Su Yang gritted his teeth, his eyes darting across the room with frustration. "Where is that bastard?" he muttered under his breath, his search for the source of his annoyance proving fruitless.

Unable to find the identity of participant zero, he turned his attention to Su Yanling, his voice booming with anger. "Yanling, isn't it time your special guest shows up and pays for this?" he barked, his words echoing off the walls of the auction house.

The onlookers shifted uneasily, sensing that a confrontation was about to unfold. They knew all too well that Su Yang had a fiery temper, and when he was provoked, he could be unpredictable.

Su Yanling's eyes narrowed in fury. "It has nothing to do with you," she snarled, her voice dripping with venom. "Why should anyone show their face to you? The Phoenix Auction House allows participants to maintain their anonymity."

Su Yang's jaw tightened as he fought to control his temper. "I didn't mean that," he said, his voice softening slightly. "Just ask your guest to come and pay for it so we can confirm the authenticity with our own eyes. We don't want to doubt the intentions of the auction house. However, as interested parties, we also want to ensure that no rules are being broken."

The tension in the room was palpable as Su Yang's words hung in the air. The onlookers watched with bated breath, wondering how Su Yanling would respond.

Suddenly, a murmur of suspicion rippled through the crowd. They knew that there was something fishy going on.

Why else would someone pay such an exorbitant amount for an item?

Was Su Yanling hiding some information about the sword that weren't aware of?

Did she wanted to buy it for herself in pretext of participant zero?

Su Yanling, who had been radiating confidence just moments ago, now felt a twinge of fear as she saw the many pairs of eyes trained on her.

The weight of their scrutiny was almost suffocating, and she had to swallow hard to keep from choking.

She shot a quick glance at Mei Ling, her voice low and urgent.

"Go find Xia Tian," she whispered, hoping that he would come down and put these people in their place.

Mei Ling nodded and dashed up the stairs, her heart pounding in her chest.

As she reached the top, she hesitated for a moment, unsure which room Xia Tian was in.

She pushed open the first door she saw, and gasped as she saw that the room was completely empty.

It was as if nobody had ever been there before.

She felt a chill run down her spine, and her heart hammered even faster.

Meanwhile, inside the empty room, Xia Tian and Evelynn stood side by side, their bodies cloaked in a shimmering illusion.

Xia Tian's eyes gleamed with mischief as he watched Su Yanling's panicked expression and Su Yang's smug grin. "What do you plan to do?" Evelynn asked, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Xia Tian smirked, his lips curling up in an amused grin. "Nothing," he replied, but Evelynn could tell that he had something up his sleeve.

She couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement, knowing that Xia Tian was about to cause some serious chaos.

That short sentence made Evelynn nod as if she understood what Xia Tian wanted to do. Her face couldn't help but flash with a wry smile as she anticipated the chaos that was about to unfold. She knew that some people were going to pay for her daddy's entertainment.

If Xia Tian went down right now, the matter would be easily solved. At most, he would beat Su Yang and that would be the end of it. But Xia Tian was bored and in the mood for some serious entertainment. He craved the adrenaline rush that came with causing chaos, and he knew that the Su family would make the perfect target.

But even as Xia Tian prepared to unleash his wrath on the Su family, a nagging question lingered in the back of Evelynn's mind.

Would this be enough to satisfy his thirst for excitement?

Would the Su family be enough of a challenge for him, or would he need to find something even more thrilling?

--------

"Where is he?" Su Yanling muttered, anxiously scanning the area for any sign of Xia Tian.

Her lips were tightly pressed together as she struggled to contain her worry.

Just then, her eyes lit up as she spotted her assistant coming back towards her.

Hope surged within her. "Did you find him?" she asked, hurrying to meet Mei Ling.

However, the expression on Mei Ling's face quickly dashed her hopes.

Su Yanling's expression darkened as she realized something was wrong. "What happened? Where is Tian?" she demanded, her voice tinged with urgency.

Mei Ling shook her head, her eyes filled with concern. "I couldn't find him," she said quietly.

Su Yanling felt a sense of panic rising within her. Suddenly, she heard Su Yang's voice ringing out loud and clear.

"Everyone, something is wrong here! We must investigate this!" he declared, his voice echoing through the hall.

Su Yanling felt her anxiety increasing with each passing moment.

As she bit down harder on her lips, she felt herself being slowly cornered by everyone's attention.

And then, to make matters worse, the gold locket that Xia Tian had given her earlier began to glow with a bright, otherworldly light.

"What is happening?!" she heard someone cry out.

"Intruder?!"

"Enemy attack?!"

The chaos that ensued was overwhelming. Su Yanling's heart was pounding in her chest as she struggled to make sense of what was happening.

And then suddenly, as if in a dream, she found herself holding the Emperor's sword, surrounded by a bright, golden barrier.

"What!?" Su Yanling exclaimed, trying to throw the sword away, but it stubbornly clung to her hand as if it had a will of its own.

Su Yang saw through everything and with a fluid step, he arrived in front of Su Yanling. "T-This?" he muttered slowly and tried to pass his hand through the golden barrier, but it was like trying to push through a brick wall. His frustration was evident on his face.

With a scowl, he turned to Su Yanling and accused her, "When did you stoop so low, Yanling, committing robbery in broad daylight?"

Mei Ling immediately sprang to Su Yanling's defense. "Y-You, how dare you accuse madam-*Slap*." Her words were cut off by a sharp slap across her cheek from the man accompanying Su Yang.

Mei Ling's eyes widened in shock as she hit the ground hard. She bit her lips in anger, looking anxiously at Su Yanling.

In her heart, Mei Ling cursed Xia Tian multiple times, knowing that he was the root cause of all this. If only he hadn't involved them in his dangerous schemes.

Meanwhile, Su Yanling was lost in bitter thoughts, unaware of her own fate that Xia Tian had held in store for her.

Now she was sure that she had been played and used by him. 'Xia Tian, what exactly are you trying to do,' she thought to herself.

Su Yang's eyes narrowed as he studied Su Yanling. "You're hiding something. What is it? Tell me now," he demanded.

Su Yanling bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She had no idea how to explain that she was only following Xia Tian's orders. "I-I can't," she stammered.

Su Yang's patience was wearing thin. "You either tell me now, or I'll make sure you regret it," he threatened.

Mei Ling scrambled to her feet, fear and anger warring within her. "Please, sir, you don't understand. Madam was only following orders. It was Xia Tian who--"

Before she could finish, the man accompanying Su Yang grabbed her by the arm. "You say one more word and I'll break your arm," he growled.

Mei Ling's eyes widened in terror as she tried to pull away. This was getting out of hand, and she didn't know how much more she could take.

Su Yanling watched the scene unfold before her, feeling helpless and trapped.

She had no choice but to play along with Xia Tian's game, but how long could she keep up the act? 

"Why do people only find this pitiful lady to use for their games!" Su Yanling exclaimed, stomping her foot in frustration.

Su Yang raised an eyebrow at her outburst. "What are you talking about?" he asked, intrigued.

Su Yanling snorted, "Nothing!" 

Su Yang tried multiple ways to break the barrier, but his attempts were futile.

He and the others grew increasingly frustrated. In the end, he cast a glance at Su Yanling and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Throw the sword outside, and we will forget this mistake of Phoenix House! Since you cheated and were disqualified, the sword should belong to me, the second-highest bidder!" He declared with a sense of entitlement.

Su Yanling smiled wryly and shook her head, indicating that she would not acquiesce to his demands.

The other bidders who had previously shown little interest in the sword were now incensed by Su Yang's words.

They felt that he was trying to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

One of them stepped forward, his strength far superior to Su Yang's.

"Brother, how can you casually decide for yourself? Shouldn't we do the auction again?" he suggested, his tone laced with authority and power.

The auctioneer looked troubled as the chaos grew. Multiple voices clamored for attention, each person trying to assert their own opinion.

The fact that the owner of the auction house had resorted to stealing the sword was a clear indication of its immense value.

This realization created a sense of excitement and anticipation among the crowd, but also a sense of desperation and greed.

The whole place erupted into chaos, with people shouting and arguing. The old man representing the Li family asked, "What do we do?"

The other man shook his head, "We were only told to cooperate, not to help him." The implication was clear - they were not going to intervene, but would simply observe the unfolding drama.

In the end, the bidders chose to remain silent, each one sizing up the competition and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

They had been instructed by the Imperial family to cooperate in the acquisition of the sword for Su Yang, but that didn't mean they couldn't fight for it themselves.

Su Yang's troubled expression deepened, creasing his forehead as he contemplated the upcoming auction.

He knew that if he didn't act quickly, he might miss his chance to snatch the treasure from the hands of others.

Suddenly, a deafening roar ripped through the air, causing everyone to turn their heads towards the new intruder.

Su Yang's eyes widened in excitement as he saw a middle-aged woman striding towards them. Despite her age, she was a mature beauty with ample bosom, and Su Yang couldn't help but feel a surge of pride as he yelled out, "Grandma!"

The ferocity in Su Rong's expression eased as she caught sight of Su Yang. Her gaze softened, and a warm smile spread across her face.

The bond between the two was palpable, and it was clear that Su Yang had succeeded in taming the ultimate leader of the Su Clan.

Su Rong had been injured and disabled due to excess Yin in her body, but Su Yang's Ancient Yang body had enabled him to dual-cultivate with her and ultimately rescue her from her condition.

From that moment on, Su Rong had been irresistibly drawn to her grandson, unable to resist his charm and strength.

Though Su Rong was no longer the leader of the clan because of her past injury, her strength was still unrivaled, and few mortals could even hope to exchange blows with her.

Su Rong strode towards the commotion, her eyes scanning the crowd. As soon as she saw Su Yang, she broke into a smile. "My dear grandson, what is happening here?" she asked in a gentle voice.

Su Yang's face lit up with relief. He quickly explained the situation to her, and she listened attentively, her expression turning grave. "This is unacceptable behavior," she said sternly. "I will not allow anyone to bully my grandson. Let me handle this."

Without waiting for a response, she strode towards the auctioneer, her eyes flashing with determination. "I demand that the auction be nullified and that the sword be given to my grandson, Su Yang," she declared in a commanding voice.

The auctioneer's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly regained his composure. "I'm sorry, madam, but we cannot do that. The auction was conducted fairly and the highest bidder has the right to the sword," he said firmly.

Su Rong's eyes narrowed, and she took a step forward, her aura radiating power and authority. "I am not asking for your permission. I am telling you what is going to happen," she said in a low voice, her eyes flashing dangerously.

The auctioneer looked intimidated, and the other bidders took a step back, their expressions wary.

Su Yang watched in amazement as his grandmother effortlessly took control of the situation. He knew that with her by his side, he had nothing to fear.

As Su Rong arrived, the murmurs of the crowd died down, and all eyes turned to her.

Her aura was palpable, and it was clear that she was not to be trifled with. Any dissenting opinions were quickly subdued by her overwhelming power.

The auction came to a close, and Su Yang emerged as the victor, the emperor's blade now in his possession.

However, their victory was short-lived, as they soon realized that the sword was still firmly in Su Yanling's grasp, protected by a formidable barrier.

"Grandma, what are we going to do now?" Su Yang asked, his brow furrowed in concern.

Su Rong wasted no time in taking charge. "We're going back to the Su Family. We'll figure out how to break this barrier once we're there," she replied confidently.

As they made their way back to the Su Family, Su Yanling remained silent, lost in thought. Su Yang, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel anxious. "Do you think we'll be able to break the barrier?" he asked his grandmother.

Su Rong turned to him, a steely determination in her eyes. "We will find a way, no matter what it takes," she replied firmly.

Their journey was fraught with tension, and the air was thick with uncertainty. "What do you think her intentions are?" Su Yang asked, glancing back at Su Yanling. 

Su Rong's eyes narrowed as she followed Su Yang's gaze, watching Su Yanling from the corner of her eye.

The younger girl sat inside the protective barrier, her body tense and her expression troubled.

Su Rong's jaw tightened as she turned back to Su Yang. "I don't know," she said firmly. "But we can't let our guard down. Not for a moment."

Su Yang nodded in agreement. "We'll be ready for whatever comes our way," he said, his voice filled with determination.

As they approached the Su Family's territory, Su Rong's aura grew even stronger.

She knew that they were now entering a place of safety, but they couldn't afford to be complacent.

There was still much to do, and they had to be prepared for anything.