The two newcomers were a man and a woman. The woman appeared to be in her early twenties, with an extremely voluptuous figure. Her striking beauty, combined with her flamboyant attire, made her look incredibly alluring.
The man beside her was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He wore a dark orange robe made of a special material, exuding an air of nobility and elegance. On the shoulders of the robe were two dazzling star insignias, faintly emanating a unique aura.
Clearly, this was the distinctive attire of a Spirit Controller. The dark colour indicated a high rank, and this man was a second-rank high-level Spirit Controller.
At his age, achieving such a level of spiritual power marked him as a prodigy, someone of extraordinary status and respect.
This was evident in the man’s demeanour. Whether he was looking at Lin Xiao or the serving woman, his gaze was filled with arrogance and disdain.
“Brother He Xun, I want this Red Vermilion Spirit,” the woman said, casting a contemptuous glance at Lin Xiao before turning her coquettish eyes to the man named He Xun.
He Xun glanced at the Red Vermilion Spirit and frowned slightly, clearly reluctant but not showing it outright. He said indifferently, “The Red Vermilion Spirit is the main ingredient for refining a second-grade Burst Skill Pill. Even if I refine it, it will only increase your strength by 10 to 20 per cent. It’s practically useless. Why do you want it?”
“I don’t care. I just want it,” the woman said, rubbing against He Xun’s arm in a **coquettish** tone.
Her voice sent shivers down Lin Xiao’s spine.
Although He Xun was clearly unwilling, he still said calmly, “Fine, buy it.”
“Ah, Brother He Xun, you’re so handsome! I love you so much!” The woman was ecstatic and immediately turned to the serving woman, saying, “Pack it up. I want this Red Vermilion Spirit.”
Her tone was commanding.
“Uh…” The serving woman hesitated, looking troubled. “Miss, sir, this Red Vermilion Spirit… this young master here was the first to express interest…”
“What? Are you blind? How dare you compare him to me? What is he compared to me?”
Hearing the serving woman’s words, the **gorgeous woman** immediately flew into a rage, scolding her, “You **lowly woman**, do you know who Brother He Xun is? He’s a deacon of the Spirit Controller Alliance, the son of the deputy branch leader!”
At this, the serving woman trembled, her face turning pale. She had only recently joined and didn’t recognise He Xun.
She never expected that this man was a deacon of the Spirit Controller Alliance and the son of the deputy branch leader.
“You dare speak up for this pretty boy and ignore us? You, you, you’re committing insubordination!” The **gorgeous woman** angrily berated her, immediately accusing her of a serious offence.
The serving woman didn’t dare argue further and quickly lowered her head, apologising, “Miss, I’m sorry, you misunderstood. I didn’t mean that…”
“Misunderstood? I heard it with my own ears. If that’s not what you meant, then what did you mean? Are you saying I’m falsely accusing you?” The **gorgeous woman** continued to scold her.
“I wouldn’t dare,” the serving woman said, terrified, not daring to look up.
“This is so infuriating…” The **gorgeous woman** stomped her foot in frustration, then turned to He Xun, her tone both **coquettish** and **angry**, “Brother He Xun, look at this **lowly servant** your Spirit Controller Alliance employs. She doesn’t even recognise you.”
He Xun frowned slightly. Everyone in the Linshui City branch of the Spirit Controller Alliance knew him. The serving woman’s earlier words were clearly a slight to his dignity.
Taking a deep breath, He Xun slowly said, “You don’t need to work at the Spirit Controller Alliance anymore.”
The serving woman’s body shook violently, and she was utterly stunned.
Working at the Spirit Controller Alliance was a well-paying job. She had gone through rigorous screening to get this position.
Her family—her parents and younger brother—had always been poor. This job was their hope for a better life.
She remembered how excited her parents and brother had been when she told them she got the job. The look of hope in their eyes, the praise from neighbours…
She couldn’t imagine what would happen if she were kicked out. How would her parents feel? How would others view her? How would they mock her family…
Tears streamed down her face as she begged, “Deacon He, please, I beg you, don’t make me leave. I… I’ll never do it again.”
“What? There’s still a ‘next time’? **Lowly woman**, if I tell you to leave, you leave. Do you believe I’ll personally throw you out?” The **gorgeous woman** immediately shouted.
By now, the commotion had drawn the attention of the surrounding crowd.
“Isn’t that He Xun, the genius chosen by the Spirit Controller Alliance to participate in the Alchemy Competition?”
“Yes, it’s him. They say he might even make it into the top 30. Such a talented individual has a limitless future. Even the branch leader has praised him. Who would have thought that a serving woman in the Spirit Controller Alliance wouldn’t recognise him? No wonder she’s being kicked out!”
“She’s actually quite pitiful. It’s not easy for a commoner to get a job at the Spirit Controller Alliance. It’s just… **sigh**, she’s just unlucky.”
The crowd shook their heads, sighing. Even the hall manager, an elderly man, disapproved of He Xun’s actions, but he could only turn a blind eye.
After all, He Xun was currently the rising star of the Spirit Controller Alliance. Even the branch leader wouldn’t dare reprimand him now.
If He Xun were to get upset and refuse to participate in the Alchemy Competition, it would be a huge blow to the reputation of the Linshui City branch.
“I… I’ll go,” the serving woman said, her voice trembling. She swallowed hard and turned to leave. In that moment, all her hopes were shattered.
However, just as she took a few steps, a firm hand gripped her arm, and a calm male voice sounded in her ear, “You don’t need to leave.”
The serving woman was startled. She looked up through her tears at the young man holding her. Although he wore a mask and his exposed chin was tanned, she could tell he was younger than her. Yet, the determination in his eyes gave her a sense of reassurance.
But remembering He Xun’s status and the **gorgeous woman’s** attitude, she knew it was impossible to defy them. She shook her head gently and said to Lin Xiao, “Thank you for your kindness, young master.”
With that, she tried to pull her arm free, but no matter how she struggled, she couldn’t break free.
“Young master, you…” The serving woman looked at Lin Xiao in surprise.
“I said you don’t need to leave. The one who should leave is her,” Lin Xiao said, his cold gaze shifting to the **gorgeous woman**. “Apologise to her.”
Lin Xiao’s reaction shocked everyone present. That woman was He Xun’s companion. For Lin Xiao to demand that she apologise was a direct slap to He Xun’s face.
Did this young man not know who He Xun was or how powerful he was?
Hearing Lin Xiao’s words, He Xun and the **gorgeous woman** were also momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting such a response.
After a pause, the **gorgeous woman** exploded in anger, “You… what did you say? You want me to apologise to this **lowly woman**?”
*Slap!*
In the next moment, a loud slap echoed through the hall.
A firm hand struck the **gorgeous woman’s** face with such force that she was sent sprawling to the ground.
