Chapter 9 - The Blue Moon and The Grey Bud

Mao Shuhai still felt terribly surreal as she returned to wandering the streets.

Lai Taizhi...

All she could remember was that beautiful, gentle face smiling up at her, his snow-white lashes delicately framing his silvery-blue irises. He appeared as harmless as a fragile butterfly, though she knew very well how many hidden daggers he hid behind that facade.

Closing her eyes slightly, she wondered what he had been through, in the time that she was gone, and likely presumed dead.

And... how were the others?

---

"A room for one please."

Mao Shuhai requested expressionlessly, still contemplating the sudden news whilst sliding the silver taels across the counter.

"Room 20, third floor, second room on the right."

She nodded quietly in response to the innkeeper before making her way upstairs.

"...What now?"

Yue probed lightly, carefully peeking at her from the side.

"My plan hasn't changed. If anything, it's become more important now. If I build up my reputation enough... I'll be able to have an audience with the king."

Mao Shuhai smiled lightly at the white kitten on her shoulder as she replied telepathically.

"Do you really need to go to such lengths just to meet your childhood friend? Couldn't you just reveal your return to everyone and meet him that way?"

Yue continued to inquire, feeling a bit more reassured to do so by her casual smile.

"I don't like the idea of revealing my cards so blatantly. I haven't figured out everything about the current state of the capital either. It's too risky. Also... How would I make my return? I have no family left to announce it. And I doubt any of the clans that were once close to my own would want to be swept up in the controversy of my return..."

She calmly continued, having thought about most of this on the journey here. Although she wanted to meet him, she had always been a cautious and patient person. There was no rush afterall, she had waited five years already. What was a little more waiting? Especially knowing now that he seems relatively safe and alive.

"Well, with your strength, you could easily sneak into the palace and reunite with him like that too no?"

Yue added thoughtfully after a pause, swishing her tail as she tried to be helpful.

"Well, that's one way to do it. But..."

Mao Shuhai paused for a moment as she trailed off, her golden-amber eyes dimming ever so slightly.

"I can't guarantee he'll be happy to see me."

She spoke faintly and casually, though dredging up that fear from the back of her mind seemed to suffocate her heart.

"And then, I'll have revealed my true strength already and be in a disadvantagous situation... Against someone I already know is very capable and dangerous."

She continued to explain lightly, though Yue was already surprised by her words. Faintly noticing her summoner's subtle signs however, she posed her next question cautiously.

"...What do you mean he won't be happy to see you?"

Mao Shuhai sighed slightly, whilst unlocking the door to her temporary room for the night.

"...Time can change a lot of things. Who knows if my childhood friends still remember me as fondly as I do them?"

"I just want to be prepared. In case they are no longer who I remember them to be, like what happened with... my brother."

She responded wistfully.

Even after so many years thinking about it, she still couldn't figure out when or why he had come to hate her. And now, with the extermination of her family clan... she would never have the opportunity to ask.

"...I'm sorry, mistress. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

Yue apologized softly, rubbing against her cheek to comfort her as she usually had done throughout their five years together.

"Silly Yue, don't be sorry. It's good that I think of it, so that I can be more prepared for when it happens again."

Mao Shuhai couldn't help but chuckle and lightly play with her fur. She wasn't feeling down, just a bit nostalgic and thoughtful. After so long, she could think about that past betrayal with a clear mind. Though she will admit there were still times where she couldn't, it was not often.

"I just like having back-up plans, at all times. Hence why I don't want to make any reckless moves right now."

She spoke calmly in conclusion, glancing out the window to check the time. It seemed to be nearing evening, with the orange glow of the sun giving the nearby buildings a warm, homely hue.

"I understand, mistress. You likely know humans much better than I do, afterall."

Yue nodded solemnly, which seemed a little odd with her small, fluffy and cute appearance, making Mao Shuhai smile again.

"These matters aside, you've learnt and adjusted very quickly, Yue. You should be proud."

Although it was true that Yue had technically lived with humans for five years now, living in a sole, isolated human courtyard was very different to living in a bustling capital city filled with humans.

"Thank you. Do I get a reward...?"

Mao Shuhai couldn't help but laugh at the sudden change in attitude. Now that they were in the relative safety of their own room, she freely brought out a fresh Grade 4 Tiger Fish stored in her new spatial ring and tossed it towards the table, which Yue nimbly leapt and caught.

She was still proud of her hand-crafted new spatial ring. It was enhanced with ice spiritual qi, siphoned from a rare mineral she found in the Valley of Death, allowing it to keep perishables and such for longer.

It had to be known that the ability to create spatial spaces was a Rank 4 blacksmith requirement, something she remembered could be met by very few others in Snow Spirit Kingdom, if any at all.

Though spatial rings were quite common for nobles/the wealthy, even in lower starred kingdoms like the one she currently resided in, this is mainly because most spatial rings in circulation are very old and inherited from the past. It is sometimes speculated that many of the same spatial rings/equipment have been actually around since ancient times.

Therefore, her skills at the moment were quite rare. Fortunately, even if this were to be revealed, she has the strength to protect herself, at least in this small kingdom, but... she must continue to be more and more cautious in the future. This is something she's always warned herself about since her skills have been on the rise, not to mention after hearing about the tragedy of her ancestry from Mao Qing earlier this morning.

For a moment, all her thoughts stagnated as her head reeled with a surge of discomfort.

"Are you feeling alright, mistress?"

Yue's soft voice abruptly piped up beside her.

"Hm? I'm alright. Just feeling a bit tired."

She comforted her lightly as she leant back against the hard wooden chair, internally fighting against the wave of nausea and weakness that had suddenly arisen.

However much she tried to hide the suffering she had endured over the years due to her poison, Yue and Mao Qing could always somehow sense the subtle changes within her. It was both heartwarming yet frustrating, as she didn't want them to worry so much all the time, especially since she's battled against the poison constantly for five years now.

This wave of pain seemed particularly harsh however, causing beads of sweat to form on her pale brow. It was likely due to the change in environment, with the uncomfortable crowds, less fresh air and the excessive sunlight not filtered by the heavy forests down in the Valley of Death.

Still, after a short bit of rest, Mao Shuhai found it bearable enough to continue her plans for the day.

"I know you've already had your dinner, but I should go and have mine. I won't be able to bring you into the restaurant, so I think it'd best if you entered my dantian. Or, you could stay here if you'd like."

Mao Shuhai offered peacefully, showing no signs of the internal battle she just went through. She knew Yue preferred to be out and about rather than be cooped up in her dantian, hence why she gave her both options. Despite her calmness, Yue was quite the active little kitten at heart.

"I'll go with you."

Yue responded quickly, disappearing into her dantian without another word. Although she did have her preferences, she wanted to keep her summoner safe more than anything else. Who knows when she will have to endure another surge of pain again?

With a small chuckle, Mao Shuhai tidied her thin water-lily embroidered outer coat and headed back outside. Her new clothes felt still foreign to her, with their soft fabrics and new feel to them. After so many years of re-using ancient robes and fabrics, she knew that anything she bought in the capital would be an upgrade. But she was still a bit surprised at how new clothes could give someone more comfort and confidence.

Walking around lightly, she perceptively noticed that the looks people gave her had changed slightly from earlier. It made sense of course, since she looked more like a reputable lady rather than a worn traveller now, but still, such a change was a little off-putting.

Mao Shuhai knew what she looked like. Afterall, she'd been berated for it all her life. She knew she naturally had a beautiful appearance... but in a way that people looked down on her for it. Though it was from so long ago now, the phrase 'the face of a concubine' was still etched permanently into her memory.

After such a childhood, she found it difficult to be confident, proud or happy with her appearance. Though... she was also not one to disdain using it as a weapon, if the situation calls for it.

Waving such thoughts away, she stepped into a crowded, popular restaurant, one she remembered to be named Yang Rou Long. Even after five years, this restaurant was still as popular as ever, even amongst the nobility. Notably, this place used to be owned by Madam Chen, main wife of Viscount Chen, who was part of a clan that was on the rise five years ago.

Internally, she wondered how the Chen family were doing now. Her memories of the capital had grown fuzzier over time, and there were many significant names she had likely forgotten, but fortunately this was not one of them.

Mao Shuhai chose this popular restaurant on the main street, not because she wanted to feast, but because she wanted to gather information. With a crowded, noisy environment such as this, listening to gossip could prove fruitful in catching up with the capital's matters.

After expensively purchasing a private booth on the upper floor, one that wasn't even luxurious or large or had food that came with it yet still cost her basically the last of her wealth, she was led up the stairs by a polite waiter to her small, but elegant dining area.

Sitting herself down, she began attentively looking through the dishes on the menu, though her ears were turned towards the chatter below her. The upper and lower floors were open in the sense that it was easy for those above to look and listen to those below, with a carved balustrade surrounding the upper balcony.

"Who would have thought that Young Lady Tang would do such a thing?"

"Threatening suicide in public in order to get married to that Marquis's son..."

"My, if that was my daughter, I'd..."

After ordering the simplest, cheapest dish that truly bled her coffers dry, Mao Shuhai continued filtering out the more interesting bits of information that she could hear. Her eyes roamed casually over the skillful paintings hung on the walls made by artisans she did not recognize as she eavesdropped.

"The king has expunged more corrupt officials again, this time from the Ministry of Revenue..."

"Oh, is that way taxes had gone down, I had no idea."

"There's been a lot of political upheavals recently, I wonder if this will be good or bad for us in the long run?"

"Well, at least this new king is doing something. The previous few did barely anything at all!"

"Still, that's not neccesarily a good thing..."

"Bah! You're too young to understand. Our monarchs have only ever flaunted their wealth, courted misfortune and let the court officials run rampant. Maybe Snow Spirit Kingdom will finally grow out of being a measly One Star Kingdom under this new ruler! I'm glad the previous king is dea-"

"Hush, are you trying to get us killed?!"

Mao Shuhai calmly thanked the waiter as she turned to her dish, as if all she could hear was incoherent chattering and clattering, and was not at all using her heightened senses from being a powerful cultivator to listen to individual conversations.

Even though she ordered the simplest main dish because she had no money, she had to admit that this restaurant even managed to make that look incredibly appetizing. The fried rice with diced ham, carrots, mushrooms, baby bamboo shoots and corn was golden yellow with a fragrant aroma.

Though faint, her eyes showed a glimmer of anticipation and excitement at having her first meal back in Xianghou. Would it taste the same as she remembered? Or would it have been exaggerated beyond repair in her memories?

"To be honest, I still can't believe we have a new king..."

"True, it was so sudden. Around this time last year wasn't it..."

"Indeed. I had no feelings towards the previous royal family, but having the king and all the royal heirs exterminated in one go was alarming. I thought we'd have a new tyrant as a ruler... though fortunately, at least for now, that doesn't seem to be the case."

"Apart from the king... there's only the Grand Queen Dowager left in the royal family is there not?"

"How ignorant! Of course there are other members, though, none as significant to the direct line of succession as those two."

"Hmph, who are you calling ignorant. I can't be spending all my time listening to gossip since I have a job to work, unlike someone."

"What did you say?!"

The consequent clattering of tableware and angered shouting didn't faze Mao Shuhai as she continued to work through her satisfying little meal. The staff here were quite capable, as they sorted out and evicted the troublemakers very quickly.

She knew everything she heard was mere gossip, and could've been taken and heard wildly out of context, hence she tried to keep an indifferent and objective view on things. Though, she couldn't help but be biased towards Lai Taizhi when the king was discussed.

I'm sure he will make a great king.

She couldn't help but think.

Cautious, logical and the most patient and thoughtful out of everyone she knows; that is who she remembers him to be. However, he does seem more...  forceful since back then.

Like what that drunk old man said, she believed that he could raise their kingdom's rank to Two Star, or perhaps even farther. But, that all depends on what his own goals were. Becoming king... doesn't neccessarily mean the kingdom is his first priority.

Though she kept an ear out for more relevant news, Mao Shuhai only felt that her plans to hire an information broker seemed more and more vital for the future. The tidbits she gleamed from the filtered gossip she paid attention to was indeed useful, but hearing only small parts of the whole story wouldn't get her very far in the long run. It would be expensive though, asking for detailed reports of all events since five years ago... fortunately, money would soon no longer be a problem for her.

She was glad she came here today though, there was some information she had gathered that may prove useful later in the evening.

After politely thanking the staff that waited on her, Mao Shuhai made the walk back to her inn.

Once within the safety of her room, she spared no time changing her appearance in preparation to go out once again.

Immediately draping her black cloak over her shoulders and putting on her mask, she assessed her appearance before putting her hood up.

Every inch of her skin was covered by the slightly over-sized garment, including her hair. The only noticable feature was the plain silver mask on her face, simply adorned with a small lotus engraving between the brows. It had a unique sheen to it, unlike most other metals, and was more capable than it seemed at first glance. As a second-grade artifact, it had the ability to confuse the eyes of those that saw it, making it even more difficult to discern her appearance or her noticable traits.

"Where to?"

"The Golden Crane auction house."

Mao Shuhai responded lightly to Yue's question, before leaping out from the windowsill of her room and wandering through the shadows to her destination.

It had existed since five years ago, but it seemed that it had only grown in status since then. From what she heard earlier, the owner of the establishment, the Marquis's second di son Ping Yazhu, had become engaged to Tang Yaling, Duke Tang's precious and pampered only di daughter.

The Ping family were marrying above their station, and could be said to have been blessed with great fortune. She was surprised that Madam Tang approved of the marriage considering the superior options they must have, but it didn't seem like she had a choice, with her daughter's rumoured public suicide attempt...

Regardless of the ins and outs of the matter, it was inevitable that the Golden Crane had grown in prestige due to this engagement. As such, Mao Shuhai decided to make it her first choice for now, though, things may change after she scouts it out a bit.

Dazzling gold greeted her eyes as she rounded the corner, peeking out at the scene at the entrance from her position in the shadows.

"Please, I really need the money to feed my family!"

An old man dressed in patched clothing, similar to what she wore earlier today, was kneeling on the floor in front of a well-dressed man that looked down on him disgustedly.

"It's more precious than it seems, it's a third-grade artifact! Passed down through generations!"

The old man begged shakily as he outstretched his hand, revealing a stained and slightly cracked stopwatch. However, as blemished as it may be, it was clear as day to Mao Shuhai that his words were not lies.

"Who are you trying to fool old man, get out of here. Don't dirty our floors. This is a prestigious establishment, not for the likes of you."

The other man scoffed, before giving him a harsh kick fueled by yellow spiritual qi, sending him flying backwards and out of sight.

As soon as he was done however, he turned towards another lady just nearby, dressed exquisitely in rich fabrics, and gave her a bright business smile.

"Ah yes, welcome dear customer what would you like to auction off? I will inform you that our cuts have changed due to recent events, instead of 40% we take 60% of the final bidding price..."

Mao Shuhai felt that she had seen enough, and silently left the scene from her position in the shadows.

In just a few seconds, it became apparent that the Golden Crane would not be her choice of auction house.

Although this was a world where the strong trampled upon the weak, and the worker's treatment of the old man was not uncommon, she couldn't deny that such needless degrading of others had never appealed to her. Still, she was not a kind person, and this was not one of her main issues.

The first significant issue was that the worker had no eyes. Yes, the old man's stopwatch was a bit cracked and dirty, but it was indeed a third-grade artifact. She couldn't tell its functions at a glance, but it definitely had the ability to fetch a high price for its grade alone. All it needed was a simple wash and polish, yet the man didn't even glance twice at it. She had the impression that he looked at his shabby clothing and already made his conclusion. Especially considering how his attitude changed completely when that well-dressed, rich-looking individual showed up. It was too... blatantly superficial, and showed how the staff here seemed to care more for appearances rather than actual worth.

Secondly, having 60% of profit taken away per item was not worth it, for her. She understood that they were just using their new prestige/popularity and increasing revenue, but perhaps unlike those that needed them to advertise their items, Mao Shuhai didn't. Her items would likely garner enough fame of their own, almost regardless of what auction house she chose. Though, she still wanted to pick a good one for her own reasons, like security, identity protection, etc.

All in all, the Golden Crane auction house had seemingly grown arrogant from one wave of good fortune. They had barely dipped their toes into the upper circle of aristocracy, with only an engagement that still had the possibility of being broken off no less, and yet their employees were this arrogant. And there was no way they would act in such a manner, unless their superiors allowed it.

Mao Shuhai simply didn't want to deal with them and their inevitable fall from the grace. Afterall, though she was never a member of the upper nobility, she had met a few of their status from afar, and just from that she could tell that they were not simple. The waters were deep, and it was impossible to tell who was pulling the strings at a glance. If the Golden Crane were to continue in this way, she wondered how much trouble they'd stir up for Duke Tang's family? They were like a ticking time bomb, that would be used by someone eventually.

With those thoughts in mind, she simply headed off to another auction house, one she vaguely remembered in the past to once rival this one, the Azure Crescent auction house.

Even at a glance, it was obvious that this auction house was far less popular than the other. However, their buildings were relatively the same in size, likely owing to their past fame. Seeing as there was no scene to watch or people to eavesdrop on at the moment, she decided to personally inspect the scene, her eyes glancing over the elegant symbol of a crescent moon, dyed the colour of a deep night sky.

Entering the building silently, she caught the woman sitting at the desk off-guard with her appearance, though she quickly fixed her expression and greeted her politely.

"Greetings, there is no auction today but there will be one tomorrow if you are interested."

She had a clear voice, with neat light-brown hair tied in a bun and dark eyes. Her attire was simple but elegant, matching the colours of the Azure Crescent with deep-blue and silver.

"I see. I came here to have some items appraised and sold in the auction tomorrow."

"Oh, excellent. Please follow me, miss."

The lady smiled, having deciphered her gender from her voice, before efficiently escorting her to a tall middle-aged man reading quietly in a large room. Similar to earlier in the hall, it was elegantly designed, though this area had small sapphire-cushioned stools and a large central table made of dark sandlewood.

"In the future, you may use the side door to access this area immediately, without having to go through the main entrance."

"Thank you."

She promptly bowed and left.

"Greetings miss, please bring out your items."

The man spoke calmly after putting his book down, looking at her mask with a neutral expression. He had rough reddish hair and eyes, and with his height, should appear quite intimidating. Yet somehow, he had an air of quiet sophistication instead.

Mao Shuhai was satisfied so far, with the staff's relatively calm and professional attitude, despite her odd appearance. As such, she didn't mind bringing out the three third-grade weapons she desired to sell today.

One was a bow, another a spear and the third a dagger.

Yet each was so distinct and polished in appearance, that the appraiser's reddish eyes couldn't help but widen.

The bow was woven in fibres of emerald and beige, with its recurves thinning into curved, refined edges embedded with fragments of beast cores. Its string was earthen in colour, oddly fading from green to brown if one looked closely.

The spear, apart from its oddly dark coloured blades and shaft, was quite ordinary in appearance, save for the slight rubious glow that could be seen in certain angles of the light. However, the keen sharpness of its blade could be sensed even from afar.

The dagger was almost the opposite to the spear, coloured white and gold, with a single golden gem in the centre of its cross-guard. Exquisite engravings danced around the handle, aiding in both the wielder's grip and qi circulation.

We've hit a gold mine. 

The appraiser thought happily, being able to clearly tell that these weapons were at least third-grade, though he pondered why the customer chose this auction house instead of the one prospering just down the road. Just earlier, he was pondering the future of their declining auction house, but now it seemed there may still be hope afterall.

Though, wasn't this customer worried that these precious goods wouldn't fetch a good price? Afterall, the popularity of this place had made a sharp decline quite recently.

Mao Shuhai had watched his expression as she brought her weapons out, and knew that he had realized the worth of her weapons with just a short look. Nodding internally to herself, she spoke up in explanation.

"These are weapons hand-crafted by my master, they are third-grade low-tier and have been embedded with minor inscriptions-"

"Inscriptions...?"

The appraiser couldn't help but blurt out in surprise, before carefully taking a second glance at the weapons on the table.

Before long, he noticed both the silver lotus-shaped symbol which seemed to be the qi signature of the young girl's master, as well as the discreet embedded symbols that lay on the sides of the weapons.

His heart shook in wonder.

Who was this mysterious blacksmith and inscriptionist? And why were they in this measly Snow Spirit Kingdom? Heaven knows the last time an inscribed artifact has appeared around here...

This...this could be a huge deal for the Azure Crescent! No, all of Xianghou!

"I... need to discuss this with the owner. Please give me a moment."

Mao Shuhai nodded briefly as the appraiser hurriedly ran out of the room.

"Things seem to be going well. Definitely much better than what would've happened if you chose that other place."

Yue spoke up softly, her dislike of the Golden Crane as clear as day.

"Though I agree, we shouldn't be too quick to jump to conclusions. They may have some truly talented and respectful people on their side for all we know."

Mao Shuhai advised lightly, causing Yue to ponder for a moment before softly agreeing. She's had her fair share of incorrect first impressions in the Valley of Death afterall, like a rabbit that was deadly, or a flower that could lash out at you.

"You're right, mistress."

"On a separate note, is that all you're planning to sell?"

"For now, yes. Even just this will cause great waves in the city."

"My future days will quickly become less peaceful."

She couldn't help but sigh.

"Let's be vigilant, Yue."

She warned in a light but somehow also solemn tone, both to herself and her little familiar, before turning to the doorway as the appraiser returned.

"The young master awaits you upstairs, please bring your items and follow me."

He bowed to the cloaked figure politely before leading her upstairs with her artifacts.

The number and quality of decorations notably lessened the farther they walked, leaving them in a relatively bare environment by the time they reached the door of their destination.

Considering their recent decline, it seemed like quite a simple but worthwhile method in retaining their elegant outer appearance whilst dealing with the loss of income. Though, she wondered how many of the rich and wealthy could really bare to have their staff rooms and offices so plain-looking?

Internally, her inital impression of the young master had shifted slightly.

As the door was opened, Mao Shuhai was greeted by a young man with deep purple hair and dark red eyes. Clad in a deep navy brocade robe with black embroidery, his long hair rested gently behind him as he smiled at her, though his cold eyes remained carefully scrutinizing.

"This is the young master of the Azure Crescent, Chen Baiqiu. And young master, this is..."

"Dai Ling."

Mao Shuhai lied without batting an eye, making up a name on the spot. Though, her thoughts were on the name of the young man just introduced to her. From what she remembered, the Azure Crescent, baring its popularity five years ago, was owned by a wealthy merchant family by the surname of Qiu. This surname of Chen... could it be that noble family she was thinking of earlier, the same one that used to own Yang Rou Long?

"Greetings, Dai Ling. I heard you came to sell third-grade weapons embedded with minor inscriptions?"

She nodded her head in response to his voice, before bringing the items out of her spatial ring again and presenting them to him. The appraiser stood by the door of the room to guard and allow the pair to discuss matters more privately.

His eyes remained calm at the sight of them, before turning his gaze back to her mask.

"May I take a closer look?"

She nodded again, as he took each weapon in hand and inspected both the embedded qi signature and the embedded marks of the inscriptions.

She could understand his caution. Afterall, inscriptionists had only ever been fleetingly seen in Snow Spirit Kingdom, as powerful figures that wouldn't dare stay for long in such a cold and dull kingdom. If she was in his place, she would most likely believe she was being made a fool of. She was actually a little surprised that his reaction was so lackluster... though that was likely because he didn't believe her words, at least not yet.

However, more than that, she was surprised that the young master of the Azure Crescent would be so dedicated to this auction house. Perhaps she was mistakenly lead astray by her impression of the young master of the Golden Crane, who she knew from listening to gossip earlier usually left the auction house's matters in the hands of his shopkeeper.

This office was well-used, she could tell at a glance. Neat stacks of paper were piled on the main desks, with tidy bookshelves filled with guides on business matters.

The fact that he was still here at this time as well, showed his dilligence.

Quietly, she pulled out a sheet of paper from her spatial ring and slid it across the table to the young man. She was going to give this to the appraiser earlier, but he ran out before she could finish explaining.

"This explains the functions of the third-grade weapons, and how the inscriptions used enhances them. Can my master anticipate having these sold in the auction tomorrow?"

She inquired calmly and politely, though pressing for an answer. She had other things she wanted to check out whilst the sky was still dark afterall.

He paused for a moment, skimming through the detailed characters written on the paper handed to him before looking back at the mysterious miss.

"Yes. We will do our best to give your master the best price for these artifacts."

He nodded at her with another smile, though Mao Shuhai could almost see the machinations turning in his head.

"Will your master be attending the auction tomorrow?"

"No, I will be attending by myself."

"I see, we will reserve a private booth for you."

"Thank you. How much cut do you intend to take?"

"30%. Our usual price."

"I see. That will be fine, then. I have other matters to attend to, so I must be off."

"Farewell, miss Dai Ling. Be well."

"Thank you, until tomorrow, then."

"I will see you off, miss. My name is Qiu Yu."

She bid farewell lightly before leaving under the escort of Qiu Yu, the tall appraiser from earlier.

---

"I don't think he believes you."

"He certainly doesn't."

She couldn't help but chuckle internally at Yue's words.

"Though polite, his attitude was quite perfunctory, considering the worth of what I was selling. Though, no one would want to continue talking to someone they thought was scamming them. In that regard, his attitude was actually quite a blessing."

She smiled lightly.

"It's fine, with time, he will realize that my artifacts are real, and that no matter who I am or where I come from, I am capable of securing third-grade weapons with inscriptions. And that I chose to sell them at the Azure Crescent, which can be said to be a great honour, and a great aid to their current situation. We will likely be treated with more respect in the future."

Yue nodded in understanding within her dantian, before posing another curious question after a pause.

"...Will he steal your weapons?"

"There is always that chance, I suppose. But, he wouldn't dare. To offend a skilled blacksmith and inscriptionist would be seeking death. Even if he did so regardless... it wouldn't be that hard for me to steal it back."

"That's true. I could sense that I had the strength to take them all on... much less you, mistress."

Yue stated plainly, before returning to silence as Qiu Yu opened the outside door.

The icy wind was like a wake-up call, as Mao Shuhai nodded towards Qiu Yu in thanks and headed off towards her next destination... quickly losing those tailing her in the process.

---

"...They lost her."

Qiu Yu spoke up after a pause, as he re-entered the young master's office once again. The red eyes of the man sitting at the desk barely shifted as he continued reading through the list the cloaked figure left behind.

"Already?"

"Yes."

Qiu Yu nodded in response, as his eyes went back towards the weapons that were left behind.

"Qiu'er... what do you think?"

He spoke up not long later, his eyes still locked onto the exquisite weapons laid out on the desk.

"...It's likely another one of Ping Yazhu's schemes."

Chen Baiqiu glanced at him faintly before speaking his thoughts.

"Indeed, I think so too. Though, these are extremely high quality fakes. I could feel their substantial qi just by holding them."

Qiu Yu rubbed his chin with a thoughtful nod.

"Yes, be careful, uncle. Don't touch them recklessly."

Chen Baiqiu warned, not wanting an obvious and blatant scheme such as this to catch them off-guard. Turning to his assistant that had just returned to the room, he gave out new orders.

"Hire some people to use their abilities according to the list, and monitor what happens to them afterwards. I want the results by tomorrow morning."

"Understood."

The small servant left once again in a hurry, despite barely putting his foot past the door. It would be difficult to find people to do work at this time of night, especially in time for tomorrow morning. But with enough money... people will likely still come running.

"If they're somehow real... advertising them might prove difficult."

Qiu Yu spoke up after it was just the pair of them left in the office again. Afterall, even they found it hard to believe that they were real, and they were skilled appraisers. The common people would likely think the Azure Crescent was just desperately grasping at straws to become popular again.

"It's fine... if they prove authentic by tomorrow morning, then we'll just let the rumours that arise spread. Showcasing them in the auction will end all those rumours... if there are no other mishaps."

Chen Baiqiu replied lightly.

"I see. Well, regardless, you should rest now. Look at what time it is, don't make your mother worry all the time."

It was very likely that they were fakes, as such there was no need to stress about them too much. More than that however, Qiu Yu didn't want his sister to chew him out for overworking her son again!

"Alright, uncle."

Chen Baiqiu chuckled, before organizing his things in preparation to leave for the night.