My father is the main character, but the female leads want to kill me.

A figure slowly walked into the center of the beam of light. Li Yuhan, dressed in a white and gold cheongsam, stepped onto the auction stage. The cheongsam tightly hugged her curves, making her figure appear even more voluptuous, instantly igniting a flame in the eyes of some people in the room.

A smile graced her alluring face as Li Yuhan spoke a few words to the audience below with a charming laugh. Her captivating mature and alluring charm instantly ignited the atmosphere in the auction hall.

Looking down at Li Yuhan, Lin Ran couldn't help but tilt her head, her fingers lightly tapping on the handle. As expected of the famous confidante in the original work, her charm is truly astonishing. She could probably buy even the cheapest item from a street stall for a fortune, just to win a smile from her.

Li Yuhan parted her red lips slightly and said with a smile, "This may be the first time many of you have met me. I am the president of the Jinling Chamber of Commerce in Linshan City. My name is Li Yuhan. I will be hosting this auction today. I hope you will all support me!"

The auction hall erupted in cheers and applause. Many people stared intently at the woman on the stage, their eyes fixed on the full, shapely curves beneath her cheongsam. Some of the bolder ones even uttered vulgarities and engaged in indecent behavior, but they were soon "asked to leave."

After making some polite remarks, Li Yuhan got straight to the point: "I hereby declare that today's auction has officially begun!"

As the sound faded, a platform slowly rose from the ground next to Li Yuhan, and bright lights focused on it. On the platform were exquisite little bottles made of mutton fat jade.

"Our first item for auction is a gentle medicinal liquid suitable for Body Refinement cultivation. It's a third-tier pill. The method of use is to pour the liquid into a bath, sit cross-legged in it, and cultivate until the water becomes completely clear, meaning the medicinal power has been fully absorbed. This gentle medicinal liquid can greatly enhance cultivation speed in the Body Refinement realm, building a more solid foundation. It's also a powerful tool for quickly nurturing young talents." Li Yuhan picked up the bottle, smiling as she looked around the hall, and said, "The starting price is ten thousand gold coins, with each bid increasing by at least one thousand. Let's begin!"

Lin Ran:?

Lin Ran, sitting in the private room, almost spat out his tea when he heard the price. He had also prepared this kind of mild medicinal liquid used in the Body Refinement Realm before. He had always used similar spiritual liquids when training Lin Chong and Lin Hongjia, but his was a higher grade, with stronger medicinal power and better improvement in all aspects.

But even if he makes several bottles, it shouldn't cost 10,000 gold coins, right? This guy is asking for 10,000 gold coins right off the bat, and the price increase starts at 1,000.

When it comes to ruthlessness, women are definitely more ruthless; the way they kill people is terrifying!

The price quoted by Li Yuhan silenced the entire room for a moment, but soon one of the young men, who was almost mesmerized by Li Yuhan's every smile and gesture, shouted loudly, "Thirteen thousand!"

After announcing the price, the young man even bowed gracefully to Li Yuhan on the stage, but his eyes were fixed on the deep cleavage.

Ignoring this guy whose mind was completely controlled by his lower body, Li Yuhan maintained her smile and asked the audience, "Anyone else want to bid?"

"Fifteen thousand!"

"Twenty thousand!"

As bids rose and fell, the young man could only sit down awkwardly, no longer daring to bid, since the price to win a smile from a beautiful woman was still too high.

The competition for this body-refining elixir was fierce, but the truly powerful forces mostly remained on the sidelines. Even though this body-refining elixir was quite rare, it was only the first item up for auction. If too much money was spent now, they would be strapped for cash later.

The First Elder really wanted Lin Ran to help him buy those body-refining elixirs so he could give his grandson special treatment, but considering Lin Ran's strength at the Spirit Pill Realm, and the fact that his grandson was receiving the clan leader's teachings and seemed to be taking medicinal baths every day, he ultimately remained silent.

After much bidding, this batch of Body Refining Elixir was eventually sold for 58,000, and was acquired by a small power.

The leader of the small faction who won the auction looked overjoyed, which made Lin Ran think about whether he should start another side business like this: manufacturing this kind of potion to sell to the Jinling Chamber of Commerce, and advertising it by saying that his son Lin Chong had made rapid progress in strength using this potion. Wouldn't that be a great way to make money off the leeks?

After selling this batch of medicinal liquid, another batch of small bottles rose up on the small platform. Li Yuhan picked up one of the bottles and said with a smile, "Those of you who didn't get the Body Refining Elixir just now, don't be too sad. We have three small bottles here next, all of which are Condensation Pills that can help people at the ninth level of the Body Refining Realm successfully break through to the Daoist Realm."

We all know that there's a chance of failure when breaking through to the Daoist realm, but with this Dao Condensation Pill, your descendants will be able to break through to the Daoist realm incredibly smoothly, saving them a lot of time that would otherwise have to start over.

Looking at the excited crowd below, Li Yuhan's smile grew even brighter: "The starting price for this batch is 100,000, with a minimum increment of 1,000 each time. Let's begin!"

The moment the price was announced, the previously excited hall fell silent, and this silence lasted for quite some time. The main reason was that the price of 100,000 gold coins was still a bit too painful for everyone. This was just the starting price, and there were many powerful figures involved. As a result, no one dared to bid anymore.

"One hundred thousand!" someone in one of the private rooms suddenly shouted.

Lin Ran couldn't help but look at the private room and burst out laughing: "Even in this state, the Murong family still has money. They seem quite wealthy!"

"Clan leader, are you going to make an offer now?" The First Elder looked at Lin Ran with some excitement. He was very eager for this Condensation Pill. If he could get one for his grandson, wouldn't reaching the Dao Realm be a piece of cake?

Lin Ran looked at the excited, red-faced elder with amusement and teased, "Oh, Elder, you seem to really want it. Well then, Elder, you can bid for it yourself. Don't worry, I'll support you in spirit."

Grand Elder: "..."

Damn it, you control the entire family finances and don't give anyone a chance to line their own pockets. Where does he get the money to bid?

The younger generation also wanted to laugh but dared not, since the Grand Elder was there, and it wouldn't be good if they couldn't help but laugh out loud.

But there will always be people who step up at times like these, for example...

Lin Chong, sitting in the back row, couldn't help but burst out laughing. Although it wasn't very loud, the sound was still quite noticeable. Lin Ran and the Grand Elder in the front row also turned around to see who was so bold. Everyone in the private room turned their attention to Lin Chong.

When the elder realized it was Comrade Lin Chong, his expression immediately turned strange, and he said through gritted teeth, "Lin Chong, why are you laughing so happily!"

"Uh..." Lin Chong didn't expect to be able to help but laugh out loud, and everyone stared at him. He suddenly remembered a phrase his father used to say, and pretended to say, "I just remembered something happy!"

"Pfft!"

Hearing this, Lin Hongjia couldn't help but laugh. She knew that this was something Lin Ran liked to say every day, but as a result, the focus of attention shifted from Lin Chong to her, making her blush a little. She quickly said, "I also remembered something happy."

"You..." The Grand Elder was about to display some authority.

Lin Ran, who was standing to the side, laughed and said, "Elder, why bother with the juniors? Don't worry, I will compete for this Condensing Dao Pill."

"That……"

The elder's plump old face suddenly lit up like a blooming chrysanthemum, as he thought of asking Lin Ran to give him one privately. But Lin Ran's next words made his face darken again.

"If you win the bid, it will be the reward for the top three in the clan's adult competition. You all have to work hard!" Lin Ran made this promise to the group of younger members behind her.

This excited the younger generation. Within the clan, once someone turns seventeen or eighteen, they must participate in the clan's coming-of-age ceremony and a major test.

This will be a time that determines one's future. If one does not perform well, one will not be able to stay in the family and will have to go out for training and experience, and will not be able to obtain family resources.

If you perform well, you can continue to enjoy the family's resources and be assigned a position in the family's properties in Linshan City to continue your cultivation.

Most importantly, only by performing well can one obtain the precious cultivation techniques collected by the family. Once one reaches the Daoist realm, one must test one's attributes and choose a cultivation technique that corresponds to one's attributes.

If you don't perform well, you can only go outside to get those common, low-quality cultivation techniques, or earn money to buy cultivation techniques from places like the Jinling Chamber of Commerce.

Of course, if you have a great stroke of luck, you might encounter the legacy of an ancient master or suddenly find a powerful cultivation technique. There is such a probability, but it's basically about the same as winning the lottery.

Now, Lin Ran even plans to use the Condensing Dao Pill as a reward for the top three in the clan competition, which makes these young people even more excited. Their eyes are fixed on the three bottles of Condensing Dao Pill on the auction stage, as if they are already theirs.

……

PS: This chapter is 4,000 words long (I've seen many people say that my writing is short and weak QAQ). Actually, I've updated quite a lot of words. When I first started the new book review process, I was afraid that not many people would read it, so I uploaded three chapters at once and updated 8,000 to 9,000 words in one day, which was equivalent to four or five days' worth of other people's work. I almost wanted to stop, but then I suddenly found that people were reading it again, so I continued writing.

But I'm thinking of stockpiling more chapters in case something unexpected happens in the future, so as to avoid stopping updates. If I write something and it gets published later, I'll need to stockpile even more chapters.

It's been a little over a week and a day since I started writing this. Keep up the good work, haha! Hope you guys keep reading! Thanks! (ω?)

Chapter Eleven: The Bronze Cube (Please add to your favorites)

After a brief period of calm, the competition for the Condensing Dao Pill gradually picked up again as more people joined the bidding. Seeing that the three major families of Linshan City, the most powerful forces, did not seem to be participating in the competition, they gradually became bolder.

The price soared to 180,000 and is still rising.

But suddenly, a shout filled with fighting spirit resounded throughout the entire auction hall.

"My Wang family will contribute 185,000!"

Upon hearing this, many people turned around and looked up at the private room above. When they heard that it was the Wang family from Linshan City, many people in the room couldn't help but sigh with regret. Even if they had enough money, they didn't have the strength to compete with the three major families. After all, even the weakest Wang family in Linshan City had many experts at the Dao Yuan Realm level.

While a family's economy is the root of its strength, without an armed force to protect its wealth, it's like having no guns to protect itself. No matter how much money it has, it's hard to stand tall.

However, after the Wang family, one of the three major families, spoke out, the other forces wisely refrained from competing with them, fearing that the Wang family might take notice of them later.

Li Yuhan maintained a charming smile on the stage. She was very happy that these people were so eager to compete. After all, in her eyes, these people were like fat sheep that had been slaughtered, and a lot of gold coins would be extracted from them.

Li Yuhan asked twice in a row, and was about to strike down the small hammer in her hand to make a final decision, when another loud sound rang out, but this time it was even louder and much more frightening than the Wang family's.

"My Lin family, Lin Ran, contributed 186,000."

The auction hall suddenly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Lin Ran's name had recently become the talk of the town in Linshan City. Their remote Linshan City had actually produced such a powerful expert at the Spirit Pill Realm. Almost everyone who frequented Linshan City knew of this big shot's existence.

Especially in that last direct battle, they not only utterly defeated the Murong family, but also carved out two-thirds of their market area.

With such a large Buddha statue, who would dare to bid? Aren't they afraid that Lin Ran would come and bankrupt them?

In the private room where the Wang family was located, Wang Cheng, the patriarch of the Wang family, a tall and strong middle-aged man, was so angry that he crushed the solid wood armrest of the chair. He stared in the direction of the Lin family's private room for a long time before he could catch his breath.

The eldest elder of the Wang family, a short, white-haired old man, couldn't help but sigh, "Wang Cheng, forget it. Let's just let the Lin family have this opportunity. Even a Spirit Transformation Realm expert from the Murong family was tricked like this by Lin Ran, let alone us."

The Wang family did not choose to raise the price further. The people in the room looked at each other and did not dare to raise the price for a long time. Li Yuhan glared at Lin Ran in the private room with a hint of resentment, reluctantly knocked down the gavel, and announced that the three Condensation Pills had been won by Lin Ran of the Lin family.

However, when saying the name "Lin Ran," it was emphasized a bit more.

Lin Ran looked down at Li Yuhan and a smile crept onto his lips. He knew perfectly well why Li Yuhan was unhappy with him. After all, once he made a bid, no one dared to buy anymore, which affected her auction profits. But this was just the beginning of tonight's events.

Next up for the auction were some rare weapons and martial arts techniques, but Lin Ran seemed uninterested in them. Instead, the smaller factions below were vying for them the most.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the next item is rather peculiar. We acquired it by chance and it's been sitting in our warehouse. We haven't figured out its purpose yet, but after our appraisers' analysis, it seems to resemble some kind of key." Li Yuhan lifted the brocade cloth on the table, and immediately, a small, rusty bronze cube came into view for everyone in the auction hall.

Upon seeing that small, broken piece of iron, a number of boos suddenly erupted in the auction hall.

Li Yuhan had long known that this kind of situation would occur when auctioning such items, but since they were just dusty things anyway, she might as well take them out and give it a try.

Li Yuhan carefully took the bronze iron block and showed it to everyone from various angles. Pointing to a pattern that was almost worn away in the center of one side, she said with a smile, "Although we don't know the purpose of this iron block or what it hides, we think this pattern might be an ancient relic. If someone is willing to buy it and try it out, maybe what they find inside will cause a sensation throughout the entire Kyushu Continent."

"Shh!"

Many underlings scoffed at Li Yuhan's words, while some, hoping to win her favor, were considering buying the junk, thinking they might just get her contact information.

Of course, not everyone present was oblivious to the value of the product.

When Lin Ran saw the small bronze iron block, she was completely dumbfounded. How the hell was the key to the Mirror Moon Saint Emperor's inheritance here?

Wasn't it his son Lin Chong who obtained it after going out to gain experience?

Lin Ran thought about it seriously again. It seemed that Li Yuhan gave it to him. It seemed that something happened to this thing afterward. Li Yuhan and Lin Chong had a good relationship at that time, so she gave it to Lin Chong.

Since the original work didn't mention this plot point much, it's possible that the film failed to sell. If that's the case, then I understand.

Lin Ran will not let this key go unsold this time. She will keep it in her own hands and hand it over to Lin Chong after he goes out to gain experience. This will also ensure the development of the plot.

This key is an important tool that connects Lin Chong and the beautiful and aloof fairy of the Sword Sect. Although the key was eventually passed on to the fairy, it also caused the two to form an inexplicable grudge.

Thinking about it this way, Lin Ran felt that the future was promising. It didn't matter that Lin Hongjia, the main female lead, had gone astray, because there was still the second female lead who could keep things in check and help Lin Chong in the future, becoming his virtuous wife. He could just enjoy the benefits.

Li Yuhan had anticipated this scene, but the quiet was still a bit eerie, and she didn't want to go to any trouble to beautify the item.

If it doesn't prove useful, it's just a piece of junk. But Li Yuhan had a feeling it would be very useful in the future, so she offered a high price. If no one bids, she'll just let it go unsold.

"The minimum bid for this bronze cube is 10,000 gold coins, with each bid increasing by at least 1,000 gold coins. Please proceed!"

As Li Yuhan's voice faded, the auction hall became even quieter. Who would spend 10,000 gold coins to buy a rusty iron block whose authenticity was unknown? And even if someone had the money, they wouldn't waste it like that.

If it weren't for the fact that swearing would get you "asked to leave," some people would be tempted to start spewing profanities right away. This piece of trash should be taken away as soon as possible.

Looking at the quiet venue, Li Yuhan could only sigh helplessly. Just as she was about to say that the item had failed to sell, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Just in case!"

The soft voice broke the silence of the hall, and instantly, countless eyes followed the sound, finally settling on the private room upstairs. Some complaints also began to circulate.

"Is this guy out of his mind? He actually plans to spend 10,000 gold coins to buy this iron block and put it on display at home?"