Yu truly had not expected to use the cheap steel cages she bought for next to nothing back home. In fact, she originally purchased them to act as traps so she could feed herself in an emergency where she was isolated and unable to actively hunt. They have been sitting idle in her ring for almost a year. That changed today.

Yu could honestly say that she never expected to have three small foxes in one cage, and two in another. They were tiny and adorable fuzzy things, giving off quiet squeaks. Needless to say, they caught the attention of the flying beast drivers both at pickup and drop-off. Yu rolled her eyes and walked by all of them, even the oohing and squeeing girls.

As she had no idea how to care for them, Yu walked to the non-flying beast care facility and asked for the elder in charge. The inner sect disciple who was at the entry desk was looking at the two cages sitting on the edge of his desk with wide eyes.

Yu waved her hand in front of his face and said loudly, “Can you please call the elder in charge?” He nodded but just kept staring. Yu sighed and snapped her fingers right in front of his eyes and he blinked and looked at her. Yu enunciated slowly and loudly, “I Need To Speak To The Elder In Charge.”

He blinked at her again and looked back at the cages and nodded quickly. Then he stood and ran off, knocking over his chair, a bamboo stand, and an incense pot. Yu sighed, shook her head, and went to fix the chair, stand, and pot. She walked back to the desk, sat, and looked into the cages. If Yu didn’t already have a bond she wasn’t spending nearly enough time with, she might have used Ether to do bind with one of the foxes. But it just didn’t feel right. She was really too young and inexperienced to even have bonded with a demonic beast as strong as Bai and wouldn’t have done it had Ebony, his mother, not insisted.

That said, they were adorable. She stuck a finger into each cage and foxes started gnawing on them with their tiny jaws and just-forming teeth. Yu smiled but stood quickly when she heard two sets of stomping footsteps approaching. She lifted the cages up, not wanting them to get knocked over by the overzealous disciple.

An elder ran in, an excited look on his face and he demanded, “Did I hear we have baby Illusory Foxes? Who has them? Show me!” Yu glanced around and saw there was no one else in the room.

Shrugging she said, “Elder, I have them here.” Then she held up the cages. The elder ran to her, knocking the bamboo stand back over, and stuck his head so close to the cages Yu thought he might smack his forehead into them. His big blue eyes, graying black hair, tanned and scarred skin, green fingernails, and stink of animal musk and feces told Yu that he was a Wood Mage who spent a good amount of time outdoors and likely with beasts. Not that any of that mattered. The only thing Yu cared about was if he could help.

Watching the excited old man, Yu saw him expel a word almost as a prayer, “Extraordinary.”

She cleared her throat and said, “Elder, during my Welcoming, I was told the sect bought unbound infant demonic beasts and either sold them to students or raised them for the benefit of the sect. Would the sect be interested in these?”

He was cooing at the foxes and mumbling various terms about ear size, eye color, tail length, and such.

“Elder?” Yu pulled the cages away and he nearly fell forward following them. Then he looked up at Yu and stood straight, adjusting his robes. He said only, “Follow me,” and he turned around and walked away. He stepped over the downed stand as if it was a common occurrence that it was on the floor and moved to the back. Yu did the same, looking back at the disciple who had yet to pick up the mess.

Following the elder through the building, Yu passed numerous passages and doorways. She heard the various sounds and smelled the smells of the numerous and diverse demonic beasts housed in this area of the sect. The majority there would belong to either inner or core disciples as the cost for housing and care would be too high for most outer sect disciples.

They eventually reached an office with barely any furniture in it. It had a desk with parchments, ink, and brushes, a stiff wooden chair on either side, and a small stove in the corner with a teapot on top. The pot was currently spewing steam but the elder didn’t seem to notice. He told her to sit and he followed. Yu coughed and said, “Elder, I think your tea is done.”

He blinked at her in confusion and she made an obvious look over at the corner with the stove. He hesitantly looked that way and jumped. He leaped out of his chair and took the steaming pot off the stove with his bare hands and put it on the floor, which had a clear burn mark from previous times he did the same. It reminded her of Senior Alchemist Yanjing and his alchemy work. She wondered if a lot of the elders in the sect were like that. She had only met a tiny percentage in her two weeks there after all.

Well, none of that mattered. Yu wanted to get paid and then head to the Mission Center, Skills Library, and. . . well, maybe someplace else. Or maybe not. She needed to think about it.

Yu cleared her throat, put the cages on her lap, and said, “Elder, I was told the sect buys beasts like these. Are you open to purchasing them?”

The man couldn’t take his eyes off the cages but at least he spoke to her. “Yes. I could give you 4,000 points now.” That wasn’t bad. It would get her most of the way to the next skill. The elder continued, “The sect could sell them directly to disciples for more so I can transfer you 20,000 points right now if you like.”

Yu blinked. “Wait.” Yu spoke the next words slowly. “4,000 points for each fox?”

The elder nodded, still staring at the beasts in the cages. “They are excellent specimens for the right cultivators to bond with and appear in excellent health, which is quite rare. You could probably do better on the open market, but that is what the sect will offer in points.”

Yu gulped. “Umm. I’ll-”

But the elder continued as if he didn’t even hear her speak, which maybe he didn’t. “Alternatively, you could offer them in the auction.” Yu knew there was an auction house on the center island but it hadn’t occur to her that she could put something up.

Yu asked, “Do disciples bid in points?”

“Payment is in whatever form the seller wants. If you want points, then sell for points.”

“I see. Do you think I could get more than 4,000 points each at the auction?” Yu asked.

“Certainly. At least a few will go to elders. I myself plan to purchase one. They are excellent specimens.” More mumbling about fox body parts proceeded that statement.

Clearing her throat, Yu asked, “Umm, when is the auction?”

“Every fourth Day 6 in the evening, at 20th hour. One is in a few days. You are quite fortunate.”

That wasn’t too far. There was only one problem. “Assuming I wanted to go that way, how would I care for them until then?”

Still not looking at her, he said, “The auction house would take care of it. Beasts are not common, but not rare either. They have people who care for them on the occasion one is up for sale.”

“Umm. If you had to guess, how much do you think they would sell for in points at the auction?”

He shrugged, “Oh. Anywhere between 5,000 and 15,000 each. Depending. The sect would likely sell them for 20,000 or so directly to disciples, if they decided to sell them. I doubt they’d make all available.”

Yu was starting to sweat. Even on the lower end, that could solve so many problems for her. She stood and said, “Then I better head to the auction house. Thank you, elder.”

He leaped to his feet again and cried, “Wait!” He looked desperate and Yu almost laughed. He crashed around his desk, his chair clattering to the floor, and reached for them but didn’t touch the cages. “I’ll give you 10,000 for one of the two females right now.”

Yu thought about it and said, “On one condition.” He looked at her with hope but didn’t speak. She said, “I’ll sell one to you for 10,000 and. . . your name.”

He blinked at her and straightened again. “I agree to your terms. I am Elder Butong.”

Yu bowed her head and said, “Greetings, Elder Butong. I am Fenghuang Yu.”

He nodded and took her to a large barn with beasts in stalls, cages, or even up in the rafters. She had to lower her senses again to make it through the various smells. Individually they might not have been bad, but all together, it was overwhelming.

Having reached their destination, Elder Butong pulled out a bamboo cage three times as large as hers and Yu held her cages up for him to pick. He chose one for whatever reason and then tapped her badge. Yu bowed and left with her foxes split with two in each cage. He offered her some last-minute advice and she covered the cages in pieces of cloth to hide the contents but mainly to help keep their inhabitants calm.

Yu walked to the city market area and found the auction house easily. First, because she remembered where it was. Of course. But second, because it was impossible to miss. The thing was the largest single building in the market and was quite ornate with gold-painted filigree all over the eaves, doors, and banisters.

Yu entered and went to the front desk. A middle-aged mortal was there and said cheerily, “Welcome to the Treasure Pavilion Auction House. Are you here to register for the auction coming in three days?” Treasure Pavilion? It must be run by the same folks who run the facility that sells all that gear to disciples for outrageous prices. Like that amazing lightning bow that she absolutely had to have. She wasn't obsessed. Nope.

Refocusing, Yu cleared her throat and said, “I have some things to sell.” The woman nodded and asked her to follow. Yu nodded and did.

She was taken to a small round room with furniture around the edges and a formation that took up three-quarters of the open floor in the center. Despite the absence of much, the room felt luxurious with two comfortable couches and a small table for snacks and tea. The woman asked, “What are you attempting to sell?”

Yu asked, “First, can you confirm confidentiality?” It might be too late given she stupidly hadn’t covered them on the way out of the forest, but one never knew.

The woman said, “Absolutely. You will be assigned a number only, nobody here will reveal your name.”

“Four baby demonic beasts,” Yu told her with a nod.

The woman blinked at her, shock showing on her face. Yu put the cages down and lifted up the cloth just a bit on one. The woman looked in and gasped.

She straightened quickly and said, “Please wait here.” The overwhelmed woman literally ran from the room.

Yu sat, gently put the cages next to her, and waited. A few minutes later a different woman entered. She was a lovely mortal in her thirties, long black hair up in an attractive bun and wearing an elegant red Qipao with various unshaped streaks of gold on it. She bowed politely and said, “Good evening, I am Assessor Cai.”

Yu stood, bowed back, and introduced herself.

The assessor blinked and said, “Well, this is a pleasure. Having the sect leader’s personal disciple come to sell something is certainly worthy of my attention.”

Yu just smiled. Hopefully, she wouldn’t need his influence to do business there.

The woman continued, “I understand you are here to sell a demonic beast?”

“Four actually. Four baby illusory Foxes,” Yu told her as she pointed at the cages.

The woman’s eyes opened wide and hissed in a breath. Getting a group, The assessor asked "I see. May I?” as she gestured at the cages. Yu nodded and stepped back a step.

The woman took the cloth off of the cages and gasped. “Well. We will certainly accept your item in our next auction. What can you tell me about their parentage?”

Yu said, “All I know is that one parent was a Grade 3. I have its carcass in my ring if you need to see it.”

The woman pointed at the formation and said, “Please place it there. Nothing will happen to it.”

Yu did and stepped back. The woman walked to a wall and tapped a small blue stone. The formation lit and the woman looked at the stone as if she could read something in its depths.

About a minute later the light dimmed and she said, “How interesting. This creature was well into Grade 3. How ever did you kill it? They are notoriously difficult to battle, never mind capture or track back their litters.”

Yu shrugged without saying anything. She certainly would not give away her combat capabilities.

The woman smiled slightly and nodded. “I understand. Well, we accept your commission.”

A silver medallion appeared in her hand and she tapped it. "This is your private badge for our Auction house. A silver level will get you a private booth. You may use it to watch your items be sold and, of course, bid on anything you like. We will begin advertising immediately. Do you have a preference for currency?”

Yu responded immediately, “Dragon points, please.” Not wanting to sound ungrateful but still determined to get her message across, Yu continued firmly but at a low volume, “Umm, Lady Cai. I don’t mean to be indelicate, but I am leaving some very valuable, living creatures in your possession. I don’t mean to doubt your facility, but they are perfectly healthy right now and I don’t want anything to happen that could risk them. Both because they are babies and need care, but also because they are worth a lot to me.”

The woman smiled and nodded. “I understand your concern and we often are asked such a question. I assure you, we will take the greatest care of these creatures. They will make our Auction House a good deal of profit and we would do nothing to risk that. Our commission on beasts is 5% by the way.”

Yu would have to accept it so she bowed and thanked the woman. “I just return at 20th hour on Day 6, show my silver medallion, and that’s it?”

The woman nodded.

“Can I bring guests?” Yu asked.

The woman told her she could bring up to five additional people beyond herself into a silver booth and could upgrade to a gold booth for an exorbitant cost of 20,000 points or a few million silver. Yu thanked her, bowed, and headed out.