Mittel Auction House's Plans!

The atmosphere in the Xiao Clan hall was stifling.

Several elders sat in their chairs, their expressions grim.

The Great Elder sat in the main seat, silent, his eyes rimmed with red.

Xiao Zhan stood to the side, watching the Great Elder, feeling a bitter ache in his own heart.

"Great Elder, please accept my condolences," Xiao Zhan said.

"The dead cannot return; you must take care of your health," the Second Elder added.

"Indeed, Great Elder. Xiao Ning is already gone; no amount of grief will change that," the Third Elder said.

The Great Elder nodded, but he did not speak.

His gaze remained fixed on the direction where Xiao Ning's body had been carried away, his entire being appearing as if his soul had been ripped away.

The elders exchanged glances, each sighing inwardly.

The Great Elder had only two grandsons in this 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, his face somewhat pale.

"Chen'er," the Great Elder called out upon seeing him.

Xiao Chen raised his head, looking at the Great Elder. "Grandfather, I heard..."

Xiao Chen did not continue, his gaze falling upon the empty floor.

Xiao Ning's body had already been carried away, but a pool of blood remained on the ground.

"Ning'er... he is gone," the Great Elder said, his voice trembling.

Hearing this, Xiao Chen froze in place.

Xiao Chen's eyes turned red, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

The Great Elder looked at Xiao Chen, his heart filled with even deeper sorrow.

Chen'er and Ning'er had always been close; now that Ning'er was gone, Chen'er must be devastated.

Xiao Chen stood there, yet inside, he was secretly gloating.

Xiao Ning was dead, killed by a Tier 5 Magical Beast—it was truly gratifying.

Xiao Ning had wanted him to die in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, but in the end, Xiao Ning had died first; this was retribution.

Xiao Chen sneered in his heart, though his face was etched with profound grief.

Xiao Chen walked to the spot where Xiao Ning's body had been removed and knelt, staring at the bloodstains on the floor.

"Brother Ning..." Xiao Chen said, his voice shaking.

Xiao Chen's tears fell, drop by drop, landing on the ground.

"How could you just leave like this?" Xiao Chen said. "We were fine just yesterday, how could you..."

Xiao Chen could not go on; he collapsed onto the floor, weeping bitterly.

The elders watched this scene, their hearts filled with emotion.

This child, Xiao Chen, though lacking in strength, was deeply loyal and affectionate.

With Xiao Ning dead, seeing Xiao Chen cry like this showed just how deep the bond between the brothers had been.

"Chen'er, get up," the Great Elder said, stepping forward to help Xiao Chen to his feet.

Xiao Chen stood up, wiped his tears, and looked at the Great Elder.

"Grandfather, how... how did Brother Ning die?" Xiao Chen asked.

"Killed by a magical beast," the Great Elder said. "A Tier 5 Magical Beast."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Chen's face turned pale.

"A Tier 5 Magical Beast..." Xiao Chen muttered to himself. "How could Brother Ning have encountered a Tier 5 Magical Beast?"

The Great Elder did not speak; he was pondering the same question.

How had Xiao Ning ended up in the territory of a Tier 5 Magical Beast?

"Enough, say no more," Xiao Zhan interjected. "The person is gone; there is no use in talking about it."

Xiao Chen nodded and fell silent.

Yet, in his heart, Xiao Chen sneered: Xiao Ning, oh Xiao Ning, if you weren't dead and saw me crying like this, you would likely be angered to death.

Xiao Chen muttered to himself in his heart.

The news quickly spread throughout the entire Xiao Clan.

Xiao Ning was dead, having perished in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, lost to the jaws of a Tier 5 Magical Beast.

The disciples of the Xiao Clan whispered among themselves.

"Have you heard? Xiao Ning is dead."

"How did he die?"

"Mauled by a Tier 5 Magical Beast; the body didn't even look human anymore."

"Tsk tsk, how tragic."

"Indeed, the Great Elder is practically weeping himself to death."

"The Great Elder is truly pitiful; one grandson dead, the other a good-for-nothing."

"Who could say otherwise?"

After the members of the Xiao Clan gossiped for a while, they dispersed.

Mittel Auction House.

Ya Fei sat in the VIP room, holding a cup of tea in her hand.

Gu Ni sat opposite Ya Fei, currently studying a pill recipe.

"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."

Upon hearing this, Gu Ni's brows furrowed slightly. "How did he die?"

"He died in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, mauled by a Tier 5 Magical Beast," Ya Fei said.

Gu Ni set down the pill recipe and looked at Ya Fei.

"Xiao Ning?" Gu Ni pondered. "Is that the brother of that Xiao Chen from yesterday?"

"It should be," Ya Fei said.

Gu Ni fell silent, the image of that youth from yesterday surfacing in his mind.

That youth had also gone to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and had also encountered a Tier 5 Magical Beast, yet he had returned alive, without a single scratch on him, and had even brought back a Tier 5 magical core.

"Ya Fei, don't you find it strange?" Gu Ni asked.

"What is strange?" Ya Fei asked.

"That Xiao Chen also went to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and also encountered a Tier 5 Magical Beast," Gu Ni said. "Yet he returned alive and even killed that beast."

Hearing this, Ya Fei's heart stirred. That's right, Xiao Chen had also gone to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and encountered a Tier 5 Magical Beast.

Yet Xiao Chen was perfectly fine and had even brought back a Tier 5 magical core.

"Are you saying..." Ya Fei looked at Gu Ni.

"That Xiao Chen's strength is not simple," Gu Ni said.

Ya Fei nodded. Someone capable of hunting a Tier 5 Magical Beast must be at least at the Dou King level. A fifteen or sixteen-year-old Dou King expert? 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 for a moment and said, "It is very likely."

"To be able to cultivate a fifteen or sixteen-year-old Dou King, his master's strength must be at least that of a Dou Emperor," Gu Ni said.

Ya Fei gasped. Dou Emperor experts—there were only a handful of them in the entire Jia Ma Empire.

The Misty Cloud Sect leader, Yun Yun, was a Dou Emperor, and there were very few others besides her.

If a Dou Emperor truly stood behind that youth... Ya Fei dared not think any further.

"Ya Fei, I believe we should befriend that Xiao Chen," Gu Ni said.

"I was thinking the same," Ya Fei said.

"How do you intend to proceed?" Gu Ni asked.

Ya Fei thought for a moment and said, "I would like to invite Xiao Chen to be a guest at the Mittel Auction House."

Gu Ni nodded. "That is a good idea."

"Firstly, it can strengthen our relationship, and secondly, it can allow us to probe his background," Ya Fei said.

"Then let us do that," Gu Ni said.

Ya Fei nodded and immediately gave instructions to the maid beside her.

"Go to the Xiao Clan and invite that young master to be a guest at the Mittel Auction House."

The maid nodded. "Yes."

"Remember, your attitude must be respectful," Ya Fei cautioned.

"This servant understands," the maid said.

Having said that, the maid turned and left the VIP room.

Ya Fei picked up her teacup and took a sip.

That Xiao Chen—she must befriend him.

The maid arrived at the gates of the Xiao Clan and came to a stop.

The maid adjusted her attire before stepping forward to knock on the door.

The door opened, and a disciple of the Xiao Clan walked out.

"Who are you?" the disciple asked.

"I am a maid from the Mittel Auction House, here to pay a visit on the orders of Miss Ya Fei," the maid replied.

"To visit whom?" the disciple asked.

"Young Master Xiao Chen, who came to our auction house yesterday," the maid said. "Miss Ya Fei would like to invite Young Master Xiao Chen over for a chat."

Upon hearing this, the disciple nodded. "Wait here for a moment; I will go and report this."

"Thank you for your trouble," the maid said.

The disciple turned and ran toward the main hall of the Xiao Clan.