The masked older man, along with his fake, shared conversation openly on their way out the door, not even sparing a second glance at the crumpled mess of a Peak Master. Fu Ran could only stare at his discarded blade, and after a few seconds, he made a quick move to rush for it.

He ignored the pains in his rib cage, so that he could easily grab his friend, Shi Wei Ji. With a gentle touch, he hugged the sword close to his body.

The gaudy dressed guests didn’t care if they bumped him, or ran over him, they merely sought to leave as soon as the other men vanished. So, they piled out into the isles and crowded towards the door.

In moments, Fu Ran was left truly alone. His hand shivered as he clutched Shi Wei Ji tighter. That impostor had even tried to take his blade. And he succeeded, if for only a moment. Like taking his face wasn’t enough. An event like this had never happened before.

An ominous weight crashed onto him, and his heart felt like it was beating in his stomach instead of his chest.

If he lost even his spiritual weapon, then how could he call himself a Peak Master? That title is only associated with those who house the power inside to form a great and powerful core, and bond with a spiritual weapon. If body and mind were both well trained and maintained, your sword should be able to reign victorious over most battles. Fu Ran grit his teeth, almost frustrated to tears.

Fu Ran’s brain felt numb, and he could barely formulate a thought, or a demand to make his body move. It wasn’t like he didn’t receive proper training. He was taught how to fight by two of the most powerful men in the sect: his Shizun, and Yi Yang.

He frowned at the sheer disgrace he had caused upon his Shizun’s name.

Sitting on the carpeted auction room floor felt empty, after every guest had left. Once the guests had run to the exits of the auction house, the only thing to fill the room was soft and silent crying.

“Oh right…” he muttered, words quiet and pathetic. His distress had nearly caused him to forget those that had really suffered today.

He messily stood up to his feet, using the nearby auditorium seat to support his legs. His hand burned where it had been sliced and marred. Walking to the stage, there were dozens of little eyes on him, some wearing looks of anger, and others looks of horror.

These children were already “sold.” Releasing these children here would be no different than stealing property. However, he steeled himself as he lifted his weapon and stuck down on metal chains holding them shut.

With a loud clang, they shattered.

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Using his qi to coat Shi Wei Ji made quick work of the bars and chains, completely disintegrating them to ash. The damage was unmistakably done by a cultivator, so he would not share this blame with the innocent.

From today forward, he would simply be a thief, should the Treasures of Life, Auction House consider him that.

Cages were opened one another another, but he finally made his way over to the cage that he had been avoiding. Despite his expressionless eyes, he was worried to see the condition of the small girl inside the cage, as she was still motionless.

The entire corner of the metal box was crushed inwards where his back slammed into it, and a girl lay with her face stained in streaks of red.

When Fu Ran reached his hand to the young teenager, he was expecting the same lifelessness that he felt from the boy in the entrance exams. His fingertips trembled. Why are children so delicate? His hand had finally reached a slender and pale neck. He held it there for a few moments.

A pulse.

Fu Ran couldn’t wait to breathe a sigh of release as he gently pulled her body out of the cage. Before he had fully laid her on the ground there was a small thud that hit his foot.

“A bag?” he asked. His gaze lowered to the wooden stage and there on top of his foot was a white coin purse, much like one he carried.

Actually, it strangely looked almost the same, but much older and dirtied. He would admit that he wanted to rifle through it from curiosity, but she needed medical help more than he needed answers. So instead, he took off his black outer robes and wrapped the smaller girl in them, and he ended up placing white bag close to her body where it had been stored before.

She didn’t weigh much at all, so when he carried her, it was done so with ease. Even with his injuries it didn’t cause him to jolt in pain.

Fu Ran looked over the small crowd of little children he had collected, and sighed. What do I even do with them all? he thought.

“Mister,” one little girl said. His gaze fell upon her and was shocked when she held up a familiar white and gold mask. Of course, he had lost his hairpin, and his mask in that blast, but it seemed that at least one of those had been found again. He smiled sweetly.

He lowered himself to her height and quietly, he said, “Thank you, but you look like you want it.”

She did. She clutched onto it like keeping the accessory would dramatically alter her life for the better. It might have, if Tian Han’s words were true. No one wanted to touch the child of a noble, or some well off member of high society, and that simple mask could provide some levels of protection, as it bore the symbol of An Xian Yun Peak.

Obviously the best prevention was to never go outside at night, but there are always exceptions. If giving every person in Jinan a mask would protect them, then someone would have done it long ago. Fu Ran didn’t know the entire workings of the city, but even he could see that most people in the city still cherished the little trinkets anyway.

“Can I really?” she asked.

He nodded, his eyes falling lower into little slits. Standing, he motioned for the children to follow after him, but to do so quietly.

After this current run of events, the Peak Master felt silly for wanting to come to the auction house to look for spiritual weapons and rare goods. There was nothing here that interested him anymore. To sell wares under the same roof as children? It turned his stomach, and he had trouble keeping his calmer expression up as he walked past the darkness of the stage and into the back hallway.