Who is the Oriole

The Dou Qi released by An Batian in his fury left An Yun stunned.

"Father, have you... have you advanced to a Dou Ling?"

An Batian reined in his aura slightly, his inner rage subsiding a fraction as he took his seat on the high chair.

"Not yet, though I suspect it won't be long. I never expected this Breakthrough Pill to be so effective."

An Batian couldn't help but reflect that he had been a mere six-star Dou Grandmaster; after consuming the pill, he had truly reached the half-step Dou Ling realm. A breakthrough was now within his grasp.

Upon hearing this and sensing the power they had just witnessed, the other elders of the family immediately stood to offer their congratulations to An Batian.

The flattery was, naturally, very pleasing to An Batian.

"Patriarch, if we could only find out the identity of the master who refined this pill, our An Family would surely dominate Maple Forest City in the future—no, we would even secure a place for ourselves within the Chuyun Empire."

The Great Elder's flattery was the most satisfying, though he failed to consider how many years of the An Family's savings had been spent on a single Breakthrough Pill. Did the An Family even have the capacity to hire such a grand master?

An Batian waved his hand, signaling the elders not to get too excited.

"I have already asked Liu Ya!"

"What did she say?" An Yun was impatient; he desperately wanted to obtain such a pill, thinking that perhaps the humiliation of last night could have been avoided.

"Liu Ya said that the master was merely passing through, and she knows nothing of his true circumstances." An Batian was a cunning old fox; fearing that Jiamo Lin might ambush him on the way back to seize the Breakthrough Pill, he had simply spent the money to refine it right there in the auction house.

This had left Jiamo Lin, who had waited all night, feeling extremely uncomfortable. Jiamo Lin did not want to see another Dou Ling emerge in Maple Forest City. Unfortunately, An Batian had no intention of granting his wish.

"Father, I saw that Liu Ya flirting with the mysterious person at the auction house. How can she claim ignorance? I believe she simply doesn't want to tell you."

At the mention of Liu Ya, a nameless fire ignited in An Yun's heart. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have suffered such humiliation.

An Yun added fuel to the fire, wishing nothing more than for An Batian to go and cause trouble for Liu Ya immediately.

"Is that truly the case?"

"Father, how could I lie to you? I believe that if we want to obtain information about the mysterious person, this is the only way."

An Yun trotted over to An Batian's side and whispered something into his ear.

"This... will it work? Liu Ya is, after all, a person from the Aus Auction House."

An Batian felt stunned after hearing this, but An Yun remained indifferent.

"Father, if we gain the help of the mysterious person, our An Family can dominate Maple Forest City, and perhaps even occupy a seat in the Chuyun Empire. As the saying goes, one must be ruthless to be a great man."

Watching the evil glint in An Yun's eyes, An Batian pondered for a moment before slamming his hand on the table, deciding on the plan.

An Yun wore the look of a villain whose scheme had succeeded, a strange smile creeping across the corners of his mouth.

Early in the morning, Li Xingluo was startled awake from his cultivation by a knock at the door.

He asked in a low voice, "Who is it?"

"It's me!"

Hearing the somewhat familiar voice, his mind raced, and suddenly, as if remembering something, he sat up in shock.

He quickly donned his black robe and muttered, "Come in."

The person outside pushed the door open, poking half their head in as if checking for something, and only after confirming the situation did they close the door.

Entering the room, the visitor removed their hood to reveal their true face—it was Liu Ya.

Seeing Li Xingluo standing by the window with his hands behind his back, Liu Ya took small steps forward and bowed very respectfully.

"Master!"

"Mm, you have come." Li Xingluo's voice was deep and resonant, sounding exactly like an unfathomable expert.

Liu Ya took several boxes from her storage ring and placed them on the table, saying casually, "Master, these are the medicinal herbs you required, but..."

Li Xingluo turned slowly, his sharp eyes fixed on Liu Ya, who subconsciously avoided his piercing gaze.

"Master, the Maple Forest City auction house truly does not have these specific herbs. I am truly sorry."

Liu Ya's voice trembled with fear, and her entire body shivered involuntarily.

Li Xingluo hadn't expected this woman to be so timid. As a buyer, what could he possibly do to a seller? Li Xingluo shook his head involuntarily.

"This is not your fault."

"If you require these herbs, Master, you could go to the headquarters in the Imperial Capital. They have the herbs you need there."

Liu Ya felt relieved and carefully looked up to observe the subtle changes in Li Xingluo's expression, only setting her heart at ease once she confirmed he was not angry.

"The Imperial Capital, you say?" Li Xingluo touched the herbs on the table, tapping the box containing them as if lost in thought.

Liu Ya's mind worked quickly, and she continued to speak from the side about how the Aus Auction House was one of the two largest in the Chuyun Empire, and that the headquarters held many precious herbs.

Regarding the information Liu Ya provided, Li Xingluo merely nodded, not paying it much mind.

"The remaining gold coins from your purchase have all been returned to your gold card."

"Mm!"

Li Xingluo was cold and distant. Liu Ya felt awkward; the transaction was complete, and she had no reason to stay.

Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly stopped and turned back, casting a pleading gaze upon Li Xingluo.

Li Xingluo asked casually, puzzled, "Is there something else?"

Liu Ya bowed deeply toward Li Xingluo, as if summoning great courage, before finally speaking.

"My Lord, this humble woman would like to ask for your help."

"Help?"

Liu Ya nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, which left Li Xingluo greatly bewildered; counting this time, they had only met twice, yet this woman was not standing on ceremony at all.

Li Xingluo did not respond to her, and while Liu Ya seemed to have expected such a result, she did not leave immediately.

Instead, she walked back and stopped two paces away from Li Xingluo, the scent of a mature woman washing over him. It had to be said that any other man would likely have been unable to hold himself back.

"If you are willing to help me with this favor, My Lord, I shall certainly repay you with my life should you have any commands in the future."

Li Xingluo's mind remained clear as he weighed the pros and cons.

Liu Ya's expectant gaze remained fixed on Li Xingluo, fearing that he might refuse.

"Tell me, what is this favor, and what do I stand to gain if I help you?"

Liu Ya stated her request and handed a letter to Li Xingluo. She placed several precious treasures she had cherished for many years onto the table as payment for Li Xingluo performing this task for her.

Seeing Liu Ya's complete sincerity, combined with the fact that she was willing to entrust these things to a stranger for the sake of her goal, Li Xingluo felt a measure of admiration for this woman.

"Very well, though I cannot guarantee success."

"I understand!"

Seeing that Li Xingluo had accepted her gifts, the weight on her heart lifted, and she left only after offering a thousand thanks.

Standing by the window and looking down at Liu Ya's figure on the street, he realized this woman was not simple.

Just as he was about to turn away, Li Xingluo noticed several sneaky individuals following behind Liu Ya, and his brows furrowed slightly.

Interesting, he thought. The tiny Maple Forest City is actually rife with undercurrents. Just then, the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs reached him; though very faint, they were still heard by Li Xingluo.

The footsteps stopped abruptly outside the door, and after a short while, the door was pushed open.

Several men burst in and began searching the entire room as if looking for something. At this moment, Li Xingluo, who was hidden on the beam outside the window, wanted to find out who they were.

"Strange, who did that woman come here to meet? Could the Young Clan Leader have guessed wrong?"

"It seems we have no choice but to execute the second plan."

Li Xingluo heard the conversation of the men in the room clearly.