Chapitre 29: CHARMING AND HOT!!
"I thought I was dealing with yet another insignificant person. It seems it's quite the challenge to meet with the Mittel Auction House's chief auctioneer, Ya Fei," Xie Tianxiao remarked nonchalantly. After speaking, he ignored Ya Fei entirely and picked up his tea, taking a sip.
"My lord is right; it was my oversight. How would my lord like to proceed with the transaction for the Gathering Qi pill?" Ya Fei asked as she approached Xie Tianxiao, her gaze filled with a seductive charm.
It's true what they say about the main female leads, Xie Tianxiao thought to himself. Up close, he could fully appreciate the mature allure of this woman. Her delicate face was adorned with a playful smile, and her enchanting eyes seemed to be constantly tempting any man who gazed into them. Her full, supple lips were almost impossible to resist.
As Xie Tianxiao's gaze subtly drifted downward to her slender neck, he found himself nearly entranced by the ample curves of her chest.
Her waist, as slender as a water snake, swayed with a natural grace that evoked an almost primal desire to dominate and subdue her.
"This woman is truly bewitching," Xie Tianxiao silently cursed himself, quickly gathering his thoughts. "Miss Ya Fei should know the value of the Gathering Qi pill."
He had nearly lost his composure. He, a man of Saint-level status, almost fell under the spell of a mere woman—how disgraceful!
"Of course, I know, my lord. I just need to know whether you wish to auction it off or if you'd prefer that our auction house buys it directly?" Ya Fei asked, keeping her tone sweet despite the flicker of distaste she felt. She had noticed the lust in Xie Tianxiao's eyes, even if it was only for a brief moment. However, to avoid offending him, she maintained her composure and smiled as she posed her question.
"Heh, there's no rush for the transaction," Xie Tianxiao replied with a slight smile, easily catching the brief moment of displeasure in Ya Fei's expression but choosing to ignore it. "Miss Ya Fei, it seems you're still at the ninth stage of Dou Qi and haven't broken through to become a Dou practitioner yet?"
"My lord has sharp eyes. Indeed, due to my limited talent, I've yet to reach the Dou practitioner stage. But why do you bring this up?" Ya Fei responded, her expression turning curious.
She didn't see the point in hiding her current stage of cultivation. After all, anyone with a higher level of Dou Qi could easily discern it.
"I can offer you an opportunity, a chance to help you break through to the Dou practitioner stage ahead of time," Xie Tianxiao offered, his smile deepening.
"An opportunity?" Ya Fei was skeptical but masked her doubts as she asked, "And what kind of opportunity might my lord be offering?"
She didn't believe for a second that he would simply offer her such a gift without expecting something in return.
"The Gathering Qi pill," Xie Tianxiao stated plainly.
"The Gathering Qi pill!?" Ya Fei was genuinely surprised. She hadn't expected that the opportunity he spoke of would be the very same pill they were discussing. Moreover, he seemed willing to give it to her.
This left her uncertain about Xie Tianxiao's true intentions.
"Indeed. You were asking about the transaction earlier, weren't you?" Xie Tianxiao continued, noting the surprise on Ya Fei's face. "Let me clarify: the Gathering Qi pill doesn't hold much importance to me. The main reason I came to the auction house today was to meet you."
"To meet me?" Ya Fei was inwardly perplexed, but she maintained her charming smile as she inquired, "Now that you've met me, what do you plan to do, my lord?"
"To possess you—does that count as a plan?" Xie Tianxiao replied with a faint smile, his tone casual.
"My lord, you have quite the sense of humour," Ya Fei responded with a playful pout, though she was inwardly displeased. This man was far more direct than she had anticipated, proving once again that no man who came to see her had good intentions.
She had expected a person capable of producing a fourth-tier pill to at least maintain some semblance of propriety. Clearly, she had overestimated him.
"Humour? Miss Ya Fei, you should know better than anyone whether or not I'm joking," Xie Tianxiao said, observing her reaction closely.
"Heh… A person of your stature, able to produce a fourth-tier Gathering Qi Powder, deserves more than someone like me," Ya Fei replied, keeping her tone light despite her irritation. She had already decided that after the auction, she would have to investigate this man thoroughly.
"Ah, so Miss Ya Fei knows how to refuse someone," Xie Tianxiao remarked with a smirk. "I had assumed you were someone who came from a brothel, ready to agree to any request from a customer."
"My lord, while my status is indeed not as esteemed as yours, I wouldn't go so far as to compare myself to a brothel worker," Ya Fei replied calmly, though she caught the scorn in his voice.
She wondered if he was upset by her previous demeanour. As the top auctioneer in Wutan City, she knew full well that men were generally drawn to women who were flirtatious and seductive. It was precisely this charm that boosted her popularity, drawing more people to the auction house. Even a person of Xie Tianxiao's stature had likely come here because of her reputation. What could he possibly find fault with?
Could it be that he didn't appreciate that type of woman, leading him to say such things?
This thought crossed Ya Fei's mind.
"So, it's my fault then?" Xie Tianxiao asked, a playful smile on his face.
"If my lord didn't like my previous tone, I won't speak that way again. I wouldn't want you to think of me as some common harlot and get the wrong impression," Ya Fei said, regaining her composure.
Her words carried a subtle meaning: despite her lower status compared to him, she was not someone to be trifled with, and even if he were a fourth-tier alchemist, she would not easily bow to him.
"Heh…it was just a joke," Xie Tianxiao chuckled, then explained, "You might not know much about me, but I've learned quite a bit about you. The main reason I came to this auction was to see if you're truly as I expected."
Ya Fei was indeed a clever woman. Despite being deeply entrenched in the auction scene and having met countless men, she had her boundaries. She knew when to be accommodating and when to stand firm, which had allowed her to rise to her current position.
However, her cultivation talent was lacking. At the age of twenty-nine, she was still at the ninth stage of Dou Qi, not yet a Dou practitioner.
It was like the saying goes: when one door closes, another opens. This allowed her to survive and thrive in this world of the strong, despite her weaknesses.
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État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone