A Market Farce

Did the poison master use a mid-level Black-Rank Dou Technique? Xiao Yi Xian could learn it.

"Thank you!"

"Don't mention it. I imagine you two don't have a place to stay in the Holy Capital." Liu Yuntian smiled warmly at Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian when they fell silent.

"Why not stay at the Aus Auction House for now?"

"This..."

"There's no need to refuse." Liu Yuntian instructed Liu Li to take the two of them to the rear courtyard of the Aus Auction House.

Liu Li couldn't understand why Liu Yuntian was treating the pair with such courtesy. He was deeply displeased. It was one thing not to help him get even, but now he was being told to escort them to a place to rest.

Liu Yuntian shot Liu Li a stern look. Reluctantly, Liu Li led Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian to their temporary lodgings.

After the three had left, Liu Yuntian rose and stood by the window, his expression turning sorrowful.

"Xiao Ya, it was all your grandfather's fault. I never should have let you go. Sigh... You've suffered so much these past years." His eyes brimmed with guilt.

The next day, hoping to improve their chances of entering the Nether Poison Swamp, Li Xingluo invited Xiao Yi Xian to shop for supplies at the market by the Holy Capital Alchemist Guild—and to see if they might get lucky.

Liu Li, who had been full of resentment toward Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian the day before, seemed like a different person today.

He was exceptionally friendly toward them. Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian exchanged puzzled glances, then shook their heads in unison.

"Could that guy have been poisoned stupid yesterday?" Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help laughing when she heard that. Liu Li turned around in confusion, and she hurriedly covered her mouth.

Liu Li volunteered to be their guide. Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian were happy to let him.

"Why were you laughing just now?"

"Us?"

"Yeah!"

"We were wondering why you changed overnight. I remember you were ready to fight us to the death yesterday."

Xiao Yi Xian's voice was gentle; she hadn't tried to disguise it.

Liu Li scratched the back of his head, seeming a little embarrassed. Then he turned around, as if gathering his courage.

It took him a long while to explain the real reason. Liu Li had learned from Liu Yuntian about Liu Ya's current condition, and he also knew how Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian had helped her.

Although Liu Li was a spoiled young master, he valued family deeply and looked up to his older sister. Naturally, he held no hostility toward anyone who had helped his family.

Liu Yuntian had also pointed out that Deacon Han had used Liu Li as a pawn, and warned him not to act so impulsively in the future.

"So, thank you for helping my sister."

Liu Li turned and bowed deeply to Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian. He would never have imagined doing such a thing before.

Seeing Liu Li's sincerity, Li Xingluo felt that the spoiled young master wasn't so unlikeable after all.

As Liu Li introduced the Chu Yun Empire Alchemist Guild, the three chatted and laughed until they soon reached the market beside the Alchemist Guild.

The market bustled with people coming and going. The three made their way through the crowds, but most of the wares were junk.

As they passed a stall, Li Xingluo felt a strange reaction from his black ring. He stopped and carefully examined everything displayed there.

When his hand neared a dull Bronze Fragment etched with strange patterns, the ring's reaction grew stronger. Li Xingluo tried moving away, and the reaction noticeably weakened. Could it be because of that?

Liu Li had continued walking ahead, still talking about the market. When he looked back, he saw Li Xingluo and Xiao Yi Xian stopped at a stall behind him.

Liu Li hurried back. Seeing Li Xingluo lingering by his stall, the vendor knew he had a potential customer and immediately began cheerfully introducing his wares.

Li Xingluo slowly reached out, picked up the Bronze Fragment, and asked, "How much is this?"

The moment the vendor saw the Bronze Fragment in Li Xingluo's hand, his cheerful expression from a moment ago turned gloomy.

He seemed unhappy with Li Xingluo's gesture.

The vendor's face plainly showed his displeasure as he held up one finger.

Li Xingluo furrowed his brow slightly. How much did one finger mean?

He tentatively offered, "Ten thousand gold coins?"

At Li Xingluo's tentative offer of ten thousand gold coins, the vendor's unhappy expression instantly blossomed into a grin.

Seeing the vendor's reaction, Li Xingluo immediately realized he had offered too much.

The vendor's delight was plain to see, and he looked greedily at Li Xingluo, afraid he might change his mind.

Just as Li Xingluo was about to take out the money, a voice rang out.

"I'll pay fifteen thousand gold coins for it."

Li Xingluo froze mid-motion and followed the voice. A richly dressed young man approached, his chin lifted and his manner arrogant and overbearing.

Hearing this, the vendor snatched the Bronze Fragment from Li Xingluo's hand. He hadn't expected such an inconspicuous fragment to spark a bidding war between two people.

The young man's actions displeased Li Xingluo. He gave him a cold look, but the young man carried on as if Li Xingluo didn't exist.

At that moment, Liu Li leaned close and whispered to Li Xingluo, "That's Yan Gui, the grandson of the third elder of the Aus Auction House. He likes to go against me."

Li Xingluo felt like punching someone. What kind of nonsense was this?

Yan Gui acted as if he had only just noticed Liu Li, his tone half-mocking and half-sincere.

"Oh, Young Master Liu is here too. What an honor."

Liu Li rolled his eyes at Yan Gui and cupped his hands in a perfunctory greeting.

Yan Gui didn't seem bothered by Liu Li's attitude. If anything, he looked even more smug.

The vendor was clever. Seeing that the two knew each other, and noticing from Li Xingluo's eyes that he wanted the Bronze Fragment, he asked,

"Are you still interested?"

He seemed to be asking Li Xingluo, but was really making his position clear: ten thousand gold coins wouldn't be enough for the fragment.

"Twenty thousand!"

As soon as Li Xingluo spoke, Yan Gui raised the bid without hesitation.

"Twenty-five thousand!"

Yan Gui's behavior greatly displeased Li Xingluo. The third elder of the Aus Auction House, was it? This could be interesting.

Though Li Xingluo was somewhat angry, he didn't show it. Instead, he turned icy—so cold it was suffocating.

Liu Li was too busy to notice the subtle changes in Li Xingluo's expression.

"Yan Gui, I advise you not to go too far."

Yan Gui lightly tapped his arm, as if to say, "If you've got the guts, come and take me down." What a punchable face!

When Li Xingluo didn't raise the bid for a long while, Yan Gui smiled smugly and reached for the Bronze Fragment in the vendor's hand.

"Thirty thousand!"

Li Xingluo grabbed Yan Gui's wrist, making his mouth twitch with pain.

Yan Gui glared at Li Xingluo, furious and unwilling to back down, as if telling him not to push his luck.

He glowered at Li Xingluo. Only then did Li Xingluo slowly release his wrist, his sharp gaze fixed on Yan Gui.

Yan Gui had been about to continue, but a terrifying aura from Li Xingluo washed over him. He reflexively spat out a threat, then turned and left.

Liu Li was happier than anyone to see Yan Gui leave in defeat. He nearly jumped for joy.

"He deserved a good beating."

Li Xingluo took out thirty thousand gold coins and handed them to the vendor, who accepted them with a grin. He weighed the coins in his hand, his smile never fading. Watching the backs of Li Xingluo and his companions—the suckers who'd paid so much—he couldn't have been happier.

Even as Liu Li celebrated, worry crept in. "That felt great just now, but Yan Yun dotes on his grandson more than anything. I'm afraid..."

"You're worried he'll come after me?"

Liu Li nodded emphatically. Li Xingluo sighed inwardly. What a mess.

It was obvious that Yan Gui had deliberately picked a fight, not with Li Xingluo, but with Liu Li. If it weren't for you, I'd have saved twenty thousand gold coins.