Caught a Little Loli

As the Mittel Auction House's preparations for the venue entered their final stage, people from many major forces, along with quite a few powerful experts, began arriving one after another.

For instance, the Misty Cloud Sect, the Mite'er Family, and even the Jia Ma Imperial Family had sent people over.

The person sent by the Misty Cloud Sect was unexpectedly Ge Ye, the very man who had accompanied Nalan Yanran to break off the engagement. He possessed the same strength as Xiao Zhan—a three-star Great Dou Master.

The Jia Ma Imperial Family had sent Princess Yue'er, Grand Princess Yao Ye's younger sister and the disciple of the Alchemist Association's vice president. Her status was clearly far from ordinary.

At that moment, Princess Yue'er was wandering around near Wutan City with several guards. Though the sun was already setting, it did nothing to dampen her spirits. She remained as cheerful and excited as ever.

Meanwhile, Ge Ye was strolling through the Xiao Clan's market district, seemingly passing the time as well.

"I didn't expect that after coming here once with Miss Nalan to break off the engagement, I'd be fortunate enough to be sent here again to investigate this auction. I heard that mysterious item can raise one's realm without any side effects. That is quite unusual."

Ge Ye muttered to himself as he walked down the street. Then, he suddenly spotted the signboard for Ruyi Zhai in a corner and curiously headed over.

"Ruyi Zhai. The name is quite elegant. I wonder what they sell."

Xiao Cheng was still sitting in a chair nearby. The moment he spotted Ge Ye standing outside the shop, he felt that the old man looked strangely familiar.

Why does this old man look like someone I've seen before?

While he was still puzzling over it, Ge Ye had already entered the shop.

Upon entering and seeing the shop's decor, Ge Ye let out a surprised sound. He had not expected it to be so distinctive.

He then turned and saw Xiao Cheng seated in a chair nearby. Assuming that he was the shop owner, he stepped forward and politely cupped his hands.

"I am Ge Ye, from the Misty Cloud Sect. Might you be the owner of Ruyi Zhai?"

The moment he heard the familiar words "Misty Cloud Sect" and "Ge Ye," Xiao Cheng suddenly understood. Looking more closely and seeing the cloud-and-silver-sword pattern on the man's robe sleeve, everything became clear.

Isn't this Ge Ye, the guy who came with Nalan Yanran to break off Xiao Yan's engagement? Damn, I've run into that brat Xiao Yan's mess.

Still, he had to keep up the pleasantries on the surface.

"I am the owner of Ruyi Zhai. My name is Xiao Cheng. Just call me Shop Owner Xiao."

"Shop Owner Xiao, what does your shop sell?"

Ge Ye's tone was gentle and polite.

Xiao Cheng could not find anything wrong with that attitude.

He had originally wanted to use the opportunity to teach Ge Ye a lesson on Xiao Yan's behalf, but after thinking about it, he realized that doing so would just be meddling in someone else's business. In the end, he decided to let it go.

"I sell pastries. See that wooden board? It has the names and prices of all the pastries. You can take a look yourself. Xiao Yi Xian."

"Shop owner?"

"She is my shop assistant. She'll explain everything to you in detail."

Xiao Yi Xian had noticed Ge Ye while he was talking with Xiao Cheng, but she had not interrupted. Only after Xiao Cheng called for her did she respond.

"Thank you, Shop Owner Xiao."

Xiao Cheng waved his hand, indicating that there was no need to be so polite.

Ge Ye leaned closer to inspect the board in front of the glass covers. After one glance, his eyes widened.

"Eighty-eight gold coins... This Honeyed Shortbread is actually a hundred gold coins per jin. And this Cream Cake requires a reservation and costs a thousand gold coins!"

Ge Ye was stunned by the prices and kept muttering under his breath.

At that moment, Xiao Yi Xian spoke gently.

"Sir, what pastries would you like?"

"Um, I'll take three Peach Pastries, three Peanut Candies, three Melon Seed Candies, and three Sesame Candies. Give me one jin of the savory Small Fried Dough Twists. I don't need anything else."

Ge Ye had originally planned to buy only some Peach Pastry and Peanut Candy, but seeing that the pastries inside the glass covers were indeed rather interesting, he decided to choose several cheaper ones and buy a little of each.

"Very well. Please wait a moment."

Xiao Yi Xian smiled at Ge Ye and went to package the pastries.

Ge Ye looked around the shop. He always felt that the place gave off a faintly extraordinary air, yet he could not put his finger on why. The feeling was quite strange.

"Your pastries. Please take them."

Ge Ye accepted the pastries, paid the gold coins, and was about to leave.

At that moment, Xiao Cheng suddenly asked him for no apparent reason.

"You've been to the Xiao Clan, haven't you?"

Ge Ye was briefly startled, but quickly recovered and looked at Xiao Cheng warily.

"I have indeed been to the Xiao Clan, but that has nothing to do with the shop owner, does it?"

His tone became slightly cold. Clearly, Xiao Cheng's sudden question had made him displeased and suspicious.

"Of course it has nothing to do with me. Sorry about that."

Xiao Cheng put on an apologetic expression, then pretended to close his eyes and rest while sitting there. He did not pay Ge Ye any further attention.

Ge Ye snorted coldly, carrying the pastries out of the shop.

Xiao Yi Xian could not make sense of it. She had no idea what the shop owner was up to, but she knew better than to ask questions she should not ask, so she remained silent.

Suddenly, Xiao Cheng, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them. Looking in the direction Ge Ye had gone, he sneered softly.

"Misty Cloud Sect... You really shouldn't have provoked Xiao Yan. May God bless you."

In the original story, if the Misty Cloud Sect had not clashed with Xiao Yan, if there had been no broken engagement, and if they had not colluded with the Soul Hall, they could have continued living peacefully in the Jia Ma Empire.

The problem was Yun Shan. He had gone mad with his desire to break through to Dou Zong, strayed onto the wrong path, and dragged the entire Misty Cloud Sect down with him.

Thinking of this, Xiao Cheng could not help feeling sorry for Yun Yun, the current sect leader of the Misty Cloud Sect.

Such a wonderful woman, and yet... Sigh, speaking of it only brings tears.

"By now, people from many forces should have arrived in Wutan City, right? I wonder if I'll run into anyone interesting, or anyone I want to see."

Ge Ye was heading back to his guest room when he encountered Princess Yue'er and respectfully greeted her.

"Greetings, Princess Yue'er. I am Ge Ye of the Misty Cloud Sect."

Princess Yue'er smiled brightly. "Someone from the Misty Cloud Sect? Hello, Grandpa Ge Ye."

"Has Princess Yue'er also come for the Mittel Auction House's mysterious item?"

Princess Yue'er nodded her little head vigorously and smiled at Ge Ye.

"Princess Yue'er is truly very beautiful. Then I wish that Princess Yue'er will obtain this mysterious item."

Ge Ye bowed, then left.

"What a strange person. Forget it, I should keep looking around."

Princess Yue'er watched Ge Ye's retreating figure. Her gaze inadvertently fell on the paper package in his hand, and she frowned slightly. However, she quickly returned to normal and continued walking forward.

She was heading toward Ruyi Zhai.

After walking for a short while, Yue'er blinked her large eyes and suddenly spotted Ruyi Zhai's signboard. She could not help muttering curiously.

"What a unique shop name. Should I go in and take a look?"

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Yue'er skipped over.

Xiao Cheng had just finished thinking about the Misty Cloud Sect when he saw a little girl enter the shop. He looked Yue'er over in surprise, then thought in a daze.

Holy crap, this is the Jia Ma Imperial Family's little princess, Yue'er, right? She really is a little loli. Ahem, ahem.

His thoughts seemed to have gone a little off track.

"Hey, you're the owner of this shop, right? I'm Yue'er, hehe."

"I'm the owner. My name is Xiao Cheng. You can call me Big Brother Xiao Cheng."

Xiao Cheng wore an utterly harmless smile, as kind as could be, yet there was something oddly unsettling about it.

However, Yue'er smiled and nodded.

"Big Brother Xiao Cheng, what do you sell here?"

"We sell pastries here. Let me introduce them to you..."

He then gave Yue'er a brief introduction to the pastries and their prices, leaving her small mouth hanging open in surprise.

"They're really expensive! But I have money. Give me ten Peach Pastries, ten Peanut Candies, ten Sesame Candies, ten Melon Seed Candies, five jin of sweet Small Fried Dough Twists, and five jin of Honeyed Shortbread. That's all for now. I can't finish too much anyway."

Upon hearing Yue'er list off that long string of pastries, both Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Cheng were dumbfounded.

Xiao Cheng was surprised by how generous the little princess was, while Xiao Yi Xian was shocked that such a little girl was so rich. Since she was being so generous, Xiao Cheng naturally would not refuse. He hurriedly had Xiao Yi Xian package the pastries.

Not long afterward, Xiao Yi Xian politely handed the pastries to the guards beside Yue'er and said with a smile.

"These are your pastries. My name is Xiao Yi Xian."

"Big Sister Xiao Yi Xian, you're very pretty."

After saying that, Yue'er skipped out of Ruyi Zhai.

Looking at the sky outside, Xiao Cheng decided it was time to close the shop and rest.

He told Xiao Yi Xian to turn in early, while he himself gazed at the night sky and muttered.

"Tomorrow is going to be lively, hehe."