Ya Fei

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Ya Fei (雅妃)
Alias(es)	Sister Ya Fei; invites Chu Zhou to call her “big sister” in private 9.
Gender	Female 4.
Age	23 12.
Affiliation	Mittel Family, direct line; Mittel Auction House and Mittel Merchant Guild 4 12.
Occupation/Role	Manager of the Mittel Auction House in Wutan City; appraiser; Chu Zhou’s patron and business partner 4 9 30 35.
Residence	Wutan City, Jia Ma Empire, Northwest Continent, Dou Qi Continent 4 12.
Cultivation	Seven-Star Dou Zhe when first specified; subsequently improves through dual cultivation without a stated new rank 12 46.
First Appearance	Mentioned in Chu Zhou’s plans 3; appears in person when she receives him in her study 4.

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Seven-Star Dou Zhe	12	Documented cultivation at age 23. Despite the resources available to a direct-line Mittel Family member, her cultivation talent is described as ordinary.
Improved cultivation; new rank unspecified	46	Purchases a mid-Xuan-tier supplementary Dual Cultivation Technique and practices with Chu Zhou over ten days. Her substantial improvement comes from both her compatibility with the technique and his special constitution.

Background / History

Ya Fei belongs to the Mittel Family’s direct line. She came to Wutan City to manage its auction house and escape Mu Zhan’s persistent attention. Backing a promising alchemist offers her a way to strengthen her influence within the family; she later hopes Chu Zhou’s success will help her secure greater independence 6 12 19.

Gu Ni had received kindness from her parents and regards her almost as his own daughter. His advice to cultivate Chu Zhou’s talent is therefore intended not only to benefit the auction house, but also to give Ya Fei a future protector 6 9.

Appearance

• Face and eyes: Exquisitely featured, with lively, foxlike eyes and a faint, seductive smile. A later description identifies her eyes as dark 4 30.
• Figure: Slender waist and pronounced curves, emphasized by her fitted clothing 4.
• Clothing: Introduced in a luxurious red brocade robe cinched with a silver sash. Later wears a silk nightdress in private, a qipao, and a luxurious long dress while hosting an auction 4 12 30 41.
• Public and private presentation: Maintains polished reserve before guests but behaves more warmly and casually with Chu Zhou in private 42.

Personality

Ya Fei is a shrewd merchant who distinguishes potential value from proven ability. She questions the contradiction in Chu Zhou’s account of a powerful alchemist favoring him, then has Gu Ni verify his aptitude before investing in him. Her early support also includes deliberate observation of his character and loyalty 4 5 9.

Her generosity is practical rather than merely flattering. She supplies cultivation medicine, instruction, money, equipment, and protection. When Chu Zhou offers a valuable technique as repayment, she refuses it: his continued growth matters more to her than immediately recovering the value of her investment 10 14 20 22 30.

She values discretion and can revise her judgment. She forbids an investigation into a disguised customer’s identity, accepts Chu Zhou’s explanation of Xiao Yi Xian’s poison training, and agrees to conceal his unusually rapid alchemical advancement 10 34 35.

With Chu Zhou, Ya Fei is playful and affectionate, but her confidence also gives way to concern that he may outgrow her. She explicitly sets a boundary during their first intimate encounter; their relationship later develops into a sexual and cultivation partnership 39 40 46.

Abilities & Skills

Appraisal and Observation

Ya Fei is a capable appraiser whose judgment extends to both goods and people 4 30.

• Recognizes that the disguised seller of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid is young by examining his hands and noticing his altered voice 10.
• Identifies the exceptional value of Chu Zhou’s attribute-less technique, judging it comparable to some ordinary Low Earth Tier cultivation methods 30.
• Detects Xiao Yi Xian’s poison training through repeated requests for rank-one poisonous ingredients 34.
• Checks the Grade Four pill-formula scrolls used in Chu Zhou’s trade with Xiao Yan 44.
• Relies on Gu Ni for specialist medicinal appraisal and cannot personally assist with alchemical refinement 9 18.

Commerce and Auction Management

Her authority at the Mittel Auction House lets her turn valuable connections into business opportunities 5 6.

• Purchases Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid for 20,000 gold coins and gives its seller a VIP Gold Card to encourage future business 10.
• Supports limited sales of the reproduced liquid after accepting Chu Zhou’s warning about ownership and political risks 13.
• Runs frequent auctions of Chu Zhou’s Grade Three pills, attracting customers and factions from nearby towns 40.
• Uses sealed, one-time bids for an alchemist-apprenticeship opportunity; the selected bidder pays only if the candidate qualifies 42.
• Backs Chu Zhou’s heavenly-flame information with her own reputation and the Mittel Auction House’s credibility 41 44.

Patronage and Resource Procurement

Ya Fei uses her position and personal resources to support promising allies.

• Elevates Chu Zhou’s treatment to second only to herself and Gu Ni, then takes him under her personal guidance 6 9.
• Grants access to the Treasure Vault and arranges instruction in Dou Techniques and alchemy 14 17 18.
• Helps obtain Grade Three pills and recipes while keeping his abilities private; also supplies poisons for Xiao Yi Xian 35.
• Commissions a specialized pill-refining furnace and pursues scarce Grade Four pills and ingredients 39 40 46.
• Arranges escorts and offers a Da Dou Shi bodyguard, though Chu Zhou declines that offer 22 40.

Dou Qi and Dual Cultivation

• Uses a trace of Dou Qi to examine Chu Zhou’s cultivation through physical contact 12 14.
• Practices a mid-Xuan-tier supplementary Dual Cultivation Technique with Chu Zhou, achieving unusually strong results 46.
• No personal combat technique or combat feat is documented in the supplied chapters.

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Storage Ring — Uses one during the purchase of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, retrieving a Gold Card from it 10.
• Pocket watch — Checks it when Chu Zhou arrives earlier than usual 17.
• Dual Cultivation Technique — A costly mid-Xuan-tier supplementary method purchased for cultivation with Chu Zhou 46.

Notable Gifts and Support

• Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid — Gives Chu Zhou the original 20,000-gold-coin bottle, then continues supplying the medicine during his Dou Qi-stage training 10 13 15.
• Azure Slashing Sword Aura — Gifts him a soul-dependent sword technique from the Treasure Vault 18.
• Valuable sword — Provides a weapon suited to his sword technique after he proves his first-rank alchemy ability 20.
• Purple-Gold Card — Gives him access to 100,000 gold coins from her personal savings before his Qingshan Town journey 22.
• Alchemist’s robe and badge — Supplies these and advises him to display his rank to deter trouble 22.
• Grade Four pill ingredients — Sends him away with a Storage Ring holding enough ingredients for four Fire Cloud Pills and materials for other Grade Four pills 46.

Relationships

• Chu Zhou — Initially her attendant, then her protégé, business partner, and lover. His alchemy supports her auction business, while her patronage enables his early growth. By his departure, he promises to become strong enough to back her ambitions 4 9 35 40 46.
• Gu Ni — Trusted adviser and protective elder, whom she calls “Uncle Gu Ni.” He verifies Chu Zhou’s talent and encourages her to build a lasting bond with him 5 6 9.
• Qin’er — One of her four personal maids. Introducing Chu Zhou earns Qin’er a rise from fourth to second among them 4 9.
• Luo Lin / Aunt Luo — A Nine-Star Dou Shi whom Ya Fei assigns to protect Chu Zhou on his first journey. She sends Luo Lin with him again when he leaves Wutan City 22 46.
• Xiao Yi Xian — Initially a source of concern because of her poison training. After Chu Zhou reassures Ya Fei about her background, Ya Fei continues supporting her with poisonous materials 34 35.
• Xiao Yan — First encounters him as a disguised medicine seller. Later guarantees his trades with Chu Zhou and publicly names him an honored guest of the auction house 10 44 45.
• Mu Zhan — His pestering prompted her move to Wutan City 6.

Story Role / Major Arcs

Discovering and Backing Chu Zhou

Ya Fei’s decision to test Chu Zhou transforms him from an ordinary attendant into Gu Ni’s alchemy apprentice. Following his flawless medicinal-herb test, she makes him her personal protégé and begins teaching him appraisal work. Her gift of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid supplies the cultivation resource he most urgently needs 5 8 9 10.

Their arrangement becomes a partnership when Chu Zhou supplies the liquid’s formula and refining instructions. Ya Fei provides materials, Gu Ni successfully reproduces it, and the three agree to limit its distribution rather than chase unrestricted profit 12 13.

Protecting His Talent

As Chu Zhou advances, Ya Fei provides techniques, a sword, travel funds, and protection. She later agrees to hide his second-rank alchemy ability from the Mittel Family and helps him acquire further pills and recipes without publicizing his full potential 14 17 18 20 22 34 35.

By the time he reaches Dou Shi and Grade Three alchemy, she knows he is an Otherworlder. His Grade Three pills bring wider attention to her auctions, making their partnership beneficial to the auction house as well as his cultivation 39 40.

Heavenly-Flame Transactions

Ya Fei organizes Chu Zhou’s auction plan after he demonstrates his own heavenly flame. She hosts the blind-bid apprenticeship lot, supports the resulting negotiations with Xiao Yan, and lends the auction house’s reputation to the exchange of flame information for pill formulas 41 42 44.

At Chu Zhou’s request, she cancels the final auction lot and announces Xiao Yan’s new standing as an honored guest and Chu Zhou’s personal friend 45.

Romance and Departure

Her relationship with Chu Zhou progresses from teasing and affection to intimacy. Afterward, she purchases a dual-cultivation method that substantially improves her cultivation. Before he leaves to gain experience, she supplies Grade Four pill ingredients and sends Luo Lin along; they also arrange to remain in contact through Mittel Merchant Guild branches 40 46.

Notable Quotes

“Our Mittel Auction House is here to do business. We have no interest in prying into our customers’ secrets.” 10

“Grow stronger and improve your alchemy as quickly as you can. That’s how you’ll truly be able to help me.” 30

“If you wear your First-Rank Alchemist robes wherever you go, fewer fools will try to provoke you. It’ll save you a lot of trouble.” 22