Ya Fei's Warning

The heavy amethyst-wood door closed silently behind him, completely sealing off the clamor of the outside world.

Su Chen stood where he was, not moving forward immediately.

Ya Fei turned around, her charming, peach-blossom eyes sweeping slowly over him.

He was still wearing that unremarkable grey short-sleeved shirt and a bamboo hat, though the hem of his clothes was stained with fresh dust and dampness, making him look somewhat disheveled.

Yet, beneath the shadow of the hat, his calm aura remained entirely undisturbed.

"Something happened."

Ya Fei did not ask; she stated it as a fact.

She moved with graceful, lotus-like steps back to the soft sofa and sat down, her fiery red qipao outlining breathtaking curves.

"Jialie Ao."

Su Chen's voice was as steady as ever as he walked over to sit opposite Ya Fei, his movements showing not a hint of unease.

"He blocked my path."

Those five short words caused Ya Fei's hand, just reaching for her teacup, to pause slightly.

She set the cup back on the table, and the lazy smile on her world-toppling face slowly faded, replaced by a touch of gravity.

"My apologies, this was my oversight."

Ya Fei's fingertips tapped lightly against the smooth tabletop.

"I thought that old fox Jialie Bi would choose to observe after hitting a wall, but I didn't expect him to indulge his foolish son in using such underhanded tactics."

Her apology was sincere.

The Miteer Auction House had an ironclad rule regarding client confidentiality, but beneath such rules, there were always loopholes that were impossible to guard against entirely.

Since Su Chen could contact her through the auction house's purple-gold VIP card, Jialie Ao could just as easily use the appearance of that card to lock onto a target of suspicion.

"He didn't manage to do anything to you, did he?"

Ya Fei raised her eyes, gazing at Su Chen.

"He lost a piece of valuable warm jade, along with the face he holds as the young master of the Jialie Clan."

Su Chen's reply was understated.

Upon hearing this, Ya Fei was stunned for a moment, and then, a brilliant light flashed in her beautiful eyes.

She did not press for the details.

Since the man before her could sit here safe and sound, it proved he possessed the trump cards necessary to protect himself.

And smart people never dig for the bottom of things.

"Jialie Ao is a waste; he is not to be feared."

Ya Fei changed the subject, her voice turning serious.

"But this time, you have essentially slapped him and his father hard across the face. This matter will absolutely not end here."

She stood up and paced slowly around the room.

Her high heels made no sound on the expensive carpet, yet the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly heavy.

"How much do you know about Jialie Bi?"

She asked suddenly.

"A greedy and foolish brute."

Su Chen gave his assessment.

Ya Fei stopped, turned around, and shook her head.

"No."

"He is greedy, but not foolish. He is simply accustomed to using the most direct violence to solve all problems within the territory of Wutan City."

"Because, for a long time, it has been very effective."

Ya Fei's gaze seemed to pierce through the walls, looking toward a certain direction in the city.

"Three years ago, a small herb merchant in the east of the city accidentally obtained a century-old Fire Sun Grass. The news leaked out."

"The next day, that merchant and his entire family of thirteen—from his eighty-year-old mother to his three-month-old infant—vanished from the face of the earth overnight."

"Half a month later, that Fire Sun Grass appeared in the medicine cauldron of the Jialie Clan's alchemist, Liu Xi."

She recounted this calmly, her voice devoid of emotion.

Yet, these words seemed to drop the temperature of the entire secret room by several degrees.

"In Wutan City, Jialie Bi is the law. Whatever he wants, you either sell it to him for money, or you pay for it with your life."

"This attempt failed, and he will never let it go. Next time, the one coming for you won't be a fool like Jialie Ao, but the true retainers of the Jialie Clan—those executioners with blood on their hands."

Ya Fei sat back down on the sofa and poured a cup of tea for Su Chen that had long since gone cold.

"My Miteer Auction House can provide you with sanctuary. As long as you stay within the auction house, I can guarantee that even if Jialie Bi comes himself, he will not dare to touch a hair on your head."

"But, can you stay here for your entire life?"

This was a very realistic question.

No matter how prestigious the Mittal sign was, it could only offer temporary protection.

It was impossible for Su Chen to remain holed up in this golden cage forever.

The secret chamber fell into a long silence.

A long while later.

Ya Fei's soul-stirring peach-blossom eyes landed on Su Chen once again. This time, deep within those eyes, beyond the gravity, there was a thick, impenetrable curiosity.

"However..."

Her red lips curled into a playful arc.

"I am more curious about how you managed to escape unscathed from the encirclement of seven or eight Dou Shi."

In the end, she could not hold back this question.

She did not believe Su Chen could have fought his way out.

A "commoner" without a shred of Dou Qi fluctuation facing several well-trained family guards, including two Dou Shi.

This was fundamentally an unsolvable death trap.

Yet, he had somehow broken the deadlock.

And he had even made Jialie Ao suffer a heavy loss.

The process behind this left her completely baffled and itching with curiosity.

Su Chen picked up the cup of cold tea and took a light sip.

The tea was bitter, much like the situation he currently faced.

"Just some minor tricks for self-preservation."

A calm voice drifted from beneath the bamboo hat.

"Nothing worth mentioning."

The more understated he was, the more mysterious and unfathomable he appeared.

Ya Fei looked at him deeply and did not press further.

She leaned back slowly against the sofa, the breathtaking curves of her chest rising and falling with the movement.

She looked at the youth before her, and for the first time, elevated him from the position of a "highly valuable business partner" to that of a "mysterious powerhouse worth investing in."

A monster who possessed not only an heaven-defying business mind but also inconceivable self-preservation abilities.

Such a person must either be befriended or, before they had the chance to grow, completely snuffed out.

And she, clearly, had chosen the former.

"Having the means to protect yourself is not enough."

Ya Fei's voice became unprecedentedly solemn.

"That only allows you to be like a slippery loach, temporarily escaping the fisherman's net. But as long as you remain in this pond, you will always be in danger."

"You need... to demonstrate a value."

"A value that makes Jialie Bi, every faction in Wutan City, and even the big shots of the Jia Ma Empire feel that moving against you would be more trouble than it's worth—an irreplaceable value!"

Every one of her words struck Su Chen's heart like a heavy hammer.

"Your 'Beast Fire Intelligence' business is good; it allowed you to meet Aoba Pa and gain your first ally. But this is only the beginning."

"It is not enough to make a ruthless character like Jialie Bi completely abandon his covetousness toward you."

Ya Fei stood up and walked to the window, overlooking the bustling city below.

"You need a bigger stage."

"A 'commodity'... that can make the entire Wutan City go crazy for you!"

"A 'miracle' that can make the Alchemist Guild stand by your side, make the City Lord's Mansion treat you with courtesy, and make all the powerhouses want to be on good terms with you!"

"By then, you will no longer need anyone's protection."

"Because your very existence will be the sturdiest shield."

"Those who wish to move against you will have to weigh the consequences of making an enemy of every powerhouse in Wutan City."

These words, like a thunderbolt tearing through the darkness, exploded violently in Su Chen's consciousness!

His line of thinking had always been about how to hide and how to protect himself.

Yet, Ya Fei had pointed out a completely different, yet far brighter path for him.

Attack instead of defense!

To forge a crown that no one would dare touch by establishing a value so high that no one would dare look directly at it!

Su Chen slowly stood up.

He walked to Ya Fei's side, standing shoulder to shoulder with her as they looked down together at the city that was about to be thrown into turmoil because of him.

Beneath the shadow of his bamboo hat, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

"Miss Ya Fei, you are right."

His voice remained steady, yet it carried a trace of something that had never been there before.

It was... an ambition capable of stirring the winds and clouds.

"Perhaps it is time to let everyone see my true 'merchandise'."