Cai Family.
As Cai Cha Xiang brought Li Xuan back, they immediately came to the back mountain of the Cai family.
"Xiang'er pays respects to Master." In front of a bamboo house, Cai Cha Xiang bowed towards the bamboo house and called out.
"A friend from afar, this old man has been waiting for a long time. Young friend, please come in." With a hoarse voice, the door of the bamboo house opened.
Li Xuan pondered for a moment upon hearing this, then walked over. Cai Cha Xiang, however, stopped in her tracks. Her master's words clearly indicated he wished to speak with Li Xuan alone. Moreover, the way her master addressed Li Xuan was as an equal.
After thinking for a moment, Cai Cha Xiang bowed towards the bamboo house and turned to leave.
"I am Li Xuan, greetings, senior." Upon entering the house, Li Xuan saw an old man in white robes sitting on the bed. The old man was currently looking at the chessboard on a small table. Seeing this, Li Xuan bowed and then looked at the chessboard with some curiosity.
"Young friend, you don't need to call me senior. My name is Yuan Tian Gang. If you don't mind, you can call me Brother Yuan." Yuan Tian Gang said with a slight smile.
"Greetings, Brother Yuan." Li Xuan said with a smile upon hearing this.
"Young friend is so humble, your future is limitless." Yuan Tian Gang smiled and continued, "Young friend, you came to find me, likely wanting to ask how this old man knew my disciple would meet you."
"Please enlighten me, Brother." Li Xuan nodded without concealing his intentions and spoke.
"I am a physiognomist. To put it plainly, this old man is a fortune teller. Knowing the will of heaven and dispelling confusion. I can glimpse a trace of heavenly secrets." Yuan Tian Gang said with a smile.
Li Xuan was stunned. In the mortal world, there were indeed many fortune tellers, but most of them were charlatans, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them swindlers. Yet, this Yuan Tian Gang was actually a physiognomist.
Li Xuan knew that Yuan Tian Gang must have some real skills, otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to divine that Cai Cha Xiang would meet him. Nor would he have divined that he would come.
"So that's how it is. Brother Yuan's divination skills are indeed formidable." Li Xuan said with emotion.
Yuan Tian Gang, however, shook his head with a wry smile. "Young friend flatters me. In truth, I only calculated that my disciple would meet a benefactor, and that a distinguished guest would call. But I couldn't deduce who it was."
Yuan Tian Gang paused and looked deeply at Li Xuan. "Even with young friend in front of me, I still cannot divine your past or future. Young friend, your fate is something even my master in his lifetime would have found difficult to discern."
Li Xuan smiled. He was, after all, a person of destiny. If he were so easily discernible, then the concept of a person of destiny would be merely an empty phrase.
Li Xuan had originally intended to ask Yuan Tian Gang to divine his future, but it seemed there was no need for that now.
After a period of casual conversation, Li Xuan began to consider leaving. The purpose of this trip was merely to see what skills the expert behind Cai Cha Xiang possessed. However, it seemed his expectations had been too high.
"Young friend, this old man has nothing of value here. These two chess pieces are a token of my meeting gift." Yuan Tian Gang naturally sensed Li Xuan's intention to leave. With a thought, he picked up a black and a white chess piece and offered them to Li Xuan.
"Thank you, Brother Yuan." Li Xuan chuckled awkwardly, realizing his intention had been discovered, and accepted them.
"Young friend, take care." Yuan Tian Gang also stood up, looked at Li Xuan with a complex expression, and then said with a smile.
"Brother, you too." Li Xuan also stood up, cupped his fists in a salute to Yuan Tian Gang, and then turned to leave.
After leaving the bamboo house, Li Xuan found that Cai Cha Xiang was not there. Li Xuan thought for a moment, then shook his head and vanished from the spot.
"Pfft!"
As Li Xuan left, Yuan Tian Gang suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He then shook his head bitterly and murmured to himself, "A person of destiny, indeed, is not someone that can be casually peered into."
A few minutes later, Cai Cha Xiang and a middle-aged man arrived in a hurry.
"Come in." Yuan Tian Gang's slightly tired voice was heard. Cai Cha Xiang and the middle-aged man exchanged a glance and then rushed into the bamboo house.
"Master, Young Master Li Xuan..." Cai Cha Xiang saw that Li Xuan was not inside and hurriedly asked.
Yuan Tian Gang waved his hand. "Cough, cough... He has already left."
"Elder Yuan, are you injured?" The middle-aged man looked at Yuan Tian Gang, his brow furrowed, and asked.
Cai Cha Xiang looked at Yuan Tian Gang upon hearing this. Yuan Tian Gang's face was pale as paper, and his aura was chaotic. Seeing this, Cai Cha Xiang's face also showed a hint of nervousness.
Yuan Tian Gang smiled and waved his somewhat weak hand. "I just wanted to try again, but I was counteracted. It's nothing serious, I won't die."
Cai Cha Xiang and the middle-aged man exchanged a look and both breathed a sigh of relief. But the next moment, Yuan Tian Gang's words caused their expressions to change.
"However, I must leave now."
"Master, why is that?" Cai Cha Xiang asked with some confusion. The middle-aged man beside her also looked at Yuan Tian Gang with confusion. After all, many of the Cai family's decisions relied on Yuan Tian Gang's divinations.
Yuan Tian Gang gave a wry smile. "If I don't leave, I'm afraid this master will truly die here. Xiang'er, before I leave, I will give you a warning. If you want your Cai family to continue and reach greater heights, you must never make an enemy of him."
Yuan Tian Gang finished speaking and glanced at the middle-aged man. He had intended to say more but shook his head instead. The next moment, Yuan Tian Gang's figure gradually became translucent and vanished from the sight of Cai Cha Xiang and the middle-aged man.
"Xiang'er bids farewell to Master!" Cai Cha Xiang immediately knelt down upon seeing this.
"Kai Ji thanks Elder Yuan for his guidance to the Cai family over the years!" Cai Kai Ji also bowed with his fists clasped towards Yuan Tian Gang. When he stood up, Yuan Tian Gang had already completely disappeared.
"Xiang'er, what are your feelings about that Li Xuan?" Cai Kai Ji thought about Yuan Tian Gang's words and then looked at Cai Cha Xiang.
Cai Cha Xiang frowned slightly and replied, "This daughter has only had brief contact with him, and we haven't communicated much. However, this daughter can sense that he is quite reasonable. More importantly, his background is definitely not simple."
After speaking, Cai Cha Xiang recounted everything that had happened at the Star Radiance Auction House.
"Over a billion high-grade spirit stones, the background of this Young Master Li Xuan is truly mysterious." Cai Kai Ji said after a moment of silence. "Xiang'er, do not ask for the five hundred million high-grade spirit stones you lent him back. This way, our Cai family will have a good relationship with him."
Cai Kai Ji had to believe Yuan Tian Gang's words. If it weren't for Yuan Tian Gang, the Cai family might not have been able to establish themselves in Pian Guan City alongside the other three families. Otherwise, with the Cai family's current strength, they wouldn't attach such importance to an outsider.
"Daughter understands." Cai Cha Xiang nodded upon hearing this.
Star Radiance Auction House.
"Young Master has returned." As Li Xuan returned, Fu Xiong immediately stepped forward and bowed slightly, calling out.
Li Xuan nodded. His gaze shifted, and he noticed the absence of Hua Ling.
"Where is Hua Ling?" Li Xuan asked Fu Xiong.
Fu Xiong hurriedly replied, "Replying to Young Master, the person from Yi Hua Palace is still here, so this subordinate has sent Hua Ling to a secret chamber for safety."
"The auction is already over, and that guy is still here?" Li Xuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.
"This... Young Master, that guy is relying on the name of Yi Hua Palace and insists that our auction house give him an explanation and reveal the identity of the successful bidder, who is Young Master. As Young Master was out and had not returned, this subordinate could only keep delaying." Fu Xiong replied with a wry smile.
Li Xuan smiled upon hearing this. "So that's how it is. Let's go, take me to meet this direct son of the Elder of Yi Hua Palace and see what kind of abilities he possesses."