While speaking, Tengliu and Yasenia slowly got to know each other more deeply. It was not much since the time to arrive at the auction house was a bit longer than an hour. However, Tengliu's appreciation for this young dragon increased as they spoke.
Her viewpoints on many matters were very well developed, and although they would not agree on everything, Tengliu understood that Yasenia's perspective was useful for how she did things.
After all, there isn't only one perfect way to do everything.
Tengliu hogged one of Yasenia's arms for the entire way, and Tatyana left the other for Cecile to calm the twitchy soulmate of her little treasure.
Tengliu suddenly said with a small smile. "By the way, call me Aunty Tengliu. Lady Tengliu sounds too formal, child. Even Big Sister Tengliu is okay, hahaha."
Yasenia respectfully called her. "Aunty Tengliu."
Tengliu playfully snorted. "Well, you'll eventually call me sister Tengliu. Even then, hearing 'Aunty Tengliu' with your voice certainly leaves a pleasant ring in my ears."
Tatyana commented. "By the way, Tengliu, present my little treasure to a few clans we can benefit from. Since she has managed to create a connection with you, it's only natural for seniors to give a helping hand. Moreover, it cost you nothing but a few words."
Tengliu rolled her violet eyes. "Say, Tatyana. Even if we are friends, aren't you a bit shameless?"
Tatyana snorted. "Should I make you call me Aunt Tatyana also?"
Tengliu lifted her eyebrow. "Even if you are much older, my strength is still above yours if we are not in one of your formations. First, beat me fair and square, then we can talk about me calling you senior."
Tatyana and Tengliu butted foreheads and smiled dangerously. "Child, you are too arrogant. My age is more than a hundred times greater than yours."
"Ho, ho? What do I hear? A senior bullying a junior with their position instead of power? Aren't you too big of a sore loser?"
"Even if I can't beat you, I can peel a layer of skin. My intents are at the ninth level."
"Hahaha, and mine are at the fifth and sixth levels. I'm the only one on this continent with a sixth-level intent. Three levels are not enough to breach the distance of one and a half realms in cultivation."
Yasenia was surprised. 'She is that strong? I've underestimated this harpy.'
Tatyana sneered. "Little child that doesn't know about the immensity of the heavens. If I had my original body, I could erase your soul with a thought!"
Tengliu taunted. "But you are not~. Moreover, you can't come down to this place because if you could, this avatar thingy here wouldn't be present!"
Yasenia blinked repeatedly. 'How many things did Mom tell them!?'
Looking curiously, she realized that Tengliu wasn't against anything and was just being playful. 'So… she is aware of my facade about the human slaves? Well, whatever. Mom should know what she is doing.'
Seeing that their auras were beginning to leak, Yasenia chuckled and interrupted. "Mom, she has a point. Right now, in a fair fight, you are not her opponent unless you aim for mutual destruction."
Tatyana sighed and separated, skillfully pushing Tengliu to the side and hugging Yasenia's arm intimately. "Well, if little treasure says it, I will stop here."
Tengliu and Ghana were speechless. "You are really a slave for your daughter."
Tatyana smiled. "Literally. I'm currently her obedient little slave, and she can do whatever she wants with my body."
*SLAP!*
Tatyana yelped after Yasenia's tail lashed onto her butt.
The Death Empress blinked and cutely looked at Yasenia with confusion in her red eyes.
Yasenia said sternly. "You aren't a slave, Mom. You are my dearest mother and wife, and I love you."
Ghana coughed. "That sounds worse."
Tengliu commented. "Not for them. Look."
Ghana's lips twitched as Tatyana and Yasenia exchanged amorous glances and finally kissed.
Cecile looked at Tengliu's and Tatyana's interaction and sighed. Then, she approached Tengliu and said bluntly. "I don't like you."
The Harpy Matriarch wasn't surprised and nodded gently. "I know. You not only do not like me, you probably hate me a lot, right, child?"
Cecile nodded. "However, I can forgive you if you do one thing for me."
Tengliu didn't have anything against that and smiled. "Tell me."
Cecile said firmly. "Teach me how to fight and beat you."
Tengliu laughed. "Will you really forgive me if I train you?"
Cecile's face became complicated. After a while, she nodded. "I will… eventually."
Tengliu rolled her eyes, but soon, she showed a soft smile and nodded. "Deal. I'll teach you whenever I have free time."
Cecile nodded, and her face continued to be as deadpan as before. However, our perceptive dragoness could feel that the dislike was slowly diminishing.
'Let's leave nature take its course.'
Finally, they arrived at the auction house, and Carbira welcomed them.
Carbira looked at Tengliu with fear and respect, and emotion quite noticeable since her protruding eyes were straightened, and she had a barely noticeable tremble whenever she looked at her.
However, seeing that she was accompanying Yasenia, our crab-woman let go a bit of her guard against her.
The madam dragon woman who spoke with Yasenia on the first day approached with an eager face. "Little Carbira, are you sure about not taking my offer? I don't mind if you use time to think about it."
Carbira's eyes rolled, and they all turned to look at the madam.
Cecile was confused. 'Didn't this dragon woman think that Carbira was ugly or something?'
Carbira commented with a helpless but soft tone. "Madam, I'm grateful, but I don't even know your son…"
The woman laughed and took Carbira's hand gently. "Oh dear, don't worry so much. Even if they don't like you, I find you adorable. I will make sure to find a proper man to take care of you. Even if you don't want my help, at least you can call me Aunty and play with me occasionally. Also, please tell me if you need treasures to sell or a job change. This auction house is not bad, but there are a few rotten apples here."
Yasenia found the situation funny and asked. "What's going on?"
The madam looked at Yasenia, and her eyes lit up. "Lady Yasenia, you've arrived. My heavens, I've seen the items you are presenting today, and I want to buy all of them. Sadly, I don't have the capital to buy them all… Huh?"
The madam stopped speaking once her eyes registered the beautiful white-feathered Tengliu.
Tengliu smiled. "Good morning."
"L-L-Lady Tengliu!? Oh, my heavens, forgive this one, as I couldn't spot you immediately."
Tengliu waved her hand. "Don't worry." Then, she thought. 'I remember this woman… She should be more arrogant and condescending. When has she changed?'
"Relax, I'm here to participate in the auction, and since Yasenia has the highest number of Heaven-ranked items, I was speaking with her to shed a bit of light on them."
The madam nodded and looked at Yasenia with hidden surprise. 'Lady Yasenia is more hidden than I expected. To think she knows Lady Tengliu.'
Carbira took the chance to separate from the madam finally. Not because she was bothered or anything; the woman had been nothing but respectful. However, our crab woman had other plans, and she didn't really want to give her too much hope.
"Lady Yasenia. Today, you don't need to mark which items you will bid for. There will be a single auction for all items. The quality of all items auctioned today ranges from peak-level Earth ranked to Peak-level Heaven ranked. There is even a surprise between them."
Tengliu's white eyebrow jumped. "Peak-level Heaven ranked? In this small auction house?"
Carbira nodded. "Lady Yasenia has put for sale two of them. We also got lucky, and three other powers decided to sell another two, making a grand total of five items of extreme quality."
Tengliu looked at the dragoness and asked. "Are you short of Parus? I can lend you a few. Why auction them? They are too precious for auctioning."
Yasenia shook her head. "Nothing like that. I want to make myself known. That's all. Selling these items will probably make me relevant and give my shops a chance. I have confidence that once people step in my shop once out of curiosity, they will keep coming back to us."
Tengliu. "But… Selling these things is quite an excessive thing to do. I can speak with the leader if you want to take the items back."
"No need. However…"
Yasenia's eyes flashed, and she spoke a few words to Tengliu via thoughts. 'Tengliu, you see, the cards…'
After listening for a bit, she frowned and then sneered. 'They are very brave. Don't worry, you do your thing. If they are too stubborn, a second-rate power disappearing is not that big of a deal.'
Hearing this, our dragoness became confident. 'Thanks.'
'Don't mention it. Just let me hug you later for a bit~.'
Her mouth twitched, and she sighed. 'As long as you don't cross the line, I won't stop you. However, if Cecile tells you to stop, please stop.'
'Fufu~, of course, little Yasenia~.'
Tengliu looked at Carbira and asked. "Place me in the same room as Yasenia."
Carbira muttered timidly, her voice slightly trembling. "T-That's not possible. It goes against our rules. Moreover, Lady Tengliu, your room is much better, so…"
She interrupted her. "Then, place us in my room."
Carbira wanted to say it was impossible, but seeing Tengliu's stance, she swallowed her words.
Yasenia commented. "If they say anything, tell them to go to Aunty Tengliu. She will deal with it. Also, if they dare bully you because of this, please tell us. Don't worry, and listen to her."
Tengliu laughed charmingly. "Abusing my authority? Little girl, there is a price to pay~."
Yasenia gave her a side glance. "I want to abuse it for free. Do you have any problems with it?"
Tengliu snorted and then laughed. "Not at all. I like this confidence of yours. Let's go."
Tengliu grabbed Yasenia's arm and was about to go away when the madam spoke. "Lady Tengliu, would you and Lady Yasenia like to come to speak with our group before the auction starts?"
"What do you think, Yasenia?"
After thinking about it, she nodded. "Let's go."
With the Matriarch of the harpies by her side, Yasenia was able to "make friends" much more effortlessly.
In the entire auction house, filled with countless clans, sects, and powers, Tengliu was the highest-ranked beast human.
There was only one person of comparable authority, and she was Coraline.
Hence, Yasenia met a few other clan leaders, and they all made small talk. The ones who noticed her closeness to Tengliu became humble and pandering.
'Sigh. Things are so easy when you have a backer.'
Conversation flowed, and soon, it was time for the third and final day of the Auction Event to start.
************************************
Author: We are really close to the end of this first arc in Distancia. Soon, time will start accelerating.
Tatyana: Very nice. I wonder what will happen.
Yasenia: I hope my dears don't fall in trouble.
Cecile: That woman is still hateful.
Yasenia: Hahaha. Sweetheart, you are so cute sometimes.
Author: And, done! I summon you!
Dante: Hello!
Kali: Welcome again, Dante.
Yasenia: What's today's question?
Dante: Well, I want to ask two very special people.
Author: Oh?
Dante: The Sun God and the Moon Goddess.
Tatyana: Oho~.
Author: Hm. I wonder if they'll answer you.
Dante: Hm? Can they not answer?
Author: I mean, I won't force it depending on the question.
Dante: …
Sun God, Tai Yang: Hm? Where is this place?
Moon Goddess, Change'er: Husband, I can't feel my strength in this place.
Tai Yang: Hm. You are right.
Tatyana: Are you not nervous?
Tai Yang: Hm? Oh, the female that gave birth to Yasenia. Where are we?
Tatyana: Do you think you can ask me whatever you want?
Tai Yang: I had servants cleaning my house of your cultivation level, woman. Be careful with your words.
Change'er: Don't get agitated. Look at that thing. I can't sense anything about it.
Author: Well, calling me a thing is not nice. Either way, if you want to leave here, answer the question of this person.
Tai Yang: A mortal? Why should I answer?
Author: *Shrug* At least listen to him.
Dante: Your divinities, what were your original plans if you were to be reincarnated successfully and Tatyana didn't meet with the reincarnated soul? How would you live your lives, what would your goals be, and how would you treat Tatyana, who wanted to find love from her child?
Change'er: Mortal child, why do you want to know?
Dante: Curiosity?
Tai Yang: And why do you think this divinity would answer you? You are not worthy, mortal.
Dante: …
Author: Are you not going to answer?
Tai Yang: Why should I answer to a thing like you?
Author: Okay, you are getting on my nerves. [Collapse].
*Pang!* *Pang!*
Author: And they are gone~. Sadly, this question couldn't be answered. Sorry, Dante.
Dante: N-No worries.
Dante: (That was scary)
The girls: (Scary indeed).
Author: Either way, this is all for today's chapter~. Thank you all, little lurkers, for reading, and have a wonderful day!