When the attendant was present, Yan Xiaobao refused to answer any questions, so he waved his hand to signal acceptance of the apology. Initially, he planned to respond with a brief reply, but Lan Feng stopped him at the last moment, reminding him that experts in the Holy Name Rankings did not bow to anyone. Instead, he should display a demeanor of acceptance, and that was exactly what Yan Xiaobao did. The manager’s face was filled with relief.
"Xiao Wei, please visit the head of the family and inform him that I will be late." As soon as the attendant heard these words, he bowed deeply to the manager, then bowed again to the expert, before exiting the room and shutting the door behind him.
The manager smiled lightly at the expert, his gaze sweeping over everything in front of him, causing his brows to furrow.
The figure before him defied understanding. The robes clearly resembled ceremonial attire, but this expert wore them as though they served purely to conceal. Normally, as experts progressed in their cultivation, their stature would grow more robust and commanding, yet the figure before him remained petite and frail. The narrow waist led the manager to suspect this was a woman, yet there were no signs of breasts! This left the manager thoroughly perplexed.
Beneath the sleeves, the visible hands gleamed like jade, smooth and white. Despite the long and slender fingers, they carried an air of innocence.
The face itself was concealed under a conical hat. Though the manager’s curiosity burned to uncover what lay beneath, he was far from foolish enough to ask the expert to remove the hat. If the expert wished to unveil themselves, they would do so willingly. If not, the manager had no intention of stirring discord.
"Ahem," the manager cleared his throat, "I am deeply grateful to have an extraordinary expert like you visit our humble auction house. How may I be of service?" he asked in the most deferential tone.
Yan Xiaobao hesitated briefly, but after a few seconds, he retrieved two Memory Gems from his pocket and placed them on the tabletop. The two Memory Gems remained as black as before, their surfaces polished to a brilliant sheen that seemed pre-burnished. Inside the black gemstones, as they hovered in place, swirls of white mist captivated anyone who dared to gaze into them.
The manager fell silent for a long time. If the Memory Gem contained skills created by experts of lower Dantian rankings, the mist within would be barely visible and dark. If it held skills created by experts of moderate Dantian rankings, the mist would be gray. If it housed skills from top-tier Dantian ranking experts, the mist would be pure white.
This mist was the purest white snow, and the manager could barely contain his urge to salivate.
"This... what are these?" he asked slowly, holding one of the gems in his hand.
"One martial arts skill and one spiritual art skill," Yan Xiaobao replied softly. At just ten years old, Yan Xiaobao’s voice was immature, sounding almost feminine, leading the manager to wonder if this truly was a female cultivator.
"Miradi, do you wish for me to auction these two skills?" he asked gently, his gaze fixed on the two stones, unable to tear himself away. Yan Xiaobao smiled faintly, not with mockery but with warmth. Though the manager suspected he was being ridiculed for his reaction to the Memory Gems, Yan Xiaobao was actually amused at being addressed as "Miradi."
"Yes, I wish to auction these two skills. They are contained within low-tier Memory Gems, and I will not auction any other skills," Yan Xiaobao stated slowly, allowing each word to sink into the manager’s mind.
Indeed, a low-tier Memory Gem meant its use was limited to just a few times. Furthermore, the enigmatic expert expressed no intention of ever auctioning other Memory Gems containing the same skills, thereby increasing their rarity.
"We will run some tests to determine the nature of the skills, and then proceed with the auction. Would you care to reside in our Ma family’s estate until the auction event is ready?" the manager asked, eager to establish a favorable relationship with the mysterious expert. However, Yan Xiaobao shook his head ever so slightly.
"I have matters that require my attention. I wish for the auction to take place one week from now. I will attend the auction, but I must leave on the same day."
Upon hearing this, the manager felt a pang of disappointment but quickly regained his composure and nodded.
"Understood, we will ensure the auction is held one week from today. We will reserve a balcony for you to observe the proceedings. Might I trouble you for your name?" he asked again, striving to glean even a fragment of information about this enigmatic figure. Yan Xiaobao chuckled lightly before replying.
"My name is Li Fen," he said, rising to his feet. "I have a dinner appointment I must honor, so please excuse my departure."
The manager quickly stood as well and opened the heavy iron door with care. He noticed several office staff lingering in the hallway, but as soon as they saw the manager escorting Yan Xiaobao, they dispersed hurriedly. The manager personally guided Yan Xiaobao down the stairs and out of the Black Market Auction House.
After leaving the Black Market Auction House, the number of people trailing him increased significantly. While all these individuals were clearly following Yan Xiaobao, they were attempting to act covertly. Yet their pursuit of him was unabashedly evident.