Tie Shan lifted the wrapped spear and rested it on his shoulder.
"I came here to sell this Tier 3 spear," he said loudly, ensuring the merchants in the crowd heard every word. "But now? I think I will sell it personally. In fact, I can sell all the weapons and equipment from the Xiao Clan Smithing Hall personally. Or maybe I'll take them to the Jia Lie Clan. Or the Ao Ba Clan. Or I'll just set up a tent in the market square!"
He spat on the ground near Ya Fei's feet.
"Maybe I will get a little less profit doing it myself. But it doesn't matter very much to me. I prefer honest dirt to gilded thievery."
Silence fell over the street.
It was a nuclear threat. The Miteer Auction House thrived on having the best items. If the only Tier 3 Smith in the city boycotted them and armed their competitors, their weapon market would collapse overnight. Mercenaries would flock to whoever held Tie Shan's goods.
Yoriichi stood silently slightly behind the large blacksmith.
He watched Tie Shan's broad back. He heard the man risk his life against a Da Dou Shi, and risk his entire livelihood and fortune, all to defend him.
For the first time since his reincarnation, a genuine, profound wave of emotion breached Yoriichi's stoic fortress.
"He is doing all this... for me?" Yoriichi thought, his crimson eyes softening.
In his past life, he had been feared by his brother, ostracized by the other Hashira for his overwhelming power, and left to wander alone. People respected him, but few had ever stood in front of him to act as his shield.
He let out a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh. "My teacher... would tear down this entire institution for my justice. I am truly fortunate in this life."
Ya Fei's face froze. The charming smile completely broke.
She realized they had vastly miscalculated. They couldn't force him. If Gu Ni attacked Tie Shan, the Miteer family's reputation in Wu Tan City would be ruined forever. No craftsman would ever trust them again.
Without any hesitation, Ya Fei abandoned her pride.
She stepped back, placed her hands together, and bowed deeply—a full, ninety-degree bow of submission.
"Please, Mr. Tie Shan," Ya Fei pleaded, her voice ringing with genuine urgency. "I sincerely apologize on behalf of my staff. It was a grave error in judgment. This will never happen again. I give you my word as the Manager of this house."
She turned her gaze to the red-robed boy standing quietly behind the smith.
"And to make amends," Ya Fei announced loudly, trying to salvage the PR disaster, "I will generously compensate Young Master Xiao Ning. The Miteer Auction House will pay him 50% more than the total hammer price of his items today, out of our own treasury!"
The people in the crowd gasped, whispering furiously among themselves.
"Fifty percent extra? That's thousands of gold coins!"
"The Miteer House is bleeding gold to keep the Grandmaster!"
"That Xiao Ning is lucky. He just made a fortune."
Tie Shan looked over his shoulder at Yoriichi, raising an eyebrow. 'Well, kid? Do you want to bleed them?' his look seemed to ask.
Yoriichi stepped forward. He looked at Ya Fei, who was still maintaining her bow, looking up at him through her lashes.
"Miss," Yoriichi said, his voice as calm and tranquil as a still pond. "I just need the exact amount that my items sold for, minus the originally discussed 4% commission. I do not need any extra."
Ya Fei blinked, genuinely stunned. She stood up straight, her eyes wide. In a world driven by greed, where cultivators killed each other over a single pill, this boy was turning down thousands of free gold coins?
"Please, Young Master," Ya Fei urged, confused. "Do not be angry. Consider it an apology for our behavior. We insist."
Yoriichi looked at her. He knew she was the one who had likely ordered the deduction. Taking her "extra" money would mean accepting a bribe to look the other way. It would taint the transaction.
He thought for a few seconds. He had established his boundary. The wolves had been shown the fire. There was no need to burn the forest down.
"I accept your apology," Yoriichi said simply. "But I will only take what I have earned. Honor does not allow me to accept unearned gold from a flawed transaction."
Ya Fei stared at him, a complex array of emotions crossing her face. Frustration, relief, and a sudden, sharp spike of intrigue. This was not the "trash" the rumors spoke of. This boy possessed a terrifyingly solid moral compass.
She sighed, a long exhale of surrender.
"Very well. Your integrity shames us, Young Master."
She turned sharply, her eyes finding Huo, who was cowering behind the lobby doors.
"Huo!" Ya Fei's voice cracked like a whip. "You are suspended without pay for a year for this behavior! Your actions have disgraced this house. I hope you can use this time to reflect and correct your mistakes!"
Huo stumbled forward, his face ashen, trembling in pure terror. A year without pay in his position meant ruin.
"Yes, Manager!" Huo cried, bowing repeatedly. "It was my mistake! I was greedy! I will leave immediately!"
He scrambled to the counter, grabbed a new, heavy pouch of gold, quickly counted the exact sum to the copper, and ran out to the steps. He offered the heavy pouch to Yoriichi with shaking, sweaty hands.
Yoriichi took the pouch. He weighed it.
"12000 gold coins. Correct."
He nodded to Huo, entirely indifferent to the man's tears.
Seeing the situation finally defused, Ya Fei allowed her charming smile to return, though it was a bit more strained than before.
"Grandmaster Tie Shan," she gestured toward the grand doors. "Please, the situation is resolved. Would you do us the honor of coming into our private suites to discuss the business of your magnificent spear?"
Tie Shan grunted. He had made his point. Getting overly emotional and destroying a lucrative business relationship wasn't his style either. He was a practical man.
"Fine," Tie Shan nodded. He turned to Yoriichi and gave him a rough pat on the shoulder that nearly dislocated the boy's arm.
"Kid," Tie Shan grinned. "Go home. Count your money. Rest your hands. If you need me, you can come later to meet me at the forge."
Yoriichi looked at the burly blacksmith. A small, strange smile—one that actually reached his crimson eyes—touched his lips.
"Okay, Teacher," Yoriichi said softly. "Have a good day."
He turned away from the grand Miteer Auction House. Without looking back at the staring crowd, the bewildered Ya Fei, or the furious Alchemist watching from the balcony above, Yoriichi began his walk back to the Xiao Clan.
In the periphery of the dispersing crowd, Xiao Xun'er adjusted the scroll in her arms. Her golden eyes lingered on Ya Fei for a moment, easily seeing through the manager's charming facade and recognizing the cunning pivot of a cornered merchant.
Then, her gaze shifted to Yoriichi's retreating back. The contrast between the auction house's manipulative politics and her cousin's unyielding, quiet honor struck a strange, resonant chord within her.
With a soft, contemplative hum, she turned on her heel and finally resumed her quiet walk toward the clan's library, the puzzle of Xiao Ning growing ever more complex in her mind.
Yoriichi walked calmly, his steps measured and steady, his hand resting lightly on the heavy pouch of gold at his waist. The sun was beginning to set, but for the first time in this new world, Yoriichi felt like he was no longer walking in the dark. He had a master, he had the resources, and he had a blade to forge.