Purchasing Beast Flames

Ya Fei had dared to offer an eighty-twenty split because she was betting that the Alchemist behind Xiao Yan was of sufficiently high rank, with a sufficiently high pill success rate. High enough that even with only twenty percent, she could still make a fortune.

She suppressed the excitement in her heart and tried to keep her expression calm, but she could not conceal the gleam in her alluring eyes.

She desperately wanted to establish a connection with the Alchemist behind Xiao Yan. Her purpose was simple: improve her performance, let the family see her capabilities, and then have herself transferred from this backwater corner of Wutan City to the Imperial Capital.

If she followed the usual auction procedures, she might not return even after five years.

But if she could attach herself to the Fourth-Grade Alchemist behind Xiao Yan, secure a stable source of high-quality pills, then the road back to the Imperial Capital would be more than half shortened.

Thus, she chose to take a risk and wager everything.

"Of course, I have one request as well. I hope Miss Ya Fei can agree to it."

Xiao Yan's tone shifted. It remained calm, yet something beneath that calm had changed.

Ya Fei's heart abruptly tightened. She knew this was what Xiao Yan truly wanted to say.

The pills, the profit split, and the concessions before this had all been groundwork.

The true focus was here.

"Whatever request Mister Xiao Yan has, please speak freely." She sat up straight, folding her hands over her knees with a dignified and solemn posture. "So long as it is something Ya Fei can accomplish, Ya Fei will do her utmost to satisfy it."

Xiao Yan looked into her eyes and spoke each word distinctly.

"I hope Miter Auction House will cease all dealings with the Jialie Lineage."

The moment those words fell, the air in the private room seemed to freeze.

Ya Fei's pretty face changed slightly. It was not shock, but an expression of difficulty and inner conflict, like a gambler who had placed bets on both sides and was suddenly told she could choose only one.

Her brows drew together slightly, and she pressed her lips together, putting on a troubled expression.

"Mister Xiao Yan, Miter Auction House has a rule that we cannot involve ourselves in conflicts between families."

Her voice was lower than before, and she spoke more slowly, as though carefully choosing her words.

"If we agree to Mister Xiao Yan's request, that would be equivalent to indirectly helping the Xiao Clan. That would not comply with our rules..."

Xiao Yan did not answer immediately.

He picked up his teacup and took another sip. The tea had cooled somewhat; its fragrance had faded, while its bitterness had grown stronger.

He leisurely set down the teacup, raised his eyes toward Ya Fei, and smiled faintly.

"Rules are dead. People are alive. Isn't that so?"

His voice was neither hurried nor slow. "Besides, I am not asking Miss Ya Fei to agree for nothing."

He extended one hand, spread his five fingers, and held up three.

"I will personally give you three Qi-Gathering Powders."

Ya Fei and Gu Ni both sucked in a sharp breath.

Three Qi-Gathering Powders were worth at least five hundred thousand gold coins.

If auctioned in another major city, their price would only be higher.

With a single sentence, Xiao Yan had offered five hundred thousand gold coins.

Ya Fei's mind buzzed. She knew Xiao Yan was generous, but she had not expected him to be generous to this extent.

Three Qi-Gathering Powders were not three medicinal herbs, nor were they three Magic Cores. They were three priceless Fourth-Grade Pills capable of allowing someone at the Ninth Stage of Dou Zhi Qi to break through into a Dou Practitioner.

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest several times before she forced herself to calm down.

Why was Xiao Yan giving away three Qi-Gathering Powders?

Because he wanted Miter Auction House to stop trading with the Galie Clan.

Why did he want to stop trading with the Galie Clan? Because the Xiao Clan was about to make a move against them.

Her thoughts raced as countless ideas flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

"Miss Ya Fei need not give me an answer too soon."

Xiao Yan's voice sounded again, interrupting her thoughts.

"Also, I need to remind Miss Ya Fei of something—"

His gaze rested calmly on Ya Fei. There was no hint of threat in it, yet it made her back turn slightly cold.

"Within half a year, the Galie Clan will completely disappear from Wutan City."

After saying that, he simply lifted his teacup again and said nothing more.

A storm erupted in Ya Fei's mind.

Within half a year, the Galie Clan would completely disappear.

That meant the Xiao Clan already had a complete plan, sufficient confidence, and absolute certainty of victory.

And Xiao Yan's willingness to tell her this in advance was, on one hand, a sign of trust. On the other, it was also an implication: this was the prevailing tide. She could choose to follow it, or go against it.

At the same time, she considered another possibility. The Alchemist behind Xiao Yan might be unable to spare the time and would need half a year before taking action.

That was why he had given the Galie Clan half a year to catch its breath.

Three Qi-Gathering Powders, priority access to pills, the favor of at least a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, and this intelligence Xiao Yan had revealed in advance—after this series of blows, Ya Fei had almost no room to refuse.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Then she opened them.

The hesitation and conflict in those alluring eyes were gone, leaving only determination.

"Miter Auction House will no longer provide the Jialie Lineage with any assistance."

Her voice was not loud, but every word landed with force.

There was no helping it. Xiao Yan was offering too much.

The three Qi-Gathering Powders alone were enough to move her. Add priority access to pills and the favor of a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, and if she still chose the Galie Clan, then she would truly have water in her brain. She might as well hang herself from a tree.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan smiled.

The smile was neither too broad nor too faint, just right. It held the pleasure of reaching an agreement without making him appear smug or carried away.

He extended his hand.

"Miss Ya Fei, a pleasure doing business with you."

Ya Fei looked at the outstretched hand—its fingers were long, its joints distinct, and there were thin calluses around the tiger's mouth, marks left by years of cultivation.

She reached out and took Xiao Yan's hand.

Her hand was soft and warm, with slender fingers and a palm as smooth as silk.

It stood in sharp contrast to Xiao Yan's lightly callused hand.

Their hands parted at once.

There was no needless lingering, no ambiguous entanglement. It was crisp and direct, like two merchants shaking hands after signing a contract.

"A pleasure doing business with you."

Ya Fei withdrew her hand, and the smile on her face became a little more genuine.

Not because Xiao Yan's terms were generous enough, but because this young man's way of doing things made her feel comfortable—decisive, straightforward, free of hesitation, and without scheming.

Xiao Yan withdrew his hand, and his tone became more relaxed.

"As our first collaboration, these fifteen bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir will serve as a promising start."

With a sweep of his hand, fifteen white jade bottles suddenly appeared on the table before him.

The jade bottles were arranged neatly. Under the light, they gave off a warm, gentle sheen, like fifteen quiet white chess pieces resting on a board.

Ya Fei's eyes reddened.

It was not an exaggeration. They truly reddened.

It was a reaction that came only with overwhelming excitement: her eye sockets heated up, her eyes became bloodshot, and her pupils dilated.

Fifteen bottles of Foundation-Building Elixir.

Four bottles had sold for one hundred and nineteen thousand gold coins. What did fifteen bottles mean?

Nearly six hundred thousand gold coins.

And this was only the first auction, when no one yet knew the elixir's effects.

Once the first batch was used by the young masters and ladies, once everyone in Wutan City knew what Foundation-Building Elixir was, she did not dare imagine what price these fifteen bottles could fetch.

Besides, why should they limit themselves to Wutan City?

Didn't people from nearby cities need Foundation-Building Elixir as well?

If they invited wealthy merchants and families from those cities and held a large-scale auction, the price of these fifteen bottles could easily double.

Ya Fei suppressed the excitement in her heart, took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

She looked toward Gu Ni beside her, urgency in her eyes.

Gu Ni immediately understood.

He stepped forward, picked up one white jade bottle from the table, removed the stopper, and brought it to his nose for a sniff.

That familiar medicinal fragrance surged into his nostrils. His aged eyes narrowed slightly as he carefully identified the layers and purity of the scent.

Then he tilted the bottle and poured out a tiny drop of elixir onto his fingertip, rubbing it gently to feel the liquid's viscosity and temperature.

Finally, he took out a silver needle, dipped it into the liquid, stirred it once, and observed the change in color of the residue left on the needle.

The entire process lasted about the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

Gu Ni raised his head, looked at Ya Fei, and nodded.

"No problem. The quality is identical to those previous four bottles."

An excited smile immediately blossomed on Ya Fei's face. It was bright and radiant, without the calculated curve from before. It was natural and genuine, like a red rose blooming beneath the sun.

"Mister Xiao Yan is far too generous." Her voice carried excitement she could not suppress. "Leave them to Miter Auction House. Ya Fei will certainly auction them for a price that satisfies you."

Xiao Yan nodded. His gaze paused on Ya Fei's face for a moment before turning to Gu Ni.

"Miss Ya Fei, does the auction house have Beast Flames for sale?"

"Beast Flames?"

Ya Fei paused slightly before quickly returning to normal. She tilted her head in thought, her beautiful eyes shifting as she soon found an answer.

"We have a few First-Order and Second-Order Beast Flames. As for Beast Flames of the Third Order and above, we currently have none in the auction house. They would need to be transferred from headquarters."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan fell silent for a moment. His fingers lightly tapped against the tabletop, producing faint tapping sounds, as though calculating something.

"I want Beast Flames from the First to Fourth Order, regardless of quality. Deduct the gold from the proceeds of these elixirs after they are auctioned."

Ya Fei's brows rose slightly.

She looked at Xiao Yan, her heart filled with confusion.

Low-level Alchemists generally would not choose to buy Beast Flames.

That was because their own levels were too low. They needed to constantly control the temperature while refining pills, and unlike Xiao Yan, they did not possess the Heaven-Burning Divine Art. They could not gain proficient control immediately after absorbing a flame. They needed to spend a great deal of time mastering it, and the gains did not match the effort.

Absorbing them also carried risks. One careless mistake, and the flames could burn the meridians within their bodies.

Surely the Alchemist behind Xiao Yan understood this. Given that Alchemist's rank, if he wanted a Beast Flame, he could casually acquire one of the Fourth or Fifth Tier. Why would he need these First-Order or Second-Order Beast Flames?

But she did not ask. Their earlier interaction had taught her one thing: Xiao Yan was not someone who liked being questioned. If he wanted to say something, he would say it without being asked. If he did not want to say it, no amount of questioning would help.

"For First-Order and Second-Order Beast Flames, Ya Fei will make the decision and give them to Mister Xiao Yan."

Her tone was generous and natural, without the slightest hint of reluctance.

First-Order and Second-Order Beast Flames were generally not worth much. Even the highest-quality ones were only worth around five thousand to twenty thousand gold coins.

For ordinary cultivators, that might be no small expense, but to her, it was merely a little money.

Using such a small amount to earn Xiao Yan's favor was not a losing deal.

"As for Third-Order and Fourth-Order Beast Flames, they will require some time to be transferred from headquarters."

"Mm."

Xiao Yan nodded to show that he understood. Beast Flames of the Third and Fourth Order were different from those of the First and Second Order. Even the worst Fourth-Order Beast Flame cost around five hundred thousand gold coins, so Miter Auction House naturally would not keep them on hand.

"Besides Beast Flames, I also need these medicinal herbs. I assume Miter Auction House has them in stock?"

Then Xiao Yan spoke again, taking another neatly folded sheet of paper from his robes and pushing it toward Ya Fei.

The edges of the paper curled slightly, and the ink had not fully dried, clearly indicating that he had written it not long ago.

Ya Fei accepted the paper, unfolded it, and swept her gaze over it.

More than ten kinds of medicinal herbs were listed on the page, with their age, quality, and quantity all clearly noted. The handwriting was neat and forceful.

"Miter Auction House has all the medicinal herbs on this list." Ya Fei raised her head with a gentle smile. "Please wait a moment, Mister Xiao Yan."

She raised her hand and lightly tugged the silk cord hanging beside the table. The other end was connected to a small bronze bell, whose clear chime rang outside the door, melodious and brief.

A moment later, a maid pushed open the door and entered, standing at the entrance with lowered eyes as she waited for instructions.

Ya Fei handed her the paper. Her voice was neither high nor low, but it carried an unquestionable certainty. "Bring the best of every herb listed here."

The maid accepted the paper, bowed, and withdrew. Her footsteps gradually faded down the corridor before disappearing around the corner.

The wait was not long.

About the time it took to drink a cup of tea later, the maid hurried back. Her steps were much faster than before, yet still steady, and the tray in her hands did not shake in the slightest.

A pale blue Storage Ring lay atop the tray. Its surface had been polished smooth as a mirror, and beneath the light it glowed with a soft blue sheen, like a piece of frozen lake water.

The maid presented the tray before Ya Fei, then stepped back to the side with her hands lowered.

Ya Fei picked up the pale blue Storage Ring, turned it once between her fingertips, then pushed it toward Xiao Yan. Her movements were elegant and composed, as though she were handing over some insignificant trinket rather than a valuable Storage Ring.

"Mister Xiao Yan, these are the Beast Flames and medicinal herbs you requested."

Xiao Yan reached out and picked up the Storage Ring, lightly running his thumb over its surface.

The Storage Ring felt warm and smooth to the touch, with a faint coolness to it. Its texture was excellent.

He injected Soul Power into it, and his consciousness entered the space within the Storage Ring—a space roughly one zhang square. Several Beast Flames of different colors burned quietly inside specially made bottles.

They had been sealed using special methods. Their temperatures were suppressed to the lowest possible level, so they would not cause any damage to the Storage Ring.

The medicinal herbs had been sorted and stacked in one corner of the space. Every herb was wrapped in oiled paper, with its name and age marked on the outside.

Xiao Yan's Soul Power swept over every medicinal herb, carefully inspecting their quality and texture. Every one of them was of the finest grade.

He nodded and withdrew his Soul Power.

"Not bad. They are indeed what I wanted. Thank you, Miss Ya Fei."

His tone was calm and natural. There was no polite refusal and no excessive gratitude, only a simple expression of thanks—sincere, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Mister Xiao Yan is too polite."

Ya Fei chuckled. Her laughter was like pearls falling onto jade, crisp and brief, carrying an unadorned delight.

Xiao Yan tucked the Storage Ring into his sleeve and stood up. He had already obtained what he wanted. As for the medicinal herbs needed for Qi-Gathering Powder, they were too rare for Miter Auction House to keep in stock and would need to be transferred from headquarters. They would only be delivered to the Xiao Clan in a few days.

There was no longer much point in staying here.