Chapter 107 Old Friends in the Private Room

"Buzz!"

The golden light of the official seal suddenly surged, and the phantom of the golden Dragon let out a roar, its body expanding abruptly, forcing the black flood dragon back several feet.

Taking this opportunity, Xu Changze retreated rapidly, darting toward the back of the Peony Pavilion, clearly intending to flee for his life.

"Where do you think you're going!"

How could Chen Mu let today's humiliation slide? He had nearly met his doom all because of this man.

He activated his Divine Void Step and was about to give chase.

"Wait!"

At that moment, the lazy and composed voice from the third-floor private room rang out again, carrying a hint of a playful smile.

"Chief Chen, oh no, Great Hero Chen, this is quite unfair of you."

"I spent a full six hundred taels of silver to buy you. The silver has been paid, the goods delivered, and the contract is sealed. Why are you turning around to chase someone else?"

The person drawled, his tone clearly teasing.

"I am the easiest person to talk to and the most observant of rules. Since you're here and have accepted my greeting gift, shouldn't you come up to... chat with me and fulfill the contract?"

"As for that friend in black... the monk can run, but the temple can't. He won't get far."

Chen Mu's pursuing figure came to a sudden halt.

He looked up at the third-floor private room where the bead curtains hung low, his eyes flashing with light.

Xu Changze had already vanished, his presence rapidly fading. Chasing him now might not be successful, and the situation inside the Peony Pavilion was still unclear; Qi Huan was still waiting for rescue.

More importantly, this generous person who had bought him was... an old friend?!

Chen Mu took a deep breath, suppressing the killing intent churning in his heart. He turned, tapped his toes, and leaped toward the third floor as light as a swallow, landing steadily in front of the private room.

Below was a mess. The guests had long since fled, leaving only some terrified servants and guards of the Peony Pavilion.

In mid-air, as Xu Changze distanced himself, the golden Dragon of the official seal quickly dissipated. The black dragon summoned by Chen Mu also exhausted its energy and slowly retracted into his body.

The private room was silent, save for a faint, elegant incense drifting out, quite different from the cosmetic scents below.

Chen Mu's hand tightened around the soul-slaying blade, then relaxed.

Through the door curtain, he asked word by word toward the interior.

"Have you seen enough of the show, Lord Zhao Xiong?"

There was a moment of silence in the private room, followed by a low, powerful laugh.

"Hahahahaha."

"Good lad, smart as expected. You didn't make me wait for nothing."

Chen Mu lifted the curtain and entered the room, which was unexpectedly quiet.

The room was spacious and elegantly furnished. Several tasteful porcelain pieces sat on a curio shelf, and a landscape painting with a profound Concept hung on the wall.

A man sat on a red sandalwood chair by the window.

He was dressed in a black brocade robe with cloud patterns embroidered in dark gold thread at the collar, looking luxurious without being ostentatious.

His face was handsome and heroic, with an air of dignified composure from long-held high status. A smile played on his lips as he observed Chen Mu with interest.

Although his temperament, clothing, and demeanor were worlds apart, the contours of his features—especially the flash of boldness and cunning in his eyes when he smiled—allowed Chen Mu to immediately confirm that this was the same Zhao Xiong who had helped him at the city gate and given him the bear paw gloves.

Zhao Xiong gave a light chuckle, holding a white jade teacup and taking a small sip.

"I didn't misjudge you; those bones of yours are tough enough. Anyone else would have likely had their spirit crushed and knelt for mercy under the suppression of that official seal's Luck."

Chen Mu sat down slowly without speaking. Zhao Xiong looked him up and down, noting his disheveled state, and nodded.

"That demon seal suits you quite well. You've activated it so quickly; I truly didn't misjudge you."

Chen Mu remained silent for a moment before asking.

"Did you know all along what would happen tonight?"

Zhao Xiong shrugged.

"I had a general idea. Xu Changze's little schemes might fool others, but not me."

"He deliberately let you and Qi Huan investigate, then set this trap at the Peony Pavilion. First, to ruin your reputation, and second, to test your hidden cards, if you had any."

Chen Mu shook his head and stared at him, asking.

"Why help me?"

Zhao Xiong smiled, his expression unreadable.

"If I said I just liked the look of you, would you believe me?"

Chen Mu didn't answer, raising a hand to interrupt Zhao Xiong's teasing.

"Before we catch up, I wonder if Brother Zhao could be a good person to the end? Can you save Qi Huan, who was taken away by Lord Wang?"

Zhao Xiong raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised by Chen Mu's pushy request.

"Oh? You're quite loyal. But... how do you know I haven't already saved him?"

Chen Mu's brow furrowed slightly as he caught the underlying meaning. He recalled that during the auction, Qi Huan had been bought by Lord Wang from the north of the city, and this Lord Wang...

"Is he also one of yours?"

Zhao Xiong snapped open a folding fan, his tone relaxed.

"Buying you for six hundred taels—wouldn't it seem more worth it to throw in some extras?"

"For three hundred taels, I picked up that Officer Qi as well. Otherwise, do you really think that unlucky-looking Lord Wang could have actually taken him to a room so smoothly?"

Having said that, he clapped his hands. A small side door in the private room slid open silently, and a black-clad guard who hadn't appeared before slipped in to whisper a few words.

Zhao Xiong nodded, and the guard retreated.

Before long, heavy and staggering footsteps came from the stairs. Two steady-looking men emerged, supporting a man between them—it was Qi Huan.

However, Qi Huan looked quite pathetic at the moment.

His official uniform was in disarray, his hair was disheveled, his face was bruised, and there were traces of blood at the corner of his mouth. Clearly, he had suffered a bit during the ordeal.

Fortunately, his clothes were mostly intact. Although his expression was one of embarrassment and anger, his eyes remained sharp and clear; he hadn't suffered any unbearable humiliation.

Chen Mu inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Brother Zhao was telling the truth; that Lord Wang hadn't actually done anything to him.

But his expression now, besides shock and anger, vaguely carried a thick sense of... resentment?

As soon as he entered, his gaze locked onto Chen Mu. He saw that although Chen Mu was also covered in blood and his Qi was unstable, he could move freely and was even chatting and laughing with the master of the room while holding his blade.

"Chief Qi, are you alright?"

Chen Mu took a step forward.

Qi Huan's expression shifted. He struggled to push away the men supporting him and managed to stand on his own. He straightened his tattered collar, trying to regain some of his dignity as a government official, though with little success.

He gave Chen Mu a frustrated glare, then quickly looked away, muttering something indistinctly.

"Damn it... I actually didn't sell for as much as you... how embarrassing..."

Though his voice was small, everyone present heard him clearly.

The corners of the two burly men's mouths twitched slightly, and they quickly lowered their heads, focusing intently on their own business.

Chen Mu: "..."

He was momentarily speechless, looking at Qi Huan with a strange expression.

This guy... is his focus a bit off?

He thought Qi Huan would denounce the Peony Pavilion or complain about his ordeal. He hadn't expected the Banner Officer to be brooding over being outsold at the auction.

Then, Zhao Xiong's laughter rang out even louder and more cheerfully from within the private room, filled with unabashed mischief.

"Hahahahaha! Interesting, truly interesting."

"If Officer Qi feels the price was too low and is unsatisfied, that's easy to fix."

He paused, his voice carrying the enthusiasm of a merchant.

"Business is all about mutual consent and honesty. If Officer Qi feels that three hundred taels was an insult to your handsome and heroic status as a Banner Officer, we can always renegotiate."

"What price do you want? Name it, and I can pay the difference right now, ensuring you sell for even more than Brother Chen!"