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

Liu Shuyan stared into his eyes for a long time, seemingly trying to determine whether his words were true or false.

Finally, she pursed her lips slightly and stepped aside, but her tone remained cold and hard: "If you change your mind one day, you can come to the Liu family to find me anytime."

Yu Linzhou angrily dragged Lin Zhixu away quickly.

Neuropathy!

Lin Zhixu suppressed a laugh.

It's rare to see Yu Linzhou suffer a setback.

Lin Zhixu turned around and watched the group of people surrounding Liu Shuyan as they walked away.

These people aren't actually bad.

They knew Wen Wuqing's true identity, yet they still chose to stand on the opposing side.

They could have simply pretended not to see it, turning a blind eye like most people, and protecting themselves.

Liu Shuyan stepped forward and stopped them, even though they had no prior relationship, yet he was willing to stand up for a complete stranger.

These people are all kind.

It is truly rare that this kindness has not been worn away by the years and the hypocrisy of human relationships.

Lin Zhixu looked away. Even though he didn't need to be saved, he was willing to accept this kindness.

……

Back at the Wen family home.

Yu Linzhou behaved himself for two days and finally made it to the start of the auction.

The auction was held at the largest restaurant owned by the Wen family, heavily guarded at the entrance, and invitations were checked for everyone entering and leaving.

Several rogue cultivators who tried to take advantage of the chaos were beaten away by the guards and fell to the opposite side of the street, unable to get up for a long time. The onlookers didn't even dare to breathe.

Only then did people realize that the guards standing at the door were at least at the Nascent Soul stage.

Someone remarked, "No wonder it's the black market; even the gatekeepers are at the Nascent Soul stage."

This immediately drew a chorus of nods of agreement.

Yu Linzhou swaggered over with Lin Zhixu, took out the invitation he had taken from Wen Wuqing, and handed it over.

After the guard verified his identity, he nodded, indicating that he could enter.

Just as Yu Linzhou was about to pull Lin Zhixu inside, the guard stopped him, his tone cold: "You can go in, but he can't."

Yu Linzhou protested, "Why? He's my Daoist partner. Can't he even go in with me?"

The guard said coldly, "Each person needs an invitation. No matter what your relationship is, you can't come in without an invitation."

Yu Linzhou: "..."

Who set up this ridiculous rule?

The commotion at the entrance had already attracted the attention of many people.

Some local cultivators from Nanling recognized Wen Wuqing's appearance and began whispering among themselves.

"What's going on? Isn't that the young master of the Wen family? Why is he being stopped? Surely the young master of the Wen family isn't allowed to enter an auction organized by the Wen family?"

"Didn't you hear? He wanted to bring the man next to him in, but that man didn't have an invitation."

"Wasn't Young Master Wen always the most polite? Why is he so arrogant today, even clashing with the guards?"

"What do you know? Even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman." A low chuckle rippled through the crowd.

It was at this moment that the head of the Wen family arrived.

He heard the discussions from afar, and his face instantly darkened.

He strode forward, glared at Yu Linzhou, then turned to the guards with a smile and cupped his hands in greeting: "My son is young and ignorant, he has caused you all trouble."

He then pulled an invitation from his pocket and handed it over, explaining, "Here's the invitation. My son forgot to bring it in his haste. Please forgive him."

The guard showed no emotion, took the invitation, verified it was correct, and then let them pass.

As soon as the three entered, the head of the Wen family lowered his voice and reprimanded them, "What's wrong with you? Didn't I tell you to keep a low profile? I already told the people at the door that you could have just said a few kind words and given your name and gone in. Why did you have to clash with the guards in public? You're just making a fool of yourself!"

Yu Linzhou: "..."

Who did you tell? How would I know what nonsense you talked to Wen Wuqing about?

The more the Wen family head spoke, the angrier he became, but with the auction just around the corner, he had no time to settle scores with him.

"You find me a spot and stay put. I'll settle things with you after the auction."

After that, I rushed off to a social engagement.

Yu Linzhou looked resentful.

"I should have known better than to use the identity of Wen Wuqing. I didn't get much benefit, just a lot of trouble."

Lin Zhixu couldn't help but laugh.

The auction hall was decorated in a magnificent and opulent style. Although it could not compare to the mysterious and profound atmosphere of a real black market, it was still extremely grand.

Tens of thousands of shimmering glass lamps hung from the dome, illuminating the entire hall as bright as day, while brocade curtains hung from the walls.

Even the waiters were dressed in uniform spirit satin robes, making it clear that the Wen family had spared no expense for this auction.

Yu Linzhou glanced around, then leaned close to Lin Zhixu's ear and whispered, "Tell me what you want later, and I'll take pictures of it for you."

Lin Zhixu shook his head. "Let's see how things go. This auction only revealed its cooperation with the black market; the specific items up for auction were not disclosed at all."

"But the items sold on the black market are never ordinary, and the competition is definitely fierce. There's no need to waste money. Only make a purchase if you really need it."

Yu Linzhou readily agreed, secretly pleased with himself, thinking how considerate his little apprentice was, knowing how to save him money.

"Let's go, I'll take you to a private room." He took Lin Zhixu's hand and headed upstairs.

Lin Zhixu, being led by him, asked in confusion, "Where did you get this private room?"

Those who can sit in the penthouse private room are definitely not ordinary people; they are most likely important figures in the cultivation world.

Even though Wen Wuqing is the young master of the Wen family, he is not entitled to a private room.

Yu Linzhou smiled mysteriously: "I naturally have my own methods."

……

Yu Linzhou pulled Lin Zhixu into an inconspicuous corner, through a hidden door, and in front of them was a long corridor covered with a black spirit pattern carpet, with two black-robed guards standing at the end.

Yu Linzhou casually produced a token, which was entirely black except for a simple dark gold pattern engraved in the center.

The two guards' expressions changed drastically. They immediately bowed and silently pushed open the door behind them.

The world inside the gate is a hidden paradise.

The entire wall was transformed into a massive one-way light screen, offering an unobstructed view of the auction hall below.

The soft couch was covered with high-grade spirit beast fur, and spirit tea and several plates of rare spirit fruits were already laid out on the table.

Lin Zhixu stood in front of the light screen and looked down for a moment. This was definitely not a position that the Wen family could arrange.

He turned to look at Yu Linzhou, "How did you manage that?"

Yu Linzhou had already sprawled out on the soft couch, picked up a spirit fruit and took a bite, saying casually, "It's simple, because I'm the master of the black market."

Lin Zhixu: "...?"

"!!!"

Lin Zhixu was surprised: "You just told me that?"

"What's wrong with talking about this?" Yu Linzhou nonchalantly picked up another spirit fruit, weighed it in his hand, and said, "It's not like I have any shameful identity."

He shoved the spirit fruit into Lin Zhixu's hand, his eyes crinkling into a smile. "Here, try this. It's a black market special; you can't buy it outside."

Lin Zhixu took the fruit and recalled something.

"So you know what happened to me on the black market back then."

Yu Linzhou nodded: "More or less. Later, when you were attacked by Elder Chu, I wanted to help you, but you managed to escape, so I didn't show up."

Lin Zhixu's eyes were complicated: "So you also know about my conversation with the black market manager?"

Yu Linzhou stretched out his hand, pinched his index finger and thumb together, and made a slight distance between them.

"A little bit."

Lin Zhixu: "..."

Wouldn't he have been exposed long ago?