Chương 32: She Knew!

Breakfast in the main dining hall went exactly as usual, save for the quiet. The rosewood chair beside Xiao Xuan remained empty. After quickly finishing their morning meal, Su Zhongtian and Liang Shufen offered their brief nods and left the hall to attend to the council elders.

"Let's go, else we'll be late!" Su Luoyao bounced out of the dining hall behind Xiao Xuan, her eyes bright and expectant. She wore a light crimson dress tailored for the outdoors, a stark contrast to her usual heavy training robes.

"First, I have some official work to handle," Xiao Xuan said, adjusting his sleeves as he made his way toward the corridor leading to the carriage grounds.

"After that, we can go to the market." Su Luoyao stopped walking and puffed her cheeks out.

"You're speaking just like Big Sis now. All business."

"Don't worry," Xiao Xuan chuckled, glancing back.

"It will only take a few minutes. Then the rest of the day is yours."

"Woof!" A heavy blur of golden fur suddenly sprang out from behind a stone pillar, landing squarely in front of Xiao Xuan. The massive spirit dog sat on its hind legs, its tail wagging so hard it swept the dust off the polished floorboards. Xiao Xuan smiled and reached down, affectionately patting the beast's broad head.

"Can we take Chubby with us?" Su Luoyao asked.

"Uh… okay," Xiao Xuan agreed.

"Yippee!"

"Woof!" Su Luoyao and Chubby both bounced with mirrored excitement as they hurried toward the carriage grounds. Minutes later, they were rolling through the bustling streets of the Xianghai district. Wei Tu sat up front with the driver, leaving the spacious, silk-lined interior of the carriage to Xiao Xuan, Su Luoyao, and the giant dog taking up half the floor space. Xiao Xuan rested his chin on his hand.

"Chubby is a spirit beast, right?" Xiao Xuan asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"What rank is he actually at?"

"He's around the Qi Shi (Qi Master) rank," Su Luoyao answered.

"Wow." Xiao Xuan blinked. He stared at the drooling animal. This dog could literally sneeze and break my ribs. I am weaker than the family pet!

"Don't be so surprised," Su Luoyao said, noticing his stunned expression.

"He was already at the Qi Zhe (Qi Practitioner) rank the day he was born. Unlike us humans, spirit beasts have it easy."

"Hmm." Xiao Xuan recalled the texts he had skimmed in the clan library. Unlike humans, who had to draw ambient Qi into their dantians to form their foundation, spirit beasts were born with innate cultivation. Depending on their bloodline and the density of the natural energy around their birth, a spirit beast could be born anywhere between a lowly Qi Tu (Qi Disciple) and a devastating Qi Huang (Qi Emperor). Though, beasts of the latter rank were considered walking natural disasters and were exceptionally rare.

Some texts even mentioned certain mythical beasts that were born with Qi Zun (Qi Venerate) rank and higher, like dragons and phoenixes, although they had long since gone extinct.

"Woof." Chubby rested his head directly onto Xiao Xuan's lap. Xiao Xuan let out a soft breath, brushing through the thick golden fur as the carriage rolled onward. … The carriage came to a smooth halt before the towering white marble gates of the Tang Auction House. The moment they stepped down, Elder Hua, recognizing Xiao Xuan, offered a bow and immediately escorted them through the opulent halls, bypassing the crowded public appraisal rooms entirely. They were led to a private VIP chamber on the third floor.

The room smelled faintly of premium sandalwood, furnished with plush velvet seats and a low jade table. A moment later, the sliding doors parted. Tang Zefei walked in. She wore an elegant, dark purple dress that hugged her curves, her long hair pinned up with a silver comb.

"Good morning, Xuan," she greeted warmly. She shifted her gaze, offering a polite nod.

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"Good morning, Zefei," Xiao Xuan replied, matching her easy tone. Sitting beside him on the velvet couch, Su Luoyao's eyes narrowed slightly. She crossed her arms. Wait until I complain to Big Sister about this!

"So, what brings you here today?" Zefei asked, taking a seat across the jade table. Xiao Xuan channeled a tiny thread of Qi into his silver ring. With a faint ripple in the air, four pristine jade vials materialized on the table.

"These are the Tier 3 healing pills," Xiao Xuan explained.

"I want to sell them." Tang Zefei reached across the table, picking up one of the cold jade vials. Removing the cork, she tipped it slightly. Two perfectly round, translucent crimson pills rolled into her palm. They radiated a faint, mesmerizing warmth.

"Wow," Tang Zefei breathed, her eyes gleaming.

"You perfected it already!" She carefully slid the pills back into the vial and handed the set to Elder Hua, who stood silently by the door.

"Process these for the grand auction," she instructed the elder, before turning back to Xiao Xuan.

"I will have the funds transferred to you once they sell. They will fetch a premium price."

"Thank you," Xiao Xuan nodded.

"Is that all you came for?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Well…" Xiao Xuan paused. He leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on his knees and held her gaze.

"As you know, I've been assigned to manage our clan's end of the trade deal. I don't want it to change anything between us." Tang Zefei stared at him for a moment. Then, a soft, melodic laugh escaped her lips.

"Please, Xuan," she smiled, resting her chin on her hand.

"Am I also not doing business with you? This is normal commerce."

"The Su Clan forges some of the finest, most durable weapons in the eastern market. It is highly profitable for us. Our friendship makes the formalities much smoother." Xiao Xuan offered a bright, relieved smile and extended his right hand across the jade table.

"I'm glad we are on the same page here. It is a pleasure doing business with you, Zefei."

"Of course. The pleasure is mine, Xuan." Tang Zefei reached out and took his hand, returning the firm shake. Beside them, Su Luoyao was practically burning with fury, her small hands balled into tight fists on her lap.

"Can we leave already?" she asked loudly, her voice clipping the air.

"Yes, yes. We are done here," Xiao Xuan said.

"Are you heading somewhere?" Tang Zefei asked.

"Yes, we are heading down to the market for some shopping," Xiao Xuan replied, standing up.

"Oh?" Zefei smiled.

"Enjoy the fair, then."

"Fair?" Xiao Xuan repeated, blinking in confusion.

"Yes. Did you not know about the Grand Market Fair happening today? You picked a very lucky day to go out shopping." Xiao Xuan slowly turned his head, his gaze landing on Su Luoyao. The little demon was averting her gaze, suddenly finding the empty teacups incredibly fascinating. She knew! …

"Why didn't you tell me about the fair?" Xiao Xuan asked as they walked down the wide marble steps of the auction house.

"I—I thought you knew!" Su Luoyao lied, her eyes darting away. She quickly recovered, puffing out her chest.

"Besides, isn't it better? There will be more stalls, and everything will be cheaper!" Xiao Xuan let out a sigh. I am lucky that I prepared to sell the new batch of pills.

"But tell me," Su Luoyao pivoted, her tone suddenly turning stern as she pointed an accusing finger at his chest.

"What were you doing holding that woman's hands?!"

"Uh…" Xiao Xuan's face turned grim. … The moment they stepped onto the main streets of the market district, Xiao Xuan understood what Zefei meant. The usual organized chaos of the Xianghai trade hub had exploded into a vibrant, overwhelming festival. Thousands of red and gold paper lanterns were strung between the multi-story wooden buildings, swaying in the crisp wind. The streets were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with cultivators and mortals alike.

The air was a thick, intoxicating blend of roasted meats, sweet caramelized sugar, and burning incense. Xiao Xuan, Su Luoyao, and Wei Tu abandoned the carriage at the perimeter, opting to walk through the dense crowd. Chubby happily trotted ahead of them.

"Look, brother-in-law!" Su Luoyao gasped, her eyes locking onto a brightly painted wooden cart.

"Spicy Spirit-Boar Skewers and Glazed Lotus Seeds! I want those!" She didn't wait for his reply. She grabbed Xiao Xuan by the sleeve and dragged him through the sea of people.

"Relax! I'm not running away!" Xiao Xuan yelled, stumbling over his own boots as he tried to keep his balance. For the next two hours, they moved from stall to stall. Su Luoyao acted like a general conquering enemy territory. She tried steaming dumplings filled with spirit-shrimp, spicy noodles that made her face turn red, and sweet, icy fruit bowls. On the way, Su Luoyao went around trying out every stall, while Xiao Xuan looked around on his own.

Wei Tu walked silently behind them, storing the growing mountain of wrapped packages and wooden boxes inside his storage ring. While Su Luoyao was busy haggling with an exhausted vendor over the price of a rare jade bracelet, Xiao Xuan wandered a few steps away. He found a small, quiet stall tucked between two massive fabric merchants. The wooden table was lined with velvet, displaying an array of delicate, handcrafted accessories. His eyes scanned the items, eventually stopping on a specific piece near the corner.

It was a hairpin carved from deep blue jade. It wasn't flashy or overloaded with raw Qi like the items the cultivators usually bought. Instead, it was elegantly simple, featuring intricate, masterfully carved details of a soaring phoenix along its length.

"I'll take this one," Xiao Xuan told the old merchant. He carefully tucked the blue jade hairpin into his robes, a satisfied smile on his face. He turned around to head back to Su Luoyao and Wei Tu. As he bypassed a large fruit stall, his footsteps suddenly faltered. Standing just a few yards away, near the edge of the market square, was a young couple. The man was dressed in extravagant, embroidered robes, holding an ornate folding fan. The woman beside him was laughing. Xiao Xuan recognised them both.