CHAPTER 896: CHAPTER 896: THE TWO BOYS WHO DREW HER ATTENTION

Such good fortune others might not even dare to hope for, and Mu Hanyan naturally wouldn’t foolishly go to dispel the rumors, bringing Huayue and others into the Chamber of Commerce.

A grand auction was taking place inside, with Master Shen Moce and Master Ji Gaoxian personally overseeing it. Mu Hanyan stopped to look; most items being auctioned were Elixirs, clearly of a much higher grade than before, with the cheapest ones fetching four to five hundred thousand.

It seemed that Nanyan Commerce could earn a substantial amount from this auction, but for Mu Hanyan, the amount earned was secondary; most crucial was that the higher the auction items’ value, the more renowned Nanyan Commerce would become, potentially leading to larger future business dealings and easier acquisition of cultivation resources.

Nanyan Commerce bore not only Mu Nan’s dreams but also carried Mu Hanyan’s hopes. She depended on Nanyan Commerce for her future cultivation resources, so naturally, she hoped Nanyan Commerce would become more renowned.

The auction was nearing its end, with Che Xiang, the host, appearing somewhat fatigued. He happened to notice Mu Hanyan below and signaled Manager Zhou, leaving the remaining few auction items for him to handle, while he came down to greet Mu Hanyan into the VIP room.

"Young Master, it’s all thanks to you inviting Master Shen and Master Weng. The Chamber’s business is thriving more each day." Che Xiang said excitedly while personally pouring tea for Mu Hanyan.

"Do you have enough manpower, or is it too much to handle?" Mu Hanyan noticed Che Xiang’s slightly hoarse voice and inquired with concern.

"The manpower is indeed a bit insufficient, but I’ve already sent a message to Young Master Nan. He will bring people over in a few days." Che Xiang said, and then hesitated before continuing, "The Chamber has just accepted two young lads. I think they can be nurtured. Both are very clever."

Hearing Mu Nan would be coming, Mu Hanyan was quite pleased. Although Che Xiang was becoming more seasoned in Chamber affairs, he still fell short compared to Mu Nan. Moreover, he was ultimately an outsider, so it wasn’t always convenient to entrust him with everything. It was best if Mu Nan could personally oversee things in the Capital. However, Che Xiang’s later words caught Mu Hanyan’s attention. "Oh?" Upon hearing Che Xiang’s remarks, an odd feeling stirred within Mu Hanyan. Two young lads? For some reason, the determined gaze of the young lad she encountered in the alley—one white and one black—flashed before her mind. Could it be such a coincidence?

"Bring them up for me to see, or rather, just point them out to me, no need to inform the two." Mu Hanyan grew interested, stood up, and gestured for Che Xiang to lead the way.

Che Xiang found Mu Hanyan’s decision strange, but he asked no questions and led Mu Hanyan to the courtyard, pointing out the two individuals to Mu Hanyan.

Mu Hanyan smiled faintly after seeing the two, then turned and left, signaling Che Xiang to follow, without disturbing the two young lads.

"What are their names?" Mu Hanyan asked.

"The fair-skinned one is called Lou Baiyi, and the dark-skinned one is called Tu Xuan." Che Xiang replied.

Mu Hanyan paused for a moment and then spoke with a deep voice, "Nurture them well, help if needed. Also, observe them closely, and if you are certain of their good character, entrust them with significant responsibilities." She silently chuckled at their names; Lou Baiyi suited him with his fair skin and the character ’Bai’ for white in his name. Tu Xuan, well, his name had nothing to do with his dark complexion.

Che Xiang was taken aback, wondering why the Young Master intended to train them as future assets? Could it be... does the Young Master know them?

"You guessed right; I do know those two." Mu Hanyan smiled slightly. "These two youngsters are not simple, as they managed to find this place." Not many in the Capital knew of her relationship with Nanyan Commerce, and even fewer could guess it. These two young ones coming to them wasn’t a mere coincidence. It seemed she hadn’t misjudged them; they indeed had the potential to make her take notice.

Youngsters? Che Xiang found it a bit odd; truthfully, the Young Master wasn’t much older than those two, yet his calm and collected demeanor often made people overlook his true age.

"Then... I will follow your instructions henceforth." Che Xiang responded.

"Indeed." Mu Hanyan nodded. She was also curious to see what these two youngsters would grow into. It was something to look forward to.

...

After checking on the individuals, Mu Hanyan and Che Xiang returned to the VIP room.

"Young Master, I’ve acquired some Elixirs recently; the quality is quite good. See if you can make use of them." Che Xiang, aware of Mu Hanyan and the others’ importance to Nanyan Commerce, said as he opened a secret room and handed nearly a hundred Elixirs to Mu Hanyan.

"Good pills!" Mu Hanyan accepted without hesitation, opened the Jade Bottle and upon inhaling the Elixir Fragrance, felt invigorated, knowing Che Xiang wasn’t boasting; these Elixirs were indeed of much higher quality than those bought last time.

"How much were they?" Mu Hanyan asked Che Xiang, putting away the Elixirs.

"Thanks to Master Shen and others joining us, our Nanyan Commerce’s reputation is growing immensely, garnering respect even from many old Chamber of Commerce names in the Capital. Thus, acquiring Elixirs has become much easier and cheaper than before. Ordinarily, these Elixirs wouldn’t have come below forty to fifty million, but this time, they only cost about three million." Che Xiang said with pride.

While Che Xiang was proud, Huayue and Zirong were secretly tongue-tied.

No wonder the swordsmen on the Holy Court Continent become increasingly rare the higher they progress; partly due to inherent talent limitations, but largely because of insufficient cultivation resources.

They were fortunate to be favored by Mu Hanyan; otherwise, for others, these multi-million Elixirs were not only hard to consume, but even harder to see.

"Keep these silver notes, and also help me buy a dozen or so longswords. The quality doesn’t have to be great, just like last time is fine." Mu Hanyan handed the silver note to Che Xiang, instructing.

Although the "Heavenly Flying Immortal" forged last time had fatal flaws, its destructive power was still considerable, at least useful until Huayue and the others advanced to Sword Master.

"I’ll prepare it right away." Che Xiang took the silver note and left briskly.

Compared to cultivation resources, ordinary quality longswords were much easier to find. Soon, Che Xiang returned with a dozen longswords.

"By the way, Young Master, the matter you asked about the Purple Heart Ganlu Grass last time has made progress. It’s said that several thousand miles outside the Capital, there’s a grand peak named Flying Peak, where the Purple Heart Ganlu Grass grows at its base. However, gathering it is not easy as there are Exotic Beasts guarding the area. If you go soon, you might still find some." Che Xiang said as he handed the longswords to Mu Hanyan.

Flying Peak again! Mu Hanyan’s heart stirred.

Zhang Chi Hua discovered the ancient relics containing Beast Soul Relics at Flying Peak, and now this Purple Heart Ganlu Grass is there as well, with Exotic Beasts guarding it. Could there be some connection?

(Due to two important relatives visiting on the eighth and ninth, normal updates will resume on the tenth. Thank you for understanding.)