I started by submitting to the Douluo Continent, and the nation helped me become a god.

The VIP backstage room at the auction house was excessively luxurious.

The entire room was decorated with nouveau riche aesthetics that were built with gold coins. The four walls were covered with golden nanmu wood panels that were transported from the distant Western Regions, each of which was priceless.

However, all this luxurious arrangement turned into a gloomy background in the next second.

Li Fulan casually tossed the heavy silver briefcase onto the expensive mahogany coffee table with a "bang," as if he were throwing away a bag of worthless potatoes rather than hundreds of thousands of gold soul coins. The priceless Ice Soul Jade tea set on the coffee table clattered and nearly rolled off the table.

With a crisp click as the fingerprint lock opened, the lid popped open.

Inside were neither high-tech weapons nor mysterious soul tools, but neatly stacked, airtight gold soul coins. These gleaming, round metal blocks were arranged according to strict geometric rules, layer upon layer, each layer separated by velvet, so orderly it looked like the work of an obsessive-compulsive.

Under the illumination of that magic lamp, the light reflected from the full chest of gold was so dazzling it could blind a dog.

It's a raw and brutal display of wealth. No fancy packaging, no exquisite embellishment needed; its golden color and heavy weight alone are enough to make anyone's heart race and their breath quicken. This naked visual violence is far more shocking than any fine work of art.

Zhang Wei's hand, which was holding the teacup, suddenly trembled, and he didn't even notice that scalding hot tea had splashed all over the back of his hand.

His beady eyes widened, his mouth gaped open wide enough to fit an egg, and his eyeballs nearly popped out of their sockets. He had seen plenty of money in his life; as a prominent merchant in Notting City, he had handled far more than ten million gold coins. But this was the first time he had ever seen hundreds of thousands of gold soul coins piled up in a box and laid out in front of him for him to see all at once.

The visual impact was so intense that his brain momentarily shut down, leaving only a blank.

"This...this..."

Zhang Wei shakily put down his teacup, the exquisite ice-jade cup making a slight clinking sound in his trembling hands. He took out a handkerchief and frantically wiped the oily sweat from his forehead, the beads of sweat seeming to come out of nowhere, one layer after another, as if he could never get rid of them.

"Teacher Li, this is 600,000 gold soul coins!" His voice trembled, and his tongue stumbled. "You... why didn't you use gold notes? This... this is so heavy! How did you carry it?"

In this world, large transactions are usually conducted through the money exchange of gold notes from the Heaven Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire. These are notes backed by the empire's credit and can be exchanged for an equivalent amount of gold coins at any officially certified money exchange. They are convenient to carry and safe to use. For any transaction involving tens of thousands of gold soul coins, anyone with a brain would choose to use gold notes. Who would bother carrying hundreds of kilograms of gold around everywhere? Isn't that just asking for trouble?

What's more, walking around with so much real money on the street is practically writing "Come rob me!" on his face. What kind of idiot is that?

Li Fulan's expression froze for a moment.

That stiffness was extremely brief, so brief that even Zhang Wei, who had been observing him, didn't notice it. But in the blink of an eye, he regained his unfathomable composure, as if his momentary daze had been merely someone else's illusion.

Gold notes? What the hell are those?

Li Fulan was internally ranting. The system shop only provided him with gold coin crafting recipes, but it didn't mention anything about gold notes! He was a modern person who had only recently transmigrated; how was he supposed to know that this world had such advanced features as bank drafts? This was completely outside his knowledge, a hidden plot point not mentioned in the system guide!

But as a seasoned time traveler, the most important skill is to put on a complete act of showing off and never reveal any weakness.

"I don't like those flimsy pieces of paper."

Li Fulan leaned casually against the sofa, his posture languid and elegant, as if he were lying not on an expensive silk sofa, but on a lounge chair in his own backyard. His slender fingers tapped lightly on his knees, making a rhythmic sound, his tone carrying an arrogance and disdain that regarded money as dirt.

"Only the weight and texture of the metal can make me feel the authenticity of the transaction."

As he spoke, he picked up a gold soul coin and toyed with it between his fingers, the movement as casual as if he were playing with an ordinary marble. The gold coin tumbled and bounced nimbly between his fingers, making a pleasant metallic clanging sound.

"The paper is too light; it'll crumble in the wind." A meaningful smile played on his lips. "I prefer this weighty feel; it makes me feel grounded. What, Mr. Zhang, is it too much trouble?"

Zhang Wei's lips twitched.

Too much trouble? Would he dare to complain about trouble? Let alone gold coins, even if Li Fulan brought a box of stones to pay, he would have to accept it with a smile! What's more, these are genuine gold soul coins, each one a hard currency made of real gold and silver, far more reliable than those gold notes that could be counterfeited!

"No, no!" Zhang Wei quickly smiled ingratiatingly, his fat face crinkling with fawning wrinkles. "Teacher Li is a man of true character! I love your down-to-earth style! Doing business with you is so straightforward and efficient! A million times better than those pedantic scholars who only know how to talk big!"

As he spoke, he gestured towards the door. Several burly henchmen immediately trotted in. Their eyes widened at the box of gleaming gold coins on the coffee table, but being well-trained, they only hesitated for a moment before methodically counting them.

The inventory process took almost half an hour.

The trusted confidants meticulously examined each gold coin's purity with professional testing stones, weighed them with a precision balance, and finally used a magnifying glass to check for scratches or defects. The entire process was as rigorous as conducting a scientific experiment, fearing even the slightest mistake.

Zhang Wei sat to the side, his eyes fixed on the gold coins, afraid that his men might make a mistake. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he had almost wrung out his handkerchief.

Li Fulan, meanwhile, leaned back on the sofa, looking completely unconcerned. He picked up the slightly cooled cup of spiritual tea from the coffee table and sipped it slowly, as if the mountain of gold coins had nothing to do with him.

Finally, the leader of the trusted men straightened up and respectfully nodded to Zhang Wei.

"Six hundred thousand gold soul coins, not a single one missing, all of pure quality, and all qualified."

Zhang Wei let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted. He gestured to his men to pack the gold coins into boxes and carry them away, then personally carried a sandalwood tray with both hands and carefully walked up to Li Fulan.

There are two things on the tray.

An antique silver ring lay quietly on a black velvet cushion, its mottled surface shimmering with an eerie light under the lamplight. On the other side was a dark, ancient whale glue, sealed in a transparent crystal box, its faint, fishy odor still lingering.

The transaction has been confirmed as correct.

"Teacher Li, please take a look." Zhang Wei's voice carried a hint of flattery and respect. "These two items are genuine treasures, absolutely worth more than their price. If you are not satisfied, you can come to me anytime, and I, Zhang, will definitely give you a satisfactory answer!"

Li Fulan put down her teacup and picked up the Sumeru Ring.

The ring felt slightly cool to the touch and was lighter than he had expected. Its mottled silver surface had a subtle, warm feel, like jade polished by time, carrying an ancient charm that had been accumulated over thousands of years.

He gently probed his soul power into the ring.

The next moment, a vast, desolate space appeared in his perception.

It was a void of darkness, with no boundaries around it, but Li Fulan could clearly perceive the extent of this space—a full fifty cubic meters.

The space was larger than he had imagined; it could easily hold half his house, let alone weapons. He could even park a medium-sized truck inside and fill it with all sorts of supplies without any problem.

This is the real portable warehouse.

In comparison, his previous storage belt was practically a toy; its twelve scattered one-cubic-meter spaces weren't even worthy of carrying the ring's shoes.

Li Fulan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a satisfied smile.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

He put the ring on the middle finger of his left hand, and the silver band seemed to have a mind of its own, automatically adjusting to the perfect size, fitting his finger perfectly, neither too tight nor too loose. The feeling was wonderful, as if the ring had been tailor-made for him.

Li Fulan picked up the crystal box containing the millennium whale glue again and casually tossed it into her storage ring. The action was as casual as throwing away trash, showing none of the solemnity one would show towards a rare treasure.

Zhang Wei's lips twitched as he watched, thinking to himself that this old man was far too wealthy and arrogant, casually tossing away something he bought for 100,000 gold soul coins without even blinking.

"Goodbye."

Li Fulan stood up, straightened his collar, and walked gracefully out of the backstage area amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the waiters. His back was unhurried, as if the transaction of 600,000 gold soul coins was just a trivial matter, not even a minor episode in his day.

The moment I stepped out of the back door of the auction house, a faint, chilling aura clung to me like a persistent, venomous wound.

The night was deep, like a huge black curtain shrouding the entire city of Nottingham. The magical streetlights on both sides of the street emitted a dim yellow light, casting a long shadow of Li Fulan, which swayed gently with his steps on the bluestone pavement.

The night wind blew by, carrying a hint of late autumn chill and a faint, almost imperceptible, scent of blood.

Dozens of meters away, in the shadow of the eaves, a pair of cloudy old eyes were fixed on the golden figure in front of him.

Old Wang was like a vulture waiting for carrion; his gaunt and emaciated figure blended into the surrounding darkness, making him almost undetectable. His breathing was calm and long, his heartbeat steady as a stagnant pool, and not a trace of murderous intent emanated from him.

This was an instinct he had honed over decades of assassination work—to disguise himself as a lifeless stone before striking, thus lowering his prey's guard, and then deliver a fatal blow at the most crucial moment.

"Boy, find a place with good feng shui, and I'll send you on your way."

Old Wang licked his chapped lips, a bloodthirsty fervor flashing in his eyes.

He had been following Li Fulan all the way. This young man had no guards or bodyguards with him. He just swaggered around in the dark night, as if he wasn't worried at all that anyone would try to take advantage of him.

Rich people really do have a lot of quirks.

Old Wang sneered inwardly. Carrying a transaction worth hundreds of thousands of gold soul coins without complaint—how confident must he be? But this kid is also incredibly audacious, flaunting such wealth and daring to walk alone at night. Does he really think Notting City is some kind of model of law and order?

This is a border city, a melting pot of all sorts of people. Every night, at least eighty or a hundred people die in the dark alleys. For a lowly commoner without a martial spirit to parade around with a priceless treasure—isn't that just asking for death?

But that's fine, it saves him the trouble.

Old Wang slightly curled his fingers, and his soul power began to flow slowly within his body. As a level 58 Soul King, he was absolutely confident that he could take this young man's life in a single blow. The opponent was just a useless piece of trash without a martial soul, like a lamb to the slaughter in front of him, utterly powerless to fight back.

And the best part is that after killing him, all those treasures will be his.

Although it's nominally to be handed over to Prince Avalanche, who can prove how much wealth that lowly commoner actually possesses? As long as he keeps his mouth shut and pockets thirty to fifty thousand gold soul coins, Prince Avalanche will have no idea.

Thinking of this, a greedy glint flashed in Old Wang's eyes.

He decided to follow for a while longer, until they reached a more secluded spot before making his move. That way, even if someone heard the commotion, the place would be deserted by the time they arrived. He could then simply dispose of the body cleanly, and no one would know where this incredibly wealthy young man had gone.