A Farce

Then Xiao Yan handed Gu Ni a list of ingredients. It included quite a few high-grade medicinal herbs, so Gu Ni had to fetch them himself.

While Gu Ni went to retrieve the herbs for Xiao Yan, Ya Fei suddenly shared some news about the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family.

As the Xiao Clan rose to prominence, these two families had gradually declined. In the end, they had joined forces to oppose the Xiao Clan.

Two years earlier, they had even spent a fortune to bring in a first-rank alchemist from elsewhere.

It was only thanks to this first-rank alchemist that the two families had managed to somewhat reverse their decline, rather than fall flat and never recover.

But as Xiao Yan's alchemy rank increased, the pills sold at the Xiao Family Market had grown ever better in quality.

They had crushed the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family's businesses so thoroughly that neither had any room to fight back.

So Xiao Yan was not surprised in the slightest that these two families were making a move.

Ya Fei said seriously, "Little brother Xiao Yan, don't brush this off. I heard that Liu Xi, the first-rank alchemist retained by the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family, has a master who is a fourth-rank alchemist.

"To contend with the Xiao Clan this time, those two families have poured everything into it. They even paid an extremely steep price to invite that fourth-rank alchemist to Wutan City."

Xiao Yan could feel the concern in Ya Fei's words, and warmth filled his heart.

"Sister Ya Fei, thank you!"

The Mittel Auction House had always remained neutral, never favoring any faction, yet Ya Fei had disregarded Mittel's rules to tell him this news.

Of course, the threat of a fourth-rank alchemist was nothing more than a minor nuisance to him.

Ya Fei waved a hand with a radiant smile and laughed sweetly. "Enough. Do you think I helped you just to hear you thank me?"

Meanwhile, Xiao Xun'er silently watched this exchange, a trace of wariness toward Ya Fei rising in her heart.

Before long, Gu Ni returned with all the medicinal herbs on Xiao Yan's list.

"Young Master Xiao, these herbs come to two hundred and sixteen thousand gold coins. I'll make it two hundred thousand for you.

"You needn't settle the bill now. Once the proceeds from the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill auction come in, we'll simply deduct it from those."

Xiao Yan cupped his hands and smiled. "Sorry for the trouble, Mr. Gu Ni."

"You're too kind, Young Master Xiao Yan."

After receiving the herbs, Xiao Yan declined Ya Fei's invitation to stay and followed her out of the reception room.

As the four of them passed through the auction house's main hall, they suddenly heard a commotion.

Gu Ni and Ya Fei frowned at the noise, faint anger surfacing on their faces. They immediately summoned a guard to ask what had happened.

"Miss Ya Fei, Master Gu Ni, here's what happened..."

After hearing the guard's explanation, the two understood the whole story.

It turned out that the people causing trouble at the Mittel Auction House were from the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family.

Leading them were Jia Lie Ao, the young master of the Jia Lie Family, and Liu Xi, the alchemist retained by both families.

Since Ya Fei and Gu Ni had been entertaining Xiao Yan, the auction house's other managers had not reported the matter.

Gu Ni gave Xiao Yan an apologetic smile. "Young Master Xiao Yan, I'm sorry you had to witness this embarrassment."

Xiao Yan waved a hand. "It's fine. Let's go take a look together!"

Gu Ni smiled and nodded, and the four headed toward the crowd.

As soon as they approached, they saw Jia Lie Ao standing in the middle of the crowd, angrily confronting the auction house's manager.

"Does Mittel even know how to do business?"

"Don't think I don't know! You brought in a shipment of high-grade herbs from out of town just a few days ago. Why is it that the moment my Jia Lie Family wants to buy some, you're suddenly out?

"And you still claim you're not targeting our Jia Lie Family?

"Do you know who wants these herbs?

"If you delay that esteemed master's pill refining, can you bear the consequences?

"I'm telling you, if you won't sell us the herbs today, we're not leaving!"

The Mittel manager confronting Jia Lie Ao was a woman in her thirties. Faced with his furious questioning, she maintained a calm smile, neither servile nor overbearing.

"Young Master Jia Lie Ao, I've told you many times already. As for the herbs you want, our Mittel Auction House..."

"Has none!"

"If you insist on continuing this disturbance, don't blame me for throwing you out!"

Her words were firm, leaving no room for negotiation, and Jia Lie Ao shook all over with rage.

Outside the crowd, Xiao Yan froze upon hearing their exchange and turned to look at Ya Fei.

He did not believe Mittel would target the Jia Lie Family like this without Ya Fei's instructions.

Meeting Xiao Yan's gaze, Ya Fei answered with a smile.

"Little brother Xiao Yan, this is all I can do to help you."

Xiao Yan cupped his hands. "Sister Ya Fei, I'll remember your kindness."

Ya Fei smiled faintly and stepped into the middle of the crowd first.

"Greetings, Miss Ya Fei, Mr. Gu Ni!"

Upon seeing the two, the Mittel Auction House guards all bowed.

The woman who had been confronting Jia Lie Ao also came to Ya Fei's side and whispered in her ear.

"Miss Ya Fei, Master Gu Ni, you've come at just the right time. I was about to ask you for an explanation."

When Jia Lie Ao saw Ya Fei and the others, he immediately shouted as though he had spotted his saviors.

Liu Xi, who stood beside him looking impatient, instead lit up at the sight of the two women, suddenly full of energy.

At that moment, the lust in his eyes seemed ready to spill out, and he made no attempt to conceal it.

Now Liu Xi had no interest in dealing with the herbs. Whether the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family lived or died had nothing to do with him anyway.

He only had eyes for these two beauties, one older and one younger.

"Ahem!"

Liu Xi cleared his throat, lifted a hand to smooth his hair, and curled his lips into a wicked smile.

He was about to step forward and introduce himself to the two beauties, but before he could speak, Ya Fei cut him off.

"The next time anyone comes to our Mittel Auction House to cause trouble, throw them straight out!"

"Do you hear me?"

Ignoring Jia Lie Ao's shouting entirely, Ya Fei swept her gaze over the auction house guards before her and spoke in an even tone.

"Yes!"

The guards answered with a shout, perfectly in unison.

Jia Lie Ao's expression changed, and he took a step back. "Miss Ya Fei, what do you mean by that? Your Mittel Auction House is deliberately refusing to sell us herbs. We've only come to demand an explanation, and now you intend to attack us?"

Ya Fei snorted coldly. "Even your father, Jia Lie Bi, wouldn't dare cause trouble at my Mittel Auction House.

"Since this is your first offense, you'll receive a small punishment as a warning. If it happens again, I won't let you off lightly.

"Do it! Throw every last one of them out!"

"Yes!"

At Ya Fei's command, the Mittel Auction House guards sprang into action, advancing toward Jia Lie Ao and his companions with savage grins.

They had long since grown sick of these troublemakers.

Jia Lie Ao's face changed dramatically. Just then, he spotted Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er standing behind Ya Fei with faint smiles, and realization dawned on him.

"Xiao Yan! I was wondering why the Mittel Auction House had suddenly started targeting the Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family. So your Xiao Clan was behind it all!

"Damn you! Just you wait! Your Xiao Clan's good days are over!"

Meanwhile, seeing the guards rubbing their fists and flexing their arms, Liu Xi forgot all about the older and younger beauties and hurriedly threatened them:

" bastards! Do you know who I am? You actually dare lay a hand on me?"

But no one paid him any heed. Several burly men each rained punches down on him, nearly beating last night's dinner out of him.

Jia Lie Ao fared no better, though he had no backbone. After just a few punches, he began wailing for his parents and begging for mercy.

In the end, the Mittel Auction House guards tossed him and Liu Xi out through the front doors, disgust written all over their faces.

And so the farce ended.

Before leaving, Xiao Yan said earnestly:

"Sister Ya Fei, I know you did this to help me, but you don't need to do things like this for me again.

"I can handle such trivial matters!"

After Xiao Yan left, Ya Fei watched his retreating figure and murmured to herself, her voice full of wistful resentment.

"If I don't help you now, then later..."

"I might truly have nothing left to help you with!"