Another Invitation

Wutan City, Southern District.

Unlike the flamboyant and overbearing style of the Jialie Clan's residence, the Aoba Clan's estate appeared restrained and profound.

Walls were built from massive black boulders, and the courtyard was filled with a rare plant known as "Iron Bone Pine." Their branches were gnarled, their needles hard as iron, and they emitted a low, mournful wail in the night wind.

Inside the study, the lamps were burning bright.

The patriarch of the Aoba Clan, Aoba Pa, sat upright behind a wide desk made of purple wood.

He was about fifty years old, slightly plump, and his face always wore a genial, amicable smile. He looked more like a shrewd, wealthy merchant than the helmsman of a powerful faction.

At this moment, he was toying with two smooth iron balls, letting them roll slowly in his palm, producing a dull, clacking sound.

A gaunt butler stood bowed before the desk, whispering reports on intelligence gathered from across the city throughout the day.

"...According to our eyes inside the Jialie Clan, Liu Xi is using that 'Rock Fire Seed' to refine 'Blood Coagulation Powder.' The success rate is at least seventy percent, and the quality of every pill is of the highest grade."

"The Jialie Clan's pill output has surged these past few days, and they have already begun to seize shares of our market. Several small mercenary groups in the city have switched their allegiance to them."

"Also, Jialie Bi stormed out of the Miteer Auction House this afternoon with a face as dark as iron. It seems he tried to pry the source of the fire seed from Ya Fei, only to be rebuffed."

The butler's voice carried no emotion, merely stating the facts.

The smile on Aoba Pa's face did not change in the slightest.

The two iron balls continued to roll in his palm, unhurried and steady.

Yet, the atmosphere in the study grew increasingly oppressive with every word the butler spoke.

A long time passed.

The clacking of the iron balls ceased.

Aoba Pa placed the two balls gently onto the desk with a soft "tap."

He raised his head, and a sharpness that stood in stark contrast to his gentle exterior flashed through his eyes, which were usually narrowed into slits.

"Fool."

He spat out the two words faintly.

The butler kept his head low, not daring to respond. He knew the patriarch was cursing Jialie Bi.

"The courage of a brute, the wisdom of a boor."

Aoba Pa picked up the teacup at his side and blew away the steam.

"Does he think Miteer is some soft persimmon like the Xiao Clan that he can knead at will? That woman, Ya Fei, has never relied on her looks to sit so firmly in this Wutan City branch."

"The more aggressive Jialie Bi acts, the less likely Ya Fei is to loosen her tongue. He is personally pushing that mysterious supplier right into our arms."

He set down the teacup, and the smile on his face turned warm once again.

"Business in this world isn't just done by shouting and killing."

"Would someone capable of producing such a rare treasure be some unworldly bumpkin? Would they be lacking the few gold coins his Jialie Clan is promising?"

"A person like this is either a dragon from across the sea backed by a major power, or a meticulous and cautious lone wolf. In either case, coercion is the lowest form of strategy."

Aoba Pa stood up, walked to the window, and stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the Iron Bone Pines in the courtyard.

"What does he want? Respect, profit, and above all, security."

"Jialie Bi cannot give it to him, but I can."

He turned around and gave instructions to the butler.

"Bring me the brush and ink."

The butler did not dare to delay, immediately fetching high-quality Huizhou rice paper and a small wolf-hair brush.

Aoba Pa rolled up his sleeves and ground the ink himself.

He did not let anyone write on his behalf; instead, he held his breath and focused, writing stroke by stroke.

It was an invitation.

The wording was extremely earnest, discussing only cooperation throughout, never asking about origins, and every line was filled with respect and appreciation for a "remarkable person."

At the end of the invitation, he used an unquestionable tone to state his price.

First, the Aoba Clan was willing to purchase the "Rock Fire Seed" long-term at a price thirty percent higher than the auction house's closing price—they would take as much as could be provided.

Second, as long as the other party was willing to cooperate, the Aoba Clan would provide the highest level of protection. In this patch of Wutan City, no one would dare to touch a hair on their head.

After finishing, Aoba Pa blew the ink dry, carefully folded the invitation, and placed it into an exquisite gilded envelope.

"Send someone to deliver this letter to Miss Ya Fei immediately."

He handed the envelope to the butler, the genial smile on his face appearing deeply meaningful.

"Tell her that my Aoba Clan only wishes to make a friend."

Miteer Auction House, top-floor VIP room.

A delicate fragrance swirled in the air.

Su Chen sat on the soft sofa, his fingertips tapping rhythmically and lightly against the smooth rosewood tabletop.

Opposite him, Ya Fei was still dressed in her fiery red qipao, though at this moment, her face—capable of toppling kingdoms—wore a hint of gravity.

"Jialie Bi is starting to lose his patience."

Her voice had turned a few degrees colder.

"My informants within the City Guard report that over the last few days, several groups under the Jialie Clan have been active in the slums, as if they are searching for someone."

"Although they are acting discreetly, their target is clear: it is you."

Su Chen's fingers, tapping on the table, paused slightly.

He knew this was the inevitable outcome.

For a ruthless figure like Jialie Bi, having suffered such a significant loss, it would be abnormal if he did not react.

"However, you need not worry too much for the time being."

Ya Fei shifted the topic, picking up an exquisite gilded envelope from the tray beside her and sliding it gently toward Su Chen.

"Because someone is more anxious than you are."

Su Chen's gaze fell upon the envelope.

The envelope bore no signature, yet it exuded a sense of understated luxury.

"It was sent by Aoba Pa of the Aoba Clan."

A playful curve tugged at Ya Fei's red lips.

"Just half an hour ago, he sent someone to deliver this invitation, specifically requesting that it be placed in your hands."

Su Chen reached out and picked up the envelope.

He did not open it immediately, instead tracing the delicate texture of the paper with his finger.

"What is Miss Ya Fei's take on this?" he asked, looking up.

"A smiling tiger."

Ya Fei provided a concise evaluation.

"He is more difficult to deal with than Jialie Bi because he is smarter and understands the value of restraint. But by the same token, he is also more observant of the rules."

"At the very least, before the mask is torn off, he will abide by the rules of the game."

Su Chen nodded.

He tore open the envelope and withdrew the high-quality rice paper from within.

As his eyes swept across the page, the lines of earnest prose were fully absorbed into his mind.

The room fell into a sudden silence.

Only the sound of Su Chen's finger tapping against the table—tap, tap, tap—resounded once more.

Ya Fei did not rush him.

She simply watched the youth before her, observing the face largely obscured by the shadow of his bamboo hat.

She was curious: faced with such an almost impossible-to-refuse proposal, what choice would he make?

On one side hung the sharp sword of the Jialie Clan, an imminent threat looming over his head.

On the other side was the olive branch extended by the Aoba Clan, a potential fulcrum capable of breaking the deadlock.

To accept meant gaining an immediate, powerful ally to counterbalance the threat of the Jialie Clan.

But the price was to be drawn even deeper into the murky waters of Wutan City's three great clans.

He would transform from a supplier hidden in the shadows into a pawn placed upon the board.

The pros and cons of this were enough to give even the most cunning veteran a headache.

A long time passed.

The rhythmic tapping on the table ceased.

Su Chen slowly refolded the invitation and placed it back into the envelope.

He looked up, and beneath the shadow of his hat, his pitch-black eyes were as calm as an unfathomably deep ancient well.

"Miss Ya Fei, I believe I need a favor from you."

"Speak freely." Ya Fei leaned forward slightly, her eyes brimming with growing interest.

"I would like to ask you to arrange a meeting for me."

Su Chen's voice was steady and clear.

"Right here at the Miteer Auction House, I wish to meet this Clan Head Aoba."

Ya Fei's peach-blossom eyes narrowed slightly.

"You have decided to accept his proposal?"

"No."

Su Chen shook his head.

"What I accepted was merely his invitation."

He stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the bustling streets below.

"If he wants to buy my 'fire', he can."

"But he has approached the wrong person."

Upon hearing this, Ya Fei was stunned for a moment, and then, a startling brilliance erupted within her intelligent eyes.

She understood Su Chen's meaning in an instant.

"You mean to..."

"I want to make him understand one thing."

Su Chen turned around, a cold arc curling at the corners of his mouth beneath the bamboo hat.

"I am not a farmer who produces eggs."

"I am merely a scavenger who happens to have good luck and always manages to find where the wild eggs are."

"If he wants to cooperate, he can. But the object of his cooperation should not be a provider of 'fire seeds', but a vendor of 'intelligence'."

These words struck Ya Fei's heart like a thunderbolt.

She looked at the youth before her, and for the first time, she felt a chill rising from the depths of her soul.

What deep schemes!

What a brilliant maneuver to swap the beams for pillars and shed the golden cicada's skin!

He was intending to completely detach himself from the identity of the "source"!

What he wanted to show everyone was no longer his heaven-defying "production" ability, but an ethereal, unverifiable "discovery" ability!

In this way, he could whet Aoba Pa's appetite, ensuring the other party would not dare to easily offend a treasure hunter who could continuously provide leads to "treasures".

At the same time, he could perfectly hide his core secret beneath the most impeccable cloak of "luck"!

"I understand."

Ya Fei let out a long breath, the breathtaking curves of her chest rising and falling with it.

The way she looked at Su Chen had completely changed.

It was no longer the look one gives a business partner.

It was the look one gives a strategist of her own caliber—or perhaps, in some respects, an even more terrifying one.

"I will arrange everything."

Ya Fei stood up, her expression more solemn than ever before.

"The time will be set for three days from now. The location will be this very VIP room."

"Very good."

Su Chen nodded, not saying another word.

He turned, pushed open the door, and his lean figure soon vanished at the end of the corridor.

Ya Fei stood alone in place for a long time, motionless.

She walked to the table and picked up the gilded envelope that Su Chen had set down.

The warmth of the youth's fingertips seemed to still linger on the envelope.

Yet, Ya Fei felt that the warmth was somewhat scalding.

She suddenly felt that the waters of Wutan City might never have been muddied by any "Rock Fire Seed" to begin with.

The one stirring up the winds and clouds, from beginning to end, was only that youth in the bamboo hat.

And he had only just placed his first chess piece.