Chapter 31 Bear Barbarian

The night passed in the blink of an eye, and by the next morning, as soon as the sun rose, Qingyang City was already bustling with activity. Crowds swarmed the streets and alleys, and even outside the city gate, waves of people gathered, all moving in the same direction. In the heart of Qingyang City lies its most prosperous street, at the very center, where the famous Tianyun Auction House is located. Owned by the largest Chamber of Commerce in the entire southwest region, this auction house is a true giant. Its influence spans the whole region; its power is so intimidating that even the four major forces in the southwest dare not provoke it, and its wealth surpasses all imaginable savings. Without the financial resources and strength of the Tianyun Chamber of Commerce, the four leading forces in the southwest might have long since become history on Yuanwu Continent. This explains why even a small auction attracts so much attention.

At Liu Mansion, Xiao Yan, who had been sitting cross-legged on a bed, suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of the wooden door. He reached out and opened it. Outside, Liu Huabai stood by Xiao Yan's door, about to knock with his right hand when the door suddenly swung open. Startled, Liu Huabai jumped and took a half-step back, only to see Xiao Yan standing there. Liu Huabai quickly recovered, smiled, and said,

  "Haha, Senior, are you up already? That's good. I'll take you to see Qingyang City's annual auction. You might not like many of the items, but just by attending, you will honor the Tianyun Chamber of Commerce—and that will bring great benefits to our Liu family."

Xiao Yan replied casually, "Alright, I said I'd go, so let's see if the Tianyun Chamber of Commerce is really that prestigious."

Before Liu Huabai could add more, Xiao Yan walked out of the Liu Mansion, leaving Liu Huabai to hurriedly follow. On the way, Liu Huabai explained some background about the Tianyun Chamber of Commerce. Though Qingyang City was remote, Liu Huabai knew that the Tianyun Chamber had arrived in the southwest region only two hundred years ago but had developed rapidly with a solid foundation. Even compared with some older forces, its strength was not inferior—a fact that made Xiao Yan raise his eyebrows and take mental note. After all, even someone as formidable as Liu Feng had perished under the combined might of those ancient powers; for a force that has stood for only two centuries to be so impressive, it was worth paying attention to.

Soon, they reached the gate of Liu Mansion, where the Great Elder of the Liu family and other elders were already waiting. Outside, a richly decorated carriage was prepared. The horse pulling it was a reddish-brown, seventh-level magical beast known as the Lieyang Colt. Such beasts are rare in the wild since most are tamed for transportation. Due to its weak attack power, a Lieyang Colt finds survival in the wild difficult and thus seeks a good master. At that moment, the Fiery Sun Pony in front of Xiao Yan, which Liu Huabai had acquired in its early sixth stage, remained loyal to him. Normally arrogant and domineering, the pony now trembled as if it had seen a prehistoric beast—a sight that shocked Liu Huabai. He recalled that a few years ago, this pony had glared at a Dou Zun strongman, but now it displayed such fear when seeing Xiao Yan. Could it be that…

Liu Huabai's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at Xiao Yan. If Xiao Yan truly possessed such strength, then the Liu family might finally have a chance to become one of the major forces in the southwest region.

Xiao Yan glanced at the trembling Lieyang Colt in front of him, raised his eyelids slightly, then turned to Liu Huabai with a helpless tone:

  "It seems that I can't ride in your carriage."

Liu Huabai was taken aback by this remark; just as he was about to speak, he saw Xiao Yan turn and walk toward the auction house, leaving only his slender back and the trembling colt behind.

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A short while later, Xiao Yan and Liu Huabai, accompanied by several Liu family members, arrived at the auction house entrance. The grand auction attracted a steady flow of people, with crowds converging at the door despite many strong men trying to block the way—the entrance was in utter chaos. When people saw Liu Huabai and his group, their expressions changed. Over the past half month, Qingyang City had buzzed with news of the Liu family's victory over the Wu family. Rumor had it that the Liu family was assisted by a powerful figure who had crushed the Wu family so thoroughly that not a single one remained. Yet no one had seen that mysterious helper. After all, who would dare appear in a life-and-death battle between two great families? No one would risk their life merely to watch a great battle, and in Qingyang City, no one was foolish enough to do so.

Now, the mobilization of so many Liu family members for an auction in Qingyang City naturally surprised the locals. Rumors spread on both sides of the street. Some people even noticed Xiao Yan standing next to the Liu family patriarch and elder. Suddenly, a loud clamor filled the auction house. Seeing this, Liu Huabai frowned and glared at the elder, about to shout a rebuke when another voice, deep and like a bear's roar, cut in:

  "Shut up! Get out of the way! You are blocking the path of Patriarch Liu and Great Elder Liu. If you don't want to die, move aside!"

Xiao Yan looked toward the source. The voice belonged to a middle-aged man with a bald head, a scar on his face, and a tall, burly figure—resembling a wild bear. His strength, as Xiao Yan perceived, was that of a nine-star Dou Zong. The man glared cruelly at the passers-by, snorting coldly until silence fell. Then he fixed his gaze on Liu Huabai and his companions with a fierce, flesh-colored expression. The scar on his face made him look extremely intimidating. Although Liu Huabai and the Liu family members watched him without fear, Xiao Yan's mouth twitched in reaction to the man's unmatched, terrifying smile. Even if one with equal strength fought him, they might have to reduce their power by 20%.

The burly man noticed Xiao Yan's expression and was about to get angry, but Liu Huabai intervened. Liu Huabai stepped forward, bowed to the middle-aged man, and laughed, saying:

  "Hahahaha! Brother Xiong Man, it's been a long time since we last met! Hahahaha!"

"Brother Xiong Man?" The middle-aged man, whom Liu Huabai called Xiong Man, frowned; the scar on his face twisted unpleasantly. Xiong Man looked at Liu Huabai with impatience, but then noticed the deep wrinkles between Liu Huabai's eyebrows and the slight tremor of his head. His pupils contracted slightly. Clearly, Liu Huabai wouldn't joke with him without reason—he suspected that the young man next to him was not ordinary. Could it be…

Xiong Man suddenly appeared to recall something and looked at Liu Huabai with wide eyes, but upon seeing Liu Huabai's slight nod, he quickly recovered. Moments later, Xiong Man puffed out his chubby face again and gave Liu Huabai and the others a terrifying smile—especially when he looked at Xiao Yan, his smile shone brightly. Xiao Yan's mouth twitched violently, but he forced a smile in response.

Xiong Man paid no heed and strode forward, laughing as he spoke with Liu Huabai for a few words. Then, turning to Xiao Yan, he bowed and said with a hearty laugh:

  "I suppose you are the senior who helped the Liu family defeat the Wu family and elevate us to the top of Qingyang City, right?"

Xiao Yan smiled slightly and glanced at Liu Huabai, causing an awkward smile to spread on Liu Huabai's face. Then Xiao Yan replied to Xiong Man:

  "Yes, I was entrusted by someone to help the Liu family secure a foothold in the southwest region."

At these words, those who heard them were shocked—the expressions on the faces of the Liu family members instantly turned serious. Even though Xiao Yan was a senior, his blatant boasting and disregard for the local ways were striking. Only Liu Huabai remained calm, and Xiong Man raised his eyebrows. While it was easy to claim a place in the southwest, doing so without a solid foundation could be a matter of life and death. However, since the person before them dared to make such extravagant claims in front of the Tianyun Chamber of Commerce, he must not be insignificant. Xiong Man rolled his eyes, then bowed to Xiao Yan and laughed, saying:

  "Senior, you are truly courageous! I believe that under your care, the Liu family will not only secure a place in the southwest but also rise to become a top force! Congratulations to the head of the Liu family! With such a senior looking after us, I'll need extra care from the head of the Liu family in the future!"

Xiong Man's remark, filled with boastful humor, drew glances from the Liu family members. Liu Huabai frowned but said nothing, while Xiao Yan simply forced a smile.

Then Xiao Yan spoke calmly, "Becoming the top power in the southwest? That depends on the Liu family's luck. In any case, as long as the Liu family survives, you can manage the rest. And if anyone tries to destroy the Liu family, I won't hesitate to give them a taste of what it means to have their entire family wiped out."

Immediately after Xiao Yan finished speaking, a cold light burst from his eyes, tearing through the space before Xiong Man and vanishing into the void. Xiong Man's face paled instantly; he hurriedly bowed to Xiao Yan and said:

  "Yes! Senior, you are so powerful that no one would dare offend the Liu family. Rest assured, I will remain in Qingyang City and help build it together with the head of the Liu family. If anyone dares to trouble the Liu family, I, Xiong Man, will be the first to act!"

After finishing his speech, Xiong Man patted Liu Huabai's shoulder forcefully, expressing his view. Liu Huabai inwardly cursed but grinned and endured it. He knew that Xiao Yan was preparing to leave; once Xiao Yan departed, the Liu family's strength would be greatly weakened. Even with the golden plaque, supporting the entire family in a short time would be difficult. If someone took the initiative to help the Liu family now, they would face fewer problems in the future—benefiting the family's long-term development. Although Liu Huabai's body ached, he accepted it for the sake of the family's future.

The conversation continued outside the auction house for a long time. Finally, a deafening bell rang out, startling everyone. Xiong Man then realized that while everyone had come to participate in the auction, Xiao Yan and the Liu family had been staying outside. Embarrassed, Xiong Man scratched his head and laughed at Xiao Yan and the others:

  "Hahahaha! I was so caught up chatting with Senior Xiao Yan today that I forgot about the auction. I'm really sorry, everyone. Let's go! After today's auction, I will treat Senior Xiao Yan and all of you to dinner to make up for my mistake. Please, Senior Xiao Yan!"

With that, Xiong Man led Xiao Yan and the Liu family members into the auction house.

The refined text above maintains the original structure, length, and meaning while clarifying language and correcting grammatical errors for easier reader comprehension.