'Fifteen minutes earlier.'

Lan Fei looked on as the last item that she brought out was sold, she also was part of the bidding wars getting a couple of items that she thought she could sell for more in another city further along. She knew the amount that she could spend and wasn't wealthy enough to go for the high grade items so that was more or less it for her in here. She didn't really care about the high grade weapons that were brought out and were getting bid on now.

*Okay, guess it's time to gather up the merchandise and leave this city, I'm having a bad feeling about this place.*

She thought to herself, there was also apparently some commotion on the streets with some cultivators offending some big shot. It was apparently the Cheng Clan which made the woman feel a bit better, though apparently he didn't really trash any of them too much just some young masters getting a schooling and nothing much besides that.

*Heh, guess if you got power you don't really care about the little people beneath you that much.*

She had two warriors on each side where she was sitting, she gave them a signal to move out it was time to get the money and the items and then return to the caravan. They would stay the night and then go early in the morning, there was no reason to remain here plus the clan in here was kind of sketchy. She didn't want to end up with having to bribe them and lose most or all of their profit.

"Okay men, time to head out, let's wrap this up."

"Yes, Lady Fei."

Both of the men nodded and got out of their seats, they remained a step behind the lovely lady while keeping guard. They eyed the other patrons menacingly as they knew that their lady tended to attract men a bit much. But she also was quite good at mediating and talking her way out of situations, most people were more or less reasonable. But there also were people like the men they met today before the city, those were hard to reason with as they were drunk on newly gained power.

They exited the main auction hall, people were still going in and out of it. The walked over to one of the workers and gave their information so that they could get their items and spirit stones. The auction house gave special numbered tokens to the sellers and buyers to identify everything later. The worker took out a jade slip and searched for the number, his eye twitching a bit as there was something else in the jade slip that looked unusual, it had something to do with you know what clan.

"Miss Lan Fei is it?"

He asked while the woman nodded and confirmed her identity. He kind of knew that this wasn't anything good, it said that if any of the workers in the auction house come across Lan Fei they should guide her to a certain area in the back of the building without asking any questions. Plus anyone not following this order would be severely punished if they ever found out that they ignored it.

"Ah yes, this way please I'll guide you."

They didn't see much out of the ordinary as they were guided to the back. This wasn't the first time that the people were in this particular auction house so as they walked they noticed that there weren't being lead to the usual room, it was further in the back where the auction house invited the more important guests. This was a red flag, but maybe there wasn't space in the regular rooms? Did someone important want to make a lucrative deal with them? They didn't know but Lan Fei looked at her men and nodded making a decision to take the risk. They could see some guards placed along the way but that was normal, an auction house had to have protection.

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They walked into a dimly lit room and there was someone sitting with the back to them, the person that guided them inside quickly made his way out as he didn't want to stay here any longer than he had too.

"I have guided the guest in, I'll take my leave now."

The woman and the guards looked behind them as the door was shut and two people stood by it now, the light was turned on and the person that was looking like a James bond villain turned around to reveal himself. It was, of course, the previous foundation establishment elder that tried to extort them and his cronies. He smirked while more people from the Cheng clan came out, they quickly grabbed the two accompanying warriors that Lan Fei came with and pulled them away while they were thrashing about.

"Well, if it isn't the lovely caravan owner, I'm glad that we could see each other again~"

He said while grinning side to side in his chair.

"What's the meaning of this, the auction house is supposed to be a neutral area why are you causing trouble. Do you think Madam Wong will just take this, she has connections as well, the Cheng Clan is overstepping their boundaries!"

The woman shouted at the man while backing away but her men were getting restrained and the door was blocked off by some Cheng clan members.

"Madam Wong? That old crow? She doesn't need to know anything, I made arrangments so that we wouldn't be interrupted. Plus why would that old crow even lift a finger to defend some random merchant lass? If the news doesn't come out, she won't do a thing, he he he. This place is sealed and soundproof, I pulled some strings to get you here no one will bother us. This is a special room, only big shots can come in here, you should be honored that I spent so many resources to arrange this."

The man licked his lips while standing up, his aura radiating in the room as it forced the woman down to her knees from the increased pressure.

"Why are you doing this..."

She asked while an angry look in her eyes, she didn't show fear as she knew that would probably be something that this perverted old man would get off on."

"Why am I doing this? Because of you, I lost face due to that weird cultivator, made me look weak and pathetic. No one can embarrass members of the Cheng clan!"

He said while moving closer and closer, his hand moving to grasp the woman's chin and forcing her to look up to him.

"So, you're too afraid to confront that Senior so you've picked me instead, how pathetic."

She replied while spitting right in the elder man's face, the man getting surprised as the spit landed on his cheek. His face turned red and he delivered a slap to Lan Fei's face making her bleed and fall down to the floor.

"You damn slut, after I'm through with you even your own mother won't recognize you!"

He grasped her long hair that was in a ponytail and pulled her towards a bed that was in the VIP room. This room was made for many things and sexual ones were included. The Elderly cultivator was mad, his eyes red with anger after getting spit on. He planned to have his way with this woman, then to order his men to do the same while her guards would get beaten to an inch of their life. Then he would leave a permanent scar of the woman's face so that she remembers this day before tossing her out bruised and bloodied as a reminder to not offend the Cheng Clan.

Lan Fei was trying to trash about, but the stronger cultivator was using some strange technique to sap away her vitality. She couldn't move well, her cheek hurt due to the hard slap. She still showed a look of defiance that made the man in front of her even madder but she didn't want to show weakness in front of a bastard like this. She could see the man going to his robe to remove his pants while grinning in a devilish way. She started cursing inwardly, this is how things in this world worked. The woman knew how it was, but she still felt indignant about it.

While the Cheng clan members were grinning side to side and stomping on the woman's guards ready to see a good show something happened. The door that was supposed to be locked suddenly was flung open and they could see one of the people that was supposed to be guarding it on the other side get thrown inside the room and landed flat up against the wall, out called and with shattered teeth. Then they saw a person walk in, their eyes going wide as they could identify this person. Oh, they remembered him alright, it was the cultivator that screwed up their previous extortion attempt and now he was standing there in the doorway, looking awfully mad while giving them the stare down.