A Bet Between Two People

An Batian glared fiercely at Mu Yuan, but Mu Yuan showed no fear; after all, the Mu Family was in just as much need of such a pill.

Jiamo Lin had no money left to participate in the bidding, but he was more than happy to watch the show.

He burst into loud laughter and remarked casually, "It seems it won't be easy for you to get your hands on this pill, Clan Leader An."

Facing Jiamo Lin's mockery, An Batian could only respond with a malevolent glare.

"One million two hundred thousand."

"One million three hundred thousand!"

No sooner had An Batian finished calling out his price than Mu Yuan followed suit; Mu Yuan had already sent someone home to notify the clan elders.

Mu Yuan was determined to secure this pill. Although An Batian was furious, he had no way to stop Mu Yuan from continuing to bid.

"One million five hundred thousand!"

An Batian gritted his teeth and continued to bid, though a deeper chill flashed through his eyes.

"Clan Leader, we..." an An Family elder whispered a reminder from the side.

"We must take it no matter what. That old fossil has already broken through to the Dou Ling realm. If I cannot advance further, the An Family will sooner or later be swallowed up by that old thief Jiamo Lin."

An Batian's expression was grave, his words ringing out with ironclad resolve; he was determined to win.

The An Family elder understood that what An Batian said was the truth, so he ceased his persuasion.

"One million six hundred thousand!"

A thick murderous intent permeated An Batian's gaze as he looked toward the adjacent private room. Mu Yuan, who had been timid just moments ago, now wore a blank expression, his cold eyes meeting An Batian's sharp glare.

"One million eight hundred thousand!"

An Batian gritted his teeth and stomped his foot, his heart filled with displeasure as he called out a price he was far from willing to pay.

An Yun and the An Family elder widened their eyes—was he planning to ruin them?

One million five hundred thousand was barely acceptable, but one million eight hundred thousand was already beyond the scope of what the An Family could bear.

The onlookers on the first floor were stunned to hear a single pill reach a price of one million eight hundred thousand, and they gained a new understanding of the strength of the three great families.

Mu Yuan had been thinking of continuing the bid when a Mu Family elder rushed in and whispered something in his ear. Mu Yuan's expression turned to one of shock, and even more so, disbelief.

"Did you make it clear to Father? This is..."

"I made it clear. The Clan Leader says he does not believe such a pill exists."

Hearing the elder report his father's words, Mu Yuan felt an inexplicable urge to laugh.

An Batian seemed to notice the change in Mu Yuan's expression, and a triumphant smile finally curled the corners of his lips.

Mu Yuan felt helpless. He glanced at the pill in Liu Ya's hand, then turned to look at An Batian's smug, petty face, letting out a long sigh as a sense of powerlessness washed over him.

Perhaps the Mu Family no longer had the qualifications to maintain a foothold in Maple Forest City. Unreconciled, Mu Yuan flicked his sleeves and departed.

Mu Yuan's exit signaled An Batian's victory. After Liu Ya confirmed it repeatedly, she finally finalized that the Breakthrough Pill belonged to the An Family.

After the auction ended, Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian were led by a maid to a VIP room, which was far more luxurious than the reception room they had been in earlier.

Seeing the maid exit and leaving only Li Xingluo and herself in the room, Xiao Yi Xian finally voiced the question hidden in her heart; she couldn't keep it in any longer.

"Xingluo, why did you give up on that blueprint? I could see you were very interested in it."

"Do you believe me if I say he will bring it to us himself?"

"What?" Xiao Yi Xian simply couldn't believe what she was hearing. Who would ever bring back something they had already bought?

Li Xingluo smiled, seeing that Xiao Yi Xian didn't believe him.

He then proposed a wager: "How about we make a bet?"

"A bet? What kind of bet?"

"Let's bet that he will bring it back. If I win, you must teach me how to use poison."

"And what if you lose?"

Li Xingluo thought for a moment and said with a smile, "Well, you tell me what should happen."

Xiao Yi Xian hadn't expected Li Xingluo to leave the decision to her, and for a moment, she truly couldn't think of anything.

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian foolishly lost in thought, Li Xingluo laughed, "If you haven't thought of it, keep it for later, but you are definitely going to lose."

Xiao Yi Xian nodded slightly. As the two were chatting and laughing, the door creaked open.

Compared to the flirtatious persona she maintained during the auction, Liu Ya appeared much more demure now; the coquettishness was gone, replaced by a sense of purity.

"My apologies for keeping you two distinguished guests waiting," Liu Ya said as she walked into the room.

Li Xingluo set down his teacup, maintaining the tone of an inscrutable elder.

"It is of no consequence!"

Liu Ya stopped in front of Li Xingluo and presented a gold card with both hands, saying, "This is the gold card of the Aus Auction House. From now on, this card will grant you access to all Aus Auction Houses within the Chuyun Empire. You will also enjoy a thirty percent discount on all auction prices."

Li Xingluo took the gold card from Liu Ya. So this was a VIP card; not bad at all. However, Li Xingluo didn't quite understand—it was just a single auction, and he was already getting a thirty percent discount VIP card?

"After deducting the fees, the remainder of your auction proceeds has been deposited in full onto this gold card."

"Much obliged." Li Xingluo responded simply to Liu Ya, then rose to his feet.

"You are too kind." Seeing that Li Xingluo was about to leave, Liu Ya respectfully gestured for him to proceed and led the way.

"We look forward to your next visit!" Liu Ya bowed slightly toward Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian, a sight that left the passersby in the auction house feeling astonished.

The Aus Auction House was the largest in the Chuyun Empire, and even the three great families of Maple Forest City treated Liu Ya with a degree of deference.

Yet, seeing her show such respect to this pair clad in black robes, their faces obscured, the crowd could not help but speculate.

The smile on Liu Ya's face slowly solidified, a dark cloud creeping across her features as her beautiful eyes sank, watching Li Xingluo's retreating back.

"They've gone far!"

"My lord!"

"You have worked hard in Maple Forest City all these years. Rest assured, this old man will report it truthfully."

Looking back at An Li's retreating figure, she wondered what was wrong with him. He had never praised her in all these years, so why today?

Leaving the auction house, Xiao Yi Xian looked back to see Liu Ya still standing at the main entrance, watching them go.

Xiao Yi Xian teased, "Li Xingluo, I think this Liu Ya from the auction house might fancy you. Do you want to stay behind?"

Li Xingluo had not expected Xiao Yi Xian to say such a thing; he subconsciously stopped in his tracks, looking at her with a slightly awkward expression.

That was true; although the current Xiao Yi Xian had already endured some pain, it was far from the negative impact the events of the coming years would have on her heart. She was currently more whimsical and spirited than heavy-minded.

After exiting the auction house, Li Xingluo did not remove his disguise, which puzzled Xiao Yi Xian, as they were already some distance away.

However, she supported whatever Li Xingluo chose to do, knowing he would not act this way without a reason.

Furthermore, Li Xingluo was intentionally or unintentionally slowing his pace, as if waiting for someone. He scanned the area with the corner of his eye from time to time, and sure enough, after turning two streets, Xiao Yi Xian also noticed they were being followed.

Li Xingluo nodded slightly, signaling that he had noticed as well.

Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian picked up their speed, arriving at a dilapidated courtyard, where they exchanged a glance before turning and walking inside.

The two figures hiding in the shadows soon saw several people quickly enter the courtyard under the moonlight.

"Where are they? Didn't they just enter this courtyard?"

At this moment, Xiao Yi Xian, hiding in the dark, saw the newcomers clearly—was that not An Yun, who had competed with Li Xingluo for the blueprint?

He was followed by disciples of the An Family. Xiao Yi Xian could not help but look up at Li Xingluo, who merely grinned.