The ruffian kept his hand up, still ready to slap the boy who was bowing, but it suddenly felt awkward. ‘He must be a little slow.’ He felt a little bad about trying to slap the boy, but at the same time the boy had ignored him at first.

The ruffian cleared his throat. “How could you bump into me?”

“I ask for your forgiveness, good sir.” Mika held his palm over his fist, bowing deeper. ‘You’ve made a grave mistake.’ “Allow me to lead you to my Elder for appropriate compensation and punishment.” Mika hid the smirk on his face as he remained within a deep bow.

‘That was easy,’ the ruffian thought, blinking. However, he hadn’t noticed that Mika was finely dressed. “This vase was of fine make. It was a great, priceless artefact of a previous time. Don’t think it’s so simple to deal with.”

“I assure the great sir that my Elder will be able to deal with this matter,” Mika clasped his hands together and pouted up at the ruffian, his face full of worry.

“Alright then.” The ruffian tutted and followed Mika towards the gates of the inner estate. ‘Does he know someone that could come in here? He doesn’t look like he’s related to anyone from a major family. Is he from a town?’ The ruffian held his smirk, almost as well as Mika.

“What is the matter?” the guard asked, glancing down at Mika, who she had seen not long ago.

“A mistake has been made and it needs to be rectified,” Mika replied, pouting up at the guard. “I must speak with the Elder.”

The guard glanced at the ruffian, whose eyes were smiling, though his face was stern. She wondered what she should do at a time like this, but decided against acting out of turn. “Very well.”

‘Something is wrong,’ the ruffian thought, but it was too late. The white and green robes had revealed the young boy’s Elder, which he hadn’t taken literally. ‘Oh. He meant Elder Alchemist.’ His brow was heavy with sweat as he tried to think his way out of this situation, only to remember how he managed to get into the situation in the first place.

“What is the matter?” Elder Yan asked, sitting opposite a beautiful young woman.

She was in her twenties or so, and her hair was like liquid gold, matching the golden thread which sewed her clothes together. The thread itself was worth more than the attire of all who were currently within the pavilion. Her lips were painted silver, which matched the colour of her eyes, which twinkled as she smelled the sweet scent of gold on the horizon. She inhaled from her smoking pipe, which was worth more than even her outfit, allowing the smoke to trail away from the corner of her lips.

The ruffian glanced between the pair, knowing that one of them was an Elder Alchemist, and the other was the Young Head of the Auction House. ‘A mistake has been made, but it was not he who made the mistake. No, the boy was the one in the wrong, so I can get a little bit out of him…’

“Good afternoon, Elder Alchemist.” The ruffian waited, but Elder Yan refused to reply as he glared down at the ruffian. “Your disciple ran into me and due to it, the priceless vase I was carrying shattered. If I appear before my Young Master empty handed, a larger issue might arrive.”

Elder Yan tilted his head. “Is that true?” He brushed his beard gently, his eyes falling to Mika.

“I was walking and he walked into me,” Mika said, nodding his head.

“What? You’re the one who bumped into me, you crippled brat! How dare you suggest otherwise?” The ruffian almost snarled, but quickly calmed down.

“You’re telling me that you, a man with average cultivation, was able to be pushed around by my crippled apprentice?” Elder Yan’s eyes remained firmly pressed on the ruffian, who swallowed.

“Elder, he had come willingly for compensation and for punishment,” Mika began. “He dropped the plate and accused me, a Page of Starr Alchemy, to cause troubles. Does he even hold you in his sights?”

The ruffian turned red hot with rage. “You brat! You dare-,”

Elder Yan’s brow pulsed, revealing his veins as he placed his killing intent onto the ruffian who dared to try and threaten his Young Master before him. “Let me speak with your Young Master and see if you can continue to behave so inappropriately before me.”

‘Damn it! This brat! He played me like a erhu!’ The ruffian huffed, clenching his fists tight, though realised he could do nothing.

“Since you have other business to attend to, shall we speak later in the evening?” the Young Head of the Auction House asked.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“I apologise, Young Head,” Elder Yan said, placing his palm over his fist. “I will deal with this matter swiftly.”

The Young Head smiled, glancing between the trio. The smoke that filled her mouth couldn’t wash away the taste of gold. “Mirwa,” she said, causing an Expert of the Auction House to appear behind the Young Head. “Escort Elder Yan and his apprentice to the Tiger Fist family.”

“As you wish, Young Head,” the Expert replied, his voice low and cold.

‘Not bad,’ Mika thought, judging him against the Elites of the Black Hand family. He was slightly weaker than Rogue, but he wasn’t terrible.

The Tiger Fist family estate was greater than the Black Hand estate. No, even the side characters of the Tiger Fist family would live greater than Mika and his family, as the entire Tiger Fist estate was easily the size of the five town family estates combined.

Two large, stone tigers flanked the gates, staring down at any who would dare to tread closer. Mika’s eyes glanced to the formation which kept them at bay, and his eyes followed the trail the formation led, which disappeared deeper into the estate.

The pair of guards wore the colours of the Tiger Fist family, orange and black, and stood tall between the statues. They raised their brows at the ruffian, before glancing at the Elder Alchemist. ‘You should have chosen your mark better, you idiot.’ One guard stepped forward, palming his fist. “I greet the Elder Alchemist.”

“Where is your Young Master?” Elder Yan asked, leaning back slightly so he was looking down at the guards.

‘Damn, you must have really done it this time…’ The guard began to sweat. “The Young Master is currently occupied.”

“Occupied?” Elder Yan stretched his neck, which clicked, and the guards shuddered. “Tell him that Elder Yan of Starr Alchemy has come to speak with him.”

‘Damn it!’ The guards were unable to refuse such a guest, so one excused himself to go and find the Young Master.

“Ara?” called a voice from behind.

Mika sighed. He had smelled her before she had arrived, but had thought she would skip by since she wasn’t anyone special. He turned back to see a beautiful woman, with striking red hair, a voluptuous form, and eyes that could kill. It was a shame that her meridians were damaged, as otherwise she would have held the same talent as many of the great Young Masters and Young Misses of the noble families.

“Is the Tiger Fist family looking to other Alchemists?” she asked, her voice sweet and coy, but it was almost like a poison.

“Expert Beaux,” Elder Yan called, greeting the young woman.

“Elder Yan, what a mercy it is to see you,” she said, though her tone suggested otherwise.

The pair of Alchemists glared at one another before a tall, handsome Young Master appeared. Mika knew he was a Young Master due to the fan he held, and the fact that he was lean and pretty, rather than muscular and rugged.

“I was told there was an issue?” the Young Master said.

Elder Yan paused, waiting. ‘He dares not introduce himself to me?’ “Your boy has troubled my apprentice.”

“My boy?” the Young Master looked to the ruffian, who remained sweating in a panic. “What trouble has he caused?”

“He accuses my apprentice of walking into him and breaking a priceless vase, that he seems to have left within the Auction House,” Elder Yan said.

‘What a fool,’ the Young Master thought. “Well, your apprentice is a cripple. Are you suggesting that something else happened?”

Elder Yan inhaled deeply. “That appears to be the case.” His jaw locked as he tried to calm himself. The Young Master wasn’t showing him any face. It was as though the Elder Alchemist wasn’t in the Young Master’s sights. Even the Emperor would give Elder Yan face, for he was still an Elder Alchemist.

“We can simply wrap up the matter with compensation,” the Young Master said. “Perhaps a priceless vase wasn’t right, but it was worth it’s weight in gold.”

Elder Yan tensed up once more, his entire face turning red. This little brat who wasn’t even thirty was treating him like this? He was already an Expert before the little brat was born, and yet he was so arrogant before him?

“Please show the Elder some leniency, Young Master Tiger Fist, you know how poor townies are.”

Elder Yan’s neck cracked again, this time to the other side, but he kept himself at bay. ‘Townies? Townies? You dare to call me a townie?’ He could have slapped the Young Master if he really wanted to, but he was in the Tiger Fist family estate, and slapping the Expert was going too far since she was but a nobody to him.

“Who is this little boy that walked into my man?” the Young Master asked.

Mika remained quiet, looking up to Elder Yan, wondering if he was going to explode soon. ‘There aren’t that many guards, so you could probably slap him up a bit.’

“Brat, you dare to ignore me? Is this how you teach your apprentices?” Young Master Tiger Fist asked.

Elder Yan’s eyes turned white, causing Mika to finally speak up. “I did not know that the Young Master was speaking to me, since I was not the boy that walked into your man. I am Mika Black Hand.”

“Black Hand? From the nearby town?” The Young Master furrowed his brows, trying to think. ‘Right, the Head was fairly decent, but the rest were trash.’ “To think that a boy from a no name town and a no name family can dare to accuse my family. If you weren’t already crippled, I would have crippled you for wasting our time.”

Mika looked up to the Elder, whose face was beet red, his eyes white with rage, and the veins around his face were threatening to pop. Mika placed his hand on his heart, raising a single knuckle ever so slightly for the Elder to see. “Elder, we have matters to deal with.”

Elder Yan exhaled, letting his rage leave with his breath. “You are right, my young Page.”

“A little cripple is a Page?” Expert Beaux said, almost giggling at the absurdity.

Mirwa, the Expert from the Auction House, stepped aside and motioned with an arm. “I will escort you back to the Young Head.” He realised the situation was about to escalate again.

Everyone could feel the tension in the air, but Elder Yan turned and followed Mika and the Expert guard out. ‘You damn brats, just you wait until I deal with you!’ Elder Yan’s fury was still burning within his heart.

‘No name family?’ Mika thought. ‘That’s right. A little cripple from a no name family.’ He smiled as they returned back to the Auction House. ‘Watch as this little cripple from a no name family tears you apart. Your ashes will form the foundation of the Black Hand family, you cute little kitties.’