BTTH: Starting from Capturing the Goddess-Chapter 124 - 128

"You!"

Leo was shocked to find that his connection to his storage ring had been severed.

At that moment, the guards outside rushed in. Upon seeing Chen Mo, they immediately froze. Wasn't this the same young man who caused a commotion at the auction house last time?

Their gazes swept the surroundings. However, the black-robed snake-man who had accompanied the young man before—likely Queen Medusa in disguise—was nowhere to be found.

They began to piece things together.

But Leo didn't dare stop him. After being thoroughly humiliated by Chen Mo just moments ago without the strength to resist—despite being an eight-star Dou Ling—he realized the gap between them.

He still couldn't gauge Chen Mo's true strength.

More importantly, the one standing behind him might very well be Queen Medusa. Leo knew better than to provoke such a terrifying figure.

He had no choice but to swallow his loss.

As the guards surrounded him, Chen Mo turned to glance at Leo.

Feeling his nerves tighten under the look, Leo stammered, "W-What are you all standing around for? Move aside!"

Chen Mo gave a faint smile. "Thanks for the ring."

Leo's mouth twitched. The current turmoil in the empire had thrown everything into chaos. This wasn't the first time someone had stolen from him, but his luck couldn't have been worse—he just had to run into Chen Mo.

The contents of that ring weren't all of his possessions, but they accounted for more than half.

After binding the storage ring with his soul imprint, Chen Mo gave it a quick scan and discovered a Five-Pattern Purple-Gold Card, along with a massive amount of medicinal ingredients.

The Five-Pattern Purple-Gold Card was a prestigious identity card, typically only issued to those at least at the Dou Ling level.

Of course, certain powerful factions were also eligible for such a card.

Chen Mo had originally sold the pelt of the Dark-Gold Demon Tiger King to earn enough gold coins to buy the materials needed for refining his Golden Body technique.

Now, with Leo's ring, he had saved himself a great deal of time and effort.

Sure enough, the fastest way to get rich...

As he reached the door, Chen Mo suddenly turned around. Leo flinched at the movement.

"Elder Leo," Chen Mo asked calmly, "one question—Is Ya Fei currently in the imperial capital?"

"Ya Fei?" Leo blinked.

"Yes."

"She's... she's not in the capital. The family assigned her to the branch of the Mittel Auction House in Wu Tan City," Leo answered truthfully.

"Wu Tan City, huh..."

Suddenly—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Robbery? You call this a robbery?"

"Scram! I said scram!"

After stripping several would-be bandits of their storage rings—none of whom were stronger than Dou Shi—Chen Mo sent them running.

This was already the second group of robbers he had encountered since leaving the imperial capital.

It became increasingly clear to him—the Jia Ma Empire was in complete disarray.

Originally, he had planned to quietly track down Ya Fei, win her favor, and then head for the Tagor Desert, staging a dramatic return as a king.

But clearly, staying low-key would only make him a target.

In that case...

No more pretending.

Chen Mo donned his Tier-3 Alchemist Robe, unfurled his Kunpeng Wings, and boldly made his way to Wu Tan City.

Wu Tan City

A small city in the northeastern province of the Jia Ma Empire, far from the eyes of the imperial court. It was controlled by three main families: the Xiao Clan, the Jia Lie Clan, and the Ao Ba Clan.

Though the empire was in turmoil, Wu Tan City remained relatively peaceful.

On the Dou Qi Continent, one profession stood above all others—Alchemist.

Every alchemist was someone whom all factions would desperately try to recruit, regardless of the cost. Their status was incomparably prestigious.

Chen Mo's ostentatious arrival naturally caused a huge stir.

Even a Tier-1 Alchemist could become a VIP guest of any of the three major families. So when someone like Chen Mo, a Tier-3 Alchemist, arrived, it was monumental.

The moment he stepped into the city, countless gazes fell upon him—filled with awe and admiration.

An alchemist's robe was specially crafted by the Alchemist Association, nearly impossible to forge, and each one cost no less than 100,000 gold coins.

Furthermore, impersonating an alchemist was unthinkable. Once exposed, the Alchemist Association would relentlessly hunt the offender down.

And the association possessed incredible influence—many of the continent's most powerful experts willingly served it.

Which is why so few survived once they were marked for death by the Alchemist Association.

Thus, no matter where one went, alchemists were revered.

Chen Mo ignored the reverent stares and headed straight for the Mittel Auction House.

He wasn't here to play games.

Before he transmigrated, he had read a forum post that speculated the real reason why Ya Fei favored Xiao Yan.

According to the post, Ya Fei had a sharp eye for talent and a shrewd business mind. She recognized Xiao Yan's potential early on, suspecting that a high-rank alchemist must be backing him—and she decided to invest in that potential.

Their collaboration led to deeper emotional ties over time.

Though Ya Fei appeared strong on the surface, she was, after all, a woman—one without cultivation talent, despite her intelligence and competence.

Without such talent, she had no control over her own fate. Her family would inevitably marry her off for political gain, without regard to her happiness.

Being from a merchant family, Ya Fei sought to prove herself through business, hoping to earn the power and status necessary to control her own destiny.

In that pursuit, Xiao Yan helped her achieve significant success, allowing her to be recalled to the headquarters and promoted.

Later, during the Three-Year Promise, he even enlisted Hai Bodong to help her out of a tight spot within the clan and secure her authority in the Mittel Family.

That was when Ya Fei truly fell for Xiao Yan.

Of course, their time spent together was also crucial.

Chen Mo agreed with this reasoning.

So he planned to replicate the strategy—help Ya Fei earn outstanding achievements and win her over along the way.

Mittel Auction House

Appraisal Room

"Honored guest, I am Gu Ni. Are you here for an appraisal?"

Gu Ni, a Tier-2 Alchemist, studied the youth before him—dressed in an alchemist's robe and wearing the emblem of the Alchemist Association. The emblem bore three silver ripples, signifying a Tier-3 Alchemist.

His eyes narrowed, and his heart filled with astonishment. So young... a Tier-3 Alchemist?!

Chen Mo smiled and shook his head. "I'm here to discuss a major business deal."

"Oh?" Gu Ni's curiosity was piqued. "And what sort of business deal might that be?"

"I want to speak to someone in particular."

"May I ask who?"

"Ya Fei of the Mittel Clan."

"Miss Ya Fei?" Gu Ni blinked in surprise, then gave Chen Mo a long, thoughtful look. Could he have come from the imperial capital specifically to find her?

"Is there a problem?" Chen Mo asked.

Gu Ni quickly shook his head. "May I ask your name, sir?"

"Chen Mo."

"Master Chen Mo, I'll inform Miss Ya Fei at once."

After hearing his name, Gu Ni rushed off.

A short while later—

Hurried footsteps echoed outside. The door opened, and two figures stepped in.

"Master Chen Mo, may I ask—what business do you have with me, exactly—"

A delicate, sweet voice trailed off into silence.

The moment Ya Fei saw Chen Mo's face, her eyes widened with surprise.

"It's been a long time."

****

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