Chapter 11: Reasonable request

Qin Qianyu was sitting on the edge of her seat, not because of the excitement but to reiterate to her master that he needn't go to any such lengths for her just to obtain the final needle.

"Master, just seeing it is enough for me, going by the trends of this type of auction, the fee requested would definitely be unreasonable."

Qin Qianyu stated then pulled the tablet away from his hands. He gave her a questioning look and replied,

"Dear disciple, I've gone through that book of yours, 50% of the techniques inside it requires the use of the Silver Phoenix Talon, you'll be losing out on half the skills you are capable of using, this, don't you find it unreasonable in itself?"

"I know that master, but, I don't want you to have to do something that would go against your or my own morals just because of a needle. If that's the case just looking at it is good enough for me."

Grandpa Wú understood his disciples worries, this warmed his heart knowing that. He let out a lengthy sigh then nodded,

"Okay, let's do as you wish, I won't push the matter. Let's just both sit back and enjoy looking at it."

Qin Qianyu smiled and nodded back in elated affirmation. She sat back properly in her own seat. Just as she was about to hand the tablet back to her master however, the private booth lit up with a red hue indicating that they were participating in the bid.

"Disciple you . . "

Qin Qianyu looked down at the tablet in her hands, she had accidentally hit the "join" icon on the screen. Her eyes quickly went wide as her mouth flapped open like a goldfish.

"Ma . . Master, what have I done?"

"Haise! . . Let's just go with for now, someone else may join in the bidding as well, we'll let them have it okay?"

Qin Qianyu nodded solemnly, Grandpa Wú however was secretly happy, he was going to bid for it no matter if another patron joins.

He made up his mind, he saw this as fate telling him that the needle belongs to Qin Qianyu, the needle needed to belong together with the other 19 needles to make a full set and he was now duty bound to obtain it.

He chuckled internally as he took the tablet back from his disciple.

"Just sit there and let me take care of it all."

Qin Qianyu said nothing and nodded. She was nervous and her mind became a mess as she started thinking what kind of payment her own master would have to satisfy due to the sellers requirements.

Her mind started wandering to the darkest reaches of the human mind about the things that the seller could want.

Everything from sex slavery to poop fetishes crossed her mind on several occasions. As she looked over at her master, she couldn't help but visualise this wrinkled old man stuck in these types of situations.

A remorseful sigh escaped her lips. Then it suddenly stopped mid way as another thought popped in her head,

"Wait! What if master makes me do those things in his stead!? . . He wouldn't would he!?"

The things she had thought about, she though of again, but she herself had replaced the old man in her vivid imagination.

Her look changed into something dangerous, if not for the lens on the fox mask grandpa Wú would probably feel threatened.

"Disciple? Are you alright?"

"Alright your head!"

"Huh!?"

Qin Qianyu bolted from her seat and started punching at the old man, seeing this he soon realised that his disciple had thought too much and was now taking out on him.

He started chuckling lightly as he deflected all of her attacks. She only stopped after he reminded her that it was she herself that had hit the join icon on the tablet.

"Oh! Oh that's right, haha, Master, I was just stretching after sitting down for so long. Don't mind me."

"Hmph! I've told you before not to overthink things, otherwise you'll over complicate the situation."

"Yes, yes, I'll stop doing that starting from . . . Now!"

Grandpa Wú shook his head lightly and waited for the countdown signifying that the bidders had all entered are ready.

As it hit zero, grandpa Wú's lips twitched with excitement, he was the only bidder. Qin Qianyu took that twitch differently though. Grandpa Wú showed the results to Qin Qianyu, her eyes couldn't help but bulge.

"Master I'm so sorry, I'll take responsibility for this please don't worry."

"What if the request is for your body?"

"I . . Uh! I . . Master!"

"Be calm, we don't know what they want in return for the item so stop overthinking it will you."

Qin Qianyu scooted closer to the tablet, the "negotiations" were about to start. Soon a dialogue box opened and a message was soon sent to the pair by the seller,

[Send a picture]

Qin Qianyu and her master gave each other a puzzled look. Grandpa Wú sighed angrily,

"Haise! Could the seller be any more vague!"

He mumbled as he sent his own message back,

[A picture of what!?]

[A Girl]

[Any girl?]

[Yes!]

Grandpa Wú looked to Qin Qianyu, she then nodded the struck a pose while wearing her fox mask. Grandpa Wú quickly snapped the photo and sent it to the seller.

The photo looked like a webtoon cover. The image held a hint of mystery because of the mask, but the pose really set off the photo as it showed a sultry but alluring presence.

The entire image was made more pleasant to the eyes, aesthetically and incredible, with the red hue highlights from the bid activation light framing her profile.

[Phantom Fox! It's her, Jumping roundhouse Kick girl!?]

Qin Qianyu and grandpa Wú flinched a little, but a smile could be seen from the pair.

Grandpa Wú then messaged back,

[Yes, Problem?]

After awhile came a lengthy reply.

[No, She'll do, the request is for a dinner date. This evening. Note: one, Masks shall stay on, two, whatever happens after this will be left to fate. A date for the item. Do we have a deal?]

The pair looked at each other, grandpa Wú could sense some reluctance coming from Qin Qianyu.

He turn the camera on and took a selfie before he started typing again,

[Sorry no deal, the fox is in actually, still a cub after all. But I'm available.]

Qin Qianyu saw all this and started laughing quietly to herself. She had thought about it while her master was taking a selfie and typing out his message.

She had thought about this when she first came back as her younger self. She didn't want any type of romantic entanglements at this point in time or maybe at any juncture throughout her new life for several reasons.

The most significant reason being she was currently 15, another, was because of her past demons regarding Song Zhaoge, her love of her life. In actuality, this was the only and main reason.

Although she found the courage to venture on through this life head first and with a goal filled vengeance. When it came to her own matters of the heart, she didn't think she'd had to face it so early after coming back.

All these feelings related to love, she wanted to push them as far away as possible because deep down, she didn't know how to face such a thing.

She sighed slightly and held her masters hand back from sending the message.

"Disciple?"

"Master it's just a dinner date, I seriously doubt that we'd instantly develop feelings for each other from this one meeting. So, if your worried just come and eat at the same restaurant as us that way you can keep an eye on things and have some piece of mind."

" . . . "

"I can see you're still reluctant though. Don't worry I'll find another solution."

Qin Qianyu's heart warmed from hearing her master. She had often times forgotten that he wasn't her blood grandfather, but the bond the pair had made over this short period of time was akin to something lifelong and similar.

The pair smiled at each other and the old man hit send.

"Argh!"

A loud shriek sounded out inside the hall, Qin Qianyu and grandpa Wú looked in the direction it came from and saw a person in another booth tossing the tablet away.

"Silver wolf! That's the booth the silver wolf is in!"

Qin Qianyu mumbled to herself, grandpa Wú heard her still and nodded in turn.

Soon an error appeared on their tablet,

[Connection Lost . . Reestablishing please wait]

The pair formed a joint consensus, the person that had been messaging them was that very person who threw the tablet.

"Master, what do you think happened to them? could it be that even a picture of your majestic aura is too over powered for them to withstand and comprehend?"

" . . . "

A few moments later, the connection was reestablished and another message came through.

It detailed the reason for Qin Qianyu to be the one to have the date. After reading it the master and disciple pair just sat there in shock.

The reason for their shock was because the seller suspected their elder brother of being gay and wanted to test this by arranging a blind date with Qin Qianyu.

[So there you have it, if it's true how could I possibly bring home a husband, what if my elder brother steals him from me? My pride won't let me live, but I don't want to die, You are helping me help you, a date for the item. Do we have a deal?]

The old man looked to his disciple. It's her that would have the final say in this transaction. If she refused he'll use everything in his power to find another solution.

However, Qin Qianyu gave the old man a nod and the pair started making arrangements via the tablet.

They settled on taking possession of the item at the start of the date, a fair exchange. Qin Qianyu didn't want to go through the date only to have the seller renege at the end of it.

The date was setup for later this evening at a certain restaurant in the area. Masks are to stay on throughout and Qin Qianyu also added that if anything untoward were to befall her at any stage during the date then she'll retaliate in kind.

Meaning she would cripple the sellers brother and show no mercy whatsoever.

[No problem Sister Phantom Fox. If the big gay wolf does anything to you, then please cut the chickens head off cleanly.]

The message from the seller came through with an animated gif of the yellow screaming chicken toy having its head cleaved off at its long neck with a shiny new butcher's hatchet.

"Master, are all people with too much money such creepy and strange weirdos?"

"Why are you asking me!? I'm so poor now after buying you all those gifts for our first meeting."

" . . . "

"You had a driver come take us to the airport, flew us here first class! and you even had us participate in an auction that required a fee in the hundreds of millions just to pass the gate!"

Qin Qianyu grumbled internally at her masters reply.

"So you won't be able to sit in the restaurant when I make payment because you're so so poor? That's it I'll go get a doggy bag of the fruits and other refreshments down in the lobby for you!"

" . . . "

"Don't worry Master, in fact after thinking about it some more, we're the ones actually benefiting from this transaction, in hindsight, it's a very reasonable request."

"I trust my disciple, it's everyone else's that I have to be wary off and so should you. No matter what, don't ever let your guard down. Just because it looks innocent doesn't mean that it actually is. You've seen first hand and should understand the kind of power those with too much money have, if your identity is discovered how will you protect your family let alone yourself?"

It was indeed as the old man had sensed, Qin Qianyu still held an ounce of naïvety, so she quickly knuckled down on herself and steeled her mind to not take this road trip lightly.

The pair chatted away not even bothering with the rest of the auction. They have gained what they wanted all that was left was to pay up.