"All of you, leave!"
After everyone had left, the woman stood alone by the window. Her alluring face was filled with sorrow as she stared blankly at the distant sky, murmuring softly:
"Must I really resign myself to fate like this?"
In noble families, if a man lacked cultivation talent, he would at most be ridiculed, but he would still live comfortably. The family would even arrange an early marriage for him, hoping that his offspring might inherit a better talent.
But for women, it was different. Without cultivation talent, they were nothing more than commodities with a clear price tag—valued based on their appearance. The more beautiful they were, the more they were worth, to be used for political marriages or to win over powerful figures.
Ya Fei did not want this. She knew that her privileged upbringing was thanks to her family, and she was willing to contribute to it, but not in this way.
The Miteer Clan was a business-oriented family. From a young age, she had been immersed in commerce. Upon realizing she lacked cultivation talent, she dedicated herself to business, showcasing exceptional talent in trade, hoping to secure her place in the family without being sacrificed for its interests.
However, to the clan's elders, her beauty was of greater value. They believed it could bring even greater benefits to the family.
She refused to accept this fate. That was why she had come to Wutan City.
"Must a woman without cultivation talent be unable to stand on her own? Must she always be at the mercy of others?"
Her voice, filled with unwillingness and sorrow, echoed through the top floor of the Miteer Auction House. But no one answered. No one could.
---
As Xiao Bai walked out of the Miteer Auction House, he immediately felt someone watching him. The gaze came from the top floor of the building.
Looking back, he saw two figures—one man and one woman.
Xiao Bai knew the woman must be Ya Fei. As for the old man beside her, the only one qualified to stand next to her in the auction house was the Tier-2 Alchemist, Gu Ni.
"What is it, Bai-ge?" Xiao Yan, noticing Xiao Bai looking back, curiously asked.
Following his gaze, he spotted a mature and alluring figure. Instantly, he seemed to understand something and teased, "Bai-ge, why don't we go back and have another chat with their boss? Her wanted to build a good relationship with us earlier anyway. Maybe I can help arrange a meeting for you?"
Xiao Bai withdrew his gaze and shot him a glance, spitting out a single word:
"Scram!"
With that, he flicked his sleeve and strode off.
"Bai-ge, don't be shy! If you want, I can go talk to them for you! Bai-ge… Bai-ge, wait for me!" Xiao Yan called out as he quickly ran after him.
Xiao Bai ignored the shameless, flamboyant behavior Xiao Yan had been displaying since yesterday. Pretending not to hear him, he quickened his pace toward the Xiao Clan.
When the two arrived at the Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan saw that Xiao Bai did not enter but stopped at the gate. He hurried forward, complaining, "Bai-ge, why are you walking so fast? If you don't want to go, fine, but why run?"
Xiao Bai glanced at him. He had stopped here precisely to wait for this guy—there were some things he needed to say.
"Come with me!"
The two made their way to Xiao Bai's courtyard. Seated at the stone table in the yard, Xiao Bai looked at Xiao Yan seriously and said, "You must not tell anyone about what happened at the blacksmith shop today, not even your father. Understand?"
"Why? The top members of the Jia Lie Clan are all dead now. The Xiao Clan can take over all their businesses in Wutan City immediately! As for the Ao Ba Clan, with you here, Bai-ge, we have nothing to fear!"
Xiao Yan was confused. He had already been planning to tell his father everything upon returning so that they could act before others reacted and completely absorb the Jia Lie Clan's assets.
Xiao Bai knew Xiao Yan would react this way, which was why he had brought him here to warn him in advance.
"Until your Three-Year Agreement is fulfilled, the Xiao Clan must keep a low profile. Don't ask why—just do as I say!" Xiao Bai waved his hand dismissively.
His reasoning was solid. Based on the current timeline, Yun Shan from the Yun Lan Sect was most likely already under the control of the Hall of Souls. This was not the time for the Xiao Clan to draw unnecessary attention.
Caution above all—this was Xiao Bai's guiding principle.
After all, the original story was just a novel, where the protagonist had a plot armor. But this was reality. He couldn't blindly rely on the novel's events. Who knew if his presence had already altered the timeline?
Besides, he needed time to plan and find a way to prevent the Xiao Clan from being wiped out, as they were in the original story. Keeping a low profile for now was the safest option.
The Ao Ba Clan, backed by the Intel Clan—one of the empire's three great families—could not be dealt with as easily as the Jia Lie Clan. At least, not yet.
"Bai-ge, why do you care so much about the Three-Year Agreement? It's my broken engagement, not yours!"
Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask. It felt like Xiao Bai was more concerned about this day than he was.
Inside the ring, Yao Lao also found it strange. This brat Xiao Bai usually carried an air of nonchalance, even in front of him. Yet now, he seemed wary of the Yun Lan Sect.
"Xiao Bai, do you know something? Tell me—I might be able to help."
Yao Lao emerged from the ring, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Though he was far from his peak strength, his vast knowledge might still prove useful.
Xiao Bai secretly rolled his eyes. You think you're some miracle helper? I'd be grateful if you don't end up getting captured instead.
"There's no need to explain now. Just do as I say, and you'll understand when the time comes."
Seeing that Xiao Bai was unwilling to elaborate, neither of them pressed further.
At that moment, Xiao Bai handed a storage ring to Xiao Yan.
"Your medicinal ingredients—take them."
Xiao Yan took the ring and immediately recognized it as the one he had personally taken from the Jia Lie Clan's Grand Elder.
After playing with it for a moment, he sent his soul perception inside. Sure enough, the medicinal ingredients he had stored in those small boxes were all there.
After retrieving them, Xiao Yan tried to return the ring to Xiao Bai.
But Xiao Bai didn't take it. Instead, he waved him off and said, "Keep it. Consider it a gift to celebrate your fresh start."
Xiao Yan was pleasantly surprised but also felt a bit embarrassed. "Bai-ge, this is too valuable... Are you sure?"
"It's just a low-grade storage ring. It may seem valuable now, but once you leave the Jia Ma Empire, you'll find it too small to even bother using."
Xiao Bai spoke indifferently. He hadn't owned one before today, but it wasn't something he particularly cared about.
Seeing that Xiao Bai truly meant to give it to him, Xiao Yan didn't argue further. Whether Xiao Bai was exaggerating or not didn't matter—he happily slipped the ring onto his finger, eagerly testing it by transferring items in and out, clearly enjoying himself.
"Hehe, thanks a lot, Bai-ge!" Xiao Yan grinned from ear to ear.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, get lost!" Xiao Bai started shooing him away. He was eager to try refining pills and didn't have time to watch this kid playing around.
"Oh, right! Bai-ge, my father mentioned that the Miteer Auction House is hosting an auction in a couple of days. It's being led by that woman from earlier! Are you going?"