Wanbao Pavilion—true to its name—gathers a myriad of treasures within its halls, claiming the title of the greatest under the heavens.
Rumor has it that its influence spreads across the entire continent, and the location of its main pavilion lies on an immortal mountain beyond the mainland, untouched by the jurisdiction of any force.
There’s even talk that the Pavilion Master of the main branch has long since reached the legendary Ninth Revolution, but, being carefree by nature and passionate about business and treasures, cultivates only to make his mercantile journey smoother.
After all, not everyone can sit down patiently to reason with you.
“But those are just rumors. Anyway, my mother said that our Wanbao Pavilion here still has to abide by the rules of the Gu Kingdom Academy.”
Walking behind Ripple and Hu Delu, Tu Shan Huaizhi clung to Yun Mu’s arm, so curious that she glanced left and right, her mouth never idle.
The decorations and style inside this pavilion held no less allure to this girl, who loved crafts, than the finest cultivation techniques did to cultivators.
Although Tu Shan Huaizhi didn’t spend much time on cultivation daily, she often perused craft books she had collected from human countries when she had nothing to do.
Sometimes, she’d imitate what she saw, trying her hand at making little decorative trinkets herself.
Many of her hairpins, peculiar yet charming, were all hand-carved by her—a unique piece in all the world.
Of course, little monsters as “idle” as her were rare among the demon folk.
So, from another perspective, her artistic pursuits put her at the very forefront of Hundred Demon Ancient Kingdom’s art world.
It’s just a pity that interest is merely interest; no matter how talented she was, her skills couldn’t compare to true artisans.
If her little trinkets were placed beside Wanbao Pavilion’s masterful, ingenious treasures, they would pale in comparison.
Take, for example, the exquisitely carved Four Divine Beasts on the beams and pillars alone—these had the girl staring, studying them for a long while.
She was even considering whether it was possible to buy these pillars home.
“Welcome, everyone, to Wanbao Pavilion’s auction. First of all, allow me to apologize for the earlier incident. It was indeed Ripple’s negligence that led the two of you into unnecessary trouble. I beg your pardon.”
At last, when they reached the door of another room within the pavilion, Ripple stopped, turned to block the doorway, and bowed in apology before straightening up.
“Aiya, it’s nothing! Just remember to compensate these two youngsters later.”
Before Yun Mu or Tu Shan Huaizhi could speak, Hu Delu answered for them, requesting compensation. “Let’s go in and talk.”
As he spoke, he moved to head inside.
“Compensation will certainly be provided. However…”
She raised her hand, blocking Hu Delu’s way.
“According to Wanbao Pavilion rules, before entering the inner hall for the auction, everyone must verify their identity.”
“Pavilion Master Ripple, even I, an old regular, need to verify my identity? Have you forgotten? I was here last time, and the time before, and the time before that!”
He tried to slip in sideways.
“No exceptions.”
She grabbed him back.
“Aiya, you know I always have the Invitation Jade Pendant! If I’m here, I must have it!” he chuckled, trying to wriggle free.
“Auction rules are strict. You’re not the only old regular we have at Wanbao Pavilion. If I make an exception for you today, what will happen if others find out? Wouldn’t that ruin our Pavilion’s reputation for rules?”
Ripple still wouldn’t let go.
Seeing he could no longer bluff, Hu Delu glanced around, bent forward, and whispered, “Come on, Pavilion Master Ripple, give me some leeway, I’m an old customer after all…”
“Someone, take this ragged-hat gentleman to verify his token.”
Seeing that Hu Delu still wanted to talk his way out, Ripple lost patience and shouted.
Two maids in ornate cheongsams emerged from the half-open door.
With polite smiles, they approached the raccoon demon, giving a slight bow.
“This way, please. Otherwise, if our mistress gets serious, you won’t be able to leave so easily.”
As they spoke, they nudged him along with round fans.
But Hu Delu wasn’t having any of it; he twisted aside, dodging away.
“Pavilion Master Ripple, you really…”
“Aiya, Uncle Hu, what are you afraid of? Isn’t it just an Invitation Jade Pendant? Could we not have one?”
As the commotion escalated, Tu Shan Huaizhi couldn’t hold back.
“Hey, you brat, I—Ouch…”
Before Hu Delu could lecture her, she lifted her leg and kicked him right at the knee, sending him tumbling to the ground.
“Alright, you two drag him over. I’ll keep an eye on him for you, and while you’re at it, check our Invitation Jade Pendants.”
Then, she leaned in and whispered to Yun Mu, “Brother Yun Mu, be careful not to let this Ripple touch you, okay? I’ll be right there.”
“Mm, okay.”
Only after receiving his answer did she release his arm, putting her hands on her hips and directing the two maids to drag Hu Delu over to a square table nearby.
At the very center of the table lay half a jade pendant carved with half a Bianhua.
“Mr. Yun, your sister is quite… decisive.”
“She’s always been that way.”
“Really, haha.”
Once Hu Delu was truly taken away, Ripple turned her gaze back to Yun Mu, her expression regaining its seriousness.
“By the way, I’m rather curious about something. May I ask you?”
“Please.”
“It’s nothing major, just about that little brat—no, about Xiao Shengchu.”
“Why do you ask? Are you thinking of pleading for him, or… seeking justice?”
“Not really. I’m just curious. Was it your true intention to let him go back then?”
“…Well… Yes and no.”
“Yes and no? What do you mean?”
“I simply made the most suitable choice for the situation at the time.”
“I see. Then, if you weren’t in Wanbao Pavilion, but out in some remote, deserted place, would you have done the same?”
“Simple. I’m not the stubborn sort who must take all revenge personally, nor am I so softhearted as to believe kindness can change everyone.”
“So, you would have killed him?”
“If conditions allowed, and it could be settled on the spot, it shouldn’t be left for later. After all…”
Yun Mu’s mind flashed with Shangguan Ce’s face, his expression darkening.
“Wildfire can’t destroy it all; with the spring breeze, life returns anew. If you go soft, trouble will surely follow, no?”
She was briefly stunned, then couldn’t help but smile, the corners of her mouth rising as she stared at Yun Mu’s calm face.
She seemed to think of something amusing, and even her tone was laced with delight:
“I understand. Then, I’ll decide on my own. For the first apology gift, I’ll handle Xiao Shengchu in the way of Wanbao Pavilion. Of course, I’ll also properly notify his family. Are you satisfied?”
“Miss Ripple, do as you wish.”
“Alright, then, please also accept this Sky Lantern Jade Pendant as another apology gift.”
Without giving Yun Mu time to react, she took his hand and pressed an ancient jade pendant into his palm, holding on for a long moment before letting go.
“With this pendant, you can, at any future Wanbao Pavilion auction, use the Sky Lantern privilege on any item you desire. All the Spirit Stones spent will be paid by Wanbao Pavilion—you need only return the pendant afterward. Of course, it can only be used once.”
“Sky Lantern?”
Feeling the coolness in his palm, Yun Mu subconsciously gripped it tighter.
“What does it mean?”
“Simply put, when you’re bidding on something, no matter how much others raise the price, you’ll automatically match them, bidding until no one else can go higher.”
“Always match? What if someone bids up maliciously?”
“There’s no need to worry about that. Wanbao Pavilion covers all costs. You need only choose the item you like.”
Hearing this, Yun Mu paused, a bit helpless.
Actually, that wasn’t what he was worried about; he was just curious about the rules of this Sky Lantern.
After all, by her explanation, the Sky Lantern Jade Pendant is just an item for him to spend as he wishes, not the key to activating Sky Lantern.
So, he was only wondering—if someone tried to activate Sky Lantern without the pendant, how could reasonable bidding be guaranteed?
Forget it—if such a system exists, there must be regulations to ensure its execution.
He’d ask Huaizhi later.
For now… he should ask why she was giving him this.
“Pavilion Master Ripple, I understand Sky Lantern now, but there’s still something I don’t get.”
“Please, speak.”
“I’ll be blunt: I don’t really believe you’d give us something so precious as an apology for such a small matter. So… I want to know the real reason you’re giving this to us.”
“The real… reason…?”
“After all… you’ve been deliberately guiding things all along, haven’t you?”
“Oh? And why do you say that?”
“As I understand it, this Invitation Jade Pendant is the Yin piece of the Yin-Yang Jade Pendants crafted by Wanbao Pavilion. The Yang piece is unique, but the Yin pieces are made in batches as invitations. Only when the Yin and Yang Jade Pendants are perfectly combined in form and power can one enter, right?”
“But what does that have to do with this?”
“I’m saying, with such strict procedures, Wanbao Pavilion clearly values this auction highly. So how could you possibly let a disciple, on the basis of a made-up excuse, cause trouble for your honored guests? And how could you, when able to shirk responsibility, instead step forward and apologize in person? Is that really in line with a merchant’s pursuit of profit?”
Again, Ripple was stunned.
The smile in her voice faded; she could no longer stay calm.
She gazed at the youth before her, who was about her height.
Compared to her earlier smile, there was now a flash of admiration in her eyes.
‘Ah, I knew it. The elusive Pavilion Master wouldn’t appear just for a brat, and there’s no way I’d be asked to do such a losing business, either.’
“Aiya, I really underestimated you. I didn’t expect you to think so deeply. Yes, you’re right—Wanbao Pavilion is always about profit, and we wouldn’t make a losing deal.”
She glanced over at Tu Shan Huaizhi, who was jogging over, released Yun Mu’s hand, and turned to walk inside.
“Just treat it as… an investment in your future from Ripple. After all, the first half of this apology gift is my own decision, you know.”
Listening to her fading voice, Yun Mu subconsciously wanted to follow, but his arm was suddenly seized, the familiar scent and the familiar “Brother Yun Mu” arriving together, so he had no choice but to give up.
“Huaizhi, all done?”
“Mm-hmm. But… Uncle Hu Delu didn’t have an Invitation Jade Pendant this time, so the two big sisters and I spent some time kicking him out.”
“Kicked him out? Uh… Isn’t that… sacrificing kin for the greater good?”
“Sacrificing… kin? What does that mean?”
“It’s just…”
“Stop! We’ll talk later. Let’s go in first. We can’t just stand here.”
Seeing Yun Mu about to start lecturing, Tu Shan Huaizhi hurriedly pulled him through the inner doors.
“Oh, right! Uncle Hu Delu gave me a Qiankun Pouch just now, told me to bid on some clothes.”
She deftly shifted the topic.
“Clothes? Did he say what kind?”
“No. I think there’s only one up for auction this time. But he said to use the Spirit Stones in the Qiankun Pouch freely—bid if I can, but don’t force it, and most importantly, not to interfere with our own affairs. He emphasized that several times.”
“I see… Alright, I understand…”
Outside Wanbao Pavilion, Hu Delu glared after the two maids who had left, cursing under his breath.
“Damn it, not even a bit of leeway. And it’s weird—every time before I had an Invitation Jade Pendant, why the hell don’t I have one this time…”
“Damn it…”
The more he muttered, the angrier he got.
Just as he was about to curse aloud, he caught a familiar yet unfamiliar face out of the corner of his eye and quickly shut his mouth.
Isn’t that Qin Luoyi?
There were very few at the auction who didn’t wear masks, so he spotted the Princess of Li Xun, with whom he had some bad blood, right away and quickly hid in the crowd.
He thought of Yun Mu and Tu Shan Huaizhi, who had just entered, and his expression changed.
‘Oh no, if they get into a fight at the auction, things’ll get ugly. No, I need to figure something out.’
He took a step forward, then hesitated.
Forget it.
Without an Invitation Jade Pendant, I can’t get in anyway.
I’ll just wait outside.
With Ripple, that monster, in there, nothing should go wrong.
Thinking this, he felt much more at ease.
Obviously, he had no idea what Yun Mu had been up to in the Hundred Demon Ancient Kingdom lately, nor that Qin Luoyi had only just left there herself.