Xu Chun had expected Ye Tian to reprimand him for his insolence, but Ye Tian wasn't angry at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "I know you're curious, but there are some things I really can't tell you right now. Knowing them would do you no good."
"I don't bother anyone who doesn't bother meāthat's my bottom line. But if anyone dares to cross me, it will end in a fight to the death! This eighty-five million is enough to give the Eldest Prince a headache for a while. I wonder if he even has enough Spirit Stones to keep bidding!"
Meanwhile, in private room number one, the Eldest Prince's face was livid with rage. To think someone would dare to oppose him so brazenly! The current bid for the Soul Medicine had reached eighty-five million, a sum that was already beyond his means. He was at a complete loss for what to do.
His hatred for the occupants of private room number three deepened. If he could, he would charge into their room without a second thought and slaughter that insolent bastard.
He considered himself an arrogant man, but he'd never imagined meeting someone even more so. This was a particularly stinging slap in the face. He could feel his cheeks burning, as if the dignity of the Royal Family had vanished into thin air in that very momentāall thanks to private room number three.
"Private room number three, for your aggression today, I will make you pay a heavy price in the future! I don't care who you areāthe result will be the same!" the Eldest Prince roared, his voice booming throughout the auction hall and causing the eardrums of the weaker attendees to throb with pain.
Zhang Xinlan and Ye Tian exchanged a look and smiled. "If you want to bid on the Soul Medicine, then put up your Spirit Stones," she called out. "If you don't have any, then stop wasting your breath. Anyone can make threats. Frankly, I'm not intimidated by an Eldest Prince. If you can't raise the bid, then this Soul Medicine is mine!"
Zhang Xinlan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly through the auction hall. The crowd was stunned by the meaning behind her words. 'Who in the world is this person who shows absolutely no fear of the Eldest Prince?' they wondered.
The Eldest Prince was now utterly apoplectic with rage and humiliation. "You damn bitch, you're courting death! Just you wait for me after the auction. I swear I will make you regret today's actions!"
"Heh, resorting to harsh words now that you're out of Spirit Stones? A pity I don't fall for that kind of thing. If you've got the guts, then bring it on. The Eldest Prince, you say? I'm still not impressed!" Zhang Xinlan shot back immediately. It was quite satisfying to strike at him with wordsāa tactic she had likely learned from Ye Tian.
Her words made the Eldest Prince even more furious. No one had ever dared to speak to him this way. Everyone in his life only sought to curry favor with him. Yet today, in front of so many people, this woman had the audacity to shout that she held him in no regard. How could he possibly swallow such an insult?
"Bitch! If you've got guts, leave Linxiao City right now, and we'll see what I do to you!" The Eldest Prince was at a loss for words, resorting to trying to bait Zhang Xinlan out of her private room.
"Sorry, but you're not important enough to make me leave. The auction is still in progress. If you don't have eighty-five million Spirit Stones, then shut your trap! Stop making a fool of yourself. So what if you're a Prince? Without Spirit Stones, you can't buy a thing," Zhang Xinlan said nonchalantly.
Her tone was gentle, but her words sent a chill down everyone's spine. All the attendees now sensed that something major would happen after the auction. There was sure to be a battle between private room number three and the Eldest Princeāa fight to the death.
The Eldest Prince's heart was bleeding, his stomach churning with rage that had no outlet. Suddenly, his eyes fell upon the maid in his room. "What are you looking at? Does a mere ant like you dare to mock me?"
"Eldest Prince, this servant wouldn't dare! I beg you to calm your anger!" The maid sensed that the Eldest Prince was about to vent his fury on her and immediately begged for her life, knowing he could very well kill her on the spot.
"Wench! Aren't you responsible for entertaining the distinguished guests? In that case, you will serve me. If you serve me well, I might just spare your pathetic life. If you don't, then this day next year will be the anniversary of your death!" the Eldest Prince said viciously, a terrifying, murderous glint in his eyes.
The maid trembled from head to toe. She could only nod her head repeatedly, saying, "This servant understands! This servant understands!"
She then undressed, revealing a stunning body. But at that moment, the Eldest Prince was like a ravenous wolf; he had no patience to appreciate such beauty. In his eyes, she was merely preyāan object upon which he could vent his frustrations.
Without hesitation, he grabbed her large breasts with both hands, squeezing and twisting them violently. In just a few short breaths, dark bruises had already appeared on her pale skin.
It felt as if they were about to burst. The intense pain forced a cry from her lips, and tears streamed uncontrollably down her face. 'To have run into such scum... My fate is truly bitter,' she thought.
"You dare to cry in front of me! A bitch will always be a bitch!" The Eldest Prince released his grip, only to swing his palm across the maid's face, a blow so powerful it sent her spinning to the ground before she collapsed in a heap.
A spray of fresh blood erupted from her mouth, and she fainted. Perhaps passing out was what she truly wanted at that moment; at least she would be unaware of what was to come.
"Dispose of this bitch later! All women are bitches! Bitches!" the Eldest Prince roared.
Just then, the middle-aged man hosting the auction spoke up. "The bid from private room number three stands at eighty-five million Spirit Stones! Is there a higher bid? If not, then this Soul Medicine will belong to private room number three."
The auctioneer's voice was like a death sentence, sending the Eldest Prince into a thunderous rage. He simply didn't have enough Spirit Stones to bid for the Soul Medicine, but he couldn't bear to stand by and watch it be taken by private room number three. He was utterly unwilling to accept this. At this moment, he desperately hoped someone would help him.
"It seems private room number one is short on Spirit Stones. My Ouyang Clan is willing to lend fifty million Spirit Stones to the Eldest Prince. Now, His Highness can bid with confidence!" a voice from private room number seven, belonging to Young Master Ouyang, suddenly called out. He knew this was the perfect moment; this was what it meant to provide timely aid.
To the Eldest Prince, the voice was like music from the heavens. "So it is the Ouyang Clan who treats me well! I will remember this favor. I will be sure to reward you handsomely in the future!" the Eldest Prince declared immediately. The Ouyang Clan had helped him in his moment of greatest need; this was no small debt.
Now with an extra fifty million Spirit Stones, the Eldest Prince's confidence surged back. He immediately shouted, "Raise the bid by five million! I'd like to see how many more Spirit Stones that bitch has!"
However, as he shouted this, he realized that the maid he would have ordered was the one he had just beaten unconscious, now lying motionless on the floor. He could only have the old man beside him place the bid.