“Where did this little girl come from?”

“Li Ke, did you arrange this?”

Bai Ye’s arrival set everyone at the auction talking. How had a little girl been allowed in? Was she some kind of sideshow arranged by Li Ke?

But whether Li Ke had arranged it or not, Bai Ye’s stunning, charming looks had already set everyone there itching to make a move.

The desire stirred by the “auction item” onstage was burning even hotter now.

“Gulp~ Those breasts, those legs, that delicate little face—she’s even more exquisite than the ‘auction item’!”

A man with a pig’s face and big ears could no longer hold back his urge. He moved toward Bai Ye, determined to pull the little beauty into his arms before anyone else could.

She wasn’t an “auction item,” after all. Whoever grabbed her first got to keep her.

“You’re such a cute little girl. Come on, let your uncle give you a checkup.”

The pig-faced man moved closer to Bai Ye and reached out with his grubby hand.

Bai Ye didn’t dodge as the disgusting man, his face slick with grease and his ears big as a pig’s, came toward her.

When the pig-faced man saw that she wasn’t dodging, he was secretly delighted.

“Here I come, little beauty.”

“Tsk.”

Bai Ye frowned, looking impatient.

“Get lost!”

Bai Ye swept one hand through the air. She didn’t even seem to touch the pig-faced man, yet he flew away as if struck by a Heavy Strike, crashing into the wall nearby.

“What?!”

“That little girl can use magic? Could she be a ‘Saint Cultivator’?”

Only after seeing the pig-faced man knocked flying did everyone realize that the silver-haired girl before them had come with hostile intentions. They sprang to their feet as if facing a powerful enemy, warily watching Bai Ye.

But Bai Ye paid them no attention and walked straight toward the platform.

Everyone there stayed cautious. Not one of them stepped forward to stop her. Until Bai Ye made her intentions clear, they weren’t in a hurry to act.

Li Ke was no different. As the auction’s organizer, he was more cautious than anyone.

The silver-haired girl before them clearly seemed to mean trouble, but she still hadn’t explained why she was here. If they handled things carefully, perhaps they could avoid a conflict altogether.

“Little girl, may I ask you...”

Li Ke tried to speak to her, but Bai Ye walked right past him as if she hadn’t even seen him, showing no intention of acknowledging him.

Bai Ye walked over to the cage and crouched down. Then she asked the girl slave inside:

“What’s your name?”

Bai Ye’s voice was gentle, but her cold presence seemed to frighten the girl in the cage.

The girl hugged her knees and shrank back, her head bowed. She didn’t even dare look at Bai Ye.

“It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. Will you tell me your name?”

Bai Ye could see how timid and uneasy the girl in the cage was. She smiled, making her voice even gentler.

It seemed Bai Ye’s kindness had touched the girl. She slowly opened her mouth and whispered her name.

“Y-Yilisi...”

“Yilisi. That’s a lovely name.”

Bai Ye reached into the cage and gently stroked Yilisi’s head. At first, Yilisi shrank away, but under Bai Ye’s gentle touch, she finally let down her guard, and her body stopped trembling.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you out of there soon.”

“Um, little girl, if you want to take her away, you’ll have to bid. You’ll need to offer at least 460 gold coins.”

“Bid?”

Bai Ye slowly stood and looked at Li Ke beside her. Her voice was icy.

“Didn’t I already tell you? Your lives are my bid!”

“W-What do you mean?”

Li Ke was starting to panic. He had a bad feeling that there might be no way to bring tonight to a peaceful end.

“Under the Empire’s new law, slave trading is forbidden within the Empire. Anyone who breaks it will face severe punishment.”

Bai Ye looked coldly at everyone present.

“Not one of you is leaving today. You’ll wait here and face the full force of Imperial law.”

“You little beauty, all you can do is use a bit of magic. Don’t get too cocky! Guards, seize her!”

Many of the nobles present had brought their own guards, and Li Ke had plenty of hired muscle of his own. Together, they numbered several dozen.

They were all ordinary people, but surely that was enough to take down the little girl in front of them.

Their opponent might be able to use magic, but judging by her age, even if she was a “Saint Cultivator,” she was probably just a beginner who’d only recently started training. She couldn’t be much stronger than an ordinary person.

The nobles present didn’t believe this silver-haired girl could make much of a fuss.

“Fine. I knew you wouldn’t surrender without a fight.”

By now, the guards had surrounded Bai Ye. Her slender, seemingly delicate frame looked no match for these broad-shouldered, muscular men.

And yet, Bai Ye showed no fear or hesitation.

Beyond the coldness on her delicate face, the only other thing they could see was a hint of anger lurking beneath it.

“Get her!”

At someone’s command, they rushed at Bai Ye like a pack of wolves pouncing on a lamb.

“Hmph!”

Bai Ye snorted, and her whole presence changed completely!

If Bai Ye had been drifting snow a moment ago, now she was the endless depths of winter!

Along with Bai Ye’s icy presence came the black magic that had appeared at some point.

The magic swirled around Bai Ye like mist. She swept one hand, and it surged toward the guards surrounding her.

The moment the guards came into contact with the black magic, they collapsed to the ground as if they’d inhaled a sedative. None of them could get back up.

“I forgot to mention—I really am a ‘Saint Cultivator.’ A Saint Cultivator at the Tenth Saint Rank!”