For the Vago Rock Emperor!

For the Vago Rock Emperor!

Here, putting on a mask was equivalent to taking off the mask nobles wore on their faces.

Along the way, they would occasionally see masked nobles getting handsy with the "female companions" beside them.

These companions were almost all staff members of the auction house. They seemed coy and flirtatious, their smiles blooming like flowers, yet their eyes were filled with confusion and lifelessness.

Their bodies were alive, but their hearts were already dead.

Even if they were "redeemed" by these nobles, they would only become playthings.

Everyone would grow old and lose their looks someday, and everyone would eventually grow tired of their toys. When that time came, their fate might be far more miserable than staying in the auction house.

Paimon looked around in confusion. To her, all of this was somewhat difficult to adapt to.

These people all looked quite happy, yet something felt strange.

Zhongli paused from time to time and let out a sigh, but he did not pay any more attention to them.

These women were almost all children from impoverished families. Whether because of their families or other reasons, they had been sold to the auction house.

Although the auction house treated them as commodities, it had indeed raised them. That kindness was twisted, but it had allowed them to survive.

As the God of Contracts, Zhongli had briefly wanted to tear apart the "contracts" here, but he ultimately gave up.

If people's way of thinking did not change, he could save them for a time, but not for a lifetime.

These women were beyond saving. Other than serving men and the strong, they had no other skills.

If he rescued them and then left them to fend for themselves, they would return here within days.

When "Xue Qinghe" saw Zhongli sigh, an image of Jialing Pass suddenly flashed through her mind.

"Though I have no intention of contending for the throne, I know the suffering of the common people..."

Could it be... could Zhongli have become that Vago Rock Emperor because of these lowly commoners?

Qian Renxue frowned as she thought to herself.

It was not unreasonable for her to think so.

Not to mention the two great empires—even Spirit Hall had never cared about commoners who lacked the potential to become Soul Masters!

If they had no potential to become Soul Masters, Spirit Hall's attitude toward commoners was only slightly better than that of the two great empires.

At the very least, they gave commoners a little hope.

Qian Renxue examined her own heart. Had she ever regarded commoners who were not Soul Masters as people?

What she valued were geniuses and talent.

Without those things, they would never catch her eye.

She was kind, but she likewise did not think much of commoners without Soul Power.

For the Vago Rock Emperor!

Should I make some changes?

Qian Renxue surveyed the auction house. She had come here only a handful of times.

Watching scenes like these, she felt vaguely uncomfortable.

The auction house was a major source of income for the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. A single staff member here started at one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins!

What kind of enterprise could be this profitable?

The Heaven Dou Empire's annual military expenses, officials' salaries, and Royal Family expenditures all required money...

The auction house supported most of those expenses!

If these operations were abolished, the empire's income would inevitably be affected to some extent.

Qian Renxue had a headache. These problems left behind by history could only be addressed after she took the throne.

For now, even if she talked until her throat went dry, Xue Ye would never make changes over this.

The Vago Rock Emperor could appear, but he could not appear as he had in the dream. He would destroy everything!

After some time, I must have a proper talk with the advisor about this—the people's livelihood!

With that thought, Qian Renxue glanced sideways at Zhongli's profile. Although he wore a mask, he was still as charming as ever!

Led by the hostess, Paimon, Zhongli, and "Xue Qinghe" wound their way to a private room.

After arriving at the private room, "Xue Qinghe" waved a hand, signaling for the hostess to leave.

Though reluctant, the hostess had no choice. This was an opportunity she had fought hard to obtain, but His Highness the Crown Prince had told her to leave, so she had to leave.

"Qinghe, does this black area have some particular meaning?"

Paimon tilted her head and spoke to "Xue Qinghe."

She had noticed it when they arrived.

This place seemed to be divided into four areas.

There was only one private room in the red area, and she did not know for whom it had been prepared.

There were slightly more private rooms in the black area, around five or six.

The room they had entered was Private Room Number One in the black area.

The purple area also had private rooms, though there were far more than in the black area.

As for the yellow and white areas, they were distinguished by seating and had no private rooms of their own.

Hearing this, "Xue Qinghe" explained to Paimon that different areas represented different statuses, as well as different levels of wealth.

Of course, if one only had money but lacked strength and a noble title, the purple private rooms were already the limit.

Even if they were assigned a black private room, they would not dare enter it. That was class hierarchy.

As the Crown Prince, her private room was naturally Black Room Number One.

Once Xue Ye died, she would be able to use that sole red private room.

In the world of Soul Masters, the color of one's soul rings was generally used to distinguish strength and status.

Even God Trials were classified in the same manner.

White was the lowest, while gold was the highest.

White, yellow, purple, black, red, gold.

"So that's how it is!"

Paimon nodded thoughtfully.

Then, her gaze was drawn to the fruit platter on the table. She had originally wanted to say something else, but upon seeing the fruit and snacks, she immediately forgot everything.

"Qinghe, can Paimon eat all of these?"

"Yes."

"Even if Paimon packs them up and takes them away, that's fine."

Paimon's eyes lit up at those words!

Zhongli's eyelid twitched. There was no need to think about it—these fruit platters and the like would appear at Zhongli Manor tonight!

He dared guarantee it in his own name. It would definitely happen.

Paimon was small, but she ate a great deal.

According to the law of conservation of energy, this was highly abnormal!

Only Zhongli's sharp eyes had noticed that Paimon had grown a little!

When he first met her, Paimon had been at most a little over ten centimeters tall, not even twenty.

Now, however, she had grown a size larger.

It seemed she had not eaten all that Mora from the Traveler for nothing.

Without Paimon, he should be very bored, right?

Ah, what a sin, what a sin. Who could have known Paimon would travel through worlds with him?

"Advisor, what do you think of this auction house?"

While Paimon was eating, "Xue Qinghe" finally had time to probe cautiously.

She wanted very much to know Zhongli's attitude. Nothing else mattered.

"Things that the Heaven Dou Empire forbids openly are appearing here."

"Of course, although the auction house's adoption of orphans is driven by a twisted purpose, it can still be considered a small good deed."