Chapter 209: Spying on Spies
Chen Wentian, as He Xingping, rode a horse through the busy streets of Beast God City alone. People recognized his dazzling golden robes and they made way and bowed in fear. He ignored the faceless crowd and focused on the task at hand.
The first piece of bait to lure the beast kings to the city had been taken a few days ago. It was now time to lay out the second piece of bait. As executive elder, he had certain privileges that made this much easier.
He arrived in front of a massive complex that was bustling with activity. It was called the Divine Beast Emporium and dealt with the trade of live beasts. This was an organization ran jointly by the lords and other influential business clans of the city. Many rare and valuable beasts could be found here and it was a popular gathering place for the rich and famous of the city.
As beast art cultivators, the members of Beast God Sanctum loved beasts. They not just studied beasts closely, ate beast flesh, and acted like beasts, they also liked keep beasts as pets. Maintaining a closeness with beasts was an important part of their cultivation. Many preferred beasts that were the same or similar to their chosen Dao but there were also exceptions.
The Snake Lord, before his death, kept a fox as a pet for hundreds of years. The commoners didn't know that it was Jasmine, a divine beast, but the news that a lord liked foxes inevitably leaked out. As a result, foxes became a popular pet around the city and the Divine Beast Emporium had steady business capturing and selling them.
He Xingping strode into the emporium and was greeted by rotund man in colorful furs.
"Executive Elder! Welcome back!" The man bowed and said.
"Mmm, I received your message. You have the goods?" He Xingping asked.
The man nodded, "Yes sir, absolutely. The auction is starting soon, will you need anonymity again?"
He had an eager and greasy smile on his face. Taking part in the auctions anonymously meant that sales agents like him could charge a fat commission.
He Xingping didn't care as it was all part of the plan. He withdrew a gold tael and tipped the agent.
"Thank you, thank you, sir! This way, follow me!"
He Xingping was led through the packed hallways, up several sets of stairs and into a private box. It had a balcony that overlooked the auction hall as well as privacy inscriptions all around to prevent people outside from seeing in.
He nodded in satisfaction and sat down on in the middle seat while gesturing the agent down next to him. The auction would take over an hour as there were many valuable beasts today. To stave off boredom, he ordered some snacks as well as several bottles of wine.
The auction hall quickly filled up and the event started with great fanfare. A very attractive female auctioneer in revealing clothing was in charge of the auction, which only increased the excitement of the crowd.
One beast after another was led onto the stage and quickly sold off. All of the beasts were at least at the Mind Focusing Realm and there even quite a few at the Spirit Initiate Realm. There were tigers, lions, horses, dogs… any beast that anyone would want, they had them. Competition was fierce and the prices rose to shocking amounts.
He Xingping didn't bid on anything as he knew what he wanted wouldn't come until later. He occupied himself with eating, drinking, and chatting with the agent in a friendly manner. The agent also partook in some wine and flattered He Xingping as much as possible.
"Executive elder… your business must be booming during this monster invasion." The agent chuckled, "You've spent so much already and yet you here you are once again."
"Heh… actually. But as long as my lord gives me the funds, I will continue to buy. It is what my lord wants, after all." He Xingping muttered as he emptied a cup of wine.
"Oh really?" The agent said and refilled He Xingping's cup. "I didn't know that. Why does it have to be female though? I have many great male foxes for sale. In fact, look!"
Just then, a magnificent red fox at the Spirit Initiate Realm was on display in a cage. It was around one meter long from nose to tail and a vibrant reddish orange color, like the setting sun. The beast snarled at the humans all around and let out its spiritual energy furiously. It was no use as the cage stood firm and unbroken.
He Xingping snorted in annoyance and took another gulp. "No, absolutely not. My lord's pet fox is female so males are absolutely not allowed. It has to remain pure. He simply wants some female foxes to keep it company. It's been depressed lately which in turn makes the lord unhappy."
"Absolutely, absolutely. The Lion Lord's wisdom is vast as the wilderness! Once the lord regains his happy pet, he will surely reward you richly!"
"Hahaha, that's right!" He Xingping replied drunkenly, "But my friend… this has to stay between us. If I find that this news gets out, then…"
He stared pointedly at the agent before making a gesture at his neck. The agent shut up and nodded his head nervously.
The auction continued but the agent no longer probed for dangerous topics. Eventually, close to the end, what He Xingping wanted came up onto the stage. It was a tiny fox half the size of the previous fox. It had white and tan fur and the most curious pair of oversized ears.
The entire auction hall was immediately thrown into a mad frenzy. It was a female Desert Wind Fox, a rare species that was prized among the upper class of the city. It had a milder temperament compared to other foxes and tended to submit to their human masters. Being at the 3rd Level of the Spirit Initiate Realm made it even extremely desirable. But most importantly, it was astonishingly cute!
Overexcited women screamed out bids before the auctioneer had a chance to say anything. They all wanted the fox desperately. It was the perfect pet for a noble woman and the best symbol of wealth and status among their peers. Forget precious jewels, flowers, or artworks. The women of Beast God Sanctum wanted cute beast pets!
He Xingping sat up straight and signaled the agent who immediately joined in the chorus of bids.
"One thousand!"
"One thousand one hundred!"
"One thousand five hundred!"
"Two thousand!"
"Four thousand!"
The bids shot up to the heavens faster than expected. Everyone was stunned by the ferocity and soon, most were left bitterly disappointed. The price was already way past what ordinary nobles could afford. There were only a few competitors left including He Xingping. He could guess which families could still afford to bid but he didn't care about offending them. He absolutely had to have this fox.
"Ten thousand!"
"Fifteen thousand!"
"Twenty thousand!"
The price was now astronomical. Twenty thousand could buy a peak Spirit Initiate Realm weapon or armor. He Xingping wasn't bothered and continued to raise the price. The crazed women gave up one by one until he eventually won the fox with an eye-popping amount, twenty-seven thousand taels of gold!
"My deposit should be enough, right?" He asked the agent.
"… of… of course sir!" The agent replied in a daze, "Your account still has over forty thousand gold with us."
"Good, expect another deposit from me soon with another twenty thousand."
"Y… yes!"
He Xingping ignored the man's shocked expression, "Deliver the fox to the usual location. Make sure to keep absolute secrecy regarding this transaction or heads will roll. Understood?"
"Yes sir!"
---
Some time after both men left the room, a black bee the size of a peanut flew down from the ceiling. It buzzed around the room several times before leaving the through the open door. The insect made its way carefully out of the Divine Beast Emporium. It avoided being detected by any human cultivator and followed the shadows into a dark, abandoned alley where it entered a dark crevasse along the walls.
Inside was a bee hive that was a mass of activity. Hundreds of bees were flying around each other. Some were coming in while more were going out. There were also bee combs filled with eggs and larva for even more bees.
The bee from the auction house flew to the middle of a mass of bees and started to dance in a strange, intricate pattern. It was using a mysterious method to transfer what it had seen and heard to its brethren.
Once it was done, a larger bee twice its size appeared beside it. This one made the exact same dance before flying out of the hive. It similarly followed the shadows but its destination was different.
It made its way down the mountain and sneaked past the guards and protective inscriptions without raising the alarm. It then shot eastward and disappeared into the wild forest. However, unbeknownst to the eager messenger bee, a undetectable pitch black shadow was following behind it.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone