DEALING WITH SCUM 2

"You're one-eyed Derek, right?" Ara asked him as she looked down at him.

"What? I have no such name, you have the wrong person, let me go!" He said quickly, grasping the chance he'd just seen.

If he could convince the kid he was the wrong person, he could escape this mad kid.

"Look, I'm just someone who works here, I do nothing wrong. I even pay all my taxes, I can show you the files." Ara just looked at him for some time, unnerving him some more before speaking

"You said you wanted to teach me a lesson, right? Teach me what you wanted to, I'm waiting." He couldn't see her face, but he could tell the kid was grinning or smirking under that mask. You brat. But who

was this person to have such authority and come out to do such a thing? Wait there were princesses in the royal families, right? what if this was one of them, or maybe...there were rumors of a powerful cultivator that had

been hired to protect the royal family not too long ago, maybe that was this person. powerful cultivators could take the form of people younger than their actual age, what if that was the person before him at the moment?

He crossed the line this time, he thought. The carriage was enough proof that this person was from the palace, but the red outfit worn by this person meant that she was directly related to the royal family. He was sweating now as he lay there

looking in the eyes of this devil.

"Who-who a-are you? If I may ask? Maybe I could help you find the person you're looking for," he smiled nervously as he spoke with trembling lips. One wrong word and I'm done for, he thought.

"You want to help me?" Ara asked him

"Yes, I want to help you. Since the person you want isn't me, I'll help you find the person you want anyway I can," he added. Ha! This kid's dumber than I thought. Guess I can get out of this situation easily.

"Fine," Ara said and turned around. "Release him and bring him here," she said and walked away into the carriage again then closed the door.

What? Just like that, I'm freed? Two soldiers in the imperial uniform of gold and red came forward and pulled out the arrows pinning him to the ground then pulled him to his feet. "Thank y-" "Move it," one of them pushed him from behind towards the carriage

"Oh yes, of course," he dusted himself and walked slowly towards the carriage. He looked around nervously, taking note of the dozens of soldiers all around. He was surrounded, or to put it more precisely, his shop was surrounded. Careful now, I don't wanna get killed for no good reason, just play along. He reached the carriage and was about to knock on the door but one of the two soldiers grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "Don't touch the carriage. That's close enough," he said to Derek and he could see his counterpart already had a grip on his sheathed sword, ready to attack the moment something suspicious sprang up. He could tell they were already pissed that he had interacted with their revered master, they just wanted an excuse to kill him.

The soldier knocked on the door, "He's here," he said "Bring him closer, I don't want to waste my breath shouting." "Understood."

Derek was brought closer to the carriage. "I want you to go into your shop and bring out every worker there." "Okay I will," Derek said compliantly but sniggered inwardly as he turned back into his auction house. He wouldn't mind having to sacrifice some mere workers under him. Even if he would have to get rid of all the workers to save his skin, he wouldn't mind that. Even though this person is powerful, she may still be as immature as she looks. He was already thinking of a plan to escape in case they turn back to get him instead, he would do all he could to get someone else in trouble.

"Come, don't waste any of our time," one soldier said and two came from his sides and grabbed his arms to drag him forward. He struggled a little and gave up, knowing he could never win against those two even if he had some power. As they approached his shop, more soldiers broke off from their formation and followed them inside. "Go, call all your workers," he was pushed forward and stumbled inside his own auction house. He did as told and shouted for all those he'd hired to work in the auction house to come out. The moment he said that the soldiers poured inside and dragged out the workers, lining them in front of the auction house. There were only thirty-four of them. They all struggled in confusion, not understanding what was going on there. All they knew was they were doing the usual things they did every day and then these soldiers come in to arrest them.

"Let go of me! I did nothing!" one worker shouted, he was the one struggling the most and when he saw Derek standing aside, he got mad. "What's going on, Derek? If you did something to get yourself into trouble, don't drag us into it!" He shouted at Derek. Derek frowned, walked straight toward that worker, and slapped him hard. "What is this, you dare to speak? You all have been called out here and you dare to question the one who brought you out? Look around you, do these soldiers look like the guards you see around all the time? They're the imperial guard and someone from the palace called you out here. I would shut my mouth and comply if I were you, maybe you might be able to not get into more trouble than you already are idiot." Derek was seething, he hated being talked to by people beneath his authority, especially those he paid. The soldiers just stood still, acting as if the interaction between Derek and that was normal. The carriage door opened again and Ara walked out. The whole place became quiet that instant, all the arrested people stared at her in confusion. Who was this girl? She seemed very young, was she the one making all these people be arrested? Maybe another person inside the carriage was yet to come out? They waited but no one got out and that kid only stood there looking at the workers one after the other.

"Do any of you know why I'm here?" She asked

The worker who'd struggled earlier spat to the floor. "How are we supposed to know why you're here? You just come out here, arrest us and expect us to know why you arrested us?"

"Bring him here," Ara commanded and he was brought before her. "I came here earlier today and bought some stuff," Ara said and everyone there stared at her. If she came earlier, how is it that none of them remember her? They're able to remember people who come there, and who wouldn't have known if this rich person came to their place?

"Please, I think you might be mistaken about coming here," Derek spoke. If this person came here, she could get them in trouble for not being treated right, good she didn't come to this auction house. If she did, I would be in deep trouble.

Ara glanced at him. "Let me finish speaking before you think of interrupting." "Sorry, my mistake," he apologized and watched as the kid continued the false accusation that she came there earlier. She looked down at the kneeling fellow that was brought before her. So far, he'd been speaking like those people who hate nobles, but Ara could tell he only tried to look good. She could remember where she'd seen him.

"I came here earlier and wanted to go in the VIP area but wasn't allowed to. According to what I know, for someone like me, you only needed my identity before I was allowed to enter, but you didn't ask that, instead, you went on to sack me." "I'm sure you must be mistaken. Maybe you went to another auction-" "I said don't interrupt me." Derek was now scared. This kid wasn't going to back down?

"I was made to pay six hundred gold coins before entering. Now tell me, is this right?"

The moment she said that the one kneeling before her was shaking with fear. Made to pay six hundred gold coins? HE remembered that he and his friend had extorted such an amount from some rich kids earlier that day. Now that was where he'd known that voice from, or maybe a similar thing happened at some other auction house? No way that kid could be this same person from the royal family.

"Do you remember me?" Ara said and the man looked up, she'd taken off the veil to reveal her face. It was as if he'd been struck as he looked at that smiling face, it was her, no mistake.