Chapter 59 Xiao Xun'er of the Academy Invites Elder Hai to Swallow the Black Seal

On the lush back mountain of Jia Nan Academy.

At the Peak of the mountain stood a graceful young girl.

The girl was dressed in a pale green dress, with a purple belt lightly tied around her slender waist, outlining an extremely alluring figure.

Her curves were exquisite and well-developed, possessing a unique charm.

Facing the vast white mist in the distance, her slender figure amidst the mist looked like a green lotus blooming in the Mortal World, pure and untainted.

"Ding-ling."

The girl gently shook the green bell on her fair, snowy wrist.

Not long after.

A patch of shadow behind the girl suddenly wriggled.

Soon, an aged shadow emerged.

"Young Miss!"

The old man bowed respectfully to the girl and said with a smile.

"Old Ling. You're finally back." The girl turned around, and it was indeed Xiao Xun Er. She opened her red lips slightly, and her sweet smile made all the flowers lose their color.

"How is he?"

Xiao Xun Er was referring to the youth she grew up with as childhood friends—

Xiao Yan.

Ling Ying hesitated for a few moments, looking at his Young Miss's cheeks, where a shy blush that would drive the entire Jia Nan Academy crazy slowly surfaced.

He was a bit troubled, but finally sighed and said,

"Xiao Yan... in the Three-Year Agreement... he lost to Nalan Yanran!"

"Brother Xiao Yan only had a slip-up..." After processing Ling Ying's words, Xiao Xun Er suppressed her surging emotions and spoke subconsciously.

Seeing the Young Miss before him in her white robes, elegant and ethereal, Ling Ying gave a bitter smile.

"It was a crushing defeat! A total loss!"

Xiao Xun Er's delicate body shook, her pupils shrinking slightly, "What?!"

She looked at Ling Ying and stepped forward quickly, then suddenly stopped.

"Brother Xiao Yan... how could he lose..." Her exquisite face turned somewhat pale.

"Young Miss... you have placed too much on that youth."

Ling Ying's tone carried a hint of incomprehension.

"I don't understand why Young Miss protects him so much."

"He is clearly a use—" Ling Ying's aged voice paused, and seeing the Young Miss's eyes, he quickly changed his tune.

"Young Master Xiao has worked very hard. In three years, he went from not even being a Dou Practitioner to becoming a Great Dou Master. It's just that his opponent, Nalan Yanran, was too strong."

Xiao Xun Er pursed her lips; if Uncle Ling Ying had insulted her Brother Xiao Yan, she would have certainly retorted.

"If I had known, I would have just killed Nalan Yanran when she broke the engagement!" A hint of resentment appeared in Xiao Xun Er's beautiful eyes.

"Sigh... If Young Master Xiao wants to walk side-by-side with you, Young Miss, he still has a long way to go..."

Xiao Xun Er clenched her small fists, "I believe in Brother Xiao Yan!"

She seemed to think of something and suddenly asked, "Did he encounter anything unexpected?"

Ling Ying lowered his head, "This old man heard Nalan Yanran say that the reason she could win the match was all thanks to the Cloud Mist Sect's Elder—Gu He."

The wind whistled shrilly, rustling the fallen leaves like the mournful cry of an ape.

"Gu He?" A flash of surprise crossed Xiao Xun Er's eyes.

"That sixth-rank pill king?"

"It seems I'll have to pay more attention to this person in the future."

Due to the information gap, in Xiao Xun Er's eyes, Gu He was just a Sixth-Rank Alchemist; though outstanding, he wasn't someone to be regarded specially.

But now... she had to keep an eye on this person for Xiao Yan.

The scene of Xiao Yan warming her body when they were children surfaced in her mind again.

The youth's clean-cut face had not faded because of the crushing defeat in the Three-Year Agreement.

In Xiao Xun Er's eyes, Xiao Yan was still that Brother Xiao Yan!

Ling Ying responded and withdrew after some instructions from Xiao Xun Er.

His figure was ethereal, a deep meaning in his eyes as he murmured softly,

"Kid Xiao Yan, you want to be with my Young Miss? That's simply a toad wanting to eat swan meat... If you don't put in more effort, you'll be rejected by those old fellows..."

...

On the other side.

Mittel Family, main hall.

Gu He sat drinking tea, dressed in a mysterious-patterned white robe. He extended an invitation to Hai Bodong, explaining the matter of the Heavenly Flame at Jia Nan Academy.

Without a second thought, Hai Bodong's short, snowy beard twitched slightly, "I am willing to lend a helping hand!"

Gu He nodded and asked, "Does Old Hai have any ambition to expand your territory?"

"Expand territory?" Hai Bodong was confused but felt it sounded impressive.

Gu He looked up toward the outside of the hall.

Outside the hall, the flowers and grass flourished, and orioles flew about; the vigorous scene was quite unrestrained.

"Old Hai, would you care to step into the pavilion with me?"

Hai Bodong nodded.

The two went to a pavilion in the outer garden.

A winding stream flowed quietly around them, and the fragrance of flowers carried by the breeze had a hint of honey.

It was peaceful and beautiful.

Gu He looked at the surroundings before slowly saying,

"Does Old Hai know the principle of 'being prepared for danger in times of peace; preparation prevents disaster'?"

Hai Bodong raised an eyebrow. What was wrong with Gu He today? Why was he suddenly playing mind games?

Could there be something else besides the Heavenly Flame?

Gu He slowly got to the point, "The Black Seal Auction, I wonder if Old Hai has heard of it?"

"Of course I know it. It's the largest auction house in the Black-Corner Region, almost monopolizing the entire auction industry there. In terms of scale alone, even our Mittel auction house in the Imperial Capital cannot compare."

"But in terms of overall strength and the distribution of branches, our Mittel is still slightly superior."

Hai Bodong said with a bit of pride.

He was getting on in years, and after returning to the Family, he felt a warm atmosphere different from those twenty years at the border. Thus, he, who usually didn't care about such things, had recently begun to value reputation and care about the Family.

In his eyes, the Black Seal Auction House was just a group of bandits who started through slaughter; they, the Mittel, were the orthodox ones.

Gu He smiled faintly, "But I've heard that Black Seal has been very active lately, seemingly wanting to scout out the Imperial Capital..."

The two were competitors and naturally in a hostile relationship.

"They dare!" Hai Bodong slapped the table.

"Behind the Black Seal Auction House is the Eight Gates, a major power in the Black-Corner Region. The current leader is named Yuan Yi, City Lord, with a cultivation at the Two-Star Dou Huang Peak. His methods are extremely ruthless," Gu He said slowly.

"The person behind them is just a Two-Star Dou Huang. That Yuan Yi, City Lord, I could have crushed him with one finger at my Peak!"

Hai Bodong was somewhat Life Qi. Although he hadn't fully recovered his strength, he currently had the level of a two or Three-star Dou Huang. He wasn't afraid of Black Seal, and he could talk tough as he pleased.

Also, he had given the medicinal ingredients for the Purple Recovery Pill to Gu He a few days ago. He wondered if he...

Gu He saw the look in Old Hai's eyes and guessed what the old fellow was muttering about. With a flick of his sleeve, an exquisite jade box and a bottle of Amomum Wine appeared on the stone table.

"I naturally couldn't forget your Medicinal Pill."

Hai Bodong opened the box and felt his mind relax as he smelled the rich pill fragrance. He didn't take it immediately but looked up at Gu He and said,

"You said all that just now because you want me to help you take down the Black Seal Auction House, right?"

Why else would he bring this up for no reason? It was clearly a provocation, yet he couldn't help but fall for it.

"Old Hai is truly wise!"

Gu He pulled the wine cork, and the mellow, soft aroma of the wine drifted out. It smelled good, yet it made Hai Bodong feel particularly irritated.

"Isn't this a bit too impulsive? Black Seal doesn't seem to have provoked you or the Cloud Mist Sect."

Gu He's gaze was firm as an energy shield, like an inverted jade bowl, rose beside the pavilion.

His voice was light yet powerful,

"It's not impulsive."

The extent of the Black Seal Auction House's wealth accumulation in the Black-Corner Region was beyond Hai Bodong's imagination, but Gu He knew, so...

"Their Black Seal Auction House likes to rob others; there's no problem if we rob them, right?"

"Use wisdom against the strong, and crush the weak. Rest assured, Old Hai, I've invited other helpers; it's not just the two of us..."

...