"Master, I will be with Longwang, we are going to Louyang to finish a mission." Fei Qianchi explained. Zhu Longwang stood behind him, holding onto Xiao Bai.
Fei Shang turned to look at Fei Qianchi, brows wrinkling. Time had done him the same, Fei Shang was still the same youth from before. Only now, his temperament had finally been evened out, losing some of his vigor from the past.
Tian Sichan looked at them, merely nodding his head. "Go, you are already an immortal. If you had wanted, you could have moved out of this peak as soon as you became an immortal. Huayan and Mengshu have already ascended too. Now, Zhang Zaifan and Zhang Bingmei are close to ascending. Qi Meiyao is having some difficulties breaking out of Void Stage, but soon, she will ascend too. Even Fei Shang is quickly catching up."
Fei Qianchi smiled as he heard this, looking at Fei Shang. The youth was dressed in black as always, a stern look on his face.
"Fei Shang, I'll return soon. Don't be hasty and ascend to an immortal when I'm gone." Fei Qianchi joked, eyes lifting as he smiled.
Fei Shang shook his head, "It'll be a while until then, brother. Just be careful." Saying this, he also sent a look at Zhu Longwang.
Zhu Longwang walked over, his cold face a bit warmer as he said, "I'll have to trouble you with watching Xiao Bai." He handed the white cat to Fei Shang, who accepted him with a nod.
Xiao Bai purred as he leaned himself onto Fei Shang.
Fei Qianchi smiled. Now 500 years old, he was at the sixth layer of Golden Immortal. It would be long before he could break out of this stage, but he didn't mind. Fei Qianchi turned to look at Zhu Longwang as he asked, "Are you ready?"
Zhu Longwang nodded, taking out a blue sword. The sword's name was Sanfeng, scattered dreams.
As Zhu Longwang took out his sword, he cupped his fists as he said, "We will be taking our leave now." Then, the sword flew into the air as Zhu Longwang lightly stepped onto it.
"Master, Fei Shang, I will be back soon." Fei Qianchi also took out Baihe, the sword flying to the air as he lightly stepped onto it.
"Come back soon, and be careful. There have been more demonic cultivators within Louyang as of lately." Tian Sichan nodded his head and warned.
"Of course, Master." Fei Qianchi looked at Fei Shang, who looked back in turn with gentle eyes. Everyone was growing up now...
Fei Qianchi turned to Zhu Longwang, "We can leave now." With that, their swords took off into the sky.
With both of their swords moving at a fast speed, Fei Qianchi spoke leisurely to Zhu Longwang.
"Is your brother still in seclusion?" Fei Qianchi asked. He turned his eyes to look at Zhu Longwang, who nodded.
"Yes, he... will not be coming out any time soon. He has been facing many internal demons during this time, I reckon that he will try to get rid of his demons first." Zhu Longwang's voice was warm, his expression melting and turning warmer by the second, losing the coldness that normally resided on his face.
Fei Qianchi nodded, his white hair flying in the wind. "I see..." He stopped as he looked at Zhu Longwang who turned to look at him. There was a soft light behind Zhu Longwang's eyes that made Fei Qianchi's heart feel warm. "Is there anything you wish to do once we arrive in Louyang?"
Zhu Longwang shook his head, "No, I don't know the city all too well. Although I've spent a long time wandering many different places, I never frequented Louyang often." He looked away, avoiding Fei Qianchi's burning eyes.
Fei Qianchi chuckled, a deep noise coming from his throat. "Then I will take us around. Louyang has many different booths open. There are many cultivators so auction houses filled with rare treasures will be there. I want to buy something for you."
Zhu Longwang looked down, controlling his sword. Fei Qianchi quietly watched him, not knowing why the man became so silent. The two have known each other for a long time now. Fei Qianchi understood Zhu Longwang's character well, their friendship having became deeper and deeper with the years that passed. It was normal for them to have such good feelings.
"Have you been looking around?" Zhu Longwang asked looking up, his eyes gazing at Fei Qianchi.
A smile blossomed on Fei Qianchi's face, making his handsome features even more enchanting. He didn't know why... Fei Qianchi loved the way Zhu Longwang's eyes shone. There was something to them that grabbed his attention. Not to mention, Zhu Longwang was a good friend to him.
"Yes, I've been planning for a while now. I've been looking into some of the famous auction houses to see what rare treasures they would be auctioning. I plan to make something for you myself." Fei Qianchi proudly said. Having been by Zhu Longwang's side for a long time now, he had picked up a few craving techniques from the man.
"Really?" Zhu Longwang's eyes shone even brighter, making his face light up. There was a smile on his red lips.
Fei Qianchi grew a bit flustered, seeing that Zhu Longwang was so excited. But still, he liked it. "En. I heard that Buxian is auctioning Feng Jade. That type of jade is extracted with difficulty. I heard that it takes a long time to get a small chunk of it. But Feng Jade is good for nourishing the soul. I wanted to make a hairpin for you."
Hearing this, Zhu Longwang smiled brighter.
Fei Qianchi looked at him, his heart feeling warm. He truly loved and cared for Zhu Longwang. The years that passed made it easier for Fei Qianchi to understand Zhu Longwang. Although everyone thought of Zhu Longwang as a cold man, he was much more than that. Zhu Longwang loved furry animals, he could play with them for a whole day, not noticing that time would pass him. Zhu Longwang was normally cold, but when he smiled, his eyes turned even brighter, making his face even more beautiful.
Fei Qianchi looked down, noticing that they had already arrived. "Ah, we're already here." Their swords slowly descended down. Fei Qianchi chose a less crowded spot to land, jumping off of his sword as he patted his robe. He turned back to look at Zhu Longwang, who was already putting his sword onto his back.
There wasn't a lot of people in this spot. After all, they had landed outside of the gates, many of the people were already inside of the gates. Louyang was a place for cultivates to gather, hence, soldiers were stationed to guard the city.
As Fei Qianchi rushed forward, he pulled onto Zhu Longwang's hand, dragging the man with him. The streets were filled with people, tiny stores opened, booths filled with items, and countless voices were heard. Fei Qianchi smiled brightly, pulling Zhu Longwang as they maneuvered through the crowd.
Fei Qianchi tightened his grasp on Zhu Longwang, turning around with a bright smile on his face, "Let's go look around for a bit. Buxian does not open until the afternoon." The sunlight hit his face, his white hair was a bit messy but his blue eyes were vibrant.
Zhu Longwang looked at Fei Qianchi, merely smiling lightly as he nodded his head, letting Fei Qianchi pull him through the crowd.
Fei Qianchi could feel his heart racing against his chest, holding onto Zhu Longwang's hand. There was a weird feeling emerging in his heart, making him nervous. Zhu Longwang's hand were nice to hold. The man's fingers were long, callouses on the pale fingers. Fei Qianchi grasped on tighter as they looked around.
As they roamed the streets, Fei Qianchi continuously stopped to buy things for Zhu Longwang. He didn't think, he bought whatever he thought would suit Zhu Longwang. As Fei Qianchi held a white jade hairpin in his hand, he turned towards Zhu Longwang, who stood obediently, waiting for him to finish. Fei Qianchi cracked a smile.
"How much for this hairpin?" Fei Qianchi asked as Zhu Longwang was distracted.
The woman in front of him turned to him at once, exclaiming, "That is the Ruxi hairpin. It originally belonged to a grand cultivator. The original price is 25 gold taels, but for you, I will give a discount of 3 taels."
Hearing this, Fei Qianchi didn't care. Gold taels were nothing much for cultivators like them. He merely reached for his pouch, pulling it out as he paid for the hairpin.
He held the hairpin in his hand. The hairpin was a pure white, elegantly designed with a flower at the end. The white jade was a bit cold to touch, but it gave a soothing feeling. Fei Qianchi turned to Zhu Longwang as the man looked at him with blank eyes.
Fei Qianchi didn't say anything as he reached forward, inserting the hairpin into Zhu Longwang's hair. With their faces nearly touching, Fei Qianchi smiled softly, fixing the hairpin onto Zhu Longwang's hair. As he backed away, he reached for a strand of hair that had fallen, covering Zhu Longwang's face. He pushed the strand of hair behind Zhu Longwang's ear.
"There we go." Fei Qianchi said at last, backing away and looking at Zhu Longwang. The white hairpin stood out against Zhu Longwang's dark hair, his purple eyes illuminated. As the man looked at him with a light flush on his cheeks, Fei Qianchi chuckled.
"What is this?" Zhu Longwang asked.
Fei Qianchi particularly liked Zhu Longwang's voice. There was something behind it that sounded soothing to him. "A hairpin. I thought it would suit you."
Fei Qianchi watched as Zhu Longwang reached to touch the hairpin, a light smile on his face as he replied, "Thank you."
"No need for that, I just thought it would look good on you." Fei Qianchi replied. It did look good on him. The way that Zhu Longwang stood, the way he carried himself, everything just looked perfect.
Fei Qianchi could see that Zhu Longwang grew flustered with that statement. The man was always like that. Although he was so cold in front of others, he was himself when Fei Qianchi was by him.
Suddenly, Fei Qianchi recalled, "Ah, the auction should be starting soon. Let's make our way to Buxian." Saying this, he walked by Zhu Longwang's side as the two walked through the crowd of people.
Fei Qianchi looked around before his eyes caught onto the extravagant house that stood much higher than the other stores around them. There were many people entering and exiting, especially cultivators. As the two walked inside, a servant came up to them at once.
"Two sires, what can I do for you?"
"Lead us to a private room." Fei Qianchi smiled as he took out another bag filled with gold taels, handing it to the boy who smiled brightly, weighing the bag in his hand.
Fei Qianchi took a quick glance at Zhu Longwang, who smiled. Then, they walked after the boy. They were led to the second floor. As the door closed, a spell was placed right away, blocking any noises from getting in or out. There were no windows, a mirror was reflect, showing the stage and many cultivators that were already seated on the lower floor.
Fei Qianchi took a seat opposite of Zhu Longwang. A teapot was placed on the table and he slowly poured a cup for himself and Zhu Longwang. "If there is anything that you want, just call out for it. After all those artifacts you created for me, I should get something for you in return too." Fei Qianchi joked.
Zhu Longwang nodded his head, lifting the cup of tea as he took a sip from it, setting the cup down.
Fei Qianchi could see that the man was more alert now. Zhu Longwang was like that. He was always wary and had his guard up. But, Fei Qianchi was also thankful for that. If not, their relationship wouldn't have progressed to this point.
It didn't take long for people to be seated, a woman arriving on stage.
The mirror reflected everything clearly for Fei Qianchi and Zhu Longwang to see.
"Greetings to all who were able to come to Buxian. My name is Wang Yanhua, the first daughter of the Wang family. Today, I will be the one introducing some of the newest items Buxian was able to get their hands on."
Reflected in the clear mirror, a woman was dressed in a scarlet dress, gold hairpins in her hair. She stood upon the stage, a proud smile on her face as her eyes swept over the crowd.
Fei Qianchi merely took a quick glance, not caring. He was merely waiting for the Feng Jade to appear. If he saw anything else that he wanted, then he would bid for it. Thinking this, he was quite glad that this private room was protected by many arrays and talismans. This way, it would be hard for others to find out his identity and pinpoint him.
Fei Qianchi took a quick glance at Zhu Longwang before his eyes turned away.
"First off, we have Dongqiu Grass. This type of grass is not considered rare, but it's abilities are still helpful nonetheless. This batch of Dongqiu Grass was carefully nurtured using Spiritual Water, its abilities are multiplied by five times." Wang Yanhua held out a tray, taking off the cover to reveal an array of green grass glazed with a white light.
Fei Qianchi had no interest in this type of plant. Qi Meiyao already grew many of it back at the peak.
"150 gold!"
"20o gold!"
There were some people who wanted to buy it. For the others, they were waiting for the biggest and most valuable object.
Finally, the Dongqiu Grass was bought at a price of 550 gold taels.
Fei Qianchi tapped his fingers onto the table, bidding his time. His eyes continuously drifted to Zhu Longwang but he quickly took them away, not lingering for long.
Many more items were brought a-forth. Unfortunately, Fei Qianchi had no interests in the items and Zhu Longwang also paid no attention to it.
At that moment, Wang Yanhua revealed the next item covered in silk. Upon the tray, there was a white jade placed upon. It was carefully crafted, filled with an ice-cold aura, the jade had meticulously designs upon it.
Fei Qianchi perked up. A sword tassel... as far as he knew, Zhu Longwang did not have a sword tassel yet.
Wang Yanhua smiled, dimples appearing on her cheeks. "This is a sword tassel, made from Biewu Jade. This type of jade is coveted by many, a very rare jade that takes a long time to form. This was already crafted when we found it, hence, the Biewu Jade was used to create this sword tassel. Our starting price for this sword tassel is 200,000 gold taels."
Fei Qianchi waited. He was patient as he listened to all the other voices surrounding him, calling out endless high prices. He knew that Biewu jade was a type of jade used to nourish Ice Spiritual Roots. Although he could use it for himself, there was no need to nourish his roots with it. He simply wanted it as a gift to Zhu Longwang.
"500,000!"
"600,000!"
The price continued to climb, higher and higher as it entered the millions. This wasn't the finale just yet but everyone was clamoring over the Biewu Jade tassel.
A woman's voice sounded loud and clear, "1,750,000!" There was a haughty smile on her lips.
Everyone grew silent.
Fei Qianchi understood what they were thinking at once. Although Biewu Jade was precious, this price was too much. But he didn't care. Money was the least of his worries. Not to mention, being an immortal, he was able to see that everyone's cultivation were lower than his and Zhu Longwang's.
Fei Qianchi tapped his fingers, calling out in an unhurried voice, "2 million." His voice was even, no emotion attached behind it as he simply lifted his lips when Zhu Longwang turned to him with furrowed brows.
Wang Yanhua's lips curved, calling out, "If there is no other bids, this will belong to the person in room 7." Her eyes looked around. Everyone was quiet. Wang Yanhua grabbed the small hammer, tapping it onto the table, saying, "This Biewu Jade tassel belongs to the person in room 7, you may claim this item after the auction ends."
Fei Qianchi smiled at that.
"Why did you bid for the tassel?" Zhu Longwang asked. His voice was the same, like crystal bells ringing with a loud sound.
"A gift to you." Fei Qianchi merely replied, eyes curving.
"But, Biewu Jade will be more beneficial for you." Zhu Longwang brought up. Upon his pale face, his brows were furrowed, eyes appearing even more beautiful.
Fei Qianchi merely chuckled, leaning forward as he grabbed his cup of tea. "It would, but my roots can not be improved nor can they be nourished. While it may work, the benefit is too small to just simply use it up. I'll give it to you instead. After all, you still don't have a tassel on your sword yet."
Zhu Longwang grew quiet. His eyes peered into Fei Qianchi's, "Do you know what it means to gift a tassel to someone?"
Fei Qianchi tilted his head. Was there something behind it? If so, he didn't know. "Is there a story behind it?" He stared at Zhu Longwang.
Zhu Longwang bit his lips. He opened his mouth, but was interrupted.
"The Feng Jade is finally here, ladies and gentlemen! This is one of the rarest jades, made from the flames of the Phoenix's, hence the name it is given. This chunk of jade may seem small, but it takes centuries and centuries to be created under the nourishment of the Phoenix's burning flames. Feng Jade has the ability to absorb flames, storing and turning it into Qi. Feng Jade is also known for nourishing and healing the soul. This type of jade is commonly used to make artifacts and it is a priceless item to many. Our starting bid is 2 million."
Fei Qianchi's attention was on the mirror as he heard this. His eyes carefully looked at the tray. On the tray, a crimson jade rested. The color was not even, some parts more intense than others. But still, the jade burned, as if the flames that made it were still alive and burning. Although the color was quite intense, Fei Qianchi would be able to dull it.
His eyes turned to Zhu Longwang, who was a bit blank at the moment.
There was a light flush on the man's ears.
Fei Qianchi tilted his head...
.
.
.