"Don't mention that bunch of good-for-nothings!"

Old Master Ruan's expression changed abruptly, his previous good mood vanishing in an instant. First, there was the uproar throughout East Sea City caused by Ruan Tang having a child out of wedlock, which had made him lose face and cost the Ruan Family a marriage alliance with a prominent family from the Capital City. Then, Ruan Lan refused to marry the man in a vegetative state from the Fang Family, angering them and resulting in heavy losses for the Ruan Family. And after that, when he wanted to hold his birthday banquet at Haitang Court to show off in front of his friends, he sent out all the invitations only for Ruan Lan to inform him it wasn't possible.

But as Ruan Su stewed in his resentment, he failed to reflect on his own faults. In truth, they had brought it all on themselves. He had never learned to refrain from judging others, nor to quietly reflect on his own transgressions. He only blamed the world for his problems, so it was no wonder Ruan Lan had chosen to move out of the Ruan household.

"In that case, Dad, the shares in our Ruan Family company must not be left to my second brother," Ruan Qingshan said, striking while the iron was hot.

"Don't worry," Ruan Su said with a benevolent smile. "I met with the lawyer yesterday and had the will drawn up. After I die, the Ruan Family will belong to your branch of the family. Your brother's family gets nothing."

Ruan Qingshan and his son, Ruan Jin, exchanged a look, their eyes filled with an unconcealable, overwhelming joy. Song Ru's lips curled into a smug smirk. I knew this day would come!

"Mom, Dad, Grandpa," Ruan Jin said with a wide smile, "it won't just be the Ruan Family. Even Ruan Tang's company and Haitang Court will belong to us!"

After a short pause, he revealed their plan to hire Daoist Dongfang Xun to place a deadly curse on Xu Lai.

Ruan Su raised an eyebrow. "Isn't this… going a bit too far?"

Aside from the Leading Families of the thirteen cities of Jiangnan and a few other major clans, minor families on the fringes like the Ruan Family simply weren't qualified to know that Xu Lai was a Martial Ancestor.

"Dad, you're just too kind," Song Ru said, fanning the flames. "How much money did Ruan Tang and Ruan Lan cause you and our Ruan Family to lose? They must pay us back for that!"

Ruan Su was silent for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Ruan Jin, I'll leave this matter to you."

Ruan Jin was elated. "Grandpa, Dongfang Xun is an immortal. It might cost forty to fifty million just to hire him for one job."

Forty to fifty million!?

Ruan Qingshan and his wife gasped, and even Ruan Su was taken aback.

"Grandpa, you have to be willing to spend this money," Ruan Jin said, enunciating every word. "Haitang Court and the 'Above the White Clouds' company are worth far, far more than forty or fifty million!"

Ruan Su shook his head. "I don't know anything about this. The Ruan Family is no longer under my control."

His lack of refusal was tacit approval.

A smirk played on Ruan Jin's lips. Everything was now in place. He just had to wait for the auction to end, and then he could contact Daoist Dongfang Xun through Wan Yan.

Ruan Tang, Ruan Lan, Xu Lai, your good days are over!

…

In Xu Lai's private box, the best in the house, he had a direct view of the auction on the first floor from his seat on the second. The boxes on either side of him were occupied by the Su and Jiang Families. The other eleven rooms on the second floor were reserved for the Wan Family of East Sea, the Niu Family of Hua City, the Ling Family of Wencheng, and other leading families. The rest of the invited guests were all seated in the main hall on the first floor.

No one dared to object to this blatant preferential treatment; in fact, they saw it as perfectly natural.

"Mr. Xu, there are thirteen items up for auction in total. If you're interested, feel free to join in the bidding," Su Daiyi said, her voice gentle yet filled with respect.

"Mm," Xu Lai nodded.

He suddenly made a soft sound of surprise, having spotted a few familiar faces in the hall below—Ruan Jin's family of three, along with Ruan Su.

After a single glance, Xu Lai looked away. To him, they were no different from random passersby. Or perhaps... they were even less than passersby. When I'm in a good mood, I might even grant a stranger a fortunate encounter. But as for the relatives who once harmed my wife, Ruan Tang... sparing their lives is already an act of immense mercy.

The hall was bustling with at least a thousand people. It was crowded, yet not particularly loud; on the contrary, it was rather quiet. After all, everyone present considered themselves 'upper-class elites,' and loud behavior was naturally beneath them.

Soon, Su Daiyi descended the stairs to personally host the charity auction gala.

"The first item, donated by the Jiang Family of Liu City, is a painting by the renowned Tang Dynasty artist Chen Feng. It has a long and storied history and is in excellent condition," Su Daiyi announced. She paused for a moment before continuing, "The bidding starts at five million, with each increment no less than ten thousand."

"Six million!"

Someone in the audience immediately raised their paddle, and a flurry of bids followed. In the blink of an eye, the price shot past seven million.

Su Daiyi watched the bidding with a smile. This painting is worth a little over eight million. Anything higher... is purely for the sake of face.

This was the first item of the auction, and it had been donated by Eighth Master. Winning the bid meant not only acquiring the item itself but also gaining an opportunity to have one's name remembered by him. This chance might seem trivial, but its value could prove immeasurable in the future.

Ultimately, the painting was sold to a middle-aged man from Hangcheng for ten million, three hundred and twenty thousand—a premium of more than two million! Although the man winced at the expense, he was also incredibly excited. He had always wanted to enter the funeral industry, and he saw this auction as his way to get a foot in the door.

And sure enough, when the man saw Eighth Master give him a slight nod from his private box, he was ecstatic.

The subsequent items donated by the Niu and Wen Families followed a similar pattern. What appeared to be a simple charity auction was, in fact, a reflection of a much deeper power play.

Three hours passed quickly. The prices for the second through eleventh items varied, but they generally fell within the five to seven million range. The only items to surpass ten million were the famous painting donated by Old Jiang Ba and the twelfth item, which came from the Su Family. It was a pair of jadeite pendants that sold for twelve million.

From the auction prices, it was clear to every shrewd observer in the room that the power dynamics in Jiangnan's thirteen cities had shifted. The Su Family would now lead, with the Jiang Family second. The other eleven leading families, including the once-mighty Wan Family, would have to fall in line. Otherwise, no one would have dared to let the Su Family steal the spotlight today.

"Now for our final auction item, donated by the Niu Family of Hua City. It's a meteorite from outer space, with bidding starting at five million."

Su Daiyi smiled as she lifted the cloth covering a glass case, revealing its contents to a stunned audience. Is this really a meteorite?

The object resembled a cylinder, one meter long and ten centimeters wide. Though scorched black, its surface was perfectly smooth and even—as smooth as a metal cylinder turned on a CNC machine.

"What a strange meteorite."

Xu Yiyi and Qian Xiao, who had both taken their first steps into the Cultivation World, looked at Xu Lai with confusion.

"Dad, what is that? It feels really weird."

"That's because it isn't a meteorite," Xu Lai said, stroking his daughter's head. He had been resting with his eyes closed, but now they opened, flashing with a sharp light. I didn't expect Earth to still hold such a treasure.

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