Journey to the Imperial Capital

Mittel Auction House.

Xiao Le stood at the entrance, straightened himself up, and stepped inside.

"Fourth Young Master, please follow me to the VIP room. Our supervisor said that if you came, she would personally receive you!"

The moment he entered, Xiao Le was stopped by a woman.

She truly was a shrewd woman, skilled at winning people over. Fortunately, she was not cruel-hearted; otherwise, someone without any cultivation could never have made it this far.

Before long, Ya Fei arrived in a flowing crimson gown, like a bewitching rose in full bloom.

"Young Master Xiao Le, what wind blew you here today? Ah, I heard you're an alchemist now. No wonder you no longer think much of our Mittel Auction House," Ya Fei said reproachfully.

Xiao Le gave a bitter smile. As expected of the greatest enchantress in Dou Po. Helplessly, he said, "Miss Ya Fei, don't flatter me. Even if I become an alchemist, I still wouldn't catch your eye. Please don't make fun of me."

Ya Fei's eyes brimmed with amusement as she smiled gracefully. "We've dealt with each other several times, yet Young Master Xiao Le is still so distant with me. You always call me Miss Ya Fei."

"Big Sister Ya Fei!" Xiao Le quickly caught on.

Ya Fei's smile deepened. "Then I won't stand on ceremony either, Little Brother Xiao Le!"

That single "little brother" nearly made Xiao Le melt.

"Big Sister Ya Fei, the Xiao Family has come to ask for your help today. I imagine you've already heard about the Xiao Family's current situation, so I won't go into detail. I hope the Mittel Auction House can provide medicinal ingredients to the Xiao Family!" Xiao Le stared into Ya Fei's alluring eyes.

"Little Brother Xiao Le, you're putting our Mittel Auction House in a very difficult position!" Ya Fei wore a troubled expression.

"I know my request is rather presumptuous. After all, it goes against the Mittel Auction House's long-standing rule of neutrality." As he spoke, Xiao Le stepped closer to Ya Fei and smiled. "But isn't the Mittel Auction House doing business? Why not do business with the Xiao Family? Besides, compared with the Jia Lie Clan, our Xiao Family has two alchemists. If our teacher were here, how could the Jia Lie Clan be allowed to act so arrogantly?"

Ya Fei pretended to ponder for a long while before speaking. "Three conditions!

First, when the teacher behind you returns, I hope you can introduce us.

Second, in the future, one-third of the pills you refine for the Xiao Family must be supplied to the Mittel Auction House.

Third, you will escort me to the Imperial Capital."

"The Imperial Capital?" Xiao Le was greatly puzzled. This had not been mentioned in the original work!

Ya Fei understood Xiao Le's confusion and explained, "There are two reasons. First, it will silence the Jia Lie Clan and prevent us from breaking the Mittel Auction House's rules. Second, it concerns a personal matter. Every year, the Miter Family's business quotas are allocated through a competition."

So there was such an arrangement. Perhaps Xiao Yan had been too weak at this point in the original work, which was why it had never been mentioned.

"Agreed!"

Ya Fei's bewitching face became even more captivating as she laughed sweetly. "Then I'll be waiting for you the day after tomorrow, Little Brother Xiao Le!"

When Xiao Le returned to the Xiao Family, Xiao Zhan and the others, who had been anxiously awaiting news, immediately pulled him aside. Upon learning that the Mittel Auction House had agreed to help, the elders finally set their minds at ease.

Early the next morning, Xiao Le rose before dawn. Today, he did not cultivate with Xiao Yan, because he was going to meet Ya Fei and prepare to depart for the Imperial Capital.

Xiao Le was greatly looking forward to this journey. After all, this was not an adventure through the mountains and forests. The people he would face were often the most terrifying of all.

Ya Fei had long prepared everything. After inviting Xiao Le to breakfast with her, they set out.

Along the way, Xiao Le and Ya Fei shared a carriage. Xiao Le did not chat with her, instead seizing the time to stabilize the cultivation he had only recently broken through to.

He did not stop cultivating until mealtime.

"As expected of one of the Jia Ma Twin Stars. You won't even waste the time spent in a carriage!" Ya Fei praised.

The rations Ya Fei had prepared were quite good, and Xiao Le ate with great relish.

While resting after their meal, Ya Fei filled Xiao Le in on the intelligence she had gathered.

"The Jia Ma Assembly is approaching, and this competition was arranged in order to secure better rankings. The Miter Family is renowned for business, but our cultivators are generally not particularly skilled in combat. I'm even more of an exception. My aptitude was too poor, so I simply gave up cultivation."

Xiao Le heard the envy and longing in her words, which made him even more determined to pass the Heavenly Demon Ancient Scripture on to her.

"So, when the Mittel Auction House participates in the Jia Ma Assembly, it generally does so with outside support."

After introducing Xiao Le to the Miter Family's circumstances, Ya Fei continued, "You will have three main opponents this time."

"The first is Mittel Hao, the Miter Family's top genius. He belongs to the First Elder's branch. Three months ago, he was already a seven-star Dou Practitioner. I heard he had even exchanged several moves with a Dou Master without losing."

"The second is Mu Zhan of the Mu Family, one of the Imperial Capital's three great families. He was invited by the Miter Family Patriarch's branch. His strength is formidable, and he is the Mu Family's number one genius."

When she mentioned the Patriarch's branch, Xiao Le keenly noticed a slight fluctuation in Ya Fei's emotions.

"The last one is rather interesting. He has some connection to you as well. He comes from the Nalan Family and is Nalan Yanran's older brother, Nalan Jun—the same Nalan Yanran who went to your Xiao Family to break off the engagement. He was invited by the Third Elder's branch. I heard his talent is only slightly inferior to Nalan Yanran's. He was raised in the army by his grandfather, the Lionheart Marshal, and carries an aura of iron and blood."

A chill flashed across Xiao Le's face. "I'll consider it collecting a little interest in advance!"

Ya Fei said nothing more. She did not necessarily think highly of Xiao Le; after all, how could Wutan City's foundation compare to that of the Imperial Capital? The gap in Dou Skills and cultivation methods alone was like an impassable chasm.

There were no bandits blocking the road or masked assassins attempting to kill them along the way. With the Miter Family's emblem displayed, who would dare court death?

The name of the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, still carried considerable weight in the Jia Ma Empire.

The Imperial Capital's majestic grandeur was far beyond anything Wutan City could compare with. After five straight days of travel, they finally arrived at the Imperial Capital. Wutan City was simply too small; it did not even have flying Magic Beasts.

As they approached the city walls, the Sha Qi of the cold, iron-blooded soldiers guarding the city rushed toward them. The towering, imposing walls were equally awe-inspiring.

The city guards actually possessed the cultivation of Dou Masters. This sight still shocked Xiao Le. He had not expected even the tiny Jia Ma Empire to possess such strength. Wouldn't the wolves surrounding it be even stronger? After all, if Xiao Yan had not come to its rescue later on, the Jia Ma Empire would have long since been destroyed.

Upon entering the Imperial Capital, powerful auras could be seen everywhere. Even Grand Dou Masters, the peak fighting force in Wutan City, were as common as dogs.