Chapter 2698 - 2690: Putting on a Bold Front

Chapter 2698: Chapter 2690: Putting on a Bold Front

Speaking of the relationship between the Luo Family and Feng Jun, it’s really not bad, they once had common enemies and fought together.

However, when Feng Jun developed the Virtual Combat Magical Treasure, there happened to be no members of the Luo Family at White Pebble Beach, so they got the news late.

By the time they came to line up, they were relatively far back, and the Luo Family members complained to Feng Jun quite openly: Why didn’t you say something earlier?

Feng Jun couldn’t refuse this gesture of goodwill, so he could only say: I was just trying out the refining process, didn’t think I’d necessarily succeed.

If I notified your family in advance and what I developed wasn’t perfect, wouldn’t that be betraying a friend?

Actually, he really didn’t think to inform them, as there wasn’t anyone from White Pebble Beach available. He could have gone himself, but if he notified the Luo Family, should he notify other families too? Wei Sancai even personally helped him deal with the Jiu Ge Sage, and he didn’t notify the Wei Family either.

The Wei family’s quota was reported with the help of Qian Zhong.

The Luo Family didn’t make a big fuss, as Feng Jun was very popular at the moment, and having an acceptable explanation was already giving a lot of face.

They also customized top-level Magical Treasures, with twenty Extreme Spirits...as if no one else could afford it.

But in reality, they were a bit conflicted... The Ji Family, ranked first, and the Xuanyuan Family, ranked third, both ordered two top-configured items!

The Luo Family ranks second in the family strength rankings!

The Luo Family once had deep heritage, but in the course of the entire family’s struggle, losing to the Ji and Xuanyuan families is normal, while winning... is abnormal.

So, whether to order one or two, is a difficult choice.

The Luo Family truly doesn’t want to pretend to be richer than they are, as all families have risk control awareness, and "living within one’s means" is a golden rule every family holds dear. Can a family that doesn’t understand living within their means even consider themselves part of a family hierarchy?

There are simply too many families, big and small, on the Tianqin Plane. Seriously, the solo cultivators and micro-families are very rare, but most families can only be considered loose cultivators. Why?

Not just any family can be called a family! A proper family is a "clan" in the Earth Realm concept.

If you don’t have ten or eight generations of heritage, do you have the nerve to call yourself a family?

In the Tianqin Main Plane, to become a family, at the very least... you need a Nascent Soul ancestor, right?

A Nascent Soul has a lifespan of three thousand; a family with ten generations of Nascent Souls should at least maintain a family without decline for ten thousand years, right?

Actually, this is secondary. To maintain a good family, setting good family rules and strictly maintaining them is essential!

Therefore, the Luo Family has a reason not to buy two sets of Magical Treasures—it would exceed their economic capacity.

It’s not that they can’t afford it, but they shouldn’t buy it!

But there was a strong voice to buy two sets as well, the main reason being, if our Luo Family is ranked third, even if both the Ji and Xuanyuan families buy two Magical Treasures, it wouldn’t matter if we only bought one. But the key issue is—we’re ranked second!

Controlling expenses is crucial, but the morale of our Luo Family people is also very important.

After much discussion, today Feng Jun is going to refine Magical Treasures for the Luo Family, and it really can’t be delayed any longer. If, after he finishes the first set, a second set is requested, it would be disrespectful to White Pebble Beach, and other cultivators might exploit this.

So, many from the Luo Family came along, mainly to escort the Extreme Spirits needed for refining the second set of Magical Treasures.

Seeing the encrypted box handed over, Feng Jun didn’t open it to check but swiped his mobile phone, didn’t take the box, and gave the person a thoughtful look, "Hmm?"

Leading the group was a member of the Luo Family named Luo Tianxiang, Nascent Soul Seventh Layer, a descendant of Luo Shiqi’s brother Luo Twenty-nine. Luo Shiqi’s only recognized brother in his eyes is this Twentynine who only has a rank and no name, so he takes good care of Luo Tianxiang.

"Top configuration!" Luo Tianxiang spoke loudly, while secretly giving Feng Jun a meaningful glance, then smiled and said, "This is the twenty Extreme Spirits for the second item, we rushed to get it here, should be in time, right?"

Feng Jun’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, expressionlessly he said, "Sending it over at this time kind of disrupts the plan... What if I say it’s too late?"

"If it’s too late, then just refine one item for his family," someone shouted loudly, and when everyone turned their heads, they found it was Hua Sheng, True Immortal of the Yuangang Sect, "My Yuangang is still in line, we can’t afford others to cut in line."

Actually, Yuangang Sect’s queue position was even behind Ji Family’s second item, but fewer conflicts upfront was always better. Whether it was a sect force or a clan force, he didn’t care, but targeting the clan force’s number two was even better.

Luo Tianxiang glanced at him but ignored him, and instead handed Feng Jun a piece of Obsidian with a smile, "The Seventeenth Old Ancestor has a message for you, please have a look first, Mountain Master Feng, it’s an honor."

Feng Jun actually didn’t want to look at it, but since the other party was a grand Nascent Soul Seventh Layer, using "you" to address him, who is only a Mid-Stage Golden Core and also the message was from an Out of Body True Sage, he had to give some face, right?

He sensed the obsidian, and his expression suddenly became extremely bizarre, half-smiling, half-crying, like a mix of stomach pain and mild discomfort.

After some thought, he took out a cigarette and lit it, taking several drags until more than half of it was gone, before slowly speaking, "The Seventeen Great Sage even left a special message... that’s quite considerate."

He couldn’t help but feel odd; he hadn’t accepted the box just now because... there were only fifteen elite pieces inside. What kind of joke is this?

As it turned out, the Seventeenth True Sage used obsidian to let him know; the second set of magical treasures is enough, the external claims are premium set, which the Luo Family is clear about, just please don’t spread it around... and don’t laugh, the Luo Family really doesn’t have enough elite pieces, borrowed two more to make up the fifteen.

No wonder that guy didn’t come to meet in person, he really couldn’t face me.

As for whether the Luo Family has no elite pieces and borrowed two or not, anyone who believes that is a fool. A big clan like that would surely have some backup.

"The Old Ancestor just doesn’t want you to worry," Luo Tianxiang smiled warmly, "hence the special explanation."

Feng Jun pondered for a moment but still didn’t take the box, "Come into my estate, we need to have a private chat."

"No problem," Luo Tianxiang put away the box and nodded with a smile, "We’re not outsiders."

Hua Sheng True Immortal saw their matter resolved and stopped staring, but Jiang Family’s True Immortal looked a bit suspicious.

The two quickly arrived at the estate’s entrance, for with Jing Ling’s presence, most cultivators knew that their divine sense should be withdrawn here — being too close to the estate is disrespectful to the powerful.

Luo Tianxiang didn’t rush to walk through the gates either — afraid that once inside, if things aren’t clarified, it might lead to unnecessary consequences.

Nowadays, Feng Jun isn’t very afraid of other cultivator forces, but this rise might provoke the Luo Family’s caution against him.

The idea that the Luo Family is afraid of White Pebble Beach isn’t exactly right, but this matter... ultimately, the Luo Family is at fault.

So the two paused outside the threshold, and as other divine senses detected, they attempted to sneak a little closer, yet Jing Ling’s divine sense spread outside the estate — be sensible, hurry and scram!

Damn it, as if no one has a bit of gossip in mind.

Once it overflowed, other divine senses retreated like a tide, and Luo Tianxiang could only released his divine sense with a bitter smile, "This matter... sigh, really hard to speak of, I’m sure there are only fifteen elite pieces, we wanted standard set, the premium is just outward promotion."

Feng Jun looked at him with no expression for a long while before releasing his divine sense, "What if I accidentally... took that box?"

"There’s also obsidian in the box," Luo Tianxiang answered without hesitation. He understood the possibility of misunderstanding — the Luo Family indeed didn’t intend to deceive Feng Jun, "It’s also the Old Ancestor’s message, you can check for yourself later."

Feng Jun was still slightly unsettled, "I heard about the Luo Family’s difficulties before... is it really so dire?"

Luo Tianxiang thought for a moment, then nodded and vaguely answered, "Pretty much."

Seeing him hedging at this moment, Feng Jun’s face darkened, "Couldn’t you give me a heads-up beforehand? Or do you think I’m hard to talk to?"

Luo Tianxiang weighed the situation, thinking he shouldn’t further provoke Feng Jun, and resolved himself, "Actually, there has always been debate within the family, the second magical treasure isn’t about putting on airs, but rather because of demand, every branch voiced their need, and the decision was ultimately made."

This explanation Feng Jun indeed believed; if it was just for comparison, the Luo Family should have made their decision earlier without pulling such a stunt — really easy to offend people.

Moreover, the Luo Family’s disciples aren’t few, not just the Luo Family, even the lower-ranked Wei Family would find one set of magical treasures absolutely insufficient, and disciples wanting to enter wouldn’t know what kind of high-difficulty task they would have to complete.

Therefore, the Luo Family naturally trends toward needing two sets of magical treasures, plus the clan ranks second, giving lower members stronger reasons to urge — the Luo Family can’t afford to lose face!

In the end, human feelings are indeed strange, with only one set of magical treasures, many people would calculate slightly and instinctively believe they couldn’t be the one selected — truly a matter of more wolves than meat.

But with two sets, it’s entirely different — if I work hard, maybe I could snatch a chance.

When many people think this way, even the Family Head can’t suppress it, certainly, the Family Head has absolute authority, but when morale disintegrates, the team really is hard to lead, and only buying one set would not only cause clan members to complain but also face ridicule from other clans.

The accumulated resentment within the clan is definitely not as simple as one plus one equals two; it must be more than two.

Feng Jun analyzed for a while, thinking his logic was correct, so he asked another question, "You Luo Family don’t even have two extra elite pieces?"

This question wasn’t about the truth but watching if Luo Tianxiang was willing to tell the truth.

Luo Tianxiang certainly knew what his family’s Old Ancestor’s message was. To him, the Old Ancestor’s plea of poverty really seemed unnecessary; such a large Luo Family, why be so petty?