Bab 9: My Daughter is not For Sale!

Ignoring the crowd, Nangong Huanya swaggered toward Taotie. Di Yi stepped forward, reflexively putting himself between the Nangong young master and his "daughter."

Surprised by the old tanghulu vendor's move, Taotie glanced at Huan Yi, then back at Di Yi, wondering what kind of orders her master had given the unsuspecting old man.

"Is she your daughter?" Nangong Huanya whipped out a large fan, spreading it before his nose as if to prevent himself from breathing the same air as Di Yi.

"Y-yes…Nangong young master." Struggling to withstand the martial auras of Nangong Huanya and his 20 bodyguards, the old man stuttered.

"Strange…how did an ugly thing like you produce such a captivating woman? Are you sure your wife didn't choke on better meat?" Nangong Huanya seriously asked.

"…" But while struck hard by these insidious words, aware that he couldn't afford to give this prodigal young master a reason to abuse him, the old man stayed stoic, still standing in front of Taotie.

"Never mind. Congratulations, old man. My Esteemed Self was passing by and noticed that your daughter has a unique constitution, making her suitable to be trained in my household. The Nangong clan hereby extends a marriage proposal. If you agree, by tomorrow you will not only be my father-in-law, but also receive a dowry of 100 taels of gold." Nangong Huanya said, causing the whole crowd to erupt.

"100 taels of gold!"

"Sheesh! Why is my daughter married already?"

"As if she'd enter the eyes of Nangong Huanya." Warriors dealt in blood stones. But commoners had no use for those, preferring copper, silver and gold.

Ten taels of gold was more than enough to shoulder a lifetime of expenses for an ordinary family. With 100 taels of gold, that same family could live 100 years of an extravagant lifestyle. So to those commoners, 100 taels of gold represented generational wealth. And how many could put morals before an opportunity at securing generational wealth?

Believing that the old man would give in, many sighed in regret, wondering why they weren't the ones with the voluptuous daughter.

Nangong Huanya liked their reaction. He liked being the center of attention, awing the audience, and controlling hearts with wealth.

However, as Huanya's excitement peaked…

"The…Yin Dynasty's laws sti-stipulate that the bride's family…pays for the dow-dowry. I…am just a tanghulu street vendor and…can't afford to become your in-law. P-please leave us alone," Di Yi said with a polite bow, causing a painful silence to fall on the scene.

"300 taels of gold." Relying on the full depth of his self-control to not behead Di Yi where he stood, Nangong Huanya made another offer.

"A-apologies."

"Old man, you should know to quit while you're ahead. 1,000 taels of gold. That…is my final offer." Nangong Huanya's eyes turned red, burning with murderous rage as he stared at the old man.

The full pressure of Nangong Huanya's Sacred Bone cultivation crashed on the old man, forcing him onto his knees.

Still…he refused to give up.

"My daughter is not an object that can be bought and sold at will! This country still has laws that protect us commoners! If I do not want to give her to you…not even his majesty can force me to!

Young master…does your authority perhaps surpass that of our monarch?!" Mustering all his courage, Di Yi barked in an outburst of rage, causing Nangong Huanya to recoil in fear.

Indeed, unlike many other nations, the Yin Dynasty's laws didn't treat its commoners as dirt. Golden Blooded or not, Nangong Huanya couldn't oppress commoners in broad daylight, especially outside of his father's territory.

Fellow nobles and hidden warriors likely observed him from a distance, ready to use any transgression on his part to bury him here in Linzi City.

In usual days, Nangong Huanya would have retreated first and formulated a better plan with his men. But for reasons he couldn't understand, Huanya couldn't give up. It was as if fate itself had taken control of him, making his heart burn with such consuming desire that, even if he had to put his life on the line, he couldn't let go of that woman.

'Master…did you order this man to protect us at risk of life?' Meanwhile, Taotie was at a loss. Never in her impossibly long life had the gluttonous demoness been protected by a mortal. Why was one now trying so hard, disregarding all risks and rewards, to protect her? Di Yi's actions filled Taotie's chest with novel and incomprehensible sensations, sensations that made her stir with discomfort.

'No. With my current level of Spiritual Power and Karmic Control, making people do things that go against their core principles would at least require me to share their pains and sufferings. I wouldn't do that for a standard mortal. I just asked him to see us as his children. Consequently, he's now acting as he would with his real family.'

'That's it?'

'Why is that so surprising? I didn't pick him at random. In a sample size of millions, there is no shortage of people that would have made amazing parents had they gotten the opportunity. He's just one of them,' Huan Yi said, and while his loyal subordinate pondered on the words, the Demon Child pressed on.

'Humans are different from demons and gods. They lack racial coherence. In heaven, dragons are overbearing autocrats whereas phoenixes are calm and reserved. In the Demon Realm, Shuras are insatiable battle mongers whereas Shadow kinsmen are underhanded schemers. You will never meet an introverted pureblooded dragon, just like you will never meet a peace-seeking Shura. They have their varieties, but those varieties never go against their racial coherence.

Humans have none of that. Consider the most eccentric and unrealistic personality type that you can imagine. Chances are there is a human out there that matches it perfectly. That is why I prefer them to demons and gods. The diversity makes them so much more entertaining.

Just like those people that can't mind their business and always need to come to the rescue of the weak. How could I have my occasional fun if they didn't exist?' As Huan Yi's words reached this point, loud clapping sounds echoed from the distance, marking the arrival of another group of 20.