Early the next morning, Zhu Zhuqing slowly woke up. When she opened her eyes, she found herself nestled in Tang Yin's arms like a lazy little kitten.
Her face flushed red, and just as she was about to leave, fragments of last night's events flashed through her mind, making her pause mid-movement.
She quickly glanced around, as if searching for something, and only relaxed after confirming that only she and Tang Yin were in the room.
"Haa…"
"It seems last night was just a dream. Otherwise, how could I have dreamed of being with Teacher A Yin?"
Recalling the scenes from last night—doing those things with Tang Yin and then suddenly seeing A Yin—her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
"Ah!"
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to quietly slip away to avoid the awkwardness of facing Tang Yin, a strong arm suddenly pulled her back, startling her into a small scream.
When she turned around, she saw Tang Yin already awake, smiling at her mischievously.
"Trying to leave so soon after waking up?" Tang Yin smirked, pulling her tightly into his embrace, savoring her softness.
Zhu Zhuqing shyly pushed against him but gave up when she couldn't break free, allowing him to hold her. "I… I need to go back," she murmured.
"No rush. Have breakfast with me first," Tang Yin said.
After some intimate moments in the room, the two freshened up and headed downstairs to the dining area.
A Yin had woken up early—partly to avoid making Zhu Zhuqing uncomfortable if she were discovered, and partly to prepare breakfast.
When Zhu Zhuqing saw A Yin in the kitchen, she felt a little strange but forced herself to remain calm. She ate breakfast with Tang Yin before he escorted her back to her room.
Once there, she wanted to find Xiaowu, but the girl was nowhere to be seen.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu had arrived at the gates of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
When Tang San saw Xiao Wu approaching, his gaze lingered on her, momentarily dazed.
He realized that Xiao Wu seemed even more beautiful than before.
As her "brother," he felt an inexplicable flutter in his heart.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Xiao Wu asked, noticing his stare as she walked up to him.
"Nothing," Tang San quickly shook his head, masking his awkwardness. "Let's go. This afternoon, I'll accompany you wherever you want."
"Mm! It's rare to have a day off. I want to explore Heaven Dou City properly—I haven't had the chance since we arrived," Xiaowu said cheerfully.
With that, the two left the academy and headed into the city.
Before they knew it, they had reached the downtown area.
Heaven Dou City lived up to its reputation as the empire's capital—wide, clean streets lined with bustling shops and endless streams of people.
"Brother, what's that place over there?" Xiao Wu suddenly pointed at a domed building not far ahead.
Tang San's mind stirred, recalling something Master had once said—the hammer symbol there wasn't a blacksmith's forging hammer. "That should be an auction house. The emblem is an auction hammer, their signature symbol."
Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "An auction house? Can we go take a look? I remember Master saying that only the capitals of the two empires have the highest-tier auction houses—they even sell spirit bones!"
Tang San knew about auction houses precisely because of spirit bones.
They were treasures every spirit master dreamed of.
In a way, as long as a spirit master's cultivation reached a certain level, they could obtain spirit rings—though the quality might vary.
But spirit bones were entirely different.
Their rarity made them coveted by only a select few. Anyone who possessed one would go to great lengths to conceal it, lest they invite trouble.
Countless bloody conflicts had erupted over spirit bones.
Even the most ordinary spirit bone could fetch an astronomical price.
This train of thought reminded Tang San of the spirit bones his elder brother Tang Yin and Dugu Bo had obtained earlier. He still didn't know what they had done with them, but he was well aware that it had nothing to do with him.
As they got closer, the sheer scale of the domed structure became apparent.
From Tang San's estimation, the semi-circular building had a diameter of at least 500 meters, with its highest point exceeding 80 meters. While it couldn't compare to the Great Spirit Arena he had seen before, it was important to remember that this was merely an auction house—it didn't need to accommodate audiences.
Moreover, Heaven Dou City was the empire's capital, where land was worth its weight in gold. The prominence of this auction house spoke volumes about its status and the unfathomable power behind it.
The entrance was also semi-circular, matching the building's milky-white exterior. Four tall, slender young women stood at the door.
These women had clearly been meticulously selected—each around 1.75 meters tall with perfectly proportioned figures. While not breathtakingly beautiful, their pleasant looks were undeniably attractive, and none appeared older than twenty.
As Tang San and Xiao Wu approached, one of the women stepped forward and bowed slightly. "How may I assist you two?"
Xiao Wu replied, "This is an auction house, right? We'd like to go in and look around."
The attendant was momentarily taken aback. Though she hadn't judged them based on their age, guests like these two were a first for her.
Still, she patiently explained, "My apologies, but may I ask if you possess a bidding qualification certificate?"
Xiao Wu blinked. "A bidding qualification certificate? What's that?"
After the attendant's explanation, the two learned that entry required proof of sufficient funds. Following the same course of events as in the original story, Tang San produced some items for appraisal and eventually gained access to the auction hall.
As they entered, a man seated elsewhere in the auction house spotted Tang San and Xiaow Wu—and immediately grew excited.
This man was none other than Xue Beng, the prince of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Xue Beng had never forgotten the humiliation he suffered when Shrek Academy arrogantly forced its way into the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, nor the beating he had received at the academy gates, which left him bedridden for days.
Back then, within the academy's grounds, he had no chance for revenge.
His lack of strength had rendered him powerless.
But now, in Heaven Dou City, as a prince, he was determined to settle the score.
He beckoned one of his subordinates and whispered instructions. The subordinate's gaze shifted to Xiao Wu, and he instantly understood Xue Beng's intentions.
"Don't worry, Prince Xue Beng. Leave the rest to me," the subordinate—a Spirit King—assured him.
Having served Xue Beng for some time, he assumed the prince wanted him to drug Xiao Wu, deliver her to his bed, and let him ravage her brutally—
A fitting revenge against Tang San.
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