1886 Slap on Face 1
It was the Head from the other day, accompanied by a man dressed in a similar black attire. The man was tall, even taller than Huaijin. He appeared younger than the Head but wore a black mask, concealing his identity from view.

Accompanying the Head was the Head of the Auction House himself. They hadn’t come with the intention of leaving.
“Greetings, Lady Chaoyan. I am Duan Feng, the Head of the Auction House. Please forgive me for offending you today, Lady Chaoyan,” Duan Feng spoke, offering his apologies to Gu Chaoyan without elaborating on the authenticity of the authority token.

“It’s fine,” Gu Chaoyan responded curtly. She hadn’t intended to make a fuss about it.

Duan Feng felt somewhat reassured.

He cast a stern gaze at the guard. “I personally gave Lady Chaoyan the authority token. It is undoubtedly real!”

The guard remained silent.

“Only a few people possess the authority token. How could she have faked it?” Duan Feng continued, his voice filled with conviction.

“Even if this girl doesn’t possess the authority token, everyone who comes to the Haitian Auction House is equal, and there is no reason to drive her out!” Duan Feng snapped. “So what if she’s from Piaomiao Pavilion? Piaomiao Pavilion may offer more pills, but we need not concern ourselves with them.”

The guard became increasingly fearful.

Haitian Market had reached its present state because Haitian Auction House regarded itself as significant.

The presence of a single Piaomiao Pavilion was enough to cause Haitian Auction House to crumble. Without that, Haitian Auction House would eventually face collapse.

Hearing Duan Feng’s words, the guard was filled with dread.

He had thought it was a minor matter, but the consequences turned out to be severe.

Regret washed over him the moment Gu Chaoyan presented the authority token, as he subconsciously realized its authenticity.

There were only a few authority tokens, making it difficult for others to counterfeit them.

The guard had simply been hoping for the best, but now he realized his mistake.

He was in the wrong. Completely wrong.

Filled with fear, the guard fell to his knees. “Miss, it is my fault. I should not have been arrogant or dismissive. I should not have driven you out!” He then prostrated himself, kowtowing in apology.

Gu Chaoyan observed the guard.

He had made an error.

A grave error.

He was merely a servant who had to abide by his master’s orders.

But…

She was not his mistress, so she had nothing to lose.

Gu Chaoyan waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. I didn’t present the authority token initially, so you couldn’t have known. You were acting in the best interest of the auction house, allowing Elder Miss from Piaomiao Pavilion to provide new pills for the auction. However, you employed the wrong approach, and I don’t hold it against you.”

With those words spoken, Gu Chaoyan turned her gaze to Duan Feng. “Leader Duan Feng, I won’t dwell on this matter.”

Duan Feng. “…”.

“I’m here to see what’s being auctioned. As long as I can enter now,” she declared.