Without regard for the drain on his Lightning Dou Qi, Zhou Changqing activated Thunder Flash several times in succession. Only after turning down a few streets did he finally slow his pace.
"Hah..."
Letting out a slight sigh of relief, Zhou Changqing didn't stop. He quickened his steps, heading in the direction of the Mitel Auction House.
He wasn't safe yet.
The fact that someone had already made a move proved that the factions watching him were running out of patience.
There was no telling when the next attack would come, so he had to find a safe place quickly.
As a regular patron who had visited the Mitel Auction House three times and brought them considerable profit, it was undoubtedly the best choice for a sanctuary at this stage. Besides, for the Mitel clan to have established auction houses throughout the entire empire and become its foremost name, they had to have some degree of integrity.
He reached the end of the main street in the city center.
The enormous venue of the Mitel Auction House appeared before him.
Zhou Changqing walked straight toward it.
"Young Master Zhou, you've arrived? Please, come in. I'll inform Miss Ya Fei at once."
Seeing a young man approach, one of the two guards at the main gate recognized his face and broke into a smile, quickly stepping forward to welcome him.
Zhou Changqing nodded. "My thanks."
"Not at all, not at all! Xiao Hua, please escort Young Master Zhou to the guest lounge."
This easygoing attitude made the guard wave his hands dismissively, though the smile on his face grew more genuine. Wasting no time, the guard called over a serving girl, instructing her to attend to their guest.
"Greetings, Young Master. Please follow me."
Led by the serving girl, Zhou Changqing soon arrived at a reception room on the second floor of the venue.
After dismissing the girl, Zhou Changqing set down his bundle and his long blade, then sank into a chair.
"Hiss... damn, that hurts. A Dou Technique from a Dou Shi is no joke. I almost couldn't take it."
The moment he sat down, a spasm of pain shot through him. He sucked in a sharp breath of cold air and couldn't help but mutter to himself.
He rolled up the sleeve of his left arm and looked at his elbow.
The skin there was already a deep, purplish-red, clearly bruised and swollen with pooled blood.
Since he began cultivating his technique and converting his Dou Qi, his progress had been remarkable. In two months, he had advanced from a one-star to a five-star Dou Zhe. Then, in another four months, he had risen from a five-star to a nine-star Dou Zhe.
And all this was without the aid of any medicinal pills or heavenly treasures.
Such a terrifying cultivation speed would be considered top-tier even in the entire Northwest Region.
But no matter how talented he was, he was still limited by his realm, cultivation method, and Dou Techniques. Even as a nine-star Dou Zhe, Zhou Changqing's combat power was no match for a Dou Shi, let alone a mid-rank one.
(PS: Back when Xiao Yan was a Dou Zhe, even with a Xuan Class Dou Technique, he couldn't defeat a Dou Shi and was chased all over by the Wolf Head Mercenary Company. It was only after learning a Di Class Dou Technique that he managed to kill a two-star Dou Shi, and even then, he suffered a backlash.)
To be injured this badly by a single blow from the middle-aged man, whose Gold-attribute Dou Qi and Dou Techniques surpassed most other elements in both offense and defense, was a testament to the technique's power.
If not for the exceptionally sharp blade in his hand, which could easily pierce a Dou Shi's defenses, and the fact that the middle-aged Dou Shi had underestimated him, escaping so smoothly today would have been far more difficult.
He moved his arm slightly, and after confirming there were no broken bones, Zhou Changqing finally pulled his sleeve back down.
Tap, tap, tap...
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached from a distance, and soon the door to the reception room was pushed open.
"Little brother Changqing, what took you so long? I've been waiting for ages. Oh, and those things you asked for last time have arrived."
The voice, a soft and sultry melody tinged with laughter, arrived before its owner. A moment later, a bewitching woman in a red brocade robe swayed into the room.
Upon seeing Zhou Changqing, the smile on her face deepened.
Seeing her, Zhou Changqing stood and smiled faintly. "Sister Ya Fei, I suspect you were waiting for the things I brought, not for me."
Ya Fei paid no mind to his teasing, gracefully gliding closer with a radiant smile. "I wanted both the things and my little brother. The two are not mutually exclusive."
"I find that hard to believe. Why would the esteemed general manager and chief auctioneer of the Mitel Auction House be thinking of a nobody like me?"
Zhou Changqing retorted with a grin, then gestured with his chin toward the bundle on the nearby table. "There, the goods are over there. Sister Ya Fei, you can handle them as you see fit. Same as always, I'll write up a list of what I need later."
"Sigh... but this sister was speaking from the heart! I didn't think my little brother Changqing thought of me that way. You're breaking my heart!"
"Besides, you're wrong about that, little brother. You're no nobody. After all, the things you've brought out have caused quite a stir in Wu Tan City. Countless people have been storming my doors, begging to buy them. They've nearly driven me mad."
Ya Fei merely glanced at the bundle on the table before turning her attention back to Zhou Changqing, her expression now one of mock sorrow as she cast a woeful look at him.
"Seductress!"
That mournful tone, combined with the tearful look on her enchanting face, sent a jolt through Zhou Changqing's veins. He cursed inwardly.
Indeed, you could say Ya Fei's talent and strength were lacking, but you could never say she wasn't beautiful.
The ability to occupy the thoughts of most men in Wu Tan City, and even to keep the young genius from the imperial capital, Mu Zhan, infatuated for so many years, was a testament to how utterly captivating this woman was.
"Ahem."
Clearing his throat to break the spell, Zhou Changqing quickly said, "Sister Ya Fei, please don't tease me. Let's get down to business."
"Business? What business?"
Hearing this, Ya Fei instantly reverted to her usual demeanor, her curiosity piqued.
After all, this was not their first meeting. They had dealt with each other three times already, and while they weren't the closest of friends, they were at least on friendly terms.
Otherwise, someone of Ya Fei's standing would never jest so freely with a young boy.
Of course, it didn't hurt that Zhou Changqing was exceptionally handsome and brought a great deal of profit and clientele to the auction house.
Without any hesitation, Zhou Changqing asked directly, "It's nothing major. I just wanted to ask if Sister Ya Fei could arrange a place for me to stay. It might be inconvenient for me to go home for a while."
"Inconvenient to go home?"
Ya Fei was taken aback, her confusion growing. However, she didn't refuse, nodding. "Of course. Changqing, you're a major client of the auction house. There's no reason to deny such a small request."
"And even if the auction house said no, you still have me, don't you? As long as my little brother Changqing doesn't mind, you can just stay with me."
"Besides, with a brother as handsome as you, this sister certainly won't be at a disadvantage."
With that, Ya Fei leaned in and flirtatiously draped her arm over his left shoulder.
"Ngh..."
The contact made Zhou Changqing's expression shift, and a small sound escaped his throat against his will.
Seeing this, Ya Fei grew curious and was about to ask what was wrong.
But before she could speak, she noticed the strange way Zhou Changqing was holding his left arm. It was even trembling slightly.
Her curiosity deepening, Ya Fei couldn't resist reaching out to pull up his sleeve and see for herself.
"Sister Ya Fei, don't!"
Zhou Changqing tried to stop her, but he was too late.
Ya Fei had already pushed up his sleeve, revealing the bruised and blood-tinged skin of his elbow.
"Little brother Changqing, what is this? And don't you dare give me some old excuse like you fell down!"
Her beautiful eyes widened in shock. She looked up sharply at Zhou Changqing, her voice losing all its playfulness.