CHAPTER 563: A GREAT RELIEF AND GREATER ANXIETY

Han Yu ignored the words of the clerk and checked the list again, not wanting to miss anything. The clerk too left him alone, having already seen such a scene many times.

After a few more minutes, Han Yu scrolled through the last screen of the list and felt a slow, deep exhale leave him.

No familiar faces. Not a single one.

The list refreshed several times while he browsed, new bids appearing and changing, but none of the displayed slaves looked remotely like anyone he recognized from the Twin Leaf Peak sect or the other righteous sects that had entered the tomb.

There were no robes. No identifying marks. No information on origins.

The sect had stripped them all of identity the moment they were captured. Han Yu had expected as much, but the reality of it still made his chest tighten painfully. The Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect treated them like livestock, not people. Their names, affiliations, and histories held no value.

The clerk leaned forward again, eyebrow raised.

"So. Did you find something interesting? Or are the prices too high for you?" he asked with a smirk.

Han Yu kept Ju Fan’s cold, emotionless expression firmly on his face. "A bit of both," he said flatly.

This was actually true. The prices were nothing short of ridiculous. He had checked the numbers several times to make sure he had seen them correctly.

The cheapest slaves were the old and frail mortals, costing four to five thousand merit points. That was for crooked backs, trembling hands, and bodies barely able to carry a basket of herbs.

Even a marginally healthy labor slave cost seven to eight thousand merit points.

Skilled slaves were pricier still. Those trained in crafts like basic forging or elementary formation work were valued above ten thousand merit points. And it did not stop there. Some skilled slaves went up to fifty thousand merit points, especially if they had decent cultivation.

Han Yu shifted slightly as he scrolled back through the list of cultivator slaves. These were the ones obtained from other sources than the purge. They were subdued, sealed, and processed into training. They ranged from early Qi refining cultivators to peak Core Condensation cultivators.

The most expensive Core Condensation realm slave Han Yu had seen was priced at over a hundred thousand merit points. It made Han Yu inwardly shudder at the realization of how valuable his companions from the expedition would be in the eyes of this sect. Especially Elder ranked cultivators.

But even those high prices were overshadowed by one category.

The Bed Slaves.

Their section glowed brighter and was always crowded with bidders. The portraits of the slaves in that category were shockingly polished, as if the sect had deliberately made them more presentable. There were men and women alike, some with striking features, some with delicate beauty, some with bold charm.

Many looked like the children of noble clans. Some appeared like royalty in all but name. Han Yu’s breath had caught for a moment when he first scrolled through the gallery. He had never seen so many beautiful people reduced to property and displayed like prized treasures.

Their prices reflected this cruel valuation.

A million merit points.

That was the highest bid he saw.

’A million. Who could afford that?’ Han Yu reckoned only the Core Court Elders perhaps, or the Patriarch’s chosen, or those with frightening influence in the Slaughtered Moon Divine Blood Sect could afford this.

Han Yu scrolled away from the section quickly. He felt anger coil tightly in his stomach.

Still, even with all this horror, he let out a small breath of relief. None of the faces he saw were his companions. None were people from the righteous sects he recognized. Not even the disciples from unorthodox sects he had crossed paths with.

He whispered inwardly, "Thank the heavens..."

Just when he stepped back from the screen, the clerk’s voice broke his brief moment of relief.

"Looking for someone specific?" he asked casually, rubbing his chin.

Han Yu gave a small shrug. "No. Just browsing. The prices are steep."

The clerk nodded sagely. "That is true. Slaves cost a fortune. Especially the fresh ones. The demand is always high. Supply is always limited. And most of them break during training."

Han Yu’s expression remained blank, but inside his stomach tightened again.

After a moment, he asked in a neutral tone, "What about the slaves captured during the purge?"

The clerk barked a laugh and waved his hand.

"Those? They are nowhere near ready. Freshly captured cultivators take a long time to train. Years sometimes. You cannot just break a cultivator in a week. The mind resists. The will resists. The soul resists. It takes... patience."

Han Yu felt his throat go dry.

"How long does it take usually?" he asked.

"For mortals, a month is enough. For Qi refining cultivators, half a year to a year. For Core Condensation cultivators, two years or even more."

Han Yu swallowed.

"Where are they now?"

"Deep in the training halls, of course. If you want one of the new slaves, you will have to wait."

Han Yu nodded slowly. That at least made sense. The training process was not something one could rush.

"But," the clerk added lazily, "a few of them have already submitted."

Han Yu’s head snapped toward him.

"Submitted?" he repeated, doing his best to sound merely curious.

"Oh yes," the clerk said with a grin. "Every batch has a few who break fast. Some are eager to join the sect. Some see the sect’s strength and immediately kneel. Some even beg to join. Those were bought already."

Han Yu’s heart clenched.

He did not want to ask this next question, but he had to.

"Why did they submit so quickly?"

The clerk smirked knowingly.

"There were many unorthodox cultivators in the group we captured. They are already halfway mad most of the time. They know the value of power. They know the laws of slaughter. They understand how we operate. Submission is natural to them. They were excited to join us rather than die."