"Er..."
Ya Fei's words made Zhou Changqing swallow his explanation.
After a moment of silence, Zhou Changqing sighed helplessly. "Alright, you're right. I didn't fall. I ran into a group of people on my way here and got into a fight. One of them was pretty strong, so I got a little injured."
"Is that why you want to stay at the auction house for a while, little brother?"
"That's right. As you know, Big Sis Ya Fei, I have no one to rely on and my strength is weak. I'm really worried they'll come looking for me, so I was hoping to lie low at your place for a bit." Zhou Changqing nodded, his tone light and joking.
He didn't tell her the whole truth. After all, his relationship with the auction house was purely transactional, and his friendship with Ya Fei was built on that foundation. She might be laughing and chatting with him now, but they had only done business a few times. Her friendly demeanor was just a normal part of her professional charm.
If he laid everything bare, it would reek of trying to win her pity.
Of course, if he told her the truth and asked the auction house for protection, it wasn't impossible that Ya Fei would agree. But that would mean owing a favor, and there was no guarantee they could even solve his problem.
Favors are the hardest debts to repay—unless you're a scoundrel. Was Zhou Changqing a scoundrel? He didn't consider himself a great saint, but he wasn't the type of petty person who would use someone and then cast them aside.
"Alright, then. I'll arrange a room for you later, big sister." Ya Fei could tell Zhou Changqing was hiding something, but she didn't press him. A captivating smile returned to her face as she nodded.
"Then, thank you very much, Big Sis Ya Fei."
"What's there to thank me for? Just keep bringing me more of those Treasure Weapons. My evaluation within the clan depends on it, you know."
"Tsk, that wasn't your attitude a moment ago. Showing your true colors so soon? Fine. As soon as I have more, I'll bring them straight to you."
"You little rascal, so ungrateful. I'm just looking for more excuses to see you."
"I won't tease you anymore. Since you're injured, you should rest well. I'll have your things sent over in a bit. I won't disturb you any longer; big sister has work to do."
"Alright. Goodbye, Big Sis Ya Fei."
"Mm. I'm leaving now. If you need anything, just call for Xiao Hua. I'll have her wait outside."
Leaving the reception room, Ya Fei didn't go to handle auction house business as she had claimed. Instead, she summoned a steward.
"Miss Ya Fei, what are your instructions?"
"Go and investigate what happened in the city today. See if there's anything concerning Young Master Zhou. I want every last detail."
"Yes, right away."
After dismissing the steward, Ya Fei's beautiful eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing within them.
Though she hadn't known Zhou Changqing for long, Ya Fei was an excellent judge of character. She had a good grasp of his personality by now. This "little brother" of hers might seem aloof at first, but he was actually a very easygoing young man who would never go out of his way to provoke others.
Therefore, today's incident couldn't have been simple. She was well aware that many of the city's factions were coveting the Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapons like a juicy piece of meat.
As the general manager of the auction house, Ya Fei's information network was vast. She had known the moment those factions started making their moves. With this incident occurring now, it was hard not to connect the dots.
"I'd like to see just who dares to block my path to advancement!"
Aside from that mysterious alchemist, Zhou Changqing was one of the auction house's biggest clients, on par with the three great clans.
After all, he could provide the auction house with a stable monthly supply of Treasure Weapons. The customer traffic and hype this generated brought in profits that even the great clans couldn't quite match.
If something were to happen to a client like him, it would be a loss for the auction house, and a loss for her, Ya Fei.
The performance of the auction house was tied to her own future. She would absolutely not allow anyone to sabotage it!
While Zhou Changqing was resting peacefully at the Mitel Auction House, a piece of news erupted from the southern district of the city, spreading like a plague.
The speed of its transmission and the buzz it generated were perhaps the greatest in the history of Wu Tan City!
And coincidentally, this news was once again related to the words "Iron-Cleaving Treasure Weapon."
This time, however, the Treasure Weapon was only part of the story, not the main point.
Otherwise, no matter how popular the weapons were, the news wouldn't have earned the title of "the greatest."
The reason this news spread so quickly and so widely was entirely because of a single young man.
The story was that on a certain street in the southern district, an unknown teenager of fifteen or sixteen, wielding a Treasure Weapon, had killed a Dou Shi master despite only being a Dou Zhe!
According to eyewitnesses, for some unknown reason, this young man had provoked a Dou Shi, leading the master to attack him in broad daylight, right in the middle of the street.
During the battle, the youth remained calm and composed. Relying on the advantage of his Treasure Weapon, he skillfully parried all of the Dou Shi's attacks. For a time, the two seemed evenly matched.
In the end, the youth revealed himself to be a high-level Dou Zhe, shocking the Dou Shi master. In that moment of surprise, he struck with the speed of lightning and decisively cut his opponent down!
The moment this news broke, it caused a massive uproar.
Although Dou Zhe and Dou Shi were the lowest ranks in Dou Qi cultivation, there was still a significant gap between them.
Even if the youth was holding a Treasure Weapon that could pierce a Dou Shi's Dou Qi Armor, narrowing that gap considerably, it didn't mean the difference in power could be ignored.
Even without forming Dou Qi Armor, a Dou Shi was strong enough to completely overwhelm five or six Dou Zhes.
After all, a Dou Technique of the same level was far more powerful when used by a Dou Shi than a Dou Zhe.
If a Dou Zhe using a Dou Technique could shatter a stone tablet, then a Dou Shi using the same technique could demolish an entire wall!
Thus, anyone who heard this news initially scoffed in disbelief.
A high-level Dou Zhe at fifteen or sixteen?
A Dou Zhe killing a mid-level Dou Shi?
Do you take me for a fool?
Which of those two things sounds even remotely possible?
But when the news was finally confirmed, everyone was left in a state of profound shock, mouths agape, forced to accept reality.
And after the shock came frantic discussion and gasps of amazement. The news spread like wildfire, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, until the entire Wu Tan City was buzzing.
The entire city was in an uproar!
Even the beggars on the street, whom no one usually paid any mind, had caught wind of it.
In an instant, that young man became a legend in Wu Tan City. Countless people were trying to find out his name, all of them eager to catch a glimpse of this terrifying prodigy.
Night fell. In a boudoir filled with a lingering, fragrant scent, Ya Fei sat at her dressing table, reading the report her steward had delivered that afternoon.
Her beautiful eyes were wide with astonishment, her lips parted in a perfect circle. She had even forgotten to breathe, her expression one of utter disbelief.
A quarter of an hour later.
Hah! Hah! Hah!
Ya Fei gasped for air, her chest heaving as she slowly recovered. Yet, the shock still lingered in her eyes.
Setting the paper down, she stared at her reflection in the mirror, lost in thought.
"Is the gap between people really this vast? It's even greater than the gap between a person and a dog..."
"A fifteen-year-old high-level Dou Zhe... a super-prodigy the likes of which has never even appeared in the imperial capital..."
"Compared to him, even Nalan Yanran probably can't measure up, can she?"
"Little Brother Changqing, you really do know how to keep surprising people."
After a moment of self-deprecating sighs, Ya Fei composed herself. She rose, left her room, and had a servant summon a steward.
"Send a message out. Warn all the factions in the city: Young Master Zhou is a distinguished guest of our Mitel Auction House. Anyone who wishes to harm him will be making an enemy of the Mitel Auction House!"
As she spoke, her usual charming and flirtatious demeanor was gone, replaced by an air of sheer dominance.
"Understood, Miss Ya Fei."
Watching the steward's retreating back, Ya Fei's gaze grew distant.
"Little Brother Changqing, this is the most I can do for you. I hope you can bring me even more surprises... otherwise, big sister's gamble will have been a huge loss..."