"Tea for sale! Premium tea bricks!" "Asu family's horse milk wine! A ten-year-old brand! Those who drink it know!"
...
Cluttered little stalls were set up everywhere. The air was thick with tempting aromas, and the sounds of hawking and haggling rose and fell in waves.
Fang Yuan walked through the crowd. People jostled against each other, and the festive atmosphere was thick.
There wasn't just food for sale, but also robes. There were common sheepskin robes, dog-skin robes, slightly higher-grade cowhide robes. There were also beautiful snow-white fox robes, and wolfskin robes studded with armor plates, often worn by warriors.
Children lingered around the food stalls, unable to tear themselves away. Men squatted in front of the ironware stalls, haggling. Women selected jewelry made of agate, gems, pearls, gold, and silver.
Walking further in, Fang Yuan saw a hastily constructed plaza.
In the plaza, there was a huge wooden cage filled with people. Outside the cage, specialized Gu Masters stood guard. A fat man with a big belly shouted loudly: "Slaves for sale! Five male slaves for only half a Primeval Stone!"
Fang Yuan glanced at it and knew this was the thriving slave trade of the Northern Plains.
These people were from other tribes defeated and annexed in wars. Captured alive, they lost their freedom and became goods.
Inside the cage were children with barely any clothes on their backs, thin as matchsticks. There were also men kneeling with their heads bowed, chained in iron. And of course, women.
The fat man shouted for a long time, sweat beading on his forehead. Seeing that everyone was just watching, his eyes rolled. He opened the wooden cage and dragged out a woman whose face was covered in mud.
"Look at this! This is a prime piece of woman!"
*Rip*. He tore the woman's tattered leather robe open, exposing her **.
"Look, everyone! What firm breasts!"
Then, he turned the woman around and slapped her buttocks in public.
"And look at this! What a big, fertile ass! Perfect for bearing children. Buy her and you get a baby maker and a laborer!"
Throughout the entire process, the woman's expression was numb. Like a puppet, she allowed herself to be manipulated.
The fat man's vigorous shouting finally stirred up a commotion in the crowd below.
Immediately, someone called out: "How much for this woman?"
"Three taels of Primeval Stone. Only three taels!" The fat man immediately raised three short, thick fingers.
Three taels of Primeval Stone was less than half a piece.
But the man below who had just asked the price shouted back: "What? Three taels! Are you robbing me? With that money, I could save up two more taels and buy a Big Stomach Horse! That's a better deal!"
The fat man's greasy face immediately twitched. He spat on the ground at his feet: "Bullshit! If you buy a woman, you can ride her in bed! If you buy a Big Stomach Horse, sure, you can ride it too, but can it give you kids? You poor bastard! If you're not buying, get lost!"
The fat man was a Rank One Gu Master, while the man he cursed was merely a mortal. The man immediately shrank his head and slunk away.
Fang Yuan watched with some interest for a few moments before turning his gaze away.
The slaves the fat man was selling were only mortals, so they naturally couldn't fetch a high price. But if he were selling variant humans, it would be much easier. If they were Gu Masters, they would be high-grade slaves and command the highest price.
Looking at these slaves, Fang Yuan couldn't help but think of Ma Hong Yun.
This boy was born a slave and possessed heaven-defying luck.
First, as a slave, he participated in a battle. His tribe was defeated. In the chaos of the escape, he fortuitously saved the young clan leader. Thus, rendering great merit, he was granted the surname Ma and was no longer a slave.
He