Chapter 460 - 441: Auction
Lin Qingfeng chose to start over.
The surrounding scenery began to warp as a sense of weightlessness washed over him. Light and shadow churned, and a moment later, the scene coalesced once more.
When the soles of his shoes once again touched solid ground, Lin Qingfeng opened his eyes and nearly let a curse slip out.
The same front gate.
The same "Lin Mansion" plaque.
The same angle. Even the stone ball held in the mouth of the stone lion by the gate hadn’t moved an inch.
Worst of all, there was still no "skip cutscene" option, nor was there a fast-forward button.
’Are you kidding me? Don’t tell me you’re pulling that "skipping the cutscene is skipping life" garbage. Can’t we inherit some of the *good* stuff? Why inherit the trash, too?! What’s next, are you going to make me watch a thirty-second ad to revive a teammate? Snap out of it!’
’As expected, all crows under the sky are black. Game designers are all black-hearted.’
While Lin Qingfeng was cursing up a storm in his head, his body was once again taken over by that invisible force. He was forced to walk in measured steps toward the main hall, where he was clearly about to be played for a fool.
Meanwhile, Su Ling’er, who was trailing behind him, was completely numb.
Just a moment ago, she vividly remembered watching her Senior Brother dominate the greedy steward, even controlling her own hand to slap the man. The thrilling sensation had barely faded before her vision went black.
When she opened her eyes again, how was she back at the front gate?
Su Ling’er desperately tried to make her little finger move—even a twitch would have been enough—but the digit was as unresponsive as if it belonged to someone else, remaining utterly still.
She could only watch helplessly as her head lowered again, her hands folded in the posture of a submissive maidservant, and she followed behind her Senior Brother.
’What... what is happening?’
A tidal wave of shock crashed through Su Ling’er’s mind.
The feel of the wind on her cheeks, the scent of dust in the air, even the vibrations under her feet as she stepped on the stone slabs—it was all terrifyingly real.
’Could it be... Time Travel?’
The moment the thought appeared, Su Ling’er felt a chill creep into her heart.
This was an unnatural technique that, according to legend, could only be used by ancient monsters who had lived for thousands of years—and not just any ancient monster, but a supreme being from the storybooks, one whose power approached the Celestial Dao. And it had just happened right before her very eyes?
She had read in the sect’s records that some great demon lords, in order to perfect such an evil art, could lock the time of an entire region, forcing people to relive the same moments endlessly until their very souls were ground to dust.
Su Ling’er’s heart went cold.
’Could it be that the Demon Venerable from the Guixi Sect, the one who has yet to show his face, was displeased with Senior Brother’s answer? Or maybe he felt Senior Brother’s refusal was too blunt, that he hadn’t followed the script? And because the brainwashing wasn’t effective enough, His Lordship got upset, gave a little flick of his finger, and turned back time?’
’That’s too absurd. It can’t be, right? It definitely can’t be. It must be just an illusion. Otherwise, how could Senior Brother possibly fight an existence of that level?’
She snuck a peek at her Senior Brother walking ahead of her.
Lin Qingfeng still had that same unhurried posture, his steps identical to before. Even the rebellious strand of hair sticking up from the back of his head was in the exact same position.
’Hold on, Senior Brother! Whether this is an illusion or Time Travel, you must stay true to yourself! Don’t let that Demon Venerable influence you!’
Though her lips were sealed and she couldn’t utter a single word, Su Ling’er was cheering for him with all her might in her heart.
’Senior Brother must be using his immense willpower to resist the erosion of that unseen will right now.’
At that thought, Su Ling’er’s eyes began to feel a little hot.
’Senior Brother has it so hard. In this den of demons, he has to pretend to be a ruthless killer to deal with those Evil Cultivators, find time to bring a troublesome junior sister like me out to see the world, and now he has to constantly resist the brainwashing from the Demon Venerable behind the scenes.’
’Why did Senior Brother bring me into this trial? Does he hope that I can help him? But what can I do to help? I’m so weak, I feel like I can’t help with anything. Or maybe... ’
’Or perhaps... seeing me by his side is what allows him to stay true to himself, to resist the temptations of the evil path?’
As Su Ling’er thought of this, a blush crept onto her cheeks, and a small thrill of excitement ran through her heart.
’You can do it, Senior Brother!’
’We will walk toward a bright future! We will surely restore order and justice to all the people under heaven, to the Cultivation Realm, and to the entire world!’
Just as her wild thoughts were about to make her question her own sanity, their heels crossed the threshold of the Lin Mansion.
The scene replayed itself.
The fat steward, wearing that same utterly phony smile, came rolling in again.
"Oh, Mr. Lin! Please forgive my presumptuous visit! It’s been quite a journey..."
Su Ling’er held her breath, eagerly awaiting her Senior Brother’s follow-up face-slapping performance.
The fat steward’s spittle once again flew through the air as he finished his tired old speech about the "Nabo Garden" and its "millennium of cultural heritage."
The translucent choice menu reappeared before Lin Qingfeng’s eyes.
Lin Qingfeng stared at the two options, feeling his conscience and his intelligence being ground into the dirt.
’Option two: speedrun, no rewards, have to start over.’
’Option one: get scammed, but continue the story.’
Lin Qingfeng sighed internally. He had no choice. To clear the stage, he had to bite the bullet and walk right into the trap, hoping to at least find a new way to get screwed over.
For the sake of all the achievements, for that "Calling a Deer a Horse" title, for the pile of rewards he hadn’t yet obtained...
’Let’s do this!!!’
Lin Qingfeng took a deep breath and finally selected the option that made his entire body cringe: option one.
The next second, his mouth opened uncontrollably, and a righteous, awe-inspiring expression even appeared on his face.
"The steward’s words are absolutely right!
"I was raised by the people of this land, and I often think of how I can give back to my home. Now that there’s such a brilliant plan to consolidate our cultural heritage and benefit the entire city, what are a few mere worldly possessions? They’re not even worth mentioning!
"They can be brought out! To grace the Nabo Garden and to be a feast for the eyes for all the city’s people! The honor is all mine!"
As his voice fell, Su Ling’er, who had been expecting her Senior Brother’s second counterattack, was left completely stunned.
Her mind was buzzing.
’Wait...’
’Senior Brother, what are you saying?’
’Weren’t you supposed to see right through this fatso’s scheme to line his own pockets? Don’t you know this so-called "Nabo Garden" is just a front to swindle money? That’s not what you said last time!’
’How could the script change completely after just one reset?’
’Could the Time Travel have gone wrong and... scrambled Senior Brother’s brain? No, a man like Senior Brother would never make such a low-level mistake.’
Su Ling’er forced herself to calm down.
’There must be a deeper meaning!’
’Yes, this must be Senior Brother’s plan to beat him at his own game!’
’Senior Brother is just putting on a show for the Demon Venerable behind the Guixi Sect! He’s showing the Demon Venerable that he has already become a puppet and poses no threat!’
’It also shows that the Demon Venerable’s brainwashing plan has been a great success, that Senior Brother has been thoroughly brainwashed, and there’s no need to worry about him rebelling.’
’I can’t believe Senior Brother would sacrifice so much for the sake of the righteous path.’
Meanwhile, on Lin Qingfeng’s side, as soon as he made his choice, the fat steward’s face bloomed into a smile that resembled a chrysanthemum.
"Oh! Mr. Lin is truly a man of great understanding! Such noble character! I... I am truly... It is such a shame we did not meet sooner! I wish we could become sworn brothers!"
The fat steward leaped from his chair in excitement. He rushed over in a few quick steps, grabbed Lin Qingfeng’s hand, and patted the back of it repeatedly. The sensation sent a wave of goosebumps down Lin Qingfeng’s skin.
"Mr. Lin, oh, Mr. Lin! I was not mistaken about you, not at all! Your generosity, your spirit, it is simply a model for our generation, a moral benchmark for all the merchants in the city!"
"Men! Come! Quickly, register all the treasures Mr. Lin is donating! Be careful with them! These will be the future crown jewels of our Nabo Garden!"
At the fat steward’s shout, several attendants immediately stepped forward and carted away the ten items Lin Qingfeng had "donated."
Immediately after, a notification box popped up in Lin Qingfeng’s vision:
[Congratulations! You have answered the call of the Nabo Garden.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Honorary Gentleman (No stat bonuses. Serves only as moral encouragement. Equipping may result in verbal praise from certain NPCs and an increased chance of being solicited.)]
[Reputation +1]
Looking at this useless title that only offered verbal praise and might even attract more scammers, the corner of Lin Qingfeng’s mouth twitched relentlessly.
"Thank you for your donation, Mr. Lin! On behalf of the Business Alliance, on behalf of all the people of this city, I offer you my highest respects! Your name will forever be engraved on the Nabo Garden’s tablet of merit!"
Lin Qingfeng maintained his smile.
’You’d better actually carve it on that tablet.’
Then, time began to accelerate. The sun rose and set, seasons changed, and the original scene blurred with the rapid passage of time.
Subtitles appeared before Lin Qingfeng’s eyes, describing the subsequent events.
[Year 1]: You generously donated your family heirlooms, and the name of the Lin Mansion became famous throughout the city. The Business Alliance specially awarded you a gold-lacquered plaque for being a "Family of Great Virtue." However, this also attracted countless covetous gazes. Other wealthy families who did not donate were subtly suppressed, their businesses obstructed at every turn. Thanks to your decision, the Lin Mansion enjoyed a period of temporary peace.
[Year 2]: The Nabo Garden officially opened to great fanfare. You went to visit, full of anticipation, only to discover that the "Lin Mansion treasures" on display were clearly shoddy fakes. Suspicion bloomed in your heart, and you attempted to inquire, but the fat steward solemnly informed you: "The real items are priceless treasures that require special protection and cannot be easily shown to the public. These are merely display pieces, made so that the common people can also appreciate them."
Reading these subtitles, Lin Qingfeng almost wanted to laugh.
The light and shadow suddenly froze!
When Lin Qingfeng and Su Ling’er could see clearly again, they found themselves in a vast, grand hall.
This was a secret underground meeting place in the city, a place where darkness festered and filth accumulated.
An auction was currently underway!