Editor and Proofreader: Leo of Zion Mountain & Dhael Ligerkeys
Inside a room in Wind and Cloud Auction House, the brothers in suffering grimaced in pain. They were in a miserable state because they were injured.
In comparison, Bai Qiâs injuries were more serious. His chest was caved in, and his five viscera and six organs were damaged. A trace of blood was also seen at the corner of his mouth. On the other hand, Yang Kai only suffered a fracture in his wrist. With that said, these were not fatal injuries for either of them. They just needed some time to recuperate.
Bai Qi sat down with his legs crossed, and just when he was about to meditate to heal his wounds, Yang Kai suddenly grabbed his clothes and hoisted him, âDonât.â
âWhat are you doing?â Bai Qiâs forehead was covered in cold sweat. He didnât understand why Yang Kai stopped him at this point.
Yang Kai showed him his fractured wrist, âWhat do you think those from Wind and Cloud Auction House are doing now?â
âHow should I know?â Bai Qi barked. He wasnât in the mood to venture a guess when he was barred from treating his own wounds. It was the first time he was placed under house arrest, which was the biggest humiliation in his life. That was the reason he was fuming.
âDid you leave your brain behind when you left the inn this morning?â Yang Kai pointed at his own head, âYou can easily figure it out by giving it a thought.â
Bai Qi couldnât help glaring at him, but after pondering on it for a moment, he soon realised something and exclaimed, âOh, no! Theyâre going to inform the Proprietress about this!â They were shop hands from First Inn, after all. Although those from the auction house had a valid reason for harming them, they would certainly look for the Proprietress to settle the issue.
At that instant, Bai Qi appeared frustrated and sighed, âI shouldnât have done this.â He wouldnât want the Proprietress to find out about it; after all, demanding repayment was just a trivial matter. Failure to do so just meant that he wasnât strong or influential enough; however, if the Proprietress had to step in to handle the matter, it would make him look useless, which was embarrassing.
Upon lifting his head, he saw that there was a faint smile on Yang Kaiâs face though, so with a frown, he asked, âDid you do it on purpose?â Finally, he realised Yang Kaiâs intentions. They engaged in malicious bidding during the auction and purchased most of the items. When the event was over, they intended to leave without paying. How was it possible that they would be allowed to leave? The current outcome was bound to happen and those from the auction house would certainly inform the Proprietress about it. He thought that Yang Kai had an excellent idea to get away with this act, but he hadnât expected this to happen.
Yang Kai grinned at him, âHave you only realised it now?â
Bai Qi was perplexed, âDidnât you say that you didnât want the Proprietress to know?â
Yang Kai slowly shook his head, âThis time is different. Previously, it might not be useful even if the Proprietress was asked to come over. If those from the auction house were determined to renege on their debt, it wasnât like the Proprietress could rob that amount from them. She said that it would be good if these shops were willing to pay up, but if they refused, she didnât mind going to their headquarters to reason with them. I have no idea where Wind and Cloud Paradise is, but itâs definitely not nearby. Why would we want the Proprietress to embark on such a long journey?â
âBut nowâŠâ Bai Qiâs gaze brightened as he had a clearer idea about Yang Kaiâs plan.
Yang Kai grinned in a wicked manner, âNow that we are severely injured and close to dying, the Proprietress has a reason to flare up. In order to appease her, they will have to give her the 10 million pills.â
âSeverely injured and close to dying?â The corner of Bai Qiâs mouth twitched. He looked at the cunning man before his eyes as though he had just discovered his true colours.
âItâll be worth it if we can get the 10 million after all the pain weâve gone through. By then, we might even be able to demand some compensation from them.â
[Not only is he cunning, but heâs also black-hearted!] Despite his thoughts, Bai Qi said, âYou shouldâve told me in advance. I thought you were going to flee after snatching the items.â
A speechless Yang Kai gazed at him, âTwo Fourth-Order cultivators are overseeing this place, how were we supposed to run away?â In fact, it wasnât that they didnât stand a chance. Since he was able to send three rings to Luo Hai Yi, he could also flee with Bai Qi in an instant; however, those from the auction house knew that they were from First Inn, so if they really ran away, all their efforts would go to waste.
âIf Iâm not mistaken, Yun Zhen Hua shouldâve sent someone to inviteâŠâ
Before Yang Kai could finish his words, he heard a familiar voice bellowing from outside the room, âYun Zhen Hua, roll out here now!â
The brothers in suffering widened their eyes and traded glances. They could see the shock behind one anotherâs gazes.
âProprietress arrived so soonâŠâ
At the same time, they collapsed to the ground. Bai Qi stuck out his tongue like he was a dying dog as his aura weakened. On the other hand, Yang Kai landed a few palms on himself and coughed up some blood to make himself look pitiful.
In another room, Yun Zhen Hua and Old Yu, who were seated across from each other, were astounded as well. Supposedly, Madam Lan shouldnât have come so soon; after all, it hadnât been long since they sent a shop hand out to First Inn.
Whatever the case, since she had arrived, they had to reason with her and tell her to discipline her subordinates.
Upon trading glances, they rose from the chairs at the same time and walked towards the door. Regardless of their feelings on the matter, they were facing a Sixth-Order Master, so they didnât dare to offend her.
However, not long after they started moving forward, they felt an immense pressure descending from the sky. A murderous intent seemed to have materialised and caused the entire auction house to tremble.
Yun Zhen Hua felt horrified as there was a crawling sensation on his scalp. With a solemn expression, Old Yu resisted the pressure with all his might, but his bones still started cracking upon impact.
They had no idea why Madam Lanâs anger had erupted all of a sudden. Although she had spoken to them in a rude manner just now, it was understandable as she was a powerful Sixth-Order Open Heaven Master. Nevertheless, how could she directly pressure them? Did she seriously think they were afraid of her?
Both Yun Zhen Hua and Old Yu were enraged. [Our auction house is not where you can make a scene as you please!]
Just then, some shrieks were heard coming from the backyard, and following that, some cracking sounds were heard as though a door had broken apart.
Yun Zhen Hua took a glance at Old Yu and yelled, âLetâs go!â
They dashed out of the room and reached the place where the incident happened. It was the room where Yang Kai and Bai Qi were detained. Presently, many people were lying on the ground in the backyard. They were the shop hands from the auction house who were ordered to stand guard in front of the room.
At the moment, they were groaning in pain after getting beaten. Apparently, it was Madam Lan who made a move on them. Faced with a Sixth-Order Master, these weaklings were completely powerless to resist.
Yun Zhen Hua and Old Yu widened their eyes in fury. Whatever the case, they were now in Wind and Cloud Auction House. Even though Madam Lan was a Sixth-Order Master, she shouldnât have injured so many of their people, and judging from their injuries, it would take these shop-hands at least six months to a year to recuperate.
The two old men sprinted towards the room where the door was broken and saw a curvy figure that was facing away from them. Presently, she was squatting and checking on the two little brats.
âProprietressâŠâ Old Bai muttered under his breath and spat blood, âI⊠Iâm worried that I donât have much time left⊠M-Many thanks for taking care of me over the years. This Old Bai will always remember it and repay you in my next life.â
The Proprietress was squatting in front of them with her hair covering her eyes. Although Yang Kai and Bai Qi were unable to see her expression, they could hear her grinding her teeth.
âShut up!â The Proprietress lifted her hand and clenched Bai Qiâs chin. While he stared at her in disbelief, she directly knocked him out.
Then, she slowly shifted her attention to Yang Kai as her lips curved into an inscrutable smile, âBoth of you are really something else.â
Yang Kai let out a hollow laugh as he had no idea how to reply to her.
The Proprietress was truly incensed. After Luo Hai Yi sent her the rings in a hurry, she immediately realised what had happened and rushed over to the auction house. Initially, she intended to have a proper discussion with Yun Zhen Hua to settle the issue, but as soon as she arrived at this place, she detected that Yang Kai and Bai Qi had been confined, and that their auras were unstable.
Upon this realization, she became enraged and stormed into the place; however, after she checked them more carefully, she realized it was all a sham. These two brats were indeed weak and wounded, but their injuries were nowhere near as serious as she had imagined. They just needed a little time to recuperate.
At the same time, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief because they only suffered from minor injuries. After she finished speaking, she slowly got to her feet and hung her head low. A cold aura swirled around her, which caused the temperature in the place to drop significantly. Even Yang Kai couldnât help but shudder.
âWho injured them?â As she asked the question, she slowly turned around and swept a cold glance over Yun Zhen Hua and Old Yu.
Faced with her stare, they felt as though a blade had been pressed against their necks and they had a premonition that something terrible was about to happen.
Yun Zhen Hua suppressed the anxiety in his heart and asked with a frown, âAre you Madam Lan? We can discuss thisâŠâ He had only heard about how crazy this woman was in the past, but he had never seen her before. The alluring woman in front of him seemed to be different from the rumours about her.
âWho injured them?â The Proprietress ignored him and repeated her question, her gaze even colder than before.
Hearing that, Yun Zhen Hua became incensed. He was a Head Shopkeeper from Wind and Cloud Paradise who had been stationed in this auction house. Although Madam Lan had a powerful background, she shouldnât be so arrogant.
To the side, Old Yu snorted, âThese two reckless brats didnât understand the immensity of Heaven and Earth and dared make a scene in our auction house. It was already magnanimous of this Old Master to have spared their⊠Ah!â
Before he could finish his speech, Old Yu condensed all his strength and pushed out his palm. This couldnât be helped, as he could see the woman in white pushing out a palm against him. She was engulfed in a malevolent aura as though she was some kind of ferocious beast.
[How dare she make a move on me!?] Old Yu was both shocked and incensed. Earlier, he had harmed Yang Kai and Bai Qi, and now, Madam Lan had injured many shop hands from their auction house. It didnât really matter as they were all insignificant people; however, it would be a different story if two Open Heaven Realm Masters traded moves in the Star City. There was no way those from Great Battle Heaven would ignore it.
[Is this woman out of her mind?] That was the idea that had flashed across Old Yuâs mind.