Securing an invite to the Auction House is easy enough - a mix of the Hei name, and a demonstration that we do have the spirit stones to participate. We're not exactly big money, but it's not like our intention is to buy anything major. Even in a relatively backwater place like Azure Harbour, the Auction House sees enough trade and big ticket items to attract attention from all over the local area.

And of course, it helps that we have something to put up ourselves. The Ghost Mirage Apples that Zhou Cheng managed to gather in the Forest earlier.

He's not particularly thrilled at the idea of selling them, but frankly, everything is dangerous and it's not as though it's overwhelmingly so. They're a bit on the rare side, and difficult to source so far from the Forest, but really, anyone with time and permission from the Heavenly Misty Peaks could get these by hand.

Or they could just buy them from the Sect directly. Selling them at an Auction House - or at least a bushels or so - would be easier for everyone involved and add a little more spending money to our pockets.

I know I'm kind of invoking the drug dealer's defense here - in that us selling them isn't going to stop people from buying things like them - but honestly, it's not like these things only poison. Used properly, they can become medicine, something that's true of just about all poisons I'm fairly sure. Or at least, all the poisons I've encountered.

And maybe it is callous of me, but quite frankly anyone intent on poisoning someone else is just going to find a different weapon for it.

That's what I did, after all.

The main problem we faced however, was not actually getting into the Auction House. It was dressing appropriately.

As we had left the Sect, we could hardly be seen wearing the Sect robes. That would imply a level of association we were no longer allowed to claim, so we were stuck wearing whatever clothes we had. For Tian Mingfei and I, this was no great concern. She had plenty of spare clothing that fit her and was surprisingly fashionable and stylish, and I… well. I just moved back home for now - there were plenty of things I could wear. Hand me downs, tailored robes, things my parents had bought for me that I never ended up using... I was well covered.

Zhou Cheng, not so much. Nothing I had could fit him properly, without dutiful tailoring. That remained an option of course, and whilst giving him what amounted to my hand-me-downs was kind of cute, it wasn't really appropriate, even if he didn't really care. He was, even if only unofficially, our leader. He had to look the part.

Even if that meant I had to drag him clothes shopping myself.

"Lian-eeeerrrr," he whines, trying not to shift uncomfortably as I throw yet another roll of silk over him. "How long are we going to do this?"

"As long as it takes." No, this shade of red isn't right. It's too… dark. Something brighter. Or maybe blue. Something that matches his eyes? "Sky blue. Celeste." 'Celeste' may not be a word here, but I'm going to use it anyway.

The tailor, a greying old man with thick glasses, nods seriously and silently, and disappears for a few moments. When he reappears, he presents me with a roll of the silk, and I stretch it out to compare how it contrasts against Zhou Cheng's skin whilst he sulks.

"Stop being a baby, Cheng-ge. I'll make you some tanghulu if you can sit still."

It's almost criminal how easy it is to bribe him, sometimes. The mention of sweets gets him to freeze entirely, to the point I'm actually afraid he's not breathing - but no, there's a faint motion there. Honestly. This brat.

"Cheng-ge can still grow, so make it a little looser," I murmur to the tailor, "For the edging, something green?"

He nods again, solemn as a grave. "Would Young Master like it expedited?"

I chew my lip. The next Auction isn't for a week or so. They're held every few months, and it's not as though waiting is a huge pain… "Take your time, but make several. Different patterns, shades… few colours. Something neutral as well…"

I can see Zhou Cheng starting to buckle under having to stand there and sit still like this for so long, which is kind of hilarious to me because I know he's spent longer meditating. I suppose that's not entirely the same though.

Finally, I take mercy on him after drawing up enough plans and ideas to give him a full wardrobe, and hand over the taels, finalizing the transaction with instructions to deliver it to the Hei Estate.

"Thank you for indulging me, Cheng-ge," I offer cheerfully - and instinctively reach out to pat him on the head. I only sort of realise what I've done after I've already made contact, and for a moment, there's a brief flash of panic in my system.

Zhou Cheng just brightens considerably at the touch, and even leans into it a little. Gods, why did I even panic? He's not the same little Young Master I found crying on his own, full of pride and vinegar.

… He's still full of pride, but there's less vinegar, and I'm allowed to just touch him. But I should probably avoid patting him on the head like that in public, if only to preserve face for him.

"Come, we still have some shopping to do."

He balks a little at that, but he falls into step beside me without further complaint even if he is a little sulky about it.

"I can't make tanghulu without hawthorn, now can I?"

That gets him to perk up again. Gods, I wonder what it's like to be inside his mind sometimes.

The market is, quite obviously, packed to the rafters with people, stalls and wagons, but even without flaring our Qi, people part for us. There's not a lot of room to part, unfortunately, but it makes it easy enough for the two of us to stride through the crowd. It does… feel pretty awkward, personally, because I'm still not used to this kind of treatment, but I just try to keep myself casual. Customer service smile, don't make eye contact, don't stare at anyone in particular.

"Lian-er! Over there!"

I start to turn to face whatever Zhou Cheng's directing me towards, but he seizes my hand and drags me over faster than I can react. Someone's impatient - and just for the fruit stall. There's a pretty impressive selection, I have to admit, and the poor fruitmonger looks like he has no idea what to do with the attention of a pair of cultivators. I offer him a generous smile, in the hopes of reassuring him, and do my best to beam be not afraid with my mind in the vague hope that it will show through my face or just kind of telepathically put him at ease.

I don't think it works all that much, but he does seem to manage a smile of his own. "Young Masters, how can this humble Xiao Shang help you?"

"I'd like some hawthorn, please." I glance over to Zhou Cheng. "Cheng-ge, is there any other fruit you'd like?" It's not like it needs to be hawthorn, after all. Any berry will do. You could probably use cut fruit as well, but I think the berries look better.

He blinks a little, and devotes way too much focus to the question. It's fruit, Zhou Cheng. Fruit's not that complicated. I should know, I'm one myself. "Strawberries?"

"And some strawberries."

Xiao Shang nods nervously, already wrapping our purchases up for us. He doesn't even try to barter, and I'm pretty sure he undercharged us.

I hand him a few more taels than I'm sure is the fair price, and close my hand over his. "For your generosity."

I really hope people stop fearing us, sooner or later. It's… exhausting. Maybe if we establish some kind of reputation for being nice… but establishing a reputation sounds like a pain in itself. Nobody gets a reputation for just breezing along and doing nothing.

… although I suppose if we reached Immortality without getting into any major events, that'd be noteworthy in itself.

Although speaking of breezing along, there was a pulse of Qi not too far from here. Two of them, even.

There's absolutely no way this is going to end well, but Zhou Cheng's already perking up like a meerkat who just saw a suspicious shadow. They didn't feel dangerously powerful - if anything, they felt similar in power to me, so Qi Condensation Realm. The local Sect wasn't as powerful as the Heavenly Misty Peaks after all, but if there was some kind of scuffle going on, getting involved could get messy…

… but Zhou Cheng's already dragging me along. I force back the sigh. It's not as though I'm actually frustrated or mad, after all.

The scene we arrive on is about what I expected things to be, honestly. A pair of cultivators - about Cheng-ge's age - currently facing off. Judging from their robes, it's easy enough to identify whose from the local Calm Tides Sect and who's… from somewhere else. I don't really recognise the pale green and yellows at all.

Not that it matters. They look like they're about to throw hands right here and now, which is just not on. I can feel Zhou Cheng rising up to do something to stop them, but I give him a halting touch on the elbow.

I… trust him to be careful, but he's always been more of a blunt instrument when it comes to throwing his powers around, and even just flaring his Qi to push them into submission could turn into a pissing contest. Something subtler is better here.

My cauldron plonks down before me, and a quick touch fills it with clear, refined broth. It's pretty weak, given I had to get rid of the… previous soup and start over. It doesn't matter though. It doesn't need to be strong. It just needs to get their attention.

"Savoury Bewitching Broth."

As one, both butting heads snap over to me… and Zhou Cheng, who has been slowly leaking his Qi out, arms folded over his chest with an unimpressed expression.

And that's how we got two more 'guests' for tea.