Plotting for the Tou She Ancient God Jade!

Xiao Wujiu looked at Xiao Yan with a smile, understanding his awkwardness.

With a soft chuckle, he declined under Xiao Xun'er's delighted gaze. "I won't interrupt your date. I have things to do too, so maybe next time. I'll treat you both to a meal then."

After saying that, he smiled and waved to them before leaving ahead of the two of them.

The two waved back at Xiao Wujiu. Then Xiao Xun'er impatiently linked her arm through Xiao Yan's, as though afraid something else might interfere with today's shopping trip.

"Let's go, Brother Xiao Yan. Today, you belong entirely to Xuner!"

"You little girl. Let's go—today's expenses will be covered by Young Master Xiao!"

Laughing and chatting, Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er left the Xiao Clan together behind Xiao Wujiu.

After leaving the Xiao Clan, Xiao Wujiu made his way to the Mittal Auction House with practiced ease.

The moment he entered, someone spotted him and immediately ushered him toward a reception room.

"Young Master Wujiu, please wait a moment. I will notify Miss Ya Fei right away."

After the maid served him a cup of clear tea, she bowed and spoke.

He nodded, leaned back in his chair, and waited quietly. This was not his first visit, so he felt perfectly at ease.

Before long, the crisp click-clack of high heels sounded outside the door.

The figure who pushed open the door entered with a fragrant breeze.

After Ya Fei closed the door, she naturally sat beside Xiao Wujiu, propping her head on one arm resting on the table between them.

"Hehe, Young Master Wujiu, you finally decided to visit again. The pills from your last transaction sold extremely well."

Ya Fei's soft, sultry laugh sounded beside his ear, making one's heart itch. She placed a gold card on the table and slid it toward him.

"After deducting the handling fee, there are five hundred thousand gold coins in here."

"Thank you, Sister Ya Fei."

Xiao Wujiu calmly put away the gold card, showing no sign of being unsettled by Ya Fei's teasing.

Seeing that Xiao Wujiu was unaffected by her charms, she gave a coquettish hum. "What an unromantic little fellow. Is business all there is between us?"

He did not respond to Ya Fei's words. Instead, he waved his hand, and numerous bottles containing pills immediately appeared around him.

"These are the pills I have refined recently. They should be enough for your auction house to handle for a while. Same as before—I'll come collect the payment after some time."

"Also, continue helping me acquire the medicinal ingredients and Magic Cores on this list."

As he spoke, he took out a prepared list from his Storage Ring. Besides ingredients needed for certain second- and third-tier pills, it also listed ingredients required for several fourth-tier pills.

The moment Ya Fei saw the grades of the ingredients, she cried out in surprise. "Most of these are ingredients for refining third-tier pills, and there are even ingredients for fourth-tier pills!"

"Little Brother Wujiu, weren't you only able to refine second-tier pills before? How did you...?"

"My strength and alchemy skills have improved recently. Among the pills I gave you are third-tier ones, and their quality is much better than before. They should sell well."

"Sister Ya Fei, please make the arrangements first."

Xiao Wujiu was unwilling to say more, and Ya Fei tactfully stopped pressing him. Although they had a good relationship, they were not intimate enough for that, unless...

In the end, she gave a soft sigh. "I truly don't understand. With your talent, you could go to a far broader world. Why remain in this tiny Wutan City?"

After saying that, Ya Fei went to prepare the ingredients, while her words left Xiao Wujiu silent.

How could he not understand? Whether he went out to gain experience or enrolled in Jia Nan Academy, either choice would be far better for his development than remaining in Wutan City.

Yet he had neither revealed his identity as an alchemist here to amass wealth and grow openly, nor, like other transmigrators, intercepted Xiao Xun'er in advance and lived off her.

As for the reason...

Among the ingredients for fourth-tier pills on the list he had just given Ya Fei were several sets of ingredients for the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill. They were meant as a parting gift to the Xiao Clan later on.

Beyond repaying the clan, his purpose was to use them as bargaining chips to exchange with Xiao Zhan for the Xiao Clan's inherited Ancient Jade—the one-eighth fragment of the Tou She Ancient God Jade.

He needed a guarantee, one that ensured no one could become an Emperor before he possessed sufficient strength!

Therefore, he intended to obtain it and place it in the world of Douluo Continent. That was the safest course of action.

So no matter what, even if I have to force them, I must obtain the Tou She Ancient God Jade!

Then I will arrange for the Xiao Clan to leave Wutan City and secretly disperse to develop elsewhere, so they will not suffer the disaster they faced in the original story again. Then I will have repaid the care they have given me over all these years.

Even if no one understands, it will be enough as long as I can answer to my own heart.

Xiao Wujiu thought silently to himself. He knew his ideas were somewhat extreme, but he had to do this. There was no other choice.

Could he sit by and watch the events of the original story unfold again and again? Xiao Wujiu could not do it!

"Wujiu, Wujiu..."

The original meaning of that name was "without disaster or fault," and it could also be extended to mean "without regret." Thus, all he was doing was following his heart.

Just then, Ya Fei returned. Coming back to Xiao Wujiu's side, she took out a low-grade Storage Ring and breathed fragrantly toward him. "Little Brother Wujiu, everything you wanted is in here. However, there are still several high-grade medicinal ingredients that need to be transferred from elsewhere. Shall I deliver them to you together later, little brother?"

Of course, he knew Ya Fei was teasing him, but this time, he unusually did not refuse. "Then I'll have to trouble Sister Ya Fei."

"Hmm?"

Ya Fei gave a soft sound, obvious confusion coloring her tone. However, she quickly composed herself and immediately revealed an even more alluring smile.

"Hehe, then when the time comes, Little Brother Wujiu, don't shut your sister out..."

After Xiao Wujiu chatted with Ya Fei for a while longer, he rose and took his leave.

At this time, having received the news, Guni hurried in immediately after Xiao Wujiu left.

"Ya Fei, did you say that Young Master Wujiu really refined third-tier pills?"

His face was filled with excitement and urgency, while his heart was shaken beyond measure.

Seeing Guni in such a state, Ya Fei understood what this meant to him as a fellow alchemist. With a wave of her hand, she took out three bottles of pills, containing pills from the first through third tiers.

Guni impatiently opened the jade bottle containing the third-tier Qi Recovery Pill and began examining it closely.

A moment later, he suddenly cried out in shock!