After sitting in silence for nearly an hour, a lovely servant girl finally appeared at the doorway, carrying a silver tray. Upon the tray rested a pale red ring.
Ya Fei accepted the tray, dismissed the servant, and personally extended it to Xiao Yan. "All the materials and the cauldron you requested are contained within the Spatial Ring, honored sir."
Xiao Yan reached out and lifted the ring from the tray, turning it over in his palm with a small nod. Yao Lao's voice, perfectly timed, emerged from beneath the robe. "Very well. Once the Qi-Gathering Powder is refined, I will deliver it to you."
Ya Fei's beautiful eyes shimmered with barely concealed delight. She nodded hastily.
"Then I'll see myself out. No need to trouble yourselves."
With a casual wave, Xiao Yan slipped the ring onto his finger and strode out of the reception hall without looking back. The blue jade card remained on the table — he had left it deliberately, unwilling to owe too many favors.
Watching his retreating figure vanish beyond the doorway, Ya Fei bit her lip gently. She stepped forward, picked up the blue jade card, and turned it thoughtfully in her fingers. After a moment, she asked in a low voice, "Uncle Gu Ni, the success rate for refining Qi-Gathering Powder isn't particularly high, is it?"
"That's right. Even the legendary Pill King Gu He only achieves around a seventy percent success rate with Qi-Gathering Powder. An ordinary fourth-tier alchemist would be fortunate to reach fifty percent." Gu Ni's voice was measured and grave.
"But this honored sir succeeded on his first attempt..." Ya Fei's brows furrowed delicately.
"Who knows? Perhaps he was simply lucky." Gu Ni shook his head, not dwelling on it. Alchemy involved a significant element of fortune — a favorable streak could yield several consecutive successes.
"Do you think he might be... more than a fourth-tier alchemist?" Ya Fei's voice was hesitant, almost tentative.
Gu Ni chuckled. "That's highly unlikely. The Jia Ma Empire has only a handful of fifth-tier alchemists, and at that level, even the imperial court and the Misty Cloud Sect would treat them as honored guests. Why would someone of that caliber come here to auction pills?"
Ya Fei nodded slowly, then sighed. "I fear my inexperience showed. That hesitation earlier may have cost us some of his goodwill."
"It's not your fault. That sum of money — even I wouldn't have committed so quickly. You did well. As for the relationship, we have time to cultivate it. The important thing is that he hasn't taken a dislike to us." Gu Ni offered a reassuring smile.
Ya Fei returned a rueful smile, then settled languidly into her chair, her graceful figure settling with effortless elegance. She tapped a slender finger on the table, her expression turning contemplative. "Why would someone of his standing purchase such large quantities of low-grade healing ingredients?"
"The ingredients all have blood-staunching and bone-renewing properties. He's most likely planning to produce healing medicine." Gu Ni paused, his brow creasing. "But with his abilities, why would he bother with such common remedies?"
Ya Fei's eyes narrowed. Her finger stopped tapping. After a long moment, she spoke quietly: "It seems our honored sir has a particular interest in the Xiao family."
Gu Ni's eyebrows shot up. "You mean — he intends to make healing medicine for the Xiao family?"
"Recently, the Jie Lie family recruited a first-tier alchemist. Their cheap Rejuvenation Powder has captured most of the market traffic. If the Xiao family doesn't respond, they'll soon find themselves with empty stalls." Ya Fei's voice was calm, her eyes gleaming with shrewd intelligence. "Last time, this honored sir mentioned he might collaborate with the Xiao family if the opportunity arose. And now, at this precise moment, he purchases such quantities of healing ingredients. The implication seems rather clear."
"Well, well." Gu Ni grinned broadly, a note of envy in his voice. "It seems the Xiao family has latched onto a very solid ally. The Jie Lie family is in for some trouble."
Ya Fei nodded thoughtfully. "Let's increase our contact with the Xiao family. Offering help in times of prosperity is pleasant enough, but aid during hardship is what truly forges lasting bonds."
Gu Ni nodded in agreement. A family backed by a fourth-tier alchemist was now worthy of their full attention.
---
Outside the auction house, Xiao Yan moved with practiced caution — circling through multiple streets before ducking into a narrow alley to change out of the black robe.
He tossed the robe aside and examined the pale red Spatial Ring on his finger, a quiet satisfaction settling over him. Spatial Rings were forged from a rare material known as Spatial Stone, which created a small pocket dimension within capable of storing any inanimate object. The convenience was extraordinary. But because Spatial Stone was so scarce, even the lowest-grade ring — with a storage space of merely three or four square meters — commanded a price nearing a hundred thousand gold coins. In the Xiao family, only his father and the Grand Elder possessed one.
He handled the ring for a moment, then decided against wearing it openly. Instead, he tucked it carefully into his robe. If his father saw it, the questions would be difficult to answer.
He kicked the discarded black robe into the drain, slipped out of the alley, and hurried back toward the Xiao household.
As he passed the council hall on his way to his quarters, a familiar roar of fury spilled through the walls. His father's voice, crackling with rage. Xiao Yan hesitated, then crept to the door and peered through the crack.
"That bastard Jie Lie Bi is getting too bold — openly stealing our business like this!" Xiao Zhan's face was iron-gray with fury as he slammed his fist on the table, sending teacups rattling.
"Traffic at our market stalls has plummeted. The merchants who remain are panicking, and many have already slipped away to the Jie Lie family's stalls. At this rate, another half month and our markets will be finished." The Second Elder spoke through clenched teeth, his expression equally dark.
"Let me take some of our elite fighters and deal with that first-tier alchemist quietly," the Third Elder suggested, his eyes glinting with menace.
"That alchemist is guarded by at least two Great Dou Masters. It's not that simple." Xiao Zhan waved the suggestion away, frustration evident.
"But the losses are mounting! The market profits in Utan City account for the bulk of our family's income." The Third Elder was unwilling to let it go.
Xiao Zhan's jaw tightened. He, too, could see no viable option.
Then the Grand Elder, who had been silent until now, spoke in a measured tone: "That mysterious alchemist from the auction house — he mentioned he might cooperate with us if the opportunity arose. Given the respect Gu Ni showed him, his rank must be quite high. With his support, the Jie Lie family wouldn't stand a chance."
Xiao Zhan shook his head bitterly. "Who knows if he meant it? Someone of that caliber — what could he possibly gain from partnering with us? Would he even care about our modest profits?"
The three elders fell silent. It was true — the gap between their family and a fourth-tier alchemist was vast.
"Damn it. We'll hold on a few more days. If the Jie Lie family doesn't back off, we'll see if they can survive a fight to the death!" Xiao Zhan licked his lips, his hand gripping the chair back until the wood creaked. A fierce, desperate light burned in his eyes.
Outside the door, Xiao Yan listened to every word. He touched the ring hidden in his robe, and a cold, knowing smile curved the corner of his mouth as he quietly withdrew into the shadows.