188: Chapter 188 Zhao Shangshu Loses His Mind

When the auction house's doors were kicked open from the outside, Hun Muxiao was leaning against her chair, chewing on a piece of osmanthus cake.

Hundreds of armored soldiers filed in, lining up on both sides along the auction house's aisles. The sound of clashing armor echoed beneath the dome, causing the crystal chandelier to sway slightly.

Five Dou Wang experts fanned out, subtly sealing off all exits.

In the center, a middle-aged man wearing purple official robes stood with his hands behind his back. His face was gaunt, his cheekbones high, and his swollen red eyes surged with undisguised killing intent.

The Minister of Revenue, Zhao Jingtang.

The old man on the auction stage wisely put down his auction gavel and retreated into a corner.

Several powerful figures in the front row exchanged meaningful glances, simultaneously moving their chairs back by half an inch, making it clear they did not want to get involved.

However, a lone cultivator wrapped in a grey cloak in the corner gave a low scoff: "Minister of Revenue Zhao, what a grand display. Since when did the maintenance of order in the Imperial Capital become the responsibility of the Ministry of Revenue?" The person next to him quickly tugged on his sleeve.

Zhao Jingtang raised a hand, signaling a follower behind him to unfurl a portrait. It depicted the silhouette of a young girl in red; her features were blurry, but the characteristics of her clothing were clearly drawn.

Zhao Jingtang's hoarse voice echoed throughout the silent auction house: "The murderer who killed my son is in this very place. Today, I am only here to apprehend the murderer; the rest of you need not panic—but if anyone harbors them, they shall be considered an accomplice."

Hun Muxiao swallowed the last bite of her osmanthus cake, picked up a handkerchief to wipe her fingers, and then, amidst the shocked gazes of everyone, stood up unhurriedly.

She raised her hand to untie the veil behind her ears. The dark red sheer fabric slipped from her fingers, revealing a face as exquisite as a porcelain doll.

She looked at Zhao Jingtang. There was no fear or panic in her peach-blossom eyes, only an extremely calm, slightly bored sense of composure.

"No need to look any further. That scoundrel of a son of yours was killed by me."

Zhao Jingtang spun around violently, his swollen red eyes locked onto Hun Muxiao. The muscles on his face twitched violently, and his lips trembled for a long time before he squeezed out a voice from his throat: "It is you—it really is you. Huan'er had no grudges against you, why did you commit such a vicious act!"

"No grudges? Minister of Revenue Zhao, that fine son you raised tried to harass this young lady in the street. When I refused, he tried to take me by force. I had no choice but to act on behalf of the heavens and slaughter him. Instead of going home to reflect on your failure to teach your son, you have the nerve to bring people here to demand accountability?"

Hun Muxiao's voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached every corner of the auction house.

She reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her tone suddenly turning cold. The lazy smile in her peach-blossom eyes vanished completely, replaced by a sharpness that sent shivers down people's spines. "Minister of Revenue Zhao, I advise you—take your men and leave now, and let this matter end here. If you dare to touch a single hair on this young lady's head, I will ensure your entire Zhao family dies without a burial ground."

The entire place was deathly silent. Zhao Jingtang's pupils contracted violently.

After all, he had spent decades struggling in the imperial court; he was not comparable to his foolish son.

The young girl in red before him did not change her expression when facing hundreds of armored soldiers and five Dou Wangs, and she even dared to threaten the extermination of his family in public. This could no longer be explained by the status of an ordinary girl from out of town.

But when he remembered the sight of his son lying in a pool of blood, and recalled that the child he had held in the palm of his hand since he was little hadn't even been able to leave behind a final word, all his rationality was instantly swallowed by rage.

He waved his large sleeve and shouted sternly: "Arrogant! I don't care whose daughter you are; a life for a life is only natural! Men, take her down!"

The five Dou Wangs stepped forward simultaneously, their five auras of pressure descending upon Hun Muxiao.

Hundreds of armored soldiers raised their weapons in unison, the blades reflecting a blinding cold light under the lamps.

Hun Muxiao sighed. She did not look at the approaching armored soldiers, but slightly turned her head to look at the auctioneer cowering in the corner.

That old man was already pale with terror, his hands gripping the auction gavel tightly, his legs shaking like a sieve.

Hun Muxiao walked up to him, unslung the blood abyss sword from her back, held it out with both hands, and gently placed it in his arms.

Her voice was very low, audible only to the old auctioneer, and her tone was as casual as if she were instructing a servant to prepare dinner: "Old Mister, the items I have won at auction shall be temporarily stored at your auction house; if even one item is missing, you will be held responsible. Please trouble yourself to take this sword to the branch of the Hall of Souls in the city and hand it to the Hall Master. Just tell him—Mu Xiao requests that he keep it for her."

The Hall of Souls branch. The old auctioneer's legs shook even more violently. He opened his mouth to say something, but Hun Muxiao had already gently pressed the sword into his arms, nodded at him, then turned, hands behind her back, and walked toward the main entrance.

She did not look at the armored soldiers or the five Dou Wangs, but simply said to Zhao Jingtang: "No need to escort me, this young lady will walk on her own," and then strode out the main door of the auction house.

Her fiery red fairy dress burned like a raging flame in the afternoon sun. Hundreds of armored soldiers and five Dou Wangs followed behind in a grand procession; the spectacle was even more exaggerated than escorting prisoners of war.

In the auction house, everyone was still immersed in the shock of the scene that had just transpired.

A fat merchant was the first to break the silence, stuttering: "Who on earth is this girl?"

No one answered him. Several mercenaries looked at each other, and one of them lowered his voice: "Someone who dares to threaten to wipe out Minister of Revenue Zhao's entire family—you won't find a second person like that in the entire Jia Ma Empire."

The lone cultivator wrapped in the grey cloak in the corner suddenly spoke up: "Didn't you hear where she told Old Liu to take the sword? The Hall of Souls branch. When it comes to people from the Hall of Souls, let alone a Minister, even imperial relatives have to kneel to speak."

"But how could people from the Hall of Souls come to such a small place?"

"Haven't you heard? After Emperor Shitian unified the continent, the Hall of Souls has been expanding its personnel in branches across all nations. Although the Jia Ma Empire is a small border country, the Hall Master of the Hall of Souls branch is at least a Dou Zun or higher. That girl asked the Hall Master of the Hall of Souls to keep her sword—weigh it for yourselves, what kind of status could she have?"

The auctioneer, Old Liu, clutched the blood abyss sword, which was tightly wrapped in cloth strips. He carefully peeled back a corner of the cloth, revealing the soul crystal on the hilt that shimmered with a blood-colored halo.

He only took a hurried glance before quickly wrapping the cloth back up, his fingertips still trembling slightly.

He did not dare to delay, and holding the sword, he slipped out of the auction house through the back door and trotted all the way toward the Hall of Souls branch in the east of the city.

The Hall of Souls branch in the Jia Ma Holy City was located in a quiet district in the east of the city. Hanging above the lintel was a black jade plaque engraved with an archaic character for "Soul."

This branch was one of the new strongholds established after the Hun Clan unified the continent, responsible for monitoring the movements within the Jia Ma Empire and surrounding regions.

Hall Master Hun Yu was in the hall reviewing intelligence jade slips submitted from various places. She was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties, with delicate features and a composed demeanor, though a very fine scar at the corner of her eye revealed a hint of killing intent.

Her cultivation was that of a Three-Star Dou Sheng. Among the many Hall Masters of the Hall of Souls, she was not the top, but she excelled in meticulous conduct and was deeply trusted by Hun Qian.

Old Liu was stopped at the hall entrance by two Hall of Souls Heavenly Venerables. He stuttered that someone had entrusted him to deliver a sword.

Hun Yu looked up, her gaze falling on the cloth-wrapped sword. With a flick of her hand, the cloth strips broke inch by inch, revealing the long sword that was dark red all over.

The blood abyss sword.

Hun Yu grasped the hilt; the blood-colored runes shimmering on the sword body resonated faintly with her blood-attribute Dou Qi.

Her pupils contracted slightly—the material of this sword was ten-thousand-year blood soul iron, and there was only one young person in the entire Hun Clan who possessed a weapon made of this material.

Several years ago, when she had escorted Hun Qian to the main hall of the Soul Realm, she had seen Hun Muxiao from afar carrying this sword while practicing in the back mountain.

Hun Yu looked up at Old Liu, her voice steady and restrained: "Where is that young lady now?"

Old Liu was so frightened by the faint pressure emanating from her that his tongue tied into a knot: "Minister of Revenue Zhao... was taken away... auction house..."

Hun Yu stowed the blood abyss sword into her sleeve and stood up.

She did not rush out, but picked up the communication jade slip on the table and injected a soul imprint into it.

A moment later, a lazy and low male voice came from the other side of the jade slip: "Speak."

Hun Yu bowed, her tone respectful and concise: "Young Master, this subordinate is Hall Master Hun Yu of the Jia Ma Holy City branch. The young lady is in the Imperial Capital and has been taken away by the Minister of Revenue, Zhao Jingtang. This subordinate will go to retrieve her immediately."

The other side of the jade slip was silent for a few moments, then Hun Feng's voice sounded again, his tone carrying a hint of helplessness and indulgence: "Let her play. Don't make the Shangshu Mansion look too bad—after all, it is the face of the Jia Ma Empire. As for that Minister of Revenue, teach him a lesson he won't forget."

Hun Yu put away the jade slip and walked out of the hall. The two Hall of Souls Heavenly Venerables followed silently behind her, and the three figures disappeared into the twilight of the Imperial Capital.