The Teuthrin Auction House, the largest auction house in Wu Tan City, also belongs to the wealthiest family in the Jia Ma Empire: the Teuthrin family.
The Teuthrin family has a long history, having developed in the Jia Ma Empire for several hundred years. Their connections are said to be very extensive, and according to some rumors, this wealthy family even has ties to the imperial family.
In the empire, the Teuthrin family, along with the Nalan family and the Yan Te’er family, are known as the Jia Ma's Three Giants, core great families that wield considerable influence in both the empire's economy and military.
Therefore, with the Teuthrin family backing it, even though the auction house generates very high profits, making many covet it, no one dares to lay a hand on it.
Gazing at the grand auction house at the end of the intersection, Xiao Yan turned into a secluded alley, then quickly donned the black cloak he had bought earlier.
The cloak not only concealed Xiao Yan's appearance but also made his slender, youthful figure appear a bit larger. In his current guise, it was likely that even Xun Er standing before him would find it difficult to recognize him.
With that done, Xiao Yan let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't that he was overly cautious; rather, something like the Foundation Elixir held too great an allure for certain families.
After all, if someone could mass-produce this kind of elixir, it could greatly enhance the strength of a family's younger generation. For any family, this was truly an excellent tonic.
To avoid bringing about unnecessary trouble, Xiao Yan could only choose to conceal himself in this manner.
His hand touching the slightly cool jade bottle in his chest, Xiao Yan slowly walked out, then headed towards the auction house at the end of the intersection.
At the entrance, several guards eyed him warily, but Xiao Yan didn't stop, walking directly inside.
The moment he stepped inside, the scorching heat seemed to vanish, replaced by a wonderfully cool sensation. The difference between inside and outside was truly vast.
His gaze swept across the grand hall, then Xiao Yan headed towards a room on the door of which were carved three large characters: "Appraisal Room".
Pushing the door open, he found the room quite empty, with only a middle-aged man sitting somewhat bored on a chair. Hearing the door open, the middle-aged man looked up. Seeing the black-robed figure, his brows furrowed slightly, but he quickly smiled and said, "Sir, have you come for an appraisal?"
"Yes," a slightly aged voice emerged from behind the black robe. It was, of course, Yao Lao's voice.
Xiao Yan took two steps forward, casually pulled out the jade bottle, and gently placed it on the table.
"What is this?" The middle-aged man blinked in confusion. He carefully picked up the white jade bottle and gently sniffed its opening. A moment later, his expression changed slightly. He looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes now holding a hint of awe. "Is Milord an alchemist...?"
"Yes," the aged voice replied again.
"May I ask, what kind of elixir is in this bottle? And what are its effects?"
Hearing this, the middle-aged man respectfully continued to ask.
"Foundation Elixir. It can increase the speed of Dou Qi cultivation. However, it can only be used by those below the Dou Practitioner rank."
"Ah! It can increase the speed of Dou Qi cultivation?" Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man was visibly moved. Dou Qi could only be cultivated according to strict rules, and in the early stages, the body's meridians were extremely fragile. If the medicinal power was too strong, it could rupture the meridians, leading to a tragic death.
"This spirit liquid of mine has no side effects, and its medicinal properties are very gentle. There will be no bad consequences, so you can rest assured." As if understanding the middle-aged man's thoughts, the aged voice slowly explained.
His expression changed. The middle-aged man carefully placed the jade bottle back on the table.
He respectfully said, "Your Excellency, could you please wait for a moment? I'd like to invite Master Gu Ni from our auction house to appraise this spirit liquid."
"Alright, make it quick." Waving his hand, Xiao Yan didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down on a chair and closed his eyes to rest.
The middle-aged man nodded hastily, then quickly left the room.
Sitting on the chair, Xiao Yan remained silent, not speaking a word to Yao Lao. This was someone else's territory; it was always better to be cautious. Who could guarantee that no one was secretly watching or listening?!
After waiting in the room for a good while, the middle-aged man returned, this time bringing with him an old man in a green robe.
Xiao Yan's gaze swept over the old man, finally settling on his chest. There were no golden stars, but rather a symbol of some kind of medicinal pill: two silver ripples, gleaming with an expensive, luxurious aura.
"Your Excellency, this is Master Gu Ni from our auction house. The Master is a Three-star Great Dou Master and also a Rank 2 Alchemist," the middle-aged man respectfully introduced.
Hearing the old man's identity, Xiao Yan's eyebrows slightly furrowed beneath his cloak. Aside from Yao Lao, this was the first time he had met an alchemist, and he couldn't help but size up the other party.
The old man had a ruddy complexion. His green robe looked ordinary, but faintly contained flowing light, clearly indicating it had been enchanted with magic crystals. His aged face couldn't hide his arrogance, a trait common to all alchemists.
While Xiao Yan was appraising the other party, Gu Ni was simultaneously observing the person before him. Alchemists were not like Dou Practitioners; any one of them, no matter how casually they appeared, would be eagerly recruited by various powers. Therefore, as Gu Ni assessed Xiao Yan, he secretly speculated about his identity.
The middle-aged man carefully picked up the jade bottle from the table and handed it to Gu Ni.
Taking the jade bottle, Gu Ni sniffed it lightly. His eyes narrowed, a faint glint appearing in them, as he carefully poured a small drop of the liquid onto his palm.
Staring intently at the green liquid, Gu Ni's two fingers moved slightly, and a tiny silver needle appeared between them. A faint ripple of Dou Qi emanated from the needle's tip. He slowly pricked the green liquid with the needle, then gently stirred it.
Gradually, Gu Ni's face shifted from calm to solemn. A moment later, after pouring the green liquid back into the jade bottle, his gaze turned to Xiao Yan, his arrogance now tinged with a few shades of respect. He turned his head to the middle-aged man and said in a deep voice:
"This spirit liquid has reached the level of a Rank 2 medicinal pill. This esteemed guest's words earlier were not mistaken."
"Then arrange for me to auction this item as quickly as possible."
"That's naturally not a problem. Your Excellency, please take this to Auction Room Number 1; an auction is still underway there. Your spirit liquid will be prepared to be presented."
The middle-aged man said with a smile, handing over a dark iron plate.
"Alright." Casually taking the iron plate, Xiao Yan directly walked out of the room.
"Master Gu Ni, is he an alchemist?"
Seeing Xiao Yan leave the room, the middle-aged man asked in a low voice.
"Yes, he is indeed an alchemist. That sensitive soul force, there's no mistaking it..." Gu Ni nodded, muttering with a hint of doubt, "Which faction does he belong to? I haven't heard of anyone in Wu Tan City capable of refining a second-grade elixir before."
"Should we investigate his background?"
Gu Ni narrowed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Not for now. Alchemists all have somewhat eccentric temperaments. If an investigation were to be discovered by him, I'm afraid it would leave him with a bad impression of the auction house. Casually offending an alchemist of unknown rank is not a wise move."
Turning his head, he glanced at the middle-aged man. Gu Ni said indifferently, "How to make him develop a good impression of us, you should know, right?"
"Yes, I understand, my lord."
"Remember, even if we can't befriend him, we absolutely must not offend him. Otherwise..."
Having spoken these words with an icy tone, Gu Ni walked out...