Watching Xiao Yan rush over in a hurry, Xiao Tian froze for a moment and asked, "Isn't she with you?"
Xiao Yan shook his head, his face bitter. "I haven't seen her all day. I asked a lot of the clan members, and none of them have seen Xun'er!"
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Xiao Tian furrowed his brow slightly. He wasn't particularly worried about Xun'er's safety; after all, her origins weren't simple, and years ago, he had sensed that some expert was secretly protecting her.
Still, after leaving the Gale Family last night, how had Xun'er managed to stay out of sight all day?
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Tian rubbed his chin. Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he realized something. "Come with me!"
With that, Xiao Tian strode off, and Xiao Yan hurried after him.
Before long, the two arrived in the territory of the Mietel Family.
As the wealthiest family in Wutan City, the Mietel Family had a long history and a vast business empire. They also had intricate ties to the royal family of the Jia Ma Empire.
It was said that a grand auction would be held at the Mittel Auction House at You hour that day. Many rare treasures would go under the hammer, making it an irresistible draw for independent cultivators and the great clans alike.
"Brother, will Xun'er come here?"
Gazing at the magnificent building in the distance, Xiao Yan asked in confusion.
Xiao Tian didn't answer. He entered the Mittel Auction House first, leaving Xiao Yan no choice but to follow.
The auction house's front courtyard was already packed with people, almost all of them gathered there. Every seat was taken, making Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan click their tongues in amazement. It seemed the Mietel Family had prepared something very valuable for this auction.
However, there was still some time before You hour, and the auction hadn't begun. Everyone was gathered in the courtyard, listening to an old storyteller ramble on.
"Picking up where we left off: On that day, when the Gale Clan Leader saw that his clansmen had all been slaughtered, he flew into a rage. His green Dou Qi surged forth, and he immediately unleashed the Mysterious-tier Dou Technique—Azure Wind Whirlwind Fist—against the villain. A massive green fist aura tore through the air in an instant and slammed toward him. But..."
"But the villain didn't budge in the face of the terrifying Azure Wind Whirlwind Fist. Instead, the corner of his mouth curled into an evil smile, and he said calmly, 'You old Gale dog, have you ever heard of the Light-speed Kick?'"
At that point, the storyteller paused and took a hearty swig of wine.
"Damn it, what happened next?"
"Yeah, what happened next? Who was that villain, and how strong was he?"
"Old man, quit keeping us in suspense and keep talking!"
After the storyteller's dramatic buildup, the crowd around him impatiently urged him on.
"Heh heh, what happened next..." the old man chuckled.
"If you want to know what happened, tune in next time!"
At those words, the crowd scowled in frustration and dispersed, cursing under their breath.
In a corner, Xiao Tian's lips curved into a faint smile. He hadn't expected the story of last night's slaughter of the Gale Family to have already become so exaggerated, yet the storyteller's version was still about eighty percent accurate.
"Everyone, it's You hour. The auction is about to begin. Please enter the hall!"
Just then, an old voice rang throughout the auction house. In an instant, everyone filed through the front courtyard toward the auction hall.
Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan also moved forward slowly, swept along by the crowd.
The auction hall was enormous, with room for hundreds of people. Besides the main floor, there were also numerous luxurious private rooms on the second floor.
At that moment, on the raised platform in the center of the hall, a charming woman in a red dress was introducing the first item up for auction in a sweet, lilting voice.
The item was extremely ordinary, but under the woman's captivating introduction, its price had already climbed steadily.
In a secluded corner, Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan found seats.
After glancing at the windows of the private rooms on the second floor, Xiao Tian fixed his gaze on the alluring woman on the platform.
As the Mittel Auction House's chief auctioneer, Ya Fei was famous throughout Wutan City for her beauty. Her bewitching figure and alluring eyes were enough to make countless men fall for her.
Most people at this auction had probably come for Ya Fei.
"Brother, you mean Xun'er will show up at the auction?" Xiao Yan asked, unable to hold back.
Xiao Tian nodded slightly, a smile appearing on his face. In fact, he had confirmed Xun'er's location as soon as they entered the auction hall.
The reason Xiao Tian thought Xun'er would be at the Mietel auction was that preparations for it had begun some time ago. Back then, Xun'er had decided to bid on a High-grade Wood Element Magic Crystal for him.
"Hm?"
Just as Xiao Tian was watching the auction platform, the commotion behind him made him frown.
He instinctively turned around and saw a man seated behind him staring hotly at Ya Fei onstage. Lust was written all over his tiny eyes, and his gaze roamed over her without restraint as he let out lewd little cries.
"Damn it!"
Seeing the man's leering expression, Xiao Tian couldn't help muttering under his breath. He then switched seats with Xiao Yan.
"Everyone, I'm sure you'll all be interested in the next item up for auction!" Ya Fei said with a smile. She flicked her slender, fair fingers, and an attendant quickly brought out a large green Wood Element Magic Crystal.
"Oh? A magic crystal from a second-tier Wood Devouring Wolf?"
"And it's so large! It must be a High-grade Wood Element Magic Crystal!"
As soon as everyone got a good look at the crystal, they cried out in surprise. Clearly, no one had expected such a rare treasure to appear at this auction.
After Ya Fei announced the starting price, the entire auction hall immediately erupted.
"I bid eight thousand!"
"Hee-hee, eight thousand six hundred!"
"Ten thousand gold coins! The Wood Element Magic Crystal is mine!"
"Listen up! I bid twenty thousand!"
In a short time, the price of the High-grade Wood Element Magic Crystal soared.
The atmosphere in the auction hall reached its peak with every smile and frown from Ya Fei, and with her charming words.
Meanwhile, in the secluded corner, Xiao Tian's eyes were fixed on the black iron plate holding the High-grade Wood Element Magic Crystal. His pupils tightened slightly.
"System, are you saying that the inconspicuous black iron plate is actually something valuable?" Xiao Tian immediately asked in his mind.
[That's right. Though this black iron plate looks unremarkable, it contains an Earth-tier Dou Technique.]
"An Earth-tier Dou Technique?"
Hearing this, Xiao Tian was deeply shocked. He hadn't expected an Earth-tier Dou Technique to be hidden inside such an unremarkable black iron plate.
If the system hadn't suddenly alerted him during the bidding just now, Xiao Tian would never have discovered the secret hidden in the plate.
But the price had already soared to twenty-five thousand gold coins. Even if he sold the clothes off his back, he wouldn't be able to afford a bid.
"Got any money?"
Awkwardly scratching his head, Xiao Tian asked Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan shrugged too, indicating that he didn't have a cent.
"If you're broke, what are you doing at an auction, you two deadbeats?"
"Exactly. You're just taking up two seats!"
Seeing how awkward Xiao Tian and Xiao Yan looked, several people nearby sneered at them.
But just as they finished speaking, a window in one of the second-floor private rooms suddenly opened, and a slender, fair hand reached out.
"One hundred thousand gold coins!"
Immediately afterward, a clear, melodious voice rang throughout the auction hall.
Before you continue