The atmosphere in the Xiao Clan's main hall was heavy.
Several elders sat in their chairs, all looking rather grim.
The Great Elder sat in the seat of honor. He said nothing, his eyes red-rimmed.
Xiao Zhan stood to one side. Looking at the Great Elder, he felt just as miserable.
"Great Elder, please accept my condolences," Xiao Zhan said.
"The dead cannot come back to life. Please take care of your health," the Second Elder said.
"That's right, Great Elder. Xiao Ning is gone. No matter how much you grieve, it won't change anything," the Third Elder said.
The Great Elder nodded but said nothing.
His gaze fell on the spot where Xiao Ning's body had been carried away. He looked as if his soul had left him.
The elders exchanged glances, each sighing inwardly.
The Great Elder had only two grandsons in his life: Xiao Ning and Xiao Chen.
Xiao Ning was dead, and Xiao Chen was a good-for-nothing.
Xiao Chen walked in from outside the hall, his steps slow and his face pale.
"Chen'er." The Great Elder saw him and called out.
Xiao Chen raised his head and looked at the Great Elder. "Grandfather, I heard..."
He couldn't go on. His gaze fell on the empty ground.
Xiao Ning's body had already been carried away, but a pool of blood remained on the ground.
"Ning'er... is gone," the Great Elder said, his voice trembling.
At those words, Xiao Chen froze in place.
His eyes reddened, his lips trembled, and he couldn't utter a word.
The Great Elder looked at Xiao Chen, his heart aching even more.
Chen'er and Ning'er had always been close. Now that Ning'er was gone, Chen'er must be heartbroken too.
Xiao Chen stood there, but inwardly, he was secretly delighted.
Xiao Ning had died at the hands of a Fifth-Tier magical beast. It was truly a joyous thing.
Xiao Ning had wanted him to die in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, but he had died first. That was karma.
Xiao Chen sneered inwardly, though his face was full of sorrow.
He walked over to the spot where Xiao Ning's body had been carried away, crouched down, and looked at the bloodstain on the ground.
"Brother Ning..." Xiao Chen said, his voice trembling.
Tears fell from his eyes, one after another, landing on the ground.
"How could you just leave like this?" Xiao Chen said. "We were fine just yesterday. How could you..."
He couldn't continue. He collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly.
The elders watched the scene, all feeling moved.
Though Xiao Chen was weak, he was loyal and true to his feelings.
Xiao Ning was dead, and Xiao Chen was crying like this. It showed how deep the brothers' bond had been.
"Chen'er, get up." The Great Elder stepped forward and helped Xiao Chen to his feet.
Xiao Chen stood and wiped away his tears, then looked at the Great Elder.
"Grandfather, how did Brother Ning... die?" Xiao Chen asked.
"He was killed by a magical beast," the Great Elder said. "A Fifth-Tier magical beast."
At those words, Xiao Chen's face went pale.
"A Fifth-Tier magical beast..." Xiao Chen murmured. "How did Brother Ning run into one?"
The Great Elder didn't answer. He was wondering the same thing.
How had Xiao Ning ended up in a Fifth-Tier magical beast's territory?
"Enough. Don't talk about it anymore," Xiao Zhan said. "He's gone. There's no point saying anything now."
Xiao Chen nodded and fell silent.
But inwardly, he sneered. Xiao Ning, Xiao Ning, if you were alive to see me crying like this, you'd probably be angered to death.
Xiao Chen muttered to himself inwardly.
The news soon spread throughout the Xiao Clan.
Xiao Ning was dead. He had died in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, in the jaws of a Fifth-Tier magical beast.
The Xiao Clan's disciples were abuzz with discussion.
"Have you heard? Xiao Ning is dead."
"How did he die?"
"A Fifth-Tier magical beast bit him to death. His body wasn't even recognizable."
"Tsk, how tragic."
"Isn't it? The Great Elder is nearly crying himself to death."
The Great Elder really is pitiful. One grandson is dead, and the other is a good-for-nothing.
"Who can argue with that?"
After discussing it for a while, the Xiao Clan's disciples went their separate ways.
The Mittel Auction House.
Ya Fei sat in the VIP room, holding a cup of tea.
Gu Ni sat across from her, reading an alchemy formula.
"Master Gu Ni, have you heard?" Ya Fei set down her teacup and spoke.
"Heard what?" Gu Ni looked up.
"Someone from the Xiao Clan died," Ya Fei said. "His name was Xiao Ning, the Great Elder's grandson."
At that, Gu Ni's brows furrowed slightly. "How did he die?"
"He died in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, bitten to death by a Fifth-Tier magical beast," Ya Fei said.
Gu Ni set down the alchemy formula and looked at Ya Fei.
"Xiao Ning?" Gu Ni thought for a moment. "The brother of Xiao Chen, the young man from yesterday?"
"Probably," Ya Fei said.
Gu Ni fell silent, the image of the young man from yesterday appearing in his mind.
That young man had also gone to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and encountered a Fifth-Tier magical beast. But he had returned alive, without a single injury, and had even brought back a Fifth-Tier Magic Core.
"Ya Fei, don't you think it's strange?" Gu Ni said.
"What's strange?" Ya Fei asked.
"That Xiao Chen also went to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and encountered a Fifth-Tier magical beast," Gu Ni said. "But he came back alive and even killed the beast."
At that, Ya Fei's heart stirred. Yes, Xiao Chen had also gone to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and encountered a Fifth-Tier magical beast.
Yet Xiao Chen was alive and well, and had even brought back a Fifth-Tier Magic Core.
"You mean..." Ya Fei looked at Gu Ni.
"That Xiao Chen is no ordinary man," Gu Ni said.
Ya Fei nodded. Anyone capable of hunting a Fifth-Tier magical beast had to be at least a Dou Wang. A Dou Wang expert of fifteen or sixteen? How could that be possible?
"Ya Fei, do you think Xiao Chen might really have a powerful master behind him?" Gu Ni asked.
Ya Fei thought about it. "It's very possible."
"To train a Dou Wang expert of fifteen or sixteen, his master would have to be at least a Dou Huang," Gu Ni said.
Ya Fei drew in a sharp breath. Dou Huang experts were few and far between in the entire Jia Ma Empire.
Yun Yun, the sect master of the Misty Cloud Sect, was a Dou Huang expert. There were few others besides her.
If that young man really had a Dou Huang expert backing him... Ya Fei didn't dare think any further.
"Ya Fei, I think we should befriend Xiao Chen," Gu Ni said.
"I was thinking the same thing," Ya Fei said.
"What do you plan to do?" Gu Ni asked.
Ya Fei thought for a moment. "I'd like to invite Xiao Chen to the Mittel Auction House as our guest."
Gu Ni nodded. "That's a good idea."
"First, it'll bring us closer. Second, it'll let us test his background," Ya Fei said.
"Then let's do that," Gu Ni said.
Ya Fei nodded and immediately instructed the maid beside her.
"Go to the Xiao Clan and invite that young master to the Mittel Auction House as our guest."
The maid nodded. "Yes."
"Remember, you must be respectful," Ya Fei reminded her.
"This servant understands," the maid said.
With that, the maid turned and left the VIP room.
Ya Fei lifted her teacup and took a sip.
She was determined to befriend Xiao Chen.
The maid arrived at the entrance to the Xiao Clan and stopped.
She straightened her clothes, stepped forward, and knocked on the door.
The door opened, and a Xiao Clan disciple came out.
"Who are you?" the disciple asked.
"I'm a maid from the Mittel Auction House. I've come at Miss Ya Fei's behest," the maid said.
"Who are you here to see?" the disciple asked.
"Master Xiao Chen, who visited our auction house yesterday," the maid said. "Miss Ya Fei would like to invite him over for a visit."
The disciple nodded. "Wait here. I'll go inform them."
"Thank you for the trouble," the maid said.
The disciple turned and ran toward the Xiao Clan's main hall.
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