The bedroom was enormous, with a dark purple hue, luxurious and exquisite.

The four-poster bed was covered with the fur of some Transcendent creature, cool to the touch.

Mingxi’s head was forcefully pushed against the headboard, and her chin was forced up.

The dark purple crystal of her collar glowed faintly.

She slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the young girl who was forcibly restraining her.

She wore a deep red velvet nightgown, her silver hair loose, and her bare feet on the carpet.

Her heterochromatic eyes, one brown and one gold, looked like two clusters of ghost fire in the dim light.

Butler An silently stood in the shadows by the door.

His hands were clasped in front of him, his eyelids half-closed, like a statue.

But Mingxi could feel the old man's perception, like a fine net, enveloping the entire room.

"Your name is... Ke Yi, right?" Verina's voice was lazy. "I spent one hundred million to buy you! Tell me, are you worth this price?"

She leaned over, her fingers lifting Mingxi’s chin.

Her actions were flippant, but there was no lust in the depths of her eyes, only scrutiny.

Mingxi allowed her actions, her ink-blue pupils calmly meeting her gaze: "Whether I'm worth it or not, that should be asked of the person who bid for me, Miss Yingge."

"Heh." Verina chuckled, her fingers sliding to the crystal on Mingxi’s collar. "Princess' of the Tulan race... I heard you can be contracted by a human Beastmaster, is that true?"

Mingxi caught her fingertip pressing slightly—it wasn't flirting, it was testing if the collar was secure, and at the same time... a minuscule amount of spiritual power seeped from her fingertip, attempting to sense Mingxi's internal condition.

"You can try."

Mingxi slowly said, a half-smile on her handsome face, her voice as seductive as a siren.

"If you dare?"

Verina's fingers stiffened for a moment.

An by the door seemed to lift his eyelids by 0.1 second.

"Oh?

Verina withdrew her hand, sat on the edge of the bed, and crossed her legs, her nightgown sliding to reveal a section of her fair calf.

Her posture was relaxed, but the line of her spine was tense.

"Let me guess, are you trying to use the Spirit Pact Chamber to escape my grasp? Or are you trying to take the opportunity to counter me and then kill me? Or perhaps you want to use the absolute privacy of the Spirit Pact Chamber to discuss some transaction with me?"

Mingxi's expression subtly changed, as if she hadn't noticed the old man An's suddenly cold gaze.

"Guesses are just guesses. If you want to verify, I'll say it again, you can try."

"Hahaha..."

Verina laughed, like a child who had secretly eaten delicious candy, filled only with joy.

"An, go make the arrangements."

An frowned, "Miss, this is inappropriate. If you wish to test whether you can contract him, please wait until our people have given him a full physical examination."

Verina's smiling face suddenly turned cold, her heterochromatic eyes filled with killing intent.

"I said! Go down and make the arrangements!"

At this moment, her aura was full of violence.

Even the profound An couldn't match her sharpness.

He could only agree and leave to arrange the Spirit Pact Chamber.

As expected of the underground emperor of Zetarem Star, they had their own Spirit Pact Chamber.

Mingxi and Verina Yingge quickly entered the Spirit Pact Chamber, and the door closed, blocking all sight and sound.

"Get on."

Verina had no unnecessary words.

She truly wanted to try if she could contract the handsome man before her.

Mingxi also said nothing.

She obediently stepped onto the Lianqi Platform.

Watching Verina summon her pet beast space.

Verina Yingge, who looked like a beautiful girl of 17 or 18, was actually an old woman in her fifties.

Her talent was also not bad; she had recently completed her sixth awakening but had not yet contracted her sixth pet beast.

"..."

"Useless!"

The Lianqi Platform remained still.

This indicated that Mingxi, or rather, the Princess' of the Tulan race, could not be contracted as a Transcendent creature.

"Heh heh." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Mingxi crossed her arms, wearing an expression that said, 'I never said I could be contracted.'

Verina stared at him, "So why did you trick me onto the Lianqi Platform? You have two minutes, tell me your purpose."

"Miss Yingge worries too much. I am a slave, powerless, what purpose could I have?"

A hint of sorrow appeared in Mingxi's expression, "Even if I truly had the ability to control you, I couldn't escape the pursuit of your Shadow Raven family."

"Why don't I believe that?" Verina sneered, "Did you deliberately lead me to the Spirit Pact Chamber because you genuinely wanted to try and become a Beastmaster's pet beast?"

"Can't I?"

"Heh heh."

The two were at a stalemate.

Only awkwardness and silence filled the air.

Until Verina finally realized that this stalemate was wasting her time, she sneered and walked towards the door.

Mingxi naturally followed.

As if she truly was just a slave without any thoughts.

Seeing the two emerge, An, who had been waiting by the door, gave Mingxi a subtle glance before curiously asking, "Miss, was it successful?"

Verina was in a bad mood, temperamental, and kicked a nearby domestic robot, splitting the poor robot's upper and lower halves before replying, "No, he can't be contracted at all! Wasting my 100 million star coins!"

An seemed not to notice her violent act.

Kicking a robot was better than kicking them, the servants.

"Miss, do you need him sent away?"

Verina glanced at him askance, a half-smile on her face, "Where do you think he's suitable to be sent?"

Mingxi also showed a curious expression, not at all appearing like someone being treated as a pig or dog.

"Happy Valley, Dark Gold Hall, Sky Street, or Laboratory No. 3 are all very suitable."

Mingxi: "Guangguang, these industries might all be related to Shadow Raven."

Happy Valley had a happy name, but it was actually an underground beast-fighting arena, where people fought people, pet beasts fought pet beasts, and people fought pet beasts... Its nature was similar to the underground gambling arena in Weiming City, Yingning Prefecture, Green Field Star.

A dark and chaotic place; without similar 'landmark /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ venues,' it wouldn't be worthy of being called depraved.

And Dark Gold Hall was like an ancient male brothel, there was nothing more to say about that.

Sky Street was similar, the most famous red-light district and pleasure street on Zetarem Star, where various levels of flesh trade and power-for-sex transactions took place; there were no tricks you couldn't imagine, only tricks that weren't there.

The last one, Laboratory No. 3, should be a private laboratory controlled by the Shadow Raven family.

Needless to say, it definitely wasn't a comfortable or good place to go.

"Master, I have cross-referenced these industries, as well as industries related to them, and can confirm that Happy Valley, Dark Gold Hall... these few all have the shadow of the Shadow Raven family and the Advent Organization behind them. Although they operate very secretly and use various disguises, none of this can escape my detection!"

"So, we really didn't find the wrong place or hook up with the wrong person."

With so many associated industries, no one would believe that Shadow Raven and Descent were unrelated.

Guangguang could only say that her master had stumbled upon it again.

"How can you be sure that Verina will stand with you? What if she's also a lackey of Descent?"

"She won't."

Mingxi still trusted her judgment of people.

"Hey."

Verina turned to face Mingxi, her smile brilliant, so brilliant it was like teasing a disobedient cat, pure and cruel.

"Did you hear that? Where do you think you're suitable to go, esteemed Princess' Ke Yi?"

Mingxi's expression was calm.

She leaned close to her, closer than an intimate distance.

But Verina did not shy away, always smiling.

The man deliberately lowered his voice, speaking in a tone only the two of them could hear: "Does Miss Yingge truly bear to part with me? Although I cannot become your pet beast, as your male companion, I believe I am qualified."

Verina's eyebrows twitched slightly, a little surprised.

"You actually bowed your head?"

From the moment she saw this man at the auction, he had been composed, indifferent, scornfully looking down on everything. Even when reduced to a prisoner, he never changed his inherent arrogance and nobility.

Mingxi gave a bitter smile.

"Between serving one person, serving hundreds or thousands, or becoming an experimental subject, I still know how to choose."

"That doesn't sound like something you'd say. You really don't seem like someone who would compromise."

"Miss Yingge thinks too highly of me.

In life, unless one can calmly and fearlessly accept death, who can truly never compromise with reality?

Miss Yingge, you are also a proud person; have you never compromised with anything?"

A dark glint flashed in Verina's heterochromatic eyes.

Then she suddenly smiled again.

"What a compromise! Good! Then I, this young mistress, will accept you as my male companion. Tonight, you shall come to my room to serve me!"

Mingxi's mouth twitched slightly.

Serving in bed.

What an obscure term.

"Pfft pfft."

Guangguang snickered.

An, who was standing by, kept his head lowered in a respectful manner, showing no reaction to Verina's decision.

As if everything his young mistress did was normal.

Late at night.

The lights were dim and yellow.

Mingxi had been thoroughly washed and lay on the big bed in the woman's bedroom.

"...Ah-yi-wu... ah... oh..."

"Creak, creak..."

"Didn't you eat dinner? Are you a man?"

"What's the rush? Haste makes waste."

"You're tofu, so what am I?"

"Miss is naturally the one grinding the tofu."

"..."

Listening to this absurd yet ambiguous, ambiguous yet preposterous dialogue and scene.

Verina, sitting in the corner of the room: "..."

Must this broken ship set sail?

She silently turned her head to look at the man beside her.

"Who exactly are you?!"

"No! Did you already know that the Spirit Pact Chamber was fake?! That's why you didn't say anything then!"

Mingxi shook her head: "Actually, no, I'm just naturally more cautious."

Verina sneered, clearly not believing him.

"So, who exactly are you?"

"Is Miss foolish? I am Tulan Princess' Ke Yi."

Verina's eyes were as cold as ice.

"Impossible, Tulan people cannot awaken, and they have no spiritual power. How could they contract an item of this level?!"

The scene of a man and woman passionately entwined not far away was simulated by an item.

It was incredibly realistic.

If she herself weren't sitting there perfectly fine, she might even have believed it was real.

Such an item was definitely not low-grade, and certainly not something Ke Yi, as an ordinary person, could use.

Moreover, she could even block the Soul Restraint Ring.

How could such a person be ordinary?

"I don't think who I am is important." Mingxi wasn't prepared to reveal her identity. Although she didn't think Verina would betray her, it was always wise to be cautious.

"What's important is, who Miss Yingge wishes me to be."

"What do you mean?!"

Verina glared.

"Am I not clear enough?" Mingxi looked at her, "For example, you are showered with affection, acting domineering and rampant, reckless, and even if you hurt someone or kill someone, someone will clean up the mess for you.

Your reputation for brutality and viciousness is known throughout Zetarem.

An illegitimate daughter more favored than legitimate children, no one dares to offend you.

But is this truly what you want?"

Mingxi's lips curved into a wicked smile, "The reason you spent 100 million star coins to buy me that day, wasn't it because you saw your own shadow in me?

Miss Verina Yingge, who has always lived in a cage."

Verina's breathing paused for half a beat.

She tilted her head, her silver hair flowing over her shoulders, her smile turning dangerous.

"What exactly are you implying?"

"Not an implication."

Mingxi met her gaze, whispering each word in a gentle, lingering tone.

"It's a statement of fact."

Verina appeared favored, so much so that even the legitimate young ladies and masters of the Shadow Raven family couldn't contend with her.

But was the reason truly because her mother was Darian Shadow Raven's pure love?

"Let me tell you a story."

"Once upon a time, there was a little girl who lived with her mother in an ordinary old street on Yunhai Star. They were very poor.

But they were very happy, and the little girl loved her mother very much.

Her mother was her whole world.

But her happiness came to an abrupt end when she was three years old.

That day, a man found the mother and daughter, and for some reason, they had a fierce conflict.

She was woken up.

She got up herself to look for her mother, and then witnessed her mother's tragic death—"

"Shut up! Don't say another word!"

Verina sharply interrupted Mingxi's unfinished words.

Silence fell in the room.

Verina stared at Mingxi, the deep brown and dark gold in her heterochromatic eyes swirling intensely.

A few seconds later, she suddenly burst into laughter, clear yet hollow.

"A very uninteresting story." She abruptly moved closer to Mingxi, their noses almost touching, her voice hoarse and vicious, "So what?"

"So I can help you."

Mingxi didn't move, letting her breath brush against her cheek, appearing even more intimate than the intensely intertwined figures of the man and woman on the bed not far away.

"You want to destroy the Shadow Raven family, you want revenge, you want true freedom."

"I can help you achieve all of that."

Verina narrowed her eyes, "Just you?"

Her fingers crept up Mingxi's neck, caressing the edge of the collar, like a venomous snake circling, "Who do you think you are?"

Mingxi grabbed her hand, "No need to test me."

"If I dare to say this, I naturally have the confidence to do so."

She paused, "Besides, what if it ultimately fails? Can it be worse than your constant use of slaughter and brutality to test your father's bottom line?

If you continue like this, you will only completely enrage him, making him truly treat you as a bird in a cage!"

Darian Shadow Raven was not a benevolent person.

He had tolerated Verina because Verina had value worth tolerating!

But it was definitely not father-daughter affection.

Mingxi's finger touched the tabletop between them, making a soft 'thud' sound.

Verina subconsciously looked down, her eyes suddenly widening.