Zhang Yan followed them for a while before finally finding an opportunity to strike up a conversation. He said he was a guest who had attended the recent auction and was very interested in one of the spirit beasts that had been forcibly withdrawn—naturally, the fish-dragon.
Though it could not be auctioned, he was willing to pay a little extra on top of the reserve price to buy it.
By then, the group had returned to their lodging. They had been stewing in anger, but seeing Zhang Yan come to them of his own accord and offer a decent price, they were clearly tempted. The leader of these spirit-beast traders was surnamed Han and known as "Blind Han." In his early years, one of his eyes had been gouged out in a fight, leaving him with a rather gloomy temperament. He possessed mid-stage Core Restoration cultivation.
Just as Zhang Yan was about to strike while the iron was hot and probe into their background, someone called from outside the courtyard, "Anyone here?"
Though he said that, the man outside simply pushed the door open and walked in.
Blind Han remained impassive and merely asked, "You are...?"
"I saw one of the 'Twin-tailed Raccoon Cats' you displayed. I rather like it and intend to buy it. Name your price."
The newcomer carried himself grandly and seemed very forthright. His single sentence eased the expressions of Blind Han and the others, but it made Zhang Yan secretly realize that things had gone wrong. With this man as a comparison, it would clearly be inappropriate for Zhang Yan to keep hemming and hawing afterward.
In the end, Zhang Yan could only withdraw for the moment. He had wanted to buy that fish-dragon, but the man who came in afterward was far too extravagant.