"..."
Ya Fei's smile vanished. Her originally jade-like fair face turned slightly pale, and the way she looked at Zhang Yuan carried humiliation and anger.
She indeed remembered Zhang Yuan deeply. This youth not only possessed a level of looks and temperament she had never seen in her life, but also had the cultivation talent she envied the most.
When they first met, the boy was fourteen years old and already a 6-Star Dou Zhe, while she herself had only just stepped into the Dou Zhe realm.
Two years had passed since then. The boy had likely already become a Dou Shi, yet she was still a low-level Dou Zhe.
And now, she hated this boy to the point that her teeth itched. If her strength were sufficient, she truly wanted to rush up and bite him hard to vent the resentment in her heart.
To think he actually used the person she hated the most to threaten her!
"You know Mu Zhan?" Ya Fei straightened her posture, her tone becoming extremely serious.
"Very well," Zhang Yuan said as he lifted his teacup and nodded. "Two years ago, I went out to gain experience. After training in the Magic Beast Mountain Range for half a year, I went south to the Empire's three great border fortresses to enlist and successfully joined the Black Armored Guards."
"When we were undergoing selection in the Black Armored Guards, the fiercest rival competing with me for squad leader in my group was Mu Zhan. At the time, he was at his peak, Dou Zhe. I heard he was a direct descendant of the Mu Clan of the Empire."
At this point, Zhang Yuan paused and looked at Ya Fei. Seeing her expression still unpleasant, he continued, "We ended up becoming acquainted through fighting. He lost to me, but instead became my friend. Now, he and I are both squad leaders in the Black Armored Guards."
"He's bold and straightforward. Whenever he's on leave, he often treats me to drinks and meals. Once he gets drunk, he'll start showing off his sweetheart to me, Miss Ya Fei of the Miteer Clan."
Ya Fei pressed her lips together, her face no longer as calm and composed as when she arrived.
Xiao Yan and the others all wore expressions of people happily watching drama unfold.
"This Mu Zhan is probably the clingy type who pushed this young lady too far, forcing her to hide in Wu Tan City," Yao Lao's voice sounded beside Xiao Yan's ear.
Xiao Yan was already used to this. His thoughts shifted, and he cooperated with Zhang Yuan by saying, "Brother Yuan, you'll be returning to the army in a few days anyway. You could conveniently tell Mu Zhan that Miss Ya Fei is training in our Wu Tan City."
Ya Fei's heart jolted violently, and she immediately said, "No, absolutely not."
"Why?" Xiao Yan asked.
Ya Fei pressed her lips together without speaking.
Zhang Yuan, ever so considerate, explained, "That Mu Zhan brother of mine is stuck in unrequited love. In the Empire, he acts lawlessly. As long as any man shows interest in Elder Sister Ya Fei, he'll bring people to cause trouble, dragging the Mu Clan into all sorts of criticism."
"The Mu Clan head punished him for this by sending him to train in the border military camps. I imagine Elder Sister Ya Fei also came to Wu Tan City to avoid such disturbances."
"That's right," Ya Fei said with a sorrowful expression. "My cultivation talent is average. The clan elders all lean toward marrying me off to Mu Zhan for an alliance, but I don't want to accept that fate. So I requested to come to Wu Tan City to manage an auction house."
"As long as I achieve results and prove that I can bring greater benefits to the family, I can avoid the fate of marriage alliances."
As she spoke, Ya Fei even raised a handkerchief to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
That pitiful appearance was truly enough to stir sympathy in anyone who saw it.
Xiao Yan glanced at Zhang Yuan and awkwardly rubbed his nose. His skin was still too thin.
But Zhang Yuan remained completely unmoved. He said calmly, "Precisely because I understand Elder Sister Ya Fei's difficulties, I'm giving you a choice. Can the 4th Tier Wind-Attribute Monster Core be traded?"
Ya Fei's expression froze, and the way she looked at Zhang Yuan was filled with shock.
She was already acting this pitiful, yet this man still had no heart!?
'My cousin really is incredible,' Xiao Yan praised Zhang Yuan in his heart.
No wonder he could win over Xun'er and that tigress Xiao Yu.
On the other hand, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Xun'er's eyes. She was quite satisfied with Zhang Yuan's straight-man performance.
"I can sell you one at market price," Ya Fei said through clenched teeth.
Since arriving at the Wu Tan City Miteer Auction House, this was the first time she had suffered such a setback.
"Elder Sister Ya Fei, this is an auction house, not a shop," Zhang Yuan placed his auction house gold card on the table and said calmly. "As a VIP, I can get a twenty percent discount."
Ya Fei took a deep breath.
If she could, she wanted to break Zhang Yuan's bones.
"Fine," Ya Fei swallowed this loss.
"I want both," Zhang Yuan added.
"Impossible," Ya Fei said coldly. "Of the two 4th Tier Wind-Attribute Monster Cores, one belongs to the Miteer Clan, which I can decide on. But the other was entrusted for auction by a passing Dou Ling expert. I can't overstep my authority. Only one."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuan shook his head and said, "Elder Sister Ya Fei, Mu Zhan is my closest relative and friend, a comrade who entrusted his life to me, a brother who fought side by side with me..."
"Stop!" Ya Fei interrupted, her face iron-blue. "I can help you arrange a meeting with that Dou Ling expert. You can talk privately."
Talk privately? Wouldn't that just invite them to raise the price on the spot?
The Xiao Clan also couldn't afford to offend a Dou Ling for now.
"Elder Sister Ya Fei, actually, if I tell Mu Zhan that you're here, he'd probably be very happy to sell me the 4th Tier Wind-Attribute Monster Core at a low price," Zhang Yuan said with a look that screamed 'I've got you cornered.'
Ya Fei wanted nothing more than to punch his handsome face, but she endured it and said, "At most, I'll use my authority as the head of the Miteer Auction House to buy that Monster Core from him. You'll purchase it at my acquisition price."
"Deal!" Zhang Yuan put down his teacup.
Everyone: "..."
Ya Fei left, her face full of anger, not even bothering to keep up polite appearances.
Yet Zhang Yuan had completely pinned her down with just the two words 'Mu Zhan,' without the slightest hesitation.
Xiao Yan gave Zhang Yuan a thumbs-up and praised, "Brother Yuan, you're amazing. You can pin Ya Fei down just by casually knowing someone. Speaking of which, you now know the direct descendants of the Nalan Clan, the Mu Clan, and the Miteer Clan, right?"
"I also know you, a direct descendant of the Xiao Clan," Zhang Yuan laughed. "The former four great families of the Jia Ma Empire."
Hearing this, a trace of yearning and guilt flashed through Xiao Zhan's eyes.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuan smiled and said, "Uncle, in the future, our Xiao Clan will surpass them."
Xiao Zhan clenched his fists and laughed. "With you and Yan'er here, Uncle believes it."
At this moment, Xun'er suddenly asked, "Brother Yuan, you and that Mu Zhan aren't actually friends, are you?"
Zhang Yuan turned to look at her and said, "Xun'er truly is intelligent. I'm not friends with Mu Zhan. In fact, we don't see eye to eye. To be precise, he's just a sore loser."
"As expected," Xun'er said with a bright smile. "Given Brother Yuan's character, if you were truly friends with Mu Zhan, even if you didn't tell him about Ya Fei being here, you wouldn't have used this matter to pin Ya Fei down."
Xun'er considered herself to understand Zhang Yuan well. This cousin of hers was a true gentleman.
Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan nodded in realization. No wonder something had felt off. That was where the issue lay.
Zhang Yuan: "..."
'I don't even work in the entertainment industry. Why is someone setting up a character profile for me?'
But whatever. As long as you're happy.
About a quarter of an hour later.
Ya Fei returned, but she wasn't alone. Beside her was an elderly man in a green robe with graying hair. His clothes looked ordinary, yet faint light flowed over the surface, likely enhanced by some sort of magic crystal protection. His appearance was plain, but his arrogance was undisguised, something every alchemist inevitably carried.
What drew the most attention was the badge on his chest, shaped like a pill furnace, adorned with two brilliant silver ripples, indicating that he was a 2nd Tier Alchemist.
"Master Gu Ni," Xiao Zhan stood up and cupped his fists in greeting.
The old man was not only a 2nd Tier Alchemist backed by the Miteer Clan, but also a 3-Star Da Dou Shi, the stabilizing pillar of this auction house.
"Clan Leader Xiao," Master Gu Ni nodded casually toward Xiao Zhan, then let his gaze fall on Zhang Yuan.
Ya Fei stepped toward Zhang Yuan with feline grace. Her expression had returned to normal as she placed a jade box on the table and said with a charming smile, "Little Brother Zhang Yuan, inside is a 4th Tier Wind-Attribute Monster Core. The market price is two hundred thousand gold coins. You only need to pay one hundred and sixty thousand."
Only one. That meant the one held by the Dou Ling expert hadn't been secured.
Bringing Gu Ni back with her, was she planning to use both soft and hard tactics?
She truly was a woman with methods.
Zhang Yuan didn't immediately take the Monster Core. Instead, he asked, "That Dou Ling expert isn't willing to sell?"
"He is willing, but his asking price is high," Ya Fei sighed, straightening a certain curve that would leave most men dry-mouthed, one hand on her hip. "If you had come a few days earlier, it would've been easy. That expert urgently needed gold coins back then. But today is the auction day, so naturally he wants to wait."
"If I want to take it early, he'll only accept item-for-item exchange, or purchase at market price with my Miteer Clan owing him a favor. I can't make that decision."
As her words fell, Gu Ni spoke up, "This auction house is one where this old man has the authority to owe such a favor. But boy, do you really think your threat toward Ya Fei is enough to make this old man speak?"
(End of Chapter)
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