Long Tian sighed haplessly as Hun'er announced the final price and settled the shard that he had spent his entire lifetime trying to understand. His family's legacy, his mother's pleas, his entire purpose, it felt, was sold off for such a partly sum that he wanted to weep.
He felt a gentle hand grab his and saw Yuhan'er's gaze warm up as she met his. She felt his ache, he knew, but likely not the true depth of it.
"Stop being so melodramatic," a somewhat lofty voice of Senior Wuhan interrupted their moment, causing Yuhan'er to frown. "You'd think you were selling off your child."
"Mother--"
"--she's right, Yuhan'er," he interrupted, not wanting the two to get into an argument. Ever since Senior Wuhan 'disowned' her, Yuhan'er had been thorny and short with her, and the former was as stubborn as they come, which led to a lot of shouting matches between the two that either he or one of the unfortunate Elders in the vicinity had to mediate. "Though I wish I could have sourced answers, in the end... perhaps this is for the best. I'm bereft of the demons that have haunted me my whole life."
"Demons?" Senior Wuhan glanced at him rather coldly. She never did like him, after all, and probably considered him to be the reason Yuhan'er's cultivation had stagnated. "I suppose a spoiled child might consider that to be a demon, yes."
"Says a woman who was jealous of a child at one point in her life," Yuhan'er shouted back immediately, even before he could interject. "Why are you even here? Didn't you say that you were going into isolation?"
"This is an important event for the sect," Senior Wuhan said. "I want to ensure nothing goes awry."
"... when have you ever given a single ounce of care for an auction?" Yuhan'er said. "Even when we were bleeding wealth, you let me clean up the mess."
"Maybe if I were more diligent, we wouldn't have bled that wealth to begin with."
"..." Yuhan'er was hurt, Long Tian realized. Genuinely hurt. Before she could say something that she would regret, he spoke up. "Senior, do you know who the young man is who brought those Pure pills?"
"How would I know?" she scoffed. "Are you implying that I'm the sort to know young men?" Long Tian felt frustrated, too, as the woman could twist life to mean death if it meant she could take a jab at him, but he didn't let it show on his expression, merely smile.
"Of course not, Senior; merely that only someone of your stature could possibly hope to know someone capable of procuring Pure-tier pills."
"..." she scoffed yet again, though at least without venomous words this time around. "Elder De, for all his frivolity, is one of the most trustworthy people I know. He's sternly warned House Master about that man, repeatedly saying that we should not provoke him. Do you think that pathetic thing deserves that kind of a worry?" Long Tian's gaze shuffled towards the private booth in question.
Senior Wuhan couldn't actually see inside as the House enforced strict privacy rules that even Archmaster was not exempt from, but even he could discern the general aura of that room, let alone her. There was nobody in there that was strong. In fact, they were all severely weaker than even he was. The only way somebody like that could 'procure' Pure-tier pills was that they found them someplace and foolishly decided to earn some hasty stones.
Though their identities would remain hidden by the House, keen-eyed would likely discern then before the auction was over. If they ever left this city, they'd be hunted down.
For a moment, he contemplated going to them and buying the shard back, so that it would not fall into some unknown hands. But he chose not to; he well and truly had parted with it, deciding to leave the past in the past.
"You said it yourself, Senior Wuhan," Long Tian spoke after a brief moment of silence. "Elder De is one of the most trustworthy people you know, and I agree with you greatly. If he saw something..."
"Or maybe he's going senile, too. Pah, stop bothering me with nonsense."
The room fell silent. There were actually four people in here--the three of them and the aforementioned House Master. But the masked and cloaked man was snoring quite loudly on the other side, sprawled on top of a cushioned bed, without a worry in the world.
Long Tian had never seen the man's face--or even knew whether he was a he or not--and, in some ways, House Master was more depthless than Senior Wuhan herself.
"Master Ping," a voice sounded out across the hall yet again, somewhat suffused with embarrassment. "If, if I could bother you again..."
"What's it now, girl? Is there a second set of Qi-Restoring Pure Pills you need me to identify?"
"N-no," Long Tian frowned, as did Senior Wuhan.
"... be clear, girl," Master Ping was already on the stage by the time the two youngsters were wheeling out the covered box.
"H-House's Appraiser and House Master himself have both confirmed that--that the set of nine Qi-Qi-Gathering Pills are all... Pure-tier..."
It was as though someone cast a spell of silence on the entire house. Even Long Tian's heart paused momentarily at the sound of it, just as Senior Wuhan and Yuhan'er shot up to their feet, leaning closer as though they couldn't discern just fine from the few feet further back.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Long Tian jerked back, surprised; at some point, the ever-shrouded House Master went up from the deep sleep and sat next to him. "How a single change in the name can upturn the heavens themselves?"
The silence lasted for good five seconds before Master Ping broke it.
"... u-unveil them," as he spoke, it seemed as though the entire place took a collective deep breath and held it.
"Are they... really?" Long Tian asked.
"They are," House Master nodded. "Through and through Pure."
"... why did you put them on for sale?"
"Chaos, boy," House Master chuckled. His voice was somewhat strained and uneven, clearly using some art to modulate it. "When the wheel spins to determine a day, it always lands on something dull. Boring. Not today, however. When that boy De brought me the containers... heh, I knew... I knew we'd have a day so fun history books would sing about it." Master Ping had taken out the container and started inspecting it. "Sister Wuhan, he'll make a run for it."
"... I know," Senior Wuhan snarled back. The only person allowed to refer to her like that was House Master. "Why didn't you immediately imprison the child who brought us this?"
"Because Shufen was with him."
"... Shufen? Shufen who?"
"Shufen of 'if you touch me or anyone close to me, I will undo your sect array and proclaim it to the entire world'."
"... are you sure?" there was a rather strangetreble to the Senior's voice, and if Long Tian hadn't known any better, he'd have thought it was fear.
"Fairly sure," House Master said with a shrug, standing up and walking over as well. "That's not the craziest bit, however."
"It's not?"
"She deferred to him."
"!!!"
"That group, altogether, is... weird, Wuhan," House Master's tone grew strangely grave. "Though you know how much I appreciate chaos, I suggest you simply let them storm through our little haven... and leave them be."
"They'll get chased down," Senior Wuhan said, frowning.
"I guarantee you this," House Master said. "Whoever is moronic enough to pursue them... they'll die without a grave."
"Master Ping will pursue them."
"Then he'll die a stupid, old man without a grave."
"That old bastard Lao will go after them."
"Then he'll die without a grave, too."
"... how certain are you?"
"Deathly."
"Hm. Tian," she suddenly turned towards him.
"Y-yes, Senior Wuhan?"
"Arrange a Shadow Escort," she said. "While within our Sect's area of influence, ensure their safety. Even if they come across a Master--these are my direct orders."
"At once, Senior Wuhan!" the last time any outsider got the protection of Shadow Escort for even a few moments was well over twenty thousand years ago, when the Nirvana Master himself set foot into their Sect.
This might be bigger than Long Tian could ever imagine.