Chapter 23: An Apology from the Guanghan Fairy

Far to the north, in the frozen expanse of the polar regions, lay Beidi City—the City of the Northern Emperor. Despite the biting cold outside, the atmosphere within the city’s largest auction house was boiling with anticipation.

On the second floor of the circular hall, the VIP boxes were draped in layers of shimmering, translucent gauze, separating the high-status guests from the common crowd below. One particular box drew envious glances from every corner of the room. Through the hazy curtains, one could faintly discern the silhouettes of several graceful women.

Inside the box, Liu Hanyan sat in silence.

A white veil covered her face, obscuring her features, but it could not hide the ethereal aura that radiated from her. She sat motionless, her temperament cold and pure, like a solitary orchid blooming in a secluded valley—a beauty so transcendent it made one forget the dust of the mortal world.

Behind her stood several female disciples from Feixue Hall. They were all stunning beauties, their features picturesque, yet standing next to Liu Hanyan, they seemed like common wildflowers beside a divine lotus. Even the most outstanding among them, a girl named Chu Mo whose beauty was nearly peerless, paled in comparison to her Master’s quiet dominance.

They were in Beidi City on official business. Feixue Hall required the Profound Ice Snow Lotus, a specialty of this frozen region, for their cultivation. Liu Hanyan had come to negotiate the supply contract for the next sixty-year cycle.

With the business concluded, the City Lord of Beidi City had insisted on inviting them to this auction. Liu Hanyan had intended to refuse, but seeing the eager sparks in her disciples’ eyes, she relented. It was a good opportunity for them to broaden their horizons.

The second floor was a gathering of sharks. Everyone seated in the VIP section was a titan of the cultivation world. Without terrifying strength or the wealth of a nation, one would not dare sit on the same level as a Hall Master of the Wentian Sect.

“Fairy Guanghan, and the fairies of the Wentian Sect,” a deep, masculine voice drifted from the box to her right. “If anything catches your eye tonight, simply speak the word. I, Lin, will have it delivered to you immediately. Consider it a personal gift.”

The speaker was a man in a yellow robe, radiating a tyrannical, masculine vitality. He appeared to be in his twenties, with broad shoulders and a heroic jawline, but his eyes held the weight of centuries.

He was Lin Tianru, the City Lord of Beidi City. A cultivation monster who had ruled this frozen wasteland for hundreds of years.

Liu Hanyan didn’t even turn her head. Her voice was flat, carrying a polite but firm distance. “City Lord Lin is too kind. I am merely here to let my juniors see the world. I have no desires of my own, so there is no need to trouble yourself.”

“Hahahaha! Lin Tianru, stop pretending to be a saint!”

A raucous laugh erupted from the VIP box directly opposite them. A thin, dark-skinned man sat there, legs sprawled casually. “If Fairy Guanghan wants a treasure, she can buy it herself! Does she need your charity? But… to see the world-renowned Guanghan Fairy here… this trip was truly worth it. I wonder if I might be lucky enough to glimpse the face behind the veil?”

As he spoke, the dark man’s eyes burned with intensity. He stared fixedly at Liu Hanyan’s silhouette, his gaze predatory, trying to pierce the obscuring gauze.

But the gauze was a magical artifact, specifically woven to block ocular techniques. Frustrated, the man sneered and surged his Divine Sense forward, attempting to brute-force his way through the barrier to see her face.

Boom.

A split second later, the dark man stiffened. He violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, clutching his head as horror flooded his face.

His Divine Sense hadn’t just been blocked; it had been shredded.

“Hmph. Black Old Ghost, with a face like yours, you dare blaspheme the Fairy?”

From another box, a handsome middle-aged scholar gently waved a folding fan. “Consider yourself lucky. The Fairy is merciful. If you dare offend her again, don’t blame me for making sure you leave this city in a coffin.”

The scholar stood and bowed gracefully toward Liu Hanyan’s box. “Fairy Guanghan, it has been many years. Your elegance surpasses even my memories; truly, one glance is enough to capture the heart. There is no need for you to dirty your hands with trash like the Black Old Ghost. I, Luo, am willing to handle the garbage for you.”

“So it is Elder Luo of the Xiaoxiang Sword Sect,” Liu Hanyan replied faintly, her tone bored. “A minor matter. Let it pass.”

“This is my Beidi City!” Lin Tianru roared, his aura flaring. “If anyone is to enforce the rules, it is this City Lord! Since when is it your turn to play hero, Luo?”

“Oh? Brother Lin is here?” Elder Luo feigned surprise, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I assumed you were absent. Otherwise, why would the Fairy have been forced to defend herself just now?”

Within moments, the second floor descended into chaos. These men—sect elders, city lords, peerless experts who could shake the earth with a stomp—began bickering like jealous schoolboys. They engaged in verbal sparring, subtle scheming, and aggressive posturing, turning the prestigious auction into a marketplace brawl.

Liu Hanyan rubbed her temples. She was used to this.

Behind her, the disciples watched in awe. Chu Mo, the most beautiful disciple, looked confused. “Master… isn’t City Lord Lin supposed to be a stoic hero? Why is he acting like this?”

A senior disciple whispered back, “Chu Mo, this is your first time traveling with Master. You’ll get used to it. Master was the ‘White Moonlight’ of their entire generation. When these old monsters see her, their IQs drop by half.”

Indeed, Liu Hanyan was not just a beauty; she was a legend. For the past thousand years, she had been the unattainable dream of the cultivation world. The men fighting now weren’t reckless youths; they were the patriarchs and leaders of the current era. Yet, in her presence, they reverted to their youth, desperate to prove their worth.

Fortunately, the auction began, forcing a temporary ceasefire.

A stunning female auctioneer took the stage, her figure curvaceous and voice sultry. The men on the first floor were captivated, their eyes glued to her every move.

But on the second floor? Not a single glance. Compared to the icy, divine presence of Liu Hanyan, the auctioneer was a firefly trying to outshine the moon. To look at her would feel like a betrayal of their aesthetic standards.

They weren’t just attracted to Liu Hanyan’s face. It was her mystery, her power, her terrifying talent, and her icy unavailability that drove them mad.

As the auction progressed, the atmosphere grew explosive. The big shots, eager to flex their financial muscles in front of the beauty, bid with reckless abandon. Items worth 200 Spirit Stones were sold for thousands. The sellers were weeping with joy, while the regular buyers on the first floor looked on, dizzy from the astronomical numbers.

Through it all, Liu Hanyan remained silent. She sat like a statue, sipping her tea, uninterested in the mundane artifacts.

“Distinguished guests, we have arrived at the 18th lot,” the auctioneer announced, her face flushed with excitement from the high commissions.

She revealed a milky-white jade pendant carved with nine coiling dragons.

“This is the Coiling Dragon Protective Jade Pendant. It was refined by a Senior at the Tribulation Transcendence stage for his descendants. It requires no Qi to activate. When the wearer is attacked, it automatically deploys a defensive barrier equivalent to a full-power defense of a Nascent Soul cultivator—three times!”

A ripple of interest went through the crowd.

“The most miraculous feature,” the auctioneer continued, “is that it is rechargeable. Once depleted, a high-level cultivator can simply inject Qi to restore the charges. Furthermore, it is compatible with all Five Elements, calms the mind to prevent Qi Deviation, and significantly increases the wearer’s sensitivity to ambient Spiritual Qi. It is, in essence, a cultivation accelerator and a second life for junior disciples!”

The VIP boxes buzzed. For the heavy hitters, this item was useless. But for their favorite disciples or descendants? It was practically a cheat code. An auto-defense that didn’t consume the user’s Qi and boosted cultivation speed? It was perfect for low-level juniors.

Liu Hanyan, who had been meditating with her eyes open, suddenly focused.

Her mind drifted to a specific person.

That little rascal who kept calling me ‘wife’.

She remembered his data. He had mixed spiritual roots—garbage aptitude by standard metrics. This pendant, being compatible with all Five Elements and boosting Qi sensitivity, was tailor-made for him.

He probably hates me, she thought, a flicker of guilt crossing her eyes. He glared at me so fiercely in the square that day.

She recalled the technique she had given him—the modified Ice Heart Art. Over the past few years, she had been cultivating the version he had helped “fix,” and the results were shocking. Her stagnant bottleneck was finally loosening. The boy’s genius in theoretical deduction was terrifying.

She had tricked him. She had promised him a future, knowing full well Feixue Hall couldn’t accept men. She had planned to pull strings, trade favors, and pay a massive price to get Su Qianyi to take him into Wuya Hall as a True Disciple.

But that kid… his luck is defiant of the heavens.

He hadn’t needed her help. He had somehow charmed Su Qianyi on his own and become a True Disciple without her lifting a finger. It saved her a fortune in resources, but it also meant she hadn’t paid her debt.

I owe him.

“The current bid is 500 High Grade Spirit Stones!” the auctioneer shouted. “Do I hear 600?”

500 was already a steal. This item was worth at least 1,000.

“600 High Grade Spirit Stones,” Liu Hanyan said softly.

Her voice was not loud, but it cut through the noise like a clear spring chime, silencing the venue instantly.

Elder Luo, who had just bid, froze. “Ah? Does Fairy Guanghan desire this? Then how could I possibly compete? I shall withdraw.”

“Hmph! Fairy!” Lin Tianru boomed. “I told you, just speak up! I will buy this for you! Consider it a bonus to our contract!”

“No need,” Liu Hanyan’s voice was cold. “I do not like to owe favors.”

“Good!” The Black Old Ghost cackled from across the hall. “If the Fairy is bidding, then whoever bids against her answers to me!”

The other heavyweights chimed in, releasing their pressure. The poor auctioneer trembled on stage. The message was clear: If you bid against the Goddess, you die.

“Please bid freely,” Liu Hanyan said, frowning slightly. “Do not disrupt the auction on my account. The highest bidder wins.”

Despite her words, the hall remained dead silent. Who would dare?

“Sold to VIP Box 3 for 600 High Grade Spirit Stones!”

Moments later, a server presented the pendant on a velvet tray.

Liu Hanyan picked it up. The jade was cool to the touch, flawless and translucent. It was missing a tassel, looking a bit bare, but the quality was undeniable.

I’ll give this to him next time we meet, she decided. Consider it an apology. With his cowardly personality, he’ll love a defensive shell like this.

She imagined the boy from years ago, his childish voice calling out to her. A faint smile touched her lips, her eyes curving into crescents beneath the veil.

I wonder if he’s grown taller?

That fleeting smile, though hidden from the crowd, was visible to her disciples. They froze, stunned by the sudden warmth radiating from their usually icy Master. It was a beauty that could topple cities.

Master is smiling?

They exchanged bewildered glances. They knew their Master had bought the treasure for a junior, but who? Which Junior Sister had the immense honor of receiving a gift from the Hall Master herself?