"No matter!" His Majesty Emperor Ge smiled coldly, his eyes deep and unfathomable: "Ling'er is always my daughter, how could I let anything happen to her? In the entire Tianxiang Empire, who dares to touch her? I will exterminate their entire clan! If anyone isn't afraid, let them try!"

Mr. Wen sighed inwardly. Some people weren't afraid long ago, and yet their entire clans weren't exterminated. If his daughter truly died, even if he annihilated the other party's lineage afterward, could it bring his daughter back?

It seemed His Majesty was utterly determined to walk this path.

With the Third Prince's disruption, the auction ended prematurely. Except for a few individuals including Yang Mo, everyone else was delighted, and they were now gradually taking their leave.

Young Master Jun stood upstairs, watching General Dugu Wudi flee first with his son, darting out as if chased by ghosts, nearly bursting into laughter. However, Dugu Yi did not leave; he was walking toward the upper floor.

"After this is settled, have Tang Yuan and Song Shang hurry to see me! I have other arrangements," Jun Mo Xie’s expression grew somewhat heavy. Although it was just an auction, how could the subtle intentions Jun Mo Xie harbored be spoken of plainly? Could such matters be trivial?

Even the flutter of a small butterfly's wings could alter existing trajectories, let alone organizing a noble auction at such a crucial juncture? It could easily trigger world-shattering changes!

"Third Uncle, the personnel we secretly arranged outside to contact those families—regardless of whether they've gathered anything yet—must withdraw immediately! Absolutely no traces must be left behind. Everyone needs to quickly compile the materials they hold and consolidate them in one place. After this event, I believe this Lord should have a fundamental grasp of the strength of the great families and wealthy merchants of Tianxiang, especially the vassal forces. Everything should be crystal clear. Third Uncle, you must arrange this matter properly; absolute caution is required."

"I understand; I will act carefully," Jun Wuyi's expression was grave as he nodded deeply.

"Currently, only Third Uncle, Tang Yuan, Song Shang, and the Prince know that I arranged this behind the scenes. Third Uncle is reliable. After my subtle guidance, Tang Yuan and Song Shang should also be fine. As for Ying Bokong, he might vaguely guess something, but it doesn't matter much," Jun Mo Xie pondered internally but did not voice it. Looking up at the little Yang Mo currently gritting his teeth while curled in an armchair, an idea instantly formed in his mind: "Yang Mo, I will write down a few characters for you. When you return, give them to your father the Prince. You absolutely must not let anyone else see them."

Yang Mo assented dully.

"Oh yes, there is also Hai Chenfeng; although he is a Tianxuan master—" Jun Mo Xie had no time to attend to Yang Mo’s gloom, continuing to scrutinize the loopholes in this operation.

Preparation today ensures invincibility tomorrow.

Although many people were present, Jun Mo Xie persistently felt a pair of deep eyes searching for him everywhere. The two black-robed figures who suddenly appeared behind Princess Ling Meng filled Jun Mo Xie with an overwhelming sense of crisis!

As the auction concluded, the guests gradually departed, the three Princes leaving in succession, especially His Royal Highness the Third Prince, who was impatient to present his filial piety to his father, the Emperor. Only Princess Ling Meng remained seated in her chair, stunned and motionless. Although Ling Meng had long known that her three elder brothers were irreconcilable rivals in the struggle for the throne, and was aware of their father's intentions, hearing such discussions laid bare today was still unacceptable to her!

These people were her father, her own flesh and blood siblings! They should have been the closest to her, but why, why, why...

Princess Ling Meng suddenly felt truly alone and helpless. She desperately wished to speak with her trusted sisters like Dugu Yi, even more so to lean on a broad shoulder... Alas, where could she find such a person?

Princess Ling Meng's usually bright, beautiful eyes were now somewhat vacant, clouded with melancholy. She couldn't help but reach up to touch her chest, where four throwing knives rested—four divine weapons from that man, the only things that brought her comfort! The ice-cold blades had already been warmed by her own body heat. If—

The two men in black behind her had vanished at some unknown time. The Sovereign of Tianxiang and Mr. Wen had left even earlier than the crowd; their comings and goings were beyond the Princess’s control.

The Princess's maid, seeing Her Highness lingering for so long, finally entered from outside and stood by her side, accompanying her as the crowd slowly dispersed.

Gradually, the hall became empty, unusually vast. Waves of intoxicating floral fragrance slowly drifted in, gradually replacing the intoxicating scent of wine and driving away the residual odors of the crowd, slowly restoring elegance to the hall.

Light poured in from all sides, alternately bright and dim, emphasizing the immense emptiness.

Upstairs, a mournful, lingering flute melody continued its ceaseless, winding notes, as if lamenting the loneliness of generations and the sorrow of millennia.

Ling Meng sat quietly, listening to the ethereal music, her delicate figure appearing even more fragile and solitary.

The Great Master Jun had just arranged for Yang Mo to be sent away. This young noble heir had experienced too much today, and the blows he suffered were severe. What began as an amusing event, which he attended eagerly, ended with him returning physically and mentally wounded. For a mere ten-year-old child, this was undoubtedly a cruel ordeal.

Yet, the Great Master Jun offered no consolation, nor did he try to cheer him up.

The finest sword comes from grinding; the sweetest plum blossom fragrance arises from bitter cold. Without enduring tempering, how can one attain intoxicating floral fragrance or peerless sharpness?!

A child's growth must ultimately depend on his own efforts. Today, he had planted a seed of resilience in the boy's tender heart, and having endured such setbacks and humiliation, he would inevitably achieve true growth. No matter what he does in the future, the experiences he suffers now will become his most precious asset!

Only through extensive experience can one grow into a man who stands firm between heaven and earth.

There is fundamentally no such thing as depraved emotion; it only arises when one is wantonly toyed with and abandoned, leading to a life lived merely for sport! There are fundamentally no truly ambitious individuals; only those who have been oppressed excessively, who feel a keen sense of loss after comparison, will develop the desire to tread the entire world underfoot, recognizing only themselves as supreme!

Everything has a cause, and a cause leads to an effect.

One person can never truly bear another's suffering for them.

The Great Assassin would certainly never do such a thing!

Appreciation is one thing, but assistance is another! If you cannot even endure the blows dealt to you, then I will not help you! If you die, so be it. There is no pity for those who cannot stand up for themselves, even if they are good people.

After all, too many good people die in the world every single day.

Young Master Jun thought to himself: I cannot help everyone! Let alone that I am not the Savior, even if I truly were the Savior, I couldn't help them all!

Tang Yuan approached him excitedly, his chubby face flushed red with agitation. He opened his mouth and shouted: "Huge profits! Real huge profits! Hahahaha, Tang Yuan has made money today! I never thought Tang Yuan would see this day! I can finally hold my head high!" He suddenly jumped up and roared fiercely at Jun Mo Xie: "Ninety million taels, a full ninety million taels!!!!"

It seemed the Fatty was in a state of hysterical mania. Normally, the Fatty would never dare address Young Master Jun with such abandon; it was all because of the money!

Money! Ah, the original sin!

Song Shang followed behind him with a grim expression, showing no joy whatsoever. In Song Shang’s heart, selling such heavenly-grade fine wine to these so-called nobles was simply wasting precious grain! His Master's wine was a divine product rarely found in the world, how could it be measured by mere money? To measure it with money was simply a desecration. However, since his Master Jun had commanded it, he dared not disobey.

Dugu Xiaoyi followed at the rear, hopping and skipping up, her face and heart brimming with delight. It seemed the success of the auction organized by Jun Mo Xie brought her greater joy than her own achievements.

"Is that so?" Jun Mo Xie watched him with a smile. "Fatty, your dividend from this alone is over ten million silver taels. Do you have any plans for the future?"

"Plans for the future?" Tang Yuan rolled his eyes as he considered, then declared magnanimously, "Of course, I do! I've had a dream since I was little, but I never had enough silver to use, and my family wouldn't give me such large allowances, so it was never realized."

Saying this, Fatty Tang sighed, looking wistful, yet also resentful. Occasionally, there was a trace of relief mixed with the joy, and perhaps some trepidation, that his long-cherished wish was about to come true.

"What grand ambition? Tell me about it," Jun Mo Xie became interested upon hearing this. He had only asked casually, but it turned out he had uncovered Fatty Tang’s greatest dream. As a notorious playboy of equal fame, how could Jun Mo Xie not be curious about the grand life dream hidden within that fat-laden, greasy heart of the Fatty?

This truly was rather strange!

"I've always thought, when I have money, my own money, enough money, I will..." Tang Yuan's expression turned sentimental, making the atmosphere in the room grow heavy. Even Dugu Xiaoyi, who usually loved teasing Tang Yuan, bit her lip, waiting for the Fatty to unburden his heart.

"I will go to Lingwu Lake, gather all the courtesans in every establishment who claim to sell art but not their bodies, put them all in one room, make every single one of them strip naked and sing and dance for me! And they must wink and cast flirtatious glances at me, their movements must be lewd—just to do that once, I wouldn't spare ten thousand gold!" Tang Yuan smacked his lips, his face radiating reminiscing desire, as if he could already see this grand spectacle.

The group was speechless! Everyone's expression was bizarre.

Truly worthy of being one of the most famous young playboys in the capital; even his dreams were so unconventional! One had to admit it!

"What I despise most are those arrogant ladies who claim to be virtuous while acting like whores!" Tang Yuan fumed: "Damn it, if you're going to be a whore, then sell yourself, why hang up a sign saying 'selling art, not the body'? And calling yourselves great artists! Bullshit great artists! Damn their ancestors! Some even righteously declare: 'I am sacrificing myself for art!' Grass! What nonsense! If it weren't for money, why would they jump from one establishment to another? Do they really think they are holy virgins?"

The others were thunderstruck again. However, the Fatty’s words seemed to hold a shred of truth.

"If it's not for money, and they aren't inherently bad people, why don't they just marry a man? Wouldn't that be more stable than doing this? It's just plain perverse! Damn it, what 'selling art, not the body'! I'll use silver to them all to death! Let's see if they still won't sell!" Tang Yuan spoke righteously and with great indignation.