...
"Don't be so surprised, it's actually quite complicated."
Seeing Tang San's naive and unsophisticated expression, Ning Rongrong patiently explained...
"The forces behind the Heaven Dou Auction House are deeply entrenched and extremely complex.
The seven noble families of Heaven Dou City, the Heaven Dou royal family, and even the Spirit Hall are all involved to some extent."
"After all, a place like this, which gathers rare and precious treasures from all over the continent every day, would not be able to keep operating without a strong enough backing.
It would have been swallowed up long ago, leaving not even a trace."
Tang San nodded knowingly.
A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
Such a large piece of meat requires checks and balances from top-level forces from all sides to keep it running.
"Logically speaking, places with such complex interests must usually involve some shady gray or even black industries."
Ning Rongrong shrugged. "It was probably three years ago.
At that time, Brother Xuanhao had just broken through to the Soul Emperor realm not long ago, and I happened to be in Tiandou City.
It was a rare opportunity to see him.
He suggested that we take him to the auction house to have a look around and see what was going on."
"As it turned out, whether our luck was good or bad that day, we stumbled upon a clandestine slave auction."
"Slave auction?!"
Tang San frowned sharply, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.
"But I remember that the laws of both great empires explicitly prohibit the slave trade."
"Prohibited? So what if it's prohibited by law?"
Ning Rongrong sneered, "Mistress, you're still too naive. In this world, the more something is explicitly prohibited by law, the greater the potential for exorbitant profits and gains it contains!"
"With so many powerful forces backing the Heavenly Dou Auction House, even if everyone knows what dirty tricks they're up to, who dares to speak out?
Even if you bravely report it, what good will it do?"
Ning Rongrong helplessly spread her hands:
"If you make a scene by yourself, at most they will just lay low for a while and move their business from the open to the underground black market, making it more secretive."
"And after you cause trouble, not only will you not change anything, but you'll also offend a bunch of powerful figures and high-level soul masters by cutting off their livelihood, and you won't even know how you died!"
"Therefore, even our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School can only turn a blind eye to the dirty things happening in this place.
After all, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish."
"However, some audacious fellow has absolutely no scruples about us!"
"I still remember the scene from that day! When he saw those pitiful slaves being displayed in cages like commodities, Brother Xuanhao didn't say a word of nonsense.
He went berserk on the spot and ripped off the roof of the entire auction house!"
Ning Rongrong's voice became somewhat excited: "He single-handedly demolished most of the entire Tiandou Auction House!
The magnificent building you see now is actually mostly a reconstruction."
"At that time, all the thugs he employed in the auction house came out in full force, and he killed several Soul Emperors on the spot. He even severely injured a Soul Saint-level expert!
The whole incident caused a great uproar in the city, and even alarmed the bishop of the Spirit Hall's Heaven Dou City to intervene!"
Tang San was stunned, his heart pounding.
One person, for the sake of a few complete strangers, went head-to-head with the auction house with the strongest backing in the Heaven Dou Empire, and even attracted the attention of the Spirit Hall?!
"And then what happened?" Tang San couldn't help but ask.
"How did he handle things after things escalated so much?"
"In the end, things escalated to such an uncontrollable level that they even alarmed His Holiness the Pope, who was far away in Wuhun City!"
A hint of awe flashed in Ning Rongrong's eyes.
"His Holiness the Pope was furious and directly ordered a thorough investigation of all those involved!"
"Since the Spirit Hall has made its stance clear, the two great empires can't just turn a deaf ear and do nothing, right?
So the royal families of Heaven Dou and Star Luo simply went with the flow and began to crack down on this kind of black industry throughout the country."
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath, reflecting on that silent struggle:
"Brother Xuanhao's outburst did offend slave traders and many powerful figures throughout the world."
However, with Aunt Yuehua's connections in aristocratic circles helping him mediate; with our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School secretly pushing things along; with the Heavenly Dou Royal Family taking the opportunity to suppress dissidents; and with the close cooperation of his group of aristocratic underlings..."
"Finally, this upheaval that swept across half the continent took more than a year to completely subside."
Ning Rongrong pointed to the land beneath her feet: "Then, as the final result of compromise and concessions from all parties—Brother Xuanhao used this battle to forcefully obtain absolute control of half of the Heavenly Dou Auction House!"
"He not only has the authority to interfere with all operations here, but he has also turned the entire auction house's vast intelligence network into his eyes! In recent years, as long as any fool dares to engage in slave trading..."
"He directly used the auction house's intelligence network to issue bounties for murders on the black market!"
"Little Third, can you imagine... hundreds of thousands, or even millions of gold soul coins, being thrown out like rain?
What a maddening and bloody scene that would be?"
"A handsome reward will surely bring forth brave men!
Those assassins were like mad dogs for the bounty!
This guy, with his own wealth and skill, single-handedly and completely disrupted the deep-rooted slave trade chain between the two empires!"
"Now, neither those audacious old nobles nor those self-important high-level soul masters dare to even touch this thing!"
"Because even if the slightest bit of news leaks out, as long as the information reaches Xuan Hao's ears, he will have an absolute reason to lead people to raid and exterminate the family!
Moreover... this is to uphold the explicit laws of the Empire!
And to firmly support the orders of the Spirit Hall!"
"The justification for this is outright! Who dares to utter a single word of dissent?!"
Tang San listened silently to these words, his heart already churning with turbulent emotions.
His impression of Xuan Hao was drastically overturned at this moment.
In Tang San's subconscious mind, Xuan Hao was nothing more than a tyrant who ran rampant with his talent and martial prowess, a madman who seized by force.
But he never expected that this seemingly lawless guy would have such a side.
He actually dared to use the simplest and most brutal violence to smash the dark chain of interests that even the two great empires dared not easily touch!
"Not only that."
Seeing Tang San's shocked expression, Ning Rongrong's eyes flashed with a hint of smugness.
"The outrageous things he's done go far beyond these. Brother Xuanhao is very close to Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Many of the major and minor political reforms in the Tiandou Empire have his shadow behind them."
As she spoke, Ning Rongrong lowered her voice mysteriously and leaned closer:
"Little San, as you know, the imperial power of the Heavenly Dou royal family is relatively weak, and it often cannot control those deeply rooted old nobles.
However, while the royal family may be weak, Brother Xuanhao is not!"
"In the eyes of the higher-ups in Tiandou City, he was originally a reckless and unruly devil.
If he was unhappy with any outdated rules or customs, or felt that a policy should be changed, he would take the opportunity to mention it to the Crown Prince."
"Then, the Crown Prince proposed the reform plan in court. At this point, if any of the old nobles dared to jump out and strongly oppose it..."
Ning Rongrong paused, her expression becoming more animated. "Can you believe it?
He would fly to someone's mansion all by himself in the middle of the night, kick down the door, drag them out, and have a fight with them!"
"Just attack directly?" Tang San's eyes twitched violently, his face darkening. "Isn't that too reckless?"
Political disagreement, then breaking down doors and assaulting people in the middle of the night? That's absolutely outrageous!
"Otherwise, how do you think he got his reputation as a troublemaker?"
Ning Rongrong rolled her eyes, exasperated. "But this trick just happens to work!"
"He has a powerful background and is even stronger.
Ordinary Soul Kings and Soul Emperors would be like cutting melons and vegetables in front of him, dying one after another.
If you really want to threaten him in terms of martial power, you would have to be at least a Soul Saint or above.
And those at that level are mostly the core members of powerful families or large clans."
Ning Rongrong shrugged. "These people all have large families and dependents.
Who would dare to fight a madman who has nothing to lose and is not afraid of anything for a little benefit in the court?"
Tang San remained silent.
Indeed, the older one gets in the world of martial arts, the more timid one becomes.
Those nobles would never gamble their entire clan's wealth and lives with Xuan Hao.
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