Chapter 147 - The Auction (Part Two)

"I'm not sure either. I just felt a tug towards this auction house,  as if something important is going to happen here today.  That's why I decided to attend this auction." The golden robed Immortal replied in an indifferent tone.

Three people who were bound to each other with their souls were sitting under the same roof, unknown to each other's presence.

Though all of them were feeling that lightest tug in their hearts which was trying to enlighten them about each other's presence.

----

In one of the private rooms on the third floor of the auction house, Li Ming was listening to the rules which the old shopkeeper was explaining.

Within the next five minutes, the auction officially started and the first item that was brought up the pedestal for the auction was a scroll that carried the formula of sleeping pills.

Li Ming sighed as she settled down in her seat. Her bored and uninterested behavior caught the attention of the Crown Prince.

"You look bored." 

Li Ming looked at the Crown Prince, not sure how to reply to the Prince who either was a real idiot or was still trying to hide his true colors.

Finally, she ended up replying with one of her snarky comments, "Thank you for telling me the obvious. Otherwise, I would have thought that I'm actually enjoying this." 

She really wanted to end up in the prison, didn't she?

But rather than the usual dumbfounded or shocked expressions, this time a small smile appeared on the lips of the Crown Prince which he did his best to hide.

"You are really interesting, Young lady. It's very rare to come across both daring and stupid people. You are a perfect combination of both." The Crown Prince said after a few minutes of silence.

Li Ming watched two servants taking the scroll away from the pedestal as it was finally sold out on 5000 silver taels.

A light chuckle escaped her mouth as she heard the words of the Crown Prince.

"You also think so? Looks like I'm seriously a combination of both. Too many people have certified me as one." She said with a soft sigh, emphasizing on her words.

The Crown Prince turned towards the Young Miss and watched her carefully before asking, "Are you mocking me?"

His tone was neither shocked nor angry. He actually looked curious which was not the right emotion for the situation.

Li Ming cleared her throat as she put on a serious expression on her face.

The other people in the room were silently observing the auction that was going on downstairs. None of them had any idea what the two of them, Li Ming and the Crown Prince, were discussing about as a shield was placed around them to give them privacy.

What was both shocking and amusing was that the royal guards were happy after seeing the Young girl not messing with their Prince, or at least that was what they were thinking after seeing their calmed expressions.

On the other hand, both Zi Yan and Jin Jing were also reassured that their Young Miss had left the Crown Prince alone for the time being and had not sent him flying out the open window yet. In short, everything was going fine for the time being.

Both the parties were praying for peace but the person from whom they wanted peace was none other than the precious Li Ming.

(Didn't you guys inform these people that our Fl had no idea what the word peace mean?)

While these people were busy praying for peace, the auction continued to progress downstairs as the second item, which was a third level low-grade sword, was brought up on the podium. 

It barely took five minutes before the sword was sold out at merely 3500 silver taels.

"Even my food costs higher than that." Li Ming murmured softly as she stared at the departing figure of the sword in both confusion and shock.

She was seriously shaken after seeing a sword being sold only for 3500 silver taels.

Though she had lightly whispered those words but of course the Crown Prince heard them.

Her words made him scoff as he asked with  an irritated tone, "Are you trying to boast about your wealth and family background now?"

Li Ming turned towards the Prince with a scowl decorating her pretty face.

"What are you trying to imply? Why would I have to boast? If I seriously wanted to boast about my wealth and family background, do you think I would have let you drag me here with you? Do you think I would be sitting here silently listening to your stupid questions? You seriously love to judge people, don't you?"

The Crown Prince was surprised to hear such words but the person who was the most shocked was Li Ming herself.

She knew that something was making her a little antsy and she had been on edge ever since she entered into the auction house.

The feeling only intensified with each passing moment but she ignored it as she thought she was only anxious about the auction and her plan that was being ruined by the so-called Crown Prince of the Han Empire.

Moreover, she wasn't exactly enjoying her company. But as she let out her frustrated rant on the Prince, the realization dawned on her.

Nope, her heightened feelings were not caused by either the auction or the Crown Prince, rather there was another presence in the auction house that was making her trade on edge.  

"I..."

The Crown Prince was about to speak but Li Ming just glared at him, making the Prince shut his mouth as he silently settled down on his seat, facing away from her.

The Crown Prince didn't know what to do with the girl. She was younger than him, could be of lower status than him, and also she was behaving pretty rudely as she kept insulting him. But he still could not make himself punish her.

In the end, he decided to do the right thing. He was going to ignore her throughout the entire auction which would probably cover the next one and a half hours.

He left the rest for later. His focus returned on the auction as the fourth item of the day was being placed on the podium to start its auction.

He didn't even realize that the young girl who had been sitting beside him, had very quietly and precisely, placed a barrier around herself which blocked her actions from being observed by others.

To the rest of the people who were sitting inside the room, including the Crown Prince, they appeared to be silently sitting in her seat as she sipped her tea occasionally.

While in reality, she had placed herself in a lotus position as she closed her eyes to focus on her internal energy to calm it down.

But even after trying for the next several minutes, she failed in calming down her powers which were about to burst out of their bubble.

Li Ming immediately entered into the magical mansion/space as she left a clone of herself behind in the private room of the auction house.

As her legs touched the grassy floor of the backyard of her mansion, she was almost kneeling down while she tried to get a grip on herself.

Her body was starting to get covered in sweat and her head was spinning.

It took barely a few seconds before she was surrounded by a worried Snowy, Mallow, and the pixies.

"Ming! What's wrong?" Mallow asked worriedly, though she got no response from the young girl.

Snowy and Mallow were the most worried as they could feel a little amount of pain and discomfort that their Master was going through.

"Li, tell me what's wrong? You are scaring us!" This time it was Snowy who shouted in panic as he felt a huge wave of pain hitting Li Ming on her spine. 

"N-nothing mu-much! Just leave m-me a-lone. I'll be...alright in a f-few minutes!" Li Ming finally replied to everyone's relief but her words brought anything but a relief to their panicked selves.

"Wait! What are you doing?" 

It was Alvina, the little fairy in her beautiful white dress, who shouted at Li Ming in alarm as her keen eyes noticed something, something that none of them realized in the starting due to their panic.

"Li! Are you purposely letting it cause you pain?" Snowy was almost on the verge of tears as he observed his Master going through so much pain.

Li Ming closed her eyes tightly as another wave of sickness passed through her. She was not really in pain as she could bear it, but more like her body had lost all its energy.

She wanted to assure the others that she was alright, but she could barely get a hold on her senses.

She more or less missed what they were saying to her and from the little that she caught through her half-conscious mind, made her regret her decision of appearing into the magical mansion in such a state.

"Don't worry guys! I-I'm trying to find something. J-just give me...a fe-w minutes. I'll b-be alright!"

Li Ming tried to calm them down as she focused her mind on her plan.

This time she was going to get some answers!