Ling Chen paid off the 110,000 taels of gold used for the auction backstage at the Cui Yu Building and then left. This staggering amount would be a fortune for ordinary people, but to Ling Chen, who currently possessed several million, it was merely a drop in the bucket.
"Ling Chen, you better not get into a quarrel with Junior Sister Xu over this trivial matter. She probably acted rashly out of jealousy," Xiao Muyu caught up with Ling Chen, softly advising him.
"I certainly won’t quarrel with her. What right does an ordinary disciple like me from the Divine Intent Sect have to quarrel with the young palace master of Sky Void Palace?" Ling Chen gave a self-deprecating laugh. He was somewhat upset about what had just occurred. Indeed, if his strength hadn’t surpassed Li Tai’s earlier, he would have been thoroughly humiliated at the banquet.
"See, the fact that you’re saying this proves that you’re taking it to heart." Xiao Muyu shook her head. She knew Ling Chen’s character and realized that saying more was pointless. Her gaze then fell on the foreign girl, who looked just like a doll—eyes devoid of spirit, expressionless, and silent. If not for the fact that she could still hear her breathing, Xiao Muyu would probably have thought she was a lifeless doll.
"But you still haven’t told me why you bought this young lady." Xiao Muyu was still curious as to why Ling Chen had insisted on purchasing the girl.
"There’s really nothing to hide." After hesitating for a moment, Ling Chen shared his reasoning with Xiao Muyu, telling her everything he had read in the "Record of Other Worlds".
This was really no big secret. Ling Chen’s move this time was purely a gamble; he wasn’t expecting any significant return. It was just that with so many people around earlier, it wasn’t convenient to explain the reasons to Xu Ruoyan in front of everyone, lest it arouse the covetousness of others. However, the latter’s aggressive stance had indeed annoyed him.
"So, that’s why." Upon hearing this, a look of realization dawned on Xiao Muyu’s face. It wasn’t really surprising; Ling Chen certainly wouldn’t have acted without a reason.
"This little girl is strange. Children her age should be quite active, shouldn’t they?" Xiao Muyu remarked curiously, looking at the expressionless girl before them.
"Perhaps she’s experienced some kind of trauma." Ling Chen hadn’t initially paid attention to the girl’s demeanor. But upon hearing Xiao Muyu’s observation, he began to scrutinize the girl he had bought at such a high price. She was indeed very pretty and had distinctive features; her beauty was not much inferior to Xu Ruoyan’s. Her pitiful appearance made Ling Chen sigh with some emotion, thinking how she might have become Ying Wuqing’s plaything had he not stepped in.
"After all, she has drifted here from a far-off place. We have no idea what kind of torment and ordeal she has gone through." Ling Chen reached out, gently caressing the girl’s beautiful black-and-white hair. His voice softened considerably. "However, from now on, as long as you’re with me, you will never have to endure such hardships again."
Seemingly touched by Ling Chen’s words, the girl’s previously dull gaze suddenly flickered.
"Hm? There’s a response." Xiao Muyu’s eyes lit up. She immediately squatted down, observing the girl before her with great interest, and asked, "Little miss, what’s your name?"
However, her question received no response. The girl remained silent, like a puppet.
"It seems my efforts were in vain." Xiao Muyu spread her hands, her expression somewhat helpless.
"My name... is Xiao Yin." Just as Xiao Muyu was about to give up, the girl’s mouth twitched a few times, and she actually spoke.
Seeing the girl finally speak, both Ling Chen’s and Xiao Muyu’s eyes brightened.
It seemed the girl wasn’t mentally impaired but had likely suffered some trauma that made her so withdrawn.
"Xiao Yin, where are you from? What’s the name of your family?" Ling Chen was very interested in the girl’s origins. According to the book, if Xiao Yin was indeed a member of that bloodline family he had read about, then his action this time might prove to be an incredibly wise investment.
However, Xiao Yin didn’t respond to Ling Chen’s questions, her eyes blank with confusion.
It seems I won’t be able to find out more for a while, Ling Chen thought, feeling somewhat helpless. It looked like he would have to wait some time to get more information. However, now that she had started speaking, things would be easier; he was confident he would eventually learn what he wanted to know.
Xiao Muyu didn’t dwell further on the girl and turned to Ling Chen. "Ling Chen, when do you plan to return to the Sect?" The autumn hunt had been over for several days, and she planned to return to the Divine Intent Sect within the next few days.
"In a couple of days, I suppose." Ling Chen considered for a moment. It was about time for him to leave, but he had some lingering concerns.
He still didn’t know who was behind the three people in black they had encountered in the hunting grounds. He worried that he might face danger once he left the capital.
However, overthinking wouldn’t help. He had to return to the Divine Intent Sect eventually. The capital itself was not suitable for cultivation, and he was destined not to stay long.
「At this time,」Li Tai walked out of the Cui Yu Building, feeling as if his internal organs were splitting from pain, and an overwhelming sense of suffocating frustration welled up within him.
From childhood, he had been a top genius, admired and sought after by countless people. But today, he was defeated by a mere brat, utterly disgraced.
The humiliation he suffered today was something he had never experienced in his entire life. After this, how could he ever hold his head high again?
"Damn Ling Chen! If I don’t kill you, I swear I’m not fit to be called human!" Li Tai’s hatred for Ling Chen reached an extreme as he roared in fury.
"Li Tai, we are no match for this Ling Chen. I suggest we just let it go," Zhou Heng sighed, trying to persuade him from the side.
"Let it go? Impossible!" Li Tai was in no mood to listen to advice. His mind was consumed by a single thought: to kill Ling Chen and wash away this shame.
"You two have truly disgraced the Ten Heroes of the Capital." A cold, feminine voice suddenly reached their ears.
This voice seemed to carry a bone-chilling coldness, making them shudder.
It felt as if something had brushed past their necks, leaving a trail of coldness.
A graceful figure shrouded by the night appeared before them.
"Greetings, Princess Huiye." Li Tai and Zhou Heng hastily cupped their fists in salute. This Princess Huiye before them was the Emperor’s niece. More importantly, her cultivation had reached the Warrior Master Fourth Realm; she was one of the top three among the Ten Heroes of the Capital, her strength far exceeding theirs.
If Princess Huiye had truly intended to kill them in that earlier instance, they would likely have been silently killed by now.
Sweat trickled down Zhou Heng’s forehead. He hastily cupped his fists again. "Princess Huiye, it’s truly not that we are incompetent, but that Ling Chen is too aberrant. We wouldn’t have clashed with him otherwise, but he spoke arrogantly, showing no regard for us Ten Heroes, which is why Li Tai fought him."
"That’s right! Ling Chen is too cunning. He concealed his true strength too deeply, causing us to be deceived by his apparent strength from the start," Li Tai added resentfully.
"Hearing you two speak, I’m actually rather interested in this Ling Chen." The graceful figure’s voice was very pleasant, though her face could not be seen clearly. A moment later, her voice sounded again. "You two, make yourselves somewhat useful. Find out where he lives. I shall go and see him for myself tomorrow."
"Yes, we’ll get on it right away." The two exchanged a look, a trace of pleasant surprise in their eyes. With Princess Huiye making a move, Ling Chen was definitely in for a world of trouble this time.