Volume One: A Beauty’s Bane Chapter 27: Falling Beneath Her Pomegranate Skirt

After the auction concluded, the crowd began to disperse from the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. The successful bidders, in particular, hurried away as soon as their transactions were complete, fearful of attracting unwanted trouble.

As for Prince Murong Hai, he had attempted to seek an audience with Qin Yumei once the auction ended, only to be rebuffed and forced to depart in a foul mood. As he left, a look of intense lust flickered in his eyes, as if he were already plotting some sinister scheme.

On the other side, Jiang Hao did not head to the main hall’s transaction area. Instead, with Fan Caiyun in tow, he wove through the throng of people and made his way directly to Yan Tao, the manager of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion.

Inside a private room on the second floor, Jiang Hao retrieved two Sky Spirit Fruits from his universe ring and explained his purpose to Yan Tao, who sat opposite him. Fan Caiyun remained as she had before, standing quietly by his side, clutching his arm without a word.

"Sister Tao, I won't hide it from you—I only have 310,000 silver coins left, so I intend to sell you two more Sky Spirit Fruits," Jiang Hao said earnestly, viewing this as a mutually beneficial transaction.

However, as Yan Tao looked at the two fruits on the table, she did not display the same shock as she had last time.

"Young Master, I'm afraid I cannot offer you 2,000,000 silver coins for these two," Yan Tao said with a look of slight embarrassment, gently declining the offer.

Jiang Hao frowned slightly, confused by her serious demeanor. "Sister Tao, why is that?"

Only a few days prior, he had sold a single Sky Spirit Fruit for 1,000,000 silver coins, a price that had left her visibly astonished. Why had the value plummeted in such a short time?

Seeing his confusion, Yan Tao spoke candidly. "Young Master, I will be honest with you. The previous price of 1,000,000 silver coins was paid solely for the sake of my mistress."

"Your mistress?" Jiang Hao paused, then asked, "Do you mean Pavilion Master Qin, who presided over the auction?"

"Exactly," Yan Tao nodded gently and explained, "You may not know this, Young Master, but my mistress recently reached the Great Perfection of the Spirit Spring Realm. Further breakthroughs in the short term seemed impossible."

"It was only when you arrived at the pavilion a few days ago that our mistress saw a glimmer of hope. That is why I followed her instructions to purchase that fruit for 1,000,000 silver coins."

"Thanks to you, after consuming that Sky Spirit Fruit, my mistress successfully broke through to the early stage of the Spirit Sea Realm. Now that the Pavilion has no immediate need for the fruit, even if we were to auction them off, they would struggle to fetch 1,000,000 coins each. I trust you understand why I cannot offer that price now, Young Master?"

"I see!" Jiang Hao realized with a jolt. The explanation was clear; the initial high price had been a premium paid for an urgent cultivation need. With Qin Yumei's breakthrough, the market value had naturally dipped.

*Still, I never expected the fruit to be so effective. It seems I must keep one for myself,* Jiang Hao thought, feeling a wave of awe. He now trusted his master, Feng Ling'er, implicitly. She had told him the Sky Spirit Fruits far surpassed the Grade 3 Sea-Transforming Pill, and hearing the results firsthand left him stunned.

"Young Master? Is everything alright?" Yan Tao asked with concern, noticing his distraction.

"Oh? Nothing, I was just lost in thought," Jiang Hao replied, regaining his focus. "Sister Tao, what is the current value of these two fruits?" He needed the coins to secure the Grade 3 spell *Void-Shattering Slash* and the life-saving *Soul-Bewildering Array* he had won at auction. He could not afford to lose them over a lack of funds.

Yan Tao frowned slightly and said softly, "I can offer you 600,000 silver coins for one, or 1,200,000 for both. How does that sound?" She felt awkward, as she doubted he would accept such a drop in price.

To her surprise, Jiang Hao did not haggle. Instead, he reached into his ring, produced a third Sky Spirit Fruit, and placed it on the table. "In that case, I will sell you three fruits total, and I will add another 200,000 silver coins of my own. That should bring the total to exactly 2,000,000."

Yan Tao was stunned. She had expected him to negotiate, not to produce another rare fruit. Unlike pills, which could be synthesized, these were natural treasures; they were not easily come by.

"Sister Tao?" Jiang Hao prompted, worried she might change her mind. He wanted to finish the deal and leave; he knew he had offended the Prince, and he had no intention of sticking around to become a target.

"Ah? If that is what you wish, then I have no objections," Yan Tao replied, still dazed.

"The hour is late. Please, help me finalize the transaction so I may be on my way," Jiang Hao urged.

Yan Tao did not answer immediately, but turned toward the screen behind her and said respectfully, "Mistress, what do you think?"

As Jiang Hao felt a surge of confusion, a woman slowly emerged from behind the screen. Her appearance caused Jiang Hao's eyes to light up instantly.

"To meet you today, Young Master Jiang, is to see that heroes truly do arise from youth!" Qin Yumei’s voice was sweet and intoxicating, leaving Jiang Hao momentarily spellbound.

She was no longer the Pavilion Master who commanded the auction in her cheongsam; she had transformed into a gentle, enchanting woman. She wore a long purple dress that clung to her elegant curves like a soft ray of morning light, as if tailor-made for her grace. As she walked, the fabric swayed like flower petals in a breeze, exuding a subtle, alluring charm. The purple silk shimmered under the lights, highlighting the smooth radiance of her skin.

"What a beautiful lady! It's all over now; Brother Jiang Hao is going to fall under her spell," Fan Caiyun whispered, her wide, bright eyes fixed on Qin Yumei.

Qin Yumei's long hair fell softly over her shoulders, the gentle waves catching the light. Her eyes were deep and mysterious, like a calm lake. A faint smile played on her lips, as if inviting Jiang Hao to step closer and bask in her warmth. She radiated a unique femininity, as intoxicating as the scent of spring flowers. That softness wrapped around Jiang Hao's heart like delicate threads, pulling him into her charm.

"Young Master Jiang?" Qin Yumei called out softly when he failed to respond.

"Brother Jiang Hao, she's talking to you," Fan Caiyun whispered, tugging at his sleeve.

"Ah?" Jiang Hao shook himself back to reality, his voice slightly rushed. "I am Jiang Hao, and this is my younger sister, Fan Caiyun. Greetings, Pavilion Master Qin."

"Oh? So this cute little girl is your sister?" Qin Yumei's eyes crinkled as she covered her mouth and chuckled. "I thought she might be your child bride!"

"Mistress, what has come over you today?" Yan Tao wondered to herself.

"A child bride?" Fan Caiyun blushed, unable to lift her head.

Jiang Hao remained frozen in place.