Who Was the Snipe?

An Batian's fury unleashed a surge of Dou Qi that left An Yun stunned.

"Father, y-you've advanced to Dou Ling?"

An Batian reined in his aura slightly. His anger also ebbed a little as he took his seat of honor.

"I haven't broken through yet, but I think I'm close. I never imagined this Breakthrough Pill would be so effective."

An Batian couldn't help thinking back to how he had been only a six-star Da Dou Shi. After taking the pill, he had truly reached the half-step Dou Ling realm. His breakthrough was just around the corner.

When the other family elders heard this and recalled what they had felt moments ago, they immediately rose to congratulate An Batian.

Their flattery naturally pleased An Batian immensely.

"Patriarch, if we can find out who refined this pill, our An Family will surely dominate Maple Forest City. No, we could even secure a place for ourselves in the Chuyun Empire."

The family's First Elder was the most skilled at flattery, though he clearly hadn't considered how many years of savings the An Family had spent on that one Breakthrough Pill. Did the An Family really have the means to hire such a great master?

An Batian waved his hand, signaling the elders to calm down.

"I asked Liu Ya!"

"What did she say?" An Yun asked impatiently. He, too, wanted a pill like that. Perhaps then he could have avoided the humiliation of the previous night.

"Liu Ya said that the esteemed master was only passing through. She doesn't know anything about his background." An Batian was shrewd and wary that Jiamo Lin might ambush him on the way and seize the Breakthrough Pill, so he had simply paid to take it at the auction house and refine it there.

Jiamo Lin, who had waited all night, was deeply displeased. He didn't want another Dou Ling emerging in Maple Forest City. Unfortunately, An Batian hadn't played along with his wishes at all.

"Father, I saw Liu Ya flirting with that mysterious man at the auction house. How could she say she knows nothing? I think she just doesn't want to tell you."

Whenever An Yun thought of Liu Ya, a nameless fury rose within him. If not for her, he wouldn't have suffered such humiliation.

An Yun went on, adding one thing to another, as if he couldn't wait for An Batian to go after Liu Ya the moment he heard him out.

"Is that really so?"

"Father, why would I lie to you? I think there's only one way to get information about that mysterious man."

An Yun hurried over to An Batian and whispered something in his ear.

"This... will it work? Liu Ya is part of the Aus Auction House, after all."

An Batian was taken aback by what he heard, but An Yun didn't think much of it.

"Father, if we get the mysterious man's help, our An Family can dominate Maple Forest City. We might even secure a place in the Chuyun Empire. As the saying goes, 'A man must be ruthless to be a man.'"

Seeing the wicked gleam in An Yun's eyes, An Batian pondered for a moment, then slapped the table and settled on a plan.

An Yun wore the look of a petty schemer whose plot had succeeded, a strange smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

At dawn, Li Xingluo was startled out of his cultivation by a knock at the door.

He asked softly, "Who is it?"

"It's me!"

The voice sounded familiar. His mind raced, and then he suddenly seemed to remember something.

He jolted upright and quickly pulled on his black robe before murmuring, "Come in."

The person outside pushed the door open and poked half their head inside, seemingly looking for something. Only after confirming something did they close the door.

Once inside, the visitor removed their Dou Technique disguise, revealing their true appearance. It was Liu Ya.

Seeing Li Xingluo standing by the window with his hands behind his back, Liu Ya walked over in small steps and bowed respectfully.

"Esteemed master!"

"Mm, you're here." Li Xingluo's voice was deep and resonant, just like that of an unfathomably powerful expert.

Liu Ya took several boxes from her Storage Ring and placed them on the table. "Esteemed master, these are the medicinal ingredients you need. It's just..."

Li Xingluo slowly turned around, his sharp eyes fixed on Liu Ya. She instinctively avoided his piercing gaze.

"Esteemed master, the Maple Forest City auction house truly doesn't have those ingredients. I'm terribly sorry."

Fear made Liu Ya's voice tremble, and her body quivered slightly despite herself.

Li Xingluo hadn't expected this woman to be so timid. I'm a buyer. What could I possibly do to you, the seller? He shook his head without meaning to.

"It's not your fault."

"If you want those ingredients, you can go to the headquarters in the imperial capital. They have what you need there."

Relieved, Liu Ya carefully looked up, watching for the slightest change in Li Xingluo's expression. Only after confirming that he wasn't angry did she relax.

"The imperial capital?" Li Xingluo ran his hand over the medicinal ingredients on the table and thoughtfully tapped one of the boxes.

Liu Ya was quick-witted. She continued, explaining that the Aus Auction House was one of the Chuyun Empire's two major auction houses, and that its headquarters held many precious medicinal ingredients.

Li Xingluo merely nodded at the information Liu Ya gave him, paying it little mind.

"The remaining gold coins from your purchase of the medicinal ingredients have all been refunded to your gold card."

"Mm!"

Li Xingluo was cold and distant, leaving Liu Ya feeling awkward. The transaction was complete, and she had no reason to stay any longer.

Just as she turned to leave, she suddenly turned back, her eyes fixed on Li Xingluo with a pleading look.

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

Liu Ya bowed deeply to Li Xingluo. As if summoning all her courage, she finally spoke.

"Esteemed master, I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor?"

Liu Ya nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, leaving Li Xingluo utterly perplexed. This was only their second meeting, yet the woman certainly wasn't shy about asking him for help.

Li Xingluo didn't answer. Liu Ya seemed to have expected as much, but she still didn't leave.

Instead, she came back and stopped two steps away from Li Xingluo. The warmth of an adult woman washed over him. There was no denying that most men would have struggled to keep their composure.

"If you're willing to help me, esteemed master, I'll gladly repay you for anything you ask of me in the future."

Li Xingluo kept a clear head as he weighed the pros and cons.

Liu Ya kept her hopeful eyes fixed on Li Xingluo, afraid he would refuse.

"Tell me what the favor is, and what I stand to gain by helping you."

Liu Ya explained what she wanted and handed Li Xingluo a letter. She also placed some precious treasures she had treasured for years on the table as payment for his help.

Seeing how sincere Liu Ya was, and how willing she was to entrust her long-held goal to a stranger, Li Xingluo couldn't help admiring her a little.

"Fine, but I can't guarantee I'll succeed."

"I understand!"

Seeing that Li Xingluo had accepted her gifts, Liu Ya's worries eased. After thanking him again and again, she finally left.

Standing by the window, Li Xingluo looked down at Liu Ya's figure on the street. This woman is no simple character.

Just as he was about to turn around, Li Xingluo noticed several furtive figures following Liu Ya. His brows furrowed slightly.

Interesting. This little Maple Forest City is full of undercurrents. Just then, he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Though faint, they didn't escape his ears.

The footsteps stopped abruptly outside the door. A moment later, the door opened.

Several people barged in and searched the entire room, as if looking for something. Hidden beneath the beam outside the window, Li Xingluo wanted to find out who they were.

"Strange. Who did that woman come here to meet? Could the young patriarch have guessed wrong?"

"Looks like we can only carry out the second plan."

Li Xingluo heard every word of their conversation clearly.