Auction Ends

"Hehe, next, we will be auctioning off the final item. However, everyone knows that at the Mite'er Family's large auctions, the most valuable item is always the second-to-last one. This final auction item is usually some exceptionally special bonus." Watching as a maid slowly carried up the final item, Ya Fei explained with a soft laugh:

"It can only be said that Fire Attribute Dou Qi practitioners are truly fortunate today. This final auction item is also destined for you." She slowly opened the wooden box on the auction platform. Inside lay a palm-sized Token.

"Our Auction has studied this Token for a long time, yet we still have not figured out what it does. However..." Ya Fei gently lifted the Token and displayed it to the crowd. "There is a Compass-like pattern on this Token, and one section of that pattern is glowing!"

Everyone examined it closely. Sure enough, the Token was divided by several intricate lines into roughly eight sections. At that moment, one of those sections was emitting a faint red glow.

At the center encircled by the eight sections, two bold and vigorous characters were engraved: "Red Kite."

"Through our research, we discovered that the direction indicated by this red glow does not change." Ya Fei rotated the Token in a circle, yet the red glow appeared in the section opposite its original position.

She then held the Token horizontally, and the direction indicated by the red glow was due south!

"After much speculation, we arrived at a fairly reliable conclusion: this may be the Token of some ancient sect. If one possesses it, they might truly be able to locate that sect or its ruins and obtain some fortunate opportunity."

At Ya Fei's words, the crowd began discussing it.

"Have you ever heard of any faction called 'Red Kite'?"

"I don't know! At least none of the surrounding empires have a faction like that."

"Could it be some small sect or family?"

"I don't think so. A sect with such a lofty name as 'Red Kite' usually isn't simple."

"Heh! Have you forgotten that twenty years ago, there was a faction in the Luo Yan Empire called the Jing Hong Sect? At first, they constantly boasted about how powerful they were, claiming they had several Grand Elders in seclusion who were Dou Emperors, and the Luo Yan Sect regarded them as formidable rivals. Their sect master, Yan Luotian, led the sect's elite up the mountain, including three Dou Emperor elders. In the end, even after the entire sect was slaughtered and their sect master, who had only just entered the Dou Wang realm, was killed, those so-called Grand Elders never appeared. Only after an investigation did they learn it had all been fake. That incident became the laughingstock of countless surrounding empires!"

"But I don't think this is the same. The material used to make this Token is rather precious, and it contains hidden mysteries. The traces of fire-element energy it emits are exceptionally pure. A sect capable of making such a Token can't be weak, right?"

"Who knows? Let's see the price! If it's too expensive, I'm not interested." Those words won the agreement of the entire hall.

Ya Fei spoke at the appropriate moment. "All right, then let us begin the auction! This time, the pricing is rather special. The starting bid is only one Gold Coin, and there is no limit on each raise!"

"What?!" Everyone was stunned, then their eyes turned fervent. If this thing was so cheap, there was no harm in taking a gamble on it!

What if they stepped in dog shit and stumbled upon the legacy of some legendary sect?

What a clever scheme... Xiao Yan chuckled, greatly approving of Ya Fei's auction method.

Although the starting price was set at one Gold Coin, it would stir up everyone's enthusiasm to bid, naturally bringing in a higher price than expected. If the price had been set too high from the start, this auction item would most likely have gone unsold.

"Two Gold Coins!" Someone began the bidding by raising a plaque. This fellow was probably just here to participate.

"Tch! Aren't you embarrassed? Raising it by just one Gold Coin—how can you have the nerve? Twenty Gold Coins!" The person beside him could not stand it any longer and raised his plaque with a shout.

"You two are cut from the same cloth, both so stingy. Two hundred and fifty Gold Coins!" Another person shouted.

The antics of the three completely stirred up the atmosphere in the auction hall. Everyone began raising the price as though it were a game, each increase amounting to only a few dozen or a few hundred Gold Coins.

To them, this little bit of money was not even enough to have fun with a girl at Spring Courtesan House.

"Ten thousand Gold Coins!" At that moment, a somewhat indifferent male voice rang out from Box No. 3.

Everyone was startled. That single bid had raised the price by nearly seven thousand Gold Coins!

Ya Fei was briefly stunned. Then she looked toward Box No. 3 and gave the black-haired Young Man inside a seductive smile and a nod.

"Twelve thousand Gold Coins." At this point, most people had already backed away. Only a small number who truly wished to buy it and study it carefully put aside their joking attitudes and began bidding seriously.

"Twenty thousand Gold Coins." Xiao Yan spoke again.

The person who had bid earlier hesitated for a moment, then raised his plaque again. "Twenty-three thousand Gold Coins."

"Thirty thousand Gold Coins." Xiao Yan's bidding jumped sharply.

That person frowned and fell silent, no longer continuing. Thirty thousand Gold Coins was already a considerable sum to many people. That amount was enough to buy a core medicinal ingredient for refining a Third- or Fourth-grade Pill.

Moreover, considering that Box No. 3 had previously made bids of several million Gold Coins without the Mite'er Family even asking anyone to verify them, it was clear that the person inside had no small background.

"Box No. 3 bids thirty thousand Gold Coins. Does anyone offer a higher price?" Ya Fei raised the auction hammer and asked the crowd below.

More than a dozen breaths passed, and no one bid again.

"Then, thirty thousand Gold Coins, going once; thirty thousand Gold Coins, going twice; thirty thousand Gold Coins, going three times!" Ya Fei lightly struck the auction hammer and smiled. "Congratulations to the guest in Box No. 3 for winning this final auction item."

A maid slowly walked onto the stage, put away the wooden box, and then withdrew.

"Why did you buy it? This thing doesn't seem very reliable." Liuli stood up, stretched lazily, and asked Xiao Yan.

"Secret." Xiao Yan smiled faintly, looking exceedingly mysterious.

The direction indicated by this Token was due south, yet none of the nearby empires knew of such a faction. Therefore, he guessed that the sect called "Red Kite" was very likely not in the Northwest Region!

And coincidentally, Xiao Yan still possessed a mysterious black stone that recorded the locations of three Heavenly Flames. Of them, the Storm Dragon Flame closest to the Jia Ma Empire was located along the northern edge of the Southwest Region!

When Old Yao awakened, he could go to Jia Nan Academy and successfully absorb the Heavenly Flame there, then head south to investigate both of these opportunities.

After all, he was still young. Time was what he had most abundantly!

Liuli looked at him with some concern. The course of the script had already begun developing beyond her expectations. This was going to be very troublesome!

"Let's go. The Auction has ended as well." Xiao Yan stood up too, drained the tea on the table in one gulp, then turned and headed straight for the door.

Liuli gave his back a deep look before silently walking out as well.

After leaving the Mite'er Auction headquarters, Xiao Yan and Liuli parted ways.

Liuli returned directly to the inn the Jia Ma Empire had prepared for the teachers and students of Jia Nan Academy. Xiao Yan, meanwhile, still had to completely remove Nalan Jie's Brand Poison and collect the Seven-Colored Green Spirit Saliva while he was at it.

Now that he had broken through to Da Dou Shi, the strength within his body was exceptionally abundant. He was still quite confident about eradicating the last remnants of the poison.

"Once all this is done, it'll be time to prepare for the Three Year Agreement in peace." Xiao Yan gave a bitter laugh.

Xiao Yan was not nervous about this fated battle with Nalan Yanran; on the contrary, he was exceptionally confident. The troublesome part was not Nalan Yanran, but the Misty Cloud Sect behind her!

From his first encounter with the Misty Cloud Sect's Great Elder today, he could tell that the man was not especially magnanimous. If Xiao Yan won, Yun Leng would certainly step in and make a scene, making this matter even more troublesome.

"Sigh, forget it. I'll take things one step at a time!" Xiao Yan sighed and headed toward the Nalan Family residence.

What mattered most now was obtaining the Seven-Colored Green Spirit Saliva and reviving Old Yao. Only then would he have the greatest confidence and security when he went to the Misty Cloud Sect.

Yet when he arrived before the Nalan Family residence, he was surprised to discover a slender figure standing at the entrance, staring fixedly at him.

"Mr. Yan Xiao, you're here!" Nalan Yanran smiled and slowly walked forward.

"Mm. Today is the final treatment to remove the old master's poison." Xiao Yan nodded indifferently.

Faced with his cold attitude, Nalan Yanran lightly bit her lip and said with a bitter smile, "Then this time, I'll lead you there!"

She slowly turned and entered the residence, but did not forget to glance back, signaling for Xiao Yan to follow.

Xiao Yan remained where he was for several seconds before ultimately following her.

The Nalan Family residence was vast, filled with pavilions, towers, and long bridges like reclining dragons, all decorated with great elegance.

The two walked across a wooden bridge over the artificial lake at the center of the residence. Moonlight poured down like a waterfall, reflecting upon the lake's rippling surface.

Neither of them spoke along the way, and the atmosphere remained stiff.

Suddenly, Nalan Yanran stopped walking.

Xiao Yan was startled, though his expression remained cold as he asked, "Miss Nalan, what is this about?"

Nalan Yanran lowered her head, her expression unreadable, and softly asked, "Do you... hate me that much?"

Xiao Yan's heart suddenly jolted, but his tone remained completely emotionless. "Why would Miss Nalan say that? I have always had this sort of temperament. I do not get along well with strangers."

"But you were clearly different with Yao Ye and the others, as well as that student from Jia Nan Academy..." Nalan Yanran suddenly raised her head. Her eyes had actually reddened slightly, and her tone became urgent.

"Miss Nalan, I consider them friends. Is there a problem with being more easygoing toward them?" Xiao Yan asked.

"That's true. After all, I've always been rather annoying." Nalan Yanran gave a miserable laugh, turned around again, and walked straight ahead. "Keep up!"

Xiao Yan frowned tightly and followed several meters behind her.