"Hm? Ao, where did you hear this news?"
"Naturally... I heard it at the auction house."
Jia Lie Bi was an old fox himself. He was not so easily convinced.
He looked at Jia Lie Ao. "This isn't the sort of news you can learn just by asking around. Could it be... you have some connection with Ya Fei of the Mittel Auction House?"
"A little. We're not particularly close." He would have been fine if she had gone unmentioned, but the moment her name came up, that woman's figure surfaced in Jia Lie Ao's mind.
Those alluring curves beneath her red dress, that clear, sweet voice that sent tingles through him...
She was simply a peerless beauty!
He shook his head, knowing full well this was not the time to think about that.
"Father, if you trust your son, bid according to my instructions tomorrow."
After a moment's thought, Jia Lie Bi nodded. "All right. Then I'll see what you can do."
The next day.
Xiao Yan appeared on the streets of Wutan City wearing a black hooded robe.
It's been five days. I wonder how Xun'er and Old Xiao are doing? Any child away from home who claimed not to miss it was lying. At least, Xiao Yan missed home.
But he knew perfectly well that it was not yet time for him to see them.
Before he knew it, he had reached the end of the street.
Looking at the enormous venue nearby, Xiao Yan paused and used One Qi Transforms All Things to conceal his aura.
With this disguise, even if Xun'er and Old Xiao stood right in front of him, they would probably struggle to recognize him at a glance.
Under the wary gazes of several fully armed guards at the entrance, Xiao Yan walked straight inside without stopping.
The moment he entered, the heat seemed to peel away from his body. The cool air gave him the strange sensation that inside and outside were two entirely different worlds.
His gaze swept across the splendid, gilded lobby, and he spotted a sign in the distance: Appraisal Room!
He pushed the door open and entered. The room was rather empty, with only a middle-aged man sitting somewhat listlessly in a chair beside a table.
Hearing the door open, the middle-aged man raised his head. At the sight of the figure wrapped entirely in a black robe, his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Then a professional smile swiftly spread across his face. "Sir, are you here to have a treasure appraised?"
"Mm." A slightly dry, aged voice drifted softly from beneath the black robe.
Xiao Yan took two steps forward, casually pulled out a gray jar, and placed it on the table.
"Sir, what is the meaning of this?" Blinking in confusion, the middle-aged man carefully picked up the gray jar and examined it from every angle, but found nothing.
His first impression was that the jar was very light and hollow, as though there were nothing inside.
"This is a Lucky Jar. All sorts of rare treasures can be found by opening it. Surely you've heard of it!" The aged voice sounded again.
"Sir, could you be the Immortal Chen from the rumors?" In truth, both Wutan City's three great clans and the Mittel Auction House had been keeping a close watch on events in the Market District.
Neither confirming nor denying it, Xiao Yan stated the purpose of his visit in a low voice. "I've come here today mainly to discuss a business deal with your auction house."
"Please go ahead, sir."
"I wish to sell the distribution rights for the Lucky Jars."
The middle-aged man froze for a moment. Only after a long while did he reply with a smile, "Sir, I'm afraid our Mittel Auction House isn't fortunate enough to enjoy these so-called distribution rights."
At ten thousand gold coins a jar, the items inside might be interesting, but they offered no useful help with cultivation or strength.
And the reason their Mittel Auction House was renowned was precisely that everything they auctioned was something cultivators needed.
Before you continue