Violence and bloodshed were rampant on the Barren Planet.
Ren Yunying led the way, wielding a whip like a mother hen protecting her chicks, shielding Chloe and the others behind her.
Whenever anyone without sense tried to approach, Ren Yunying would ruthlessly lash her whip as a warning.
Generally, after that, those fellows would not try so desperately to come near.
Chloe and the others followed Ren Yunying like little tails, clutching tightly to her clothes, their eyes darting around.
They even witnessed someone openly killing a child on the street.
The onlookers seemed unfazed, and after the murderer killed the child and left, others swarmed over to plunder the child's belongings.
Daniel, who witnessed this, felt extremely distressed, his body trembling slightly: "...Why is this happening? The victim was just a child."
Katherine's calm voice came from behind, "I just saw that child stealing from passersby on the street."
"There are no absolute good people on the Barren Planet, Daniel. Don't be so quick to show compassion."
Hearing this, Daniel was somewhat surprised and disappointed.
He didn't expect the child to be a thief.
After a silent pause, Daniel muttered, "I understand."
They followed Ren Yunying onwards, and the acrid smell in the air became increasingly pungent. Chloe had to constantly cover her nose with her hand to remain conscious.
She turned her head and saw her companions doing the same.
Only Ren Yunying, one hand clutching the long whip, the other hand hanging by her side, showed no signs of discomfort.
Chloe felt extremely curious and whispered surreptitiously:
"Does the instructor not have a nose? How can she not smell anything?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Ren Yunying stopped in her tracks.
Chloe immediately felt nervous.
She swallowed hard, cautiously looking up, and was stunned by what she saw.
Ren Yunying had stuffed two wads of paper into her nostrils, blocking her nasal passages tightly, yet with tiny gaps to allow airflow and filter out most of the foul odor.
Chloe: "..."
She suddenly recalled the time when Daniel jumped into the cesspool during their first year, and how Ren Yunying deftly pulled paper from her pocket.
Seeing Chloe's dazed expression, Ren Yunying couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
But just as she finished laughing, Chloe started pilfering paper from her pocket with equal dexterity.
Ren Yunying: "..."
Chloe stole dozens of sheets, distributing them to her companions one by one.
Finally, she looked up at Ren Yunying with an innocent expression.
Ren Yunying stared at her for a long time, eventually letting out a snort and choosing not to say anything else.
After all, this little rascal couldn't be naughty in front of her for too long. What concerned her was Xavier, that killer of thousands.
He was, after all, the one who taught his daughter.
They continued on, passing through various winding alleys, eventually arriving in front of a narrow, dark little room.
This room looked utterly filthy and disorderly. At the entrance hung an old tattered rug, blackened by who knows how much dust and grime, its original color indiscernible.
The wall by the entrance had a grimy oil lamp hanging on it.
What was this place?
Seemingly sensing the confusion of the youngsters, Ren Yunying pushed open the door:
"This is the auction house of the Barren Planet. Remember, without my permission, you are not to wander around aimlessly."
Ren Yunying's tone was as serious as ever, but now carried an undertone of intimidation:
"If any of you carelessly lose a limb here, don't blame me for failing to keep watch when we return to the academy."
Upon hearing this, Chloe snorted dismissively, "Who knows who might end up losing a limb."
As soon as the words left her mouth, the other companions chimed in agreement.
"That's right, if anyone has their eyes on us, I'll break their legs for sure!"
By this time, Ren Yunying had already pushed open the large doors of the auction house, and the cacophony of noise from within spilled out, a chaotic din tinged with madness.
Her voice carried a hint of amusement: "You're all still young, but your mouths are certainly bold. I'll be watching to see how far you can go."
As soon as she finished speaking, Chloe blew a breath onto her palm and looked up sincerely, "Instructor, no smell here. We all rinsed our mouths properly when we disembarked."
Ren Yunying: "..."
A vein throbbed on her temple as she felt she must have been cursed for eight lifetimes to encounter such a beastly creature as Chloe:
"Just get inside, and cut the chatter!"
"Okay." Chloe replied meekly, following Ren Yunying inside.
As soon as they entered, the peculiar odor in the air intensified.
Even with the paper wads stuffed in her nose, Chloe couldn't help but cough a few times.
Behind her, Daniel broke out in loud curses: "What a foul place, the stench is unbearable!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Qin Huaibei pressed a hand over his mouth: "Watch your language in this particular area."
Only then did Daniel reluctantly shut his mouth.
By this time, Chloe had started observing her surroundings.
According to Ren Yunying, this was the auction house of the Barren Planet.
The area was crowded with people, the lighting dim, and not far away was a circle of massive seats facing a stage.
A red woolen curtain hung half-open, revealing only a corner of the display platform from this angle.
Apart from the main large auction house, there were also many smaller vendors auctioning on rugs around the perimeter.
These were the small-scale auctions.
Chloe glanced over and noticed that the items sold at those stalls were materials and weapons explicitly forbidden on the mainland.
She was somewhat shocked.
Indeed, no matter where one went, there would always be these ungoverned gray areas.
Suddenly, Qin Huaibei's exclamation rang out from behind:
"They're even selling addictive drugs over there... and people are actually buying them?"
Chloe followed his gaze and indeed saw a pile of red fruits.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Chloe: "Nothing good there, don't look."
Qin Huaibei averted his gaze: "I understand, I'll listen."
Ren Yunying led them further until they arrived in front of a counter.
The shriveled old man behind the counter wore a black cloak, and upon seeing Ren Yunying, his gaze slowly fell upon Chloe and the others.
After a long silence, he let out a shrill laugh: "Selling the little ones?"
Hearing this, Chloe pursed her lips slightly.
Ren Yunying's voice carried a hint of annoyance: "No, we're here for the auction."
Upon hearing this, the old man shook his head regretfully: "Well, pay up then."
Ren Yunying handed over the money, and in exchange, the old man gave her a few tickets.
At the same time, his gaze lingered on Chloe and the others as he persisted: "Are you really not selling? These young ones, tender and succulent, would surely fetch a good price."
Ren Yunying fixed him with a cold stare: "Not selling."
With that, she led them away from the counter.
