The speaker was Lin Da Niao.
Lin Da Niao said, “Saintess You Rong, please stay your step!”
“What more do you want?” Uncle Tian looked at Lin Da Niao, his eyes brimming with naked killing intent.
Xu You Rong regarded Lin Da Niao with icy detachment too.
Lin Da Niao smiled and said, “Saintess You Rong, pray do not misunderstand; this one had no intent to oppose you.”
“The Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo holds no use for me.”
“I bid on it solely because I wished to gift it to you.”
At these words, the entire hall erupted in clamour.
“What, this fatty is giving the Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo to the saintess of the Yin Yang Sect?”
“A treasure bought for twenty million spirit stones, just handed over like that?”
“What a wastrel!”
Ye Qiu and the long-browed immortal gaped in stupefaction, itching to knock Lin Da Niao senseless and carry him off.
Xu You Rong felt surprise too and said, “Young master, to be frank, I do indeed desire the Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo; yet you and I are strangers; I have no cause to accept your gift.”
Lin Da Niao laughed heartily and said, “Saintess You Rong, if you grant me one small favour, I shall present the Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo to you.”
“What favour?” Xu You Rong asked.
Lin Da Niao said, “Smile for this young master.”
In an instant, the hall fell into deathly hush.
One by one, they stared at Lin Da Niao, inwardly howling: this dead fatty dares flirt with the saintess of the Yin Yang Sect before such a crowd; does he not fear death?
Uncle Tian flew into a rage at the words, pointed at Lin Da Niao, and barked, “You dead fatty, do you court death? To outrage the saintess so; believe you me, I shall slaughter you now!”
A glint of chill flashed in Xu You Rong’s eyes, then she said softly, “Uncle Tian, mind your manners.”
Thereafter, she looked towards Lin Da Niao in the third-floor box and said, “One smile from me in exchange for the Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo you bought for twenty million spirit stones; in truth, this trade favours me greatly.”
“Very well, I shall smile for the young master.”
Xu You Rong finished speaking and broke into a smile, like a hundred flowers blooming at once; the entire Wang Chun Tower brimmed with fragrance.
Lin Da Niao looked utterly entranced and laughed, “A fortune for a beauty’s smile; worth it!”
“Mr Gongsun, pray deliver the Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo to Saintess You Rong.”
Gongsun Yang smiled faintly, waved his hand, and the Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo appeared before Xu You Rong.
“My thanks.”
Xu You Rong accepted the Blood Rainbow Spirit Bamboo and turned to depart.
The instant she turned, the smile vanished from her face; in her pair of beautiful eyes lurked sinister killing intent.
At this time, Gongsun Yang announced from the platform, “This auction concludes; thank you all for your patronage.”
In the third-floor box.
Lin Da Niao looked utterly content and said, “Brother Chang Sheng, come; I shall take you to Mr Gongsun to collect that sword form.”
Soon, the three met Gongsun Yang in a chamber.
Though Gongsun Yang was a steward of Rong Bao Pavilion, his manner was most affable; he invited the three into the room, ordered tea served, then produced the dragon pattern gold ring and asked Lin Da Niao, “Young master, pray tell, whence came this dragon pattern gold ring of the Black Dragon Merchant Guild?”
Lin Da Niao smiled and said, “In truth, it belongs to my father.”
Gongsun Yang was somewhat surprised and asked further, “Might your honoured father be a steward of the Black Dragon Merchant Guild?”
Lin Da Niao replied, “He is not a steward of the Black Dragon Merchant Guild, though this ring was indeed a gift from them to my father.”
Gongsun Yang knew much of the Black Dragon Merchant Guild; he was aware that besides stewards who handled guild affairs possessing dragon pattern gold rings, certain individuals of special status, close to the guild, might also receive them as gifts.
At once, curiosity stirred in him regarding Lin Da Niao’s origins.
Gongsun Yang asked, “Young master, might I know your father’s name?”
Lin Da Niao said, “My father is surnamed Lin, given name Xiao Niao.”
Pfft.
The long-browed immortal, beside him, could not stifle a laugh at the name.
Father and son, one Da Niao, one Xiao Niao; what eccentric names!
Gongsun Yang paused a moment, then laughed too: “Who might I have thought; so the young master hails from the veterinarian clan; my respects, my respects.”
Gongsun Yang returned the dragon pattern gold ring to Lin Da Niao.
Lin Da Niao paid the full sum of spirit stones to Gongsun Yang on the spot; watching them flow ceaselessly into Gongsun Yang’s spatial ring, Ye Qiu’s heart bled.
Over twenty million; when might he possess so many?
Lin Da Niao said, “Mr Gongsun, twenty-two million spirit stones, not a single one short; pray give that little grass to my brother.”
Gongsun Yang wasted no words, produced the little grass, and handed it to Ye Qiu.
Ye Qiu grasped the little grass, sensed the sword intent within, confirmed no issue, then stowed it in his universe pouch.
“Eh, young master, whence came this pouch of yours?” Gongsun Yang espied the universe pouch, a peculiar gleam in his eyes.
Ye Qiu said, “A gift from a senior.”
Gongsun Yang pressed, “Might I ask which senior the young master means…”
“My senior hails from the secular world; even if I named him, Mr Gongsun would not know; best not to mention.” Ye Qiu continued, “Mr Gongsun, there is a matter on which this junior seeks your aid.”
Gongsun Yang said, “Pray speak, young master.”
Ye Qiu said, “I hear Rong Bao Pavilion spans the entire cultivation world; I fancy Mr Gongsun’s intelligence must be most keen; thus, I wish to enlist Mr Gongsun’s help in seeking a person.”
Gongsun Yang frowned slightly.
Ye Qiu noted his expression and hastily added, “I know my request is presumptuous, but Mr Gongsun, rest assured; I am one who repays favours and shall not leave you the worse.”
Only then did Gongsun Yang ask Ye Qiu, “What is the name of the one you seek?”
Ye Qiu said, “He is called Ye Wushuang!”
Hm?
A trace of shock appeared in Gongsun Yang’s eyes; he glanced again at Ye Qiu’s universe pouch and asked, “The Ye Wushuang wanted by the Yin Yang Sect?”
Ye Qiu nodded: “Precisely!”
“What relation have you to Ye Wushuang?” Gongsun Yang inquired.
Ye Qiu hesitated a moment, then said, “He is my father.”
A smile appeared on Gongsun Yang’s face; he said, “Very well; if news of him arises, I shall notify you.”
Ye Qiu felt surprise; he had not expected Gongsun Yang to agree so readily.
Gongsun Yang produced a token from his pocket and handed it to Ye Qiu, saying, “Young Master Ye, this is my personal token; pray keep it safe.”
“With this token, it is as if I were present.”
“Rong Bao Pavilion has eight thousand seven hundred halls great and small across the cultivation world; henceforth, should you desire anything, you may seek it at any Rong Bao Pavilion hall in the realm, without paying spirit stones.”
This time, not only Ye Qiu was stunned; the long-browed immortal and Lin Da Niao were too.
They could not fathom why Gongsun Yang had suddenly become so generous towards Ye Qiu.
Gongsun Yang said, “Young Master Ye, Young Master Lin, I have urgent matters to attend; I shall not detain you.”
“This junior bids farewell.” Ye Qiu cupped his hands, then departed with Lin Da Niao and the long-browed immortal.
After they left, Gongsun Yang softly called, “Lan Hua.”
“This servant is here.” A black shadow materialised from thin air and knelt upon the ground.
Gongsun Yang instructed, “You saw that young master surnamed Ye just now, did you not? From this moment, protect him in secret.”
“If aught befalls him, you need not live.”
“Do you understand?”
“As you command!” The shadow replied, then vanished into thin air once more.
Thereafter, Gongsun Yang produced a messaging jade slip and inscribed one line.
“Ye Qiu has appeared in Yong An City!”
