The auction continued after the fierce competition for the Yin-Yang Qi Stones.
Su Yang remained seated inside his VIP room.
Although he had already spent an astonishing five million inferior-grade spirit stones, he had not forgotten the original reason he had travelled to Windfall Town.
A gift for Sister Su Lan.
He had almost allowed the Yin-Yang Qi Stones to distract him completely.
Fortunately, Lady Yue soon announced the final item of the auction.
"Honoured guests, we have finally arrived at today's last treasure."
An attendant stepped onto the stage carrying a small jade box.
Lady Yue opened it.
Inside rested an elegant silver bracelet.
Tiny blue gemstones were embedded along its surface, while delicate formation inscriptions covered the inner rim. Whenever spiritual Qi passed through the bracelet, the inscriptions flickered with a soft azure glow.
Su Yang immediately became interested.
Lady Yue lifted the bracelet.
"This treasure is known as the Moonveil Guardian Bracelet."
She gently circulated her spiritual Qi.
Buzz!
A translucent barrier immediately appeared around her.
"This bracelet contains both offensive and defensive formations."
The audience became interested.
"With sufficient spiritual Qi, its defensive formation can automatically activate when its wearer encounters danger."
Lady Yue moved her wrist.
Several streaks of condensed spiritual light suddenly appeared around her.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
They shot toward a testing stone beside the stage.
BANG!
Several marks appeared across its surface.
Lady Yue smiled.
"Its offensive formation can also release condensed spiritual attacks against an approaching enemy."
Su Yang's eyes brightened.
A treasure capable of both attacking and defending.
More importantly, it was something Su Lan could wear at all times.
This is perfect.
He had already made his decision.
Whatever happened—
This bracelet was going home with him.
The bidding began.
"Two thousand!"
"Three thousand!"
"Four thousand!"
"Five thousand!"
The price steadily increased.
Su Yang waited patiently.
Once the bidding reached seven thousand, he finally raised his token.
"Ten thousand."
Several cultivators immediately looked toward VIP Room Seven.
Then their expressions became strange.
Again?
The mysterious Senior who had casually spent five million spirit stones was now bidding on a bracelet?
The remaining bidders hesitated.
After witnessing his earlier battle of wealth with the Heavenly Law Palace elder, ten thousand spirit stones seemed almost insignificant to this mysterious person.
Nobody was particularly eager to compete.
Lady Yue waited briefly.
"Ten thousand once."
Silence.
"Ten thousand twice."
Nothing.
"Ten thousand three times!"
BANG!
"Sold!"
Su Yang smiled beneath his mask.
Finally.
He had obtained Su Lan's gift.
Once the auction ended, Su Yang headed toward the collection counter.
An attendant greeted him respectfully.
"Senior."
Su Yang nodded.
"Your items have been prepared."
Three jade containers were placed before him.
The first contained his Peak-Grade Spirit Saber.
The second contained the Yin-Yang Qi Stones.
And the third held the Moonveil Guardian Bracelet.
Su Yang inspected everything carefully before transferring the required spirit stones.
The attendant's attitude became increasingly respectful.
Spending more than five million inferior-grade spirit stones without revealing the slightest hesitation was enough to make anyone assume his background was terrifying.
Su Yang calmly placed the treasures inside his storage ring.
"Thank you."
The attendant bowed.
"It is our Sacred Mansion Auction House's honour to serve Senior."
Su Yang turned and left.
However, once he reached the corridor, a problem suddenly occurred to him.
How am I supposed to get home like this?
His mysterious identity had attracted too much attention.
If the black-cloaked "Senior" simply walked outside and climbed into an ordinary carriage heading toward his hometown, anyone secretly watching him could follow.
Worse still—
The Heavenly Law Palace elder knew that he possessed the Yin-Yang Qi Stones.
Su Yang was not foolish enough to believe that spending five million spirit stones on a rare treasure would attract no unwanted attention.
He needed to separate the mysterious VIP from Su Yang completely.
After checking his surroundings, Su Yang quietly headed toward the rear section of the auction house.
He found a secluded area and slipped inside.
Once he confirmed that no one was nearby, he removed his mask.
Then the Midnight Star Cloak.
The mysterious black-cloaked Senior disappeared.
In his place stood an ordinary-looking young cultivator at the Fourth Level of the Spirit Realm.
Su Yang changed his outer robe as an additional precaution before placing everything inside his storage ring.
He looked himself over.
"Much better."
Then he casually walked toward another exit.
The moment Su Yang stepped outside, several cultivators glanced at him.
But their eyes quickly moved elsewhere.
Fourth Level Spirit Realm.
Young.
Ordinary clothing.
Nothing about him matched the mysterious wealthy expert who had just spent millions inside the Sacred Mansion Auction House.
Some people were even standing nearby, clearly waiting to see when the black-cloaked Senior would emerge.
Su Yang walked directly past them.
Nobody stopped him.
Nobody followed him.
Nobody suspected a thing.
Su Yang suppressed a smile.
That cloak really was worth bringing.
He entered the bustling marketplace.
Now that the auction was finished, there was one final thing he wanted to buy.
He had bought Su Lan something.
It would feel wrong to return without something for Su Mei as well.
Su Yang wandered between several stalls until a beautiful object caught his attention.
A hairpin.
Its body was crafted from polished gold-coloured metal, while the upper section had been shaped into a graceful phoenix with its wings spread.
Small red gemstones decorated its feathers.
Su Yang picked it up.
"This one."
The merchant immediately smiled.
"Young Master has excellent taste! This Phoenix Hairpin would make a wonderful gift."
Su Yang imagined Su Mei wearing it.
A smile appeared on his face.
"I'll take it."
He paid and carefully stored the hairpin away.
Now he was finally ready to return home.
Several hours later, Su Yang's carriage arrived back in town.
By then, the sky had begun changing colour.
Su Yang stepped down, paid the carriage driver, and headed home.
As he entered the courtyard, he looked around.
"Mother?"
No response.
Su Yang frowned.
Then—
He heard voices coming from inside.
One voice belonged to Su Mei.
The other—
Su Yang froze.
His eyes widened.
He knew that voice.
"Sister?"
He immediately rushed inside.
Within the room, Su Mei was sitting with a beautiful young woman dressed in the robes of the Heavenly Immortal Sword Sect.
Her appearance had matured considerably since Su Yang had last seen her.
Her long hair fell behind her shoulders, and a sword rested nearby.
It was Su Lan.
She had returned.
The mother and daughter were discussing something quietly when the door suddenly opened.
Su Lan turned.
Her eyes immediately widened.
"Yang'er?"
"Sister!"
Su Yang practically ran toward her.
Before Su Lan could properly stand—
He wrapped his arms around her.
Su Lan froze for half a second.
Then she laughed and hugged him back.
"Yang'er!"
Su Mei watched the two siblings with a warm smile.
"You've grown taller," Su Lan said, pulling back slightly to examine him.
"So have you."
Su Lan stared at him.
Then she narrowed her eyes.
"That's your greeting after I haven't seen you for so long?"
Su Yang grinned.
"You've also become prettier."
"Much better."
She pinched his cheek.
Su Yang immediately protested.
"Sister! I'm not a child anymore."
"You'll always be my little brother."
Su Mei laughed.
For a brief moment, all the complicated matters surrounding Su Yang's inheritance, the Imperial Family, Fu Yancheng, and his cultivation seemed far away.
He was simply home.
With his family.
Then Su Yang remembered something.
"Oh!"
He separated himself from Su Lan.
"I bought you something."
Su Lan blinked.
"For me?"
Su Yang reached into his storage ring.
A jade box appeared.
He handed it to her.
"Open it."
Su Lan looked curiously at Su Mei before opening the box.
The Moonveil Guardian Bracelet rested inside.
Her eyes widened.
"Yang'er…"
She immediately sensed the spiritual fluctuations coming from it.
"This isn't an ordinary bracelet."
"It has offensive and defensive formations."
Su Yang smiled.
"I thought it would help protect you when I'm not around."
Su Lan stared at him.
Something softened in her expression.
Then she suddenly pulled him into another hug.
"My little brother actually knows how to buy gifts now."
Su Yang's face darkened.
"Why does that sound insulting?"
Su Mei covered her mouth and laughed.
Su Yang then turned toward her.
"And you…"
Su Mei blinked.
"Me?"
He retrieved another small box.
"Do you think I'd forget my mother?"
Su Mei stared at the box before slowly accepting it.
When she opened it, the Phoenix Hairpin appeared.
For a moment, she said nothing.
Her fingers gently touched the phoenix ornament.
"Yang'er…"
"Do you like it?"
Su Mei looked at him.
Her eyes became slightly moist.
"I love it."
Su Yang smiled.
"Then wear it."
Su Lan immediately stood.
"I'll put it on for you!"
Before Su Mei could object, Su Lan moved behind her and carefully arranged the hairpin in her mother's hair.
Su Yang examined the result.
He nodded seriously.
"Beautiful."
Su Mei shook her head helplessly.
"You two…"
Yet the smile on her face betrayed how happy she was.
Su Yang sat beside them.
Su Lan immediately began asking him questions.
"What have you been doing while I was gone?"
Su Yang's expression became slightly awkward.
That was a dangerous question.
Where was he supposed to begin?
I recovered my memories, discovered I'm the last inheritor of a massacred family, met a mysterious Senior, swallowed a thousand-year-old lotus, transformed my body, killed Rank Two beasts, punched Fu Yancheng, broke through two cultivation levels, and spent more than five million spirit stones at an auction?
Su Yang cleared his throat.
"Nothing much."
Su Mei slowly turned toward him.
Her expression said otherwise.
Su Yang immediately looked away.
Su Lan narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"Really?"
"Really."
She continued staring at him.
Su Yang suddenly became extremely interested in the teacup on the table.
Su Mei laughed softly.
The room once again filled with the voices of the reunited family.
Yet beneath Su Yang's calm appearance, the Yin-Yang Qi Stones rested silently within his storage ring.
And deep inside his dantian—
The Dragon and Tiger waited.
Whatever secret existed within those stones would have to wait.
Tonight—
Su Yang simply wanted to spend time with his mother and sister.