Chapter 57: The Snake Clan Princess

Actually… Xu Feng’s assumption is rather unfair to the slave merchants.

Slaves, as the name implies, are purchased by nobles specifically for heavy labor. But maidservants? Throughout the empire, virtually no one would choose slaves for such roles—it would be absurd. What if she stabbed her master while serving tea? The consequences are unthinkable.

This is standard practice among the empire’s upper class. Yet Xu Feng, a transmigrator from Earth, is utterly unfamiliar with these customs. Hearing that servants and maidservants are “bought,” he simply assumed they were slaves.

In fact, it’s a complete misunderstanding. True, most maidservants in noble households *are* purchased, and under imperial law, their bodies and lives legally belong to their masters. Still, they differ fundamentally from slaves. So long as they remain obedient, purchased maidservants enjoy far better treatment and greater rights than slaves. For instance, they may redeem themselves—paying a sufficient sum of gold to their master grants them freedom. Slaves cannot. The Azure Star remains medieval in all aspects save magic, and its laws are exceptionally harsh: once enslaved, always enslaved—a defining distinction from maidservants.

Nobles purchase slaves for heavy labor, but acquire maidservants through entirely different channels. Xu Feng, ignorant of this trade’s intricacies, mistakenly believes he’s been deceived.

After wandering the port, he truly couldn’t find suitable girls. Though these slaves were extremely cheap, price was no concern for Xu Feng. Having received lavish gifts from Duke Walter, he was now extraordinarily wealthy—practically drowning in gold.

“Never mind,” Xu Feng said, taking Xiuer’s hand. “Let’s go.”

“Mm.” Xiuer nodded, utterly obedient to her young master.

Just as the two turned to leave, a colossal ship glided slowly into the harbor and docked. The previously quiet port instantly surged with activity—countless stevedores rushed to unload cargo.

The vessel was enormous—nearly one hundred meters long. Given that the Azure Star, aside from magic, remained firmly medieval, such a ship bordered on miraculous.

“It’s Chairman Nasim’s ship!”

“So much spice, ivory, and southern specialties! My god—he’s returned fully laden this time!”

“I heard there are even high-grade slaves aboard—a princess of the Snake Clan!”

…

The chatter reached Xu Feng’s ears, and he halted. He’d heard of Nasim—the head of the Slave Traders’ Guild, one of the empire’s wealthiest men. Though not noble-born, his fortune rivaled—or even surpassed—that of many aristocratic families.

He… seemed to have brought exceptional goods.

Xu Feng decided to take a closer look.

Standing at the dock, watching workers unload cargo, he reached out and gently wiped the sweat from Xiuer’s forehead. “Xiuer, are you tired?”

“I’m fine.”

She smiled and shook her head. They hadn’t walked far today—only the weather was unusually hot. Of course, sensing her young master wished to stay, she’d never dampen his spirits.

Xu Feng smiled faintly. After all, he was already intimately close to this girl, spending every day together—he could intuit her feelings well enough. Raising his hand, he conjured a cool breeze with magic, then drew her beneath the shade of a nearby tree.

Xiuer gently rested her head on Xu Feng’s shoulder. “Young master… you’re so kind to me.”

She spoke little, yet her heart swelled with deep emotion. She was merely a maidservant—yet her young master treated her like a beloved woman—no, even *better*. Other nobles harbored only base desires; who else would show such tenderness?

A scholar dies for his confidant. When a girl surrenders her heart completely, her gentle, water-like devotion can melt away all resistance.

Xu Feng said nothing—instead, he kissed her soft cheek. Then his gaze shifted forward. Nasim’s ship—the empire’s largest slave merchant’s vessel—could hardly carry only cargo. Soon, under the watchful eyes of heavily armed soldiers, slaves began descending the gangplank.

At the front marched a group of towering slaves—averaging over two meters tall—genuinely startling Xu Feng. Yet after a moment’s reflection, he realized they weren’t human, but barbarians from the distant northern highlands.

Barbarians were one of the intelligent species native to the Azure Star, though their civilization lagged far behind humans and elves—even behind beastmen. They still dwelled in primitive tribes across the northern hills. Physically, they resembled humans closely—except they stood uniformly over two meters tall and possessed extraordinary strength. Even barbarian women vastly outmatched human men in raw physical power.

They ranked among the most sought-after slaves, prized for their capacity to perform grueling manual labor.

This was Xu Feng’s first encounter with barbarians—and he couldn’t help but feel intrigued. An idea struck him: *Why not buy some female barbarians?*

In noble estates and mansions, servants fell into two categories: male servants and maidservants. After all, girls were physically weaker—so heavy, rough tasks inevitably fell to men.

But barbarians were strong. He could replace male servants entirely with barbarian girls. Imagine it: within his new estate—indoors and out—only maidservants would serve: a chorus of lovely girls, a miniature kingdom of women… Don’t misunderstand—Xu Feng harbored no ulterior motives. He simply found the vision of living amid a hundred blossoms aesthetically pleasing—and deeply comfortable.

After the barbarians came another group of slaves. A flicker of surprise crossed Xu Feng’s face. Though their clothes were tattered and worn, the fabric itself was exceptionally fine—the kind nobles commonly wore. Moreover, despite their dejection, their bearing—evident even in their movements—was utterly unlike that of slaves or even ordinary commoners.

*Nobles.*

Though Xu Feng had spent little time on the Azure Star, his immersion in high society had sharpened his instincts—he sensed their former status immediately.

Such cases, though rare, weren’t unheard of. As a privileged class, nobles wielded immense power in the empire—sometimes even operating above the law. Naturally, limits existed. If a noble’s conduct grew too outrageous—exceeding the royal family’s tolerance threshold—they risked severe punishment. The gravest penalty? A catastrophic fall from grace: demotion to slavery.

Who had suffered such misfortune?

Xu Feng shook his head—but soon his gaze locked onto several fair-faced women. They must have been noblewomen or young ladies. Purchasing them as maidservants would likely prove an excellent decision.

The final group descending the gangplank drew the tightest security—not only were soldiers guarding them as if confronting mortal enemies, but their hands were bound with thick ropes. They were several Snake Clan girls.

The Snake Clan was a beastman tribe. These girls widened Xu Feng’s eyes even further. Their upper bodies mirrored those of ordinary human girls—strikingly beautiful, with voluptuous figures—yet from the waist down, they coiled into serpentine tails.

What astonished Xu Feng most was the girl at the center. She was undeniably beautiful—but her appearance wasn’t what captivated him. It was the *color* of her tail.

Gold—a symbol of nobility—indicating she bore royal bloodline among the snake people.

As widely known, snake people—beastmen with human torsos and serpentine lower bodies—possessed a royal clan endowed with extraordinary abilities: they could transform their tails into fully functional legs at will… indistinguishable from humans in every respect.

The Snake Clan was among the most powerful beastman tribes, famed for formidable individual combat prowess. The royal clan possessed unique powers of their own. Capturing ordinary snake people was one thing—but how had a beautiful royal-blooded girl fallen prey to humans?

Unlike ordinary slaves, though imprisoned, this girl held her head high—proud, dignified, regal. Her identity was extraordinary.

Her slender wrists were bound by a golden chain, magically enchanted—clearly designed to suppress her powers. Xu Feng burned with curiosity about this royal-blooded snake girl.

Originally planning to depart, Xu Feng now had a new objective. He strode purposefully toward the ship.

“Young master, how may I serve you?”

A man resembling a steward bowed respectfully. From Xu Feng’s attire and demeanor, he instantly recognized him as nobility.

“Mm.” Xu Feng nodded. “How do you intend to sell these slaves?”

“My apologies—they are not for sale.”

“Not for sale?”

Xu Feng studied the man, genuinely surprised. The steward smiled and explained: “These are high-grade slaves. They won’t be sold individually—instead, they’ll be auctioned ten days from now. If you’re interested, you’re welcome to bid then.”

The Azure Star remained medieval, and within the empire, buying and selling slaves constituted legal, highly profitable commerce. Consequently, the trade thrived—and slaves were rigorously graded.

Ordinary slaves formed the largest, most common category. Roughly eighty percent of slaves in this port’s trading district fell into this group. Lacking special skills or striking appearances, they served solely for heavy labor—and were correspondingly inexpensive.

High-grade slaves included barbarians or convicted nobles. Barbarians possessed immense strength, ideal for arduous physical work. Former noblewomen and young ladies offered exceptional beauty and flawless complexions—purchasing them back… well, men understood.

Naturally, their prices dwarfed those of ordinary slaves—but demand remained high. They were rarely sold directly in trading districts; instead, they entered exclusive auctions, going to the highest bidder.

The rarest, most precious category comprised *peerless slaves*—exceptionally scarce and difficult to obtain. For example, this royal-blooded snake girl…

Most people assumed beastmen were *savage and ugly*. In truth, this perception was inaccurate. The Orc Kingdom consisted of numerous tribes—among them, the Fox Clan, Cat Clan, Snake Clan, and Merfolk were renowned for producing breathtaking beauties, rivaling even the elves—the darlings of nature.

Of course, ordinary snake women held little appeal. Though their upper bodies matched humans’, their lower halves coiled into serpentine tails. Aside from those with unusual fetishes, most found common snake women uninteresting.

But a royal-blooded snake girl? That changed everything. She possessed extraordinary abilities—her tail could transform into legs at will… rendering her indistinguishable from any human.

Moreover, Snake Women are incredibly supple, capable of performing highly difficult movements in the bedchamber that ordinary people could never achieve. However, the Snake Clan has long been one of the most powerful factions in the Orc Kingdom, with formidable individual combat strength, and the royal family possesses special abilities. Capturing them is almost a fool's dream.

Given all that, the value of this Snake girl before him was obvious.

After hearing the explanation, Xu Feng frowned. He could only stay in Lute Fort for one night at most and had to return to the imperial capital tomorrow. Nana and Sha Sha were both there, and Xu Feng wasn't about to ditch his girlfriends.

Ten days—just to buy a few maids—Xu Feng didn’t want to waste that much time.

He glanced at the steward ahead. "Is your Master Nasim here? I’d like to speak with him."

"This..." The steward hesitated. "My master is very busy. To meet him, you must make an appointment."

Hah. A mere slave trader. Xu Feng was unimpressed. Even if he had some money, could he compare to Marquis Luoxiqi or Duke Walter? One was an Imperial Advisor, a core figure in the imperial capital’s circle of power, and the other was the leader of the southern nobility, the most prominent aristocratic family in the empire.

Even these two, Xu Feng could meet whenever he wished and visit their mansions at any time. Who did this small-time slave trader think he was?

"So, Nasim is nearby. Go tell him that Imperial Viscount Xu Feng requests an audience."

"You... are Young Master Xu Feng?"

The steward was startled, his expression turning extremely respectful. If asked who had been the talk of the imperial capital recently, Xu Feng’s name would undoubtedly come to everyone’s mind.