Chapter 36

The two stood at the entrance of the Mittel Auction House and chatted for a few more moments. Ya Fei remained warm and attentive, every word she spoke perfectly measured—friendly without ever seeming excessive.

However, he did not linger any longer. With a casual wave of his hand, he headed straight back toward the Xiao Clan.

Ya Fei stood at the entrance and watched Xiao Yun's figure vanish around the street corner. Only then did the smile on her face slowly fade, replaced by a thoughtful expression.

A maid beside her asked softly, "Miss Ya Fei, who exactly is this Young Master Xiao? Why are you so polite to him?"

After glancing back at the maid, Ya Fei gave a soft laugh. "Just remember this: whenever Young Master Xiao comes to the auction house in the future, no matter when it is, treat him properly. You must not neglect him."

"He is the person Wu Tan City can least afford to offend right now."

Although the maid did not fully understand, she obediently remembered it since it was Miss Ya Fei's instruction.

Not long afterward, Ya Fei returned to the auction house, still recalling her conversation with Xiao Yun.

That joke he had made at the end sounded like he had merely been teasing her, yet she could not shake the feeling that it was not entirely a joke. At the very least, his gaze at that moment had carried a hint of seriousness.

There was no point in overthinking such matters. Ya Fei shook her head, casting those thoughts aside as she began considering what excuse she could use to invite Xiao Yun over next time.

As he walked back to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yun could not help laughing when he recalled Ya Fei's expression earlier.

Her reaction had indeed been interesting. He had thought the woman would be left flustered by his words, but not only had she remained calm, she had even taken the initiative to lean into it. That had caught him somewhat by surprise.

No matter what, Ya Fei had spent many years in the auction house and seen all manner of situations. If a casual remark could make her blush in embarrassment, she likely would not have made it this far.

With that thought, he smiled and quickened his pace toward the Xiao Clan.

By the time he returned to the Xiao Clan, it was already getting late. Quite a few servants greeted him with great respect, their attitude vastly different from before.

In the past, while those servants would not openly mock Xiao Yun, there had always been a trace of contempt in their eyes. Now, each of them bowed and scraped as though they had become entirely different people.

Xiao Yun did not pay much attention to any of it and went straight back to his residence.

The moment he pushed open the door and entered, he saw Xiao Yi Xian sitting cross-legged on the couch, cultivating. The aura around her was much more solid than before; clearly, she had already refined seventy to eighty percent of the medicinal power in that pill.

Hearing the door open, Xiao Yi Xian opened her eyes and looked over. When she saw that Xiao Yun had returned, a smile appeared on her face. "You're back? Have you eaten?"

"I have. What about you?"

"I'm fine. When I'm cultivating, I don't really feel hungry anyway." Xiao Yi Xian jumped down from the couch and stretched her limbs, a hint of excitement on her face.

"That pill of yours really is amazing. My Dou Qi has already reached the eighth stage. If I refine it for another day or two, I should be able to reach the ninth stage."

Xiao Yun was somewhat surprised by her words. He had not expected Xiao Yi Xian to absorb the medicine's effects even faster than he had imagined.

"Of course. Who do you think I am?" Xiao Yi Xian proudly raised her chin, though her smile soon faded slightly.

"Oh, right. When Ya Fei came looking for you during the day, I happened to see her in the courtyard. That woman is quite pretty, and she knows how to talk. Are you close with her?"

He was taken aback by the question, then could not help laughing. "What? You have the time to worry about that too?"

"I was just asking casually. Is that not allowed?"

"Sure, sure. Ask whatever you want." Xiao Yun sat down in a chair, poured himself a cup of tea, and took a sip.

Xiao Yi Xian opened her mouth, intending to ask more, but after thinking it over, she swallowed her words and changed the subject. "I want to go out tomorrow and take a look around, get familiar with Wu Tan City. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Just be careful on your own. If anything happens, use the Xiao Clan's name."

"Thanks."

Xiao Yi Xian waved her hand and turned to return to her room. Xiao Yun finished his tea, got up to close the door, and lay down to rest as well.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Xiao Yun had just woken up when he saw a servant hurriedly run over to him.

"Young Master Xiao Yun, someone has arrived outside. They say Nalan Jie, the head of the Nalan Clan, and Nalan Su wish to see you."

Xiao Yun was not particularly surprised when he heard this. He had long expected the Nalan Clan to send someone over; he simply had not expected Nalan Jie to come personally.

"Have them wait in the main hall. I'll go over shortly." Xiao Yun nodded.