After transmigrating into the body of the protagonist's childhood friend, he was targeted by a

The shopkeeper was working on his abacus behind the counter when he looked up and saw Wen Wuqing step in. His face instantly lit up with a smile, and he hurriedly went to greet him: "Young Master Wen, what brings you here?"

"It's an honor to have you here! Are you going to see a play or listen to a musical today? There's a new play being performed on the second floor; we've reserved the best seat for you."

Wen Wuqing felt pleased by the flattery and unconsciously straightened his back a little, giving the shopkeeper an appreciative look.

"I'm not going to see a play or listen to music today. I brought two friends here for tea. Please find them a quiet, private seat so they won't disturb us."

The shopkeeper readily agreed and personally led the three of them up to the second floor.

He pushed open the door to the innermost private room facing the street, ordered the waiter to bring the best tea and snacks, and then respectfully withdrew.

The three sat down, and Wen Wuqing personally poured Lin Zhixu a cup of tea, speaking casually, "Didn't Fellow Daoist Lin say yesterday that he was leaving Nanling early this morning? Has he changed his mind and wants to stay a few more days?"

Before Lin Zhixu could speak, Li Erniu said in an embarrassed manner, "This is my fault. I've never been to such a bustling place before. Yesterday, my eyes were dazzled when I entered the city, and I was thinking of spending a couple more days there."

"Young Master Wen, you don't know, our remote and impoverished area doesn't even have a decent shop, unlike Nanling, which is so prosperous."

These words perfectly portrayed his impoverished and unsophisticated character, revealing a worldly and greedy yearning in his tone.

Lin Zhixu: "..."

Such amazing acting skills.

Yu Linzhou really lived in the wrong era. With such acting skills, it's a real pity he's not an actor.

Wen Wuqing held his teacup, a fleeting hint of contempt flashing in his eyes, but he smiled gently and said, "Putting everything else aside, Nanling's prosperity is indeed second to none among the southern cities."

He changed the subject, "Alas, I have long wanted to advise Brother Li. Since you have no relation to Fellow Daoist Lin, following him like this is not a long-term solution."

"If Brother Li truly likes this place, why not settle down in Nanling? Don't worry about the rest; I can arrange it for you."

Li Erniu, with a snobbish look that suggested he was blinded by the allure of the world, said, "How could I possibly accept this?"

Wen Wuqing's eyes flashed with disdain as he laughed, "What's there to be embarrassed about? It's just a matter of a word."

Li Erniu picked up his teacup and clinked it against Wen Wuqing's, looking as if they had known each other for a long time, and even changed his address from "Young Master Wen" to "Brother Wen".

"Brother Wen, there's something else I'd like to inquire about. I felt something was off when I entered the city yesterday; there were just too many cultivators coming and going on the streets. Is something big about to happen in Nanling recently?"

Wen Wuqing revealed a hint of arrogance and pride: "You've come to the right person. Those cultivators are all here for the auction."

Lin Zhixu: "An auction?"

Wen Wuqing: "This auction is a joint effort by the Wen family and several other major families in the city. They have made contact with the black market and are preparing to host an unprecedented event."

Li Erniu's eyes flashed, but were quickly replaced by confusion: "Black market? What is that? I've heard of auctions, but surely there's enough to make people flock there? Are they really selling dragon liver and phoenix marrow?"

Wen Wuqing's sense of superiority swelled even more as he was provoked by the man's ignorant appearance: "The black market isn't a place just anyone can enter. The things inside are extremely rare, even those that are hard to come by in a thousand years. If you're lucky, you might even stumble upon a treasure that's only seen once in ten thousand years."

"To put it bluntly, only the Wen family could have managed to bring black market items into the open for auction in the entire South."

"These cultivators have traveled thousands of miles to come, naturally for a fortuitous opportunity. Tell me, how could anyone not be tempted?"

He couldn't hide his pride as he said this, clearly extremely proud of the Wen family's influence in the auction.

Li Erniu verbally agreed with "That's right, that's right," but secretly gave Lin Zhixu a wink and whispered, "How about it? Want to go join the fun?"

Lin Zhixu: [Of course. This kind of thing is rare and hard to come by. It would be a pity to miss it.]

Lin Zhixu looked up at Wen Wuqing, who was still praising the Wen family's achievements, and asked, "Would we have the honor of participating?"

Wen Wuqing paused in his speech.

To be honest, he didn't have much say in the matter of the invitation letter in the Wen family.

Each invitation plays a crucial role and requires a collective decision from the elders.

But he simply couldn't bring himself to say those words in front of Lin Zhixu.

He hesitated for only a moment before quickly regaining his smile. "Of course. However, I don't have any invitations on hand right now, so I'll have to go back to my residence to get them. Why don't you two come back with me? You can enter directly when the auction starts, saving you the trouble of traveling back and forth."

Li Erniu narrowed his eyes; this kid probably didn't have any good intentions.

Once back at the Wen residence, it will be his territory, and he will be in charge then.

However, with him around, the small Wen family can't cause any trouble.

He wanted to see how many guts the Wen family had to provoke him.

He readily agreed.

Lin Zhixu also agreed.

……

The Wen family.

The lights illuminated the room as bright as day, making the wrinkles on the faces of the elders present appear even deeper.

The head of the Wen family, sitting uneasily in the main seat, finally couldn't help but ask in a deep voice, "Elder Feng, what exactly did that person in the black market say? I've already spread the word, and now countless cultivators are watching this auction."

"If the cooperation fails, my Wen family will undoubtedly incur the wrath of the masses, and those of you present should know the consequences better than I do."

Those present certainly understood.

The Wen family can no longer withstand the wrath of so many cultivators. If things really come to a head, they will have no choice but to ask their ancestor to intervene.

But the old ancestor had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs, and the little affection the Wen family had for him was dwindling with each passing moment.

No one would be willing to play this last trump card unless absolutely necessary.

Sitting first to his left was Wen Feng, the second elder of the Wen family, who was also the person in charge of this negotiation with the black market.

He waited until the murmurs subsided before speaking slowly and deliberately: "Patriarch, please don't be impatient. I have gathered you all here today precisely to discuss this matter."

He glanced around, his gaze sweeping over each expectant yet anxious face, and finally a hint of smugness appeared on his face. "The black market has given a definite answer. That person has agreed. As long as we don't go too far, he won't interfere."

"real!"

Everyone was overjoyed.

The head of the Wen family leaned back in his chair, exhaling a long breath of stale air, his rare joy evident in his expression.

The Wen family took a desperate gamble and turned to the black market, truly driven to the brink of desperation.

The Wen family has been on a downward spiral in recent years. The younger generation in the family is of mediocre talent, and there is a lack of successors. In the eyes of outsiders, they are still a high-ranking family, but only they know that they are already riddled with problems inside.

Although a starved camel is still bigger than a horse, Nanling has more than just one powerful family.

If the Wen family shows weakness, the other major families will unite to attack them, and the Wen family will surely be defeated.

Once this reputation is established, the Wen family will be able to regain its footing and even rise to a higher level.