54: The deal is done, Rin is acting strangely.

A flash of surprise quickly crossed Xing Che's crimson eyes—was she truly this perceptive?

But he quickly returned to his lazy, smiling demeanor, tapping the table gently with his long fingers, his tone playful: "It's not exactly 'knowing' me."

He paused deliberately, observing Bai Yao's reaction, "After all, you and I have never formally met."

He suddenly leaned slightly forward, "As for what you said... do you perhaps have some unknown secret?"

This question stunned Bai Yao again, and she almost followed his line of thought.

This fox set a trap for her again with just a few words.

"No."

Bai Yao refused straightforwardly.

"I'm just curious how a big figure like yourself would notice a small fry like me."

Xing Che did not reply directly to this, but simply said, "Perhaps this is the will of the beast god."

Xing Che spoke ambiguously, and Bai Yao pondered over it, feeling that something was wrong, but she couldn't pinpoint what.

That feeling of being completely seen through surfaced again, setting off a slight alarm in her heart.

She suppressed the urge to investigate further and followed his lead, saying, "Alright, well, now we know each other. My name is Bai Yao."

"As you know, I'm from the downstream Leopard Tribe."

"Xing Che."

He stated his name and, at the same time, naturally extended his hand.

The moment their hands clasped, Xing Che once again tested Bai Yao by channeling an undetectable stream of Mental Power toward her.

However, unlike the first time, this power vanished without a trace once it reached Bai Yao, like a stone sinking into the sea.

Looking at Bai Yao, she did not seem to have noticed anything amiss.

Xing Che was secretly astonished, but he withdrew his hand without changing his expression, his curiosity about her growing stronger.

"I look forward to you bringing something eye-catching next time. As long as it's a good item, the Fox Clan Auction House is confident in selling it for a good price."

After speaking, he took out a dark wooden plaque of warm texture, engraved with a secret Fox Clan pattern, and handed it to Bai Yao. "Take this. The guards will bring you directly to see me the next time you come to the Fox Clan Market."

This wooden plaque was clearly completely different from the Jade Token they had held earlier. It looked like wood, but a certain power seemed to surround it.

Tana, standing nearby, was dumbfounded. The level of authorization represented by this wooden plaque was far beyond that of an ordinary Noble Token.

Bai Yao took the heavy wooden plaque; it was warm to the touch and truly extraordinary.

Remembering the rumors about Xing Che's elusive nature, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "If I hold this plaque, will I definitely be able to find you?"

"What if..."

"As long as you come to the Auction House, someone will notify me."

Xing Che seemed to sense her hesitation and promised.

At this point, the Auction ended, and the sounds of admiration were endless as people discussed the precious items they had just seen.

Only Bai Yao was uninterested. The things she viewed as ordinary were treated as treasures here, which filled her with confidence regarding her future goods.

Xing Che took in her subtle changes in expression, and the corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.

He had already sensed Bai Yao's every move since she entered the market—treating the Merfolk Clan on the street, cleverly borrowing a Noble Token... this Female's behavioral pattern completely exceeded his understanding, with every step bringing unexpected surprises.

He was increasingly looking forward to her future performance.

Before leaving, Bai Yao suddenly remembered a key question, turning back to ask, "According to the rules of the Auction House, how are the profits divided?"

"Divided?"

Xing Che felt slightly unfamiliar with this new term, but immediately understood, "Normally, the Auction House splits the profits 50/50 with the Seller."

"The platform, promotion, and clientele provided by the Fox Clan Market are worth that price. Without us, many items wouldn't sell for a good price, or even find a buyer."

However, Bai Yao, who came from the modern era, immediately frowned upon hearing the ratio: "Fifty-fifty? That's highway robbery!"

Xing Che raised an eyebrow. No one had ever dared to openly question the rules set by the Fox Clan.

"That is generally the rule."

He said lightly, yet with pride, "Even so, countless people are desperate to cooperate with the Fox Clan."

Bai Yao was not one to be slaughtered. "What if my goods are unique and precious enough?"

Bai Yao's gaze was intense, "In that case, can my profit share be increased?"

Xing Che gazed at her confident appearance, and the spark of interest in his heart was ignited.

Deep-sea Pearls, volcanic rarities, top-grade beast crystals... what worldly treasures had he not seen?

But at this moment, he inexplicably believed that this Female in front of him could bring something different.

"Rules are not unbreakable."

Xing Che's crimson eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of a merchant's shrewdness, "If your item is truly unique and satisfies me, I can make an exception for you once."

"But the prerequisite is... it must be special enough."

"Remember what you said!"

Hearing Xing Che say this, knowing there was room for negotiation, Bai Yao's eyes lit up. This counted as achieving the preliminary goal.

Bai Yao was satisfied and prepared to pull Tana away and leave.

"Wait,"

Xing Che's smiling voice came from behind, laced with amusement, "Next time you want to come, remember to use the wooden plaque I gave you. Don't borrow someone else's."

Bai Yao's steps froze, her earlobes instantly flushed red. She turned sharply, lowering her voice: "How... how did you know?"

Xing Che just smiled without speaking, his Golden Eyes, which seemed to see through everything, said it all.

Bai Yao suddenly felt a chill.

The rumors in the Beast World were true—there was nothing the High Priest didn't know.

Could she really gain an advantage by cooperating with such a shrewd fox?

She took a deep breath, suppressed the anxiety in her heart, and secretly encouraged herself: She was from the 21st Century, could she really be outplayed by an ancient person from the Beast World?

The two parted ways at the entrance of the Auction House. Just as they walked out, they ran into the Male of the Lion Clan whose plaque had been stolen. When he saw Tana, his eyes lit up, and he was about to go forward to speak to her.

Tana, feeling guilty, pulled Bai Yao and ran away without looking back.

The Servant Beast beside Xing Che immediately asked in confusion, "High Priest, why would you give your personal plaque to that unremarkable Female."

You should know that among the Fox Clan, giving a Female your personal Waist Plaque signifies romantic interest in her.

In his view, given the High Priest's standing, he had countless admirers in the Beast World, where Males outnumbered Females, so he shouldn't have fallen for that unremarkable Female.

Xing Che smiled and said, "After all these years, I've finally encountered something interesting."

As Bai Yao and Tana were strolling on the street, a scorching sharp pain suddenly came from the position of the Wolf-shaped Beast Mark on Bai Yao's chest.

"Hiss—"

She bent over in pain.

"Yaoyao, what's wrong?" Tana quickly supported her.

Bai Yao lifted her collar and found that the wolf mark was faintly red and hot.

"What is going on?"

Tana took a look, and her face instantly flushed crimson. She whispered, "This is... the Beast Mark is warning you. Your beast husband... he seems to have entered his Rutting Period... he's calling for you."

"What?"

Bai Yao was stunned. Wasn't she still here? Who was he with... A bad premonition surged in her heart. She immediately endured the pain and quickly ran toward the direction of the Leopard Clan Tribe's Stall.