A High-Stakes Gamble

"Miss Ya Fei, you're too kind."

Xiao Yan's voice was calm as still water, with no unnecessary expression on his face.

He looked at Ya Fei with a steady, direct gaze, as though he were looking at an ordinary person not worth commenting on.

"Xiao Yan is merely a descendant of a small clan. I do not deserve such praise from Miss Ya Fei."

Ya Fei's hand paused slightly as she held her tea.

Her smile stiffened for an instant—so brief that no one would have noticed unless they had been staring at her.

She had said so much, and Xiao Yan had answered with only that one sentence.

Neither warm nor cold, neither humble nor arrogant.

It was like punching cotton; all her force had been silently dissipated.

All the responses she had prepared—how to reply if Xiao Yan was modest, how to reply if he was pleased with himself, how to reply if he questioned her in return—had all come to nothing.

Because Xiao Yan's response fell outside every path she had anticipated.

It made no sense.

Ya Fei had spent many years struggling her way through the auction house and had met all kinds of people.

There had been powerful figures who dominated entire regions, wealthy merchants whose fortunes rivaled nations, young geniuses just beginning to make their names, and reclusive masters who concealed their strength.

For every kind of person, she could find a way to speak with them.

But the feeling Xiao Yan gave her was unlike any of them.

He was not indifferent—she had met indifferent people before. Nor was he proud—she had met proud people too.

The feeling Xiao Yan gave her was that—he did not care.

It was not deliberate indifference, nor feigned indifference, but a complete lack of concern that seemed to seep from his bones.

What she said, how she said it, why she said it—Xiao Yan did not fail to understand those things. He understood them, then simply felt there was no need to respond.

That feeling made Ya Fei deeply uncomfortable.

Yet years of professional discipline allowed the smile on her face to return to normal in less than a second.

She set down her teacup and lightly rubbed a finger along its rim, as though using that tiny gesture to buy herself a moment to adjust.

"Hehe, Mister Xiao Yan must be joking."

Her voice remained gentle and composed, her smile still perfectly measured, as though that brief stiffness had never happened. She took a card from a drawer in the desk and presented it to Xiao Yan with both hands.

The card was pitch-black throughout, thick and weighty, with fine gold lines inlaid along its edges.

The front bore the three gilded words "Miter," while the back was marked with an intricate pattern, apparently some sort of special anti-counterfeiting seal.

"This is a VIP card from the Miter Auction House. With it, you will receive VIP treatment at any auction house belonging to the Miter Clan. At the same time, the tax rate charged for auctions will be reduced from five percent to two percent."

Xiao Yan reached out and accepted the card, his fingertips brushing over the pattern on its surface as he felt the distinctive texture and weight of a high-grade card.

He nodded without saying much and tucked the card into his sleeve.

Seeing Xiao Yan accept the card, Ya Fei's smile deepened slightly.

She took a green card from the desk—an exclusive crystal card of the Miter Auction House, similar to a bank passbook used across the continent. Gold coins could be deposited into it and withdrawn whenever needed.

"The four bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir sold for a total of one hundred and nineteen thousand gold coins. After deducting the two-percent tax, the remainder is all in here."

After saying that, she smilingly passed over the green card, her manner graceful and unhurried.

Xiao Yan's outstretched hand stopped halfway.

Rather than taking the card, he pulled a folded sheet of paper from his robes and handed it over.

"Miss Ya Fei, deduct the cost of the items listed here from that card."

Ya Fei accepted the note and unfolded it.

Her gaze swept across the paper, and her pupils contracted slightly. It was not because she had seen anything frightening, but because the items listed there surprised her.

Though she did not know what pill these medicinal ingredients were intended to refine, her years of experience at the auction house allowed her to estimate their value at a glance—certainly no less than fifty thousand gold coins.

He was buying medicinal ingredients worth around fifty thousand gold coins just like that, without even asking the price.

Xiao Yan's carefree attitude toward money far exceeded what a "descendant of a small clan" ought to possess.

She said nothing more and passed the note to Gu Ni beside her.

Gu Ni accepted the note and lowered his head to scan it.

His expression changed even more noticeably than Ya Fei's. First, he froze slightly, as though confirming that he had not misread it. Then his brows gradually furrowed as though he were contemplating something.

Next, his pupils suddenly shrank, as though he had abruptly thought of something extraordinary.

He raised his head and looked at Xiao Yan, his cloudy old eyes full of disbelief.

His lips trembled slightly, as though he were hesitating over whether to ask. In the end, he could not suppress the shock in his heart and cautiously spoke.

"Mister Xiao Yan, forgive my poor eyesight."

His voice carried a trace of respect that even he himself had not noticed.

"The ingredients listed here—four fifty-year-old Inkleaf Lotuses, two mature Serpent Saliva Fruits, one Spirit-Gathering Herb around twenty years old, and one water-attributed Second-Level Magic Core—should be the ingredients for the Fourth-Grade Pill, Qi-Gathering Powder, correct?"

Ya Fei's pupils abruptly widened.

She sharply turned to look at Gu Ni, then sharply turned back toward Xiao Yan. The expression on her face transformed from confusion to shock in an instant.

Qi-Gathering Powder, a Fourth-Grade Pill, could help someone at the Ninth Stage of Dou Zhi Qi condense a Dou Zhi Qi vortex and break through into the Dou Practitioner realm.

The price of a single pill was at least one hundred and seventy thousand gold coins. Even then, it was something money could not buy; there were simply none available on the market. Any Qi-Gathering Powder that truly made its way out would be fought over even at two hundred thousand gold coins if brought to an auction house.

Xiao Yan wanted to refine Qi-Gathering Powder?

No—not Xiao Yan. The person behind him wanted to refine it. Xiao Yan was only fifteen; no matter how monstrous his talent was, he could not possibly become a Fourth-Grade Alchemist in such a short time.

A Fourth-Grade Alchemist.

When those four words exploded in Ya Fei's mind, her heart gave a violent leap.

There were only a little over twenty Fourth-Grade Alchemists in the entire Jia Ma Empire.

Every one of them was an honored guest of the major powers, and every one possessed immense status and influence.

And there was actually one standing behind Xiao Yan?

She looked at Xiao Yan, waiting for his answer.

Xiao Yan's expression did not change at all. His calm gaze met those of Ya Fei and Gu Ni, his tone as casual as if he were commenting on the weather.

"That's right. It is Qi-Gathering Powder."

Gu Ni's hand trembled slightly, and his lips moved faintly as though he were silently murmuring something.

Fourth-Grade Pill... Qi-Gathering Powder...

There was an Alchemist of at least the fourth grade standing behind Xiao Yan.

The impact of that information on him was far greater than it was on Ya Fei.

Ya Fei was merely assessing its value from a business perspective, but he understood its weight from the perspective of alchemy. What did a Fourth-Grade Alchemist represent? It meant that a single pill casually refined by such a person was a height he, Gu Ni, could never reach in his entire life.

And such an existence was actually willing to refine Qi-Gathering Powder for a fifteen-year-old youth?

The way Gu Ni looked at Xiao Yan gained a few more traces of awe.

Although the news had made Ya Fei's heart race, she was still a veteran who had spent years in business, and she quickly steadied herself.

A thought suddenly surfaced in her mind—a bold, almost insane thought.

An unusual gleam flowed through her beautiful eyes. It was not the sort of light a woman showed toward a man, but the blazing, shrewd intensity mixed with a hint of determined resolve that only a merchant displayed upon seeing a tremendous business opportunity.

A smile blossomed on her face again, brighter, more genuine, and more enthusiastic than before.

"Mister Xiao Yan truly makes grand moves. To purchase the ingredients for Qi-Gathering Powder at once—Ya Fei admires you."

Her voice remained soft and sweet, but her pace quickened slightly without her realizing it.

"Still, Ya Fei is curious. What grade of Alchemist is the person behind you, sir? If I knew, I could arrange more suitable services for you."

It was a very clever question. She had not directly asked, "Who is the Alchemist behind you?" Instead, she asked, "What grade is he?"

The former would be prying into private matters; the latter was a business need.

The former would invite displeasure; the latter sounded perfectly reasonable.

She had even paused after "that person," leaving a subtle gap for Xiao Yan to fill himself.

If Xiao Yan wished to speak, he naturally would. If not, she had not pressed him, merely received a polite refusal, sparing both sides any embarrassment.

That was Ya Fei's skill: asking everything she wished to ask without provoking the other party's displeasure.

Xiao Yan looked at her, a hint of amusement flashing through his eyes.

The fish had taken the bait.

"Miss Ya Fei, could it be that one must declare one's background just to buy something at the Miter Auction House?"

His voice was not loud, but his tone was heavy.

That heaviness was not anger, but a detached coldness, as though he were saying—you have crossed the line.

Ya Fei's heart tightened at his words.

She sensed the displeasure in Xiao Yan's tone, and she also sensed that something was wrong. She had clearly come to gather information, so how had she ended up being led around by Xiao Yan instead?

But she had no time to think through such matters now.

She did not wish to offend Xiao Yan, much less the existence behind him who was at least a Fourth-Grade Alchemist.

An apologetic expression immediately appeared on her face. Her tone softened, carrying a trace of vulnerability.

"Mister Xiao Yan, you misunderstand. Ya Fei has absolutely no such intention."

She lowered her head slightly, revealing just the right glimpse of snowy white skin before her. Her eyelashes trembled softly, giving her a pitiable appearance that would stir any normal man's sympathy.

"Ya Fei merely hopes to discuss a cooperation with the person behind you, sir."

At this, Xiao Yan's expression eased somewhat. His brows relaxed, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly, revealing a faint, curious smile.

"Cooperation? How does Miss Ya Fei intend to cooperate?"

Ya Fei drew a deep breath.

She knew that what came next would be the most important negotiation she had faced in her years in Wutan City.

If she succeeded, she might have a chance to return to the Imperial Capital. If she failed, she might have to waste several more years in this little place.

Her gaze became serious. Those eyes that usually shimmered with charm were now focused and sharp, like an unsheathed sword.

"I hope that the miraculous pills refined by the person behind Mister Xiao Yan may be given priority for auction through the Miter Auction House."

She spoke slowly, enunciating every word clearly and firmly.

"As compensation for this cooperation, the Miter Auction House will cover all expenditures for the alchemy ingredients used by the person behind you. Of the proceeds from the auction, sir will receive eighty percent and the Miter Auction House twenty percent. In addition, all items Mister Xiao Yan purchases from the Miter Auction House in the future will be sold at a ten-percent discount."

After she finished, she looked straight into Xiao Yan's eyes and waited for his response.

"Hiss—"

Xiao Yan sharply inhaled.

Even though he had already prepared himself, even though he had expected Ya Fei to be bold, he was still shaken when those terms truly came from her lips.

They would cover every expense required for alchemy. That meant all the medicinal ingredients, Magic Cores, and supplementary materials Xiao Yan needed for future alchemy would be paid for by the Miter Auction House. He would not need to spend a single coin.

If the refinement succeeded, he would take eighty percent. If it failed, the Miter Auction House would bear the entire loss.

An eighty-twenty split: he took the larger share, while the auction house took the smaller one.

A ten-percent discount: whenever he bought something from the Miter Auction House in the future, he would pay ten percent less than everyone else.

The sincerity in these terms had been pushed to the limit.

Xiao Yan looked into Ya Fei's earnest eyes, and his assessment of this woman rose another level.

She was not negotiating business. She was making a massive gamble—gambling that the Alchemist behind Xiao Yan was of sufficiently high grade, gambling that Xiao Yan could provide enough pills of sufficient quality, gambling that this cooperation could greatly elevate her position within the Miter Clan.

She had staked her entire future in Wutan City on this bet.

"Miss Ya Fei is truly sincere."

Xiao Yan calmed the surprise in his heart, and his tone returned to normal. He looked at Ya Fei with a barely perceptible smile on his lips.

"However, if the person behind Xiao Yan is not a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, has Miss Ya Fei considered the consequences?"

It was a highly skillful question.

He had not said what grade the person behind him was. Instead, he used a rhetorical question and tossed the issue back to Ya Fei—did she dare to gamble? Did she dare gamble on an uncertain future?

Ya Fei's smile stiffened slightly.

This stiffness lasted longer than the previous one, long enough for Xiao Yan to clearly see her eyelashes flutter twice.

She was weighing, calculating, assessing the risks.

But the stiffness lasted only a moment before a smile blossomed on her face again, brighter and more certain than before.

"Mister Xiao Yan, what are you saying?"

Her voice was light and soft, yet it carried an unquestionable firmness.

"No matter how it turns out, the Miter Auction House would at least be making a friend of Mister Xiao Yan, would it not?"

Xiao Yan looked at Ya Fei, and Ya Fei looked at Xiao Yan.

Their gazes collided in the air for an instant before each withdrew.

In that moment, Xiao Yan became certain of one thing—Ya Fei was no simple woman.

She was not gambling. She was placing an investment.

What she gambled on was Xiao Yan's potential; what she invested was her personal favor.

Even if there were no Alchemist behind Xiao Yan, even if Xiao Yan could not produce more pills, these few words and this display of sincerity alone had already planted a seed of goodwill in Xiao Yan's heart.

If Xiao Yan truly soared to great heights in the future, that seed would take root, sprout, and grow into a towering tree.

Xiao Yan withdrew his gaze, lifted the teacup on the table, and took a light sip. It was good tea, fragrant upon entering the mouth and sweet in its aftertaste, not something that could be bought in Wutan City.

He set down the teacup and lightly tapped the tabletop twice with his fingers.

"Miss Ya Fei's sincerity is so generous that Xiao Yan would not wish to take advantage of it."

He raised his head and looked into Ya Fei's eyes, his tone calm and resolute.

"How about this? There is no need for an eighty-twenty split. Let us split it sixty-forty instead. All pills refined will be given priority for auction through the Miter Auction House."

Ya Fei froze slightly.

A trace of surprise flashed through her eyes—not feigned surprise, but genuine surprise rising from the depths of her heart.

She had spent many years in business and seen too many greedy, selfish partners who wished to swallow every benefit for themselves.

But Xiao Yan was different—she had offered him eighty percent, and he had stepped back to sixty.

What did that mean? It meant Xiao Yan was not someone who cared only about immediate gains.

He understood that cooperation required mutual benefit and that one-sided exploitation could never last.

He was willing to give up part of the profit in exchange for a long-term, stable partner.

Such a person was far more frightening than those who were endlessly greedy.