The gavel's echo had barely faded—
And the temperature in the hall shifted.
Not physically.
Spiritually.
Attention settled.
Not on the jade container.
On Partition Forty-Six.
The fox felt it.
Measured.
Weighed.
Marked.
The host's smile returned, professional and composed.
"Congratulations to our honored VIP. The item will be delivered to your private chamber for settlement."
The jade container was lifted and carried away through a side corridor.
The fox did not rise immediately.
That would signal urgency.
Instead, it waited as the final minor lot was introduced—some ancient pill recipe fragment that no one truly cared about anymore.
Bidding was half-hearted.
Distracted.
All minds were elsewhere.
When the session officially concluded, the partitions dimmed one by one.
Attendants moved swiftly and discreetly.
The fox finally stood.
Its illusion flawless.
Unhurried.
The same attendant from earlier appeared at the entrance to its section.
"This way, honored VIP."
Polite.
Neutral.
But the fox sensed it—
More guards along the corridor this time.
Hidden.
Aura restrained.
The Pavilion anticipated tension.
Good business practice.
They walked through a different path than before—deeper into the Pavilion's core.
Heavier formations.
Layered barriers.
Finally, they entered a sealed transaction chamber.
On a stone pedestal at the center rested the jade container.
Still sealed.
The attendant stood calmly, hands folded within her sleeves.
"One hundred and ninety thousand spirit stones," she repeated softly. "How will the honored VIP proceed with payment?"
The fox did not answer immediately.
Behind the illusion, its thoughts moved quickly.
One hundred and ninety thousand.
Even if it emptied every pouch—
Even if it included what remained from the recent raid—
It would not be clean.
Not without leaving itself dry.
And walking out of River M dry—
Was suicide.
The fox's expression did not change.
"I will not be paying in spirit stones."
The attendant's brows lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
The fox raised a hand.
Its storage pouch opened.
One by one—
Items floated out and settled gently onto the wide jade table between them.
Spiritual tools.
Blades.
Spears.
Rings.
Armor fragments.
Twenty-five in total.
Each radiating distinct qi signatures.
Mid-tier earth-grade.
High-tier earth-grade.
Not junk.
Not damaged scrap.
Battle-used—but intact.
Then—
Empty jade boxes from high-tier storage containers.
Polished.
Pure.
Then—
Bundles of spirit silk.
Mid-tier.
Refined.
The silk shimmered faintly with dense spiritual fibers, durable and valuable for defensive tools and formations.
The table slowly filled.
The attendant's calm expression sharpened.
She stepped closer.
Her divine sense swept across the items.
Careful.
Professional.
"You intend to settle the full amount with these?"
"Yes."
The fox's voice remained even.
"Twenty-five earth-grade spiritual tools, mid and high tier. Plus refined mid-tier spirit silk and jade containers."
A pause.
"These are not ordinary market goods."
The attendant nodded faintly.
"That much is clear."
She began examining them one by one.
Testing spiritual resonance.
Integrity.
Array inscriptions.
Two tools bore minor cracks.
One ring had internal strain.
Most were combat-used—but high quality.
After several long minutes, she stepped back.
"These items are genuine."
Another pause.
"But their liquid conversion value is lower than direct spirit stones."
The fox's eyes narrowed slightly.
"State the evaluation."
She activated a small appraisal array embedded in the table. Light passed over each item in sequence.
Numbers flickered.
Calculations layered.
After a while, the light faded.
She looked up.
"Total assessed liquidation value: one hundred and seventy-eight thousand spirit stones."
Silence.
The fox did not react outwardly.
One hundred seventy-eight.
Twelve thousand short.
The attendant added smoothly,
"If the VIP wishes, the Pavilion can accept this as partial payment, with the remaining balance settled in spirit stones."
The fox's tail flicked faintly beneath the illusion.
Twelve thousand.
Not catastrophic.
But draining reserves further would be unwise.
It stared at the silk bundles.
Then spoke calmly.
"Re-evaluate the silk separately."
The attendant's gaze sharpened.
"The silk has already been appraised."
"Re-evaluate."
A quiet tension filled the room.
The attendant held the fox's gaze for a breath.
Then nodded once.
She separated the silk bundles and activated a finer inspection array.
This time—
The array glowed brighter.
Tracing threads within threads.
The attendant's eyes shifted slightly.
"…This silk has been refined."
She glanced at the fox.
"Not ordinary mid-tier harvest. The spiritual density is above standard."
The fox said nothing.
The lizard's silk.
Compressed.
Strengthened.
Refined through evolution.
The attendant recalculated.
Light flickered again.
Then dimmed.
She looked up.
"Revised total value: one hundred and eighty-nine thousand, five hundred spirit stones."
The fox's eyes gleamed faintly.
Five hundred short.
The attendant tilted her head slightly.
"The Pavilion does not bargain."
The fox calmly pulled out one more item.
A cracked high-tier earth-grade ring.
Combat-damaged.
But still valuable.
It placed it gently atop the pile.
"Evaluate this separately."
The attendant's lips pressed thin.
She ran the appraisal again.
Moments later—
"Two thousand spirit stones."
That pushed the total over.
One hundred ninety-one thousand, five hundred.
She looked at the fox.
"The Pavilion will absorb the surplus as transaction processing."
The fox inclined its head slightly.
"Acceptable."
The attendant made a subtle hand motion.
The tools, silk, jade boxes—all were drawn away by an invisible mechanism beneath the table.
Gone.
In exchange—
The jade container was slid forward fully.
Ownership transferred.
"Transaction complete."
The fox's pupils thinned.
Up close—
The pressure was clearer.
This was not pure True Dragon marrow.
But the bloodline concentration…
It was terrifyingly high.
Enough to change fate.
The attendant stepped back.
"The item is now yours."
The fox extended its divine sense carefully.
Tested the container.
No tracking arrays.
No hidden threads.
Still—
It did not relax.
With a flicker of qi, it transferred the jade container into its storage pouch.
Instantly, the room felt lighter.
The attendant bowed once more.
"The Heavenweight Exchange Pavilion thanks you for your patronage."
The fox turned toward the exit.
But just before the doors opened—
A voice transmitted quietly into its partition.
Calm.
Controlled.
The same foundation-peak bidder.
"You overpaid."
The fox did not turn.
Did not hesitate.
Its reply was equally calm.
"Only if I walk out empty-handed."
A faint pause.
Then—
"You will not leave River M peacefully."
The fox's ears twitched slightly beneath the illusion.
Its tone did not change.
"That depends."
A subtle ripple of killing intent brushed the corridor.
Testing.
Measuring.
The fox continued walking.
"On whether you can catch me."
The doors opened.
The corridor awaited.
Guards lined the shadows.
Outside—
River M's night air was still.
But it felt different now.
Heavier.
Predatory.
The fox stepped out of the Pavilion.
Illusion intact.
Pace steady.
It did not leap to rooftops.
Did not rush.
Confidence.
Predictable movements were sometimes safer than frantic ones.
But behind it—
At least three powerful auras shifted within the Pavilion.
Not immediately following.
Waiting.
Calculating.
The fox's mind moved rapidly.
Return directly to the inn?
Too obvious.
Circle the market?
Too slow.
Use the public streets?
Risky—but controlled.
Its tail flicked once beneath the illusion.
Fine.
If they wanted to hunt—
Let them step into the forest again.
This time—
There would be no concealment plates.
No confined battlefield.
Only open terrain.
And draconic marrow in its possession.
The fox walked calmly into the Night Market crowd.
Behind the illusion—
Its eyes gleamed.
Let them come.