A little after 7 o’clock, Ji Chang brought over the invitation letter.
Yan Ge looked at it and saw that the time for the exchange meeting was 7 o’clock in the evening.
Around 6 o’clock in the evening, the two of them headed out and spotted Ji Chang’s car parked on the side of the road.
“Mr. Huangfu, Mr. Yan,” Ji Chang quickly walked over.
“Have you been here all along or did you leave and come back?” Yan Ge was curious. Wang Zhiyuan’s courteous behavior towards him and Yuchen was intriguing.
Ji Chang was handsome and carried an air of sophistication. When he smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on his face, giving him a slight Burmese appearance. However, his personality was not shy but rather lively. “I arrived a little after 5. I came specifically to pick you both up but if you prefer to drive yourselves, I can guide you.”
His enthusiasm wasn’t annoying, and Yan Ge nodded, “Since that’s the case, please take us.”
“Alright, please get in.”
The three of them got into the car, and the vehicle smoothly headed downhill.
Yan Ge inquired, “Mr. Ji, how many cultivators are participating in this exchange meeting?”
Ji Chang responded, “Mr. Yan, you can just call me Ji Chang. Actually, the main activity of this exchange meeting is an auction, facilitating the exchange of cultivation resources among cultivators. We’ve sent out over a hundred invitation letters in total. As for how many people will actually attend, that’s uncertain.”
This was easy to understand. Some cultivators preferred solitary cultivation and might not want to show themselves in public. Some might even send their disciples or students in their place. According to Ji Chang’s explanation, it seemed that the number of cultivators in the country was indeed not large.
—’Horseshoes point south, people look north, gazing at green grass and rising yellow dust…’
“Hello.” Yan Ge saw the phone number and signaled to Huangfu Yuchen. It was the detective agency calling.
Huangfu Yuchen leaned close together to listen to the call.
Ji Chang, who was at the driver’s seat, kept his focus on driving.
“Mr. Yan, we’ve found out that Du Rulan visited the Mo’an Temple and met with the abbot there, Master Xuyan. She stayed inside for over half an hour. When she entered, she was carrying a bag filled with something, but when she left, her hands were empty. Additionally, on the same afternoon, she bought four pieces of jade from the Jinxin Jade Shop.”
“Are you sure it’s four pieces?” Yan Ge asked.
The voice on the other end replied confidently, “Yes, we’re sure.”
“Got it. I’ll transfer the remaining payment within ten minutes.”
“Alright, goodbye. Feel free to contact us if you need anything in the future.”
After hanging up, Huangfu Yuchen sent a voice transmission, “It seems that this jade is connected to that Master Xuyan.”
After Yan Ge completed the transfer, he relaxed against Huangfu Yuchen and searched his memory, “Master Xuyan? I think I’ve heard of him. They say he’s a highly respected monk who’s skilled in divination. Many people line up to have him read their fortunes.”
Huangfu Yuchen held his hand but didn’t say much. Suspicion and caution had crept into his heart regarding Master Xuyan. He would go meet him after the exchange meeting.
Ji Chang’s car entered the flow of traffic, gliding into the city center amid shimmering neon lights, and finally stopping at the entrance of a large hotel.
“Mr. Huangfu, Mr. Yan, we’re here.” Ji Chang got out of the car and led the way. “Please come in.”
The three of them entered the lobby and took the elevator to the fifth-floor banquet hall.
The banquet hall was filled with people, all dressed in suits and elegant attire. They held wine glasses, engaged in quiet conversations. It resembled a business gathering.
Ji Chang noticed their curiosity and whispered an explanation, “This exchange meeting is being held in the form of a business gathering. Cultivators aren’t very willing to interact with ordinary people and usually adopt disguised identities. So, this event is like hiding in plain sight. There’s an unspoken understanding not to reveal each other’s identities among cultivators.”
Yan Ge nodded in understanding, and surveyed the room. Among the attendees were regular people and cultivators, mostly at the Divine Transformation stage and below. It appeared that the scarcity of spiritual energy on Earth still heavily influenced the cultivators. Or perhaps, those with higher cultivation levels were avoiding public appearances.
Ruan Mingwei, He Hong, and Zhang Jian were conversing with others not far away and occasionally glancing toward the entrance. On seeing Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, they excused themselves and walked over briskly.
“Mr. Huangfu, Mr. Yan.”
Seeing the respect for Huangfu Yuchen in their eyes, Yan Ge’s lips curled up. They planned to stay on Earth for a few more years and it was impossible not to interact with anyone. He was pleased to see that Yuchen had quickly established his own network of connections.
Huangfu Yuchen appraised the three and nodded, “Indeed, your cultivation is much more stable than the last time we met.”
“Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Huangfu,” Ruan Mingwei said with a smile.
Huangfu Yuchen responded lightly, “It was a small effort. There’s no need to mention it again in the future.”
A waiter passed by, and He Hong offered Yan Ge a glass of red wine. “Mr. Yan, try the wine here.” While they hadn’t witnessed Yan Ge’s abilities, they were certain that he was stronger than them. So, they didn’t overlook him to avoid seeming disrespectful.
“Thank you.” Yan Ge took the red wine and took a sip.
Zhang Jian whispered, “The official exchange meeting will start for a little while.”
Yan Ge nodded secretly. These four were also good in social situations.
Other cultivators in the hall noticed Ji Chang and his group’s unusual attitude toward the two strangers. They glanced over with curiosity, their eyes landing on Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. They couldn’t tell that the two were cultivators, yet there was a sense of intrigue. If they weren’t cultivators, why would Ji Chang’s group treat them with such respect?
“Yan Ge, Huangfu, you’re here too?”
Xu Kai’s voice sounded from behind.
Yan Ge heard the tone in his voice and knew that what he really meant to say was, “What are you doing here?” Xu Kai probably felt that asking that way was inappropriate and changed his words.
Yan Ge turned around and looked at the well-dressed young man, smiling, “Why? If Young Master Xu can come, why can’t we?”
Seeing that they had encountered an acquaintance, Ji Chang and his group tactfully moved away.
“Where else would I be? I got too excited when I saw you guys,” Xu Kai said in amusement. He was genuinely surprised. This gathering was a business event, attended by high-ranking individuals. Yan Ge wasn’t well-received in his family, and his once flourishing company was nolonger under his management, so technically, he wasn’t qualified to be here.
‘Could it be that he was here with Huangfu Yuchen?’ Xu Kai had inquired about Huangfu Yuchen from Yan Ge before, and Yan Ge had only given vague responses, which showed that there was more to it. But he didn’t probe further. He and Yan Ge were good friends. If there was something Yan Ge knew, he would definitely let him know.
Yan Ge pointed to a distance and said in a joking tone, “We came for some food. How about you?”
Xu Kai chuckled, “I doubt that. I saw the photos your boyfriend posted on Weibo. You guys went on a car trip to S Province. Your life is truly one to envy.”
“When in high spirits, one should indulge. You can do it too.” Yan Ge patted his shoulder, “We plan to visit Y Province mext time.”
Huangfu Yuchen added, “And then C Province after Y.”
‘These two were just teasing.’ Xu Kai shook his head helplessly, “Seriously, don’t you guys plan to do something productive?”
Yan Ge spread his hands, “We haven’t thought that far ahead. My first plan is to travel around the country with Yuchen. There are so many famous places to see; even if we visit them all, it’ll take two to three months. We’ll see what comes next. Yuchen, do you have any thoughts?”
Huangfu Yuchen hugged Yan Ge’s shoulder, “Starting a farm might be nice.”
Xu Kai’s mouth twitched. A farm? If he remembered correctly, one of the Yan family’s industries included a mansion. Farms and mansions were essentially similar. Was Huangfu Yuchen being deliberate. Was his purpose to stand up for Yan Ge?
Yan Ge’s lips curled up, not saying anything. The softness in his eyes indicated he enjoyed Huangfu Yuchen’s doting.
Xu Kai felt like he was being blinded ny their actions.
At that moment, Ji Chang and his group walked over. “Mr. Huangfu, Mr. Yan.”
Xu Kai took the initiative and said, “You guys go ahead.”
Yan Ge replied, “Alright, we’ll talk another day.”
Xu Kai watched as Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen followed Ji Chang through a side entrance at the banquet hall. He also discreetly observed the others who entered through that same door. He had noticed that Yan Ge had changed a lot compared to before, which is why he decided to observe these people.
To his surprise, he found that each one of them was either a prominent figure in the business world or a well-known name. Why had Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen suddenly gotten so close to these individuals?
Once Yan Ge and the rest entered the side door, they passed through a corridor and turned into another hall, which was the auction hall.
Wang Zhiyuan was in conversation with two middle-aged men in their forties. When he saw Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, he nodded slightly but didn’t approach them.
This move was in line with Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen’s intentions. Wang Zhiyuan held a special position, and they didn’t want to attract too much attention to them.
Huangfu Yuchen sent a voice transmission to Wang Zhiyuan’s spiritual realm, “Mr. Wang, the two of us would like to seek your advice on a matter later on. Would you be available?”
Wang Zhiyuan also sent a message, “Hehe, of course, I’m available. It would be my honor to help you both. I assume you two didn’t want to draw attention, so I didn’t come over to personally greet you. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. It suits our intentions.” Huangfu Yuchen replied casually.
After everyone had settled down quietly, the interior lighting became brighter.
Yan Ge looked around and saw no cultivators at the Golden Core stage or above.
Before long, the auctioneer took the stage and picked up the microphone. “Fellow cultivators, if you have items you wish to auction, please register promptly. The official auction will commence in ten minutes.”
A few people began to register one after another.
Exactly ten minutes later, the auction officially started.
The auctioneer was very professional. After a brief opening statement, he went straight to the point without any unnecessary words and presented the first item up for auction.
