Chapter 291: Chapter 64: Underground Auction_1
Perceiving that Ah Dai’s rage had subsided, Bing disengaged from his embrace, shifting back to his side, but still holding onto his arm and pressing her body close to his. Bing might have distanced herself now, but the lingering scent of hers did not fade away. Ah Dai felt as if everything about him had transformed. His whole body was slightly shuddering, with the enticing sensation stabbing at his heart, and he sat stiffly in the sofa, his mind a blank.
On stage, Jin Bo began to talk with a smile only after the surprised gasps from the guests below had mostly died down, "Because these five Purple River Cars cost us dearly to acquire, the starting bid is slightly higher - starting at 50,000 Gold Coins. Please proceed with your bids, everyone." As soon as he finished speaking, someone offered a bid of 60,000 Gold Coins. Obviously, the Purple River Car belonging to the Light Magician was very attractive, and the price kept rising until it was eventually sold for 130,000 Gold Coins to a fat man dressed as a wealthy merchant.
Ah Dai finally recovered from his shock. The malevolence of the Purple River Car and Bing’s previous tenderness stirred a complex mix of emotions within him, his innermost feelings unable to be articulated. He longed to flee, to quickly depart this place that had caused him so much distress. Naturally kind, Ah Dai had never thought to use his powers to eradicate the Dark Forces. Although he loathed evil, he lacked any impulse to fight against it. This, perhaps, was another side of his kindness - that is to say, cowardice.
Jin Bo presented the third item for auction. Unveiling the red cloth revealed a beautiful woman. To be more accurate, she couldn’t be considered entirely human. Her figure resembled that of a human but her back was covered with light yellow fur, her ears pricking up on the sides of her head. Strangest of all, there was a long, large tail growing from her bottom. Her messy gray hair did not overshadow her pretty face. She was lying completely naked in a cage, her hands shielding her chest, and sharp claws grew from her fingertips. There was no sign of fur on her torso and her large, green eyes blinked continuously. A collar was fastened around her neck, the chain leading back to the cage, and she whimpered pitifully.
"A Beast Man," Yan Shi exclaimed, taken aback. Ah Dai looked at him, startled. Yan Shi offered no explanation but his expression grew even more solemn.
Jin Bo patted the cage with a triumphant smile, causing the naked Beast Woman to curl up and tremble uncontrollably. He addressed the crowd loudly, "The first precious auction item of today, as some of you might have guessed, is indeed a Beast Man. More specifically, a Beast Man closely resembling humans. She belongs to a rather weak tribe amongst Beast Men - the Cat Man Tribe. As they have good relations with the powerful Tiger Man Tribe, the Cat Man Tribe has managed to avoid being wiped out by other beast tribes. This female Cat Man is a top-grade specimen in her tribe. Furthermore, I assure you that she is still pure. I presume that all of you, being distinguished individuals, have seen plenty of beautiful women, but such a precious Cat Man is seldom seen. However, I must remind you that while a Cat Man’s attack power isn’t particularly strong, it’s still quite formidable. On top of that, she possesses exceptional speed. It took a fair bit of our effort to capture her. Therefore, if you want to enjoy her charms, you must be capable of controlling her. It is a wonderful thing, isn’t it, to have a Cat Man as a... playtoy? Alright, let’s begin the official auction now; starting bid: 300,000 Gold Coins."
Observing the Cat Man in the cage, Ah Dai felt disturbed. If one were to say that the fate of the Purple River Car was already sealed and beyond saving, then the female Cat Man before him was like standing on the brink of a tragic life. On impulse, Ah Dai raised the plate on the table, shouting, "I bid 400,000 Gold Coins."
Yan Shi, surprised, turned to look at Ah Dai, who gave him an assertive nod. Yan Shi acknowledged with an approving smile and a look of understanding. Bing, seated next to Ah Dai, suddenly wrote on his hand. ’You want to save her too? If you keep on like this, I am afraid it will be difficult for you to leave this place. Give it up.’
Ah Dai shook his head and communicated telepathically with her, "No, I will never give up. I will save this Cat Woman. ’Playtoy’ is such a cruel term!"
Bing emitted a soft cold snort, writing on his hand, ’You can save one, but you can’t save them all. To my knowledge, the number of women of various races sold from this place exceeds one hundred.’
Ah Dai was stunned into silence. Yes, this time I can save this Cat Woman, but what about next time? Will I still be able to save future women being auctioned? How can I prevent such trade in human beings from occurring again?
Jin Bo glanced at Ah Dai with a surprised expression, "Alright, this distinguished guest has bid 400,000 gold coins, does anyone wish to bid higher?"
"410,000." Another bid rang out. Perhaps the Cat Woman was indeed very attractive, as the bids began to rise rapidly until it touched half a million in no time.
Bing wrote on Ah Dai’s hand, ’If you really want to save her, put forth a high price. If you steadily increase the price little by little, it will eventually inflate.’
Ah Dai hesitated for a moment before raising his placard again to shout, "One million." The whole room was stunned. To those prestigious guests, although the Cat Woman was a unique plaything, she was certainly not worth a whopping one million Gold Coins. The bidding silenced instantly. After Jin Bo called out three times with no one else raising the price, he pointed to Ah Dai, "Alright, this Cat Woman is sold for one million Gold Coins to the guest at table number 36." Ah Dai counted out a million Gold Coins from the chip tray beside him, detached himself from Bing’s hold and walked up to the stage. He handed the coins to Jin Bo, stating solemnly, "She belongs to me now, right?"
