Returning Laden with Spoils

After three years of persistent body tempering, Xiao Yan's physique rivaled that of a Dou Zhe.

This was also one reason she could defeat someone with Sixth-Stage Dou Qi and hold her own against someone with Seventh Stage Dou Qi, despite having only three stages' worth of Dou Qi... initial Dou Qi "reserves."

Thus, Xiao Yan could now take certain pills to supplement her cultivation without any trouble.

As it happened, Apothecary had a set of pill formulas that could solidify her foundations, strengthen her body, and slightly increase her cultivation speed.

The set ranged from first-grade to fifth-grade pills, corresponding to the realms from Dou Zhe to Dou Wang. If someone repeatedly took the complete set from childhood, it would offer a tiny benefit even at the Dou Emperor or Dou Zong realm.

The drawback, however, was quite obvious: the pills had to be taken repeatedly to produce any noticeable effect.

Moreover, each pill consumed more medicinal ingredients than other pills of the same grade. Ordinary people could not afford them.

Of course, that was not something Apothecary needed to consider. She was only responsible for refining the pills. Medicinal ingredients and such were Xiao Yan's problem...

And so, after "copying" the Dou Technique [Suction Palm], Xiao Yan quietly slipped out of the Xiao Clan and made her way to the Mittel Auction House, ready to "turn trash into treasure."

Naturally, she could not sell the Xiao Clan's Dou Techniques or cultivation methods, and the "trash" Apothecary owned still belonged to Apothecary. Xiao Yan had no right to dispose of it.

As for pill formulas, she could forget about those entirely.

But she could do whatever she pleased with [Suction Palm], and it was also "worth quite a bit."

At least, that was certainly true for Xiao Yan as she was now.

Auctioning a Dou Technique whose effects were something of a "chicken rib—too meager to savor, yet too wasteful to discard" would not bring her too much trouble if she took a few precautions, even if it was a Mystic Rank technique...

Gazing at the enormous auction hall at the end of the street, Xiao Yan changed course and turned into a secluded alley, then quickly pulled on the white hooded robe she had purchased earlier.

She cinched the belt tight, stuffed two steamed buns down the front, concealed her face with a veil, and pinned up all her dark hair...

Soon, unless someone saw the face beneath her veil, even Xun'er would probably fail to recognize her at first glance if she stood right in front of her.

However, while stuffing in the buns, Xiao Yan thought she heard a faint... chuckle?

"Tch, you think being older makes you so great?" Xiao Yan gave Apothecary the middle finger in the empty air.

To Xiao Yan, being bigger was a burden instead. Not only would it hinder her in combat, but she would have no use for it in the future either.

So she was not at all... well, envious.

Still, she was young. There was plenty of time ahead.

Ignoring Apothecary's laughter, Xiao Yan stepped forward and headed toward the auction house entrance.

Because she had covered herself so thoroughly, Xiao Yan even received a wary "salute of stares" from the guards at the door.

Without slowing, Xiao Yan walked straight inside. Her gaze swept over the spacious, glittering hall until she finally found her destination.

On the door of a room not far away, the words "Appraisal Room" gleamed in gold.

Taking a deep breath to bolster her courage, Xiao Yan pushed the door open and entered.

The room was rather empty. Only a middle-aged man sat in a chair beside a table, looking somewhat bored.

Hearing the door open, the man raised his head. At the sight of the figure wrapped entirely in white robes, his brows creased almost imperceptibly.

Then a professional smile quickly spread across his face. "Madam, would you like something appraised?"

Xiao Yan nodded and placed a scroll on the table, not bothering to speak.

Or rather, she did not dare to speak, while Apothecary... could not be bothered.

Thus, to the middle-aged man, this white-robed woman seemed positively aloof.

Still, someone in his position would hardly be foolish enough to take offense at a customer.

He unrolled the scroll and glanced over it. Upon reading the introduction to its contents, his eyes widened involuntarily.

"A B-Black-Class Dou Technique!"

The middle-aged man immediately became much more respectful. "Esteemed... guest, please wait a moment."

Examining a Dou Technique was quite complicated. After all, they had to determine whether it could actually be cultivated and whether it truly belonged to the stated tier.

Otherwise, could anyone simply bring in a scroll, claim it contained an Earth Tier Dou Technique, and have it auctioned as one?

Of course, the Mittel Auction House was the largest "auction house chain" in the Jia Ma Empire, so people generally did not attempt to "hoodwink" it like that.

After all, ordinary people could not withstand the Mittel Family's wrath, while powerful individuals who did not fear the Mittel Family had no reason to pull such a stunt.

Nevertheless, the proper procedures still had to be followed.

The Wutan City auction house encountered cultivation methods or Dou Techniques of the Mystic Rank only a few times a year, and each required a complicated examination process.

Likewise, whenever Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills of that tier went up for auction, Wutan City's three major clans would inevitably attend and bid.

Xiao Yan also knew that this item would not be so easy to "cash out," so she gave a slight nod and sat on a sofa nearby.

The middle-aged man left the room with the scroll, presumably to have it examined. Soon afterward, several maids entered with tea and refreshments.

Before long, the middle-aged man returned, followed by a woman wearing a qipao.

She was Ya Fei, the Mittel Auction House's chief auctioneer.

After all, this "photocopied" scroll had been made by Apothecary, and the soul power imprinted upon it was... very strong.

Although Apothecary had made the scroll casually, the person responsible for examining it could sense that it had unquestionably come from a powerful individual.

Moreover, the "appraiser" was a Da Dou Shi himself and had a rough understanding of the power of a Profound Tier Low Grade Dou Technique.

Thus, this "scroll" bearing a "powerhouse's certification" quickly passed its "review," even drawing the attention of Ya Fei, who oversaw the auctions.

"Hehe, you must be the owner of [Suction Palm], yes? Is this your first visit to Wutan City, esteemed guest?"

Xiao Yan: "..."

Xiao Yan, say something!

When the "esteemed guest" across from her did not respond, Ya Fei wisely refrained from pressing the question. Instead, she sat down nearby and changed the subject.

"Are you in urgent need of money, esteemed guest? If it isn't too urgent, I would suggest waiting a little while."

"After all, Dou Techniques of the Mystic Rank are rarely seen on the market in Wutan City. If you allow our auction house to publicize it first, your returns will be even greater..."

With a soft laugh, Ya Fei gently posed the suggestion to test her reaction.

Only after a moment did Apothecary's somewhat languid voice emerge. "That's fine, but the sooner, the better."

Seeing the "esteemed guest" agree, Ya Fei's smile immediately brightened. "Hehe, I'll keep that in mind and arrange it as quickly as possible."

"As soon as there is news of the auction, I'll notify you. May I ask where you're staying, esteemed guest? How should we contact you?"

"There's no need to contact me. When the auction begins, I'll come myself."

After a pause, Apothecary suddenly asked, "Does your auction house have any low-grade Storage Rings?"

Ya Fei froze briefly, then nodded. "We do. Please wait a moment, esteemed guest."

"Mm. Apart from the Storage Ring, exchange the rest of the advance for medicinal ingredients as well..."

When auctioning something like a Black-Class Dou Technique, the auction house naturally paid the seller some money akin to an "advance" first.

Otherwise, the seller would leave their item there awaiting auction and receive nothing, while the auction house kept holding it without putting it up for sale. That would certainly be inappropriate.

By paying a portion as an "advance," the seller could rest easy, and the auction house would make sure to arrange the auction to avoid "taking a loss." This gave both parties peace of mind.

Of course, the "advance" was generally somewhat lower than the auction's starting price. It served as a form of "insurance" or "deposit," with the difference paid after the auction.

However, since Xiao Yan had brought out a Black-Class Dou Technique, the "advance" was no small sum.

Furthermore, Ya Fei deliberately offered favorable terms to cultivate a good relationship with this mysterious "esteemed guest." Thus, even after purchasing a low-grade Storage Ring, a little of the "advance" remained.

Soon, Xiao Yan returned laden with spoils, wearing a Storage Ring filled with "wholesale-priced medicinal ingredients"...