"Tell me," he asked softly, locking eyes with the girl inside. "What is your name?"
She blinked, momentarily stunned by the question. Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she replied, "Huo Yan."
Though a section of Yuan's face was obscured by the bars, his soft smile was unmistakable. For a fleeting second, Huo Yan felt her guard falter.
But the illusion crumbled just as quickly.
She looked away, and the light in her eyes dimmed.
He was still a buyer. Still someone here to steal her freedom.
Hua Yan's chest tightened with memories of betrayal from her family, and her eyes grew wet.
She turned her face away, unwilling to show weakness to those who viewed her as nothing more than a transaction.
Yuan studied her quietly. Her pain was visible, even through the veil of red hair that partially covered her face. He crouched lower, trying to catch her gaze.
"Huo means fire," he murmured, voice tender. "And Yan means beautiful. Truly, you live up to your name."
She trembled faintly at his words. But she didn't collapse into sobs, nor throw herself at him in gratitude.
If anything, the tremble revealed the strain of holding back her conflicting emotions.
The more kindness Yuan showed, the more guarded she became.
Was this his way of manipulating her? Was he playing the savior just to earn her compliance?
Her thoughts raced.
Her own family had masked their cruelty with smiles for years.
What made this stranger any different?
So, she expected nothing. Nothing but a slightly larger cage.
And yet—
—a fragile part of her wished. Hoped.
Wished that maybe, just maybe, he meant what he said.
She hated herself for feeling this way.
'What am I feeling like this?'
"Huh?"
Warm fingers gently cupped her chin. Startled, Huo Yan looked up, her eyes locking with his.
Yuan's smile didn't falter.
"Huo Yan, do you want to be free?"
The words pierced her armor. The hope he ignited within her flared again, but she was paralyzed by her own uncertainty.
From nearby, Chen Mo had been watching with rising fury.
Each time Yuan opened his mouth, it was like a slap to his pride.
Chen Mo prided himself on being articulate—so how had he said so many things that now felt like traps laid by his own tongue?
Chen Mo scoffed loudly, drawing attention. "Hmph! Sick person. Us? Do I have to remind you of all the crimes you have committed, Wu Qiong?"
"Acting like a saint. You're only buying her because she's beautiful. Lecherous, that's what this is."
His voice rang out clearly, gathering attention from nearby onlookers.
Lady Xiao tensed, realizing a small crowd was forming.
And gossip? Gossip was the true currency of any noble city—and the names involved made it even more delicious.
Yuan turned, now facing them.
His voice was calm. Too calm.
"Then why are you buying her?"
Chen Mo snorted. "Not for the same reason as you!"
Yuan's gaze swept over the group, then settled on Chen Mo.
"I admit it," he said. "I'm buying her because she's beautiful. I fell for her the moment I saw her."
He pointed directly at Chen Mo.
"But you? You said, and I quote, 'Aside from her beauty, she has nothing.' So if it isn't beauty, then what is it you're buying her for?"
He turned to the growing crowd.
Yuan didn't press further. He stepped back, having stirred the pot just enough. The crowd didn't need more; their imaginations would do the rest.
Unlike Yuan, who already had the reputation of a tyrant, Chen Mo had a standing to maintain.
And now, his moral high ground crumbled beneath him.
Chen Mo's face flushed with a mix of rage and shame. He clenched his fists, seething.
Never had he imagined Wu Qiong to be so adept with words. He had expected brute force, not manipulation.
He looked to Lady Xiao, silently pleading.
But she didn't meet his eyes.
Lady Xiao had been shocked too. Had Yuan forced her using his family's name, she could have countered with her own.
But instead, he'd made his claim based on emotion. Love.
And now, the situation was no longer about power. It was about morality.
Support the man who claimed to love, or the one whose motives were now in question?
Lady Xiao sighed inwardly. She met Yuan's dark eyes and gave a faint, understanding smile.
***
The carriage rolled away from the auction grounds, its interior cushioned in luxury.
Yuan sat next to Huo Yan, silently observing.
He activated [Eye of Omen].
A swirl of emotions blossomed before him.
Joy. Hope. Caution. Fear.
Most of the negative ones had faded.
And she also feels fondness towards him.
Though she was still wary—that was only natural—but she no longer looked at him like he was her captor.
He gave her space, letting her process everything.
Turning inward, Yuan focused on the system panel that floated before his eyes.
[Name]: [Wu Qiong]
[Calling]: [Thief of Destiny]
[Status]: [Heavenly Dao's Curse]{Sealed}
[Attribute]: [Sacred Crucible Physique] [Heavenly Calamity Body] [Eye of Omen]
His attention fixed on [Thief of Destiny].
It had changed.
Yes, its glow had subsided.
However unlike its previous pitch black normal state, its ground state now pulsed with the faintest glow.
Why?
Had something triggered it?
He theorized that, like [Eye of Omen], glowing brightly meant it was active.
But how had he triggered it?
It begun when he interfered with Chen Mo, and ended when Chen Mo rushed out.
And during that short period he had been antagonizing Chen Mo.
'Is that the cause?'
A idea struck Yuan, and he briefly looked at Huo Yan.
'Because I stole a... Chosen One's destiny?'
His eyes narrowed.
If so, how did the [Thief of Destiny] had benefited him?
To his knowledge, during the whole scenario of stealing Chen Mo's fortune, everything was done by Yuan, and [Thief of Destiny] was only glowing.
Questions spiraled. And no answers followed.
Yuan sighed. 'If only this panel came gave a damn description.'
After his fight with the attendant, Yuan had tried commanding the panel verbally, whispering potential commands.
Nothing had worked so far.
Just as he turned to speak to Huo Yan, he noticed a shift.
His shadow, cast by the lantern within the carriage, twisted unnaturally. It contracted and stretched, then pulsed, as if alive.
Then a voice echoed in the enclosed space.
"Except for pretending to be a tyrant, your acting as Wu Qiong was quite terrible."