In the City of Black Sky, His Majesty Begins Collecting Rent (Part Two)

The underground auction hall of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion lay three hundred zhang beneath the earth.

Sealing formations covered the surrounding walls.

Thousands of luminous pearls were embedded in the domed ceiling.

At the center stood a circular auction platform.

Thirty-six VIP stone chambers were arranged around it.

Each chamber was protected by a concealment formation.

But concealment formations could hide one from ordinary people—

not from anyone who truly wanted to see.

Wang Hao sat in Chamber Nineteen, with spirit tea and pastries laid out before him.

He took a bite of a pastry and frowned.

“Awful.”

Yin Jiuyou said quietly, “Your Majesty, this is the most expensive spirit pastry in Black Sky City.”

Wang Hao replied, “Expensive and delicious are two different things.”

The New Emperor Sword had transformed into a young man and sat in the corner, gnawing on a broken sword as if it were a snack.

Crunch.

Crunch.

An annoyed voice came from the chamber next door.

“Who’s eating metal?”

The New Emperor Sword froze, then lowered his voice.

“Master, he insulted me.”

Wang Hao said, “Put up with it.”

The New Emperor Sword looked aggrieved.

“I want to cut him down.”

Wang Hao glanced toward the neighboring chamber.

“Wait until the auction starts.”

The New Emperor Sword immediately perked up.

“All right!”

The Demon Lord sat in the shadows and sneered.

“That sword is just as shameless as you are.”

Wang Hao took a sip of tea.

“It’s nowhere near as bad as I am.”

The Demon Lord found himself unable to argue.

A moment later, Zi Yuan stepped onto the auction platform.

She had changed into a purple-and-gold gown. With a radiant smile, she spoke in a voice that carried throughout the hall.

“Honored guests.”

“Black Sky City has always recognized only money, never grudges.”

“At tonight’s auction in the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, the highest bidder wins.”

“If anyone dares to start a fight inside the venue, Black Sky City will deal with it.”

As her words fell, countless gazes crossed throughout the hall.

Some people sneered.

Some ran their fingers along their blades.

Others silently reached for their storage rings.

The first item was soon brought out.

It was a bottle of Lunar Soul Spirit Liquid.

When the jade bottle was opened, a wave of chill spread through the hall.

Inside the stone chamber belonging to the Taiyin Sacred Land, a murderous aura erupted instantly.

An elder of the Taiyin Sacred Land stared fixedly at the bottle.

“Lunar Soul Spirit Liquid.”

“That came from the Cold Moon Mine.”

In the stone chamber of the Yellow Springs Demon Sect, someone let out a sinister laugh.

“Are you sure you saw correctly, fellow cultivator from the Taiyin Sacred Land?”

“Don’t go claiming that the Yellow Springs Demon Sect stole it again.”

The Taiyin elder replied coldly, “You people from the Yellow Springs Demon Sect dare to do it but refuse to admit it?”

The Yellow Springs elder roared, “Nonsense!”

“If we had really stolen it, we would have taken it back to the sect and refined it into a soul banner long ago. Why would we put it up for auction?”

The Taiyin elder paused.

That did sound reasonable.

But in the next moment, he became even angrier.

“So after stealing it, you decided it wasn’t even worth using?”

The Yellow Springs elder was speechless.

He was beginning to realize that reasoning with people from a sacred land was exhausting.

They could interpret every single sentence as a provocation.

Zi Yuan smiled and announced, “Ten bottles of Lunar Soul Spirit Liquid. The bidding starts at three hundred thousand spirit stones.”

From Chamber Nineteen, Wang Hao drawled lazily, “Five hundred thousand.”

The Taiyin elder immediately shouted angrily, “Who is that?”

Wang Hao altered his voice and spoke in an eerie tone.

“Since it belongs to the Yellow Springs Demon Sect, naturally the Yellow Springs should be the ones to buy it back.”

The Yellow Springs elder shot to his feet.

“Who are you?”

Wang Hao replied calmly, “One of your own.”

The Yellow Springs elder was dumbfounded.

How had he never heard of such a person in the Yellow Springs Demon Sect?

The Taiyin elder, however, exploded.

“So it really is the Yellow Springs Demon Sect!”

“One million!”

Wang Hao chuckled.

“One point two million.”

The Taiyin elder gritted his teeth.

“Two million!”

Zi Yuan was smiling so broadly that her eyes had nearly narrowed into slits.

This wasn’t an auction.

It was hatred blooming and spirit stones bearing fruit.

In the end, the Ten Bottles of Moon-Soul Spirit Liquid were bought back by the Taiyin Sacred Land for three million spirit stones.

They knew perfectly well they were being fleeced.

But they had no choice.

If something stolen from their own mine were auctioned off by the Demon Sect on the black market, where would that leave their reputation?

Wang Hao lifted his teacup.

“The first installment of rent has been collected.”

Yin Jiuyou silently entered it into the accounts.

His Majesty wasn’t selling stolen goods.

He was making the victims ransom back souvenirs from the scene of the crime.

The second item up for auction was the core of a White Bone Corpse Puppet.

Inside the White Bone Demon Sect’s stone chamber, the ghostly fire in the eye sockets of the gaunt Martial God flickered.

“Our sect’s corpse-puppet core.”

In the Sword Ruins’ stone chamber, a sword cultivator said coldly:

“Nothing but an evil object. Best to destroy it.”

Wang Hao immediately adopted the tone of a sword cultivator.

“Three hundred thousand.”

The White Bone Martial God roared:

“You bastard from the Sword Ruins! You dare buy our White Bone Demon Sect’s corpse core?”

Wang Hao replied:

“I’m buying it to sharpen my sword.”

Everyone in the Sword Ruins was stunned.

Who was that voice?

It didn’t sound like one of their own.

But the words felt damn good.

So one of the Sword Ruins’ younger disciples immediately chimed in:

“That’s right. Buy it to sharpen our swords!”

The White Bone Martial God’s fury soared.

“One million!”

Wang Hao sneered.

“One and a half million.”

The White Bone Martial God: “Two million!”

Wang Hao: “Three million.”

The White Bone Martial God: “Five million!”

Wang Hao stopped.

The White Bone Martial God froze.

He suddenly realized that something was wrong.

It seemed he had been pushed onto the hook.

Zi Yuan had already brought down the hammer.

“Sold!”

The White Bone Martial God’s face turned as dark as water.

Unconcealed laughter drifted over from the Sword Ruins.

Inside the stone chamber, Wang Hao spoke in a mild tone:

“The second installment of rent.”

Yin Jiuyou’s hand trembled as he recorded the transaction.

Not from fear.

From excitement.

So this was how money could be made.

No wonder His Majesty was always saying that the imperial treasury wasn’t short of money—it was merely waiting for other people to deliver it.

One item after another was brought onto the stage.

Cold Marrow from the Frostmoon Mine.

Sword Marrow Crystals from the Broken Sword Mound.

Fragments of a Yellow Springs Soul Banner.

Golden Vault Soul-Suppressing Nails.

The remnants of a Blood Lotus Venom Vial.

Essence from the Blood Prison’s blood pool.

Every item that appeared was like a slap across the face of some faction.

What was even more outrageous was that Wang Hao kept changing identities as he called out his bids.

Sometimes he sounded like someone from the Yellow Springs Demon Sect.

Sometimes like a cultivator from the Taiyin Sacred Land.

Sometimes like a disciple of the Sword Ruins.

Sometimes like a demon cultivator from the White Bone Demon Sect.

And sometimes he even sounded like an independent cultivator who loved nothing more than watching the chaos unfold.

“I want this. I’ll buy it to keep my home secure.”

“Secure your ancestors! That’s a secret treasure of our sect!”

“If it’s your sect’s secret treasure, then why is it on the auction block? Clearly, it was destined to be mine.”

“Impudent!”

“Then raise the bid! What are you shouting for if you won’t?”

The atmosphere in Blackheaven City’s auction hall grew more and more unhinged.

Zi Yuan’s smile grew brighter and brighter.

She was even beginning to feel somewhat dazed.

After tonight, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion might complete ten years’ worth of profit targets in a single stroke.

As for whether they would face retaliation?

That was tomorrow’s problem.

The greatest virtue of black-market dealers was that they never let tomorrow’s worries frighten away today’s money.

However, halfway through the auction—

Deep within the ninth level,

an emaciated old man slowly opened his eyes.

His body resembled a withered log hollowed out by the passage of time.

Half of his flesh remained.

The other half was nothing but black bones.

He sat inside a bronze coffin, a cold, ghostly light rising in his eyes.

Old Man Heitian.

The true trump card of Blackheaven City.

Hearing the arguments drifting up from the underground auction hall, he slowly knitted his brows.

“Things have gotten out of hand.”

Beside him, a middle-aged man in black spoke in a low voice:

“Old Ancestor, these are merely old grudges between the Sacred Lands and the Demon Sects.”

Old Man Heitian’s voice was hoarse.

“No.”

“Someone is fanning the flames.”

The man in black was startled.

“Should we stop the auction?”

Old Man Heitian fell silent for a moment.

“No.”

“We’ve already taken the money.”

The man in black: “…”

The Old Ancestor was indeed still the Old Ancestor.

His Dao-heart was unshakable.

Old Man Heitian slowly said:

“Keep an eye on Chamber Nineteen.”

“There’s something wrong with the people inside.”

In the underground Chamber Nineteen.

Wang Hao suddenly raised his head and looked toward the domed ceiling.

The corners of his lips curled upward.

“We’ve been noticed.”

Yin Jiuyou’s heart tightened.

“Old Man Heitian?”

“Most likely.”

Wang Hao was not nervous in the slightest. If anything, he looked even more satisfied.

“The big fish has awakened.”

The Demon Lord narrowed his eyes.

“A Half-Step Transcendent is not someone to provoke.”

Wang Hao replied:

“So we won’t provoke him.”

The Demon Lord sneered.

“You? Not provoke someone?”

Wang Hao answered with complete justification:

“I’m merely letting someone else provoke him.”

The Demon Lord suddenly lost all desire to speak.

Because he knew that Wang Hao had certainly come up with an even more despicable plan.

Just then, Zi Yuan’s voice rang out once more.

“The next item up for auction is rather special.”

“We do not know its origin or its purpose. However, after appraisal by the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, it was confirmed to contain the aura of an ancient dragon vein.”

“The starting bid is ten million spirit stones.”

On the auction stage.

A tattered ancient map slowly unfurled.

In an instant, the entire underground auction hall fell silent.

The ancient map was no larger than a palm.

Its mountains and rivers twisted across the surface like a dragon or serpent lying in wait.

A faint golden aura rose from it.

Vast.

Ancient.

Weighty.

It was as though the pulse of the Nine Provinces had gently throbbed at that very moment.

Inside one of the Sacred Land chambers, an old man suddenly rose to his feet.

“A remnant map of the Nine Provinces’ dragon veins!”

Inside a Demon Sect chamber, a Martial God also lost control of his voice.

“How did this thing end up in Blackheaven City?”

Zi Yuan’s expression shifted slightly.

She had not expected anyone to recognize it.

Even less had she expected such a violent reaction from all sides.

Wang Hao’s eyes lit up.

The grand finale had finally taken the stage.

He took out the Myriad Contracts Unity Seal, which the system had just given him, and gently pressed it down.

An invisible aura of contractual power quietly settled onto the remnant dragon-vein map.

In the next instant.

Two entirely different auras emerged from the map.

One came from an ancient covenant of the Sacred Lands.

The other came from a blood contract of the Demon Sects.

The entire hall fell deathly silent.

The Martial God from Sword Mound spoke in a frigid voice:

“Blackheaven City, you actually dared to conceal an item sealed by the World-Calming Alliance?”

The White-Bone Martial God also roared furiously:

“There’s also the aura of an ancient blood contract from my Demon Sects!”

“Does Blackheaven City intend to betray both the Sacred and Demonic factions?”

Beneath the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, every formation lit up at once.

Zi Yuan’s face turned pale.

“Everyone, this is a misunderstanding…”

Wang Hao suddenly assumed an aged voice and spoke in a deep, eerie tone:

“A misunderstanding?”

“No wonder the war between the Sacred and Demonic factions has continued without end.”

“So it turns out someone is trying to seize the Nine Provinces’ dragon veins while the world is in chaos.”

Those words were like a knife.

They stabbed directly into everyone’s heart.

The Sacred Lands grew suspicious of the Demon Sects.

The Demon Sects grew suspicious of the Sacred Lands.

But now, they suddenly realized that Blackheaven City—the so-called neutral party—did not seem entirely innocent either.

Once the remnant dragon-vein map became involved, this was no longer a matter of a single mine or a single ruin.

It concerned the fortune of the entire world.

It concerned the foundation of the Nine Provinces.

It was something that no Sacred Land or Demon Sect could pretend not to see.

On the ninth level.

Old Man Heitian’s expression finally changed.

“Who tampered with the contractual aura?”

The man in black asked in terror:

“Ancestor, it wasn’t us!”

Old Man Heitian slammed a palm onto the bronze coffin.

“Useless!”

“Seal the building!”

Boom!

All nine floors of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion shook at once.

A black curtain of light descended from above, instantly sealing off the entire auction hall.

Zi Yuan called out urgently:

“Everyone, please remain calm!”

“The Myriad Treasures Pavilion will give everyone an explanation!”

Wang Hao sat inside Chamber Nineteen and gently set down his teacup.

“An explanation?”

“If explanations were useful, why would anyone need a blade?”

With that, he flicked a finger.

A Yellow Springs Soul Talisman slipped silently into the chamber of the Taiyin Sacred Land.

Another Taiyin Frost Talisman landed inside the chamber of the Yellow Springs Demon Sect.

Then he turned his gaze toward the New Emperor Sword.

“Time to get to work.”

The New Emperor Sword’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Who are we cutting down?”

Wang Hao smiled.

“Start with the lamps.”

The New Emperor Sword transformed into a streak of black-and-gold sword light and instantly slashed toward the luminous pearls in the ceiling.

Boom!

Thousands of luminous pearls exploded at once.

The underground auction hall plunged into darkness.

The next instant, a shrill scream rang out.

“Those Taiyin bastards launched a sneak attack!”

“The Yellow Springs Demon Sect is making its move!”

“The Sword Ruins destroyed my corpse puppet!”

“The White Bone Demon Sect stole the fragmentary dragon-vein map!”

In the darkness, flashes of blades and swords erupted all at once.

At that moment, the rules of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion were shattered completely.

No killing was allowed in Blackheaven City.

But in the darkness, no one could see.

If no one could see it, then it didn’t count as killing.

That was their own rule.

Now, Wang Hao was merely helping them enforce it a little more thoroughly.