"So that's how it is."
A look of realization flashed in Ya Fei's eyes. Smiling, she took out a list from her storage ring and handed it to Xiao Ting.
"Young Master Xiao Ting holds a purple-gold card. These are benefits you're entitled to."
"Other than a few items that the sellers have explicitly designated for auction, most of the items can be bought directly by you at a pre-auction buyout price."
Taking the list, Xiao Ting quickly scanned over the name and remarks column for each item.
If something isn't rare enough to trigger bidding, it won't be put up for auction in the first place—and truly rare items naturally aren't many. That's why auction houses often have long gaps between major auctions. Before each event, they send invitations or notices only to those they deem qualified and wealthy enough.
He soon finished reading and then spoke:
"This glazed fire hairpin with a built-in storage function, crafted by a renowned master… this mechanical secret box suspected to be related to a Dou Spirit… and this century-old Lightning-Attracting Wood—I'll buy all three in advance."
He was a bit surprised himself. To think he would just so happen to run into a hundred-year Lightning-Attracting Wood—perfect for assisting his cultivation of the Thunder-Flame Body Tempering Art.
The glazed fire hairpin was, of course, for Xun Er. She understood perfectly well and did not refuse.
Big Brother Xiao Ting was giving her something—why would she turn it down?
She would accept everything as is, carefully store it away, then simply give even more in return later.
"The price to secure all three of these won't be low." Ya Fei was genuinely shocked.
Even if Xiao Ting had displayed the talent and strength of a one-star Dou Practitioner at fifteen and was sure to be heavily nurtured by the Xiao Clan, the resources he could mobilize shouldn't even be enough to buy one of these items.
"This goes to the Miteer Auction House for sale. Deduct the money for those three items from it."
Xiao Ting passed her a scroll.
Ya Fei unrolled only a quarter of it. To see more would require the injection of Battle Qi, and once it had been fully read, the words would vanish.
[Blowing Fire Palm, low-tier Xuan-rank battle skill.
Can be released through Battle Qi to form a powerful directional wind.]
What Xiao Ting had taken out was precisely the Blowing Fire Palm that Yao Lao had given Xiao Yan to pair with Suction Palm in order to enhance its power.
Xiao Yan had given this battle skill to Xiao Ting a few months ago. His comprehension seemed to be extremely high; he had already fully mastered it and could re-record the cultivation method onto a blank transmission scroll.
A low-tier Black-rank battle skill was enough to trigger frantic competition among countless low-level Dou Practitioners and Dou Masters, and would be taken very seriously by major clans that had Dou Grandmasters overseeing them.
But in the eyes of an existence like Yao Lao, this level was simply not worth mentioning. Xiao Yan had only taken it out as part of a combo technique after obtaining Suction Palm.
Not long after, Yao Lao had also passed Eight Extremity Collapse to Xiao Yan. This combo skill wasn't used many times.
But in Wu Tan City, it was definitely a rare and precious treasure.
"Young friend Xiao Ting, are you really going to auction this?" The smile on Ya Fei's face took on a more genuine warmth, her enthusiasm coming from the heart.
"Mm, I just want to exchange it for some gold coins." Xiao Ting nodded slightly and chuckled. "I came today using Brother Yan's VIP card. I trust Miss Ya Fei won't mind giving me one as well?"
"Of course." Ya Fei thought to herself: You're practically my little god of wealth, and a genius worth investing in.
Soon, someone brought over the three requested items, and Ya Fei handed them all to Xiao Ting.
"The next auction is set for the day after tomorrow. Blowing Fire Palm will be one of the finale items. Will Young Master Xiao Ting come join the fun?" Ya Fei personally escorted Xiao Ting and Xun Er to the main doors.
"I'll see when the time comes. If I happen to be in urgent need of money, I'll come." Xiao Ting did not immediately agree.
"Whether Young Master Xiao Ting comes or not, I'll reserve a VIP private room for you two." Ya Fei was incredibly warm. "At that time, you can also invite Little Brother Xiao Yan along."
"I'll pass the message to my cousin." Xiao Ting nodded slightly and left with Xun Er.
Watching the two of them leave, Ya Fei felt puzzled.
"Could it be he knows what's inside that mechanical box… and has another method to open it?"
If she were dealing with Xiao Yan, she might have tried testing him a little, just to satisfy her curiosity.
But Xiao Ting appeared far more steady and composed as a youth than Xiao Yan, and he was accompanied by a girl like Xun Er, who possessed both astonishing talent and beauty. Ya Fei didn't want to waste her emotions or time.
The money from the auction item had already been earned. The secret behind it was not something she needed to concern herself with.
…
"Xun Er, this is for you." Xiao Ting handed the glazed fire hairpin over to her. "Right now my abilities are limited, so I can only give you these little trinkets. In the future, when my strength is enough, I'll forge a hairpin of Heavenly Flame for you myself."
"Then Xun Er will wait for the Heavenly Flame hairpin that Big Brother Xiao Ting personally forges."
Xun Er did not question him, only looked forward to it. Smiling, she leaned her head closer.
"Big Brother Xiao Ting, put it on me."
Xiao Ting did not refuse. He helped her pin the hairpin in place and smoothed out a few strands of her hair.
The two of them laughed and chatted as they returned to the Xiao residence. Along the way, Xun Er didn't show the slightest curiosity about what secret might lie hidden inside that mechanical box from the Dou Spirit's tomb-mansion.
….
"Next, it's time to witness a stroke of fortune."
After parting from Xun Er and returning to his own small courtyard, Xiao Ting took out the mechanism box, preparing to retrieve the Grandmaster Pill inside.
But before he acted, he decided to first write down the events of the day in his journal.
[The commotion from me breaking through to Dou Master was sensed by Yao Lao, and Cousin came to confront me.]
[When Cousin was secretly praising Xun Er behind her back, he didn't know she was right outside the courtyard.]
[Xun Er's arrival made me think Cousin would delay the confrontation.]
[The outcome exceeded my expectations—Yao Lao appeared in front of me and Xun Er, calling himself "Yao Lao."]
[When Xun Er asked: "Senior, are you that 'Yao'?", and Yao Lao pretended to be profound and said, "Yes and no, just as you, little friend, are not truly surnamed Xiao," I almost couldn't hold back my laughter. All of them are putting on an act.]
The women who possessed copies of the journal: "…"
Your acting skills are no weaker than those two at all.
…
"Hmph, still have the nerve to mock me."
Holding the glazed fire hairpin more tightly the more she liked it, Xun Er covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"The one with the best acting skills is clearly Big Brother Xiao Ting himself."
…
[A thousand years ago on the Battle Qi Continent, there existed eight Ancient Clans: the Xiao, Hun, Gu, Yan, Lei, Yao, Shi, and Ling Clans.]
[Now, the Xiao Clan's Dou God bloodline has been completely scrapped. The Xiao Clan has fallen into decline, with its strongest being no more than a Dou Grandmaster.]
[The Yao Clan is also weakening. Yao Lao's original name is Yao Chen. He was framed and schemed against, then expelled from the clan.]
[The Gu Clan is, on the surface, the strongest Ancient Clan. Xun Er is the daughter of the Gu Clan's clan leader.]
[In this tiny Xiao Clan, three people of three Ancient Clans appear at the same time.]
[And they are all members of clans that will one day break through to Dou God.]
[This is truly a historic moment worth recording.]
[Now that I've joined in, a baseline of Dou God doesn't sound excessive.]
Yun Yun: If I join too, will I get to become a Sky Emperor of the Misty Cloud?
Queen Medusa: Boring. If you let this Queen join… pretend I never said anything.
[Yao Lao should have some inkling of Xun Er's identity. For now, I have no intention of exposing who they really are, lest everyone gets restrained and awkward with each other.]
[To show his sincerity, Yao Lao gave me the low-tier Earth-rank fire-attributed cultivation method Earthflame Art, the high-tier Black-rank cultivation method Profound Thunder Scripture, and the mid-tier Xuan-rank movement skill Eight Trigrams Lightning Steps… barely passable, I suppose.]
The women who held copies of the journal: "…"
If you think it's barely passable, hand them over to us.
…