Little girl, be careful not to play with fire and burn yourself (seeking collection, seeking subscription)

"Just because of this, you dare to conclude that I am the ancestor of the Xiao Clan?"

After listening to Ya Fei's explanation, Xiao Ze chuckled softly. "Could I not be someone else?"

Ya Fei pursed her lips into a smile. "The golden invitation in your hand, Senior, was crafted by our Mittel Clan and bears our exclusive mark."

"This concubine would not fail to recognize a golden invitation made by her own clan."

Xiao Ze was somewhat surprised. "So, there really is an issue with this golden invitation?"

He took out the invitation and examined it carefully, but he couldn't spot where any mark had been placed. Finally, feeling helpless, he tucked it away again.

He put on a serious expression. "Actually, you guessed wrong. I am merely a disciple of the Xiao Clan tasked with serving the Old Ancestor."

"As for the Old Ancestor you are looking for, he has already left."

"I am just a junior left behind by the Old Ancestor to collect the items that were just auctioned."

Faced with Xiao Ze's sophistry, Ya Fei clearly did not believe him.

Her rosy lips curled slightly. "Senior is joking. I don't think a disciple of the Xiao Clan would dare to come here alone carrying the Old Ancestor's golden invitation, would they?"

"Fine, since you have recognized me, this old man will stop hiding. That's right, this old man is indeed the ancestor of the Xiao Clan!"

As soon as Xiao Ze finished speaking, a line of text appeared before his eyes.

[Mittel Ya Fei has developed trust in you. Current trust: One Star]

[Trust Points +100,000]

[Current Trust Points: 400,000]

Hm?

She could actually provide one hundred thousand trust points?

Xiao Ze was somewhat surprised. Ya Fei's presence in the story wasn't particularly significant; even by the end, she hadn't managed to secure the position of the female lead, being at most a close confidante.

How could someone with such mediocre cultivation and low destiny provide so many trust points?

Could it be that the provision of these points is related to one's proximity to the protagonist, Xiao Yan?

Do those who are close to Xiao Yan provide more trust points, even if their cultivation is not high?

Xiao Ze couldn't quite figure it out, but gaining trust points was always a good thing. He laughed, "Little girl, what business do you have coming to find this old man?"

"Senior, you misunderstand. This concubine simply wanted to come and pay her respects."

"After all, the Mittel Auction House, where I work, will be operating in your territory from now on. I only ask that you, Senior, might show mercy and let us be."

Ya Fei bowed, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin at her chest.

She blinked her alluring, peach-blossom eyes. Every movement, every word, was filled with charm. She walked to Xiao Ze's side, her voice soft and tingling, much like a captivating, bewitching cat.

What a vixen...

Xiao Ze was, after all, a twenty-year-old man; he possessed all the natural desires of his age.

He was only pretending to be old, not actually old.

If he were to become indifferent to everything, what would be the point of his cultivation? Wouldn't it be better to just find a ditch somewhere and wait for death?

Looking at the beauty before him, Xiao Ze's gaze sharpened, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He suddenly reached out and wrapped his arm around her slender, supple waist.

"Ah!" Ya Fei let out a startled cry. Caught off guard, her warm, enchanting body was pulled into his embrace.

"Little girl, has no one ever told you that playing with fire makes it easy to get burned?" Xiao Ze looked down at the beauty in his arms, inhaling her fragrance, a hint of provocation in his eyes.

The scorching aura of a man hit Ya Fei's face, making her somewhat flustered. A flush of red rose to her fair cheeks, and her heart hammered against her chest, betraying her current nervousness.

"S-Senior." She bit her lip, her face burning with shame. "This concubine came to deliver the auction items..."

"That can wait!" Xiao Ze smiled as he leaned down, stopping just a finger's width from her forehead. "As for you, how do you think this old man should punish you?"

"N-no, please!" The scorching aura constantly assaulted Ya Fei's consciousness. At this moment, she had completely lost her previous composure, acting like a little lamb encountering a big bad wolf, filled with panic.

"Hmph! Little girl, this is just a warning!"

"If you try to pull this stunt in front of this old man again, I will not be so lenient."

Ya Fei was adept at using her beautiful and alluring appearance to her advantage, and as such, she often used her beauty to seduce and tease men.

However, she had forgotten that the reason she could walk so easily among various men was not just her personal charm, but also, in large part, the backing of the Mittel Clan.

As one of the three great clans of the Gama Empire, the Mittel Clan was a behemoth to many factions, especially in a small place like Wutan City, where they were practically untouchable.

There is nothing wrong with a woman possessing beauty.

But having no strength to protect oneself—that is the original sin!

Relying on her beauty and background, Ya Fei could travel unimpeded through ninety-nine percent of the Gama Empire. But in front of a true powerhouse, her so-called beauty and background would become her greatest danger.

And as it happened, Xiao Ze was exactly the kind of person who did not fear the Mittel Clan.

Playing those tricks in front of him was undoubtedly playing with fire.

If he were willing, even if he were to strip Ya Fei bare right now, the Mittel Clan would only smile and try to smooth things over with him, perhaps even offering her to him as a gift.

Ultimately, strength is the foundation of everything!

"I-I'm sorry!" Crystal tears welled up in her eyes as Ya Fei pursed her rosy lips, looking as if she might burst into tears at any second.

This was the first time she had ever tasted failure at the hands of a man.

She realized then that not everyone would bow down before her or be willingly manipulated by her charms.

At the very least, the Xiao Clan ancestor before her was not someone she could seduce; from him, she felt only a deep, chilling sense of dread.

"Enough, spare me the nonsense..." Xiao Ze released her waist and said coldly, "Where are the items I bid on?"

"Right here!"

In a panic, Ya Fei retrieved a jade box and respectfully handed it to Xiao Ze.

"Senior, the Tier 6 Ancient Beast Skin you bid on, as well as the belongings of that Old Ghost Dou Wang... they are all here."

She raised her alluring, beautiful eyes, watching Xiao Ze with extreme caution.

Xiao Ze took the jade box and opened it, discovering that besides the ancient beast skin, there was also a storage ring inside.

He assumed this must be the entire fortune of that Old Ghost Dou Wang.

"Very good!" Xiao Ze had no interest in the storage ring itself.

He picked up the ancient beast skin, which was a full three feet wide.

He saw that a map had been branded onto the smooth surface of the hide using a secret technique; a faint luster flowed across the skin, looking both archaic and mysterious.

"This ancient beast skin must have been in the hands of the Mittel Clan for a long time. After so many years, I don't believe your Mittel Clan hasn't studied it at all!"

"Speak up, what do you know?" Xiao Ze held the Tier 6 ancient beast skin and said indifferently.

A flash of panic crossed Ya Fei's eyes. Her fair, delicate throat bobbed as she seemed to hesitate over whether to speak.

Seeing this, Xiao Ze continued, "If you can provide me with more information, I promise to let the Mittel Auction House continue to exist in Wutan City."

Hearing this, Ya Fei seemed to reach a decision.

"I hope Senior keeps his word." Her long, peach-blossom eyes shimmered. "This ancient beast skin has been in the possession of the Mittel Clan for decades. After much research, we suspect it might be a map leading to Dou Zong Ruins."

"Dou Zong Ruins?" Xiao Ze narrowed his eyes and asked, "Are you certain?"

"This... we aren't entirely sure." Seeing Xiao Ze's displeased expression, Ya Fei hurriedly added, "But there is at least an eighty percent chance!"

"Furthermore, we know that there is a high probability that these ruins are located within the Magical Beast Mountain Range!"

"Oh?" Xiao Ze was somewhat surprised. "How do you know these ruins are in the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"

"Our Mittel Clan spent decades and invested a vast amount of manpower and resources, only to eventually discover that the terrain recorded on this ancient beast skin is extremely similar to that of the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

"Therefore, we believe these ruins are very likely located within the Magical Beast Mountain Range."

Ya Fei composed herself, and she seemed to return to her usual alluring and captivating self.

After listening to Ya Fei's explanation, Xiao Ze nodded slightly. "Since you already know these ruins are in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, why haven't you gone to search for them yourselves?"

"Senior is joking." Ya Fei gave a helpless smile. "The Magical Beast Mountain Range is too vast; our Mittel Clan simply lacks the strength for such a task..."

That was true enough.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range was vast and sprawling, stretching across almost the entire Northwest region. Each of the five great empires had its own section of the range within its borders.

Even if they knew there were Dou Zong Ruins inside, ordinary factions simply had no way to conduct a search.

However, while this information might be useless to others, it was very important to Xiao Ze.

At the very least, it gave him an accurate direction for his search.

"In the Magical Beast Mountain Range, is it?"

"It seems that if I get the chance, I should go and take a look."

Dou Zong Ruins were important, yet they were also unimportant.

Xiao Ze would treat it as an adventure at most; it would be best if he found them, but it wouldn't matter if he didn't.

"Very well, I have the information I need. From today on, your Mittel Auction House may continue to operate in Wutan City."

"If there is nothing else, I shall be taking my leave!"

Having obtained the information regarding the ancient beast skin, Xiao Ze prepared to depart.

But just as he reached the door, he thought of something, turned his head, and glanced at Ya Fei in the room.

"Oh, right!" He waved at Ya Fei and teased with a laugh, "Little girl, until we meet again... bye-bye!"

With that, he walked away, laughing heartily.

In the room, Ya Fei's face flushed red, her eyes filled with a mix of shyness and panic. She cursed him fiercely in her heart: "Old man with no sense of shame!"