The Auction House

The next day's matches concluded smoothly. Gu Yuena stood by Linchen's side, whispering to him about the details of the matches they had just witnessed.

Xie Xie, meanwhile, was grumbling about how troublesome his opponents had been.

Tang Wulin hesitated for a moment before asking Linchen, "Brother Linchen, do you know where the Eastsea City auction house is? I want to bid on a few things."

Linchen turned his head upon hearing this, a flash of understanding crossing his glazed eyes. "I'm not very familiar with Eastsea City yet. You should ask Xie Xie; he knows this place much better than we do."

"Leave it to me." Xie Xie patted his chest, looking like an old hand as he spoke: "It's at the Eastsea Museum. Our city's auction house is run in conjunction with the museum. There's a dedicated auction and exhibition area inside that holds regular auctions."

Xie Xie leaned in curiously, blinking as he asked, "Wulin, what are you trying to buy? You're being so mysterious."

Tang Wulin replied vaguely, "Just some... resources for cultivation. Nothing special."

As he spoke, he cast a glance at Linchen, terrified that if Xie Xie kept pressing, Linchen might reveal what happened last night.

Linchen naturally caught his gaze and patted Xie Xie on the shoulder. "Everyone has their own path of cultivation. If Wulin finds it inconvenient to say, you shouldn't keep pestering him."

Xie Xie curled his lip and scratched his head. He didn't ask further, only muttering, "Fine, don't say it then. No need to be so secretive."

After asking Xie Xie about the prices of spiritual items, Tang Wulin left Linchen and the others where they were and headed back to the dormitory first.

Linchen turned to look at Gu Yuena beside him and said softly, "Wulin might be in some trouble. Since tomorrow is a rest day, let's go with him."

Gu Yuena nodded gently. "That's fine."

Early the next morning, Tang Wulin had intended to go alone, but he couldn't withstand Xie Xie's relentless pestering, and in the end, the four of them headed to the auction house together.

The Eastsea Museum was located in the city center, a building with a quaint, archaic style consisting of one main building and two wings.

Xie Xie led the three of them to the exhibition area with practiced ease. Even the cheapest items here started at one hundred thousand Federal Credits. "This is the spiritual item zone. See if there's anything you need," Xie Xie said after stopping in front of a rectangular room.

Inside the spiritual item zone, Tang Wulin scanned the rows of display cases quickly, but his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. He shook his head. "These spiritual items are a bit low-grade. Do you have anything over a hundred years old?"

Xie Xie was stunned for a moment, then patted him on the shoulder. "You should've said so earlier! The high-year items are on the second floor. Come on, I'll take you up."

The group soon arrived on the second floor. Just as they rounded the corner, Tang Wulin's gaze was captured by a display case ahead—it held exactly what he needed.

Tang Wulin leaned toward Linchen and lowered his voice, looking rather embarrassed. There was no helping it; a single cent could truly stump a hero. "Brother Linchen, could you lend me some? What I have on hand doesn't seem to be enough."

Linchen nodded to show it was no problem and pulled out a savings card. "There are two million Federal Credits here. Take it first; we can talk if it's not enough."

Tang Wulin took the heavy savings card, his fingertips trembling slightly. His eyes were filled with such gratitude that he didn't know what to say.

Xie Xie, standing to the side, was completely dumbfounded, frozen in place with a look of utter shock on his face.

A few seconds later, he snapped out of it and immediately crowded toward Linchen, winking and fawning. "Brother Linchen, you're actually a hidden tycoon? You just pulled out two million Federal Credits like it was nothing?"

Yun Linchen raised a hand in disgust and shoved the encroaching Xie Xie aside without ceremony. "Go away, go away. Get lost."

He turned to Tang Wulin and said, "Wulin, you and Xie Xie look around here. Na'er and I are going to browse a bit, and we'll come find you later."

"Alright, Brother Linchen, thank you!" Tang Wulin nodded quickly, clutching the savings card tightly, his heart feeling warm.

Linchen and Gu Yuena strolled through the jewelry section side-by-side. Most of the items in the display cases were ordinary trinkets; there were no rare treasures, nor anything that caught their fancy. The two didn't linger and headed back toward Tang Wulin's direction.

Just as they rounded the corner, they heard Xie Xie's heated voice coming from ahead. The two exchanged a glance and hurried forward, just in time to see Xie Xie frowning as he confronted a boy with a center-parted hairstyle.

"So what if you're in Class One? After tomorrow, you'll be in Class Two."

Linchen grabbed Xie Xie's wrist and spoke up. "Xie Xie, haven't you had enough trouble?"

His gaze swept calmly over the group opposite them, his tone as light as casual conversation, yet every word was clear: "Tsk, who lets their dog out without a leash? It's just biting people at random."

When these words were spoken, the group opposite was still dazed. Once they realized what he meant, they acted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, hissing in anger.

The boy stared daggers at Linchen, unable to recognize him for a long time. Gritting his teeth, he spat out three words: "Very well. Fine. Fine." "Enough talk. If you've got guts, we'll settle this on the match stage tomorrow. Remember, my name is Wei Xiaofeng. I'll make you regret this tomorrow!"

After delivering this threat, he glared fiercely at Xie Xie and turned to leave with his two companions without looking back.

As the figures of Wei Xiaofeng and his group disappeared at the end of the corridor, Xie Xie turned to Linchen, his eyes full of admiration. "Brother Linchen, you're something else. One sentence and you got him all worked up."

He paused and added, "But he said his name is Wei Xiaofeng. He's a two-ring cultivator from Class One and has always been quite arrogant in the academy."

Gu Yuena glanced at him coolly. "Xie Xie, are you scared?"

Sensing the atmosphere shifting and seeing the two about to start bickering, Linchen quickly signaled for Tang Wulin to pull Xie Xie aside.

Just then, Tang Wulin's phone rang. He gave the others an apologetic look and stepped aside to answer it.

After hanging up, he hurried back and said to the group, "I'm sorry, Brother Linchen, Na'er, Xie Xie. My teacher called and told me to go to the Blacksmith's Association. I have to go first."

Xie Xie was stunned. "Ah? Then what about your spiritual items?"

"I might not make it back for the auction," Tang Wulin bit his lip, his tone full of anxiety and apology. "I have to trouble you all to bid on these items for me. Please!"

Linchen patted his shoulder. "Go. The Blacksmith's Association is more important. With us here, there won't be any issues."

Tang Wulin looked at them with gratitude and hurriedly said "Thank you" again before turning and walking quickly out of the auction house.

Xie Xie watched Tang Wulin's retreating figure and shrugged helplessly. "Sigh, now it's just the three of us left, and the auction is about to start."

Linchen turned to Gu Yuena beside him and said naturally, "Let's go, Na'er. Let's help Wulin bid for those spiritual items."

Gu Yuena gave a soft affirmative and followed his lead.

Xie Xie followed behind the two, watching them walk shoulder-to-shoulder, and scratched his head with a sigh. "Looks like I'm the only third wheel this time."

It was already night by the time the auction ended. When Tang Wulin rushed back to the dormitory, he found a storage ring on his bed, already containing the three spiritual items he needed.

Tang Wulin glanced at Linchen, who was meditating, and recalled that voice from before: "Beware of Yun Linchen... he already has a path of certain death."

He shook away the restless thoughts, dismissing that golden voice as nonsense. Brother Linchen was so good to him; how could he possibly have a path of certain death?