The sun was setting in the west.

"That just now doesn't count!" Noira flicked her red hair with one hand and glared discontentedly at Chen Ai. "I fell asleep. How do I know if you provided a good service!"

While wiping the table, Chen Ai replied irritably, "I let you stay for an entire afternoon, and I charged you only one silver coin when the sun was about to set. What more do you want? If it were in the imperial capital back then, even a discounted price would cost you at least a gold coin. Be content!"

Noira thought for a moment and cunningly said, "So you mean I can buy your whole afternoon for one gold coin? Then tonight I..."

Chen Ai flicked away the tablecloth in his hand and ordered, "Go away! Go away! I'm accommodating you as a friend, so don't be overbearing. I'm busy. It's almost time for dinner, don't stand in the way of my business!"

Although Chen Ai was short of money and the pressure from Michelle was imminent, he still had no intention of resuming his old business. Since he opened a hotel, he had to live as a hotel owner. If he had to sell his body as he did in the beginning, wouldn't all the hard work and effort to buy this hotel be wasted?

More importantly, over the past year, Chen Ai had developed another kind of fighting spirit. He wanted to defeat Michelle in a fair and honest manner, completely conquering her proud arrogance. Therefore, he would never use these cheating methods.

The silver coin he took as payment this afternoon was purely symbolic, as Chen Ai felt that Noira had worked too hard and wanted to console her.

Chen Ai was determined not to rely on selling himself.

Having been coldly rejected, Noira wrinkled her attractive nose and said sarcastically, "What's so good about your business? How many bronze coins can you earn in a night? You might as well close the door now, go to the market while the sun is still up and beg. You could earn more as a beggar."

Chen Ai was stabbed twice in a row by Noira today, and what she said was all true. He had seen more than once that the beggars at the city gates had bags full of bronze coins, full of spoils under the night. Yet his own hard work, running around all day, could result in a loss. Chen Ai often doubted his own life.

Being ruthlessly pointed out by Noira at this moment was more than he could bear!

"Bang!" Chen Ai, furious and ashamed, threw down the cloth and lunged towards Noira with his teeth bared and claws out.

Seeing the bad situation, the highly-respected beauty and vice-captain of the city, Noira, quickly stuck out her tongue, her delicate figure darted out the door and fled, a touch of red in tow.

…

"Damn it." Chen Ai sat down dejectedly next to the counter, the empty and deserted hall with not a single customer in sight.

It was 9 o'clock in the evening, which in the past used to be the peak business hours. Men, having finished their day's work, would gather in the hall, order a few glasses of cheap beer, and the wealthy customers would often order some snacks. The hall would be full of lively chatter. However, today, the bright hall was completely empty.

Chen Ai scratched his head: "Was it really Noira's bad omen?"

Just as Chen Ai was puzzled, two figures hurried past the Blaze Hotel. The man in front shouted, "Lott, hurry up! The slave exhibition and auction are about to start!"

The man behind, panting, replied, "Slow down! Wait for me!"

"Wait? Wait and the slaves will all be sold! Missing it for one second is a lifelong regret!"

The two men shouted as they walked further and further away.

It was then that Chen Ai remembered the lewd trio mentioning the matter of the slave traders this afternoon.

Every time the slave traders arrived in a city, they would organize an auction-like event. They would set a reserve price for female slaves, have them wear provocative clothes, stand on stage to show off their bodies, and let buyers bid. The highest bidder wins. The profits gained this way were much higher than selling them directly.

At this time, the men in town, regardless of their social status, would flock to the market to watch the auction. Even though most of them couldn't afford the slaves, they could at least feast their eyes. And which master bought the top courtesan for how much would also become a hot topic among the men in the city for days.

At such times, the market would be extremely lively, while Chen Ai's store would hardly have any customers.

Chen Ai sighed. It was not easy to get rid of Michelle, but now these damned slave traders had arrived. His luck was just too bad.The clock had already struck ten, and based on past experience, no new customers would come to the bar at this time.

"Well, it's time to close up for today." Chen Ai stretched helplessly. The whole evening had turned into a loss, even counting the energy consumption of the magic core lamp.

Since there were no customers, it would be wiser to close early and save some magic core energy instead of forcing the business to stay open until midnight.

Thinking it was too early to sleep, Chen Ai decided to go to the market and buy tomorrow's vegetables. Most vegetables would be sold at a discount late at night. Though not very fresh, they were cheap and suitable for affordable meals.

Chen Ai turned off all the lights in the hall and left a small night light on before going out.

...

Tonight, the night market of Herlan was bustling with activity. People crowded the market, adventurers, mercenaries, street vendors, and town residents coming to enjoy the lively atmosphere.

In the center of the square, the slave traders' auction had already begun. Rows of adult female demi-humans were chained by their necks, wearing revealing clothing, shivering in the cold night breeze. The slavers' assistants whipped them, driving them to the stage for everyone to admire, as occasional lewd cheers erupted from the crowd below.

The host, holding a magic amplifier, enthusiastically introduced the demi-human species and their features to the audience. In the VIP section, people raised their signs to bid, causing rounds of gasps.

In an inconspicuous corner of the street, a thin little girl sat in a beast cage, her hands tied behind her back with hemp rope. Her clothes were ragged, her face dusty, and a metal collar locked around her neck. Only her pair of amber eyes shimmered in the dark cage.

A drunken man with a bottle in his hand staggered past the cage, apparently intrigued by the little girl's appearance. He took a closer look at her, who had a pair of wolf ears, smaller and fluffier than regular wolf ears, delicate like a cat's.

The drunk exhaled a strong breath of alcohol into the cage, causing the girl to shrink back in fear, her ears drooping and small canine teeth exposed. The man laughed delightedly and turned away.

This was a ten-year-old wolf-tribe girl waiting to be sold. Because of her young age and frailty, the slave traders believed that no one would bid on her. So, they gave her a low price tag and left her aside for passing customers.

Suddenly, the drunk collided with a passerby.

"Ouch! What's wrong with you?!"

"You're the one who bumped into me! Are you blind?"

The two began to argue loudly, their voices escalating, and neither willing to concede. The drunk threw the first punch, and the two started to brawl. Many onlookers gathered, cheering and happily watching the fight.

In the midst of the scuffle, a damaged copper coin fell from the drunk's bag, rolling to the front of the iron cage. The edge of the coin was missing a piece, forming a sharp corner.

A glimmer of light flashed in the girl's dull eyes. She glanced around, realizing that everyone's attention was on the fight, completely ignoring the dim copper coin.

The girl quickly moved closer to the edge of the cage, her hands tied and unable to be used. So, she extended her fluffy tail, clumsily coiling it around the coin and retrieving it into the cage. She then placed the coin in her hands.

The sound of fine cutting rose but was instantly drowned out by the noisy crowd.

The girl's shoulders moved subtly, as she used the broken coin to cut the rope tying her hands.

Although the rope was not thick, the girl's strength was too weak. Soon, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Suddenly, a pair of boots stopped firmly in front of the cage.