Auction

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

With Xue Qinghe's warning, there were fewer non-patients lingering around Wriothesley's clinic. Wriothesley and Sigewinne were able to relax a little as well.

After all, they were not superhuman. Even they needed rest after prolonged, intense work.

Still, being busy had its benefits. At the very least, Wriothesley no longer had to drink the Head Nurse's milkshakes every day.

"My apologies, Duke. With the tournament approaching, public security in the city may be somewhat..." Xue Qinghe put on an apologetic expression.

"It's fine." Wriothesley said nothing, but Sigewinne waved a hand, looking utterly unconcerned.

Naturally, Xue Qinghe knew Wriothesley would not come to harm. She merely wanted some peace of mind.

What could possibly happen to an Ultimate Douluo?

If those people outside could injure Wriothesley, she would be the one surprised.

This was practically a common problem across the world.

Whenever there was a major event, all sorts of freaks and monsters would crawl out of the woodwork. Some antisocial elements, in particular, would do everything they could to cause trouble.

Xue Qinghe was quite troubled by this as well. After all, she was only responsible for supervision; her subordinates were the ones doing the work.

"To express my apologies, how about I treat the Duke to somewhere nice today?" Xue Qinghe had never given up on recruiting Wriothesley.

On one hand, she wanted to recruit talent for Spirit Hall. On the other, it was Xue Ye's request.

Besides, it was not her money, so there was no need to feel bad about spending it.

"Oh? Where to?"

"I'll take you somewhere nice. I guarantee you'll be satisfied." Xue Qinghe smiled mysteriously.

"Oh?" Wriothesley raised a brow. "Is that so? Then I'll trouble you."

After Sigewinne and Wriothesley left, the clinic staff and nurses became excited.

Normally, they had to mind Sigewinne's strictness while working. But now that she was gone, although they still needed to care for the patients, they could sneak in a little gossip.

"The Duke was actually invited out?"

"That really is rare. Since I've known him, this is the first time, isn't it?"

"The Duke even seemed willing to go out. This is the first time I've ever seen that!"

Ever since they had arrived here, the Duke had hardly ever gone out. The occasional trip was only to buy groceries nearby so he could cook.

Who would have thought someone would invite the Duke out?

And that person was the Crown Prince.

Could it be that the Duke was about to become a real duke?

And judging by the Duke's expression, he even seemed to be looking forward to it?

Wriothesley and Sigewinne boarded a carriage specially prepared by Xue Qinghe.

Steward She, one of Xue Qinghe's subordinates, personally drove the carriage, and it was much faster than before.

Having a Title Douluo serve as a coachman was truly unprecedented.

"Where are we going?" Sigewinne asked curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough." Xue Qinghe chuckled.

The two got out before a luxurious building. The surrounding structures were all grand and opulent, so this appeared to be a noble district.

Xue Qinghe led them straight to a building with its doors wide open. The interior decorations were astonishing.

The auction hall was enormous, nearly five hundred meters in diameter and over eighty meters at its highest point. Though it was slightly inferior to the Great Soul Arena, this was only an auction house and had no need for spectators. Heaven Dou City was the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, where land was exceptionally precious. This building occupied an important place in the city and had deep roots.

The doors were semicircular and milky white, matching the rest of the building. Four tall young women stood before them. They were each about one meter seventy-five tall, with well-proportioned figures, and appeared to be no more than twenty years old. They wore floor-length gowns that covered their arms, leaving almost no skin exposed. The dresses clung closely to their bodies, displaying their curves. Silver patterns were embroidered upon the snow-white fabric. The four young women stood in identical poses, their hands folded before them and smiles on their faces. Though professional, those smiles still inspired goodwill.

"Here?" Sigewinne frowned slightly. This was...

An auction house?

"This is also the first time the Duke and Miss Sigewinne have come here, isn't it?" Xue Qinghe began acting as their guide.

"What place is this?" Sigewinne was intrigued. She did not seem particularly interested in auction houses, yet curiosity still drew her along.

"This is the largest auction house in Heaven Dou City, known as the Heaven Dou Auction House." Xue Qinghe introduced it with a light smile.

"This is no ordinary auction house. Its rules cannot be broken so casually."

"Oh?"

"Those participating in auctions here must obey three rules:

First, no one is allowed to fight.

Second, once purchased, an item cannot be returned.

Third, if the price exceeds what you can afford, you are not permitted to bid."

"Hmm? Interesting." Wriothesley smiled faintly. "I imagine no one has caused trouble here since it was established, then?"

Xue Qinghe shook her head. "This place can barely be considered an imperial property. Naturally, no one would dare make trouble here. Of course, that is not absolute."

If you possessed the strength of a Title Douluo or above, or had a force more powerful than the imperial family, then naturally you could act without restraint.

Just like the Duke standing before her now.

"Heh, now that you put it that way, this auction house really is interesting." Wriothesley was looking forward to it somewhat.

"Let's go in and take a look. I'll cover all expenses today." With that, Xue Qinghe took the lead into the auction house.

Wriothesley and Sigewinne followed closely behind.

She was someone who never lacked money. Even without Spirit Hall's support, her businesses were spread throughout the Heaven Dou Empire, and wealth flowed in endlessly. As someone who loved being self-sufficient, she naturally regarded those businesses as her foundation.

What was more, her current identity was the Crown Prince of Heaven Dou. She held the authority to mobilize the Empire's wealth. It was practically profit without investment, and she had more money than she could ever spend!

As for this money, even if Xue Ye became curious about where it had gone, she would not be afraid to answer.

After all, money spent on the Duke was spent legitimately. How would Xue Ye dare say anything more? They had already given away a national treasure; a few Gold Soul Coins were nothing in comparison!

As for the grand auction hall, it was not open every day. After all, it was not possible to gather so many precious auction items every day.

Usually, an auction would only be ceremoniously held after a week or two, once enough auction items had been assembled. Do not underestimate Heaven Dou City's grand auction hall. It was not merely a trading venue; many rare treasures had been auctioned here, and even ten-thousand-year soul bones had appeared on the block. Its reputation was clearly well deserved!

Of course, with the Heaven Dou imperial family backing it, it was even more formidable. Who would dare underestimate such power?

It was a lively place, brimming with opportunities!