An elderly man with a youthful face and crane-like white hair walked into the auction hall, accompanied by a young man. <br><br>The elderly man had a rosy complexion and walked with vigorous strides, his physical build even surpassing that of most young men seen in society. The young man walked behind the elderly man, constantly looking around as if deeply curious about the place. <br><br>'Zhan, stop being distracted by these mundane things,' the elderly man said calmly. <br><br>The young man immediately lowered his head with furrowed brows, a respectful and subdued expression falling over his face. However, having followed the elderly man for more than a day or two, the two shared a deep bond. Soon, he smiled and said, 'Master, after we secure The Supreme Jade Emperor's Heart Seal Scripture emblem, if there's still time, may I wander around for a bit?' <br><br>The elderly man's eyes suddenly glared at the young man, scaring him into a frantic heartbeat. The elderly man scolded, 'You unworthy disciple, how many times have I warned you not to flaunt yourself in public? The world is full of malevolent entities. That jade emblem is of great importance. If any secrets were leaked...' <br><br>Before the elderly man could finish his words, the young man solemnly added, 'If any secrets were leaked, it would inevitably attract dark sorcerers' jealousy. The martial world would be thrown into turmoil, and we would have no peace to cultivate our Dao! Master, did I recite it correctly?' <br><br>'Annoying!' the elderly man huffed. 'From now on, I want you to remain silent and recite the Sect's Internal Mental Scripture a hundred times.' <br><br>The young man opened his mouth but couldn't utter a word. Knowing he couldn’t defy his master's orders, he reluctantly lowered his head and began silently reciting the scripture he'd long grown tired of. <br><br>At that moment, a man in his thirties, wearing outdated black-framed glasses, stumbled and fell forward in a panic—falling directly toward the elderly man. <br><br>The elderly man, with sharp eyes and agile movements, caught the man. Yet he saw that the man had his eyes shut tightly, his face pale, and cold sweat beading on his forehead. <br><br>The elderly man frowned, placing his palm on the man's back and pressing firmly on the spot below his nose. <br><br>The man quickly regained consciousness, saying, 'Wha—what happened to me?' <br><br>'Your internal Qi suddenly became chaotic, causing your essence, energy, and spirit to spiral out of control. If not for me... you would have fallen gravely ill,' the elderly man replied, rising to his feet. <br><br>The man felt a warmth coursing through his body, alleviating the severe headache he'd been experiencing. Gratefully, he said, 'Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.' <br><br>After expressing his thanks, the man hurriedly rushed into the main auction hall. <br><br>'What kind of person is that? Getting saved without even saying a few proper words before running off?' The young man, unable to bear it, voiced his displeasure. <br><br>The elderly man replied indifferently, 'Have you finished reciting the scripture?' <br><br>'No... no, I’ll recite it now. I’ll start right away...' the young man promptly shut his mouth. <br><br>The elderly man acted as though nothing had happened and walked into the venue at a leisurely pace. <br><br>... <br><br>'Miss, the deposit of 150,000 has been successfully deducted. If no items are purchased at this auction, the full amount will be refunded. This is your bidder number. Please keep it safe. Additionally, here is one of the original copies of the auction's bidding guarantee contract that you signed. Please take care of it. Lastly, here's my card. If you need anything, Miss, feel free to contact me anytime.' <br><br>You Ye nodded lightly, her expression calm as she accepted the receipt and documents from the supposed manager of the auction house but left the card behind before turning and walking away. <br><br>A young female receptionist assisting with the arrangements lowered her head and quietly chuckled to herself, thinking how unbelievably beautiful this woman was. The clothes she wore—unless one specialized in fashion—were unrecognizable as this year's spring-summer collection from an internationally renowned brand. <br><br>Not to mention her seemingly simple shoulder bag, which alone could cost the manager half a year’s salary. Why would someone like her even glance at that slick-haired, powdered pighead? <br><br>What puzzled the receptionist, though, was the young man waiting nearby. Somehow, this icy-cold beauty graced him with a gentle and captivating smile. <br><br>He didn’t appear to be the young master of a wealthy family. Could he be some kind of sugar baby? But he didn’t come across that way either. <br><br>As the receptionist let her imagination run wild, the flustered manager slammed the table. 'Xiao Wang! I’m stepping out for a bit. Watch over things here and make sure nothing goes wrong!' <br><br>'Yes, Manager!' Xiao Wang quickly replied but rolled her eyes as soon as the manager turned away, thinking, 'I heard a stunning beauty from Gu Yue Studio is here. It’s obvious you’re just trying to ingratiate yourself… but look at yourself—just a pighead.' <br><br>Of course, Xiao Wang didn’t consider her own appearance much either. With thick foundation creating a pale face, she maintained her welcoming smile. <br><br>You Ye had already approached Xavi, who was waiting for her. In a soft voice, she asked, 'What are you looking at?' <br><br>'Oh, I just saw something interesting,' Xavi replied with a smile, recounting the scene of an old man rescuing someone. 'I’m not sure what happened, but the man seemed very anxious. Maybe that old man is a traditional Chinese doctor skilled in massage therapy?' <br><br>'Maybe it was an ancient technique passed down in the East called "Qi,"' You Ye proposed softly. <br><br>Xavi initially planned to ask in surprise if Qi truly existed. But recalling the club’s existence and having met a butterfly demon and a praying mantis demon, it didn’t seem far-fetched. Instead, he asked, 'Are there many people who understand Qi?' <br><br>'It’s "Qi,"' You Ye corrected. 'To be precise, it’s Cultivating and Controlling Qi, which is not the same as the Qi Gong commonly spread among the public. As for how many, it’s hard to say. However, I once heard an Eastern cultivator who visited the club mention that modern cultivators are only a shadow of the past. There might only be a few hundred left, and many lineages have vanished with the passage of history.' <br><br>Xavi chuckled, 'That’s probably similar to traditional craftsmanship—lost over time.' <br><br>'Master, the auction is about to begin. Let’s head inside,' You Ye reminded. <br><br>Xavi checked the time and agreed, 'Alright... By the way, how much was the deposit?' <br><br>You Ye smiled faintly. 'Not much—less than what Master would spend on a spoonful of caviar.' <br><br>'Is that so...' Xavi nodded, not dwelling on it. <br><br>Though caviar was often associated with fine dining, it could also be found in basic packaging sold in the market. To someone like Xavi, who lacked deep knowledge of such things, the concept was rather vague. <br><br>It seemed the deposit wasn’t unreasonable after all… <br><br>Xavi reached into his pocket, feeling the ivory jade emblem he carried. For some reason, upon entering the auction hall, it seemed to heat up momentarily. <br><br>He considered taking it out for a closer look but was interrupted by a sudden sense of unease. Turning his head, he noticed someone staring intently at him. <br><br>If his memory served him right, it was none other than the man whom the elderly man had just saved.")
