Deep within the Gale Family residence in Wutan City, in a luxurious room permeated by a heavy medicinal scent and a certain cloying, suggestive sweetness.
Liu Xi lounged lazily in a broad recliner covered in soft beast fur, wearing only a loosely draped silk robe with its collar wide open to reveal his somewhat pale chest.
One hand casually swirled the crimson wine in his cup, while the other brazenly kneaded the smooth backs of two Snake Women kneeling at his feet, leather collars fastened around their necks.
These two Snake Women from the Tagor Desert had healthy wheat-colored skin and seductively alluring curves.
Yet their eyes were hollow as they meekly allowed the alchemist to do as he pleased.
In a corner of the room sat several jade bottles of refined Rejuvenation Powder, though their number was clearly limited.
Gale Bi stood to one side with his hands lowered, an obsequious smile plastered across his face, though a trace of undisguised disgust and contempt flashed deep in his eyes.
He cleared his throat and said, "Mr. Liu Xi, our stock of Rejuvenation Powder in the market district is running low. The Xiao Family has somehow acquired a batch of decent Blood Coagulation Powder recently and stolen quite a bit of our business. Do you think... you could trouble yourself to refine another batch?"
"Refine more?" Liu Xi immediately frowned, his face full of impatience. He drained his wine in one gulp, casually tossed the empty cup to one of the Snake Women, and snapped, "Refining these low-grade pills every day—aren't you sick of it? I'm a distinguished alchemist, not some pill-making machine for your Gale Family!"
Gale Bi cursed "useless fool" in his heart, but his smile became even more eager. "Please calm down, sir, calm down! Asking you to refine Rejuvenation Powder truly wastes your great talent. But as long as this batch helps the family secure our position in the market district, we will certainly raise your share of the profits by another twenty percent! And besides..."
His tone shifted as he lowered his voice, wearing the knowing smile of a man. "I heard that Supervisor Ya Fei of the Mietel Auction House recently acquired a batch of Blissful Incense from the Chuyun Empire. They say it has remarkable effects... I've already sent people to inquire about it. If I can get some, I'll offer it to you at once for you to try."
"Blissful Incense?" A lecherous gleam flashed through Liu Xi's murky eyes, only to be replaced by even greater irritation. "What the hell is the use of merely smelling it? That Ya Fei..."
At the mention of that name, a fierce lust mixed with greed and frustration instantly surged onto Liu Xi's face.
In his mind appeared that peerless beauty with her seductive figure and captivating charm, every smile and frown enough to steal a person's soul.
He had coveted Ya Fei for a long time. On several occasions, he had gone to the Mietel Auction House under the pretense of conducting business, exhausting every means to hint at his desires and even promising lavish rewards in hopes of sampling her charms.
But that woman always smiled sweetly and handled him flawlessly on the surface, while in truth she was as slippery as an eel. Every time, she gave him a soft rejection, and he could not even touch the corner of her clothes!
It left this self-important alchemist feeling deeply humiliated and frustrated.
"That bitch!" Liu Xi slammed his palm against the armrest and spat bitterly, "She thinks she's so high and mighty just because she has a little beauty and the Mittel Family backing her! What about me isn't good enough for her? She's just some merchant woman—who is she trying to impress with that act?"
Watching Liu Xi's twisted face, warped by unfulfilled desire, Gale Bi sneered even more coldly inside. Yet a vicious plan gradually took shape in his mind.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice further with a coaxing tone. "Sir, since ordinary means are difficult, why not... try another approach?"
"Oh?" Liu Xi glanced sideways at Gale Bi. "What approach?"
A vicious glint flashed in Gale Bi's eyes. "Ya Fei may be clever, but she is still a woman—and a woman who values profit immensely. Perhaps we can set a trap and make her willingly... come to us."
"What do you mean?" Liu Xi sat upright, interested.
"We can fabricate a piece of information," Gale Bi said with a sinister smile. "We'll say that our Gale Family accidentally discovered an extremely rare Warm Sun Jade vein in an abandoned mine outside the city.
"This jade contains pure Yang energy, greatly benefiting the cultivation of Fire Attribute techniques. It is also an excellent supplementary material for refining certain high-grade pills and is worth a fortune. But the news has not yet been confirmed, and there is disagreement within the family."
Liu Xi's eyes lit up. "Warm Sun Jade? That is indeed rare! But what does it have to do with Ya Fei?"
"It has everything to do with her!" Gale Bi explained. "Isn't the Mietel Auction House worrying over the centerpiece for its next major auction?
"Ya Fei urgently needs a treasure capable of commanding the room to consolidate her position. If we use 'joint exploration and priority auction rights' as bait and invite her to secretly inspect the so-called vein in person... given how desperately she wants results, it will be difficult for her not to take the bait. And for the sake of secrecy, she most likely will not make a grand show of it, only bringing a few trusted people..."
Liu Xi understood at once, and a lewd, excited smile appeared on his face. "Then, in that mine out in the wilderness, we'll arrange men in advance... Hehehe, wouldn't she be utterly helpless then?
"Once she falls into our hands, can't we do whatever we want with her? Afterward, we can take some 'mementos.' Then she won't dare refuse us! We could even use this to control part of the Mietel Auction House's resources!"
"Your insight is truly admirable, sir!" Gale Bi flattered him, though inwardly he despised Liu Xi's lustfulness and stupidity even more.
But as long as he could use Liu Xi to control Ya Fei and thereby influence the Mietel Auction House, the risk was worth taking.
"This must remain absolutely secret. I'll arrange for my most reliable confidants to make the preparations. We'll choose the Obsidian Mine Cave, thirty li west of the city. It has complicated terrain and is ideal for an ambush."
"Good! We'll do it!" Liu Xi rubbed his hands excitedly, as though he could already see Ya Fei submitting to him in humiliation. "Go arrange it at once! The medicinal herbs are no problem. Once this succeeds, I'll refine however much Rejuvenation Powder your Gale Family wants!"
Gale Bi bowed and withdrew. The instant he turned around, every trace of respect vanished from his face, leaving only cold calculation.
He immediately summoned his confidants and began secretly arranging this vicious trap for Ya Fei.
Meanwhile, inside Ya Fei's office at the Mietel Auction House.
Ya Fei's slender fingertips lightly tapped the desk. Her delicate brows were slightly furrowed as she examined a sealed letter that had just been delivered by a trusted subordinate.
The letter had been secretly sent by the Gale Family. Its contents were a so-called proposal for cooperation concerning a Warm Sun Jade vein, inviting her to secretly visit the Obsidian Mine Cave west of the city in three days for an on-site inspection.
"Warm Sun Jade...?" Ya Fei murmured softly, her red lips parting slightly.
This kind of jade was indeed precious. If the matter was real, it would be more than worthy of serving as the centerpiece of an auction, greatly improving her performance and her standing within the family.
But... the Gale Family? Liu Xi?
Liu Xi's face, filled with greed and lust, immediately surfaced in Ya Fei's mind, along with Gale Bi's old-fox smile.
Something about this reeked of suspicion.
First, if the Gale Family had discovered such an important mineral vein, they should have guarded it with the utmost secrecy. Developing it alone would bring the greatest benefit, so why would they take the initiative to seek cooperation with a rival like the Mietel Auction House?
Second, the meeting place was an isolated abandoned mine, and they demanded that she go in secret. That alone was full of danger.
Finally, and most importantly, Ya Fei had absolutely no trust in Liu Xi's character. The man was a habitual lecher, and he had coveted her for a long time...
Taken together, this was very likely a trap aimed at her!
Their purpose was likely to exploit her eagerness for a breakthrough in performance, lure her out of Wutan City, and then...
A cold glint flashed through Ya Fei's beautiful eyes. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have refused without hesitation and even investigated the Gale Family's scheme in secret.
But at that moment, she thought of the unfathomable Mr. Ice.
That gentleman had once mentioned needing top-grade resources of ice and fire attributes. This Warm Sun Jade belonged to the Yang element and contained pure energy, making it perfectly suitable.
If she could use this opportunity to obtain some jade for Mr. Ice in time, would that not be a great service? It could further strengthen her relationship with that powerful figure.
Risk and opportunity coexisted.
After weighing the matter again and again, determination flashed in Ya Fei's eyes. She decided to take the risk!
But she would not rashly go without preparation. She would turn the tables and turn this possible trap into an opportunity to demonstrate her capabilities—and perhaps even strike back at them!
She immediately began making preparations. First, without drawing attention, she summoned her two most trusted guards—hidden assets permanently stationed in Wutan City by the Mietel Auction House, two experienced and utterly loyal Three Star Great Fighters.
She carefully instructed them to conceal their auras and disguise themselves as ordinary attendants. They were to stay close and protect her throughout the journey, and unless absolutely necessary, they were not to reveal their full strength.
Next, she spread out a map. Her fingertip traced one winding route after another until she selected a seemingly roundabout path that avoided several open areas with broad lines of sight and led to the Obsidian Mine Cave.
At the same time, she secretly dispatched another support team composed of several skilled Dou Zhe warriors. Carrying powerful bows, heavy crossbows, and specially made signal smoke, they would set out a day in advance and hide in a dense forest roughly five li from the mine.
They agreed on a special method of emergency communication. Once the signal was received, the team was to rush to assist her at any cost.
As an extra precaution, she also recorded the Gale Family's letter, her own knowledge of the Warm Sun Jade, and the plans and doubts surrounding this operation in detail within a confidential letter.
After sealing it, she handed it to a deputy whom she had personally promoted and solemnly instructed, "If I have not returned by this time tomorrow, immediately activate the emergency plan. Send this letter through the most secret channel to the headquarters in Jia Ma Sacred City with all haste, and request aid directly from the Council of Elders."
Ya Fei was even more meticulous in her personal preparations. Within the soft armor close to her body, she cleverly concealed several medicines and miniature fighting tools secretly made by the Mittel Family—including Thousand Mile Scent, which could release a special lingering odor for tracking,
Disorienting Smoke Bombs that could instantly create dense smoke to disrupt vision, and even potent poison and miniature explosive talismans to protect herself in a desperate situation—or perish together with the enemy.
She changed into a seemingly ordinary dark green combat outfit suitable for movement. Its lining was woven with flexible silver threads capable of resisting blade strikes to a certain extent.
Over it, she wore an inconspicuous gray cloak that completely concealed the striking curves of her usual figure.
Once every preparation was complete, Ya Fei stood before the mirror, looking at the woman reflected within—her seductive charm gone, her gaze as sharp as an eagle's. She drew a deep breath.
She was no longer merely a shrewd supervisor striving for results, but a warrior about to step into danger, one who would have to tread carefully with every step.
"Move out." Her voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable resolve.
Escorted by three carefully disguised guards—two Three Star Great Fighters whose auras were concealed to appear like ordinary guards, and one quick-witted scout—Ya Fei boarded an ordinary carriage that appeared to be transporting miscellaneous goods.
It quietly departed through a rarely used side entrance of the auction house and merged into the deepening twilight over Wutan City.
Before you continue