nycdaug Chapter 151 The Miao Youth
Chapter 151 The Miao Youth
downstairs.
Xie Xing was looking at the small items on the stall when, as if sensing the gaze coming from the teahouse, he subconsciously looked up in that direction, but saw nothing.
"Miss?" Caiyue, carrying large and small bags, called out to Xie Xing softly, "Miss, it's getting late, let's go back to the manor."
Xie Xing's purpose in coming out was not to make purchases.
Her goal was the slave market.
Xie Xing clapped his hands and turned to Caiyue: "Caiyue, you go back to the manor first. I have some things to do and will return later."
Caiyue exclaimed, then frowned, somewhat disapprovingly saying, "Miss, it might not be safe for you to be alone."
After Xie Xing was taken hostage in public last time, Caiyue didn't dare to return to the manor alone. If something went wrong, how could she bear the blame from her husband and madam?
Since Caiyue wouldn't leave, Xie Xing simply led his men into the slave market.
She had specifically inquired about it; the slave market was located in a remote corner of Shengjing.
As soon as Xie Xing walked in, someone came to greet him.
The man was dressed in hemp clothing, had a face covered in scabies, and small, narrow eyes; he looked every bit the shrewd and mercenary.
He first looked Xie Xing up and down, and seeing that she was dressed in an extraordinary manner, he knew that she was a young lady from a wealthy family.
The man immediately put on a fawning smile and rubbed his hands together, asking, "What would you like to buy, Miss?"
“We have all kinds of slaves here.”
Xie Xing glanced around at the surroundings. It was a dirty and messy place, where people were chained in cages like livestock, and there was a musty smell that was very pungent.
The people locked in the cages were dressed in tattered clothes, their bodies covered with unsightly wounds and filth, their hair like weeds, their eyes dry like dried-up wells, as if they were empty shells that had long lost their souls.
Xie Xing clutched the dress at her side, suppressing the slight trembling in her body and the nausea and discomfort rising from the bottom of her heart.
After a long pause, he said calmly, "Is there anyone who is agile, obedient, and knows martial arts?"
Xie Xing came here to try his luck; he didn't intend to find the perfect candidate right away.
The man paused for a moment, glanced at Xie Xing, and smiled, "If you need one, young lady, of course I have one, but such men are hard to find, and as for the price..."
"Price is not an issue, of course, if it really satisfies me."
Hearing Xie Xing say this, the man's expression finally became a little serious.
His eyes gleamed, and he looked at Xie Xing as if she were a major client. He quickly led her inside, saying, "Come, come, miss, please come in."
"These useless things won't catch your eye; there's definitely something here that will satisfy you."
Xie Xing nodded and followed the man inside.
Halfway there, Xie Xing was startled when a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed her ankle. She looked down and saw a young-looking boy lying in the cage beside her.
The boy was covered in filth. He looked up, his face so dirty that only his dark, bright eyes were visible. His lips were dry, and he coughed for a long time before stammering, "Buy, buy me."
Xie Xing stopped and looked down at him.
The boy looked up at her, his pleading expression unmistakable.
Upon seeing this, the man standing to the side immediately kicked him, shouting, "How dare you! Who gave you permission to touch people with your filthy hands?!"
"Ah!" The boy's hand was stepped on hard, and he cried out in pain on the spot.
Xie Xing was startled.
She glanced at the boy on the ground and said, "Stop hitting him."
As soon as she spoke, the man on the other side quickly stopped. He turned around, smiled at Xie Xing, and said, "This boy was brought over from Miao territory. He hasn't been properly trained yet. I'm really sorry for disturbing you, Miss."
"let's go."
The man said he was about to continue walking.
Xie Xing remained motionless.
She looked at the boy in the cage with curious eyes and asked, "Are you from Miao territory?"
The man was taken aback: "Yes, yes."
Xie Xing pondered for a while, then squatted down, her star-like eyes meeting the face of the boy in the cage. She asked, "You're from Miao territory, so do you know witchcraft?"
The boy shrank back, his eyes darting around, and said in a hoarse voice, "No, I won't."
The man next to him laughed and said, "This kid was sold by his parents. He's not very old, so how could he know any witchcraft? If he did, he wouldn't be here."
"If you like it, Miss, I'll sell it to you for one tael of silver."
Xie Xing felt somewhat uncomfortable upon hearing this.
She thought for a moment and said, "I'll buy it."
The boy in the cage looked up in surprise.
Xie Xing didn't look at him. She stood up and said to the man, "Wash him clean, change him into clean clothes, treat his wounds, and come with me when I leave."
Upon hearing this, the man immediately sent a servant to take the man away.
Upon seeing this, the others in the cage began to stir.
They patted the cage one by one, looking at Xie Xing with hopeful eyes, hoping she would take them all away.
Living a hard life here isn't about following this beautiful young lady who clearly comes from a wealthy family; even the worst life here wouldn't be worse than eating, drinking, and relieving oneself in a cage.
Xie Xing didn't go to see them.
Her abilities were limited; she couldn't even save herself, let alone these people.
Although she bought a young man from Miao territory, Xie Xing still didn't give up on buying someone with high martial arts skills who could protect her.
We entered the pavilion.
The man arranged for Xie Xing to have a martial arts contest with several highly skilled individuals.
These people were much cleaner than those we had seen outside before. Although they still had injuries, they were wearing clean clothes.
Xie Xing watched wave after wave, but always felt something was missing.
She called the man over and whispered, "Are there any even more powerful ones?"
The man's eyes flickered. He glanced at Xie Xing and chuckled, "Miss, you're not looking for slaves or servants, are you? You're looking for guards to protect you?"
Xie Xing nodded.
The man rubbed his hands together and said, "In that case, I do have some connections, but as for the money..."
He rubbed his thumb against his index finger, making a gesture as if asking for money.
Xie Xing took out a gold hairpin.
The man's eyes lit up, and he eagerly took the hairpin, beaming with joy, saying, "Miss, you've come to the right person. If it were anyone else, you really wouldn't find one, but I happen to know some people in the martial arts world."
"In the martial arts world, there are places that specialize in training assassins. As long as you pay enough, you can buy an assassin who will be loyal to you for life."
Upon hearing this, Xie Xing nodded.
But she quickly remembered something and asked warily, "That place where you train assassins, it wouldn't happen to be the underworld of the martial arts world, would it?"