Shackles of Humanity

Big Beard kept poking his head out, always returning with fine wine and meat. Knowing Luo Kai preferred strong liquor, he kept bringing back bottles of it. Luo Kai decided to let loose and began drinking straight from the bottle. He was already in a gloomy mood, so he drank more and more, faster and faster, until Big Beard could barely keep up. Soon, the two were red-faced and squabbling over the alcohol.

As the saying goes, drinking to drown your sorrows only makes them worse. Alcohol that can’t get you drunk is no different than water. The more Luo Kai drank, the more sober he felt, so he decided to stop wasting the fine wine. He stood up and said, ”Big Beard, let’s head back.”

Big Beard was already dead drunk. He mumbled, ”Go back for what? Let’s keep drinking... Ugh... Xiaokai, you’re a young man. I’ll take you out and show you what a real nightlife is. This place is buzzing tonight! All the big shots from Longyang City are here! Come on, let’s go check them out!”

Luo Kai couldn’t be bothered with the drunkard, so he pushed the door open and left alone. As he walked out of the back kitchen, he heard elegant dance music drifting from the manor, interwoven with the beautiful sound of a piano. The melody was so familiar that he found himself walking toward it.

In the large, open area in front of the manor, a group of lavishly dressed men and women danced to the music. Luo Kai spotted a familiar figure: Lu Qing. She was wearing a lavender, form-fitting gown that accentuated her gentle curves, making her look elegant, poised, youthful, and radiant.

She was dancing with that tall, handsome young man. Her steps were a bit clumsy, and her delicate, pretty face held a trace of shyness, but it was mostly lit up by a beaming smile.

With such a handsome man and beautiful woman dancing together, everyone else became part of the backdrop. People stopped dancing and moved to the side, watching the pair with undisguised envy.

Luo Kai suddenly realized he didn’t know this young woman at all. ’Maybe she enjoys being the center of attention like this.’

Just then, a few patrolling guards spotted him. Probably not wanting to disturb the party, they didn’t raise an alarm. Instead, they exchanged hand signals and approached with their guns ready.

Luo Kai’s heart gave a thump, and he dodged away and ran. The guards immediately gave chase, but with Luo Kai’s speed, they were no match for him. He easily lost them after leading them in a circle. Spotting a man dressed as a servant up ahead, Luo Kai moved forward, knocked him unconscious, and swapped clothes with him. After a moment’s thought, he also used a handkerchief to cover his face.

The charity gala had moved on to its main event, the auction. The gala had brought together many of Longyang City’s elite, and it was a perfect opportunity for them to display their prestige. Although most of the auctioned items were mere trinkets like gold and silver jewelry, everyone still opened their wallets generously. The bids weren’t particularly high, however. The most expensive item, surprisingly, was a sea mink fur coat donated by the owner of a clothing trading group, which sold for two hundred thousand Star Dollars.

Su Wenlin, being both the host and the auctioneer, naturally wanted to liven things up. He held up a rather crude-looking stone necklace and announced loudly, ”Everyone, this is a Telepathy Stone that my younger sister specially made for this disaster relief effort...”

Before he could finish, a young man in fine clothes shouted, ”I’ll bid one hundred thousand!”

”Five hundred thousand!” Another bid immediately followed, increasing the price severalfold. The bidder was a young man with narrow eyes—Li Ye, the Young Village Chief of Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold.

Li Ye’s gaze was fixed entirely on a young woman in the corner. Unlike the other lavishly dressed guests, she was simply wearing a white dress with little jewelry. Her hair was jet-black and her face was exquisitely beautiful. She sat alone, not with any group, looking like a Fairy who was above the trifles of the Mortal World. Two formidable-looking, burly women stood guard in front of her, keeping everyone at a distance.

”One million!” Another bid doubled the price again. This time it was Zang Guixu, the son of Zang Haoming, and he too was staring eagerly in the young woman’s direction.

Li Ye had long known the new City Lord had a young daughter, but she rarely appeared in public. Though he frequently hung out with Su Wenlin, he had never seen what she looked like. He had assumed she must be ugly, but seeing her today, he was stunned as if by a Celestial Being. For his family’s sake, if not his own, he had to win her heart. He immediately shouted, ”Two million!”

Zang Guixu shot Li Ye a hateful glare, then turned to his father for support. Zang Haoming gave an almost imperceptible nod. The Zang Family was already related to the Su Family of the Tri-Eyed Race, and he certainly supported his son’s effort to forge an even closer bond through marriage.

Reassured, Zang Guixu let out a breath of relief. Black Stone Heavy Industry was engaged in industry and commerce; when it came to wealth, the agriculturally based Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold couldn’t compare. Moreover, Black Stone Heavy Industry had recently acquired thirty percent of the mining rights for the Tieheng Ore Vein, instantly becoming the largest trading group in the Xingma Kingdom.

”Three million!”

”Five million!”

”Six million!”

Li Ye gritted his teeth and pushed on, ”Eight million!”

Everyone at the gala was stunned. A worthless-looking piece of rock had fetched the astronomical price of eight million. Even if it was a gesture toward the City Lord’s Mansion, it simply wasn’t worth it.

The young woman in the corner lifted her head for the first time and glanced indifferently in their direction. Li Ye was instantly energized, feeling that every penny was worth it.

Zang Guixu was at a loss and looked to his father again. After getting the signal to continue, his face flushed red as he stammered, ”T-Ten million!”

The room fell silent. Everyone was floored by the bid. To put things in perspective, Longyang City’s entire annual tax revenue was just over thirty million. Almost no single family could come up with that much liquid capital. Even for a deeply-rooted local power like Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold, it would be a huge strain.

A triumphant look flashed in Su Wenlin’s eyes; he had gone to great lengths to convince his sister to even attend this gala. With a beaming smile, he said, ”My dear brothers, you haven’t let me finish. This Telepathy Stone that my little sister made is no ordinary rock. To put it simply, if someone near the wearer develops hostility or killing intent towards them, the Telepathy Stone will warm up slightly, allowing the wearer to be on guard ahead of time!”

At this, others in the crowd began to stir with interest. Money was, after all, an external possession, but one’s life was one’s own. An item that provided an early warning against danger was like gaining an extra life. They might not have that kind of liquid capital, but they had plenty of valuable treasures they could offer.

Li Ye’s expression flickered. He suddenly pulled a small box from his robes, which contained a shriveled, fist-sized apple. He declared loudly, ”Brother Su, I will add this Longevity Fruit to my bid.”

Su Wenlin asked in surprise, ”You mean a fruit that’s rich in Active Energy?”

”Correct. This Longevity Fruit contains an amount of Active Energy that’s on par with a Low-Level Gene Potion. And since it’s naturally grown, there are no risks of rejection. It’s worth at least three million Star Dollars!”

”Hmm... Very well. Are there any higher bids?”

In the end, the stone was still won by Zang Guixu for the astronomical price of fourteen million. The Black Stone Trading Group was dead set on acquiring it, and when it came to a battle of wealth, no other power was their match.

Watching from a distance, Luo Kai was also dumbfounded. ’The lives of the wealthy are truly unimaginable.’ He sighed to himself. Not wanting to see the smug faces of the powerful any longer, he quietly made his way into the main villa. The building was empty. He found a sofa in a side parlor and sat down.

He had barely been sitting for a moment when his expression shifted and he shot to his feet. A young woman in white had entered the parlor. She gave him a surprised look before walking over to the sofa and sitting down. She then picked up a pen and paper from the table and began to write and draw.

Luo Kai stole a glance and saw that she seemed to be working on a Sudoku-like puzzle, a number game that was a serious test of one’s calculation and memory skills.

The young woman seemed to notice him looking. She turned her head toward him and asked softly, ”Do you know mathematics?”

”A little,” Luo Kai replied, completely forgetting he was supposed to be disguised as a servant.

”Hmm... In that case, let me give you a problem.” The young woman drew a Nine Palaces grid in her notebook, which was a very basic Sudoku puzzle.

Luo Kai took it and completed it without a second thought.

The young woman proceeded to give him one puzzle after another, each increasing in difficulty. In his past life, Luo Kai would never have been able to solve them, but it was a different story now. His brain was no less capable than a low-end computer; he could solve any problem after a moment’s thought, completing it with ease.

The young woman grew increasingly excited, her gaze landing on him as if he were a priceless treasure. ”Mathematics is the foundation of all knowledge. If you study it deeply enough, you can understand all the secrets of the world.”

But Luo Kai shook his head. ”All Laws Origin from One Source. Any field of study, when pursued to its ultimate limit, can be used to explain everything in existence.”

The young woman froze, her delicate brows knitting together as she sank into deep thought.