After 1 month continuing the new routine, our team 'training' I finally pitied them and lower one level the training, I even permit the staff to return. They were almost crying and now they are a lot more humble and glad for their privileges.
I even feel pity toward Xue Beng. The reality is that he wasn't so bad. I think that maybe he has a little of low esteem everyone comparing him with his genius brother. When you expend a little time with him his arrogant nature seems more like a facade hiding his real self, so I stopped his training with his vow to not doing anything against my family.
I visited Rongrong for some healing time at least once a month, but for some reason she never let me know her actual rank, she would wait for some surprise. I also met Qinghe regularly, we talked about our things and spar a little. I must say he is very strong I must use all my strength against him even if I know he is restraining himself. With his perfect foundation, his strong and extremely quick growth, battle sense and being of a higher realm made very difficult to win against him. I couldn't force him to use his secret technique at all.
Sometimes, we even go out to the city, he is always dressed hiding his true identity to avoid the hassle. One time I even accomplish that he cross-dressed like a girl. I was trying to have some fun but seeing how good it fit I swallowed my word, it was impossible to tell apart that he was a boy! He surely has the physique of a girl, but in his defense, so does Xue Beng. So it must be something of family or maybe caused by their spirit the Heavenly Swan. Maybe before stopping Xue Beng 'training' I should also had dressed him like a girl as a punishment.
He like normal also made me cross-dress. Let's say that the results didn't live up to Qinghe, but he had a good laugh at my expense.
I didn't forget about Mayi and we usually have some dates, usually focused in her eating but some where romantic. I will wait until the end of the Continental Tournament to go to her clan to make her my fiancee. I need to find some good gift for them.
With this routine of training and having fun 6 months passed. I must say that the Emperor team improved tremendously, increasing all of their battle progress. All of them improved a lot spirit energy control, wasting a lot less spirit energy with greater effects, only a step away of maybe creating some self-technique.
For their spirit rank it improved, not with a alarming speed because the training focused in foundation. All of them broke through spirit ancestor. So we waited for all them to arrive at the rank and we went to Star Duo Forest Inner area and all of them obtained their 4th ring. As the training was lowered a lot when we were outside hunting they called this hunting trip vacations.
However, there was an exception, Chenxian was still unable to broke through, blocked at the 38 rank. As she was blocked at her rank for so much time while the others surpassed it was easily observed that she had a problem, preoccupying all the team.
Even when I lowered the named Hell's Training one level, she didn't give up and continue forcing, passing out everyday. I'm worried about her overwork even if her strength has increased a lot if she continued like this she will break but I was unable to convince her.
I also listened the academy's board that if she won't break through before the tournament she will expelled of the team, even kicking her out of the academy after the tournament.
I tried all I can to help her without any gain, it's very difficult to go against fate. So I tried to support with all my might trying for her to relax a little or that at least that she eats and sleeps enough.
Today I was doing my usual regime at the training ground when suddenly a black hole appeared near me.
From it exited dad. "Hey Bai. Sorry if we surprise you but this is the fastest method to come to Heaven Dou City. I have some affairs here. I think that it will be a good class for you. So, if you are not too busy, do you want to join me?" said dad.
"I didn't have anything special planned for today, so I will join you" I answered.
We went toward the academy's exit where a carriage with the Seven Treasured Glazed Title Clan's emblem in it. Entering the carriage, it went toward the center of the city.
"So, where are we going? And for what?" I asked.
"We will go to the Heaven Dou City Auction House. I want you to learn about the dark parts of the city and the auction is the perfect example. Moreover, I gained the information about a talented spirit master with a mutation of a cat spirit who has a very high talent so I expect to buy her and make her join our outer branch" dad explained me.
"I though that slavery was prohibited in Heaven Dou Empire" I said.
Dad smiled at me "Maybe in its surface, but in the auction all can be sold. Too much money is involved to stop it".
Arriving at the Auction House, there were 4 young women at the door. All of them were beauties, with a similar physique and a soulless look on their eyes.
Seeing us and recognizing dad they bowed opening the Auction House's doors. Entering an even more beautiful women came to guide us "It is a honor to receive again school master Ning to our House Auction". She was to guide us to the very VIP area but was stopped by dad.
"This time I prefer to be a little less conspicuous, we will go to the white area" dad said.
The guide nodded politely and offered us some mask that dad rejected. Dad turned to me and said "In this kind of auction people usually wear masks, you don't usually want you linked to a place like this where everything can be bought. Also, is important to protect your own identity in case you obtain very valuable objects. However, we are the Seven Treasured Glazed Title Clan, be proud of it and don't hide it, we have enough power to defend ourselves".
"For the areas, they are divided based in the ring colors. The clients are divided based in their money. The areas being red for more than million gold coins VIPs, black for normal million gold coins, purple for more than 100.000 gold coins, yellow for more than 10.000 gold coins and lastly the white area for people with the minimum requirement to enter the auction. I have the hobby to analyze other people so I prefer the fuller white area instead of the private rooms of the red" Explained dad.
"What happened with all the attendants? They were all very beautiful, but they are strange, like lifeless" I asked.
"Like everything at the auction they are also good that can be bought, in their case for 100.000 gold coins. They were commoner girls trained by the auction itself. Now they only live to serve, not knowing anything else. Remember this Bai, like them, there's people who can't be saved. Trying to save someone and not worry if they can fend for themselves later is an act of sophistry" dad answered. I nodded at him thoughtfully.
We sat in seats of the white area. The auction is 24h opened but the best goods are sold at night. We spent 2 hours, dad explaining me how the auction worked, its rules, mysteries... He also taught me about the tricks they use to lie the buyers, and how differentiate true treasures from trash.
Our spirit is classified as a treasure tool spirit and have the passive function to detect true treasures, it's a kind of instinct. This property is the main reason that made our clan the richest. Even if the other upper clans can contend our battle power there's no one that can win against our financial progress.
With this 2 hours a learn to detect a little this instinct, but according to father maybe for my spirit mutation I don't have a lot of talent in this, only recognizing the bare minimum. On the other hand dad explained that Rongrong treasure detection is even better than him, being specially gifted in that area. Good for Rongrong.
In this hours dad only bit for people who weren't broken and can be saved. Buying 6 of them saying that they can serve as staff for the clan, they will have future now because our clan won't treat them badly, more like employers than slaves.
When the true auction of today was going to start, selling the best products of the day, two youths came and sat near us.
"How unusual, for some so young to come to the auction, not only that, they seem to be high level spirit master of more than 35 rank, with I would say some 13 years old" dad said analyzing them.
"You really like to analyze people, dad" I said to him.
"The best disciples of the outer branch are recruit like that, knowledge is a power. It's also good knowing more than the rival" dad said.
Listening to dad, he surely will start a conversation with the youths. For the first time, I looked at them attentively. They were a boy and a girl wearing mask, for the physique and eyes they couldn't hide their youth. Looking at them I couldn't help to shout "Tang San! Xiao Wu! What are you doing here?!" surprising them.
Dad looked at me and reprimand me "Bai, you must control your emotions. Also, It is very disrespectful to uncover the identities of someone who tries to hid it, specially in the auction, be more aware".
I blushed a little embarrassed, I turned to San and Wu and said "Sorry for before. I am glad to meet you again".
"Oh, you're Bai. Don't worry about it. It's not like we are important or anything. I don't thing that anything will happen for people to know our names. I'm glad to see you are calmer than last time without death sentence" San said laughing.
I blushed a little "This was only for a moment. I permitted my fury to control me"
"Do you know them, Bai? Are you going to present?" dad interjected.
"Oh? Sorry" I turned to San and Wu and signaling dad "This is my and Rongrong's father, the actual master of the Seven Treasured Glazed Title Clan, Ning Fengzhi" I turned to dad signaling them "They are Tang San and Xiao Wu, they are students at the same academy as Rongrong, they are also part of the same battle team called Shrek Seven Devils".
"It is a pleasure to know my daughter's friends" said dad.
"It's a pleasure to meet school master Ning" said both of them.
"You don't need to be so formal. Is there something you want to buy?" dad said, they answered that they were here for selling. After that we converse a little, dad also explained them how the auction work, similar as me. I think that dad took a like to them, specially Tang San, he surely would try to them join our clan.
After some time the true auction started the first 'item' being the girl with the mutated cat spirit, which caused her to have true cat ears and tail. Seeing the first human to be auctioned like a pet, made Xiao Wu very angry. Dad calmed her a little and explained the circumstances of slavery. Dad finally bough her even going against the fucker of Xue Xing, like some useless prince could win in a monetary fight vs our clan.
Xiao Wu wanted to see us take the cat girl, surely she want to make sure that we don't mistreat her. Father quickly accepted.
After more item as we were about to leave the last item was showed, being a small rectangular metal box named Powder Shooting Shadow.
"Third Brother isn't this you weapon?" Wu asked Tang San.
Dad seemed very interesting in the weapon. The announcer explained the weapon which could launch 36 thick steel needles capable of piercing a 1 cm thick steel plate with 15 m. Moreover, it has a paralyzing poison.
Dad knowing that if he bid for it nobody would have the guts to bid, dad bought it at the price of 10.000 gold coins.