Chapter 0020: The Slave Market

After a night of cultivation, when Huang Long stepped out of the courtyard, he found that his Purple Mansion Yuan Spirit had grown significantly due to his efforts—now half the size of a fist. Meanwhile, the “Water-Fire Yuan Dragon Art” had reached the advanced stage of the “Horned Dragon Realm.”

Standing in the courtyard, with a mere thought, Huang Long’s body was covered in dark golden dragon scales. Sharp spines appeared at the joints of his limbs, and his eyes, also dark golden, emitted a cold glow. This was the dragon form that emerged as a result of his cultivation of the Water-Fire Yuan Dragon Art.

With his dragon form, feeling the powerful energy flowing through his body with each breath, Huang Long threw a punch at the courtyard, causing the air currents to ripple and howl. He estimated that his physical strength had greatly increased since taking on this form, now comparable to that of a top-tier warrior at level seven in this world.

Returning to his normal form, Huang Long left the courtyard and called for his guard, Ling Zhi, to accompany him to the slave market. Although his parents had arranged for him to have several servants, Huang Long still wanted to buy his own to make things easier for himself.

Hearing that the second young master wanted to go to the slave market, Ling Zhi was puzzled and asked, “Second young master, do you want to buy servants?”

Huang Long neither confirmed nor denied it, merely nodding in agreement.

Ling Zhi looked at the six-year-old second young master and asked doubtfully, “What kind of servants does the second young master need? I’ll talk to Huang Mei and ask her to convey your request to the madam, so she can arrange some for you.”

Huang Long shook his head and smiled, “You don’t understand.”

Ling Zhi smiled bitterly. Didn’t he just want a few servants to serve him? Wasn’t buying them from the slave market different from having them arranged by the madam? But he truly didn’t understand why the second young master went to such lengths.

He opened his mouth but remained silent, following closely behind Huang Long.

Seeing the two pets Huang Long was carrying, he shook his head. This second young master was still just a child, after all—still fond of playing.

“Is Uncle Ge at the George Auction House now?” Huang Long asked casually on the way.

“Yes, second young master. Uncle Ge went there early in the morning,” Ling Zhi replied.

Huang Long nodded. He guessed that the auction of the magic sword had already begun by now. He wasn’t sure how it was going, but it seemed unlikely that his uncle, Zhao Tian, would be able to win that magic sword. The royal families of the five great empires of the Hengyuan Continent had all sent representatives, and it was said that even the Supreme Patriarch of the Holy Church, regarded as a sacred institution by everyone in the Hengyuan Continent, had arrived.

The Holy Church? Huang Long sneered. Even the people of the Pangu World and the three religions—Chan and Jie—dared not call themselves a holy church. Yet this Supreme Patriarch of the Holy Church, a winged humanoid, dared to claim such a title.

After a while, Huang Long arrived at the slave trading market with his guard, Ling Zhi. The market was divided into three zones: high, medium, and low. Huang Long and his companion went straight to the high-end zone. Upon entering, they were greeted by a shrewd old man in his fifties with sharp eyes who immediately recognized Huang Long’s noble status—clearly a descendant of a prominent family in the royal city. He warmly guided them and frequently briefed Huang Long on the various slaves available in the high-end trading area. Today, however, the market was unusually quiet, unlike usual, which puzzled Huang Long, who asked why. The shrewd old man sighed and said, “Today, the George family’s auction house is selling magic swords, so everyone has gone there. Not only is our slave market quiet, but all the shops in the royal city are as well.” Huang Long understood then. As they walked, Huang Long suddenly stopped and stared at an iron cage ahead. The old man glanced over and laughed, “Young master, these are orcs brought here from the Orc Empire—they’re prisoners of war. All of them are strong and muscular. Look at their size; they can do any heavy work, each one capable of doing the job of three.” Before the old man could continue, Huang Long interrupted, “Price.” The old man paused, his green eyes shifting as he said, “Twenty gold coins per one if there are ten or less; cheaper at eighteen gold coins if there are more than ten.” Ling Zhi snapped, “Old man, do you think our young master is easy to fool? I’ve never heard orc slaves being this expensive!” “Our young master is the second young master of the Huang family. Use your eyes better! If you dare give an incorrect price again, watch out for your head!” Ling Zhi glared fiercely at the old man. The second young master of the Huang family! The old man broke into a cold sweat, realizing he had chosen the wrong target. He had thought the market was quiet, so this was a perfect chance to take advantage of someone, but now… Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he laughed awkwardly, bowed slightly, and said, “So it’s the second young master of the Huang family. My poor memory—I was wrong earlier. I really was wrong.” “If the young master wants to buy them, twenty gold coins per one will do.” Huang Long had no concept of price; it was just a number to him, and he didn’t care how much it was. After selecting ten orc slaves, he continued strolling. After wandering for a while and feeling bored, just as he was about to leave, Huang Long suddenly stopped and turned around. Inside the farthest iron cage, he saw a thin old man with disheveled hair, his face unreadable.

Before reaching the inner iron room, Huang Long pointed at the emaciated old man inside and said to the shrewd old man, “The price.”
The shrewd old man looked troubled and mumbled, “One thousand gold coins!”
“What? One thousand gold coins!” Ling Zhi behind Huang Long exclaimed.
“Hmph, I’d like to hear your explanation,” Ling Zhi said, staring intently at the shrewd old man with a cold smile. It seemed that if the shrewd old man didn’t give him a reasonable explanation, he would have to teach him a lesson.
Daring to overcharge just because the young master was the second son of the Huang family!
He had never heard of a slave costing one thousand gold coins before.
Before the shrewd old man could explain, Huang Long’s voice rang out, “No need to explain. Send them to the Huang family later.”
Ling Zhi and the shrewd old man both stared at Huang Long in shock.
After a moment, Ling Zhi said anxiously, “Second young master, one thousand gold coins! That’s not ten gold coins!” This second young master was utterly absurd—spending one thousand gold coins on a slave? He had to remind him that it was one thousand gold coins, not ten! Even if the Huang family didn’t care about the money, it wasn’t done this way.
At that moment, inside the iron room, the emaciated old man sitting cross-legged raised his head, his eyes gleaming as he watched Huang Long with interest.
“Alright, let’s go,” Huang Long said firmly before turning and leaving.
Ling Zhi wanted to say something more but eventually gave up, following Huang Long with a troubled expression.
The shrewd old man stood there until Huang Long was far away before he snapped out of it. His face lit up as he hurried after him, bowing and smiling, “Young master, rest assured. I’ll have them sent to the Huang mansion right away.”
“Also, young master, we’ve recently acquired some pets in the trading market. Would you be interested in taking a look?”
“Pets?” Huang Long stopped.
Thinking Huang Long was interested, the shrewd old man smiled even wider. “Yes, pets—better than these two of yours. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.”
Huang Long smiled. Better than the Holy Realm magical beasts? Could that mean Divine Realm magical beasts?
Huang Long shook his head. “No interest.” Then he headed straight back to the Huang mansion.
The shrewd old man stood there.