Three beats of the gong, and the auction officially began.
From behind the curtain, a stunning woman in elegant court attire walked gracefully onto the circular platform. Her gaze swept across the crowd, and quite a few men perked up at the sight.
Generally, auction houses were presided over by men — most often elderly ones. Women rarely appeared in such settings. But a beautiful young woman like this was a feast for the eyes, and many found themselves suddenly looking forward to the auction.
"Sister Hua?"
In the private box at the very top, Yang Kai's eyes went wide as he stared at the woman who had just emerged, letting out a low exclamation.
"Lady Hua…" Ye Hen and the others wore complicated expressions.
They all knew Hua Qingsi well. She had stayed at the Thousand Leaf Sect for a time, and it was after Wu Ming had come looking for her that the sect had suffered its catastrophic attack. Before this, Ye Hen and the rest had speculated that the matter might have some connection to Hua Qingsi.
Now, here she was — suddenly reappearing in their field of vision, no less as the auction's presider. The implications were impossible to ignore.
A faint breeze stirred beside Yang Kai, and a figure materialized on the auction stage. The crowd squinted to see who it was, only to find that Yang Kai had somehow appeared up there at some point.
"Sister Hua!" Yang Kai stood before her, grinning as he greeted her.
"Yang Kai…" Hua Qingsi froze for a moment, then her beautiful eyes blazed with surprise and joy. Although she had already known Yang Kai had come here, seeing him appear before her so suddenly was still unexpected.
"It's been a while. How have you been?" Yang Kai flashed a toothy grin.
Hua Qingsi gave a bitter smile but didn't answer. Her expression abruptly turned solemn. "You shouldn't have come here."
"If I don't come, how am I supposed to take you all away?" Yang Kai replied.
"But even if you've come, you can't leave," Hua Qingsi said.
"So this really was all aimed at me?" Yang Kai's face darkened.
Hua Qingsi sighed. "Do you remember the Dragon Island Token?"
Yang Kai furrowed his brow in thought for a moment, then comprehension dawned. "Of course I remember."
In truth, he had long since forgotten about it. Had Hua Qingsi not brought it up, he would never have recalled that the thing was still sitting inside his spatial ring.
Hua Qingsi smiled bitterly. "When I left the Star Soul Palace all those years ago, it was on my master's orders. I was sent to Maple Forest City to track down the whereabouts of the Dragon Island Token. You knew about this. That token carries tremendous significance — whoever holds it may travel to Dragon Island and make one request that Dragon Island will fulfill."
Yang Kai nodded slightly, and distant memories gradually came into focus.
That Dragon Island Token — he had obtained it by killing a man called Han Leng, taking it from his spatial ring.
It was said that Han Leng had once been a banished disciple of the Star Soul Palace, making him something of a senior martial brother to Hua Qingsi. Back then, Han Leng had somehow stolen the Dragon Island Token and fled the Star Soul Palace. After dying at Yang Kai's hands, the token naturally changed owners.
Hua Qingsi had later traced the token's whereabouts to Yang Kai, only to be captured herself.
It was at that time that Hua Qingsi had explained the token's function to Yang Kai.
"The Dragon Island Token belongs to my master. A year ago, my senior martial brother Wu Ming found me and brought me back to the Star Soul Palace. I didn't want to reveal the truth, but my master had placed a secret art upon me — I couldn't resist. What followed after, you probably know already. I don't know what exactly I told my master, but he certainly learned that you have the Dragon Island Token. That's why he targeted the Thousand Leaf Sect and captured Chi Yue and the others — he was trying to force you to show yourself."
Yang Kai's brow furrowed. "In that case, your master might know my other secrets as well?"
Hua Qingsi's expression dimmed. "I'm sorry."
Yang Kai smiled. "As long as it wasn't your intention, it's fine."
He had never truly doubted Hua Qingsi's character, but if he had actually been betrayed by her, it would have been difficult to come to terms with. Hearing her explanation now, he felt inexplicably relieved.
"Are my friends still safe?" Yang Kai asked in a low voice.
Hua Qingsi said, "My master hasn't harmed them. After all, his target is you. Until you've been captured, those people are nothing more than pawns."
And wasn't she one too? Years of master-disciple bond, shattered in an instant before absolute self-interest.
Yang Kai glanced toward the spot where Hua Qingsi had suddenly appeared. "That spatial formation…"
"Don't be reckless. They've all been implanted with Heart-Corrosion Gu. Even if you go to them, you won't be able to save them." Hua Qingsi slowly shook her head. "My master can make them wish for death with a single thought."
"Heart-Corrosion Gu!" Yang Kai's eyes narrowed. Possessing the Book of Peculiar Insects, he naturally knew what Heart-Corrosion Gu was. It was one of the legendary insects listed in the Grimoire of Peculiar Insects — not as famous as the Soul-Eating Bugs, but certainly a vicious and lethal creature.
As they spoke, Hua Qingsi suddenly let out a muffled groan. An expression of extreme pain surfaced on her lovely face, and beneath her pale skin, something seemed to be emerging — writhing and wriggling beneath the surface of her flesh.
"Sister Hua, you've been…" Yang Kai's expression shifted.
Hua Qingsi forced herself through the pain. "You need to leave. My master has always been cautious and meticulous. He wouldn't have come for you without absolute certainty of success."