"What, do you question my decision?" Fang Yuan cast a flat glance at the Gu Master.
The Gu Master chuckled. He was a member of the Shang clan, nothing like the Xiong brothers who feared Fang Yuan so deeply.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." He cupped his fists and turned to Shang Xinci. "If I'm not mistaken, Lord Fang wishes to purchase these people in order to bolster Miss Xinci's manpower. However, these individuals are rather unfavorable for your bid to compete for the position of young master. Miss Xinci, you are so clever — what do you think?"
Shang Xinci's eyes lingered on Fang Yuan as she smiled. "Brother Heitu's wishes are my wishes. Just do as he says."
"Very well." The overseeing Gu Master blinked, then broke into a grin. "Since Miss Xinci is so insistent, I have no choice but to comply. To be frank, I am a supporter and believer in Miss Xinci's..."
"You talk too much." Fang Yuan cut him off with an icy voice, his cold eyes sweeping over the overseeing Gu Master.
"Heh." The Gu Master let out a brief laugh. "Then I'll process this for everyone right away. It's just that there are too many people and the procedures are cumbersome — I'll need one day. After one day..."
Bang!
Fang Yuan suddenly raised a foot and kicked him viciously.
That Gu Master never expected Fang Yuan to make a move on him. Caught completely off guard, he was kicked viciously in the stomach.
He was sent flying a good thirty paces on the spot, colliding with an innocent bystander before crashing to the ground. After vomiting a mouthful of fresh blood, he immediately passed out.
"Who dares cause trouble in our Merchant City's inner district?"
"Are you tired of living?!"
"Surrender immediately!"
The commotion instantly caused an uproar. The slave market was already heavily guarded, and it wasn't long before three squads of Gu Masters surrounded the scene.
"I'm the one who kicked him." Fang Yuan stood forward, unfazed.
"It's Fang Zheng!" The mob, which had been so aggressive moments before, saw their momentum falter upon seeing Fang Yuan.
Fang Yuan was a Fourth Transformation combatant, while they were only at Second Transformation. The highest among them, the leader, was at the Initial Stage of Third Transformation, but that wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between Fang Yuan's teeth.
Fang Yuan calmly unhurriedly produced the Purple Thorn Token once more.
The Shang clan's Gu Masters saw the token, and their morale dropped even further. It sank to rock bottom.
The leader's fierce, murderous expression shifted dramatically, and a smile crowded onto his face. He addressed Fang Yuan politely, "Lord Fang Zheng, we all know you are an honored guest of our Shang clan. But even an honored guest cannot act rashly within the Shang clan's domain and injure our clansmen. According to Shang City's regulations..."
"According to the rules, I'm to be fined forty-nine Yuan Stones," Fang Yuan finished for him.
The leader froze, clearly not expecting Fang Yuan to be so well-versed in the Shang clan's city regulations.
Fang Yuan tossed over a pouch of Yuan Stones and waved his hand dismissively. "There are fifty Yuan Stones in there. Keep the change."
The leader took the pouch of Yuan Stones, feeling like a beggar receiving alms. Wearing expressions of bewilderment and confusion, he retreated along with the others.
Had Fang Yuan lacked real strength, even the Purple Thorn Token wouldn't have been enough to cover this situation. But now he had the strength. Even in Shang City, beating up a minor clansman — so long as they weren't an important figure — was hardly worth mentioning.
The Gu Master in charge had been knocked unconscious by a single kick from Fang Yuan. The slave market quickly dispatched another Gu Master to take over reception duties.
"The people in these cages — we're buying all of them," Fang Yuan said, pointing at the cages.
The people inside the cages all looked toward Fang Yuan. Most wore numb expressions or stared blankly into space. But a few glared back at Fang Yuan with fury in their eyes.
Fang Yuan's casual attitude toward buying and selling people as if they were mere commodities filled them all with a sense of humiliation.
"Yes, yes, yes." The new Gu Master wiped the sweat from his brow, bowing and scraping before Fang Yuan.
Within a quarter of an hour, all the paperwork had been taken care of.