"This is...?!"
Ya Fei opened the bag and saw the dozens of Storage Rings inside. She gave the contents of the rings a quick look, too.
Her long, narrow, peach-blossom eyes widened slightly, and the shock and gravity in them were impossible to conceal!
The Storage Rings held a large number of Yellow Tier Dou Techniques and several Profound Tier Dou Techniques, along with a pile of first- and second-grade pills and all kinds of medicinal herbs!
By her standards, none of these things were particularly precious.
But there was clearly no way one person could have amassed this much.
They had to come from a clan!
After carefully connecting the dots with what had happened recently, Ya Fei's answer was already on the tip of her tongue.
She placed the bag of Storage Rings back on the table and slowly pushed it toward him, then said softly:
"Little Brother Xiao Yuan, I heard that the Jialie Clan was wiped out some time ago. These things must have come from the Jialie Family, right?"
"Who knows?"
Xiao Yuan shrugged, then changed tack.
"If I said 'yes,' would you refuse to take them, Miss Ya Fei?"
Ya Fei didn't answer. Instead, she met Xiao Yuan's clear, bright eyes, seemingly trying to read something in them—or perhaps waiting for his inner thoughts to ring out.
Unfortunately, she didn't hear Xiao Yuan's inner thoughts, nor did she see the slightest ripple in his eyes.
All she saw was a calm, placid stillness, like a deep pool with no visible bottom.
His reaction was nothing like that of the easily flustered, nervous boy from before.
For someone so young, he was remarkably shrewd...
"Miss Ya Fei, may I have your answer?"
"..."
Ya Fei still said nothing.
But her gaze had fallen on the bag of Storage Rings.
To be honest, she was tempted.
If she sold these things, she could end this boring stint away from home early and return to the family home in Jia Ma Holy City ahead of schedule.
But if she mishandled this, it would definitely cause no small amount of trouble.
After all, this involved a clan that had been wiped out, and the identity of that Dou Wang remained a mystery.
If the Mittal Auction House got mixed up in this, its branch in Wutan City might not be able to keep its footing.
Ya Fei hesitated for a moment, then finally made up her mind.
"Little Brother Xiao Yuan, before I answer, there's something I'd like to confirm—"
"What is your relationship with the expert who wiped out the Jialie Clan?"
As soon as she asked, Ya Fei fixed her eyes on him, watching for every subtle change in his expression.
Xiao Yuan's thoughts began racing at once.
[Here it comes, here it comes. I knew you'd ask. This is the perfect chance to establish my identity!]
[After all, when you're away from home, you can give yourself whatever identity you want!]
[But what identity should I claim?]
[Should I make up some ridiculously powerful hidden sect backing me?]
[Or pretend to be my own master?]
[The former might not even exist on the Dou Qi Continent, but the latter would be too weak.]
[Just a Nine-Star Dou Wang, after all.]
[If the strength I'd shown back then had been that of a Nine-Star Dou Emperor or a Dou Zong, I could've strutted around Jia Ma Holy City without a care...]
In the end, Xiao Yuan chose to say nothing. He kept smiling and let Ya Fei draw her own conclusions.
Ya Fei already understood. Her eyes lowered as she looked at the Storage Rings in the bag again.
She appeared calm, but inside, a storm was raging!
The Dou Wang who had appeared that night was actually the fourteen-year-old boy sitting right in front of her!
She knew perfectly well that this couldn't be Xiao Yuan's own strength. He must have used some kind of secret art. But to wield the power of a Dou Wang at such a young age was already enough to astonish the world!
"Seems I underestimated you, little brother."
Ya Fei murmured so softly that only she could hear.
Then she reached out and grasped the bag on the table.
Her resolute movement made it seem as though she had made a decision in her heart.
"All right, little brother. I won't make things difficult for you. I'll help you handle the things in the bag, but this is a one-time favor. Think of it as a good deed I'm doing for you."
This was why she had agreed to meet Xiao Yuan.
She hoped to build a connection with him.
A fourteen-year-old Da Dou Shi—talent like that would be exceptional even in Jia Ma Holy City.
Anyone would be tempted to make his acquaintance.
And she was a woman, to boot.
A woman with no talent for cultivation, but with striking looks.
If she could become close to him and gain his protection in the future, living out her days in peace, that would be the best possible outcome.
But Xiao Yuan's next words startled her again.
"But Miss Ya Fei, I don't want this to be the last deal between us."
"Are you planning to go after the Aoba Clan next, little brother? Take your big sister's advice: it's best not to do this again. It's more than you can handle.
"The Xiao Clan may wield considerable influence in Wutan City, and our Mittal Auction House is a force to be reckoned with, but this will still affect our auction house's reputation..."
Ya Fei propped one cheek on her hand and lightly traced the rim of her cup with a fingertip, her tone somewhat casual.
But her refusal was unmistakable.
Xiao Yuan shook his head.
"Miss Ya Fei, I know it could affect the Mittal Auction House's reputation. That's why I wanted to discuss this deal with you."
He placed particular emphasis on the word "you," making Ya Fei lift her head and look at him again.
"Little brother, what do you mean?"
"It's simple. This is an opportunity. I'll have many enemies in the future, and they'll be powerful. There'll be plenty more spoils of war like these, so I need someone to help me dispose of them."
Killing people and taking their belongings was commonplace in any fantasy world.
But dealing with the spoils was no small problem.
One slipup could bring even more enemies down on you, just like Xiao Yan in the original story, who attracted no small amount of trouble because of Three Thousand Lightning Movement.
"So you chose me, little brother Xiao Yuan?"
"Mm-hmm."
Xiao Yuan nodded, revealing an innocent, guileless smile befitting his age.
[After all, you're a member of the Mittal Family in Jia Ma Holy City—probably even from the main branch.]
[It's a pity your cultivation talent is so poor. No matter how skilled you are at business, your family won't take you seriously. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been sent to a backwater like Wutan City.]
[But if you achieve something, that'll be a different story. You'll be able to strengthen your standing in the family.]
[And I'll have somewhere to offload things that are hard to sell.]
[It's a win-win. Anyone with half a brain would know what to choose.]
[If you turn down an opportunity like this, then you'll deserve to get bullied by that elder named Leio three years from now.]
Hearing Xiao Yuan's inner thoughts, Ya Fei's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.
She hadn't expected this little brother to know so much about her—even details about her family.
But the most important thing was that this Xiao Clan prodigy seemed able to know the future?
She had no idea how he did it, but if what he said was true, she really would have to give it serious thought.
In the space of a few moments, the two people seated across from each other had each been turning things over in their minds, each with their own agenda.