Chapter 70: Breaking the Chains and Price of Freedom

The carriage rolled through progressively narrower streets as they traveled north. The buildings changed with less paint, more bars on windows and fewer spirit lamps lighting the alleys. Yu Liang watched the transformation through the curtain while Meihua sat across from him in silence.

Blood Shadow District was exactly what its name suggested. A faint haze covered the streets, maintained by dozens of suppression formations spread throughout the district.

Yu Liang felt the effect as soon as they entered. His cultivation became harder to use, as if something was constantly pressing it down.

It was clearly intentional.

With their cultivation suppressed, slaves would have a much harder time resisting or escaping.

"This way." Meihua led him down a side street toward a building that looked like a warehouse from the outside. There were no signs or advertisements like regular shop, just a heavy iron door with two Foundation Establishment guards standing on either side.

Yu Liang glanced at her. She moved through the district without hesitation, clearly more familiar with places like this than he had expected.

’Her family must have dealt with places like this before.’

They barely glanced at Yu Liang’s emerald robes before opening the door.

The smell hit them first. Sweat, unwashed bodies, and the faint smell of old blood hanging in the air. The interior was a maze of cages arranged in rows, each one holding anywhere from one to a dozen people. Spirit lamps cast harsh shadows across faces that had long since given up hope.

A short man in expensive silk robes came out of a side office. He gave them a widening smile as he approached.

Yu Liang sensed his cultivation at Foundation Establishment Peak. Strong enough to keep things under control in a place like this.

"Welcome, welcome! I am Master Huo, proprietor of this establishment. First time visiting our market, young master?"

"Yes. I’m looking for people who can provide protection. Preferably high-level cultivators."

Master Huo’s smile widened. "Ah, excellent taste! We pride ourselves on quality merchandise. The Iron Chain Syndicate operates across three provinces, if a cultivator falls into debt, loses a sect war, or simply makes poor choices, they often end up here." He gestured expansively. "All completely legal, of course. Properly registered with the city."

"I’m know." Yu Liang’s voice was flat. "Show me what you have."

They walked through the rows. Master Huo kept up a running commentary, pointing out features like he was selling livestock.

"Body Tempering slaves, fifty thousand to two hundred thousand low grade spiritual stones depending on refinement stage. Good for manual labor, basic guard duty. Very economical!"

The cages held young men and women, many of them thin and clearly exhausted. A few looked at Yu Liang as he passed, but most kept their heads down and said nothing.

"Qi Condensation cultivators range from five million to two hundred million low-grade spiritual stones," Master Huo explained. "They can actually fight, so merchant caravans buy them often."

He pointed toward a cage where a scarred woman stared back at them coldly.

"That one’s fiesty, a former sect disciple. She was caught stealing from her elders though still has plenty of fight in her."

They went deeper into the place. The cages became larger, but there were fewer people inside them.

"Foundation Establishment cultivators range from five to fifteen million mid-grade spiritual stones," Master Huo said. "Now these are the kind you want for serious protection. Most were independent cultivators who couldn’t repay their debts."

His tone became a little more serious.

"At this level, even with a consciousness seal, you should treat them well. They remember how they’re treated."

Master Huo suddenly laughed, loudly at that, almost hysterical laugh.

"Of course, they remember," he said, wiping the corner of his eye. "But what can they do about it? The seal is still there."

He glanced toward the cages.

"They can hate you all they want. As long as the seal holds, they can’t turn that hatred into action."

Yu Liang ignored it and saw an old man sitting cross legged in meditation despite his chains. His spiritual energy felt fractured, like a shattered mirror poorly glued back together. Still dangerous though.

"Core Formation cultivators cost between twenty and fifty million mid grade spiritual stones each. They’re rare."

Master Huo led them farther in, where the cages had been replaced by individual cells.

"Most of these were once sect elders, members of powerful clans, or prisoners taken during wars. They’re expensive, but having one around is enough to make most people think twice before causing trouble."

Then Yu Liang noticed someone in one of the cells.

He was a massive bear-kin cultivator, his dark fur rough and matted. His body was filled with old scars, while on his face was a large scar around the place where he had lost one eye. His other eye watched as they came closer to him.

"That’s Hei Lang," Master Huo said. "Former gladiator champion. He lost a death match and was sold to pay off his gambling debts. Thirty million."

They finally reached the last section. Five cells stood here, each reinforced with multiple formation arrays.

"Nascent Soul cultivators." Master Huo’s tone became more serious. "Five hundred million to one billion mid-grade spiritual stones each. They all have serious injuries. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to keep them here."

He glanced at the cells.

"But even injured, a Nascent Soul cultivator is still a Nascent Soul cultivator."

Yu Liang studied them. An elegant woman with gray streaked hair sat perfectly still, her eyes closed. A scarred man missing his right arm. Two identical brothers sat in separate cells, though one had a strange, weakened aura that suggested he had been poisoned.

The last was a young looking cultivator. Yu Liang could sense that most of his meridians had been damaged beyond what ordinary healing methods could repair.

"The woman is Yan Ruo," Master Huo said. "She was an inner elder of the Crimson Sky Sect. She lost a succession struggle and ended up here. Two hundred million."

Yu Liang counted the people he’d seen throughout the different sections. Around one hundred and forty in total. Humans, fox-kin, rabbit-kin, bear-kin, and several other races.

Each seemed to have their own reason for ending up here.

As they passed the Qi Condensation section, Yu Liang noticed a young rabbit-kin girl sitting quietly in the corner of one cage. She looked no older than sixteen. Her cultivation felt unstable, as if it had been damaged.

She watched them pass with wide, frightened eyes.

In another cage, a woman held a small child against her chest, both chained. The mother’s body language screamed protection despite having nothing left to give.

The old Core Formation cultivator he noticed earlier had meridians that looked deliberately severed. Someone had made sure he could never recover his full strength.

Yu Liang went quiet for a moment.

He felt anger rising in him, but it wasn’t the hot, reckless kind that made a person act without thinking. This was quieter. He simply looked at the cages again, taking in the people inside them.

Then he turned to Master Huo.

"I’ll take them all."

Master Huo blinked. "I... I’m sorry, young master. Did you say—"

"All of them. Every single slave in this building. Name your price."

Master Huo’s expression cycled through confusion, shock, and then barely concealed greed. His hands actually trembled as he pulled out an abacus and began calculating.

"That would be... approximately twenty point eight billion mid grade spirit stones, young master. A substantial—"

Yu Liang reached into his robes and produced a storage ring. He set it on the counter between them.

"Twenty one billion. The extra millions is for delivery to my warehouse district, within two hours. Can you manage that?"

Master Huo stared at the ring like it might bite him. He checked the contents with shaking hands, his spiritual sense confirming what his greed wanted to believe.

"Yes. Yes, of course, young master! The Iron Chain Syndicate is delighted to—"

"Save it." Yu Liang turned toward the exit. "Two hours. If they’re harmed during transport, I’ll be very unhappy."

[ Ding! Host has spent 2,000,000,000 Mid Grade Spiritual Stones ]

[ Multiplier Triggered: 85x ]

[ Host Receives: 170,000,000,000 Mid-Grade Spiritual Stones ]

He walked out without looking back, with Meihua hurrying to keep pace beside him.

Behind them, Master Huo remained where he was, still holding the storage pouch. Even after Yu Liang had left, he found himself staring at it for a moment.

A transaction of that size wasn’t something he saw every day.

In her cell, Yan Ruo opened her eyes as she heard everything.

Her expression remained carefully neutral, but something flickered in her gaze that hadn’t been there for years.

Curiosity.