Wu Yue, Yao Lei, and Ouyang Xinghe exchanged glances—who was this 'Mr. Lin' who was so generous, and why did he give a gift to Miao Xin? Didn't they know that Miao Xin was engaged to Qing Xuan? Wasn't this putting Qing Xuan in an awkward position?
"Miao Xin, is Mr. Lin your friend?" Qing Xuan didn't seem angry as expected but instead asked with a gentle smile.
Miao Xin hesitated for a moment, biting her glossy thin lips, then nodded, "Yes, just an ordinary friend." "An ordinary friend? He's so generous—I'd be quite interested in meeting this friend of yours." Qing Xuan's lips curled into a charming smile, his voice suddenly carrying a few degrees of chill.
Although Duanmu Xiang was unaware of Qing Xuan's true identity, she sensed something different about him, the inherent arrogance and aloofness that radiated from within him, something she had never seen in anyone else.
Even among the scions of large families from Beijing, none could compare in temperament to the youth before her. His demeanor seemed to look down on the world, very similar to one other person, but he did not have the same sharp aura as that person.
Naturally, the person Duanmu Xiang thought of was Lin Mo. Under the powerful aura of Qing Xuan, Duanmu Xiang found herself almost unable to speak a word of refusal, let alone reject his request. After all, Qing Xuan was not only a member of the Heavenly Sect, but also the master of the Qingxuan Sect, whose inherent imperious aura was not something an ordinary person could withstand.
When Lin Mo and Ye Beichen had sent Duanmu Xiang to deliver the Silver Snow Grass, they had already left the private box and were downstairs. Miao Xin might not believe the words he had said, but Lin Mo could see a flicker of doubt in her complex eyes.
Even such a slight hesitance was a great hope for Lin Mo. As long as he exposed the ugly face of the Miao Xue Divine Palace, he could make Miao Xin believe his words.
As for Miao Xin being with Qing Xuan now, Lin Mo was not worried. After all, Miao Xin's cultivation technique had not yet reached great success, and Qing Xuan wouldn't dare to harm her. Furthermore, Lin Mo knew Miao Xin's personality better than anyone else; no one could force her to do anything.
"Young Master Ye, knowing I've arrived and you don't show up—that's not giving me much face, is it?"
Just as Lin Mo, Yingzi, and Ye Beichen reached downstairs, they suddenly heard a faint voice from behind them, with a slight chill to it.
Behind them was a group led by Qing Xuan himself, with Snake Lord and Miao Xin standing to his left and right, followed by Wu Yue, Yao Lei, and Ouyang Xinghe.
Although the auction had already ended, the magic users, martial artists, and people from the Heavenly Sect in the auction hall hadn't all left yet. Seeing Qing Xuan and the others come out stopped many in their tracks to watch the excitement.
After all, just now, Ye Beichen had seized the Silver Snow Grass from Qing Xuan, although everyone guessed this; no one knew that it was actually Lin Mo who was competing with Qing Xuan for the Silver Snow Grass.
"The Qingxuan Master and Master Ye Beichen are so handsome," a girl from the Heavenly Sect exclaimed with starry eyes and an infatuated expression.
"I think Master Ye Beichen is a bit handsomer, and the guy next to him is quite handsome too—wonder who he is?"
"Hehe, there's going to be a good show now."
Most people from the Heavenly Sect knew the relationship between Qing Xuan and Ye Beichen was not very harmonious; their meeting this time was bound to be an interesting event.
"Besides the Qingxuan Master, there are also the Fairy Wu Yue from the Red Moon Sect, Yao Lei from the Wind Thunder Sect, and Master Ouyang from the True Fire Sect," someone recognized the three people behind Qing Xuan.
"That's the Snake Lord from the Qingxuan Sect, said to have Mana that reaches the heavens and a bizarre personality. Do not provoke her," someone whispered to their companion, eyeing the enigmatic presence of the Snake Lord.
"That beautiful girl, could she actually be the Qingxuan Master's fiancée? I've heard that the Qingxuan Sect and Miao Xue Divine Palace are planning an alliance," someone else noted, catching sight of Miao Xin and softly gasping at the revelation.
Indeed, the crowd was captivated by this voice, and their gaze focused on Miao Xin, immediately revealing looks of amazement and envy. In terms of both beauty and demeanor, Miao Xin was top-notch, causing an inevitable sense of inferiority and jealousy in other women.
"The Goddess of the Miao Xue Divine Palace truly is a beauty that could topple cities and nations; had I known, I would have asked my Master to propose to the Miao Xue Divine Palace for me," a young man said enviously.
"With you? Only the Qingxuan Master is worthy of the Goddess of the Miao Xue Divine Palace," someone mocked.
Biting her lip, Miao Xin slightly bowed her head, her eyes showing a complex expression. She could feel Lin Mo's gaze fixed on her, yet she dared not meet his eyes directly. The feelings inside her were indescribable, tinged with both guilt and insecurity.
Qingxuan, too, frowned slightly. While others admired Miao Xin's beauty and demeanor, they did not dare to stare at her as openly and intensely as Lin Mo did, whose gaze was unshielded and even fervent.
"Qingxuan Master, he's the one who killed Luo Yin," the Snake Lord recognized Lin Mo and whispered into Qingxuan's ear.
A chill appeared on Qingxuan's face, emanating a sense of effortless victory. Though Luo Yin was merely an elite disciple of the Qingxuan Sect and his servant, his death at the hands of another was like a slap on Qingxuan's own face.
"It's you..."
Just as Qingxuan was about to speak, Wu Yue, Yao Lei, and Ouyang Xinghe also saw Lin Mo and exclaimed in unison.
Lin Mo hadn't expected to run into these three unfortunate souls here.
They glared at Lin Mo angrily. They had just come out of Heavenly Sect and had been robbed, but despite their anger, their eyes also held a hint of wariness, knowing full well that Lin Mo's strength was comparable to someone of Late-stage Foundation Establishment.
"You know him?" Qingxuan looked at Wu Yue in surprise and asked doubtfully.
Biting his teeth, Wu Yue couldn't help but blurt out, "Qingxuan Brother, the three of us were going to Snow Mountain to find you when we ran into him, and he robbed us of everything we had."
At these words, Qingxuan, the Snake Lord, and the others around were momentarily stunned. Lin Mo had actually robbed Wu Yue, Yao Lei, and Ouyang Xinghe, taking everything from them.
The Snake Lord's eyebrows gradually drew together. With Lin Mo hailed as the top Martial Artist in the secular Martial Arts World and the killer of Luo Yin shocking her enough already, now he had also robbed Wu Yue, Yao Lei, and Ouyang Xinghe, indicating that the three combined were no match for him.
The Snake Lord's gaze towards Lin Mo became more cautious, her ability to gauge his strength now uncertain.
Qingxuan clenched his fists. The man had killed his servant and robbed Wu Yue and the others. Clearly, his strength was significant. No wonder when he had earlier asked Wu Yue and the others for Spirit Stones, they had all been evasive; they had already been cleaned out.