But I Refuse

Lin Xin was exceptionally familiar and outgoing.

"Ye Tian."

Long Haochen and the other two briefly gave their names as well.

"All good names. You four are here for the auction too, I presume?"

Ye Tian did not hide it and nodded lightly.

Seeing this, Lin Xin's attitude visibly grew even more enthusiastic.

"Meeting is fate. Why don't we go in together? I'm quite familiar with this auction house. If you spot anything you like, I can even help you buy it. I can get you a discount!"

As he spoke, his gaze swept over them inconspicuously.

Though he still appeared fairly calm, Ye Tian could clearly sense the shift in his emotions.

What was more, Lin Xin's gaze lingered noticeably longer on him and Long Haochen.

Has he made me a target too?

Ye Tian chuckled inwardly, though his expression remained unchanged.

"Brother Tian, what do you think?"

Long Haochen was momentarily unable to decide, so he could only turn to Ye Tian with an inquiring look.

Ye Tian nodded lightly. "Then let's go together!"

"Brother Ye is indeed straightforward. Let's go. I happen to have a private room quite close to the auction platform, so we'll be able to see more clearly from there."

Lin Xin led the way ahead, and Long Haochen hurried after him.

Li Xin lagged behind and leaned close to Ye Tian to ask in a low voice.

"Little brother, there's definitely something off about this guy. Be careful—he might have ulterior motives!"

He had been so enthusiastic from the moment they met that it was hard not to suspect something.

Hearing this, Ye Tian smiled.

"I know. He probably figured out that we're also here for the Demon Hunter Squad selection competition, so he wants to invest in us."

Li Xin looked puzzled. "What's the point of investing? The selection competition depends on individual strength. You can't rely on anyone else, can you?"

"But what if he's investing in contestants who can make the top three?"

At those words, Li Xin's heart jolted.

"How can he be so certain that we'll make the top three?"

Ye Tian smiled and shrugged. "Mages have plenty of methods. Maybe he knows some kind of magic that can probe other people's strength?"

"That's true!"

Lin Jialu nodded in agreement.

After all, aside from conventional magic, some mages truly did possess strange and unusual spells.

"Let's follow him for now. As for whether we accept or not, we can decide later."

Since Ye Tian had said so, Li Xin and Lin Jialu stopped dwelling on it.

It was understandable for him to have such thoughts. After forming a Demon Hunter Squad, they would be fighting the demon race head-on.

Naturally, everyone hoped their teammates would be as strong as possible.

In truth, Ye Tian had no intention of choosing Lin Xin, nor did he intend to interfere with Long Haochen's choice.

Though Brother Medicine was unreliable in the early stages and did not even know a single offensive spell, his value was still considerable.

Not only could he produce pills with all sorts of effects, but after resolving the knot in his heart, he would also take the initiative to learn offensive magic.

Not to mention that his grandfather was one of the higher-ups of the Mage Holy Temple.

He might be weak at first, but his future prospects were still quite promising.

So whether to agree or not would depend on Long Haochen's own choice.

The group soon entered the auction house.

The first thing they saw was row after row of seats. Every five rows were a different color, representing different price tiers.

Below them were rings of sealed private rooms, situated very close to the circular auction platform in the center.

The moment they entered the auction house, dense Magic Element rushed toward them.

Led by Lin Xin, the group entered one of the private rooms.

Every private room had dedicated female attendants, each of them slim and beautiful.

It had to be said that the private rooms were expensive for a reason.

Before long, the auction officially began.

The first item was a pill called the Jade Body Protection Pill. After taking it, one could gain five hundred points of External Spiritual Power, and its effects would last for about half an incense stick's time.

When they heard that the starting price for a single pill was a full thousand gold coins, Li Xin and the others were deeply shocked.

"One pill costs a thousand gold coins? That's way too expensive!"

Li Xin's words made Ye Tian nod lightly.

But then he changed his tone. "That's true, but a single pill can nullify attacks below the fourth step. The price is still reasonable."

Hearing this, Lin Xin immediately broke into a cheerful grin.

"Brother Ye really knows his stuff. But the production cost of this medicine isn't that high—at most a few dozen gold coins."

"If Brother Ye and the others are interested, I can give you some."

As he spoke, Lin Xin had already taken out four crystal bottles.

Each crystal bottle contained one Jade Body Protection Pill.

"You made these pills?" Li Xin was clearly astonished.

She looked Lin Xin over from head to toe, evidently never expecting this narcissistic fellow to possess such skill.

Ye Tian chuckled and shook his head. "I can't accept a reward without merit. Brother Lin, you should put them away."

However, Lin Xin still did not give up and continued smiling.

"Brother Ye, that's far too distant of you. I simply want to make friends with you all."

"How about this? Brother Ye only needs to answer one question for me."

He finally can't hold back anymore!

Ye Tian chuckled inwardly and asked softly, "Let's hear it!"

"It's actually very simple. I'm just curious—were the Emerald Twin-Blade Demon and the Bear Demon killed by Brother Ye?"

"The Emerald Twin-Blade Demon was killed by Haochen and the others working together. As for the Bear Demon's death, it was related to me, but I did not make a move myself."

Hearing this, Lin Xin frowned instinctively.

This answer clearly did not satisfy him.

But when he recalled that his Insight Technique had been unable to uncover anything about Ye Tian, his resolve immediately hardened.

"These four Jade Body Protection Pills are a gift for you all."

"However, I have one more favor to ask!"

Ye Tian did not reach for them. Instead, he looked at Lin Xin with a smiling expression.

At that moment, Lin Xin suddenly felt as though he had been completely seen through.

Yet he still forced himself to continue.

"If I'm not mistaken, Brother Ye and the others are headed to Holy City to participate in the Demon Hunter Squad selection competition, right?"

"That's right!"

Ye Tian nodded.

Lin Xin continued along that line. "I hope to obtain a promise from Brother Ye. If we both make it into the Final Round, and if Brother Ye places among the top three, choose me as your teammate!"

"Don't worry, Brother Ye definitely won't lose out. I have some talent in pill-making, and when the time comes, I'll provide all the pills you need!"

"I wonder what Brother Ye thinks?"

After saying that, Lin Xin looked at Ye Tian with a face full of expectation.

"That does sound quite tempting!"

Ye Tian murmured with a smile.

Lin Xin immediately looked delighted. "Then does that mean Brother Ye agrees?"

But Ye Tian suddenly shook his head.

"I'm sorry. Although the proposal is tempting, I still refuse. I already have someone in mind!"

As his words fell, the smile on Lin Xin's face instantly froze.