"You're late."
Qian Renxue glanced sideways at Bai Mu, her expression calm but sharp.
"There's a strange aura about you. Did something delay you?"
Bai Mu smiled faintly.
"Academy matters. Nothing worth mentioning."
Qian Renxue snorted softly.
"This is the Heaven Dou Auction House. Be mindful of your conduct. Too much attention is never a good thing."
"I understand," Bai Mu replied lightly. "You worry too much, Brother Xueer."
She shot him a warning look.
"Remember who you're sitting beside."
Bai Mu raised his hands in surrender.
"Of course. I know my limits."
Only then did her expression ease slightly.
At that moment, the auction officially began.
One item after another was presented—rare spirit tools, precious metals, ancient medicinal herbs. Bai Mu showed little interest, bidding only when something seemed useful to himself or the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
His decisiveness alone drew quite a few glances.
"Next item," the auctioneer announced solemnly,
"a special lot for this evening."
An iron cage was pushed onto the stage.
As the cloth covering it was lifted, a young girl appeared inside. She had delicate features, with unmistakable beast traits—cat ears atop her head and a tail behind her.
Her eyes were wary, frightened, yet stubbornly alert.
A low murmur spread through the hall.
"A rare beastkin hybrid," the auctioneer continued.
"Such individuals are almost never seen on the continent."
Bai Mu's gaze sharpened instantly.
"So this is why you insisted on coming," Qian Renxue said coolly. "You've been watching the stage very closely."
Bai Mu didn't deny it.
"She's different," he said seriously. "That kind of gaze doesn't belong behind bars."
Qian Renxue frowned.
"You're planning to interfere?"
"I'm planning to bid," Bai Mu answered calmly. "That's all."
The auctioneer announced the starting price.
Bidding began immediately.
The numbers climbed quickly—wealthy merchants and nobles competing without restraint.
Bai Mu raised his bid several times without hesitation.
Each increase was clean and decisive.
When the price jumped sharply by a massive margin, the hall fell silent for a heartbeat.
"That was excessive," Qian Renxue said flatly.
"Necessary," Bai Mu replied. "Some things shouldn't be measured in small numbers."
She studied him for a moment, then looked back at the stage.
"Just don't let impulse create enemies."
Before Bai Mu could answer, a furious voice rang out.
"I want to know who keeps bidding against me!"
An elderly man in luxurious robes stood up abruptly, his face dark with anger.
It was Xue Xing.
"This item is mine!" Xue Xing roared. "Anyone who continues bidding is openly opposing me!"
The atmosphere in the auction house instantly grew tense.
Many bidders hesitated, clearly unwilling to offend a prince of the empire.
Bai Mu leaned back calmly.
"So that's who it is," he murmured.
Qian Renxue's expression cooled.
"Xue Xing has been irritable lately. He's suffered several losses and is looking for an outlet."
"Then he chose the wrong place," Bai Mu said evenly.
He raised his bidding plate again.
The number rose.
Gasps echoed through the hall.
Xue Xing's face twisted in fury.
"Good!" he sneered. "Very good! I'd like to see which ignorant junior dares challenge a prince of Heaven Dou!"
In the Red VIP area, Bai Mu's gaze remained steady.
"Let him rage," he said quietly.
"The auction isn't over yet."
And in the charged silence of the hall, the struggle over the final bid had only just begun.