He opened his eyes and sighed softly.
"Still not quite there."
He was about to try again when a knock sounded at the door.
"Your Highness." Lezheng Ling's voice rang out. "Someone from the Body Sect is here. They say they have important business with you."
Xu Yanli's eyes lit up at once.
They had finally arrived.
He rose, straightened his robes, and opened the door.
In the reception hall, Du Busi sat in a chair beside the seat of honor. He lifted a cup of hot tea and drained it in one go, then spat out the tea leaves with a string of "ptui, ptui, ptui."
When he saw Xu Yanli come through the door, he immediately set down his cup and grinned.
"Young friend, you're getting more and more high and mighty. This old man's been waiting long enough."
Xu Yanli smiled too, walked straight over, and sat opposite him without bothering with pleasantries. "Poison Sect Master, you received an invitation to the Starlight Auction Arena?"
"Got it ages ago. Our Body Sect has never gone before." Du Busi casually pulled a gilded invitation from his robes and tossed it onto the table, his tone dismissive. "They call it a top-tier auction, and they've certainly gone all out with the fanfare."
Xu Yanli picked up the invitation, glanced it over, then set it back down and looked at Du Busi. "What do you make of this auction?"
Du Busi leaned back in his chair, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingers. His eyes looked cloudy, but were sharp as a tack. They narrowed slightly as he said in a low voice, "The Starlight Auction Arena belongs to the Star Luo Royal Family. You and I both know that. They've suddenly decided to hold a top-tier auction, claiming it's