121: I want her!

Ye Chen locked eyes with the woman for two seconds before turning to the slave trader. "What's the story with her?"

The slave trader chuckled, rubbing his hands together.

"Sir, that's a long story."

"According to the person who sold her to me, this woman originally came from a small family. She practiced martial arts herself and had a bit of a foundation."

"Unfortunately, she offended some ruthless person. Her entire family, dozens of people, were slaughtered clean in a single night."

"Her cultivation was also completely crippled—her dantian crushed and her meridians all severed. Her enemies originally planned to rape her before killing her, just to humiliate her properly."

"But guess what happened?"

The slave trader's tone grew a bit more excited.

"This woman has a fierce temperament!"

"Taking advantage of their inattention, she threw herself headfirst into the stove fire!"

"Whoosh—the fire burned so hot her flesh split open!"

"She burned herself into this ghostly state, and her enemies lost all interest. They found her nauseating and thought it would be a waste to just kill her, so they dumped her here with us."

"Hehe, look, Sir..."

He leaned in closer and continued lewdly.

"Although her face and body are ruined, her hair is a rarity—it didn't burn at all, it's pitch black and shiny."

"Her figure and bone structure... if you look closely, she's actually got a top-tier frame."

"If you have any... special hobbies, Sir, this one is definitely the top choice! She's got kick! She's fierce!"

Ye Chen: "..."

Damn!

Did he look like a pervert?

Night Owl had followed him over long ago and was standing behind him to the side. Hearing this, she crossed her arms and interjected with disdain, "Heh... you certainly have unique tastes."

Ye Chen didn't bother to explain and asked the slave trader directly.

"How much?"

The slave trader gave a sly smile.

"The other side gave me half a kilogram of gold and specifically instructed..."

"To sell her as long as someone pays."

"The main goal is to spite her, to make her living more painful than death."

"So, it's only ten bucks."

A life for ten bucks?

It truly was an insult... Ye Chen nodded and pulled out a red bill. "I'll take her."

The slave trader took the red bill, his face beaming with joy.

"Right away! You're a straightforward man, Sir!"

He nimbly pulled out a key, opened the iron lock on the fence, and then unfastened the iron collar chain around the woman's neck. He pushed her outward like herding livestock. "From today on, you belong to this gentleman! Serve him well!"

The woman was pushed and stumbled, nearly falling over.

She managed to steady herself, still maintaining that deathly still expression, but the look she gave Ye Chen now held a bit of wariness in addition to the hatred.

Ye Chen said nothing more and turned toward the recruitment area.

"Follow me."

The woman silently dragged her unstable footsteps, following a few paces behind him.

Night Owl followed beside him, glanced at the woman, and couldn't help but jab at Ye Chen again. "Buying such a burden for ten dollars... Young Master Ye, your tastes are more than just unique."

Ye Chen didn't stop. His gaze swept over the figures in the recruitment area as he said indifferently,

"Whether she's a burden isn't for you to say."

"It's only for me to say."

Night Owl gave a disdainful laugh. "Then I'll just have to see how you're going to make her 'not a waste'."

Ye Chen didn't respond, his eyes slowly scanning the recruitment area.

He walked slowly and looked carefully, occasionally stopping to ask a few questions, but ultimately always shaking his head and leaving.

After completing a circuit, he frowned slightly and turned to Night Owl. "Are there no stronger ones?"

Early-stage Grandmasters, mid-stage, even two teams claiming to be late-stage who specialized in combined attacks... these forces were indeed powerful in the secular world.

But Ye Chen knew in his heart.

The outer sect of the Hidden Sect could easily dispatch someone like Yin Huaizi; their foundation was by no means ordinary.

Although Yin Huaizi had been easily defeated by him, it didn't mean others could do the same... If the Hidden Sect truly developed a killing intent and sent out more elite, more bizarre forces, or even inner sect experts... then relying on these mercenary martial artists who worked for money would likely be insufficient.

When facing an opponent like the Hidden Sect, these people might be able to add the finishing touches, but they would find it hard to carry the heavy burden during a crisis.

Loyalty and determination were the most unreliable things in the face of monetary transactions.

Hearing this, Night Owl rolled her eyes in annoyance. "You think Grandmasters are like ants on the street, something you can just grab by the handful? And you're looking for Yellow Rank? You're dreaming! People of that level are either local powerhouses or sect elders. Who would come to the Ghost Market to put themselves up for sale?"

Above Grandmaster were the Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow Ranks!

The strongest was Heaven Rank, and the lowest was Yellow Rank.

But even so, Yellow Rank was still very rare.

That was the level that transcended Grandmaster and truly stepped onto the threshold of the 'Dao'.

At that realm, even with the Ghost Market's vast resources, it was difficult to recruit such figures.

Ye Chen was silent for a moment before nodding. "Then forget it. Better to have nothing than to have something of poor quality."

Instead of spending a fortune to hire a group of 'experts' who might retreat in the heat of battle, it was better to find another way.

The safety of those around him could not be entrusted to a fragile chain of interests.

Thinking of this.

He no longer hesitated and turned back toward the entrance they came from. "Let's leave first."

The disfigured woman silently followed.

Night Owl watched Ye Chen's back, feeling like she was about to explode with anger.

Fuck!!!

He used her Travel Permit eligibility to enter the Ghost Market, and in the end, he only spent ten dollars to buy a burden?

And then... he didn't like any of the ones in the recruitment area who could actually fight, and just left like that?

Was this bastard here just to mess with her?!

Her chest heaved violently several times; she wanted nothing more than to slap Ye Chen across the face.

But thinking of Ye Chen's unfathomable skills and methods... she could only stomp her foot hard, squeeze out a string of English curses through her teeth, and follow him in a huff.

The figures of the three disappeared back into the dim staircase leading to the surface.

The clamor of the Ghost Market came to an abrupt halt.

The three left the abandoned factory building, and Ye Chen opened the rear car door. "Get in."

The woman's movements were a bit sluggish, but she complied and sat inside, curling up in a corner of the spacious back seat.

Night Owl, with a cold face, opened the passenger door herself and sat down, crossing her arms and saying nothing, her entire body radiating 'I am very pissed off'.

Ye Chen ignored her and asked back, "Should I drop you off at Yi Yue's place?"

"Where else?" Night Owl replied stiffly. "Where else could I go? A free Bodyguard dormitory?"

Ye Chen didn't care about her attitude either. He turned the steering wheel and the car drove out of the abandoned factory area.

Silence filled the car.

The woman in the back seat kept her head down the whole time, her long hair falling loose again to cover her scar-filled cheeks.

The faint scent of charred flesh, blood, and mold on her body slowly spread within the enclosed car.

Night Owl couldn't help but roll down the window to let some night wind in, while simultaneously curling her lip in disgust.

Ye Chen glanced at the woman again through the rearview mirror.

Buying her wasn't a whim, nor was it some "special hobby" as Night Owl thought.

The Houtu Inheritance was all-encompassing, and it included methods for repairing a dantian and reconnecting meridians.

However, the conditions were harsh, the required medicinal herbs were rare, and the process was dangerous.

An ordinary person who had been crippled simply couldn't withstand that overbearing restorative power; they would most likely die from their meridians completely collapsing during the process.

But this woman... the tenacious vitality deep within her body might just make it possible.

Of course, this was only a preliminary judgment.

The specifics would require a more careful investigation.

Soon.

The car stopped outside Yi Yue's residential complex.

Night Owl pushed the door open and got out, disappearing into the building entrance without a word.

Ye Chen restarted the car and drove toward Dijing Garden.

He didn't go directly home, but stopped in front of a star-rated hotel not far from Dijing Garden.

"Get out."

Ye Chen unbuckled his seatbelt and spoke to the woman in the back seat who had remained silent throughout.

The woman's body stiffened for a moment. She slowly raised her head, looked at Ye Chen through the gaps in her messy long hair, and then silently pushed open the car door to follow behind him.

Her footsteps were very unsteady and she walked somewhat slowly, but she never fell behind.

Ye Chen booked a suite at the front desk.

The receptionist was initially resistant.

After all... Ye Chen being followed by a woman covered in burns was too bizarre.

Moreover, the other person couldn't produce an ID card.

But Ye Chen didn't panic at all and simply threw money at the problem.

If double wasn't enough, then triple.

If triple wasn't enough, then quadruple.

To the point that... the receptionist changed her tune and practically begged 'Big Brother' to come inside.

There was no other way.

He just gave too much.

A short while later, Ye Chen and the woman entered the room.

Ye Chen closed the door behind him, walked over to the sofa by the window, sat down, and asked, "What's your name?"

The woman was silent for a while before she said, "Qingluo, Liu Qingluo."

Her voice was very pleasant to hear.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and pointed toward the bathroom.

"Fine, Liu Qingluo, go take a shower."

Liu Qingluo stood in the middle of the living room and didn't move.

But her hands were clenched tight.

Ye Chen waited for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Didn't you hear me?"

Liu Qingluo suddenly looked up!

She looked at Ye Chen with anger and loathing, saying hatefully,

"You really are a pervert!"

"You bought me just to toy with me?"

"You think seeing me like this is fun?"

"Do you want to watch me wash myself clean, just so you can admire the scars all over my body???"

Ye Chen: "???"

No... did he really look like a pervert?