"How is she so fast?" Lan Yue gasped for breath, doubling over with her hands on her knees. Her chest burned, her legs wobbled like jelly, and sweat trickled down her temples. She watched the figure in black zip away into the shadows, leaving her behind like a forgotten snack wrapper. So this was the perk of martial arts.
"Must be nice," she muttered, wiping her forehead with her sleeve. After a moment, she straightened up and resumed her jog, her eyes darting around the empty streets. "Where did she go…?"
Silence greeted her as she stood at a crossroads, each path shrouded in darkness. She sighed, closing her eyes as she tried to recall the novel's details. Zhao Lingxi had definitely passed through this area after sneaking out. There should have been a turn… or a bridge… or a... Nothing.
"Damn it," she muttered, kicking a pebble in exasperation.
She scratched her head, feeling both annoyed and helpless. Just then, a black, expensive-looking carriage slowly passed by, its wheels silent against the stone road. The curtains fluttered slightly, revealing a glimpse of dark robes within.
Her eyes widened. That carriage… She had seen it countless times in the novel. It belonged to the male lead. Lan Yue's lips slowly curved into a grin.
"Well, hello there." She waited a moment, then began to follow at a safe distance, sticking close to the shadows as the carriage ventured deeper into the inner city.
The carriage finally stopped in front of a massive building glowing under hanging lanterns. The structure was tall and imposing, built from dark stone with golden carvings of dragons coiled around the pillars. A large plaque hung above the entrance, engraved with three bold characters: Heavenly Treasure Pavilion.
Guards stood at the entrance in neat rows, swords at their waists, faces stern and alert. Well-dressed nobles and cultivators stepped forward one by one, flashing golden passes before being respectfully ushered inside. She watched as the male lead, Mo Tian walk towards the entrance with his servant. He was allowed in of course.
Lan Yue swallowed.
She… did not have a pass.
Still, she had come all this way. Giving up wasn't an option.
She straightened her back. Attempt number one.
Lan Yue stood tall, hands clasped behind her back, chin tilted just enough to scream confidence like she belonged there. Like she owned the place. She walked straight toward the gate without hesitation. One of the guards held up a hand. His voice was flat. "Pass."
Lan Yue blinked. "Ah... I, uh, forgot it. Inside."
The guard stared. "Inside where?"
She paused. "...My sleeve?"
Silence.
The guard didn't even flinch. "Next."
Before she could protest, two guards gently but very firmly turned her around and escorted her back the way she came.
Round two. This time, Lan Yue crouched behind a stone pillar, watching people come and go like a hawk.
When a round-bellied merchant waddled toward the entrance, she moved fast, slipping in behind him like a shadow. Head down. Hands folded. The perfect image of a quiet servant.
The guard squinted. "Your master?"
Lan Yue pointed at the merchant with a respectful nod. The merchant turned, confused. "Who are you?"
Lan Yue flashed her brightest smile. "Your long-lost daughter."
A beat of silence. Then she was flying out the gate again—face-first.
Attempt number three.
Lan Yue grabbed an empty basket from a nearby food vendor and tossed a cloth over her head like a shawl. With her back slightly hunched and steps deliberately slow, she shuffled toward the grand entrance like a tired delivery girl.
"Delivery," she croaked, voice hoarse and low.
One of the guards raised an eyebrow, then casually lifted the cloth covering the basket.
Inside… sat a few warm, slightly squashed steamed buns. He blinked. "You're trying to bribe the auction house with... buns?"
Lan Yue shrugged, lips twitching. "They're fresh."
The guard didn't even respond. She was promptly shown the way out—again.
Attempt number four. This time, she crouched behind a towering potted plant near the entrance. She watched a group of richly dressed nobles approach. Just as the guards moved to open the doors, she made her move—diving forward in a graceful roll.
Well, it was supposed to be graceful.
She tripped on the plant pot's base, stumbled, and skidded unceremoniously across the polished marble floor… landing right at the guards' boots.
"…I fell in?" she offered weakly.
No answer.
She was escorted out again.
Now sitting against a cold stone wall, Lan Yue tilted her head back and stared at the sky in despair.
"Why is sneaking into an auction harder than surviving a villain's poison?" she muttered.
Just then, her eyes caught movement—a group of musicians, instruments in hand, heading toward a side entrance guarded less heavily.
Her lips curled.
Five minutes later, Lan Yue successfully entered the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion… carrying a flute that was clearly taller than her.
She held it awkwardly, pretending to be very busy and very important.
No one stopped her.
Lan Yue almost cried tears of joy.
The auction hall inside was vast. Rows of seats rose in a circular formation, private rooms lining the upper levels behind silk curtains. Lanterns illuminated the hall, and a raised platform stood at the center, where treasures were displayed under protective formations.
The air buzzed with excitement and money.
Lan Yue found a corner seat and looking around cautiously. She immediately spotted them.
Mo Tian sat in a private booth above the crowd, wrapped in dark robes that matched the shadows behind him. He leaned back lazily, one arm resting on the side of his chair, the picture of effortless authority. Even in silence, his presence commanded attention. Conversations below softened as if the air itself respected him.
That man was Mo Tian, the male lead, a tyrant, and walking danger sign.
Then her gaze dropped and instantly froze.
Zhao Lingxi.
Veiled in black, she sat upright and poised a few rows down, her posture as stiff as ever. Lan Yue instinctively shrank into her seat, pulling her hood lower.
Please don't see me. Please don't see me, she chanted in her head.
The auction began.
One by one, rare items were brought out—spiritual swords gleaming with cold light, ancient cultivation manuals bound in seals, glowing herbs that pulsed with qi.
Lan Yue leaned forward as two men nearly broke a table fighting over a glowing rock.
"Whoa. Shiny," she muttered. "That looks like a fancy paperweight."
Then came the jade box.
Soft golden light shimmered from the delicate carvings, drawing gasps from the crowd.
The auctioneer cleared his throat. "Our next item—the Nine-Reversal Phoenix Restoration Pill."
The room stilled.
Lan Yue's heart skipped a beat. This was it. The pill known to reverse fatal illnesses, purge toxins, and restore life force. In the novel, this moment changed everything.
Zhao Lingxi wanted the pill for her dying younger brother. Mo Tian wanted it for reasons she did not remember. And why was she here? She pressed a hand to her chest as a slow ache spread through her ribs. Madam Hua's poison. Still lurking in her veins.
She needed that pill more or she was going to die but her pouch was currently empty. Not even one copper coin. Lan Yue slumped back in her chair. "…I'm so screwed."
She calmly took out a cookie from her space and began eating. If she couldn't bid, she could at least watch.
The bidding started.
"3,000 gold coins!"
"5,000!"
"8,000!"
Lan Yue nearly choked on her cookie.
Soon, only two people remained.
"10,000 gold coins!" Zhao Lingxi announced, her voice firm.
Lan Yue's cookie fell from her hand. Where did she get that much money?! Oh right. The female lead had been saving coins for years.
"10,001 gold coins," Mo Tian said lazily, drumming his fingers.
Lan Yue blinked.
"…Is he serious?"
"10,200 gold coins!" Zhao Lingxi snapped.
"10,201 gold coins," Mo Tian replied, bored.
Lan Yue leaned forward. "Is he… adding one coin on purpose?"
Zhao Lingxi's hand trembled. "15,000 gold coins!"
"15,001 gold coins," Mo Tian said smoothly.
The auctioneer slammed his hammer.
"15,001 gold coins going once! Going twice! Sold to the esteemed guest in the Heavenly Booth!"
The pill was sealed and delivered. The auction ended soon after.
Lan Yue stood up. "Showtime!"