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"Hmm... you're right," Zhu Zhuyun conceded.
Seeing that Dai Weisi was determined to buy the girl, she stopped insisting on her objections, though she couldn't help but feel curious about what this girl would become in the future.
"Sixty thousand once, is there any other distinguished guest willing to make a higher bid?" the host asked again. When Dai Weisi entered the auction, the others remained silent.
It was clearly unwise to offend the Crown Prince over a girl with a useless martial soul. In the end, Dai Weisi' bid of sixty thousand gold soul coins secured the girl.
"Alright, sixty thousand once, sixty thousand twice, sixty thousand three times... sold!"
Bang!
With the final hammer stroke, the little girl officially became Dai Weisi' property. From that moment on, as long as Dai Weisi wished, he could do whatever he liked with her—even ruin her if he wanted.
Before long, the girl was escorted to Dai Weisi' private room by the auction staff. The staff unlocked the cage and removed her shackles.
With a fierce expression, the staff member threatened, "Remember, from now on, this gentleman is your master. Being chosen by the Crown Prince is the luck of a lifetime! Others would kill for the chance to be favored by the Crown Prince!"
The staff member then brought the girl in front of Dai Weisi, offering a sycophantic smile and saying, "Your Highness, the person is here. Why are you still standing there? You should kneel before the Crown Prince!"
The little girl was startled and immediately knelt down, but before she could, a large hand firmly grasped her shoulder, stopping her from bowing.
She looked up and saw that Dai Weisi had somehow appeared by her side. He gently tugged her collar and smiled kindly. "It's alright, she's just a child. No need to be so harsh."
Dai Weisi gently patted the girl's dirty hair, showing no sign of disgust. He then addressed the staff in a commanding tone, "That's enough, you can leave now."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Once the staff member left, Dai Weisi took the girl's hand and led her to the sofa in the room. He studied her carefully, while Zhu Zhuyun and the others stared at her intently.
The girl, feeling the weight of so many eyes on her, grew increasingly nervous.
After a moment, Dai Weisi smiled and said, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Dai Weisi. From now on, you belong to me. You can call me 'Crown Prince,' or you can just call me 'brother.' Either way is fine with me. And you? What's your name?"
"An... Anna," the little girl stammered.
"Anna, huh? That's a lovely name." Seeing Anna tremble, Dai Weisi smiled gently and reassured her, "You don't have to be afraid. From now on, you'll be living with me, and these sisters won't bully you. If any of them try, I promise I'll make them stay in bed for ten days straight."
Just as Dai Weisi finished speaking, Zhu Zhuyun pinched him hard on the lower back. He yelped in pain. "Ah, Zhu Yun! What was that for? Ouch, that hurts!"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Can you be a little more serious? How about letting Anna stay at my place instead?" Zhu Zhuyun retorted.
"Oh, come on, we're married! What's the difference between your house and mine? My house is your house, and your house is still my house." Dai Weisi chuckled and then took Anna's hand.
"Alright, Anna, let's go home. Once we're there, we'll take a nice warm bath, eat some good food, and tomorrow I'll teach you how to train. Got it?"
"Mm!" Anna nodded timidly.
With that, they left the auction house, each heading to their respective homes. Upon returning to the Prince's residence, Li Hu greeted them.
"Welcome back, Your Highness!" Li Hu bowed, then noticed the girl Dai Weisi was holding, and looked puzzled. "Your Highness, who is this girl?"
"Li Uncle, let me introduce you. This is Anna, a prodigy with innate soul power at level nine. She'll be living with us from now on. Please have the maids take her to bathe, give her a clean set of clothes, and prepare a big meal."
"Level nine innate soul power! A talent even greater than the Crown Prince's? It seems the Crown Prince has struck gold!"
Li Hu quickly realized the gravity of the situation and immediately ordered the maids to take Anna to bathe and prepare the meal.
Once that was done, Dai Weisi added, "Li Uncle, please have all the books on plant-based martial souls brought to my room."
"Yes, Your Highness. Is Miss Anna's martial soul plant-based?" Li Hu inquired.
"Exactly!" Dai Weisi nodded. "Innate soul power at level nine—she's definitely destined to become a Titled Douluo. Her martial soul is quite unique. I need to figure out how to cultivate her properly so as not to waste her potential."
"Understood, Your Highness." Li Hu immediately left to search for books on plant-based martial souls, so that Dai Weisi could study them that night.
The night passed quickly, and by 10 AM the next day, little Anna, dressed in a pink dress, stood before Dai Weisi.
The two of them walked together into the garden courtyard, and Dai Weisi smiled. "Come on, Anna, release your martial soul so I can see it."
"Okay, brother!"
Anna obediently nodded and released her Hundred Herbs martial soul. It looked like the wild grass by the roadside, some leeks, and immature wheat sprouts. In short, Dai Weisi didn't recognize this plant at all.
As soon as the Hundred Herbs martial soul appeared, the weeds in the courtyard began to sway, as if pulled by some invisible force. They seemed to want to lift off the ground and move toward Anna.
Dai Weisi watched all this with great interest, muttering to himself, "Hundred Herbs martial soul… Does that mean she can control all kinds of plants? Anna, have you ever experienced something like this when you released your martial soul before?"
"Yes, brother," Anna nodded and spoke in a soft voice. "Every time I release my martial soul, I feel a strange connection with the weeds and trees by the roadside."
"A connection to plants... This feels a bit like Blue Silver Emperor, but Blue Silver Emperor only has an affinity with Blue Silver Grass, so could it be a mutated martial soul?"
As he thought this through, Dai Weisi asked, "Do you know what your parents' martial souls are?"
"My father's martial soul is Thorns, and my mother's martial soul is Lily."
Dai Weisi was stunned. "Both are plant-based martial souls?"
"Yes, my grandparents, both on my father's and mother's sides, even the people in the village where I grew up—everyone has plant-based martial souls!"
"All plant-based martial souls... I see now!"
Dai Weisi suddenly jumped up from the stone chair, startling Anna. But he was overjoyed. He had figured out the nature of the Hundred Herbs martial soul.
Just like the case with Ma Hongjun and his village, Anna's Hundred Herbs martial soul was also a mutated martial soul!
In Ma Hongjun's village, the villagers had martial souls related to poultry and birds. As villagers intermarried, their descendants' martial souls began to mutate and merge over time.
By the time it came to Ma Hongjun's generation, his martial soul had combined characteristics from over a hundred different kinds of poultry and birds, ultimately mutating into the Evil Fire Phoenix martial soul. And according to legend, the Phoenix is known as the king of all birds.
Anna's Hundred Herbs martial soul was the same—villagers with plant-based martial souls intermarried, and their descendants inherited those traits.
By the time Anna's generation came around, her martial soul had absorbed the characteristics of over a hundred different plant-based martial souls, resulting in a mutation that formed the Hundred Herbs martial soul.
If the Phoenix is the king of birds, then Anna's Hundred Herbs martial soul is undoubtedly the king of plants!
(End of Chapter)