Outside the reception hall, Mittel Tengshan hurried over.
The guard at the entrance had just jogged over to report that a lord wanted to see him and had specifically requested the Magic Core of a Seventh-Rank Magical Beast.
Most importantly, the guard said that the presence the visitor had unleashed was utterly terrifying, seemingly no weaker than that of a Dou Huang expert!
Mittel Tengshan had panicked on the spot upon hearing this. Dou Huang experts stood at the pinnacle of the Jia Ma Empire; there were only a handful in the entire empire.
Although the Mittel Family was a great family in the Jia Ma Empire, they absolutely could not underestimate a Dou Huang expert. Such people could not be offended lightly.
Thus, the moment he heard the news, he set aside his work and hurried over. He walked so quickly that he had yet to catch his breath. Upon reaching the reception hall entrance, Mittel Tengshan took a deep breath and straightened his robes before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
Once inside, he saw a young man sitting in a chair, holding a cup of tea and drinking at a leisurely pace.
Seeing how young the visitor was, Mittel Tengshan was momentarily bewildered. He was far too young, looking barely in his early twenties at most.
He could not help muttering inwardly. Were the guard's words true or false? Could someone so young really be a Dou Huang-level expert?
But then he reconsidered. The guard had worked at the Mittel Auction House for so many years and had seen quite a few experts. Surely he could at least judge the strength of someone's presence.
With that thought, Mittel Tengshan dared not neglect him. He quickly put on a smile, stepped forward, and cupped his hands.
"My lord, I am Mittel Tengshan, the patriarch of the Mittel Auction House. I was unaware of your arrival and failed to come out to welcome you. Please forgive me."
After hearing this, Lu Changfeng set down his teacup and glanced at him, his tone unchanged.
"I came to your auction house for the Magic Core of a Seventh-Rank Magical Beast, the Green-Eyed Golden Crystal Beast. Do you have one?"
Upon hearing the name, Mittel Tengshan hurriedly answered with an accommodating smile, "My lord, I am truly sorry, but our auction house does not currently have that Magic Core."
"The Green-Eyed Golden Crystal Beast's Magic Core is far too rare. Seventh-Rank Magical Beasts are already difficult to hunt, and the Green-Eyed Golden Crystal Beast is a relatively rare species even among them. Its Magic Core seldom appears on the market."
"Our auction house hasn't received a Magic Core of this kind in years."
Hearing that they did not have one, Lu Changfeng wasted no more words. He simply stood up, ready to leave.
With his current strength as a Nine-Star Dou Sheng, tearing open space and going somewhere like the Central Plains to find a Seventh-Rank Magic Core would not be particularly difficult.
At worst, he could make a trip to the Central Plains and find an auction house, or simply hunt down a Green-Eyed Golden Crystal Beast himself. Neither would be any trouble for him anyway.
Seeing him about to leave without another word, Mittel Tengshan immediately grew anxious.
This man was possibly a Dou Huang-level expert. If he left just like that, wouldn't Mittel Tengshan be wasting a chance to build ties with an expert?
Besides, since the visitor had come to him to buy a Magic Core, there was still room for cooperation. He could not simply let him slip away.
"My lord, please wait!" Mittel Tengshan hurriedly called out to stop him.
"Although our auction house doesn't have that Magic Core right now, we have recently been cooperating with auction houses in several other empires. They seem to have a lead on one."
"I sent someone to inquire earlier. If needed, it should arrive in a day or two. If you aren't in a hurry, my lord, why not give me two days? The moment the Magic Core arrives, I'll deliver it to you."
Hearing this, Lu Changfeng stopped and glanced back at him.
"It can arrive in a day or two?"
Mittel Tengshan immediately nodded. "Yes, yes, it should only take a day or two. Rest assured, my lord. Once the Magic Core arrives, I will deliver it to your residence at the earliest opportunity. I certainly won't make you come here again."
Once he finished speaking, Lu Changfeng considered it. A day or two was not long, so he might as well wait.
"All right, then it's settled. When the Magic Core arrives, deliver it to the Lu Family residence in the imperial capital. Just give them my name, Lu Changfeng."
Mittel Tengshan nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Rest assured, Lord Lu. Once the Magic Core arrives, I'll deliver it personally."
After agreeing, however, Mittel Tengshan's curiosity only grew. He hesitated for quite a while before finally being unable to resist asking.
"Lord Lu, if I may be so bold as to ask, what do you need this Seventh-Rank Magical Beast's Magic Core for? Seventh-Rank Magic Cores are generally only used to refine seventh-tier pills. My lord, could you be..."
At this point, Mittel Tengshan paused, carefully observing Lu Changfeng's expression.
"Could you be a Seventh-Tier Alchemist?"
Mittel Tengshan's heart sped up as he voiced the question. Even he could hardly believe his own guess.
A Seventh-Tier Alchemist! The greatest alchemist in the entire Jia Ma Empire was merely Pill King Gu He, and even he was only a Sixth-Tier Alchemist.
A Sixth-Tier Alchemist was already a lofty existence in the Jia Ma Empire, someone everyone throughout the empire had to show some respect. If this young man before him really was a Seventh-Tier Alchemist, then...
At that moment, Mittel Tengshan's breathing grew somewhat rapid at the thought.
Lu Changfeng glanced at him but did not answer directly. He merely said flatly,
"Don't ask what you shouldn't."
Although he said that, he did not deny it either. Mittel Tengshan was therefore even more shocked. Since the visitor had not denied it, didn't that mean...
This young man, who looked barely in his early twenties, really was a Seventh-Tier Alchemist!
At that thought, he felt somewhat dazed. Even Pill King Gu He, the most badass alchemist in the Jia Ma Empire, was only a Sixth-Tier Alchemist, yet he could already walk all over the empire.
Yet this young man before him was actually a Seventh-Tier Alchemist, a whole tier above Pill King Gu He. If word got out, wouldn't the entire Jia Ma Empire erupt?
The more Mittel Tengshan thought about it, the more unbelievable it seemed. The man before him was so young that he did not look anything like a Seventh-Tier Alchemist.
Yet that calm, composed bearing was clearly the confidence possessed only by an expert. And when he connected that with the presence the guard had described, one no weaker than a Dou Emperor's...
For the moment, Mittel Tengshan had already formed his judgment. This young man was definitely no ordinary person. Perhaps he really was an expert hiding his strength.
He hurriedly put away his shock and bowed respectfully. "Rest assured, Lord Lu. Leave the Magic Core to me. I'll obtain it for you as quickly as possible. If you need anything in the future, just say the word. The Mittel Auction House will do everything it can to cooperate."
Seeing his behavior, Lu Changfeng nodded without saying anything more, then turned and walked out of the reception hall.
Mittel Tengshan immediately hurried after him to see him off, only stopping when they reached the auction house entrance.
Watching Lu Changfeng's figure disappear at the end of the street, Mittel Tengshan let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He looked back at the pale-faced guard still leaning against the base of the wall by the entrance, then glanced at the equally nervous guard beside him.
"What exactly happened with you two just now? How did you end up offending him?"
After being scolded by the patriarch, the guard said with a mournful face, "Patriarch, I don't know either! That lord asked to see you as soon as he came in, and I just made a couple of offhand remarks..."
Hearing this, Mittel Tengshan glared at him. "Enough, enough. Learn to read people better from now on. Not everyone is someone you can afford to offend. You were lucky he didn't hold it against you this time. If this happens again, I'll throw you out myself!"
The guard nodded repeatedly, not daring to utter another word.
Mittel Tengshan then turned and walked back inside, making calculations inwardly as he went. A Seventh-Tier Alchemist! The entire Jia Ma Empire had never produced an alchemist of that level.
Pill King Gu He already stood at the very pinnacle of the Jia Ma Empire, and even the Imperial Family had to show him respect. Yet this Lord Lu was actually a tier above Gu He, and he was so young, too...
It seemed he would have to make a real effort to curry favor with Lord Lu in the future. As long as he could establish a connection with him, the Mittel Auction House's position in the Jia Ma Empire would be as unshakable as Mount Tai.
With that thought, Mittel Tengshan immediately quickened his pace, preparing to personally contact their partners and urge them to hurry with the Magic Core.
Lord Lu's business could not be delayed!