Do You Have a Problem with That?

Watching the staff member approach, Ye Xi could not help shaking her head. There was no trace of the spirit a person should possess in the worker's eyes—only deep-seated servility.

She was like a puppet on strings, knowing only how to carry out the tasks assigned by her master.

"These workers are slaves who have undergone long-term training by the Tiandou Auction House."

"Within the auction house, they are not only staff members, but also goods with clearly marked prices. But don't think about buying them. That would not be saving them."

Noticing the change in Ye Xi's expression, Xue Qinghe explained calmly.

"I know."

"And I have no intention of buying them."

After nodding lightly, Ye Xi withdrew her gaze from the staff member.

After placing the tray in her hands before them, the staff member left directly, heading to deliver pots of tea to the guests in the other black and red sections.

Ye Xi and Xue Qinghe turned their attention to the stage ahead. The item currently being auctioned was a Storage Soul Tool that was rather valuable to commoner Soul Masters.

After watching for a while, Ye Xi found it somewhat boring. She closed her Sapphire Blue eyes and began resting with her eyes shut.

Seeing Ye Xi's appearance, Xue Qinghe merely smiled and said nothing.

Around two hours later, the auction on the stage was nearly at its end. When the final item was pushed onto the stage, faint sobbing could be heard from beneath the red cloth.

The red cloth covering the auction item was lifted, revealing a huge iron cage first. Inside the cage was a beautiful young girl of around fifteen or sixteen, locked within.

The girl's starting price was ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. As soon as the price was announced, the surrounding guests began bidding.

"Twenty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Xue Qinghe raised his hand and called out a bid.

Hearing Xue Qinghe's bid, Ye Xi turned her Sapphire Blue eyes toward him.

"She can be saved. There is no servility in her eyes."

Noticing Ye Xi's gaze, Xue Qinghe explained softly.

"Thirty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

An arrogant, overbearing voice rang out from the black section.

"Fifty thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Ye Xi raised her hand and stated her bid.

"Sixty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

The arrogant voice rang out again.

"Seventy thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Ye Xi calmly named her price.

After Ye Xi called out her bid, the entire auction house gradually fell silent. Even the workers trained by the auction house cost only one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins.

Spending seventy thousand Gold Soul Coins to buy someone who had received no training whatsoever was clearly not worthwhile, so no one continued raising the price.

Time slowly passed. Just as the staff member was about to announce the item's buyer, that arrogant voice rang out again from the black section.

"Eighty thousand Gold Soul Coins!"

Hearing the voice, Ye Xi raised her hand without hesitation and increased the price to one hundred thousand.

In the black section, a young man rose from his seat and reached up to remove the mask from his face, directing his gaze toward Ye Xi.

"I'd like to see who's tired of living enough to dare compete with this prince!"

His arrogant voice echoed throughout the auction house.

"Oh, isn't this His Highness the Fourth Prince?"

"Is there something you need?"

Ye Xi turned her head, her Sapphire Blue eyes meeting the Fourth Prince, Xue Beng, directly.

Hearing that somewhat youthful voice, seeing those Sapphire Blue eyes and the silver hair cascading down her back, Xue Beng found her oddly familiar, yet he could not recall who she was.

Just as Xue Beng was about to say something, Ye Xi removed the mask from her face and quietly watched him.

At that moment, Xue Qinghe and Ling Yuan also turned their gazes toward Xue Beng.

Under the stares of Ye Xi, Xue Qinghe, and Ling Yuan, the arrogance on Xue Beng's face vanished instantly, replaced by a gentle smile.

"Nothing, nothing."

"I'd been sitting too long, and my legs went numb, so I stood up to stretch a little."

As he spoke, Xue Beng silently put his mask back on and sat down again, as though he had never stood up in the first place.

Seeing this, Ye Xi merely chuckled and said nothing further.

Xue Qinghe and Ling Yuan silently withdrew their gazes as well, likewise saying nothing.

Before long, a staff member came to Ye Xi and the others, leading them to the rear of the auction house to make payment.

Behind the auction house was a room filled with all sorts of collectibles. After Ye Xi paid, the staff member opened the iron cage and released the girl inside.

"What's your name?"

Ye Xi looked at the young girl before her and asked softly.

"My name is Zhong Meng."

Zhong Meng looked at the three people in front of her. There were still faint tear streaks on her pretty face, while her eyes were filled with panic and fear.

Having been bought as a commodity, she had no idea what her future fate would be.

"Zhong Meng. Not a bad name."

Ye Xi waved at Zhong Meng and said softly, "Come with us. From now on, you'll be my maid."

"Zhong Meng, I bought you for one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins. Work as my maid, and I'll pay you ten Gold Soul Coins every month, with food and lodging included. Once you've paid back the hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, you won't need to be a maid anymore. Wherever you want to go after that, I won't interfere."

With that, Ye Xi slowly turned around and followed Ling Yuan and Xue Qinghe toward the exit of the auction house.

"Yes, Young Miss."

Zhong Meng looked gratefully at Ye Xi walking ahead of her. After replying, she quickly followed after them.

Being a maid meant losing her freedom, but it was still far better than being treated as a commodity in an auction house, bought and sold by whoever pleased.

"Xiao Xi, are you planning to arrange for Zhong Meng to work as a maid in the Mansion?"

Xue Qinghe walked beside Ye Xi and asked softly.

"Mm."

"That Mansion is so large, yet only Tian Yao, Ling Yuan, and I live there. It's still a little too quiet."

"It would be nice to hire a few maids to take care of cleaning the Mansion."

As Ye Xi spoke, she glanced at Zhong Meng following behind them.

"This is already a very good life for her."

"And when I first made a bid, I was already planning to buy her back as a maid."

Xue Qinghe spoke softly, discreetly glancing at Zhong Meng behind them.

After leaving the auction house, Ye Xi, Xue Qinghe, and Ling Yuan led Zhong Meng toward the Mansion.

Upon returning to the Mansion, Ye Xi sat down in the Great Hall, her Sapphire Blue eyes looking at Zhong Meng, who stood in the hall.

"Go buy a few sets of clothes later, then find yourself a room in the Mansion to rest."

"You'll just be responsible for cleaning the Mansion normally."

As Ye Xi spoke, she took several Gold Soul Coins from her Storage Bracelet and placed them on the table.