After leading Naruto and the two women through a maze of turns, the refined middle-aged man brought them to a solitary, run-down hut.
The door was shut tight, with no markings on it. The place looked utterly unremarkable.
But when the middle-aged man knocked on the wooden door a few times in a measured rhythm, it opened and a woman of about thirty stepped out.
The woman was plain-looking, and her cultivation was only around the sixth or seventh level of the Qi Refining Stage. Nothing about her stood out.
"Madam Zhang, I've brought a new guest. He wants to take part in this auction too."
Before the woman could speak, the middle-aged man hurriedly stepped aside to reveal Naruto and the two women behind him, speaking with evident excitement.
Hearing that he had brought guests, Madam Zhang did not look pleased. Instead, she frowned, apparently less than happy.
But after taking a closer look and seeing that Hinata and Karin were Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, she finally showed a faint smile.
"Now these are proper guests! Foundation Establishment Stage seniors, unlike some of the people you brought before. All sorts turned up. Please come in, seniors!"
Her cultivation was low, but she showed Hinata and Karin no particular fear or reverence, as though they were ordinary visitors.
"Seniors, this is as far as I can take you. I'll be on my way!"
The woman's remarks left the middle-aged man flushed with embarrassment, and he made to leave.
"Wait. Stay where we met earlier. I'll need your help with something once I'm done here. Don't worry, I'll make it worth your while!"
Naruto patted him on the shoulder, then walked into the hut as the woman stepped aside.
Low-quality materials for alchemy and Artifact Refining lay scattered around the room.