"An auction?"
Xu Ping'an instinctively blurted it out.
He immediately searched his memory for anything related to it.
Xu Yuandao's mouth curved in a smile, a hint of teasing in his tone. "Come to think of it, this has something to do with you."
"Originally, this was to be hosted by Wanbao Tower, and it was that woman surnamed Qin who was in charge. But then your mess happened to come along."
Only then did Xu Ping'an remember a person, and a key figure in a major future event. By his account, the magical artifact had been won at this auction, though he had only mentioned it in passing, so whether it was true still had to be confirmed.
After thinking it over for a moment, he said, "Then I'll go. As for the expenses..."
Xu Ping'an shamelessly looked ingratiatingly at his father, the man in charge of the household's finances. With the little pocket money he had, even if there was something he wanted, he probably couldn't afford it.
Xu Yuandao seemed to have expected him to bring this up. After all, his son might not be good for much else, but he was definitely skilled at spending money. He pointed at the silver-white token in Xu Ping'an's hand and said flatly, "With this, you can withdraw blackstones from the residence at any time."
Blackstones were the common currency of the cultivation world, divided into upper, middle, and lower grades. Most people used middle-grade blackstones. Upper-grade blackstones were comparatively rare and were generally used for the cultivation of elite retainers or honored guests.
As one of the top aristocratic houses of the Great Yan Dynasty, the Duke of State Protector's residence naturally possessed immense wealth, and the blackstones accumulated from its surplus were countless.
He looked helplessly at this brat whose eyes were shining with excitement and sighed. "Spend it sparingly."
"Got it, got it."
Xu Ping'an paid his words no mind. If the original owner were here, he would probably be even more excited. After all, with pocket money as the limit, he really had no way to indulge in money pits like brothels and gambling dens.
This token carried far more authority than Xu Ping'an had imagined. Not only could it open any of the residence's key restricted areas, it could even mobilize the household finances.
"Ping'an, if it's not enough, your second mother still has some savings."
Yin Mei looked at him indulgently and reached out to ruffle his hair. She leaned forward a little, and her two plump, heavy, pomelo-sized breasts pressed against the back of Xu Ping'an's head, the soft flesh flattening slightly. Her gorgeous eyes were now full of tenderness.
Xu Ping'an was jolted by that solid weight of flesh and awkwardly hugged Yin Mei to thank her, then turned to glance at his father, who was rubbing his brow off to the side, and grinned. "Aren't you afraid I'll use this to do something absurd?"
Xu Yuandao glanced at him and said flatly, "Dao Bo."
As soon as the words fell, Xu Ping'an felt the air on his right turn colder, so cold it was almost suffocating. He turned and saw a black-robed figure silently appear at his right side.
The man wore a black long robe. The black inner lining clung tightly to his tall, slender frame. His left hand rested on the black scabbard hanging at his waist, while his right hand was hidden inside his sleeve. His eyes were narrowed to slits, and his delicate face carried a warm smile. An iron mask engraved with the character for "blade" was attached to the side of his face.
Among everyone on the Tianyu Continent, when Xu Ping'an thought of the character "blade," aside from the one from the Xuanyuan family, the first person he could think of was the one from the Duke of State Protector's residence: Xuan Dao, one of Xu Yuandao's three personal attendants.
"From now on, you'll follow him."
Xu Yuandao pointed at the youth staring blankly at him and added, "If he acts up, beat him."
The man called Dao Bo gave a slight sideways glance at the young man who was curiously sizing him up, and the smile on his face deepened.
Xu Ping'an was startled by this and immediately turned to stare, his eyes wide as he looked back and forth between the two of them.
That expression seemed to say: What, old man, you're even pulling out this move to keep me in line?
Yin Mei beside him burst out laughing. She was delighted to see her unruly son finally at a disadvantage and comforted him, saying, "Ping'er, don't be afraid. Dao Bo is an old hand in the residence. Your father assigned him mainly to protect you."
"All right." Xu Yuandao coughed a couple of times. "Ping'an is already twenty this year. It's a little late to start cultivating, but if he finds a good teacher, he may not be unable to catch up with others."
"But..."
He changed the subject, pausing slightly before saying gravely, "Which path you want to take has to be your own decision. No one else can decide for you."
The mainstream path of cultivation in this world was Dao cultivation, followed by body cultivation, technique cultivation, and literary cultivation.
Xu Ping'an was also a little lost now. Unlike in the games of his previous life, where he could just delete the save and start over after making a choice, real life simply did not offer a second chance.
"Ping'an, follow your own heart."
The old man spoke just in time from the side. The wrinkles on his face smoothed with his smile, and his aged eyes carried a bit more encouragement. "Nothing is absolutely right. Follow what you most want to do, and make sure you won't regret it."
Xu Ping'an nodded, his thoughts becoming more serious. For someone like him, who had already cleared the game, the pros and cons of each path were long since clear; he just didn't know which one this body was suited for.
"But there's no need to rush this."
Xu Yuandao waved him off and cut him off. "For the next few days, just focus on recovering. Wherever you want to go, take Dao Bo with you. And spend more time with your mother. She's been terribly worried lately."
Xu Ping'an looked at this family worrying over him and it seemed that only now did he truly step into the identity of Xu Ping'an and become a part of the household. Then he heard his father say, "Right. Why did you go looking for that woman in the first place? I heard she usually doesn't meet people lightly."
Xu Ping'an froze. He had never really thought about that. He had only assumed the original owner had been driven by lust and gone to flirt with Qin Mengrou, but thinking it over carefully now, he realized he seemed to have been stirred up by that bunch of fair-weather friends. The original owner was lecherous, but he would not have been this reckless. Thinking of the auction that was supposed to be hosted by that woman surnamed Qin, if someone had used the original owner as a pawn by taking advantage of the situation...
Xu Ping'an felt a chill creep up his back, and even his heartbeat quickened a little. He looked quickly at his father. Xu Yuandao looked at his violently shaking pupils, gently sighed, and his face showed some helplessness, though there also seemed to be a hint of relief. "Ping'an, I'm only reminding you. Think it over carefully yourself. After all, some things are best handled by you alone."
His gaze calmly met Xu Ping'an's, whose eyes were somewhat dazed, and he walked to Xu Ping'an's side, patted his shoulder, and his eyes carried a complicated emotion before he strode straight out.
"Don't blame your father. He's the prime minister of the realm. He's too busy."
Liu Yuxian's eyes were soft and rippling, her long lashes fluttering lightly, giving her a naturally gentle and tender air. She tilted her head and said playfully, "If you don't have anything to do, why not go play at Mother's Yuxian Hall?"
Yuxian Hall might not have been the largest pharmacy in the capital, but it was definitely the most famous. After all, it had Liu Yuxian, the signature name of the medical sect, in charge, though she usually did not see patients herself.
Xu Ping'an absentmindedly answered with a hum and met her expectant peach-blossom eyes. His thoughts instantly broke apart, and remembering how the former him had ignored her, he couldn't help feeling a little guilty. He reached out and took her snow-white, jade-like hand. "Sure. It's been a long time since I talked with Mother."
After saying that, he turned back and smiled at Yin Mei behind him. "Second Mother, do you want to come too?"
Yin Mei clearly hadn't expected the son who usually avoided her like the plague to suddenly be this close. Her heart skipped a beat, and in the instant she froze, she felt her slender wrist being grabbed and pulled outward.
"Grandpa, I'm taking Mother out. Also, let Dad know on that side that I'll keep that token safe!"
Watching his grandson lead the two women away, the old man couldn't help but feel dazed as well.
How long had it been... he couldn't even remember how long it had been since this family had been so harmonious.
His grandson had grown up, and after this incident he had finally become much more sensible.
Thinking of that, his brows knitted slightly. He pressed a hand to his chest, tapped a few acupoints, and forced down the piercing pain. After a long while, he slowly exhaled the murky breath in his chest.
Good. He could still hold it down...
Still, his grandson was fine, but this account...
He reached out and tapped the desk. A black figure appeared before the hall like a ghost, dropping to one knee.
"Send more men to Ping'an's side. Also, keep a close eye on those few who have been getting close to Ping'an."