Chapter 357: Ya Su’s Faith and Stubborn Resistance

Alaric sat in the plush velvet armchair of the VIP suite, his gaze fixed on the magical projection screen that displayed the auction floor below, but his mind was elsewhere. He wasn’t looking at the crowd; he was looking inward, dissecting the conquest he had just performed. Or rather, the partial conquest.

He knew, with the cold certainty of a predator who had tasted the blood but missed the kill, that Ya Su wasn’t entirely his. Not yet. Her body? That was a different story. He had broken her physically, stretched her, filled her, and marked her inside and out. Her body was currently singing his praises, vibrating with the aftershocks of his mana and his seed. If it were just a matter of flesh, she would never look at another man again without feeling hollow.

But the mind… the mind was a stubborn fortress.

’She still believes in him,’ Alaric thought, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face. ’She thinks Feng Xiao is invincible.’

It wasn’t surprising. From the intel Lin Ruoli had gathered, Feng Xiao’s rise was the stuff of legends in this backwater empire. He had fought Martial Kings when he was just a Martial Grandmaster. He had survived forbidden zones that swallowed armies. He turned impossible odds into stepping stones. To Ya Su, Feng Xiao wasn’t just a lover; he was a miracle. A god of war who defied logic.

’She thinks he can beat me,’ Alaric analyzed, tapping his finger against the armrest. ’She thinks that just because he punches above his weight class, he can punch my weight class. She doesn’t understand the difference between a lucky mortal and a man who rewrites the laws of magic.’

She believed in Feng Xiao’s “heaven-defying luck,” though she wouldn’t call it that. She just saw him as the hero of her story. And until Alaric shattered that image—until he crushed Feng Xiao into the dirt right in front of her pretty, tear-filled eyes—her heart would remain split.

’Fine,’ Alaric decided, a cruel smile touching his lips. ’Faith is just a pillar. And pillars can be toppled.’

He shifted his focus to the next piece on the board. Yun Lan. The former Sect Master of the Frozen Cloud Asgard.

According to the reports, she had vanished after stepping down to protect Feng Xiao. Rumors placed her in deep seclusion in the Cloud Mist Mountains.

’She was a Peak Martial Grandmaster back then,’ Alaric mused. ’Just one step away from the King realm. After years of isolation, heartbroken over her student’s fiancée and the boy she protected… odds are she’s broken through. A fresh Martial King. Powerful. Righteous. And probably lonely.’

He needed a bridge to get to her. He couldn’t just walk into a forbidden mountain range and knock on her cave door. He needed bait.

He looked down at his hand, remembering the feel of Ya Su’s skin. ’Ya Su is the bridge. She handles Feng Xiao’s affairs. She likely knows where the old flame is hiding, or at least how to contact her. I’ll use the auctioneer to lure out the sect master.’

But first, he had an auction to attend. And a woman to remind of her place.

Down in the private appraisal room, Ya Su was trying to pull herself together.

It was a losing battle. Her legs felt like jelly, trembling with every step she took. Her womb felt heavy, full of a hot, foreign liquid that sloshed with her movements—a constant, humiliating reminder of the monster who had just ravaged her for hours. She wiped a sheen of sweat from her forehead, her hand shaking.

’I can’t go out there,’ she realized, staring at her reflection in the polished bronze mirror.

Her face was flushed, her lips swollen and bitten. Her eyes, usually sharp and calculating, looked glassy and dazed. She looked like exactly what she was: a woman who had been thoroughly, brutally fucked.

’If I go on stage like this… everyone will know. The Gilded Lotus family would lose face. Feng Xiao would…’

She flinched at the thought of Feng Xiao. Guilt, sharp and acrid, clawed at her throat. She had betrayed him. She hadn’t wanted to, but her body… her traitorous body had screamed for that monster.

’He is powerful,’ she thought, her mind trying to rationalize the violation. ’He uses spatial laws like a toy. Even a Martial Emperor would struggle to do that. But Feng Xiao… Feng Xiao creates miracles. He will find a way. He always finds a way. I just need to… to warn him.’

She reached for a jade slip, her fingers hovering over the inscription array. She could send a message. Just a few words. Danger. Monster. Run.

But she hesitated.

’If I send this… will he come?’ she wondered. ’If he comes now, without knowing the enemy… he might die. This Alaric… he is an unknown variable. I need to know his weakness. I need to know his limits.’

She pulled her hand back. She couldn’t risk Feng Xiao’s life on a panic impulse. She had to be smart. She had to play the long game. She would endure this. She would let this devil use her body, and while he was distracted by her flesh, she would find the chink in his armor.

’I will be the spy,’ she resolved, steeling herself. ’I will sacrifice myself for him.’

She straightened her dress, wincing as the fabric rubbed against her sensitive nipples. She couldn’t conduct the auction today. She was a mess.

She summoned her assistant, a young, ambitious woman named Xue Yu.

Xue Yu entered the room, her eyes widening slightly at Ya Su’s disheveled appearance, but she was smart enough not to comment. Xue Yu was beautiful in a flashy, obvious way—big tits, wide hips, and a penchant for clothes that were two sizes too small. She lacked Ya Su’s elegance, but she had plenty of sex appeal.

“Sister Ya?” Xue Yu asked.

“I am… unwell,” Ya Su said, her voice husky. “You will preside over the auction today. Take the gavel.”

Xue Yu’s eyes lit up. This was her chance. “Yes, Sister! I won’t let you down!”

As Xue Yu rushed off to prepare, Ya Su sank into a chair, her legs giving out. She needed to rest. She needed to wash the scent of Alaric off her skin.

But peace was not on the menu.

The door to her private room burst open.

Ya Su jumped, a spike of fear shooting through her. Had he come back?

It wasn’t Alaric. It was Lin Ruoli.

The Guildmaster of the Jade Serpent stood there, looking impeccable in her formal robes, but her eyes were cold and hard. She moved with the fluid grace of a Martial Grandmaster, a predator entering a coop.

“Guildmaster Lin,” Ya Su stammered, trying to stand. “I… I was just…”

“You are not where you are supposed to be,” Lin Ruoli said, her voice flat.

“I am indisposed,” Ya Su said, trying to summon her dignity. “I have assigned Xue Yu to handle the auction. I need to recover.”

Lin Ruoli didn’t argue. She didn’t negotiate. She simply blurred across the room.

Before Ya Su could even blink, Lin Ruoli’s hand was wrapped around her throat, pinning her to the chair. The suppression of a Martial Grandmaster slammed down on Ya Su’s Elite Martialist cultivation like a hammer on glass.

“The Master does not care about your recovery,” Lin Ruoli hissed. “He wants you. Now.”

“I… I can’t…” Ya Su choked out.

“You don’t have a choice.”

Lin Ruoli hauled her up, gripping her arm with bruising force. She didn’t treat Ya Su like a fellow merchant or a victim. She treated her like inventory that was late for delivery.

“Move,” Lin Ruoli commanded.

She dragged Ya Su out of the room, through the back corridors, and up the private stairwell to the VIP suites. Ya Su stumbled, her weak legs barely supporting her, shame burning her cheeks as the few guards they passed averted their eyes.

They reached the door to the supreme VIP suite. Lin Ruoli threw it open and shoved Ya Su inside.

Ya Su stumbled, catching herself on a velvet ottoman. She looked up.

Alaric was sitting on a wide, plush couch, a glass of wine in his hand. He looked bored. But when he saw her, his eyes lit up with that same terrifying, hungry amusement.

“There you are,” he purred. “I turned on the viewing screen and saw some… cheap substitute on the stage. Where were you hiding?”

“I… I…” Ya Su trembled. The sheer presence of the man made her womb clench.

“Come here,” Alaric commanded.

He didn’t wait for her to walk. He extended a hand, and an invisible force—telekinesis, she realized with horror—wrapped around her waist and yanked her across the room.

She landed in his lap with a soft thud, her ass settling onto his thighs.

“Better,” Alaric said, wrapping his arms around her waist, locking her in place.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling deeply. “You still smell like me. Good.”

“Please…” Ya Su whispered, her body stiff. “The auction… it’s starting…”

“I know,” Alaric said. “And you’re going to narrate it for me. Personally.”

He shifted, grinding his hips upward. She felt it immediately—the hard ridge of his erection pressing against her buttocks through the thin silk of her dress.

’He’s hard again?’ she thought, panic fluttering in her chest. ’After all that? Is he not human?’

“Relax,” Alaric whispered, biting her earlobe. “You’re stiff as a board. An auctioneer should be fluid. Welcoming.”

His hands began to roam. One hand stayed on her waist, keeping her pinned. The other moved up, cupping her massive breast through the silk of her dress. He squeezed, his fingers digging in, finding the sensitive nipple and pinching it.

“Ah!” Ya Su gasped, arching her back involuntarily.

“There’s the noise I like,” he chuckled.

His other hand, the one at her waist, began to pull at the fabric of her dress. It was a beautiful, expensive piece of embroidery. He didn’t care.

Rrrrip.

He tore a hole in the midriff section, exposing her stomach.

“Why…” she whimpered.

“I like seeing skin,” he said simply. His hand slid onto her bare stomach, his palm warm and rough against her soft, pale flesh. He traced the line of her abs, dipping his finger into her navel. “You have a lovely belly, Ya Su. Soft. Breedable.”

He bit her neck, hard enough to leave a mark, claiming her skin as his canvas.

“Look at the screen,” he commanded, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at the magical projection on the wall. “The show is starting.”

On the screen, Xue Yu, the substitute, was walking onto the stage. She was wearing a dress that was cut so low her nipples were practically visible, trying too hard to mimic Ya Su’s allure.

“She’s trying,” Alaric commented dryly. “But she lacks your… quality.”

He moved his hips again, grinding the head of his cock right into the cleft of her ass. He hit a spot that sent a jolt of electricity straight to her groin.

Ya Su bit her lip, trying to hold back a moan. She had to stay strong. She had to find his weakness.

’He is arrogant,’ she thought, her mind racing even as her body betrayed her. ’He thinks he owns everything. That is a weakness. He underestimates the loyalty of the human heart.’

She leaned back slightly, testing the boundaries. “You are powerful,” she said, her voice trembling but audible. “But you do not know the North. Wealth here does not bow to strength alone.”

“Is that so?” Alaric laughed, his hand sliding down her stomach, slipping under the waistband of her ruined dress. He found her clit and flicked it.

“Ah!”

“Seems to me wealth bows to whoever has the biggest stick,” he whispered. “And right now, I’m the one holding the stick.”

Lin Ruoli, standing in the corner, pulled out a rectangular artifact—a “Image-Capture Stone” that Alaric had modified into something resembling a smartphone. She held it up, focusing on the couple on the couch.

From the angle, it looked like a scene of pure intimacy. Ya Su sitting on Alaric’s lap, her head thrown back in pleasure, his hands all over her, her midriff exposed and glistening. It looked like she was his willing lover.

Click. A flash of light.

Ya Su flinched. “What was that?”

“Insurance,” Alaric said. “A little souvenir. Imagine if Feng Xiao saw that. His beloved Ya Su, looking so… comfortable in another man’s arms.”

“He wouldn’t believe it!” she cried. “He knows me!”

“Does he?” Alaric asked, sliding a finger inside her. She was soaking wet. “Does he know you get this wet for strangers? Or does he think you’re a saint?”

“I hate you,” she sobbed, but her hips bucked against his hand.

“Hate me all you want,” he said. “Just keep your legs open.”

On the screen, Xue Yu cleared her throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed cultivators! Welcome to the Gilded Lotus Grand Auction! Our first item tonight…”

A servant brought out a tray covered in red velvet. Xue Yu pulled the cloth away to reveal a gnarly, red root that pulsed with a faint heat.

“The Scarlet Yang Herb!” Xue Yu announced, trying to inject excitement into her voice. “A Tier 4 spiritual herb! Capable of cleansing cold poison and strengthening the yang energy of a cultivator! Starting bid: 500 Dragon Coins!”

The reaction from the crowd was… lukewarm.

A few hands went up in the general seating area. “550.” “600.”

The VIP boxes around the upper ring remained silent. No lights flickered. No voices called out.

Alaric watched, intrigued. “Tier 4?” he asked Ya Su, nipping at her shoulder. “And no one cares?”

“It is… common,” Ya Su gasped, trying to focus on the screen to distract herself from his finger circling inside her. “The Northern Prefecture… is rich in Yang-attribute herbs because of the volcanoes in the west. A Scarlet Yang Herb… is useful for apprentices… but useless for anyone above… Martial Master.”

“Common,” Alaric repeated, shaking his head. In the Jorailian Kingdom, a Tier 4 herb like that would start a minor war among the Mage Towers. It was a potent ingredient for vitality potions and fire-attribute mana boosters. Here, it was barely worth getting out of bed for.

’The resource density here is insane,’ he realized. ’What they consider trash is treasure back home. If I export this stuff… I can raise an army of enhanced Mages in a year.’

“Tell me more,” he commanded, squeezing her breast. “What else does it do?”

“It… ah… it can stimulate blood flow,” Ya Su panted, her voice hitching as he hit a sensitive spot. “It is used… used in basic body tempering… pastes…”

“Body tempering,” Alaric mused. “Right. Because you martialists are obsessed with hitting things with your faces.”

He looked at the herb. It sold for a measly 800 Dragon Coins. Pocket change.

“Buy it,” he told Lin Ruoli. “Buy every single one they have in stock after the auction. We’re exporting.”

“Yes, Master,” Lin Ruoli noted it down.

“Next item!” Xue Yu called out.

The second item was brought out. A sword. It glowed with a cold, blue light.

“The Frost-Bite Blade!” Xue Yu announced. “Forged from thousand-year cold iron! A Low-Tier Earth Grade weapon! Capable of freezing an opponent’s blood upon contact!”

The crowd woke up.

“Five thousand!” someone shouted immediately.

“Six thousand!”

“Eight thousand!”

The VIP boxes lit up. This was a weapon. In a world of martial artists, weapons were life.

“Tier 5 equivalent,” Alaric noted. “Earth Grade. Interesting naming convention.”

He wrapped both arms around Ya Su, hugging her tight, his erection pressed firmly against her back. “Is this blade good?” he asked her.

“It is… decent,” she whispered, trying not to moan as he bit her ear. “Good for… a Martial Grandmaster… practicing ice arts… ah! Please… stop pinching…”

“Why?” he whispered. “You look so pretty when you’re in pain.”

“Ten thousand Dragon Coins!” a voice boomed from a VIP box.

“Twelve thousand!” another countered.

“Dragon Coins,” Alaric muttered. “Gold infused with a trace of spirit stone dust. A stable currency.”

He wasn’t interested in the sword. He had artifacts that could blow that toothpick apart. But he was interested in the bidding war. It showed him who had money. Who was desperate.

“Who is bidding?” he asked Ya Su.

“The… the Xiao Clan elder…” she gasped. “And… the Iron Fist Sect leader…”

“Local powers,” Alaric noted. “Small fry.”

He continued to play with her, using her body as his fidget toy while he analyzed the economy of the Empire. He learned about the value of pills versus weapons, the demand for defensive arrays (high), and the utter lack of utility artifacts.

’They have no communication networks beyond simple talismans,’ he realized. ’No mass transport. No luxury tech. The market is wide open.’

As the auction dragged on, Ya Su’s resistance began to fray. The constant stimulation, the heat of his body, the way he claimed her… it was wearing her down. She found herself leaning back against him, her head resting on his shoulder, her breaths syncing with his.

’He is… warm,’ a treacherous thought whispered in her mind. ’Strong. He holds me like he owns the world.’

She shook her head, trying to dispel the thought. ’No. Feng Xiao. Remember Feng Xiao.’

But Feng Xiao was far away. And Alaric was right here, inside her, around her, consuming her.

“Last item for the first half,” Xue Yu announced, wiping sweat from her brow. “A rare treasure! A fragment of a map… leading to a suspected Ancient King’s tomb!”

The crowd went wild. Exploration. Legacy. That was the dream.

Alaric smiled. “Maps. Everyone loves a treasure hunt.”

He kissed Ya Su’s cheek. “You did well, auctioneer. Your commentary was… enlightening.”

“Are… are we done?” she asked, hope rising.

“Done?” Alaric laughed. “It’s intermission. And during intermission…”

He grabbed her hand and placed it on his crotch.

“…the King needs to be serviced.”

He looked at her, his eyes burning. “On your knees, Ya Su. Show me you know how to handle a real weapon.”

Ya Su looked at him, then at Lin Ruoli, who was watching with a cold smile. She looked at the door, locked and sealed.

She slid off his lap. She sank to her knees on the thick carpet.

She reached for his belt.

She was still loyal to Feng Xiao. She told herself that. But as she took Alaric into her mouth, as she tasted him and heard his groan of approval, she wondered how long that loyalty could survive against a man who simply took everything he wanted.

And Alaric, looking down at the beautiful, broken auctioneer serving him, knew the answer.

Not long. Not long at all.