In the end, no fight broke out. After all, this was the Xiao Family Market. When Xiao Han and Jia Lie Ao's group had clashed, a squad of Xiao Family Market guards came running over and took Jia Lie Ao and his guards into custody.
"Sorry, Young Master Xiao Han, Miss Qinglin. I hope we didn't frighten you." The thirty-something man in the lead bowed slightly to Xiao Han. "I never thought Jia Lie Ao would dare cause trouble on Xiao family territory. I'll have them arrested at once!"
"You know what happens when members of the Jia Lie Family cause trouble on our territory." Xiao Han glanced coolly at Jia Lie Ao, who was bound hand and foot.
"Of course."
The man summoned his subordinates and had Jia Lie Ao and his guards locked up without hesitation. He looked to be the captain of the guards stationed there.
"Not bad. What's your name?"
Holding Qinglin's hand, Xiao Han looked at the man with interest.
"Reporting to you, Young Master Xiao Han, my name is Pain. I've often heard about your reputation as a genius lately." The man grinned.
"Wait—what did you say your name was?"
The name sounded familiar. Xiao Han froze for a moment, then blurted out, "Pain? Can you use Almighty Push?"
"Uh, Young Master Xiao Han, what's that?"
Pain seemed rather confused by Xiao Han's reaction.
"Ahem, nothing. Just a Dou Technique."
Xiao Han cleared his throat and turned away. "It's getting late. Deal with Jia Lie Ao the way you usually handle troublemakers. I won't interfere any further."
"Yes, Young Master Xiao Han. Miss Qinglin, take care."
Watching Xiao Han and Qinglin walk away, Pain scratched his head, looking utterly baffled. "Almighty Push? What kind of Dou Technique is that? Why would Young Master Xiao Han suddenly ask me such a strange question?"
Meanwhile, Xiao Han hurried away with Qinglin, feeling speechless. He remembered who this man called Pain was: the person who had helped Xiao Yan when Jia Lie Ao cornered him at the market near the beginning of Battle Through the Heavens.
He couldn't help but mock Potato's sense of humor. Who named a random passerby after the Six Paths of Pain?
Beside him, Qinglin looked worried and kept glancing back as if afraid someone might chase after them.
Seeing her uneasy expression, Xiao Han stopped and pulled her into his arms. The sudden move made the little girl cry out. Her delicate face quickly flushed red, and it seemed as if steam were rising from her head.
"You-Young Master, we're still out in the street. Don't do that... It's so embarrassing..."
"Qinglin, don't take that fool Jia Lie Ao's words to heart. You're worth more to me than all the money in the world. I, Xiao Han, would never sink so low as to wager the woman I love in a bet with someone else!
"From now on, just treat words like that as a fart. You don't need to pay them any mind."
Bringing his mouth close to Qinglin's ear, Xiao Han spoke gently.
"The woman... you love."
Boom!
Xiao Han's words left Qinglin's mind completely blank. She remembered only those five words. She was happier than if she'd eaten honey, and her head was spinning. She simply let Xiao Han lead her along.
Qinglin didn't come to her senses until they were standing in front of the Mittel Auction House. She swallowed and tugged timidly at Xiao Han's sleeve. "Young Master Xiao Han, everything at the Mittel Auction House is so expensive. We probably can't afford to buy anything."
"Don't worry. I've earned a bit over the past few years, and I also have a gold card from the Mittel Auction House. I should be able to get what I want."
After calculating the earnings from the few shops he owned and the family's share of its business profits over the years, Xiao Han gave Qinglin a reassuring look and entered the Mittel Auction House.
Xiao Han often came to the Mittel Auction House to buy and sell goods, so the attendants here knew him fairly well.
Sure enough, as soon as he entered, a young man in his early twenties hurried over and led the two of them to a VIP room.
"Oh, what brings you here, little brother Xiao Han? Have you come to visit your big sister?" Just as Qinglin was looking around curiously, a charming voice came from a doorway on the other side of the room.
Qinglin followed the voice and saw a beautiful woman with a voluptuous figure approaching them in a red gauzy dress.
Her stunning figure and exquisite features were enough to make even Qinglin, who was fairly confident in her own looks, feel inferior beside those long, straight legs and the two enormous melons on the woman's chest.
But Qinglin was only twelve. She still had plenty of room to grow.
Xiao Han merely glanced at the woman before picking up his teacup and taking a leisurely sip.
"I wondered why little brother Xiao Han hadn't come to see me lately. So you've found a new love and forgotten your old one~ Why don't you introduce her to me?" The woman in the red dress came over, sat down across from Xiao Han, and poured herself a cup of tea.
"Sister Ya Fei, you're teasing me. This is my personal maid, Qinglin. I brought her out to see the world today." Xiao Han set down his teacup with a smile, then introduced the woman to Qinglin. "Qinglin, this is Sister Ya Fei, the young lady of the Mittel Family, the wealthiest family in the famous Jia Ma Empire."
"Hello, Sister Ya Fei."
Qinglin stood and bowed slightly. Ya Fei smiled, then flicked a finger. A bracelet made from low-grade Magic Crystals appeared in her hand. "So you're little sister Qinglin. I've heard of you for a long time. Seeing you today, you really are a little beauty through and through."
Ya Fei took Qinglin's right hand and slipped the bracelet onto her wrist. "As this is our first meeting, it's a gift from your big sister."
"Huh? A gift...?"
The bracelet looked exquisite, and it was probably very valuable, too. Qinglin had never received such an expensive gift before, and hesitated to accept it.
Qinglin turned to look at Xiao Han, who remained calm. He gave her a reassuring glance. "Since it's Sister Ya Fei's kind gesture, you should accept it. It's nothing to a rich lady like her."
"My, little brother Xiao Han really doesn't hold back."
Ya Fei teased him gracefully.
Xiao Han kept a straight face and didn't respond. Instead, he tapped lightly on the table. "Anyway, Sister Ya Fei, the things I asked you to have someone acquire for me yesterday should all be ready, right?"
"Hehe, of course."
Ya Fei waved her hand, and two items appeared on the table.
One was an Intermediate Storage Ring set with a Sapphire. The other was a three-foot-long sword, red all over.
Ding!
Xiao Han picked up the sword and flicked it lightly. It rang out clearly. Then he channeled his Fire Attribute Dou Qi into it. His powerful Dou Qi flowed through the blade without obstruction.
A third-tier Fire Attribute Magic Core was set into the guard by the hilt, continuously supplying power to the sword.
Xiao Han swung the crimson sword and looked satisfied.
"What a fine sword!"
"Little brother Xiao Han, yesterday you asked me to keep an eye out for a suitable Fire Attribute saber or sword for you. This one just came in. If I hadn't snapped it up for you, you couldn't have gotten such a fine weapon with the money you have now." Seeing Xiao Han's expression, Ya Fei smiled and handed him the scabbard.
"Thank you, Sister Ya Fei. As usual, take the cost of the Storage Ring and sword from my account."
Xiao Han thanked her softly, then sheathed the sword, concealing its sharp gleam.
The scabbard had even been thoughtfully fitted with two Iron Rings, making it easier for Xiao Han to carry on his back or hang at his waist.
"Are you planning to leave for training, little brother Xiao Han?" Ya Fei asked curiously.
"I've been thinking about it."
Xiao Han wasn't surprised that Ya Fei had guessed his intentions. He'd prepared these two items for a reason: the Storage Ring would let him pack his belongings for the trip, and the sword would serve as a weapon. Their purpose was obvious.
Xiao Han refined the ring in his hand and sent his Soul Power into it to take a look. Good heavens, it had at least a thousand cubic meters of space. His money hadn't gone to waste.
He took the Low-grade Storage Ring off his ring finger, transferred its contents to the new ring, erased his personal imprint, then tossed it to Qinglin to play with.
After taking care of the things he wanted, Xiao Han nodded goodbye and left the Mittel Auction House with Qinglin. Next, he took her around the Xiao Family Market and bought a whole pile of things they would need for camping during their training trip.
They bought all sorts of tools and seasonings. They also picked up a few pills for cultivation, replenishing qi, and stopping bleeding, making all the preparations they could for their first training trip.
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