The Nearing Plot
The trip to Snowy Wind City went smoothly without any hiccups along the way. The only downside was that Xiao'er was still suspicious of Zhang Ye and stayed quiet the entire time.
Xue Bai had tried to explain to Xiao'er that if Zhang Ye were a spy and had malicious intentions towards the two of them, he would've long been found out and dealt with.
But Xiao'er stuck with her delusions to the point of being fanatical, leaving Xue Bai with a headache.
After a short and quiet carriage ride, they finally reached Snowy Wind City.
"Commander Zhang, where will you be headed here?" Xue Bai asked curiously as the carriage went through the city gates undisturbed.
Usually, any carriage would be inspected, even if it were a commander's, but since Xue Bai was riding in it, they were allowed to go in without a check.
"I plan to go to Herb Mountain Pavilion, I recently heard the rumors of a Fire Origin Fruit, and I thought I should check up on Zhou Beizhan and see if the rumors are true." Zhang Ye answered.
'Oh, that's the first arc of Huo Long's rise. Should I let the plot go on or steal it?' Xue Bai's mind spun as he heard Zhang Ye's answer.
The rumors about the Fire Origin Fruit were true, and there was one growing in The Great Xuan Empire.
This fruit marked the beginning of Huo Long's comeback and was also the catalyst for his regaining his talents. Through the fruit, Huo Long, with the help of Feng Huang, was able to start his journey as a Child of the Plane.
Xue Bai, remembering that point, decided to give up on interfering with the plot. If he stole the fruit that was so integral to Huo Long's comeback, the butterfly effect would destroy all of his plans, and the gains wouldn't outweigh the losses.
'I put so much work into befriending Huo Long. I shouldn't break it all up right before he gains value.' Xue Bai consoled himself.
The Fire Origin Fruit was a High Black Grade Natural Treasure that was the dream for any cultivator with a Fire Element Affinity. Not only would it increase your affinity with the Fire Element, but it would also help you comprehend Fire Laws in the future with twice the result and half the effort.
While it would prove helpful for Xue Bai if he did eat it, Xue Bai planned to use the Space Element while leaving the Fire for his alchemy career.
Learning Fire Laws weren't needed to become a better alchemist. As long as you had a hot enough fire, skillful fire manipulation, and the fundamental knowledge to back yourself, becoming a prestigious alchemist was easy.
And with Xue Bai's fire manipulation experience from the game, and Li Rou helping him learn, he was bound to become a great alchemist.
Pulling himself from his thoughts, Xue Bai continued the conversation with the commander.
"Commander Zhang, a Fire Origin Fruit is a High Black Grade Natural Treasure! Something like that is even rare on the Central Continent. How could it pop up here?" Xue Bai asked with fake shock.
However, to this, Zhang Ye shrugged with an 'I don't know myself' expression.
"I naturally thought of that too, Young Duke, but the rumors have spread through most of The Empire, so I thought to give it a shot. If I missed something this big because of doubt, I wouldn't be able to live it down." Zhang Ye spoke.
"What if the rumors are true, Commander Zhang? The fight for the Fire Origin Fruit will surely cause a river of blood to flow. That's something that would move even Domain Lord Realm cultivators." Xue Bai asked while pretending to be a curious boy.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Zhang Ye eventually answered, "Even so, I will try and obtain the Fire Origin Fruit. Young Duke, to reach my position, even with my High Yellow Grade Martial Veins, wasn't easy. And over the many years that I have lived, I have learned one fundamental truth. Opportunity and risk go hand in hand."
Though Xue Bai knew that from all of the cultivation novels he read, Zhang Ye didn't have the theoretical knowledge that Xue Bai had. And even without help from his own clan, Zhang Ye was forced to learn everything about the world himself.
Gaining a newfound respect for the commander, Xue Bai praised, "That's the mentality a cultivator should have, Commander Zhang. When you have children in the future, make sure that this knowledge reaches the next generation!"
"I will keep your words near my heart, Young Duke!" Zhang Ye responded solemnly.
Though Zhang Ye didn't plan to have children any time soon, this tip from Xue Bai would stick with him like glue for the rest of his life.
Not knowing how to continue this conversation without mentioning the future, Xue Bai merely patted the man on the shoulder and bid him farewell.
But oddly, before Xue Bai could step off, Xiao'er grabbed him and pulled him back a little.
"What's wrong, Xiao'er?" Xue Bai asked as he turned to face her.
"Young Master, put on this necklace!" Xiao'er spoke as she handed a simple necklace with a pristine-looking piece of jade as the centerpiece.
Though confused, Xue Bai still listened and took it from her hand. He trusted Xiao'er with all of his heart and knew she would never do anything to harm him. And it was also an extremely fashionable necklace that Xue Bai thought looked nice enough to wear even for his prestigious identity.
"What is this Xiao'er?" Xue Bai asked as he motioned for her to help put it on.
However, the maid merely laughed and replied with an ambiguous, "You'll learn later."
Thinking it to be another one of her preparations for their trip, he shrugged his shoulders and didn't bother to ask anymore and stepped off of the carriage.
They had passed through the city gates and had been waiting in the square just outside the entrance. The square was built for merchants to instantly unload their wear without wasting time and set up shop.
"Oh right, Commander Zhang, you can go to my father and receive a High Yellow Grade Spirit Fruit as my thanks for the ride!" Xue Bai remembered just before he got out of sight of the two.
"Many thanks, Young Duke!" Zhang Ye's cold face finally brightened up as he heard Xue Bai's words.
Old Ye on the side was at a loss for words. A High Yellow Grade Spirit Fruit was something he could only dream of, yet the Young Duke just handed one out like a cabbage. And for such a menial task as well.
"Master, do you predict that this would happen?" Old Ye couldn't help but ask.
"The Young Duke has always been a generous heir, so while I did approach with ulterior motives, I only thought I would get a closer relationship with the Young Duke. Receiving a High Yellow Spirit Fruit was never in my imagination, let alone my predictions." Zhang Ye answered.
"Then Master, that High Yellow Grade Spirit Fruit, will you be needing it?" Old Ye couldn't help but lick his lips as he prodded.
Seeing his butler with such a grotesque expression, Zhang Ye couldn't help but smack the man. And after getting a good hit on the back of Old Ye's head, Zhang Ye responded, "Of course, I'll be needing it. A High Yellow Grade Spirit Fruit could help me break through to the Middle Stages of the Law Manifestation Realm. By then, I could finally get out of the bottom three of the commanders."
"But Master, I heard that Commander Song is also secluding herself to break through to the 5th stage. Are you confident to fight above your Realm?" Old Ye couldn't help but ask.
Old Ye didn't want to dampen Zhang Ye's spirit, but his Master was in need of a reality check, and Old Ye was the only one capable of giving him one.
Zhang Ye, hearing his butler demean him, wanted to give the old man another slap but stopped himself.
"Sigh~~ Commander Song is even freakier than those Wang Twins. How can I, an old man, catch up with her? I only hope that she can surpass Commander Jiang soon enough. That scholarly-looking man gives me an eerie feeling." Zhang Ye couldn't help but shudder at the mention of Commander Jiang.
As Zhang Ye and Old Ye started to brawl over the High Yellow Grade Spirit Fruit, Xiao'er had finally regained her confidence and was leading Xue Bai around Snowy Wind City.
"Young Master, where do you want to go first? There is the Stone Gambling Pavilion, where you opened Yggdrasil. A theater where bards talk about the legends of our Empire, or I heard that there is an auction happening later today!" Xiao'er couldn't stop talking and rattled off dozens of sentences before Xue Bai had to shut her up manually.
Though the height gap between them was still apparent, with Xue Bai at 4 '9 while Xiao'er stood at a tall 5' 8, Xue Bai was still able to cover her mouth with his hands.
Shocked at the move, Xiao'er wanted to step back, thinking that Xue Bai was up to no good, but after seeing Xue Bai's eyes full of purity, she relaxed herself and waited for him to speak.
"Xiao'er, today is your day. I am only accompanying you. Wherever you wish to go, I'll follow." Xue Bai spoke before taking his hands off her mouth.
pαпdα-ňᴏνêι·сóМ "Then to the Auction! I have never been to one before. It's always been my dream to buy everything from an auction and leave nothing to anyone else." Xiao'er spoke as soon as her mouth was free.
Nodding behind the excited Xiao'er, Xue Bai allowed himself to pull along through the town on the way to their destination.
"Xiao'er, which Auction House are we going to? If we are going to Mother's, then there is no point. The auctioneers would give us every item to try and please us." Xue Bai asked.
In Snowy Wind City, there were three main Auction Houses, each with a different backer. But the largest one, Golden Hall Auction House, was the one built by Li Rou. Like Mountain Herb Pavilion, this one was managed by a half-disciple, but the one who managed this one was a girl who had been on good terms with Li Rou, unlike Zhou Beizhan.
The other two Auction Houses were popular but couldn't surpass the popularity of Li Rou's, as it was built on their home court.
"That, my beautiful Young Master, is a secret!" Xiao'er answered mysteriously.
She finally had a chance to get revenge and wasn't letting it slip by.
Seeing her rebellious side pop up again, Xue Bai was tempted to order her to fess up but seeing the brightest smile she had ever worn in years on her face, Xue Ba let it go and submitted to his fate.
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