The auction hall echoed with the unbridled, mocking laughter of a young girl, punctuated by hiccups.
“Fifty-one thousand!” The voice was laced with endless gloom and hatred.
The Third Prince had indeed taken the bait, but without Weilin’s boldness, he only dared increase bids by a thousand at a time.
“One hundred thousand.”
A leisurely voice followed from room 303, so relaxed it was as if they were calling out a hundred thousand pieces of scrap metal, not gold coins.
“One hundred… one thousand!!!” The sound of grinding teeth was almost audible.
“Two hundred thousand.” The girl’s voice remained light and breezy, dripping with sarcasm. “Don’t you dare stop! Of course, I won’t stop either! This isn’t about the treasure anymore; it’s a battle for a man’s dignity… well, since I’m the one giving the gift, you can just consider me a man for now. But if the dignified Third Prince loses, who knows if others will still see him as a man? Ahahahahaha hic…”
Damn, she’d had a bit too much black tea.
Wu Song’s gaze was so dark it could drip water. The absolute limit of his available assets was only 150,000. He couldn’t produce 200,000… But—weren’t you going to follow?
“Two hundred and one thousand!”
Come on, show me three hundred thousand if you’ve got the guts!
Wu Song still only added a thousand. If he suddenly changed his pattern because of a mad desire to drive up the price, it would definitely alert the other party… He sneered, waiting to enjoy the sound of that voice losing its temper.
However—
The Third Prince still hadn’t figured out where things went wrong. Below, Master Lei, his old face flushed, shouted, “Two hundred and one thousand, going once!” “Two hundred and one thousand, going twice!!”… and room 303 remained silent.
“Two hundred and one thousand, going thrice!”
Heaven knows how much commission or bonus the auctioneer gets for selling a 200,000 item worth at most 20,000. With arcs of lightning crackling around him, Master Lei roared in excitement, “Sold!! ‘Flowing Wind and Returning Snow Ice Silkworm Cloud Ribbon’ goes to the Snow Kingdom’s Third Prince, Wu Song…!!”
“Pfft…”
Blood surged in his throat. Suddenly, Wu Song’s consciousness blurred, as if he could hear the sound of blood reversing course and attacking his heart. His bloodshot eyes widened to the extreme as he stared fiercely at room 303.
“…You wretch! Didn’t you say you wouldn’t stop!!!”
“…Um, I was just pounced on by my beloved, who cares about my spending. I mean… what happened? How did it get sold in just a few seconds?”
“You played me!!!”
“I suppose this is the result of the Third Prince’s heartfelt sincerity… Then I shall reluctantly let you have it. What a pity…”
Master Lei also turned towards room 313 and boomed, “Someone will bring the treasure to complete the transaction with the Third Prince shortly. Please be patient.”
Patient my ass!
I don’t want to buy it, you bastard!!!
Just as Wu Song was preparing to slip away, a knock on the door came first.
…
Shortly after, a message was passed from a maid to Master Lei’s ears, and Master Lei, with solemn authority, announced it publicly.
“Third Prince Wu Song refuses to pay the auction fee, violating the guild’s rules. After the auction, he will be forced to pay 10% of the auction price as compensation. Ownership of the ‘Flowing Wind and Returning Snow Ice Silkworm Cloud Ribbon’ reverts to the guild.”
The crowd erupted: stifled laughter, mockery, shock, confusion, righteous satisfaction… all kinds of reactions were present. The dignity of the insufferably arrogant Third Prince had become a laughingstock.
“Besides Wu Song, the highest previous bid was 200,000 gold coins from the mysterious guest in room 303.” Master Lei looked up intensely towards room 303.
Weilin was once again thrust into the focus of all eyes.
“That’s me. Just have someone bring it over directly.”
“The Third Prince couldn’t have given it up because he couldn’t afford it, could he?… If it were me, I’d sell all my property and force myself to buy it… not like you, lacking both face and ability—running away with your tail between your legs like a stray dog~”
The girl narrowed her eyes slyly. “Oh my, how can you still hold back and not curse back?… Or is it that a life full of green has taught you tolerance and… forgiveness?”
Fearing that if Weilin continued, Wu Song might actually drop dead on the spot, Master Lei quickly signaled the maids with his eyes to bring out the next auction item. At the same time, he announced in a deep voice, “Next up for auction is…”
————————————————
“You filthy bitch, the moment you step out of the Cloudstride Merchant Guild is your death sentence!!!… Fourth Brother! Didn’t you say everything was under control? Who the hell is in room 303?!”
Inside room 313, the Third Prince, visibly weak and pale from years of indulgence in wine and women, slammed the table in fury. His venomous gaze swept towards Fourth Prince Wu Xi, who was frowning deeply.
“On the Cloudstride Merchant Guild’s invitation list, all the wealthy nobles and Great Mages are clearly listed. Big Brother and I also sent people to ‘warn’ them long ago, so when Third Brother made a move, no one dared to not give us face…”
Wu Xi paused, his eyes turning dark. “But that invitation list only had room 303 listed as vacant… I thought it was simply unoccupied. It seems very likely it’s a spot Reki deliberately reserved?”
After guessing this, Wu Xi’s slightly serious eyes turned to First Prince Wu Yin. “Big Brother, it seems the Cloudstride Merchant Guild might already know about our actions. The plan… I fear there are complications.”
Such a small room like 313 actually gathered three princes of the Snow Kingdom. It wasn’t that they couldn’t afford separate rooms, but rather for the convenience of colluding together.
There was also a woman.
The very cause of this incident: a cute girl sitting beside Wu Song, shoulders trembling as she sobbed softly. It was just a pity she had chosen the wrong person to follow.
“Ah Song, I’m sorry, please don’t be angry…”
“Stupid woman, this is all your fault! Won’t you just shut up?!!!”
The Third Prince truly regretted bringing this woman. Now that things had come to this, he was more afraid of this vulgar woman annoying Big Brother, which is why he scolded her so coldly.
“Third Brother, that’s enough.”
Wu Yin, who had been leisurely resting with his eyes closed, finally slowly opened them. His gaze went directly through the window and fixed on room 303 opposite. A faint, unruffled smile played on his lips.
“The other party also said they were vying with Third Brother out of a desire to gift it to their beloved. The reason, though simple, is quite credible, isn’t it?”
“—Love is blind. That’s why they would offend Third Brother just to show off in front of their beloved. Being so blindly sincere, yet having Fourth Brother misinterpret it… that would be somewhat imprudent.”
Fourth Prince Wu Xi was taken aback and lowered his head. “Please, Big Brother, clarify.”
The item currently being auctioned was a sixth-order beast-taming artifact called ‘Hundred Beasts Return Cage’. Also sixth-order, but its practicality was immediately apparent, making its value no less than the ‘Flowing Wind and Returning Snow Ice Silkworm Cloud Ribbon’.
The girl who had offended Wu Song also seemed interested in this one.
A familiar situation unfolded:
From the starting price of 12,000 gold coins, it inched up to 15,500 over a minute, only to be immediately crushed by a bid of 30,000 from room 303, stunning the entire hall.
This person could still make such a huge move so calmly, after spending 200,000 gold coins on a piece of “jewelry”?
“Thirty-one thousand gold coins!”
After bidding, Wu Yin immediately directed a question at room 303. “Your Excellency’s bidding spirit and consideration for your beloved truly command my utmost admiration. My Third Brother’s loss is well-deserved. Although Wu Song lost, he should not have shown any disrespect towards Your Excellency. Yet you, in turn, kick him when he’s down and humiliate him. That, I fear… is somewhat improper, isn’t it?”
Wu Song… is his Third Brother?
Could he be—First Prince Wu Yin?! The crowd on the first floor was shocked.
But upon calm reflection, it made sense. Wu Yin was the Lord of Snowcell City; Wu Song was there at his invitation, hence they were together in room 313.
“He… should be Wu Yin.” Elizabeth warned, her voice full of worry as she advised, “Sister, you absolutely must not offend him…”
To Wu Yin’s denouncement, Weilin merely sneered, saying nothing.
“I have always liked making friends—whether merchants, nobles, scholars, or soldiers. Especially… I like befriending genuine people like Your Excellency. If you would do me, Wu Yin, the honor of friendship, then my Third Brother would also be willing to bury the hatchet…”
Although Wu Yin hadn’t finished, the crowd faintly heard a voice from inside: “Bury my ass!!”
“Cough… Third Brother is like that. In short, friend or foe, the choice is yours. After all, three of the Snow Domain’s five cities are under our protection. If you choose friendship, we must be open and exchange names. If foe… well, no need for that. Heh heh…”
“This…”
Time trickled by. The girl’s voice sounded hesitant, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
After such a long delay, Master Lei had already struck the gavel three times, declaring the ‘Hundred Beasts Return Cage’ belonged to Wu Yin.
At that moment, a resigned sigh came from room 303. “Fine then. Since the First Prince thinks so highly of me, it would be rude to refuse. Mhm. My name is Lega Weilin.”
“Hm, it seems you already know my name,” Wu Yin chuckled pleasantly.
Everyone thought the one who had mortally offended the Third Prince had chickened out in the face of First Prince Wu Yin.
?
“Phew… that’s great…”
Inside room 303, Elizabeth let out a sigh of relief.
She secretly thought that her earnest persuasion had finally convinced Sister, that she had… finally been of some help to Sister.
But those 200,000 gold coins…
Clearly, it was Sister’s money. So why did it feel like her own money had been spent, making her chest ache so much she could barely breathe?!
Just then, Weilin also went to the door to sign for and receive the ‘Flowing Wind and Returning Snow Ice Silkworm Cloud Ribbon’.
“Little White, turn around.”
The girl walked up to her with the hair ribbon—as finely crystalline as an ice sculpture, yet as light as a feather—and said softly.
“Sister…?” Elizabeth turned her gaze, somewhat bewildered. She didn’t know what to do; her cheeks heated, her heart raced. Even her refusal wavered under the ribbon’s dazzling light. “No, you can’t… really… really, you can’t… it’s too precious…!”
“Don’t want it? Then I’ll burn it, okay?”
“…”
“Come on, close your eyes now,” Weilin urged with a playful scold.
What else could Elizabeth say? The dull ache in her arm, sore from pinching, proved this was no dream. Yet this scene, as surreal as a dream, seemed to seamlessly overlap with last night’s equally illusory, unwilling-to-awaken dream.
Her gaze dazed, her long lashes beaded with the tiniest drops of mist, Elizabeth let go of all the burdens and defenses in her heart at that moment. As if she could die without regret, she gently closed her moist eyes.
[‘Elizabeth’s’ Affection is rising madly…]
After Elizabeth closed her eyes, Weilin unhurriedly pinched a powder-like substance into her black tea.
Earlier, the pouch Cailing had given to Weilin contained several medicinal herbs. Weilin had her ‘Stand’ use ‘Alchemy’ within ‘Eternal Space’ to refine them into colorless, odorless ‘Sleeping Powder’.
Chicken out? As if.
But Elizabeth was Weilin’s greatest—and only—concern holding her back. She had to send Elizabeth to an absolutely safe place first before Weilin could truly go all out.
After drugging the tea, she raised her hand, gathered a lock of the girl’s soft white hair, and tied it into a small, cute bow on the right side. She quietly enchanted it with the ‘Tier Disguise’ spell, making it appear to outsiders as just an ordinary hair ribbon.
“Alright, open your eyes now… It looks incredibly cute.”
Lifting the black tea cup to Elizabeth’s lips, the girl gazed at her with eyes full of amazement and tenderness after seeing the result, and smiled softly. “Here, drink some tea.”
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