The whole city boiled over, Ya Fei's commanding presence

"Uh..."

Ya Fei's words made Zhou Changqing swallow the explanation he had been about to give.

After a moment of silence, Zhou Changqing sighed helplessly. "Fine, I didn't fall. I ran into a group of people on my way here and got into a fight. One of them was pretty strong, so I got a little hurt."

"Is that why you wanted to stay at the auction house for a while, little brother?"

"Exactly. You know how it is, Sister Ya Fei. I have no one to rely on, and I'm weak. I'm honestly worried someone will come knocking, so I thought I'd come hide out here with you until the storm blows over."

Zhou Changqing nodded, his tone teasing.

He did not tell her the truth. After all, his relationship with the auction house was purely transactional, and his friendship with Ya Fei was built on that foundation.

For all her easy laughter and banter with him now, they had only done business a few times. This was merely her usual way of socializing.

If he spilled everything, it might look as though he were fishing for sympathy.

Of course, if he told her the truth and asked the auction house for protection, Ya Fei might well agree.

But then Zhou Changqing would be taking on a debt of gratitude, and she might not even be able to settle the matter for him.

Debts of gratitude were the hardest to repay—unless you were scum.

Was Zhou Changqing scum? He did not consider himself some great saint, but neither was he a petty man who pulled people close when he needed them and cast them aside when he did not.

"All right, then. I'll arrange a place for you to stay in a little while."

Ya Fei could tell Zhou Changqing was hiding something, but she did not press him. An enchanting smile returned to her face as she nodded.

"Thank you, Sister Ya Fei."

"What's there to thank me for? Just bring me more Treasure Weapons. They affect how the clan evaluates me, you know."

"Tsk, that wasn't your attitude a moment ago, Sister Ya Fei. Revealing your true motives already? Fine. Whenever I have any, I'll bring them straight to you."

"You little rascal, you're utterly heartless. Isn't this all so I can see you more often?"

"I'm done talking to you. Since you're injured, get some proper rest. I'll have your things brought over shortly and leave you in peace. I still have work to do."

"All right. See you, Sister Ya Fei."

"Mm, I'm off. If you need anything, call Xiaohua. I'll have her wait outside."

She left the reception room.

Rather than attend to the auction house's business as she had said, Ya Fei summoned a steward.

"Miss Ya Fei, what are your instructions?"

"Find out what happened today. See whether any of it involved Young Master Zhou. I want every piece of information."

"Yes. I'll get on it right away."

After dismissing the steward, Ya Fei narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, a trace of cold light gleaming within them.

Although she had not spent much time with Zhou Changqing, Ya Fei was a good judge of character. By now, she had a rough grasp of his temperament.

This "little brother" had seemed aloof at first, but underneath, he was an exceptionally easygoing young man who would never go out of his way to provoke others.

So there had to be more to today's incident. She remembered that quite a few factions in the city were eyeing the fat prize that was the Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon.

As the auction house's Head Manager, Ya Fei was well informed. Whenever those factions made a move, she was among the first to know.

With something like this happening now, it was hard not to draw certain connections.

"I'd like to see who dares cut off my path to promotion!"

Aside from that mysterious Alchemist, Zhou Changqing could be considered one of the auction house's biggest clients, on par with the Three Great Families.

After all, he could provide a steady number of Treasure Weapons for auction every month. The money earned from the crowds and excitement they drew was something even the great clans could not quite match.

If anything happened to a client like that, it would undoubtedly be a loss for the auction house—and for Ya Fei herself.

The auction house's success concerned the course of her entire life. She would never allow anyone to ruin it!

While Zhou Changqing rested peacefully at the Mittel Auction House, recovering from his injuries.

A piece of news emerged from the southern district, spreading through the entire city like a plague!

The speed of its spread and the excitement it stirred were unprecedented in Wutan City's history!

And, as coincidence would have it, this news once again involved the Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon.

This time, however, the Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon was only part of the story, not its entirety, nor its main point!

Otherwise, no matter how popular the Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon was, it could never have warranted the word "unprecedented."

The news spread so swiftly and widely entirely because of one young man.

The story was that, on a street in the southern district, an unknown boy of fifteen or sixteen had wielded a Treasure Weapon and, with only the strength of a Dou Zhe, slain a powerful Dou Shi!

According to those present.

For some unknown reason, this boy had provoked a Dou Shi, driving the powerful fighter to pursue and attack him right there on the street in broad daylight.

During their battle, the boy had remained calm and collected. Relying on the advantage of his Treasure Weapon, he had countered every one of the Dou Shi's attacks with ease, leaving the two evenly matched for a time.

In the end, the boy had revealed his strength as a High-Rank Dou Zhe, shocking the Dou Shi. In that opening, he had struck with the speed of thunder that left no time to cover one's ears, forcefully cutting his opponent down!

The moment this news emerged, countless people erupted in disbelief.

Although Dou Zhe and Dou Shi were merely the lowest stages of Dou Qi cultivation, the gap between them was still considerable.

Even if the boy's treasure weapon could pierce a Dou Shi's Dou Qi Veil, narrowing that gap significantly.

That did not mean the difference between them was small enough to ignore.

Even without forming a Dou Qi Veil, a Dou Shi was strong enough to utterly crush five or six Dou Zhe.

After all, when using a Dou Technique of the same rank, a Dou Shi unleashed far greater power than a Dou Zhe—far greater.

If a Dou Zhe could use a Dou Technique to shatter stone tablets and split rocks, then a Dou Shi using that same technique could blast an entire wall down!

So whoever heard the news, their first reaction was to scoff and disbelieve it.

A High-Rank Dou Zhe at fifteen or sixteen?

A Dou Zhe turning the tables and killing a Middle-Tier Dou Shi?

Do you take me for a fucking idiot?

Which of those two things sounds remotely real?

Only when the news was finally confirmed did everyone fall into profound shock. Every last one of them was left dumbstruck, forced to accept reality.

After the shock came frenzied discussion and exclamations of wonder. One told ten, and ten told a hundred, until the news blazed through all of Wutan City.

The whole of Wutan City boiled over!

Even some roadside beggars, whom hardly anyone cared to acknowledge, caught wind of it.

For a time, that boy became a legend in Wutan City!

Countless people sought his name, all eager to meet this terrifying prodigy.

Night fell.

In a lady's bedchamber filled with a delicate, lingering fragrance.

Ya Fei sat before her dressing table, reading the report the steward had presented that afternoon.

Her beautiful eyes were wide with shock, her small mouth rounded. She had even forgotten to breathe, her expression filled with disbelief.

A quarter of an hour later.

"Hah! Hah! Hah!"

Ya Fei gulped down air, gradually recovering, though traces of horror still lingered in her eyes.

Setting down the paper, Ya Fei looked at her reflection in the mirror and sank into thought.

"Can the gap between people really be this vast? It's even wider than the gap between a person and a dog..."

"A fifteen-year-old High-Rank Dou Zhe. Even the Imperial Capital has never produced such an extraordinary prodigy..."

"By comparison, even Nalan Yanran probably couldn't measure up, could she?"

"Little brother Changqing, you really do keep surprising me."

After dwelling on her feelings of inferiority for a while, Ya Fei gathered her emotions, rose, and went outside, asking a servant to summon a steward.

"Spread the word and warn those factions in the city. Young Master Zhou is an honored client of our Mittel Auction House. Anyone who moves against him makes an enemy of the Mittel Auction House!"

As she spoke, Ya Fei shed her usual seductive manner, revealing a measure of commanding authority instead.

"Understood, Miss Ya Fei."

Watching the steward leave, Ya Fei's beautiful eyes grew distant.

"Little brother Changqing, this is as much as I can do to help you. I hope you'll bring me more surprises. Otherwise, I'll have taken quite a loss..."

(End of chapter)