As Hua Ren made his way to the door, a short, stout man with a slight hunch approached him, bowing slightly before gesturing for him to follow. Wordlessly, Hua Ren complied, trailing behind as they ventured through a dimly lit corridor hidden behind the inn. The man moved quickly, leading Hua Ren down a narrow, spiraling staircase that seemed to wind endlessly into the earth.
The further they descended, the more the faint hum of noise grew into a low, distant rumble. Hua Ren’s sharp eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in the thickness of the stone walls. This place was certainly designed for secrecy. He wondered what could be hidden so deep beneath an inn. As they reached the bottom of the staircase, a massive black steel door with the carving of two identical crouching tigers came into view. The symbol of the Twin Tigers Inn.
From behind it, the faint sounds of a crowd cheering and shouting grew clearer. The short man turned to Hua Ren and bowed low once more, pushing the door open with some effort.
"Have a night full of pleasure, sir," he said with a mischievous smile.
Hua Ren frowned slightly at the remark but said nothing, stepping through the doorway into the vast underground chamber. The door shut behind him with a heavy thud and before him stretched a massive bright auction arena. Rows upon rows of seats encircled the arena, each one filled with eager spectators who murmured and laughed as they waited for the auction to begin on the stage below. The place was lit by hundreds of hanging lanterns, enabling everyone to clearly see the stage.
Hua Ren recognized some of the people seated on the chairs. Nobles, merchants, officials, even some princes and princesses from faraway Kingdoms. They were all people of influence but there were also many that he did not know. Some he had never seen before.
At the center of it all was a large, elevated empty stage where items would be presented to the crowd for auction. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, greed, and an underlying tension that made Hua Ren uneasy. He wondered what kinds of items the Twin Tigers Inn auctioned for so many influential people to gather. And why hadn’t he heard of it before and why wasn’t he included?
"Hello, you seem new."
Startled, Hua Ren turned around to find a tall blonde man with striking blue eyes smiling at him. The man’s regal blue robes were adorned with a crest of a flaming lion, the symbol of royalty. He had an air of nobility, and Hua Ren could immediately tell that he was no ordinary person.
Hua Ren nodded politely. "This is indeed my first time."
The man’s smile widened, and he stretched out a hand. "Then I’ll be your guide. My name is Rowan Lioncrest. The crown prince of the Lioncrest Kingdom. And you are?"
Hua Ren immediately went into panic mode. He was a warrior. Not a spy. He knew he wasn’t supposed to tell his real identity but he could not think of a fake name either. His mind raced, trying to think of an appropriate response. Everyone here was either of noble blood, a merchant or royalty. He had to make up an identity in line with that. He opened his mouth to speak, but before any words could form, a smooth deep voice cut through the tension.
"My love, you got lost again."
Hua Ren blinked in surprise as a man with dark hair stepped confidently between him and Rowan, wrapping an arm possessively around Hua Ren’s waist. A dense aroma of sage rushed into his nostrils and his knees went slightly weak, making him lean into the man’s embrace, as if they were truly together. Hua Ren gritted his teeth behind the veil.
He looked up to find Sheng Fei in disguise, smiling politely at Rowan. "Sorry about that," he continued. "I told my little wife to wait for me by the door, but it seems curiosity got the best of him, and he came in alone. This is his first time here, after all."
Hua Ren frowned deeply. Who was his little wife?
Rowan’s expression shifted, his eyes narrowing slightly as he looked at the arm wrapped around Hua Ren’s waist. The prince’s outstretched hand fell to his side, though he still maintained a gracious demeanor.
"Oh, that’s okay." He smiled, though the slight annoyance in his eyes was hard to miss. "And I’m sorry. I didn’t realize he was married and already had company."
"There’s no need to apologize, Prince Rowan." Sheng Fei said, bowing respectfully. "You were only trying to help. My name is Lim Kang. I’m a merchant from the Ironwall Kingdom and this is my lovely wife, Lim Sa Yu. It’s really a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."
It obviously wasn’t a pleasure for Rowan but he smiled again nonetheless. "Likewise. Although I have to say, this place is not a place for omegas. Why did you bring your wife along?"
Sheng Fei put up a helpless look. "I told him so many times but he refused to listen and I’m naturally weak when it comes to my wife. We agreed that this will be his first and last time. He just wanted to see what it’s like here."
Although Hua Ren was simmering with anger, he remained silent and stayed by Sheng Fei’s side, allowing Sheng Fei to do all the talking just in case he messes up. He wasn’t used to lying to so easily. In fact, he was an extremely bad liar.
Rowan thought it made sense for the wife to be curious about the husband’s affairs so he decided not to ask any more questions. "That’s fine." He looked at Hua Ren, his earlier warmth fading into formality. "Since your husband is here, you won’t need a guide anymore. I’ll head on to my seat."
With a polite nod, Rowan turned on his heel and swiftly walked away. He returned to his seat but his eyes still lingered on the couple who found empty seats not far away.
Lim Kang and Lim Sa Yu....
He had never heard of those names before. The Ironwall Kingdom was a place their influence had not reached yet so it was normal for him not to know. Apart from that, they may just be average merchants. He did see the bronze amulet hanging from the husband’s waist.
Bronze was for average people. Silver was for those of noble blood and Gold was given to royalty. Like him.
At first glance, he could tell from the build that the wife was an Omega even though he didn’t act like one. He wanted to get a chance to build a nice conversation and even see his face but the husband just had to interrupt. He had a feeling that the omega was a real beauty and he was a sucker for beauties. Although he didn’t like things that were already touched by someone else, he felt that this omega was special.
He made a signal with his fingers and a man dressed in all black instantly appeared by his side, kneeling by his seat. "Your Highness."
"Look into the identities of the merchants from Ironwall. Lim Kang and Lim Sa Yu." Rowan ordered. "If they’re not that important, dispose of the husband and bring the wife to me."
The man nodded. "Understood." Then disappeared right away.
Rowan smiled, glancing at the couple once more, looking forward to adding another beautiful omega to his collection.