Protective of Her Food? Send It My Way!

Time flew. In the blink of an eye, the day of the Top-Tier Auction arrived.

A luxurious carriage drawn by four Century Hornscale Horses with exceptional stamina slowly pulled up outside the Heaven Dou Grand Auction House. The nine-colored emblem engraved on its white jade body glittered beneath the auction house's brilliant lights, nearly blinding several Heaven Soul nobles who had just stepped out of their carriages.

The carriage door opened, and Wu Lie stepped out first.

He glanced around. Though he gave off no aura whatsoever, no one nearby dared meet his red eyes.

Ning Yunxiu followed him out, dressed in a long golden court gown.

She wore only light makeup today, yet that subtle touch brought the beauty she had gained with age into full bloom.

There was no sharpness in her expression, but beneath her warmth lay a nobility no one dared slight. Light and shadow played across her, yet she remained radiant, as though every light around her shone toward her.

Behind Ning Yunxiu stood Ning Tian. Her golden dress accentuated her tall, slender figure; her skin was as pale and tender as a freshly peeled lychee, and her looks and bearing bore a strong resemblance to Ning Yunxiu's.

At Jiang Yu's suggestion, Ning Tian had grown her hair out. Three and a half years later, her silky golden hair reached her waist. She had styled it in waves today, making it look from afar like a cascade of gold.

Ning Tian had barely stepped down when Wu Feng, dressed in a fitted red outfit, impatiently squeezed past Jiang Yu, jumped from the carriage, and wrapped her arms around Ning Tian's right arm.

At twelve, Wu Feng was no longer the little girl she had once been. She stood over 1.7 meters tall, with delicate features set in a fair, jade-like face. Her impossibly long legs, slender yet powerful waist, and the curves that had blossomed on her once slight frame all displayed a charm uniquely her own.

If the gaze in her red eyes had not been quite so cold and proud, she would have been a beauty every bit Ning Tian's equal.

Jiang Yu shrugged at Wu Feng's triumphant look, entirely unbothered.

He honestly could not figure out what she was thinking.

Since the day they met, had he ever shown any desire to compete with her for Ning Tian's affection?

Putting it aside, Jiang Yu stepped out of the carriage too.

The lights fell across his sharply defined face like a meteor streaking through the night, lending his already striking features an almost otherworldly air.

His Soul Power had reached level thirty-five, and the boost from his six Spirit Rings had brought him close to 1.8 meters tall at just ten years old. His build also defied the unassuming image of an agility-type soul master. He was not covered in bulging muscles, but his proportions were balanced, with a striking sense of strength.

The Heaven Dou Grand Auction House placed great importance on the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, its perennial biggest spender. The person in charge had been waiting at the entrance.

Ning Yunxiu exchanged a few pleasantries with him before heading inside.

As they passed through the lobby and the private VIP passage, Jiang Yu had to admit that the splendor of the continent's foremost auction house, backed by more than ten thousand years of history, surpassed anything most people could imagine. Rare treasures seldom seen elsewhere served as mere decorations here.

If Jiang Yu had not come from the even wealthier Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the opulence might truly have overwhelmed him.

They continued down the VIP passage. The farther they went, the quieter it became. A faint glow flowed over walls that looked as though they had been carved from jade, and he could vaguely sense Soul Guidance Arrays within them.

Jiang Yu studied his surroundings so intently that he failed to notice Ning Yunxiu had come up beside him.

Only when a delicate hand straightened his collar did he come back to himself.

Ning Yunxiu looked at Jiang Yu with tender eyes, her voice full of affection:

"You child. I told you hair this long doesn't suit you. Listen to your mother and have Yaoyao trim it when we get back. Then, once you're at Shrek Academy, you can find me a daughter-in-law sooner."

Lu Yaoyao, once the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's finest food-type soul master, was now also its finest image stylist. Ning Tian and the others owed their looks to her handiwork.

"Okay, Mom. I will."

Jiang Yu obediently agreed.

Before Ning Yunxiu could respond, Ning Tian frowned slightly and said,

"Mom, Little Yu is still young. Isn't it a bit early to talk to him about that...?"

"What's too early? I think you're being possessive." Ning Yunxiu shot Ning Tian a glance, her voice teasing.

Jiang Yu caught the key word.

Possessive? I'm all ears!

"Mom!" Ning Tian flushed with embarrassment. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, she's getting worked up! Little Yu, Little Feng, look at her." Ning Yunxiu was enjoying the spectacle far too much to stop teasing her daughter.

But she failed to notice that while she and Ning Tian spoke, Wu Feng had gone pale. She even looked as though she might collapse.

Ahead of them, the auction house manager was reeling.

He knew the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect quite well. Since losing her son and husband years ago, Ning Yunxiu had only had one daughter left. Yet this boy, who looked to be in his teens, had just called her Mom?

Had the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect been hiding another child all along?

Manager Ao did not dare dwell on it. He hurriedly ushered all five into the VVVVIP box prepared for them, personally served tea and water, then took his leave.

As soon as Manager Ao was gone, Wu Feng, her expression back to normal, complained,

"Young Mistress, what's wrong with that Manager Ao? The maids could've served the tea, but he insisted on hanging around like a dog that wouldn't leave. So annoying."

Ning Tian frowned. She was beginning to think the etiquette lessons she had given Wu Feng over the years had done no good at all.

"Feng, how can you say that..."

As Ning Tian began lecturing Wu Feng again, Wu Feng looked as though she was thoroughly enjoying it. Jiang Yu quietly shifted farther away from them.

Oh no. Had those two developed some strange tastes behind his back?

So that's how it is. You two have stopped inviting me along. From now on, neither of you is my brother.

Shortly before the auction began, a maid in a red dress came to tell them that the number of items in this Top-Tier Auction had increased from ten to fifteen.

Ning Yunxiu merely smiled without a word.

The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Heaven Dou Grand Auction House had an unwritten agreement.

The Heaven Dou Grand Auction House sorted through treasures that were difficult to sell, selected those suited to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and offered them to the sect at an internal price. The five items suddenly added to this auction undoubtedly belonged to that category.

The auction itself was little more than a formality.

The treasures' unusual properties and uses meant ordinary soul masters and factions either could not afford them or had no interest in them. Only a sect as wealthy and specialized as the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect could buy them all at once.

The arrangement suited both sides. The Heaven Dou Grand Auction House did not have to worry about being stuck with the treasures and could meet its annual sales targets. Meanwhile, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect acquired useful treasures at an internal price and earned the auction house's goodwill into the bargain. It was a deal the sect could hardly lose on.