Jia Auction House was located on the busiest street, where the flow of people was usually dense, but today was different. The auction house had increased its number of guards, and not even a single vehicle was parked at the entrance. Those who entered were also few and far between.
A few minutes after Lin Mo and Yingzi had waited across the street, a woman dressed in office attire emerged from the Jia Auction House.
"Mr. Lin, long time no see," Duanmu Xiang said, seemingly surprised, for she hadn't actively contacted him since their last encounter.
"Lady Duanmu."
Lin Mo's expression was indifferent.
Duanmu Xiang was tall, her hair cropped at the ears, and she wore a milky white pearl necklace. Dressed in a gray office suit, her legs wrapped in stockings, she presented herself in a mature, efficient, and elegant demeanor, which was somewhat different from when he had last seen her.
"Mr. Lin, are you contacting me because you want to attend the auction?" Duanmu Xiang asked as she looked at Lin Mo, her clear eyes filled with slight confusion.
Lin Mo nodded and said with a smile, "Does Lady Duanmu have any difficulties?"
Duanmu Xiang frowned slightly, nodded, and then shook her head, saying, "No, no difficulties. Mr. Lin, your presence gives me great honor. Please, come inside."
Upon entering the auction hall, Lin Mo immediately sensed several strong presences.
In a low voice, Duanmu Xiang asked, "Mr. Lin, the participants in this auction are no ordinary people. I'm wondering whether you're here to buy or sell?"
Duanmu Xiang knew little about Lin Mo, only that he was a Magic Master. As for his identity as Lin Tanyu, only those who had attended the Martial Arts Tournament knew, so Duanmu Xiang was still unaware of Lin Mo's true identity.
Lin Mo hesitated for a moment, then casually took out a wooden plaque, "This is a Fourth Grade Magical Artifact, I plan to auction it."
The plaque was casually crafted by Lin Mo previously and had never been used. He knew that people from Heavenly Sect would be present, and while they might disregard anything below third-grade, a Fourth Grade Magical Artifact should still catch their interest. Lin Mo had also done this to mask his real reason for attending.
"Alright, I'll give this to my father right away," Duanmu Xiang said as she took the plaque, her face lighting up with joy.
"Duanmu Xiang, what are you thinking, bringing anyone into the auction house? Don't you know what day it is today?" Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted them.
A woman followed by a man wearing glasses, who appeared intimate like a married couple, finished speaking.
"Sister, Brother-in-law," Duanmu Xiang's expression shifted slightly as she greeted the two.
The woman was named Duanmu Hong, and the man, Gou Canghai, a married couple and core members of the Duanmu Family. However, it seemed that Duanmu Xiang didn't hold a high status in the family; otherwise, Duanmu Hong wouldn't dare to speak to her in such a tone.
Duanmu glanced at Lin Mo, then said, "Sister, this is Master Lin."
"Master Lin? Hmph, even if he is a Magic Master, he shouldn't be here today. Don't you know that?" Duanmu Hong said with a cold voice, furrowing her brows.
"But Master Lin came to auction an item," Duanmu Xiang retorted, gritting her teeth.
"What could he possibly auction?" Duanmu Hong scoffed.
Duanmu Xiang particularly despised her sister's condescending attitude towards her. No matter how hard she tried, she always lacked her grandfather's regard due to her father's ostracism from the family's core circle, who spent his days in idleness.
"Auctioning a Magical Artifact," Duanmu Xiang said, pulling out the wooden plaque.
"Who knows if it's real or fake, Duanmu Xiang, do you really think this will make grandfather finally see you in a new light?" Gou Canghai shook his head and adjusted his glasses.
"First lady, second lady, the old man is looking for you in the upstairs private room," suddenly, a staff member approached them, speaking softly with his head bowed.
"If grandfather finds out you let a swindler in, it won't be good," Duanmu Hong said as she walked with Gou Canghai toward the private room on the second floor.
Yingzi frowned, "Lady Duanmu, those two are so annoying, hmph!"
"There's nothing I can do; they just have a higher status in the family than me," Duanmu Xiang sighed helplessly, then looked at Lin Mo apologetically, "Mr. Lin, why don't you come with me? I'll explain to grandfather personally."
Lin Mo's expression remained indifferent as he nodded.
In the private room on the second floor, several middle-aged men were seated, with a few youths and young ladies standing beside them, all clearly core members of the Duanmu Family.
As for the white-haired old man sitting at the head of the table, he was clearly the current helmsman of the Duanmu Family, Duanmu Honglei.
"Grandfather, my sister brought in a Magic Master without knowing where he came from," Duanmu Hong said to the old man at the head of the table.
Duanmu Honglei frowned slightly, his expression stern, "Xiang, don't you know what day it is today? Didn't I say that ordinary people are not allowed in?"
"Grandfather, Mr. Lin was previously a valued guest of ours at Jia, and he came to auction a Magical Artifact this time," Duanmu Xiang said, looking down and biting her lip.
"Oh, auctioning a Magical Artifact? Let me see it," Duanmu Honglei said, still frowning.
Duanmu Xiang presented the wooden plaque, and a Magic User beside him infused it with Spiritual Energy, his face showing surprise, "This is a Fourth Grade Magical Artifact, quite a rare item indeed."
Duanmu Hong and Gou Canghai, as well as the other Duanmu family members, also showed subtle surprise. After all, Fourth Grade Magical Artifacts were not very common; even in Jia's nationwide transactions, such an item appeared only occasionally each month.
Duanmu Honglei nodded, "Indeed, it is a Fourth Grade Magical Artifact, worth auctioning. Even the people who came today would probably bid for it."
"Thank you, grandfather," Duanmu Xiang breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, as the door to the private room opened, a suave young man strode inside, immediately earning looks of respect from the Duanmu family members, and even Duanmu Honglei quickly stood up.
All present respectfully called out, "Master Ye!"
A smile appeared on Lin Mo's face, as he hadn't expected to encounter an old acquaintance here.
Duanmu Honglei and the Duanmu family members also paused, and Duanmu Xiang's eyes widened as she saw the person they called Master Ye heading toward Lin Mo and giving him a hearty hug.
"Brother Lin, I was actually planning to notify you to come over tonight. I didn't expect you to arrive on your own," Ye Beichen laughed heartily, clearly delighted to see Lin Mo.