Chapter 132: Latnos Part 4: Buying A Choconut!

Inside the slave district on the night of Yin's visit to the purple palace.

"Sold to customer number 47! For 220 gold teals!" The man on the podium of the underground slave auction spoke.

During his last exchange with Chen Jing, Yang had asked him to look for any information regarding the sale of slaves from old man Hu's homeland. In exchange, Yang gave Chen Jing a bogus story about Nox's next destination, as well as a discount on their next dealings. Although the Yellow Palace's information network pales in comparison to that of the Purple Palace's they seemed to have a pretty good grasp of the ongoings of the dealings within the city of Latnos, as it only took a couple of days before they got word of a slave-auction of interest. They were selling off people from the Quaqien isles.

"You recognize this one?" Yang in a featureless mask whispered to old man Hu.

"No!" Old man Hu whispered back, while wearing a similar mask.

This auction was what Yang and Hu had skipped work to attend. They were hoping to find clues to old man Hu's family situation. As he had been separated from his wife and daughter early on, it could be that they were transported on separate ships after being enslaved.

Since, the kingdom of Kai rarely needs slaves themselves, most slaves tend to end up somewhere in Latnos. Their plan was to look for any slaves from the quaqien isles and buy anyone from Hu's tribe in hopes of finding clues to his family's whereabouts.

"Ehem! Now, this one is a looker, and of Quaqien royal blood! Miss Co or Cho! (whispering) 'Am I saying this right'!" The man on the podium started introducing a young woman with a swollen belly.

"Do you know her then?"

"…"

"Hello! Are you there! Wait! What's with the waterworks?" Yang whispered as he looked over at the crying old man.

"It's her! That's my baby girl! What have they done to her!"

"Hey, sit back down and stay quiet! That's an order!" Yang said, using the soul contract to stop the man from running up on stage screaming and crying.

"Miss Cho here was the only daughter of the strongest Quaqien in the world! Though her value in the bedroom might suffer from her pregnant belly, should her child be male, you can rest assure that he will grow up to be a high-quality slave! Hence, she will have a starting bid of 50 gold teals!"

The tribes of old man Hu's homeland are descended from a rare bloodline that grants superhuman strength, which makes them rather desirable for anyone in need of a strong slave. However, as this power is more prevalent in the male tribe members, there is a higher demand for males than females who are usually just used as sex-slaves.

"So, this is your daughter? Huh! Well, that was easier than expected!" Yang said as he raised his number stick to bid for Cho.

"That's 90 gold teals from number 23! Going once! Going twice! That's 100 gold teals from number 51!"

The way things work in this auction is that each customer is given a featureless mask to remain anonymous along with a small sign with a number on it. When a customer wants to bid for a slave, they raise their sign to add 10 gold teals to the total sum. Whoever bids the highest number by the end gets the slave in question.

"190 gold teals from number 38!"

"Tsk!"

"200 from number 23! Going-! 210 from number 38!"

"God damn it! Are they planting spies in the audience?" Yang pondered as he lifted his sign once again.

"Going twice! Going-! 220 from number 23! Going once! Going twice!"

"500 GOLD TEALS!" The masked customer number 38 shouted, forgoing the normal auction bidding system to address the man directly.

"Uh! Well, that's 500 from number 38! Going wha-! 510 from number 23!"

"WHAT?!" The man spoke in astonishment as he looked over at Yang.

"Going once! Going twice! Go-!"

"HOLD IT!" Number 38 shouted as he removed his mask from his plump face.

*Gasp*

"I'm He Wei! Son of He Bo, the manager of the food district! I dare anyone to bid against me knowing that you will be making an enemy of my father!" He spoke as he tried to threaten Yang into surrendering Hu's daughter.

However, Yang didn't seem to care as he raised his number once again.

"WHAT! HOW DARE YOU! MY FATHER WILL-!"

"Sir He Wei! If you would please calm down! The auction house would be willing to set aside some slaves for your perusal later!" The host spoke, trying to prevent the auction house from being implicated in this mess.

"NO! IT HAS TO BE HER! WHAT KIND OF MAN WOULD I BE IF I BACK DOWN NOW AFTER USING MY FATHER'S NAME?!" He Wei shouted.

"Well, I suppose we could just give this one to -!"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Yang shouted.

"I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF THE YELLOW PALACE! THIS WOMAN IS TO BE MEASURED FOR THE NEW CLOTHING LINE OF WONG THREADS BEFORE SERVING AT THE PURPLE PALACE! I DARE YOU TO GIFT THIS WOMAN TO THIS FATSO KNOWING YOU WILL BE MAKING ENEMIES OF THE DARK EMPIRE!" Yang spoke, making up a bunch of nonsense.

"YOU! A MEMBER OF THE YELLOW PALACE! HA! LIKE ANYONE WOULD BELIEVE THAT! NOW GO HOME YOU BRAT WHO STILL SMELL OF YOUR MOTHER'S MILK"

"SAID THE GUY WHO CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT HIS FATHER! NOW GO HOME AND COMPLAIN TO YOUR DADDY ABOUT HOW POOR HIS FATSO SON IS!"

"WHAT!!! HOW DARE YOU LITTLE!"

"NO! HOW DARE YOU INSULT THE YELLOW PALACE YOU FAT PIG OF A MAN! IF YOU DON'T STOP YOUR YAMERING I WILL HAVE OUR MEN TOW YOUR CASTRATED CORPSE THROUGH THE STREETS!" Yang shouted over the plump man.

"You! You!"

"IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY THAN SPEAK UP! OR YOU CAN PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS AND SHOW OFF YOUR WEALTH YOU! FAT! UGLY! BEGGAR!" Yang screamed to the entire auction house.

"What proof do you even have that you are who you say?" He Wei spoke, feeling frustrated yet intimidated after losing the shouting match.

"Hmph! Take a good look you plebians!" Yang said as he pulled out a token he had snatched from Chen Jing a couple days ago.

*Gasp*

As the crowd saw the glistening golden token of the Yellow Palace, an awkward silence filled the air as He Wei grew paler by the second.

"I will be taking the slave now! Oh, and you wouldn't happen to have some more women on sale today?" Yang asked the host.

"N-No S-Sir! Uhm!"

"What a pity! The purple palace has been asking for some more racial diversity for their female selection! Please contact the Yellow Palace if you get some in stock!" Yang said as he gestured for the young girl to follow.

However,

*Trickle*

As soon as he approached her, blood came running out of her mouth. The girl had bit of her own tongue.

"Shit! She's trying to kill herself! Hey, come carry this girl to our destination! That's an order!" Yang spoke as he ordered old man Hu to carry his daughter out of the auction house.

"I will take my leave now! Have a wonderful night ladies and gentlemen!" Yang spoke before turning to leave after Hu.

"Uh, young Sir! There is still the matter of your payment!" The auction host spoke up.

"Contact the Yellow Palace for the payment! Goodbye!" Yang said as he powerwalked out of there.

…

Choco's POV:

I was happy once upon a time.

I was born as the daughter of my tribe's chieftain. He was chosen as my grandfather's successor to the title of chief after proving his skill in battle against a giant sea monster. It was a serpent the size of a whale and my father had slain it with nothing but the spear in his hand. He was hailed as a hero amongst our people. That became even more true when he united all the different tribes under one banner after proving himself to be the strongest man from the Quaqien isles.

I still remember the singing, the dancing and the laughter from that night. I only wish that laughter had not turned malicious towards the end.

My uncle had betrayed us and sided with the enemies. The last time I saw my father was when my uncle had teamed up with a group of barbarians to take down my father. He may have been poisoned, but he was still the strongest of us all, they had to fight him ten on one to knock him down. I still remember the terror I felt as I watched them cut off his arm. But that was only the beginning.

"NO! STOP! PLEASE!"

*Malicious laughter*

"My baby girl! I'm sorry!"

My mother couldn't bear the shame of being assaulted by those savages and hung herself. Leaving me alone in this terrifying world. I'm afraid. I'm afraid of death. I'm afraid of the nightmares of my parents I have every night. I am afraid of that never ending laughter that I hear mocking me whenever the world goes silent. But most of all, I am afraid of the thing growing inside my stomach.

I just want to see my mom and dad again. See them again?

*Trickle*

"Shit! She's trying to kill herself!"

I'm afraid of death, but if it will make the laughter stop.

*Sob*

If it will let me see mom and dad again.

"Hello! Coconut girl! You awake?"

I will be brave, just like dad was.

"COCONUT GIRL! HEY! CAN YOU HERE ME?"

"I SAID STOP CALLING HER THAT! HER NAME IS CHOCO!"

"Djad?"

"Huh? You're awake! My baby girl! Thank god! I thought I lost you! *sob*" My dad said as he hugged me.

"God? Hey! I take offence to that!" The little boy in a black fish-mask said.

"Am I im heavem? Whewe if mom? (Am I in heaven? Where is mom?)"

"What?"

"Seems like your tongue hasn't fully recovered! You're not dead by the way, Coconut girl! And you have this, DEVIL, to thank!"