Grasping Evil

After leaving Nan Yao Temple, Ning Fan took Wu Laoba to the nearest relay station’s teleportation formation, directly transporting them to a bustling area north of Liuli City—a slave market.

The Dabei people maintain a system of slavery, where those who become slaves are often criminals, and they can be traded in the market.

The status of a slave is even lower than that of a foreign cultivator. Having witnessed the strict hierarchy of the Dabei people many times, Ning Fan was not particularly surprised by the flourishing slave market here.

The reason for coming here was that the place Duolan was looking for a foothold happened to be here.

Generally speaking, most of those who come to Liuli City to participate in the second round of competitions will stay in the guest houses specially prepared by the city. Of course, there are also a few who prefer to stay alone and arrange their own accommodations, which is also tacitly approved by Liuli City.

Duolan did not choose to stay in a guest house in the city but chose this place. The reason, Ning Fan could vaguely guess, was mostly related to some trouble Duolan encountered.

’Chulie sinner Luoshi, pays respect to the young master! I did not expect the young master to also come to Liuli City to watch the second round of the tomb-taking competition. Luoshi thought that with your status, you would directly participate in the third round... But this is also good, there is something in Liuli City that requires the young master’s decision, please be our master, be Chulie’s master!’

’Have disciples staying in Liuli City had problems?’

Ning Fan sighed slightly. Duolan, being the Chulie Holy Maiden, really had a hard time. She couldn’t enjoy the benefits of being a Saintess, couldn’t even cultivate on the Holy Mountain, yet had to run around dealing with various problems of the Chulie Lineage. If it was him, he would probably only care for himself and not bother with unrelated people.

Inside, this woman actually has a kindness, different from the Buddha’s rhetoric of universal salvation. This kind of genuine goodwill is closer to the Buddhist law...

"Unfortunately, the waters in Liuli City are too deep, and there are many powerful old monsters who can suppress me with a wave of their hand. Moreover, my status as a foreign cultivator is awkward, whereas Duolan’s identity as a Saintess makes it easier to resolve various troubles here, much better than if I stepped in..." Ning Fan thought to himself.

Wu Laoba, who was cautiously following Ning Fan, shivered when he realized Ning Fan had brought him to the slave market.

This star of misfortune, this star of misfortune... Could he have lost faith in him and decided to sell him?

It’s no wonder. It’s rare for the star of misfortune to show goodwill, going through danger to save him, but he had been complaining behind his back...

What behavior is this!

This is ungrateful behavior!

This is beastly behavior!

Wu Laoba felt a twinge of self-blame, for the first time in his life feeling a bit guilty towards Ning Fan, and a bit ashamed...

Of course, he was more worried that if Ning Fan really sold him... he would suffer a huge loss!

Ning Fan was the turning point of his bad luck. Only by following Ning Fan could he cultivate the Dark Luck Technique to its peak and touch the limits of the Dao. He was reluctant to leave Ning Fan to follow another master he didn’t know!

He also heard that slaves sold to Liuli City rarely meet a good end. Female slaves could be ordered, humiliated, gifted, or played with at will. Attractive male slaves would meet the same fate as female slaves, while less attractive ones... would be sent directly to the dark underside of Liuli City—the Blood Martial Arena, to fight to the death for the amusement of the powerful...

Wu Laoba touched his big face and thought to himself that he was quite dashing. To be sent to the Blood Martial Arena to fight to the death was one thing, but if some old lady fancied his looks and bought him home to abuse him, that would be a huge insult to his character!

No, he couldn’t let the star of misfortune sell him!

Thud!

Wu Laoba very skillfully dropped to his knees in front of Ning Fan.

Ning Fan furrowed his brows, wondering what Wu Laoba was up to again, and said, "What do you think you’re doing! If you think you can avoid punishment with this kneeling, that’s absolutely impossible! Your behavior today was out of line! The waters of Liuli City are too deep, if you cause trouble elsewhere, I don’t care. Even if you encounter problems, you can handle them. But this place is different, if something happens again, I’m not sure I can save you a second time!"

Listen, though the star of misfortune’s tone was cold, every word was out of concern for him! Advising him not to cause trouble! Worrying about his safety!

Wu Laoba couldn’t help but feel pleased inside, thinking more and more that, beneath Ning Fan’s usual cold demeanor, there was human warmth. He was a rare master, and feeling guilty, he became more unwilling to leave Ning Fan. Rolling his pea-sized eyes, he put on a pitiful expression and pleaded,

"Master wishes to punish Little Ba, and Little Ba has no complaints. But I have one request: no matter what, don’t sell Little Ba as a slave to others. Little Ba’s life belongs to the master, and in death, I am the master’s ghost. I’m loyal to master, and the sun and moon can bear witness. I absolutely refuse to be sold to another master to perform those acts of wooing with beauty. Little Ba... Little Ba can’t do it..."

"Wooing with beauty? You?" Ning Fan was momentarily stunned, then looked at Wu Laoba in slight disbelief.

With this appearance, if he really became a slave, he most likely wouldn’t have the chance to use his looks to serve anyone, but would be directly sent to the Blood Martial Arena to die.

The Blood Martial Arena, its waters were equally deep. According to the information given by the Sea Witch Triad, an Eternal Immortal Venerable had even died there once, though that was a long time ago...

The nature of the Blood Martial ranking battles is different from the second round of the tomb-taking competition. Ning Fan was determined to win the South Sea Spring Water, but as for the innate Soul-Nourishing Spiritual Medicine rewarded at the Blood Martial Arena, he would take it if he could, but if not, he would fully retreat. After all, the Dabei clan is vast and resourceful, and the clues to the innate Soul-Nourishing Spiritual Medicine can be found elsewhere. It’s not worth the risk...

Seeing that Ning Fan seemed to be contemplating something, Wu Laoba was alarmed, thinking Ning Fan was seriously considering selling him, and he grew anxious.

In his urgency, unlike usual, he shouted loudly, "Even if you’re going to sell me, star of misfortune, wait until I’ve repaid your kindness! I, Wu Laoba, may have questionable character, but I never leave debts of gratitude unpaid. You saved me once, and I must return that favor!"

Some onlookers who were unaware of the full story began to point and whisper in their direction. Tsk tsk tsk, the love and hate between a dashing young man and an ugly old man—this kind of unlikely love story, even in Liuli City, where male love stories are widespread, is quite rare, truly intriguing.

Though the voices of those discussions were not loud, with Ning Fan’s hearing, he could hardly fail to notice. His expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

This Wu Laoba really knows how to make trouble for him!

But surprisingly, this time he finally said something human, which made Ning Fan see him in a different light. Not owing people favors, huh... That’s truly Wu Laoba’s character. Back in the day, the old monster accidentally saved Wu Laoba once, and Wu Laoba felt he had to repay the old monster. With his extremely tricky personality, being able to do this is indeed repaying every kindness.

It wasn’t a waste saving this person.

"Don’t worry, since we’re master and servant, I won’t sell you. However... you just cursed at me, and now you’re yelling at me so loudly, isn’t that a problem?"

Ning Fan smiled slightly, and Wu Laoba immediately felt a strange chill rushing to his forehead. Damn, in the excitement he forgot the star of misfortune’s terror. If there’s ever a day when the star of misfortune displays humanity, it must be today! But in other moments of the star of misfortune’s life, there’s absolutely no humanity, ready to kill over a disagreement!

How dare he speak to the star of misfortune like that!

"Ma-ma-ma-ma-master, I-I-I-I’m wrong... I-I-I..."

"If you’re wrong, you deserve punishment. I’ll give you some punishment later. For now, stand up, shut your mouth, follow me, and don’t cause any more disturbance."

After speaking, Ning Fan directly walked towards a certain direction in the slave market.

As Ning Fan turned around, Wu Laoba’s mournful, timid face immediately transformed into a sly grin. He stood up, patted his knees, and jogged to catch up with Ning Fan, secretly pleased. Pretending to be timid occasionally in front of the star of misfortune indeed could win some sympathy from him. Wu Laoba would never admit that genuinely fearing Ning Fan.

"Selling slaves here, hybrid of Sanyan Fire Realm demon beast and human race, half-demon slaves only three hundred silver!"

"Perfectly beautiful female slave, Yin energy intact, only eight hundred silver!"

"Medicine slave possessing Water Soul, priced at thirty gold!"

"Shape-shifting demon beast, Nascent Soul cultivation, priced at one hundred gold!"

The place was filled with various shouting, along with buyers’ laughter and some slaves’ cries.

Occasionally some disobedient slaves would be whipped by the master.

And some female slaves were stripped naked and displayed in front of everyone, completely devoid of dignity...

Ning Fan frowned, hurriedly walking through the crowd, uninterested in the slave trading here. Though there weren’t many cries here, laughter filled the place, and there was plenty of sunshine, yet Ning Fan felt this place was even darker than the Blood Martial Arena.

But thinking carefully, it’s not only Liuli City with such darkness, where in the cultivation world could there lack these dark aspects?

This wasn’t the cultivation atmosphere he liked, but it was a reality he was powerless to change. Faced with such reality, Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign could create an era of peace in Zi Dou Immortal Domain with his own efforts, while he could barely protect himself in the cultivation world.

’In this world, there’s nothing that can’t be done; it’s only a matter of whether you’re willing to do it. It might be laughable for a mere mortal boy to dream of changing the world. But if it were me, I’d truly rewrite everything in this world... Have you ever had ideals in your heart?’

Amidst the crowd’s bittersweet laughter, he suddenly remembered Purple Dou Immortal Sovereign’s question.

But it was only a thought; for now, he was powerless to do anything, using all his strength even just to protect those around him.

The Dark Clan bullied him, yet he couldn’t retaliate openly.

Daarbei Emperor Lou Tuo bullied him, and he could only slightly resist, not daring to kill his way to Emperor Lou Tuo’s domain.

What he lacked wasn’t courage but strength...

"The Mental Armor Formula is greatly beneficial to increasing my strength. It might be worth it to discuss a trade with the elder at Nan Yao Temple when Huang Niu spirit is present!"

Green Ox Spirit, Huang Niu Spirit...

Upon thinking of this, Ning Fan finally felt inclined to ask Wu Laoba about his entire process of encountering misfortune.

Wu Laoba, as usual, exaggerated, divulging today’s experience. Initially, he wanted to hide the matter about the Imperial Jade Fortune Set from Ning Fan, but due to inner guilt, he gritted his teeth and told Ning Fan as well.

This is how it happened.

Last time, Wu Laoba unintentionally snatched a Post-heaven Twelve Nirvana Magical Treasure—Imperial Jade Fortune Crown from a poor victim of the Dabei Clan. This crown isn’t a single treasure but a set, comprising four parts: crown, armor, boots, and sword. The more parts worn, the greater the enhancement to fortune. If gathered completely, it can almost rival an Innate Mid-grade Treasure, highly praised in Wu Laoba’s master’s Treasure-Seeking notes, desired even more than items like the Water-Flooding Realm Bottle.

It’s, after all, a treasure that can elevate the strength of Black Fortune! For cultivators of Dark Luck Sect, gathering the complete set serves as a supreme protective treasure!

With the fortune crown obtained in the Dabei Clan, Wu Laoba’s strength greatly increased, naturally seeking the other three parts to complete the set.

Wu Laoba theorized that since one piece was found in the Dabei Clan, there’s a high likelihood the other parts exist there. Hence, he employed Treasure-Seeking Turtle for nightly searches, and indeed found some sense leading towards Liuli City.

That sense was coming from the elder at Nan Yao Temple. Very likely, he had the second piece of the Imperial Jade Fortune Set!

"So, you went to provoke that elder because of the second piece of the Imperial Jade Fortune Set?" Ning Fan asked.

"Yes! If this treasure wasn’t so vital for us cultivators of Black Fortune, Little Ba wouldn’t be so persistent in searching for it. It’s only blameworthy that the waters run too deep in Liuli City. Little Ba never imagined that a mere old pot-maker could be such a terrifying strong figure, even though Little Ba had enquired beforehand. He learned that the elder’s surname was Niu, without any background in Liuli City, just a roaming merchant frequently seen across the Dabei Clan regions, crafting pots for the official temples, typically doing official work, sometimes selling a bit at various markets..." Wu Laoba rambled on, narrating the information he gathered beforehand.

He was indeed cautious. Before provoking the old man from Nan Yao Temple, he gathered a lot of intelligence. Unfortunately, if a second-grade Quasi-Saint has the intent to conceal, the usual intelligence cannot expose them. Wu Laoba was really complacent these days, and thus became careless.

"The old man is surnamed Niu, is that right? And his words mentioned the Green Ox Spirit, Yellow Ox Spirit... I recall Burying Moon mentioned that the reason she once had a karmic connection with Baihua Great Emperor was because she was severely injured by an Ox Demon... During that time, she was of the Immortal Emperor Realm, capable of injuring her, these Ox Demons must be few in number, could it be exactly this person... If so, back then, could Baihua Great Emperor possibly save Burying Moon from such a formidable Ox Demon..."

What cultivation level did Baihua Great Emperor possess, even if his Dao of formations talent was high, how could he save a person from the hands of a second-grade Quasi-Saint?

Or perhaps, at that time, the Ox Demon had no real intention to kill, and let Burying Moon escape?

Or maybe Baihua Great Emperor had some other concealment... or both?

Ning Fan felt a bit troubled. From stepping into Baihua Peak to arriving at Liuli City, he had encountered many inexplicable confusions, including the uncanny Xianyu Chun, and the odd comments from the woman claiming to be Xiufang Afeng... Though his mind was not dull, he disliked intrigue, deceit, and never-before-seen complex circumstances.

While pondering, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead. The crowd formed a large circle, seemingly something happened.

Ning Fan walked closer, and his gaze turned cold.

It was a slave trying to escape, only to be whipped publicly by his master.

The slave was a brawny man, possessing the powerful cultivation level of the Initiate Realm of Shekong, but due to being restricted by the Punishing Ring, he could only exercise the cultivation of Gold Core level first step.

The man was covered in wounds, both new and old, seemingly having suffered countless abuses.

But his eyes did not show the inferiority typical of a slave, rather, they were filled with indignation, filled with defiance.

The man was wearing foreign cultivator attire, not a Holy Mountain Tomb Guardian, but... a foreign cultivator!

It seems this person entered Supreme Pill Sacred Domain with Ning Fan as part of a batch of Old Monsters of East Heaven. According to bystanders, after his cultivation was sealed, he came to Liuli City, seemingly offended a local noble, and was captured, abused, and sold as a slave!

If his cultivation were intact, this person, relying on his Shedding Void Realm cultivation, naturally wouldn’t be so destitute, but the Punishing Ring restricted the foreign cultivators too much, making it impossible for him to resist the harassment of not-so-cultivated nobles and ended up captured alive!

A Shedding Void Realm old monster, a powerful entity in Eastern Heaven, yet here he’s beaten like a slave, how can he be satisfied!

"That uncle is so pitiful..." a child on the roadside showed some compassion, while his parents shook their heads and said.

"Child, don’t pity this person. He is a lowly foreign cultivator and offended the Lou family, one of the ten nobles of Liuli City! Nobles are above us commoners, much less the ten nobles, don’t forget, offending the nobles is one of the Twelve Prohibitions of this Dazu against foreign cultivators, no one can save him..."

"The Lou family are the same bloodline descendants as Emperor Lou Tuo, this person offended the Lou family, even if sold, no one will dare to buy him." Some bystanders sighed.

"Otherwise, I would want to spend some money to buy him and set him free as a benevolent act..." There were indeed compassionate people, yet facing the wrath of the crimes committed by this man, no one dared save him.

"You dare to run! How dare you run! A mere foreign slave trying to escape from my clutches. I won’t sell you, I’ll beat you to death here today, let the citizens of Liuli City witness my methods! Foreign cultivators are nothing but pigs and dogs, killing you is nothing!"

A sullen-looking herdsman shouted while swinging a thunder-glowing whip, desperately flogging the foreign cultivator. He seemed to be Lou Laosan, a member of Liuli nobility.

As for the foreign cultivator, perhaps his Mana was exhausted, leaving him crouched like a dog on the ground, allowing Lou Laosan whip him, blood, and pus flowed all over, yet he himself remained defiantly enraged, roaring,

"What kind of aristocrats, what kind of Lou family, I’m Li Ying and I won’t submit! I merely did not yield the way to the Lou family’s son, and he severely injured me. I merely retaliated. How can it be said I violated the Twelve Prohibitions, why not pursue the matter of the Lou family’s son hurting me, I won’t submit!"

"I am the Star Lord of the Divine Hero Star in Eastern Heaven Immortal Realm, I was the number one young person in Eastern Heaven four million years ago. I am the cultivator Li Ying, not a dog! Ridiculous that the son of the Lou family also poisoned me with Rotting God Deadly Poison, trying to devour my consciousness with this unresolvable poison, refining me into a puppet, haha, dream on! Even if I die as Li Ying, I will not die as a slave, nor will I die as a puppet! I’ll take one with me even in death!"

Out of nowhere, the foreign cultivator burst forth with energy, suddenly leapt from the ground, broke free from chains, and pounced towards Lou Laosan.

In a moment of blood-red eyes, the foreign cultivator chose self-explosion, with the intention to regain the last fragment of dignity with his own life!

Ning Fan’s eyes flashed coldly, turning the palm to rescue, but a gentle hand suddenly rested on his shoulder, pulling him back a few steps with a strong force, leaving him no time to save the foreign cultivator.

With a loud bang, Li Ying exploded into a bloodbath and shredded meat, while Lou Laosan, caught under him, was equally blown to death!

Fortunately, Li Ying’s cultivation was restricted, and due to Mana exhaustion, the self-explosion’s impact was extremely limited, only taking the life of Lou Laosan rather than endangering countless civilians.

The gathered crowd immediately fled like beasts and birds, leaving the once bustling slave market suddenly desolate, with just Ning Fan, Wu Laoba, and the man who kept a hand on Ning Fan’s shoulder.

He was a young man reeking of blood stench with considerable strength, half a step into Immortal Venerable cultivation level. But the force of that grip, as per Ning Fan’s estimation, likely surpassed that of a First Calamity Immortal Sovereign. This person seemed to possess a fearsome mastery over Body Refinement...

"Due to your intervention, two lives are gone." Ning Fan coldly remarked, cold light shone around, shaking off the bloody man a few steps back, leaving him slightly astonished.

According to his intelligence, Ning Fan should have been sealed of cultivation, how could he have the strength to repel his full-force attack seems unfathomable...

The bloody man became apprehensive, but this caution swiftly turned to near-maniacal pleasure.

The more complex the better! The blood of such a person is more qualified to prove his existence! Truly a fantastic prey! Master really didn’t deceive him!

"You, this foreign cultivator, heavily indulged in slaughter, do you care for the names of two mere mortals, don’t joke! You ought to seek the ultimate in killing like I do. We are of the same kind, thus you must die! Tomb Heist second round, kill say someone in a battle, but do not disappoint me then!"

To Ning Fan’s words, the bloodthirsty man responded nonchalantly, his figure flickering as he turned into a streak of blood light and disappeared from the spot.

It seemed he could slightly ignore the forbidden force of the Dabei Clan and use some escape techniques! Quite skillful...

As he left, a whisper-like voice echoed mockingly in Ning Fan’s ear.

Ning Fan’s gaze suddenly turned cold, but then he gently closed his eyes, feeling a suffocating mix of frustration and an unventilated anger.

Indeed, as the bloodthirsty man said, Ning Fan, the devil lord Ning, was someone who had emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood; why would he care so much about other people’s lives?

He truly didn’t care about the life of Lou Laosan, but Li Ying’s self-detonation and death angered him.

Previously, he had only heard of the struggles of foreign cultivators in Dabei, but due to his own extraordinary power and various fortuitous encounters, he rarely experienced injustice because of his foreign status in the Dabei Clan.

The few times it happened, like during the first round of Tomb Seizing, he resolved it with his own tactics without any loss...

But Li Ying was not as lucky as him; his only resistance against the Dabei was to self-detonate and perish...

"Damn, so what if we’re foreign cultivators, does that mean we can be casually insulted as dogs! Aren’t these Dabei people just born with Medicine Souls, why should they be superior and treat us foreign cultivators like dogs to be slaughtered... Damn it, I can’t stand it! It’s one thing to fight honorably on the cultivation road, but to be humiliated like this, it’s truly hateful!"

Wu Laoba roared loudly, but after roaring, his voice suddenly lowered.

"It’s all that person’s fault for ambushing me and binding me with this blood rope, otherwise I would’ve saved him in time! Damn it, what kind of damn rope is this, the more I struggle, the tighter it gets! And the one who attacked me didn’t even seem to be an Eternal Immortal Venerable, yet he had such skills..."

Wu Laoba’s body was unknowingly bound by a blood rope, binding him round and round like a dumpling, before he barely managed to break free.

It was also the bloodthirsty youth’s handiwork!

"Was that person called Li Ying? He died because of me." Ning Fan remained silent for a moment before speaking.

Wu Laoba was immediately confused, "Master, why is this so? Li Ying’s death is indeed regrettable, but it’s a common occurrence in the cultivation world. Little Ba vented a couple of times, cried out in wrong for this person, and that should be enough to fulfill the chance meeting we had. Master doesn’t need to take this person’s death upon himself."

But Ning Fan shook his head, "No, the reason this person died was actually orchestrated by someone. This was an intimidation tactic, and if I’m not mistaken, it was that person just now, trying to give me a warning! Informing me that as a foreign cultivator, in his eyes, I am nothing more than a pig or a dog, and killing me is a trivial matter!"

Ning Fan did not believe it was a coincidence, otherwise, why would the bloodthirsty man show up here by such coincidence and call him out by name?

That whisper-like transmission before leaving was undoubtedly a provocation!

"My master, Emperor Lou Tuo, wants me to take your life in the second round of Tomb Seizing, you are doomed to die!"

Ha, so this bloodthirsty youth is a disciple of Emperor Lou Tuo! Wants to take my life in the second round of Tomb Seizing, then bring it on!

Hmph!

With a wave of Ning Fan’s sleeve, a purple-black spiritual light suddenly flew out from his sleeve, transforming into a spirit wheel, absorbing towards the place where the foreign cultivator self-detonated.

Then, Ning Fan retrieved the spirit wheel.

"This is... an Ancient Demon Spirit Wheel! What did Master do!" Even with Wu Laoba’s experience, he was curious about the close proximity to the Ancient Demon Spirit Wheel.

"Nothing, let’s go."

Ning Fan naturally couldn’t be bothered to explain to Wu Laoba that he used the spirit wheel to collect Li Ying’s soul.

An immortal’s death results in the scattering of thoughts, which should be a sure death, but the Fu Li Spirit Wheel has the extraordinary ability to gather the souls of those cultivators who died with unfinished business.

And if one day Ning Fan’s cultivation is sufficient, he could even use the Fu Li Spirit Wheel to allow those indomitable souls to reenter reincarnation and transform into Fu Li.

Duolan settled in an old mansion in the slave market, a plaque hung outside the mansion bearing the large characters ’The 47th Prison’.

Inside the old mansion, there were some people with shackles on their wrists and ankles serving, and when Ning Fan and Wu Laoba arrived, two delicate servant girls with jingling shackles on their feet came out to greet them.

"Are you the powerful foreign cultivator who saved the Holy Maiden? Please accept our gratitude!"

The two girls appeared to be sincerely grateful, with tears streaming down their faces, kneeling and not getting up.

Ning Fan paused slightly, nodded, waved his sleeve to create a breeze, and helped the two girls to stand.

In his mind, he thought that Duolan must have explained their relationship to these people as a benefactor relationship... No wonder, a master-servant relationship is not to be spoken of.

These two girls with shackles seemed to have some bloodline connection to Duolan.

Could they be disciples of the Chu Lie lineage? And likely those with some slight kinship...