Emerging from the first auction hall, Xiao Yan retreated once more into the Appraisal Room, where he stood quietly with bowed head beneath the awe-struck gaze of the middle-aged attendant. Some time passed before hurried footsteps sounded from outside and two figures pushed through the door. A waft of fragrance reached him, and a soft, honeyed laugh suddenly rang by his ear, plucking at the strings of his heart with an almost intolerable sweetness.
Cursing inwardly that this woman was a veritable enchantress, Xiao Yan drew the hood of his cloak more deeply about his face and let his gaze drift sideways to the woman in red who now stood at his side. Close at hand, he was struck afresh by her ripe, seductive beauty — a pair of long, narrow eyes, brimming with liquid charm, seemed to shed temptation upon any man unlucky enough to meet them, and her artfully composed face was alive with a teasing smile. His own cheeks burned a little beneath the cloth, though he was grateful that the cloak hid the flush from Ya Fei. Forcing down the restless stirring in his heart, he gave a slight nod — and at the same moment, a dry, rasping voice emerged from the folds of his robe.
"Did the auction succeed? Then give me the money. I have other matters to attend to."
Clearly taken aback by the youthfulness implied by the one beneath the black robe, Ya Fei hid a smile behind her jade-white hand, the full curve of her bosom rising and falling in a breathtaking arc as she laughed softly. When she had recovered herself, she said in a voice still all honey and mirth: "If the elder would be so patient as to wait a little longer — there are still some formalities being settled."
Xiao Yan gave another small nod and added nothing further, turning his gaze away from the woman and lapsing into silence.
Studying the figure before her, wrapped from head to foot in that long black cloak, Ya Fei's finely arched brows drew together in a faint frown. It seemed that the beauty she had always taken such pride in held no sway over this mysterious man. She pouted her red lips in mild chagrin, then let her eyes slip over the stranger with veiled intent, sifting through the smallest details for some clue as to who he might be.
When her survey was done, Ya Fei felt a twinge of disappointment. She exchanged a glance with Master Gu Ni at her side, bit softly at her lower lip, and asked in a gentle voice: "Elder, I rarely meet an alchemist who wears no badge of rank. Might I ask the elder's honoured name?"
"What?" the voice beneath the black robe drawled coldly. "Girl, must a man announce himself before he may set foot in this place?"
"I am merely curious, that is all. If the elder would rather not say, then I certainly would not presume to press." Ya Fei laughed lightly.
Through the edge of his hood, Xiao Yan cast a glance at the pair of pale, snow-white feet peeking out from beneath that tightly fitted red gown, and could only feel a quiet exasperation. For Ya Fei to have risen to the post of chief auctioneer of the Mitel Auction House, she could hardly be a simple sort. They said beauty was a curse — a red-faced disaster — and within Wutan City there was no shortage of men who cast covetous eyes at her loveliness. Yet not one of them, so far as anyone knew, had ever truly succeeded. Part of that was owed to the Mitel Family standing behind her as her champion, of course, but no one was foolish enough to believe this woman was merely a pretty ornament. To share a room with such a sharp-minded creature was, for Xiao Yan, almost like treading on thin ice, and he dreaded that she might sniff out some tell-tale detail. Fortunately, Yao Lao's voice was there to shield him; that wily old fox, whose origins even Xiao Yan himself could not fathom, would not be swayed in the least by the temptations of this enchantress.
Try as she might, Ya Fei could coax not a single useful word from those cold replies. In the end, she had no choice but to abandon the chase. She produced a slim crystal card with a smile and held it out; upon its face was etched the emblem of the Mitel family.
"Elder, this is a VIP card of the Mitel Auction House. So long as you carry it, you will be treated as an honoured guest at any of the Mitel Family's auction houses. Moreover, the tax you pay on every sale will be lowered from five percent to two percent."
At these words Xiao Yan's brows twitched with interest. Compared with all that empty pleasantry from a moment ago, he far preferred substance of this kind. After a moment's thought, he reached out and took the crystal card.
Watching the slender, fair-skinned hand that extended from beneath the black robe, a flicker of surprise passed through Ya Fei's eyes. The voice had sounded hoarse and aged, and yet the hand that took the card was as clean and smooth as a youth's. Who, in truth, was this man? Just then a serving girl hurried in, handed a green card respectfully to Ya Fei, and withdrew.
"Elder, the Foundation Liquid sold for forty thousand gold coins. After the two-percent tax is deducted, the remainder is all here." With a smile, Ya Fei passed over the green card.
Taking it in his hand, Xiao Yan at last let out the breath he had been holding. Here, at last, was the capital for all his future training. With this much money, he could cultivate in peace all the way to the level of a Dou Fighter, or so he hoped. Since he had his money, he had no wish to linger. He waved carelessly toward Ya Fei, and said in that hoarse voice: "May I leave?"
"Of course, of course. And if the elder should ever require auction services for other pills in future, do remember to look after the Mitel Auction House." Ya Fei smiled radiantly.
"Mm." Xiao Yan responded with a casual grunt, rose, and without once looking back walked out of that room which could well have been the death of him.
Watching his retreating figure vanish, the smile slowly faded from Ya Fei's face. She knitted her brows, walked over to the table, and slumped languidly into a chair, every line of her figure tracing a portrait of indolent elegance.
"Uncle Gu Ni, is he really an alchemist?" After a moment's silence, Ya Fei asked softly.
"Yes. And his pill-refining art can only be greater than my own — at the very least, that second-rank Foundation Liquid is beyond my skill to refine." Gu Ni inclined his head respectfully and sighed.
"Even with the formula in hand?" Ya Fei's eyes narrowed, a hint of careless playfulness curling at the corner of her red lips.
At this Gu Ni's face changed. "Miss, be very careful. A formula is the very lifeblood of an alchemist. Do not even think of coveting his. To thoughtlessly anger an alchemist of unknown rank — not even the Mitel Family could bear the consequences. Decades ago, the Chek Clan, then famed throughout the Jia Ma Empire, was destroyed completely because it tried to lay its hands on the formula of Pill King Gu He. In the end the man simply invited four Dou Kings, and the entire clan was razed to the ground. When the dust had settled, even the imperial house of the Jia Ma Empire dared not meddle further! And though our family's power now far exceeds that of the Chek Clan of old, it would still be wisest not to offend mysterious alchemists lightly. You must understand, an alchemist is little more than a hornet's nest — the moment you stir it, he will call forth countless friends, and there are many a powerful man who would be only too glad to let an alchemist owe him a favour."
Seeing Gu Ni so flustered, Ya Fei could only rub her smooth forehead in resignation and smile wryly: "Uncle Gu Ni, what are you getting at? I never said I was after his formula. Do you really think so little of these past few years of my seasoning?"
"I was only reminding you, is all." At Ya Fei's words, Gu Ni breathed easier, for he truly dreaded that this girl might do something reckless.
Pursing her lips and propping her cheek upon her hand, Ya Fei heaved a soft sigh. Alchemists really were a terrifying breed of men. And yet why, of all things, did she not possess so much as a spark of that talent herself?