In the somewhat spacious corridor, Xiao Yan instantly approached the young man, his fist tightly clenched, carrying a forceful gust of wind, and fiercely smashed towards the young man’s face. Although the young man, with a pale face, was not particularly robust, he was not weak in strength. The moment Xiao Yan moved, he sensed it, and his face turned cold. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, and fierce Dou Qi surged out from within, forming a protective layer on the surface of his body almost instantly. Though caught off guard, the young man was confident in his abilities, and Xiao Yan indeed seemed too young. Therefore, he believed that with Xiao Yan’s attack power, it would be extremely difficult to break through his defense. “Little bastard, even if Yaphira protects you today, don’t think you can walk out of the auction hall safely,” the young man thought maliciously as he tried to defend himself. But before this thought could fade, the fist charged with overwhelming force struck the young man’s arm. With a slight cracking sound, the young man’s face turned pale, and a mouthful of blood spurted out from his throat. His body was also pushed back by the strong force, slamming into the wall. He spat another mouthful of blood, knelt down, and curled up in pain. At the moment the young man spat blood, Yaphira, who was on the stairs, turned around. Her warning had just left her lips when she saw the young man crouching like a dead dog, her face covered with shock and disbelief. It was at this moment that the young man’s subordinates finally recovered from their daze. Seeing their master’s pitiful state, they were first shocked, then enraged, and moved to surround Xiao Yan. “Back off!” Seeing the guards’ actions, Yaphira, who was standing on the stairs, finally burst out in anger, her eyes narrowing in fury.
Hearing Yaphira’s command, the guards hesitated. Their master had the courage to offend Yaphira, but they did not share the same audacity. “If you dare take another step, you will be expelled from the Meiteer Auction Hall. Even though you are not my subordinates, I think, with my identity as the Acting Inspector Elder, removing a few scum like you should not be too difficult.” Yaphira’s cold demeanor was truly awe-inspiring.
Seeing Yaphira’s stern expression, the guards’ faces showed a hint of fear. They looked at each other, reluctantly retreating. “Take your master and get out of here,” Yaphira said coldly, pointing towards the stairwell. “Fine, Yaphira, you’ve got guts. Helping an outsider, you better wait for me!” Supported by his men, the young man staggered, wiping the blood from his mouth, and glared at Yaphira. His eyes turned cold and sinister as he turned to Xiao Yan, breathing heavily, and said, “Alright, little bastard, you better wait for me!” After leaving these words, the young man slapped one of his guards hard on the face and yelled, “Fools, let’s go!”
Standing on the stairs, Xiao Yan watched the young man, supported by his guards, slowly leave. His fists, hidden in his sleeves, slightly relaxed, and a hint of green flame flickered at his fingertips. “You actually held back against such a person? Why not just kill him? It would save future trouble.” Leaning against the stairs, Hai Bo Dong said lightly. “This is still someone else’s territory,” Xiao Yan replied with a smile, looking up at Yaphira and shrugging, “Sorry, I acted a bit impulsively. But that guy really has a foul mouth.”
Shaking her head, Yaphira sighed, “I think we should talk about this another day. That guy will surely cry to his grandfather, and that old man, who is very protective, will definitely come after you.” “It’s fine,” Xiao Yan shook his head and smiled, “We need some things, so let’s talk now. We’ll handle those troubles ourselves…”
“Ah, you stubborn guy… Alright, I’ll try to protect you, but that old man is always arrogant. He might even scold me.” Hearing this, Yaphira nodded helplessly and turned to go upstairs. As she turned, she left a graceful silhouette for Xiao Yan to admire, and after exchanging a glance with Hai Bo Dong, she continued on.
Following Yaphira up several floors, they stopped in front of a door. From her familiar manner, it was clear that this was a place she often visited. A few guards stood at the entrance, and although they looked curiously at Xiao Yan and Hai Bo Dong, they wisely did not say anything, standing quietly aside like wooden stakes.
Opening the door, a spacious room was revealed, lined with neat bookshelves filled with thick volumes. Yaphira walked through the shelves, stopping at a desk, and turned to look at Xiao Yan and Hai Bo Dong with a smile, gesturing to the chairs, “Please sit. Now, what do you need to discuss?”
Xiao Yan nodded and pulled out a chair, sitting down. After a moment of thought, he said, “Did I cause you some trouble earlier? Sorry…”
“It’s okay, I know you did it for me, no need to apologize,” Yaphira waved her hand, walking behind the desk and sitting down, her red lips curling into a smile, “That guy’s name is Lele. He’s part of the Meiteer family, and he has a strong background. Normally, I don’t want to offend him, so I choose to ignore him.”
“But he seems to have some unpleasant thoughts about me. Ignoring him only makes him angrier and more troublesome. His grandfather has some influence in the family, so I’m quite helpless with this thick-skinned fellow.” Yaphira brushed her hair away, looking tired, indicating that this Lele had indeed caused her a lot of trouble.
“You know, the more you ignore him, the more he will act up,” Xiao Yan shook his head.
“Of course, I know. But you overestimate my forbearance. I’m just a woman, how can I reach the level of a saint… I don’t want to provoke him now, but once I have the chance to take control, he will be the first to be driven out. Then, I will make him feel fear… You must know, women are the most vengeful creatures. Otherwise, how could there be the saying ‘the most venomous heart is that of a woman’?” Yaphira smiled faintly, revealing her ambition and strength unintentionally.
Hearing Yaphira’s words, both Xiao Yan and Hai Bo Dong’s faces showed surprise. They hadn’t expected such hidden strength and ambition from this seemingly gentle woman.
“Alright, let’s not talk about him anymore. It’s a bit depressing,” Yaphira shook her head, and her delicate face softened again, smiling at Xiao Yan, “What do you need? Tell me, and I’ll see what I can do.”
Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, taking out a piece of paper from his ring, which listed the herbs needed to refine the Rejuvenating Purple Spirit Pill. He handed it to Yaphira in front of Hai Bo Dong, saying, “Can you gather these herbs for me?”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s actions, Hai Bo Dong’s face lit up with a smile. When Xiao Yan took out the paper, he quickly scanned it, recognizing the names of the herbs Xiao Yan had mentioned earlier, realizing that Xiao Yan had indeed kept his request in mind.
“I knew you wouldn’t come to the auction hall without a reason…” Yaphira shook her head, taking the paper and glancing over the list. Her face showed a hint of surprise, and she looked up at Xiao Yan, “These herbs are not ordinary. Some of them, even I, have only heard of.”
“Indeed,” Xiao Yan nodded, “Can we find all these herbs here?”
Hai Bo Dong, too, looked hopefully at the contemplative Yaphira. This was crucial for him regaining his full strength.
Yaphira rested her chin in her hand, thinking for a moment, and then shook her head, apologizing, “I’m sorry, it will be extremely difficult to gather all these herbs. They are very rare, and on the market, each one would cost at least two hundred thousand gold coins, and that’s assuming they’re even available.”
Hearing this, Hai Bo Dong slumped, while Xiao Yan sighed in apparent disappointment, secretly pleased. If he could gather all the herbs here, he would be in a miserable situation.
“Gathering all of them is indeed difficult, but I think it should be possible to get half of them,” Yaphira mused.
“Even half is better than nothing,” Xiao Yan sighed, nodding.
Yaphira’s face brightened with a playful smile, “According to my memory, our Meiteer Auction Hall can provide four of these herbs. Each one costs over two hundred and fifty thousand gold coins, and the total for these four would be around one million gold coins. Xiao Yan, can you afford that?”
“Uh…” Xiao Yan blinked, shaking his head, “Seems not.”
Hearing this, Yaphira’s smile grew wider, her long, slender fingers crossing, and she said with a hint of regret, “Xiao Yan, this is no longer Utan City. Here, even if I want to help you, I don’t have the authority. Moreover, such a large sum is far beyond my control.”
Xiao Yan rubbed his cheek, “What should we do?”
“Well, one million gold coins is no small amount, but I have confidence in you. Recently, our Meiteer family is recruiting alchemists. If Xiao Yan is interested, you can work off the debt. A second-grade pill can sell for a good price, and with Xiao Yan’s skills, I’m sure you can pay off the debt…” Yaphira’s beautiful eyes curved into a seductive smile, like a captivating fox.
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