Day of the Grand Auction, Gift From the Young Lord

The day of the auction arrived.

The sky over Immortal Cloud City was filled with flying ships and mystical creatures.

"What's going on? Several powerful families from all over Yuande are suddenly rushing to Immortal Cloud City. There were two yesterday and two more today. Even some representatives from upper-class sects are showing up."

"Don't you know? There are rumors about a big auction happening here in Immortal Cloud City. It's the usual Disciple Market Auction that's always held in our area. But I heard this one is going to be special."

"Special? How so?"

"Sigh~ I don't know everything. I just heard that many of the Nine Great Families are interested this time, so it must be pretty important."

"Oh, that makes sense. I hope the auction doesn't get out of hand, especially with someone as unpredictable as the young patriarch of the Sacred Cloud School around."

"Tch! You act like the Nine Great Families should be afraid of someone as insignificant as him."

Several large ships, resembling traditional wooden sailing vessels, floated in the sky.

These ships had multiple sails and intricate designs that combined elements of nautical and spirit architecture. The sails billowed as if caught in a strong breeze, showcasing how majestically the ships moved.

Among the flying ships, various creatures could be seen.

A large, whale-like creature with spread fins swam through the air. This was a Skyfish, a pricey spirit beast used for transportation by high-ranking noble families.

There was also a dragon-like creature soaring gracefully and even a majestic pegasus with outstretched wings, seemingly galloping through the sky.

━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━

[Immortal Cloud City, Central Square]

Liu Ming walked with his three female companions.

Chen Ruyi, Su Yan, and Yu Lan.

Xiu Meixiang and Sect Master Maomao stayed behind, as they would join Chen Xiaosheng and Chen Fan to go to the auction house later.

Liu Ming decided to head there early because Chen Ruyi had mentioned that their aunt, Chen Yuxuan, would be waiting for them. They were likely to have their first meeting on the first day of the auction.

Throughout most of the walk to the auction house, Chen Ruyi was unusually quiet. She wasn't like her usual self, who would have been all over Liu Ming, finding excuses to talk to him or touch him intimately.

Chen Ruyi had become afraid of Liu Ming and was already worrying about what might happen to her family if they ever offended him, even if that seemed unlikely. She couldn't help but imagine the worst-case scenarios where her relationship with Liu Ming soured.

She felt too uncomfortable to act naturally around him.

On top of that, she was also jealous.

Although Liu Ming had acted against the Han Clan to protect her as well as Xiu Meixiang, she felt a twinge of annoyance that an entire clan wasn't destroyed just for her.

Sigh~

'Honestly... what is wrong with me...?'

The young miss knew it was a twisted thought, but she found it a bit romantic to think he might have done such a thing just for her and that people would talk about it the same way they talked about the actual events.

Su Yan glanced at Chen Ruyi and saw how pale her face looked. It was obvious that she was scared by the young lord's power and decisiveness.

'I can see why she might feel that way. Looking at the young lord, it's hard to believe he'd destroy an entire clan of hundreds in a blink of an eye. Sigh~ what worries me more is how Hallmaster Han Wu will react. He's the clan head and hasn't taken any action yet, which is troubling.'

Not wanting to dwell on it, Su Yan turned her attention back to the front and kept walking alongside the young lord.

While Su Yan had her own opinions about Chen Ruyi's feelings, Yu Lan had her own thoughts too.

'Does she really think she's in any position to be afraid of my young master? Just because he destroyed an entire clan doesn't mean he's a bad person. He's kind and caring, and he's shown that side to her. Yet she still dares to fear him? That's absolutely disgusting.'

The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became. If she hadn't been with the young lord, she definitely would have lashed out at Chen Ruyi with some nasty words.

If everyone else could see it too, then surely so did the young patriarch.

He was aware of Chen Ruyi's true feelings.

With a small sigh, he gently took Chen Ruyi's left hand and gave her a mild smile. As soon as their hands touched, the paleness in Chen Ruyi's face faded, adding some color back to her cheeks.

"B-, Brother Ming...!"

Chen Ruyi's eyes widened slightly when she saw their fingers interlocked. She felt a serious excitement in her heart and a strong urge to be closer to him. Her fear of the young lord was evident, like the moon's reflection on a river──clearly visible but untouchable no matter how much she tried.

In essence, it wasn't worth overthinking...

Liu Ming gently squeezed her hand.

"Even though I acted out of anger, I did it to protect you, just as I promised. So you don't need to be scared of me."

His soothing voice was like a calming tea, easing her nerves and making her feel more at ease. Yet, Chen Ruyi's heart raced faster, and her face was shinning bright red.

"I know I should be more grateful. I'm just not used to seeing someone I know with that kind of power. Destroying an entire clan... it's not something many in the Eastern Reaches can manage."

Every word that left her tender lips was honest.

That was all Liu Ming needed to hear──her honest thoughts. And truthfully, they didn't sound too bad.

Haha!

He chuckled softly, shook his head, and then reached for the Sacred Cloud Seal. What he pulled out was a small, fancy bottle containing a single golden pill.

"Hm?"

Chen Ruyi watched him with curiosity but kept her fingers locked with his. There was something comforting about the way a man's larger, stronger hand held a woman's slender one, and Chen Ruyi felt a loving sensation from it.

"Here..."

Liu Ming said, handing her the pill bottle.

"This is a grade-3 spirit medicine. It can extend your lifespan by four years, and if you use the refined energy to cultivate after consuming it, you'll be able to breakthrough to the Late Refined Spirit stage."

By nature, Chen Ruyi didn't need to ask why he gave her this gift, and he didn't need to explain.

They both understood each other perfectly.

It was clear that Liu Ming was using this gift to apologize for frightening her. Even though the gift wasn't truly necessary, he wanted to show how much he cared about her.

『No matter how small, a gift will have great worth to a woman if the man is worth it.』

Those were his grandfather's words.

"Uhm, thank you, Brother Ming."

Chen Ruyi thanked him with a quirky smile.

She hadn't expected to receive a gift from him today of all days. It made her almost want to keep the pill as a memento of their relationship instead of using it.

Her heart raced as she thought about this.

It was clear, in fact more obvious than day, that Liu Ming was not someone she should fear.

'My heart...'

While she didn't fully understand her feelings for him, she knew they were special. It wasn't something she could put into words; it was something only actions could express. The way her heart felt whenever she was around him was special in itself.

If only the young lord knew...

Tee-hee!

Chen Ruyi's soft giggle caught Liu Ming's attention. He turned to her and asked, "Is something wrong?"

She just shook her head and continued to laugh, not offering much of an explanation. "Oh, it's nothing," she said, her hands still holding onto his, clearly reluctant to let go.

Yu Lan had seen enough.

"I'd like to hold my young master's hand too."

She quickly wrapped her arms around Liu Ming's left arm and pressed her soft breasts against him.

"Ahhh~ now, this is much better."

She spoke with her usual pride back in full force.

Watching from behind, Su Yan could only stare with her eyes half-closed. It reminded her of when she had done something similar to the young lord in front of Chen Xiaosheng.

"How shameless..."

She muttered with a flat voice, feeling embarrassed.