Reincarnation to the Past

Chapter 41

Li Yǔ POV

He suddenly grabs my hand (which he had released at some point), starts running, and tugs at me to follow him. "Where are we going, Lì?" I inquired curiously at his sudden excitement. After a few minutes of running, he stopped in front of a huge building with guards standing in front of the doors.

"I don't suppose you have those masks, do you?" he asked with a smirk, to which I pulled out two and handed them to him. He placed the first over his own face before fastening the second over mine. I stared at him curiously as he took my hand and led me to the door. He whipped out a jade badge and showed it to the guards, to which they slightly bowed and gave way to enter. I followed after Lì, totally unsure about where it was that we were heading. I tugged at his sleeves and glared until he finally laughed.

"Alright, alright... This is an auction house. They always have the most interesting stuff to offer so tell me if there's anything that catches your eye.

We walked into the room, and a pretty woman wearing way too-revealing clothes came to lead us to our seats. A few minutes after the woman left, the auction started. It was similar to modern auctions, where items were showcased one after the other and the highest bid won. Most of the items appearing were pills with different uses, qi-infused weapons and shields, qi-infused jewelry, martial arts techniques, and even tamed beasts that were auctioned off.

None of the items particularly interested me since I was pretty sure I could create any of them, as long as the auras used belonged to Poseidon and the gods who blessed me, and I was sure I could create them a thousand times better. I could tell that this was a high-class auction since the bids didn't go below 1000 silver taels; some even went over 10 gold bars. Although it was pretty entertaining to watch the bidding wars escalate among the bidders, Lì also seemed to enjoy it.

After all the high-end and fancy stuff was brought out and auctioned, the less fancy stuff came, like normal clothing and jewelry, etc. As the auction was nearing its end, I sensed my shadow knight enter the building—the very knight who was keeping an eye on Huangpu.

I linked myself with the knight and watched as he settled himself a few seats behind where we were seated, and there were at least ten guards with him. Mael (who had turned invincible (transparent like water) when we entered, according to Lì's request) must have noticed him because he growled softly so I shifted him onto my lap as a precaution and rubbed his forehead to calm him down.

A few minutes later, I understood why Huangpu had come in so late. My eyes rose in shock as one woman after the other walked onto the stage and stood in a row. It wasn't just women; there were children and men among them. They were all shackled like common criminals and wore a single shabby layer of clothing. "Slaves..." I heard from my right, making me look at Lì, whose face was morphed in disgust and anger. I knew that slavery existed during this period; all this was accepted by the law, which is why I could understand the helplessness that Lì was facing.

One by one, the slaves were auctioned off; almost all the women were bought by Huangpu, and from the perverted look on his face with every bid he won, I could tell exactly what he was planning. But what could I do? I can't exactly purchase all of them; I have no use for any of them. Not to mention, being with me could only prove to be more dangerous...

Auctioneer (cheerful voice): And as we close this auction for the day, we would like to present our final piece, the belle of the ball. The exotic fairy whose beauty can never satisfy... Let us start the bidding at 1000 taels.

If I had a drink in my mouth, I would have sent it spewing when I saw her. Now it wasn't her breathtaking beauty that made me catch my breath. It wasn't her lustrous black hair and warm brown eyes that made me almost shoot up from my seat. It wasn't the tears spilling down her delicate face and the terror in her eyes that made me clasp Lì's arm and whisper-shout, "You have to buy her for me!" into his ears with such urgency that it took him by surprise.

"I what?" he started in confusion.

"Please!!! I'll pay you back, I swear!" I interrupted him, my voice screaming desperation, which is most probably what made him take me seriously.

Man: What a beauty! 1000 taels...

Huangpu (licking his lips): 3000 silver taels!

Auctioneer (in a chirpy voice): 3000 taels going once???

Man: 5000 taels, for that girl!!!

Huangpu (annoyed to be outbid): 1 gold bar!

Auctioneer: And the gentleman at the back, with a solid bar!

Man: 1 gold bar and 1000 silver!

Man: 2 gold bars!

Huangpu: 10 gold bars

Lì (raising his placard): 50 gold bars

The whole auction room went silent before murmurs started and people turned to see who had bid such a large amount. I stared at Li, my mouth agape in surprise and horror; he had just outbid the pig by 40 gold bars. That's 5,000,000 silver taels in total (hey, I did learn something)! "What??? I thought you wanted her?" he shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal.

Auctioneer (overcoming his shock): 50 gold bars, going once!!!

Me (horrified): I did want her but that amount is the highest bid for any item auctioned!!! By a lot!!!

Auctioneer (excitedly): 50 gold bars, going twice?

Lì (smiling): It was the fastest way to win... It's fine; the money is nothing, and you'll pay it back.

Auctioneer: 50 gold bars, going three times? Sold to the generous gentleman in the mask...

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Any guesses as to who the mystery girl is? Or why did Percy want to buy her?

Hope you enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to vote and comment :):):)

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