongshi like Chu Wanning didn't look pleased in the least.

"This Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast was not obtained by Guyue'ye. This is an entrusted sale, thus the Xuanyuan Pavilion will be taking thirty percent of the agreed transaction payment as commission. Will the honored xianjuns keep a clear account when bidding, and bid within your ability." Once the Second Pavilion Master had spoken, she snapped her fingers crisply, and the wool blanket covering the divan fell with the signal.

Abrupt silence blanketed the pavilion.

Everyone was staring at the body chained upon the stone divan with such focus, even breathing and heartbeats could almost be heard within the large Xuanyuan Pavilion.

It was a young girl of a delicate, satin body, skin as a white as snow. Long locks like silk draped down her naked body, and she was wrapped in only a seethrough silk tulle, her full and smooth bare body was trembling, like frozen fresh snow, dampened jade, she glowed gently under the light.

Eight iron chains firmly restrained her delicate body, and clanged along with her struggling, which only easily aroused the men's savage desires. Even heartbreakers who had seen endless numbers of people would admit without hesitation that this girl was a unique, fine piece of work.

"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 that girl could fight back her hand was caught as fast as lightning, and raised to the air, "Hanlin the Sage had marked her arm with a dot of chastity cinnabar. Will everyone see clearly. She is still a virgin." A snow white cloth was bound around the girl's mouth, her pitiful cries muffled, and only large beads of tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes,

those golden tears confirming her identity as a Butterfly-Boned clan who maintained ancestral traits.

Some were sucking in their breaths, some were swallowing hungrily, an atmosphere such as this suddenly made Xuanyuan Pavilion not an establishment filled with cultivators, but a house squeezed full of starving wolves with drool coming from the corner of their mouths as they greedily eyed their prey.

PA!

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

Mo ran's face was blanched, his nails digging into the wood. He had actually broken a corner of the window sill with his grip.

"What's wrong?" "No, ...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… very disgusting." He wasn't telling the truth.

His eyes quietly returned to the form of that Butterfly-Boned Beauty Feast.

This woman was the number one beauty of the cultivation world he had taken for a wife after he had titled himself emperor in the previous life—— Song Qiutong!

Author's Notes:

Ye Wangxi Courtesy name: None Nickname: None Occupation: The last disciple of Rufeng Sect's First Elder To put it simply: Raised by his stepfather Social Appearance: The sect leader's right-hand man, a reliable Rufeng gentleman To put it simply: A lackey.

Current favourite: The young master of Rufeng Sect Favourite food: Grilled fish Dislike: Cowards Height: 176cm

[1] 寒 Han-cold 鳞 Lin-scales