Since I’m not given a choice, I’ll become the king’s dog, but I don’t need any remunerations.
I only need two things.
One: I will be allowed to continue to accept jobs from the guild.
Two: I will be allowed to use the king’s name to gather information.
If I use an entire country’s power to search for you, I should at least be able to find out where you are, right?
Gong Hua…
―Cas
“Teacher, this is Yin Qie Zi.” Owen hurriedly went forward and introduced them to each other. “Yin Qie Zi, this is my teacher Zhan ∙ Chris ∙ Wollier.”
Owen was a little bit anxious after the introductions. Yin Qie Zi had a cold personality and disliked strangers. He was afraid Yin Qie Zi would be unhappy that he had brought a stranger into their box. But Chris was his teacher, he was obligated to greet him. He only hoped that even if Yin Qie Zi was unhappy, he wouldn’t stare at Chris with a cold expression on his face.
Contrary to Owen’s expectations, Yin Qie Zi stood up and said politely, “This is the first time we’ve met. Hello.”
Chris merely nodded in response. He walked up to Mila and a rare smile came over his serious face.
Mila greeted him first, “Uncle Chris! Long time no see. Really, it’s just so like you to not even attend our birthday banquet! Not many people were invited in the first place.”
Chris smiled and replied, “West usually doesn’t pay attention to people, but if I were to go, he would certainly come over and greet me. He’d finally managed to pull out some time and spend it together with you, I’d rather not waste those minutes.”
Mila pouted and protested, “Really! I wouldn’t mind if you took some of our time and came over to say hello!”
At that moment, Owen walked up to Yin Qie Zi and whispered in his ear, “Teacher is pretty indifferent to people. He’s not deliberately ignoring you. Don’t take it to heart!”
Yin Qie Zi didn’t mind at all. He knew what Chris was like. Twenty years ago, Chris had barely spoken a word to him… In retrospect, they had probably never spoken to each other at all.
“Well, have you looked at the Leaf’s listing yet?”
Yin Qie Zi paused and asked back, “Listing?”
“The auction’s catalog has information on the goods that are being sold. Let’s see.” Owen glanced around and exclaimed, “There, it’s on the table!”
Owen picked up the catalog and flipped through it. He quickly found the page he was looking for. He read out loud, “Leaf. Bright, white skin. Pleasant features. Healthy body with no defects. Blue hair. Height is 175 centimeters… That tall? Don’t tell me the Leaf really is male?”
Yin Qie Zi rolled his eyes at Owen and responded, “Not necessarily. Leaves are quite similar in height as there aren’t any sex related differences between males and females. Even if they stood in front of you, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell which one is male or female.”
“So that’s how it is!” Owen understood and continued reading, “Has spirit charmer abilities. Gentle, won’t attack without reason… They’ve written this much, but there’s nothing on the Leaf’s sex.”
Before Yin Qie Zi could reply, Mila cut in, “What are you worried about? The Leaf isn’t for you in any case.”
Owen muttered, “How does that have nothing to do with me? The Leaf is going to live at our house, right? At the minimum, I want a visually pleasing… Alright, don’t glare at me. The Leaf is definitely male. Happy?”
“You are planning on buying the Leaf?” Chris asked suddenly.
Mila and Owen both turned to look at Chris. Owen nodded and said yes, he then asked curiously, “Teacher, what did you come here to buy? Weapons?”
“The Leaf.”
Owen was shocked upon hearing that answer. He hadn’t expected Chris to be after the Leaf as well. “Teacher, you’re planning to buy the Leaf too? What do you plan on doing with the Leaf, make them into a spirit charmer?”
Chris thought for a bit and replied, “There’s no harm done even if I don’t buy it. After you two have bought it, it’ll be fine if you let me borrow it for a few days.”
If it had been anyone else saying those words, Owen would have already punched them in the face. But it had been Chris, the commander of the Xialan Spiritmancer Regiment. He was known for his strict self-discipline both inside and outside their country. Whenever someone talked about the paragon of discipline and strict values, the commander of the Xialan Regiment would come up nine out of ten times.
Exactly what was a commander like Chris planning on doing by borrowing a Leaf for a few days? Even if Owen wanted to think of a decent and honest reason, he couldn’t come up with one. If his teacher wanted to turn the Leaf into a spirit charmer, exactly what could he hope to accomplish in just a few days? Besides, Zhan Yan wasn’t lacking strong spirit charmers. With Chris’ authority as a commander, he could easily have a few strong ones transferred over to him. Why would he need to borrow a Leaf?
Owen refused to believe that it was because Chris coveted the Leaves’ beauty. He’d rather believe that his teacher was going to bring the Leaf home and make it into a delicious meal.
“I have some questions I want to ask the Leaf.” Noticing Owen and Mila’s strange expressions, Chris offered a short explanation.
Owen and Mila were still doubtful; Yin Qie Zi had also caught onto a slight hint of danger in Chris’ answer. The topic that was most relevant to the Leaves would be information on the Flower.
Chris looked at Owen and explained in a coaching voice, “The Danyas are obsessed with the Leaves. Even though they’ve already received ten Leaves as peace offerings, they’ve actually requested to come to the auction to bid on another one. I want to understand the reason why they are so obsessed with the Leaves.”
Owen understood, but then asked puzzledly, “Isn’t it because the Leaves’ beautiful appearances are well-suited to their tastes?”
“I don’t believe it’s that simple.” Chris frowned and said, “According to our investigation, Xi Zong once had around 2000 registered Leaf slaves. Nowadays, the number of Leaves still in Xi Zong doesn’t even amount to 20. All the others had been bought by the Danyas. They had paid prices much higher than the market value to forcefully obtain most of those Leaves. A simple infatuation with the Leaves’ appearances doesn’t explain the Danya’s stubborn attachment to them.”
Chris suddenly paused and turned to his student. In a serious voice, he said, “Owen, you need to remember, even if we are in a period of peace, our greatest enemies are the Danyas! Although we have once successfully pushed back their invasion, it doesn’t mean we will win against them next time! You always have to treat them as your enemies!”
Owen wasn’t the slightest bit surprised. Chris’ hatred for the Danyas weren’t any news to him. He quickly straightened and replied, “Yes!”
Owen then motioned with a hand. “Teacher, please sit.”
“You don’t need to mind me,” Chris said while shaking his head. “I’ll leave after I take a look around. You can go attend to that friend of yours.”
“Haha! What are you talking about, Teacher? I don’t need to attend to him. He can take care of himself.”
While laughing, Owen turned around to look. Sure enough, Yin Qie Zi had already sat down and was minding his own business. Owen didn’t know whether to smile or become angry at the sight. Even in front of the commander of the Xialan Regiment, Yin Qie Zi hadn’t bothered changing his attitude. He was exactly like a cold and arrogant prince who disliked associating with others. On the other hand, the actual prince of Zhan Yan, Prince Edward, wasn’t the least bit cold or arrogant.
Mila immediately wheeled herself towards Yin Qie Zi and started chatting with him. She didn’t want him to seem too aloof and arrogant. Otherwise, he would leave a bad impression on Chris.
In reality, Chris had already taken notice of Yin Qie Zi. It was hard for people to ignore that head of silvery-purple hair. What Chris had focused on, however, was Yin Qie Zi’s eyes. That pair of red eyes…
He frowned and asked Yin Qie Zi, “Why are your eyes red?”
Yin Qie Zi was startled by the question. Usually, people would ask about his hair color. They never mentioned his red eyes. Against all his expectations, Chris just had to pay attention to his eyes!
He pretended to be unperturbed and replied, “I have Leaf ancestry.”
Chris’ frown deepened at those words. Just when he was about to ask in detail, the door to the box opened. Everyone inside looked reflexively at the door.
“Owen, let me introduce you to someone. This is Jin Qi Er, our friend from Danya―”
Edward walked into the box, only noticing Chris when he was almost finished with his sentence. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the commander, suddenly at a loss of what to do. The Danyas were standing right behind him; it was already too late for him to go back the way he came.
Yin Qie Zi glanced calmly at Edward’s party. He immediately noticed that Cas was standing beside Edward. Cas was wearing the uniform of an imperial guard, his mask nowhere to be found. He was standing close behind Edward, as if he were the personal guard of the prince.
Yin Qie Zi widened his eyes upon seeing Cas, but he knew it wouldn’t be good for him to appear surprised. He quickly withdrew his eyes and nervously turned his head. He only hoped no one had discovered his abnormal behavior.
In comparison, Cas’ acting skills were far better than Yin Qie Zi’s. Cas acted as if he didn’t know the other at all. He merely glanced at Yin Qie Zi’s conspicuous silvery-purple hair; a completely normal reaction for someone seeing that sort of hair color for the first time.
“This man here is Zhan ∙ Chris ∙ Wollier. The commander of our country’s Xialan Spiritmancer Regiment.” Summing up his courage, Edward proceeded to introduce both sides. “This is Jin Qi Er, an emissary from Danya.”
When the group of Danyas walked into the room, they had to bend their heads to avoid hitting the doorframe. Their tall stature immediately brought an overbearing feeling into the room. The box was supposed to hold around fifteen people, but it was already feeling crowded with just ten people inside.
The Danya who stood at the front was Jin Qi Er. He smiled and said perfectly in the human language, “Commander Chris is very well-known in my country.”
Chris only snorted coldly. He turned and instructed Owen, “After you buy the Leaf, remember to send it to me.” He left swiftly after giving his order, without saying goodbye to anyone.
At Chris’ sudden departure, even Edward, who was skilled at maneuvering social gatherings, had trouble keeping up his smile. He smiled drily and explained to the Danyas, “I apologize. Commander Chris must be in a bad mood.”
Owen and Mila blinked at his answer. If worded like that, then Chris had probably been in a bad mood for the past twenty years. Whenever anyone mentioned the Danyas in front of Chris, his expression would turn ugly. They should feel lucky that he hadn’t started admonishing them right then and there.
Owen turned around to look at Yin Qie Zi, wanting to poke fun at Edward’s distress with him. He quickly noticed that Yin Qie Zi’s expression was as ugly as Chris’. He had no idea why the other was unhappy again. On second thought, Yin Qie Zi simply didn’t like associating with people. Since there were so many strangers inside the box, it was natural for him to be unhappy.
Owen sighed to himself. It would be best if they could buy the Leaf quickly and go home.
“Ahem!” Edward coughed and said, “Owen, since we had decided to come to the auction on the spur of the moment, the attendant at the front couldn’t find an empty box for us. I didn’t have the heart to push him, so I decided we could just share the same box. I hope there isn’t a problem?”
…Of course there’s a big problem! Owen suddenly wished he could kill Edward with his glare. They were aiming to buy the Leaf, but so were the Danyas. If they sat together in the same box, wouldn’t it just be easier for their two parties to get into a fight?
Edward instantly noticed Owen’s strange expression. Although he knew how to take a hint, he couldn’t just turn around and leave.
Moreover, Owen knew how to conduct himself appropriately when needed. In front of the Danya emissaries, he couldn’t simply reject his own prince’s request, no matter how good a relationship he had with Edward.
“No problem. There’s no harm at all!” While replying, Owen didn’t forget to slap his friend on the back a few times. Of course, he didn’t forget to use all his strength either.
Edward barely managed to prevent himself from coughing up blood at the force of Owen’s slaps. He glared at Owen out of the corner of his eyes. He then ordered the attendant standing in the room, “Clean this place up a bit. Bring in more fruits and drinks. Also, bring in some more of those catalogs.”
The attendant immediately nodded and went about doing as he was told. Not only was he extremely respectful, his movements were also quick and efficient. He understood that he was surrounded by nobles whom he couldn’t afford to offend.
Everyone was already seated. Even Fenny, a maid, was sitting down beside Mila. The only one who was still standing was Cas. He stood beside Edward, looking especially cold. His whole person seemed to meld in with the shadows.
Seeing that Cas was the only one standing, Jin Qi Er couldn’t resist telling Edward, “Your guard is a skillful man worthy of respect.”
Edward laughed and said, “Indeed, Left Eye is very skilled.”
Seeing that Edward did not plan on ordering Cas to sit, Jin Qi Er became slightly unhappy. Strictly speaking, every person in his entourage was his subordinate, but he would never allow them to stand while he was sitting. On further thought, this was probably one of the differences between their cultural practices. The palace of the humans was full of standing guards doing their duty.
This was very different from what he was used to. In Danya, skillful experts were the most respected members of society.
At that moment, the attendant returned. He moved around, serving out plates of food and drinks like a rapidly moving river. He also didn’t forget to place extra catalogs on the table. Edward smiled and picked one up. “Finally. Let’s see if there are any interesting items at this auction.”
Jin Qi Er followed and picked up another copy of the catalog. Despite this, he wasn’t especially interested in the listings. He had a clear target for this auction. There was no need for him to look at anything else.
Seeing Cas standing beside Edward, Yin Qie Zi was finally sure that he was the prince’s subordinate. Looking at Cas’ indifferent expression now and remembering the twisted and crazy smile he had on a few days ago… It was quite difficult for Yin Qie Zi to accustom himself to the difference.
“Yin Qie Zi.”
Hearing his name, Yin Qie Zi turned to look at the speaker. Mila was looking at him with a troubled expression on her face, as if hesitating whether or not to speak. He could guess why she was troubled. He quietly said to her, “You don’t need to fight with the Danyas over the Leaf. I don’t mind.”
Mila nodded and said, “I’m very sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Owen leaned forward with a bitter expression on his face. Gritting his teeth, he whispered back, “It doesn’t matter? How simple you two have made it out to be! Did you hear what Teacher said to me when he left? He told me to bring the Leaf to him after I buy it! H-he knew the Danyas were also here to bid on the Leaf, so what do you think he meant by those words?”
Yin Qie Zi smirked and replied, “It means you’re dead if you lose to the Danyas.”
Owen gave a devastated smile. Mila leaned toward him and said quietly, “Owen, even if you want to bid on the Leaf, I don’t think we’ve brought enough money. Uncle Chris mentioned that the Danyas often pay higher than the market value to buy Leaves. I’m afraid our money…”
“We can just buy on credit.” Owen said helplessly, “Since it’s Teacher’s personal request, Father should agree to pay for us, right?”
Anxiously, Mila said, “But if the price is too high, I don’t think even Father will be able to afford it.”
At that, worry appeared on both of their faces. In contrast, Yin Qie Zi was feeling quite relaxed. Even though the Leaf was originally supposed to be a gift for him, he still hadn’t figured out how he was going to find a place for the Leaf to live. Now hearing that the chances of him obtaining the Leaf was lower, he sighed in relief.
The auction finally began. Yin Qie Zi intently watched the stage as the goods came on one by one. The audience’s reactions were rather lukewarm at the start, but a buyer had been found for every item. Yin Qie Zi flipped through the catalog while watching the stage at the same time. There were quite a few special spirits for sale today. Although he wanted to buy some of these hard-to-obtain spirits, their prices were simply too high. He’d rather just order Litelli to go and find them in the wild.
He continued watching the auction, but he soon felt something was off. He turned around and caught Cas looking at him with a scornful smile on his face. In a blink of the eye, Cas returned to the indifferent expression of an imperial guard. It was as if the smile had just been an illusion.
But Yin Qie Zi knew it wasn’t an illusion. He lowered his eyes and intentionally avoided looking in Cas’ direction.
“Our next item is three strands of hair from a Flower. The Flower is the guardian of the Leaf Tribe. They are never apart from the tribe, so these strands of hair are especially rare spirits. It has been ten years since they’ve last appeared on the market. Every spirit binder sitting in the audience, make sure you don’t miss this chance!”
Yin Qie Zi couldn’t restrain a strange expression from appearing on his face after he heard the auctioneer’s words. He knew his body was comprised of numerous precious spirits; he had even used his own hair and blood to make some spirit medicines. But as a potential bidder, it was strange to see something he could find on his own body being sold onstage.
Those strands of hair shouldn’t be his, right? Yin Qie Zi flipped through the catalog and stopped on the listing of the Flower’s hair. In the description below, the strands were clearly stated to be violet in color. They certainly didn’t belong to him then. Were they counterfeit items? Or maybe they came from another Flower?
After closely examining the information in the catalog, Yin Qie Zi found that the stands of hair came from the continent Junde; the only continent that still had a thriving population of Leaves. The catalog even gave a description of how the strands of hair had been obtained.
An adventure team had mistakenly intruded on the Leaf Tribe’s territory and were subsequently attacked by the guardian Flower. The two parties battled with each other… The battle was described in a thrilling manner, but Yin Qie Zi knew none of it was true. If that adventure team had truly battled against a Flower, then they would’ve been dead in an instant. How could they have survived for so long? At most, they had intruded on the Leaf Tribe’s territory and had been chased away.
Despite the exciting description, only three people were bidding on the strands of hair, but all three were determined to win. The price rose higher and higher, the three strands of hair soon became the highest priced item since the auction began.
Yin Qie Zi wasn’t surprised at the rocketing price. A Flower’s hair was capable of improving the body’s constitution and overall function. The bottles of medicine he had given Owen on his birthday required this exact spirit. To other people, a Flower’s hair was probably the hardest-to-obtain spirit. However, it couldn’t be any easier for him.
Upon second glance, the three bidders appeared extremely familiar to him. They were all famous spirit binders in the city.
In the end, the strands of hair had been sold at twenty times their original price.
Mila made an effort to contain her expression, but she couldn’t stop the ray of surprise that flashed through her eyes. Owen couldn’t resist and turned to look at Yin Qie Zi’s thick head of hair. Only after Yin Qie Zi glared at him a few times did he turn to look at the stage again. Soon after, Owen leaned in close and whispered in Yin Qie Zi’s ear, “It has been twenty years since the Leaf Tribe left Xi Zong. The auctioneer said that a Flower’s hair hadn’t appeared on the market for ten years. Does that mean the hairs that had been sold ten years ago belonged to you?”
Yin Qie Zi flushed red at the question. He turned abruptly and glared fiercely at Owen. Of course, he didn’t bother responding.
Owen was startled by the other’s glare. He didn’t know what he had done wrong. Even Edward and Jin Qi Er were surprised by the two’s sudden movements. Edward asked curiously, “How did you anger Yin Qie Zi again?”
Owen didn’t know how to explain. He moved his mouth, but no words came out. Finally, Mila smiled and said, “Owen said something stupid again. He asked Yin Qie Zi why spirit binders are so strange and why they would pay so much for a few strands of hair. He had completely forgotten Yin Qie Zi was a spirit binder himself!”
Edward laughed at his friend. “You obviously asked the wrong question!”
Afterwards, Edward directed a question at Yin Qie Zi. “Did you want to buy those strands of hair as well? The price they had been sold for is truly shocking. What kind of spirit medicines can they be made into?”
Yin Qie Zi said simply, “The medicine they can be made into can improve the body’s constitution. It is very effective on people who are suffering or have suffered a heavy injury. Although healing medicines don’t require the spirits of a Flower’s hair, their effectiveness is improved greatly upon addition. The medicine can completely heal an old injury and even improve the body’s constitution to a state that is much better than before it was injured.”
“Is that true?” Before Edward could even reply, Jin Qi Er cut in and asked excitedly. “Even if it’s an internal injury from many years ago? Can the medicine heal the damage?”
Yin Qie Zi frowned and replied cautiously, “It would depend on the injury, but the effectiveness of this medicine is indeed very good. If you can tell me how long ago the patient had sustained the injury and what kind of symptoms they have, then I can hazard a guess whether the medicine will be useful to them.”
As if he had finally found a doctor for an incurable disease, Jin Qi Er immediately set about describing the patient’s symptoms. “Alright. He had sustained the injury around twenty years ago. Normally, the injury doesn’t affect him. But whenever the weather is changing or when he is having an intense battle, he would start having chest pains and would sometimes have difficulty breathing. It’s to the point where he has sometimes fainted after a fierce battle.”
“It sounds like he has been injured in the chest?” Yin Qie Zi asked in detail, “Do you know how he had been injured?”
“He had been hit in the chest and sent flying. He had landed heavily and broken three ribs. It seems he had other injuries at the time too and had been bleeding heavily. I wasn’t there when it happened, so these are only what I’ve heard from others. Additionally, he hadn’t bothered nursing himself back to health after he had been injured. He rushed about day and night, which is why his injury is still plaguing him now.”
Yin Qie Zi nodded and continued to ask, “How old is he now?”
“He’s 182 this year,” Jin Qi Er replied. Yin Qie Zi didn’t react much to the number, but the expressions on the people around him immediately grew strange. Jin Qi Er quickly explained, “The lifespan of a Danya is around 300 years. If converted to a human lifespan, he is at the peak of his strength right now.”
Yin Qie Zi frowned at Jin Qi Er’s explanation and pondered to himself. Sitting opposite of him, Jin Qi Er stared at him nervously.
Yin Qie Zi finally nodded and said, “He can be healed. However, too much time has passed since he’d been injured. He will need to take a lot of medicine.”
“Will the three strands of hair from before make enough?” Jin Qie Er quickly asked.
“I don’t know how long it has been since those hairs have been pulled off. They are less effective the older they are. It also depends on the spirit binder’s competence and how they will use the hairs. Usually, a spirit binder would use a single hair to make multiple bottles of the same medicine. They can cover their production costs this way, but the effectiveness of their medicine is drastically decreased.”
Jin Qi Er turned around and started discussing eagerly with the others in his group. As the Danyas were speaking in their own language, no one else understood what they were saying, but they guessed the conversation had something to do with the spirit medicine.
Seeing they were having such a heated discussion, Yin Qie Zi cut in and said lightly, “Twenty years are simply too long. Even if a single hair is used for one bottle of medicine, he’ll need at least five bottles for him to be completely healed.”
The Danyas’ discussion immediately came to a halt. The smile that had been on Jin Qi Er’s face disappeared. He asked, “Does that mean we need five strands of hair?”
Yin Qie Zi nodded in response.
Unwilling to give up, Jin Qi Er continued to ask, “Are there no substitutes? Money isn’t a problem.”
Yin Qie Zi merely shook his head, shattering the other’s hopes.
Jin Qi Er was greatly disappointed. He turned around and spoke with the other Danyas; disappointment appeared on their faces as well when they heard his explanation. Jin Qi Er mumbled to himself, “If Indigo continues to be like this, then he’ll truly be replaced by White. I thought we finally had a ray of hope…”
…Indigo? Yin Qie Zi froze at the mention of that name.
An injury from twenty years ago? He had been sent flying and landed heavily? Rushing about day and night after he had been injured?
At that moment, Edward asked, “Indigo? Do you mean Indigo of the Four Colors?”
Jin Qi Er hesitated for a bit, but nodded. “Yes.”
“So that’s how it is. Twenty years ago… Then he must have been injured during the war.” Edward muttered to himself, only breaking out of his reverie when Owen slapped him on the back. Edward immediately noticed Jin Qi Er’s uncomfortable expression. His mind was blank for a moment before he realized why.
During the war between Zhan Yan and Danya twenty years ago, Indigo had been one of the two Colors on the battlefield. He had even been in charge of commanding the main assault army.
Edward quickly stated, “The war happened a long time ago. Aren’t we at peace right now?”
Jin Qi Er merely nodded at Edward’s question. He turned and asked Yin Qie Zi, “Does that mean nothing would happen even if he takes three bottles of this medicine? Would his body improve at least a little?”
Yin Qie Zi remained silent. He flipped though his copy of the catalog and folded the corners of several pages. He then handed the catalog to Jin Qi Er and said, “Go buy the special spirits I’ve marked and the three strands of hair from before. I will make it for you.”
“What?” Jin Qi Er stared at him in shock.
“The medicine. I’ll make it for you.”
A bit surprised, Jin Qi Er asked, “You can make spirit medicine?”
“I’m a spirit binder.”
Jin Qi Er didn’t know how to respond. He thought for a bit and said, “But you said we need five strands of hair, the auction is only selling three.”
“I will think of a way, but I’ll need some time.” Yin Qie Zi calculated in his head and spoke, “Give me two weeks, you’ll have your medicine then.”
Jin Qi Er hesitated for a long while, but finally asked, “What is your price?”
Yin Qie Zi was first puzzled when he noticed the other’s cautious expression. The Danyas obviously greatly desired this spirit medicine, so why were they hesitating when he had offered to make it for them? However, when he heard Jin Qi Er’s question, he finally understood why they were hesitant to accept his offer. They probably thought he was going to ask for a very high price. They might even be thinking that he was a swindler.
At that thought, a frown appeared on Yin Qie Zi’s face. He didn’t know what price he should ask of them. He didn’t want their money. The only reason he had offered to make the medicine was because of his guilty conscience. After all, Indigo’s injury had been due to…
Judging from the situation though, it might make the Danyas even more suspicious if he said he would do it for free.
Yin Qie Zi didn’t know how to respond. After hesitating a bit, he looked reflexively at Mila. When Mila blinked at him, he realized he was staring at her. What was he doing looking at Mila for help? She had no reason to help him solve his problems. Besides, she didn’t even know all the details of the situation.
Mila chuckled, drawing everyone’s gazes to her. Smiling, she told Jin Qi Er, “How about this? Forfeit your right to bid on the Leaf at this auction, that’ll be the price for the medicine. Alright?”
Yin Qie Zi was shocked. He’d never thought Mila would make such a request.
At Mila’s request, Jin Qi Er’s troubled expression faded away. But he couldn’t resist questioning, “Is your medicine truly effective?”
Before Yin Qie Zi could reply, Owen cut in and shouted, “What do you mean by that? Yin Qie Zi is the best spirit binder I’ve ever met. The medicine he makes are ridiculously expensive, but they’re amazingly effective!”
Yin Qie Zi couldn’t resist rolling his eyes at Owen.
Edward also added, “He is indeed a very skilled spirit binder. He once made a hair dye the color of Xialan flowers for my royal mother. The recipe for that hair dye had stumped several spirit binders before him.”
Usually, if a customer was doubtful about the effectiveness of his medicine, Yin Qie Zi would tell them to not buy it. However, it was different now. No matter what, he wanted Jin Qi Er to take the medicine back to Indigo. But since he had never implored an unwilling customer to buy his medicine, he had no idea how to market his products when the situation called for it.
Even if Yin Qie Zi was incapable of marketing his medicine, Jin Qi Er wasn’t about to waste this rare opportunity. He said, “I’ll apologize first for what I’m going to say next. If your medicine doesn’t work, then I will definitely come find you and exact justice. If it does prove effective, then I will personally apologize to you and bring along generous gifts!”
Yin Qie Zi secretly sighed in relief. He swiftly replied, “If the medicine doesn’t work, then you can come and take away the Leaf. You don’t need to pay any price. However, even if the medicine does work, you still don’t need to come look for me.” You won’t find me even if you do, Yin Qie Zi added to himself.
Jin Qi Er finally felt assured by those words. In the end, he was still an emissary from Danya. If both the prince and the son of the Warlord were vouching for Yin Qie Zi, then the latter was probably not trying to swindle them. The most important thing right now was to buy the special spirits Yin Qie Zi had marked. He turned around and looked at the earmarked catalog with his subordinates. This was an important task, they couldn’t afford to miss any of the special spirits.
Seeing that the issue of Indigo’s medicine had been settled, Yin Qie Zi also calmed down. He turned around and saw Mila looking at him with a vague expression. The corners of her mouth were lifted only slightly in a semblance of a smile. In contrast, her eyes were glittering with light and overflowing with smiles.
Her smiling eyes were a bright green and they glittered like a lake illuminated by sunshine. Although Yin Qie Zi knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t help but stare into her eyes. He stared at Mila until she pulled away and retracted her smile. What replaced it instead were two bright pink spots on her cheeks, making her appear as adorable as before.
Even though she hadn’t wanted to avoid Yin Qie Zi’s eyes and had been striving to win over her shyness, it was still too embarrassing to openly stare at each other in public. In the end, Mila lowered her head; the tips of her ears were bright red. She was hesitant to look at Yin Qie Zi again.
Seeing this, Yin Qie Zi also looked away. He suddenly felt that his own cheeks were burning with embarrassment. He rubbed his face and hurriedly said “Thanks for earlier” to Mila. He then looked down at the stage, as if he were very interested in the current item being auctioned off. The item was a long-sword, but Yin Qie Zi never saw the need to change his sword. His current sword, Nightclaw, had been obtained from the beast with the same name.
Beside him, Owen sighed loudly. Just now, Fenny had been glaring at him fiercely. Her terrifying expression seemed to have been saying that if he dared to breathe too loudly and disturb the moment between Yin Qie Zi and Mila, she would chop his head off so that he couldn’t breathe anymore.
Owen grumbled to himself, “Exactly who is the servant here? What is Yehv so busy with lately? Why isn’t he here to control his wife?”
Even though they were called servants, Owen didn’t actually dare enrage either Yehv or Fenny. They weren’t normal servants after all. If he had an argument with them, he wasn’t even sure whose side his father would take… Though it most likely wouldn’t be his!
At that moment, the auctioneer declared that the next item was “One Leaf Slave.” Yin Qie Zi jolted at the mention, but then remembered the Danyas wouldn’t be fighting with him over the Leaf. Then wouldn’t the Leaf be his now?
So…
Exactly what should he do with the Leaf?
Since I’m not given a choice, I’ll become the king’s dog, but I don’t need any remunerations.
I only need two things.
One: I will be allowed to continue to accept jobs from the guild.
Two: I will be allowed to use the king’s name to gather information.
If I use an entire country’s power to search for you, I should at least be able to find out where you are, right?
Gong Hua…
―Cas
“Teacher, this is Yin Qie Zi.” Owen hurriedly went forward and introduced them to each other. “Yin Qie Zi, this is my teacher Zhan ∙ Chris ∙ Wollier.”
Owen was a little bit anxious after the introductions. Yin Qie Zi had a cold personality and disliked strangers. He was afraid Yin Qie Zi would be unhappy that he had brought a stranger into their box. But Chris was his teacher, he was obligated to greet him. He only hoped that even if Yin Qie Zi was unhappy, he wouldn’t stare at Chris with a cold expression on his face.
Contrary to Owen’s expectations, Yin Qie Zi stood up and said politely, “This is the first time we’ve met. Hello.”
Chris merely nodded in response. He walked up to Mila and a rare smile came over his serious face.
Mila greeted him first, “Uncle Chris! Long time no see. Really, it’s just so like you to not even attend our birthday banquet! Not many people were invited in the first place.”
Chris smiled and replied, “West usually doesn’t pay attention to people, but if I were to go, he would certainly come over and greet me. He’d finally managed to pull out some time and spend it together with you, I’d rather not waste those minutes.”
Mila pouted and protested, “Really! I wouldn’t mind if you took some of our time and came over to say hello!”
At that moment, Owen walked up to Yin Qie Zi and whispered in his ear, “Teacher is pretty indifferent to people. He’s not deliberately ignoring you. Don’t take it to heart!”
Yin Qie Zi didn’t mind at all. He knew what Chris was like. Twenty years ago, Chris had barely spoken a word to him… In retrospect, they had probably never spoken to each other at all.
“Well, have you looked at the Leaf’s listing yet?”
Yin Qie Zi paused and asked back, “Listing?”
“The auction’s catalog has information on the goods that are being sold. Let’s see.” Owen glanced around and exclaimed, “There, it’s on the table!”
Owen picked up the catalog and flipped through it. He quickly found the page he was looking for. He read out loud, “Leaf. Bright, white skin. Pleasant features. Healthy body with no defects. Blue hair. Height is 175 centimeters… That tall? Don’t tell me the Leaf really is male?”
Yin Qie Zi rolled his eyes at Owen and responded, “Not necessarily. Leaves are quite similar in height as there aren’t any sex related differences between males and females. Even if they stood in front of you, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell which one is male or female.”
“So that’s how it is!” Owen understood and continued reading, “Has spirit charmer abilities. Gentle, won’t attack without reason… They’ve written this much, but there’s nothing on the Leaf’s sex.”
Before Yin Qie Zi could reply, Mila cut in, “What are you worried about? The Leaf isn’t for you in any case.”
Owen muttered, “How does that have nothing to do with me? The Leaf is going to live at our house, right? At the minimum, I want a visually pleasing… Alright, don’t glare at me. The Leaf is definitely male. Happy?”
“You are planning on buying the Leaf?” Chris asked suddenly.
Mila and Owen both turned to look at Chris. Owen nodded and said yes, he then asked curiously, “Teacher, what did you come here to buy? Weapons?”
“The Leaf.”
Owen was shocked upon hearing that answer. He hadn’t expected Chris to be after the Leaf as well. “Teacher, you’re planning to buy the Leaf too? What do you plan on doing with the Leaf, make them into a spirit charmer?”
Chris thought for a bit and replied, “There’s no harm done even if I don’t buy it. After you two have bought it, it’ll be fine if you let me borrow it for a few days.”
If it had been anyone else saying those words, Owen would have already punched them in the face. But it had been Chris, the commander of the Xialan Spiritmancer Regiment. He was known for his strict self-discipline both inside and outside their country. Whenever someone talked about the paragon of discipline and strict values, the commander of the Xialan Regiment would come up nine out of ten times.
Exactly what was a commander like Chris planning on doing by borrowing a Leaf for a few days? Even if Owen wanted to think of a decent and honest reason, he couldn’t come up with one. If his teacher wanted to turn the Leaf into a spirit charmer, exactly what could he hope to accomplish in just a few days? Besides, Zhan Yan wasn’t lacking strong spirit charmers. With Chris’ authority as a commander, he could easily have a few strong ones transferred over to him. Why would he need to borrow a Leaf?
Owen refused to believe that it was because Chris coveted the Leaves’ beauty. He’d rather believe that his teacher was going to bring the Leaf home and make it into a delicious meal.
“I have some questions I want to ask the Leaf.” Noticing Owen and Mila’s strange expressions, Chris offered a short explanation.
Owen and Mila were still doubtful; Yin Qie Zi had also caught onto a slight hint of danger in Chris’ answer. The topic that was most relevant to the Leaves would be information on the Flower.
Chris looked at Owen and explained in a coaching voice, “The Danyas are obsessed with the Leaves. Even though they’ve already received ten Leaves as peace offerings, they’ve actually requested to come to the auction to bid on another one. I want to understand the reason why they are so obsessed with the Leaves.”
Owen understood, but then asked puzzledly, “Isn’t it because the Leaves’ beautiful appearances are well-suited to their tastes?”
“I don’t believe it’s that simple.” Chris frowned and said, “According to our investigation, Xi Zong once had around 2000 registered Leaf slaves. Nowadays, the number of Leaves still in Xi Zong doesn’t even amount to 20. All the others had been bought by the Danyas. They had paid prices much higher than the market value to forcefully obtain most of those Leaves. A simple infatuation with the Leaves’ appearances doesn’t explain the Danya’s stubborn attachment to them.”
Chris suddenly paused and turned to his student. In a serious voice, he said, “Owen, you need to remember, even if we are in a period of peace, our greatest enemies are the Danyas! Although we have once successfully pushed back their invasion, it doesn’t mean we will win against them next time! You always have to treat them as your enemies!”
Owen wasn’t the slightest bit surprised. Chris’ hatred for the Danyas weren’t any news to him. He quickly straightened and replied, “Yes!”
Owen then motioned with a hand. “Teacher, please sit.”
“You don’t need to mind me,” Chris said while shaking his head. “I’ll leave after I take a look around. You can go attend to that friend of yours.”
“Haha! What are you talking about, Teacher? I don’t need to attend to him. He can take care of himself.”
While laughing, Owen turned around to look. Sure enough, Yin Qie Zi had already sat down and was minding his own business. Owen didn’t know whether to smile or become angry at the sight. Even in front of the commander of the Xialan Regiment, Yin Qie Zi hadn’t bothered changing his attitude. He was exactly like a cold and arrogant prince who disliked associating with others. On the other hand, the actual prince of Zhan Yan, Prince Edward, wasn’t the least bit cold or arrogant.
Mila immediately wheeled herself towards Yin Qie Zi and started chatting with him. She didn’t want him to seem too aloof and arrogant. Otherwise, he would leave a bad impression on Chris.
In reality, Chris had already taken notice of Yin Qie Zi. It was hard for people to ignore that head of silvery-purple hair. What Chris had focused on, however, was Yin Qie Zi’s eyes. That pair of red eyes…
He frowned and asked Yin Qie Zi, “Why are your eyes red?”
Yin Qie Zi was startled by the question. Usually, people would ask about his hair color. They never mentioned his red eyes. Against all his expectations, Chris just had to pay attention to his eyes!
He pretended to be unperturbed and replied, “I have Leaf ancestry.”
Chris’ frown deepened at those words. Just when he was about to ask in detail, the door to the box opened. Everyone inside looked reflexively at the door.
“Owen, let me introduce you to someone. This is Jin Qi Er, our friend from Danya―”
Edward walked into the box, only noticing Chris when he was almost finished with his sentence. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the commander, suddenly at a loss of what to do. The Danyas were standing right behind him; it was already too late for him to go back the way he came.
Yin Qie Zi glanced calmly at Edward’s party. He immediately noticed that Cas was standing beside Edward. Cas was wearing the uniform of an imperial guard, his mask nowhere to be found. He was standing close behind Edward, as if he were the personal guard of the prince.
Yin Qie Zi widened his eyes upon seeing Cas, but he knew it wouldn’t be good for him to appear surprised. He quickly withdrew his eyes and nervously turned his head. He only hoped no one had discovered his abnormal behavior.
In comparison, Cas’ acting skills were far better than Yin Qie Zi’s. Cas acted as if he didn’t know the other at all. He merely glanced at Yin Qie Zi’s conspicuous silvery-purple hair; a completely normal reaction for someone seeing that sort of hair color for the first time.
“This man here is Zhan ∙ Chris ∙ Wollier. The commander of our country’s Xialan Spiritmancer Regiment.” Summing up his courage, Edward proceeded to introduce both sides. “This is Jin Qi Er, an emissary from Danya.”
When the group of Danyas walked into the room, they had to bend their heads to avoid hitting the doorframe. Their tall stature immediately brought an overbearing feeling into the room. The box was supposed to hold around fifteen people, but it was already feeling crowded with just ten people inside.
The Danya who stood at the front was Jin Qi Er. He smiled and said perfectly in the human language, “Commander Chris is very well-known in my country.”
Chris only snorted coldly. He turned and instructed Owen, “After you buy the Leaf, remember to send it to me.” He left swiftly after giving his order, without saying goodbye to anyone.
At Chris’ sudden departure, even Edward, who was skilled at maneuvering social gatherings, had trouble keeping up his smile. He smiled drily and explained to the Danyas, “I apologize. Commander Chris must be in a bad mood.”
Owen and Mila blinked at his answer. If worded like that, then Chris had probably been in a bad mood for the past twenty years. Whenever anyone mentioned the Danyas in front of Chris, his expression would turn ugly. They should feel lucky that he hadn’t started admonishing them right then and there.
Owen turned around to look at Yin Qie Zi, wanting to poke fun at Edward’s distress with him. He quickly noticed that Yin Qie Zi’s expression was as ugly as Chris’. He had no idea why the other was unhappy again. On second thought, Yin Qie Zi simply didn’t like associating with people. Since there were so many strangers inside the box, it was natural for him to be unhappy.
Owen sighed to himself. It would be best if they could buy the Leaf quickly and go home.
“Ahem!” Edward coughed and said, “Owen, since we had decided to come to the auction on the spur of the moment, the attendant at the front couldn’t find an empty box for us. I didn’t have the heart to push him, so I decided we could just share the same box. I hope there isn’t a problem?”
…Of course there’s a big problem! Owen suddenly wished he could kill Edward with his glare. They were aiming to buy the Leaf, but so were the Danyas. If they sat together in the same box, wouldn’t it just be easier for their two parties to get into a fight?
Edward instantly noticed Owen’s strange expression. Although he knew how to take a hint, he couldn’t just turn around and leave.
Moreover, Owen knew how to conduct himself appropriately when needed. In front of the Danya emissaries, he couldn’t simply reject his own prince’s request, no matter how good a relationship he had with Edward.
“No problem. There’s no harm at all!” While replying, Owen didn’t forget to slap his friend on the back a few times. Of course, he didn’t forget to use all his strength either.
Edward barely managed to prevent himself from coughing up blood at the force of Owen’s slaps. He glared at Owen out of the corner of his eyes. He then ordered the attendant standing in the room, “Clean this place up a bit. Bring in more fruits and drinks. Also, bring in some more of those catalogs.”
The attendant immediately nodded and went about doing as he was told. Not only was he extremely respectful, his movements were also quick and efficient. He understood that he was surrounded by nobles whom he couldn’t afford to offend.
Everyone was already seated. Even Fenny, a maid, was sitting down beside Mila. The only one who was still standing was Cas. He stood beside Edward, looking especially cold. His whole person seemed to meld in with the shadows.
Seeing that Cas was the only one standing, Jin Qi Er couldn’t resist telling Edward, “Your guard is a skillful man worthy of respect.”
Edward laughed and said, “Indeed, Left Eye is very skilled.”
Seeing that Edward did not plan on ordering Cas to sit, Jin Qi Er became slightly unhappy. Strictly speaking, every person in his entourage was his subordinate, but he would never allow them to stand while he was sitting. On further thought, this was probably one of the differences between their cultural practices. The palace of the humans was full of standing guards doing their duty.
This was very different from what he was used to. In Danya, skillful experts were the most respected members of society.
At that moment, the attendant returned. He moved around, serving out plates of food and drinks like a rapidly moving river. He also didn’t forget to place extra catalogs on the table. Edward smiled and picked one up. “Finally. Let’s see if there are any interesting items at this auction.”
Jin Qi Er followed and picked up another copy of the catalog. Despite this, he wasn’t especially interested in the listings. He had a clear target for this auction. There was no need for him to look at anything else.
Seeing Cas standing beside Edward, Yin Qie Zi was finally sure that he was the prince’s subordinate. Looking at Cas’ indifferent expression now and remembering the twisted and crazy smile he had on a few days ago… It was quite difficult for Yin Qie Zi to accustom himself to the difference.
“Yin Qie Zi.”
Hearing his name, Yin Qie Zi turned to look at the speaker. Mila was looking at him with a troubled expression on her face, as if hesitating whether or not to speak. He could guess why she was troubled. He quietly said to her, “You don’t need to fight with the Danyas over the Leaf. I don’t mind.”
Mila nodded and said, “I’m very sorry.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
Owen leaned forward with a bitter expression on his face. Gritting his teeth, he whispered back, “It doesn’t matter? How simple you two have made it out to be! Did you hear what Teacher said to me when he left? He told me to bring the Leaf to him after I buy it! H-he knew the Danyas were also here to bid on the Leaf, so what do you think he meant by those words?”
Yin Qie Zi smirked and replied, “It means you’re dead if you lose to the Danyas.”
Owen gave a devastated smile. Mila leaned toward him and said quietly, “Owen, even if you want to bid on the Leaf, I don’t think we’ve brought enough money. Uncle Chris mentioned that the Danyas often pay higher than the market value to buy Leaves. I’m afraid our money…”
“We can just buy on credit.” Owen said helplessly, “Since it’s Teacher’s personal request, Father should agree to pay for us, right?”
Anxiously, Mila said, “But if the price is too high, I don’t think even Father will be able to afford it.”
At that, worry appeared on both of their faces. In contrast, Yin Qie Zi was feeling quite relaxed. Even though the Leaf was originally supposed to be a gift for him, he still hadn’t figured out how he was going to find a place for the Leaf to live. Now hearing that the chances of him obtaining the Leaf was lower, he sighed in relief.
The auction finally began. Yin Qie Zi intently watched the stage as the goods came on one by one. The audience’s reactions were rather lukewarm at the start, but a buyer had been found for every item. Yin Qie Zi flipped through the catalog while watching the stage at the same time. There were quite a few special spirits for sale today. Although he wanted to buy some of these hard-to-obtain spirits, their prices were simply too high. He’d rather just order Litelli to go and find them in the wild.
He continued watching the auction, but he soon felt something was off. He turned around and caught Cas looking at him with a scornful smile on his face. In a blink of the eye, Cas returned to the indifferent expression of an imperial guard. It was as if the smile had just been an illusion.
But Yin Qie Zi knew it wasn’t an illusion. He lowered his eyes and intentionally avoided looking in Cas’ direction.
“Our next item is three strands of hair from a Flower. The Flower is the guardian of the Leaf Tribe. They are never apart from the tribe, so these strands of hair are especially rare spirits. It has been ten years since they’ve last appeared on the market. Every spirit binder sitting in the audience, make sure you don’t miss this chance!”
Yin Qie Zi couldn’t restrain a strange expression from appearing on his face after he heard the auctioneer’s words. He knew his body was comprised of numerous precious spirits; he had even used his own hair and blood to make some spirit medicines. But as a potential bidder, it was strange to see something he could find on his own body being sold onstage.
Those strands of hair shouldn’t be his, right? Yin Qie Zi flipped through the catalog and stopped on the listing of the Flower’s hair. In the description below, the strands were clearly stated to be violet in color. They certainly didn’t belong to him then. Were they counterfeit items? Or maybe they came from another Flower?
After closely examining the information in the catalog, Yin Qie Zi found that the stands of hair came from the continent Junde; the only continent that still had a thriving population of Leaves. The catalog even gave a description of how the strands of hair had been obtained.
An adventure team had mistakenly intruded on the Leaf Tribe’s territory and were subsequently attacked by the guardian Flower. The two parties battled with each other… The battle was described in a thrilling manner, but Yin Qie Zi knew none of it was true. If that adventure team had truly battled against a Flower, then they would’ve been dead in an instant. How could they have survived for so long? At most, they had intruded on the Leaf Tribe’s territory and had been chased away.
Despite the exciting description, only three people were bidding on the strands of hair, but all three were determined to win. The price rose higher and higher, the three strands of hair soon became the highest priced item since the auction began.
Yin Qie Zi wasn’t surprised at the rocketing price. A Flower’s hair was capable of improving the body’s constitution and overall function. The bottles of medicine he had given Owen on his birthday required this exact spirit. To other people, a Flower’s hair was probably the hardest-to-obtain spirit. However, it couldn’t be any easier for him.
Upon second glance, the three bidders appeared extremely familiar to him. They were all famous spirit binders in the city.
In the end, the strands of hair had been sold at twenty times their original price.
Mila made an effort to contain her expression, but she couldn’t stop the ray of surprise that flashed through her eyes. Owen couldn’t resist and turned to look at Yin Qie Zi’s thick head of hair. Only after Yin Qie Zi glared at him a few times did he turn to look at the stage again. Soon after, Owen leaned in close and whispered in Yin Qie Zi’s ear, “It has been twenty years since the Leaf Tribe left Xi Zong. The auctioneer said that a Flower’s hair hadn’t appeared on the market for ten years. Does that mean the hairs that had been sold ten years ago belonged to you?”
Yin Qie Zi flushed red at the question. He turned abruptly and glared fiercely at Owen. Of course, he didn’t bother responding.
Owen was startled by the other’s glare. He didn’t know what he had done wrong. Even Edward and Jin Qi Er were surprised by the two’s sudden movements. Edward asked curiously, “How did you anger Yin Qie Zi again?”
Owen didn’t know how to explain. He moved his mouth, but no words came out. Finally, Mila smiled and said, “Owen said something stupid again. He asked Yin Qie Zi why spirit binders are so strange and why they would pay so much for a few strands of hair. He had completely forgotten Yin Qie Zi was a spirit binder himself!”
Edward laughed at his friend. “You obviously asked the wrong question!”
Afterwards, Edward directed a question at Yin Qie Zi. “Did you want to buy those strands of hair as well? The price they had been sold for is truly shocking. What kind of spirit medicines can they be made into?”
Yin Qie Zi said simply, “The medicine they can be made into can improve the body’s constitution. It is very effective on people who are suffering or have suffered a heavy injury. Although healing medicines don’t require the spirits of a Flower’s hair, their effectiveness is improved greatly upon addition. The medicine can completely heal an old injury and even improve the body’s constitution to a state that is much better than before it was injured.”
“Is that true?” Before Edward could even reply, Jin Qi Er cut in and asked excitedly. “Even if it’s an internal injury from many years ago? Can the medicine heal the damage?”
Yin Qie Zi frowned and replied cautiously, “It would depend on the injury, but the effectiveness of this medicine is indeed very good. If you can tell me how long ago the patient had sustained the injury and what kind of symptoms they have, then I can hazard a guess whether the medicine will be useful to them.”
As if he had finally found a doctor for an incurable disease, Jin Qi Er immediately set about describing the patient’s symptoms. “Alright. He had sustained the injury around twenty years ago. Normally, the injury doesn’t affect him. But whenever the weather is changing or when he is having an intense battle, he would start having chest pains and would sometimes have difficulty breathing. It’s to the point where he has sometimes fainted after a fierce battle.”
“It sounds like he has been injured in the chest?” Yin Qie Zi asked in detail, “Do you know how he had been injured?”
“He had been hit in the chest and sent flying. He had landed heavily and broken three ribs. It seems he had other injuries at the time too and had been bleeding heavily. I wasn’t there when it happened, so these are only what I’ve heard from others. Additionally, he hadn’t bothered nursing himself back to health after he had been injured. He rushed about day and night, which is why his injury is still plaguing him now.”
Yin Qie Zi nodded and continued to ask, “How old is he now?”
“He’s 182 this year,” Jin Qi Er replied. Yin Qie Zi didn’t react much to the number, but the expressions on the people around him immediately grew strange. Jin Qi Er quickly explained, “The lifespan of a Danya is around 300 years. If converted to a human lifespan, he is at the peak of his strength right now.”
Yin Qie Zi frowned at Jin Qi Er’s explanation and pondered to himself. Sitting opposite of him, Jin Qi Er stared at him nervously.
Yin Qie Zi finally nodded and said, “He can be healed. However, too much time has passed since he’d been injured. He will need to take a lot of medicine.”
“Will the three strands of hair from before make enough?” Jin Qie Er quickly asked.
“I don’t know how long it has been since those hairs have been pulled off. They are less effective the older they are. It also depends on the spirit binder’s competence and how they will use the hairs. Usually, a spirit binder would use a single hair to make multiple bottles of the same medicine. They can cover their production costs this way, but the effectiveness of their medicine is drastically decreased.”
Jin Qi Er turned around and started discussing eagerly with the others in his group. As the Danyas were speaking in their own language, no one else understood what they were saying, but they guessed the conversation had something to do with the spirit medicine.
Seeing they were having such a heated discussion, Yin Qie Zi cut in and said lightly, “Twenty years are simply too long. Even if a single hair is used for one bottle of medicine, he’ll need at least five bottles for him to be completely healed.”
The Danyas’ discussion immediately came to a halt. The smile that had been on Jin Qi Er’s face disappeared. He asked, “Does that mean we need five strands of hair?”
Yin Qie Zi nodded in response.
Unwilling to give up, Jin Qi Er continued to ask, “Are there no substitutes? Money isn’t a problem.”
Yin Qie Zi merely shook his head, shattering the other’s hopes.
Jin Qi Er was greatly disappointed. He turned around and spoke with the other Danyas; disappointment appeared on their faces as well when they heard his explanation. Jin Qi Er mumbled to himself, “If Indigo continues to be like this, then he’ll truly be replaced by White. I thought we finally had a ray of hope…”
…Indigo? Yin Qie Zi froze at the mention of that name.
An injury from twenty years ago? He had been sent flying and landed heavily? Rushing about day and night after he had been injured?
At that moment, Edward asked, “Indigo? Do you mean Indigo of the Four Colors?”
Jin Qi Er hesitated for a bit, but nodded. “Yes.”
“So that’s how it is. Twenty years ago… Then he must have been injured during the war.” Edward muttered to himself, only breaking out of his reverie when Owen slapped him on the back. Edward immediately noticed Jin Qi Er’s uncomfortable expression. His mind was blank for a moment before he realized why.
During the war between Zhan Yan and Danya twenty years ago, Indigo had been one of the two Colors on the battlefield. He had even been in charge of commanding the main assault army.
Edward quickly stated, “The war happened a long time ago. Aren’t we at peace right now?”
Jin Qi Er merely nodded at Edward’s question. He turned and asked Yin Qie Zi, “Does that mean nothing would happen even if he takes three bottles of this medicine? Would his body improve at least a little?”
Yin Qie Zi remained silent. He flipped though his copy of the catalog and folded the corners of several pages. He then handed the catalog to Jin Qi Er and said, “Go buy the special spirits I’ve marked and the three strands of hair from before. I will make it for you.”
“What?” Jin Qi Er stared at him in shock.
“The medicine. I’ll make it for you.”
A bit surprised, Jin Qi Er asked, “You can make spirit medicine?”
“I’m a spirit binder.”
Jin Qi Er didn’t know how to respond. He thought for a bit and said, “But you said we need five strands of hair, the auction is only selling three.”
“I will think of a way, but I’ll need some time.” Yin Qie Zi calculated in his head and spoke, “Give me two weeks, you’ll have your medicine then.”
Jin Qi Er hesitated for a long while, but finally asked, “What is your price?”
Yin Qie Zi was first puzzled when he noticed the other’s cautious expression. The Danyas obviously greatly desired this spirit medicine, so why were they hesitating when he had offered to make it for them? However, when he heard Jin Qi Er’s question, he finally understood why they were hesitant to accept his offer. They probably thought he was going to ask for a very high price. They might even be thinking that he was a swindler.
At that thought, a frown appeared on Yin Qie Zi’s face. He didn’t know what price he should ask of them. He didn’t want their money. The only reason he had offered to make the medicine was because of his guilty conscience. After all, Indigo’s injury had been due to…
Judging from the situation though, it might make the Danyas even more suspicious if he said he would do it for free.
Yin Qie Zi didn’t know how to respond. After hesitating a bit, he looked reflexively at Mila. When Mila blinked at him, he realized he was staring at her. What was he doing looking at Mila for help? She had no reason to help him solve his problems. Besides, she didn’t even know all the details of the situation.
Mila chuckled, drawing everyone’s gazes to her. Smiling, she told Jin Qi Er, “How about this? Forfeit your right to bid on the Leaf at this auction, that’ll be the price for the medicine. Alright?”
Yin Qie Zi was shocked. He’d never thought Mila would make such a request.
At Mila’s request, Jin Qi Er’s troubled expression faded away. But he couldn’t resist questioning, “Is your medicine truly effective?”
Before Yin Qie Zi could reply, Owen cut in and shouted, “What do you mean by that? Yin Qie Zi is the best spirit binder I’ve ever met. The medicine he makes are ridiculously expensive, but they’re amazingly effective!”
Yin Qie Zi couldn’t resist rolling his eyes at Owen.
Edward also added, “He is indeed a very skilled spirit binder. He once made a hair dye the color of Xialan flowers for my royal mother. The recipe for that hair dye had stumped several spirit binders before him.”
Usually, if a customer was doubtful about the effectiveness of his medicine, Yin Qie Zi would tell them to not buy it. However, it was different now. No matter what, he wanted Jin Qi Er to take the medicine back to Indigo. But since he had never implored an unwilling customer to buy his medicine, he had no idea how to market his products when the situation called for it.
Even if Yin Qie Zi was incapable of marketing his medicine, Jin Qi Er wasn’t about to waste this rare opportunity. He said, “I’ll apologize first for what I’m going to say next. If your medicine doesn’t work, then I will definitely come find you and exact justice. If it does prove effective, then I will personally apologize to you and bring along generous gifts!”
Yin Qie Zi secretly sighed in relief. He swiftly replied, “If the medicine doesn’t work, then you can come and take away the Leaf. You don’t need to pay any price. However, even if the medicine does work, you still don’t need to come look for me.” You won’t find me even if you do, Yin Qie Zi added to himself.
Jin Qi Er finally felt assured by those words. In the end, he was still an emissary from Danya. If both the prince and the son of the Warlord were vouching for Yin Qie Zi, then the latter was probably not trying to swindle them. The most important thing right now was to buy the special spirits Yin Qie Zi had marked. He turned around and looked at the earmarked catalog with his subordinates. This was an important task, they couldn’t afford to miss any of the special spirits.
Seeing that the issue of Indigo’s medicine had been settled, Yin Qie Zi also calmed down. He turned around and saw Mila looking at him with a vague expression. The corners of her mouth were lifted only slightly in a semblance of a smile. In contrast, her eyes were glittering with light and overflowing with smiles.
Her smiling eyes were a bright green and they glittered like a lake illuminated by sunshine. Although Yin Qie Zi knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t help but stare into her eyes. He stared at Mila until she pulled away and retracted her smile. What replaced it instead were two bright pink spots on her cheeks, making her appear as adorable as before.
Even though she hadn’t wanted to avoid Yin Qie Zi’s eyes and had been striving to win over her shyness, it was still too embarrassing to openly stare at each other in public. In the end, Mila lowered her head; the tips of her ears were bright red. She was hesitant to look at Yin Qie Zi again.
Seeing this, Yin Qie Zi also looked away. He suddenly felt that his own cheeks were burning with embarrassment. He rubbed his face and hurriedly said “Thanks for earlier” to Mila. He then looked down at the stage, as if he were very interested in the current item being auctioned off. The item was a long-sword, but Yin Qie Zi never saw the need to change his sword. His current sword, Nightclaw, had been obtained from the beast with the same name.
Beside him, Owen sighed loudly. Just now, Fenny had been glaring at him fiercely. Her terrifying expression seemed to have been saying that if he dared to breathe too loudly and disturb the moment between Yin Qie Zi and Mila, she would chop his head off so that he couldn’t breathe anymore.
Owen grumbled to himself, “Exactly who is the servant here? What is Yehv so busy with lately? Why isn’t he here to control his wife?”
Even though they were called servants, Owen didn’t actually dare enrage either Yehv or Fenny. They weren’t normal servants after all. If he had an argument with them, he wasn’t even sure whose side his father would take… Though it most likely wouldn’t be his!
At that moment, the auctioneer declared that the next item was “One Leaf Slave.” Yin Qie Zi jolted at the mention, but then remembered the Danyas wouldn’t be fighting with him over the Leaf. Then wouldn’t the Leaf be his now?
So…
Exactly what should he do with the Leaf?
