After Xiao Yan finished his test, the performances of the Xiao Clan members who followed all seemed mediocre. Sitting in the VIP seats, Xia Kong could not help sighing inwardly.
As someone who had come afterward and watched from the sidelines, he found it difficult to judge whether Xiao Xuan had been right or wrong to exhaust his entire clan's bloodline and stake everything on breaking through to Dou Di. But it was a fact that Xiao Xuan had entrusted the Xiao Clan to the wrong person in Gu Yuan. As the once-mighty Xiao Clan declined step by step into the Xiao Clan of Wutan City, the Gu Clan had contributed greatly through its indifference, even throwing stones at them after they had fallen into the well.
Soon, the last person to be tested that day stepped forward. It was Xiao Xun'er.
Fifteen years old, a Two-Star Dou Zhe.
Such cultivation was enough to mark her as a dazzling prodigy in Wutan City. However, everyone in the Xiao Clan had always known that Xun'er's talent was second only to Xiao Yan's former brilliance. They had expected as much, so her result did not stir the same towering waves of excitement as Xiao Yan's breakthrough to One-Star Dou Zhe.
Throughout the coming-of-age ceremony, almost everyone's attention had been focused on Xiao Yan. He had become, beyond all doubt, the brightest star of the day, claiming the MVP title at the Xiao Clan's coming-of-age ceremony.
The ceremony stretched from early morning into the afternoon. Xia Kong had seen everyone he wanted to see: Xiao Yan, the future Flame Emperor; Xiao Xun'er, daughter of the Nine-Star Dou Saint Gu Yuan; Xiao Yu, whose beautiful legs he could play with for a hundred years; Xiao Mei, whose seductive allure rivaled Ya Fei's... As far as the Xiao Clan of Wutan City was concerned, he had no regrets left.
Once the ceremony ended, the guests who had come to watch rose from the VIP seats and gradually departed. Ya Fei also stood and offered Xiao Zhan beside her a few heartfelt words of congratulations.
Xiao Zhan was riding high, his smile so broad he could not close his mouth. He immediately beckoned Xiao Yan over and took the initiative to introduce him to Ya Fei and Xia Kong. Only then did Xiao Yan learn Xia Kong's name, firmly committing this unfamiliar young man to memory.
Xiao Zhan was exceedingly warm, keeping the conversation flowing as he tried every means to bring the Mittel Auction House and the Xiao Clan closer together.
Yet Xiao Yan and Ya Fei had already dealt with each other long before. Xiao Yan simply believed his disguise had been seamless, certain that Ya Fei had not recognized him, and even felt a faint flicker of smug satisfaction.
Ya Fei, however, saw through him without saying so, maintaining her elegant, alluring, and slightly inscrutable demeanor.
During their idle conversation, Xiao Zhan casually mentioned that the Spicy Jade supplied by the Mittel Auction House had greatly aided Xiao Yan's cultivation. At those words, Xiao Yan developed an intense interest in Spicy Jade-white radishes from his previous life-and another rare treasure called yangyu, which was actually a potato. He immediately asked Ya Fei about the origins of these two spiritual treasures.
How could Ya Fei readily divulge such crucial business information? She merely said that a mysterious person had brought them to the auction house on consignment and that she had no clues whatsoever about that person's identity, smoothly brushing the subject aside.
Though Xiao Yan was burning with curiosity and impatience, he could hardly press her further. He could only watch helplessly as Ya Fei and Xia Kong gradually disappeared beyond the gates of the Xiao Clan estate.
Standing nearby, Xiao Xun'er had taken in every change in Xiao Yan's expression. She did not particularly value these two spiritual plants herself; after all, the Gu Clan never lacked pills with similar effects. But because Xiao Yan cared about them, her own curiosity grew, and she secretly decided to instruct Ling Ying to investigate the origins of the two treasures in private once she returned.
What she did not know was that Xia Kong would soon leave Wutan City and would no longer bring the spiritual materials produced by his farm here for auction. Ya Fei would likewise return to the Imperial Capital of the Jia Ma Empire after a while. Unless he stirred up a major commotion, Ling Ying's investigation was destined to yield nothing.
Inside the carriage leaving the Xiao Clan estate, there was little room.
Ya Fei leaned slightly toward him, her jade-white back resting almost entirely against Xia Kong's firm chest.
After sitting upright in the VIP seats for most of the day, even with cushions beneath her, she felt weary all over. Ya Fei simply made Xia Kong her ready-made human pillow. Xia Kong did not resist, either, accepting it gladly as the young woman's distinctive, delicate orchid fragrance lingered around his nose, intoxicating him.
"Just as you predicted, Xiao Yan has successfully broken through to Dou Zhe. To advance from ninth stage Dou Qi to Dou Zhe in just one month, he must have taken Qi Gathering Powder, a fourth-tier pill refined by the Alchemist supporting him." Ya Fei's voice was languid and relaxed, but thick with puzzlement. "Yet a high-ranking Alchemist capable of refining fourth-tier pills has such an exalted status. Why would someone like that settle for a little place like Wutan City, and become so deeply entangled with the Xiao Clan?"
"Could it be that this Alchemist took a liking to Xiao Yan's talent and accepted him as a personal disciple?" Xia Kong suggested slowly.
At his words, Ya Fei straightened her waist, sat upright, and turned to look at him, her beautiful eyes full of surprise. Then she nodded lightly in admiration. "You really have thought this through more thoroughly. That's probably the only explanation that makes sense. Since a high-ranking Alchemist is willing to take Xiao Yan as a disciple, that means Xiao Yan himself must possess considerable talent for alchemy. In that case, we really do need to strengthen our relationship with the Xiao Clan."
Xia Kong nodded slightly, offering no objection to Ya Fei's plan.
Seeing his wandering gaze and somewhat distracted expression, Ya Fei suddenly changed the subject, tossing out a question that caught Xia Kong completely off guard and left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"While we were watching the ceremony, I noticed that whenever you weren't looking at Xiao Yan, your eyes kept wandering toward Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Yu, and Xiao Mei. Could it be that you have some other intentions toward those girls?"
In a flash, a fine sheen of cold sweat soaked Xia Kong's back.
He had indeed paid special attention to those girls, but he had believed his glances were sufficiently restrained and discreet. He had never stared at any of them for long, and even the girls themselves probably had not noticed. He had never imagined Ya Fei would still catch him slipping.
As expected of the future Golden Empress, her ability to read expressions and perceive the slightest cues was truly admirable.
Xia Kong gave a couple of dry chuckles. He did not intend to hide it, but merely expressed his true thoughts tactfully. "Hehe, I did give those girls a few extra glances. Everyone appreciates beauty, after all. I'd long heard that the Xiao Clan had several girls blessed with both looks and grace. Seeing them today, they certainly lived up to their reputation. But their thoughts aren't on me in the slightest, so why would I entertain any other intentions? What kind of person do you take me for? Besides, with Sister Ya Fei sitting beside me, how could anyone else catch my eye? Even if you don't trust my self-control, surely you trust your own charm?"
When she first heard Xia Kong openly admit that he had paid attention to those girls, a faint, inexplicable gloom passed through Ya Fei's heart. But after hearing his slick defense, that little trace of unhappiness vanished completely. His final compliment, in particular, stirred a subtle flutter within her.
Still, she was not completely blinded by Xia Kong's sweet talk. She keenly caught the enormous loophole hidden in his seemingly honest words.
Xia Kong's unspoken meaning was clearly this: he had no intentions only because those girls' hearts did not belong to him. In other words, if a beautiful woman fell for him, he would not refuse her.
Once she worked that out, Ya Fei looked at the young man before her, momentarily at a loss for how to call him out.
What puzzled her, however, was that she felt very little of that initial heartache at the thought of a man who belonged to her alone being claimed by someone else.
Perhaps she had already witnessed too much ugliness and held no hopes for so-called love. So, compared with people who appeared respectable on the surface but were dark and hypocritical within, she was more willing to accept Xia Kong's honesty and unabashed roguishness.
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