BXBX NOVEL Chapter 406: Four Hundred and Two: Quotation
As Tang Luo’s elder in the clan, even though he finds these conditions far too greedy and unreasonable, it is still his responsibility as an elder to fulfill his obligations.
He cannot allow Mi Jing to leave with his people before the ransom has been negotiated!
A massive golden palm descends from the sky, aiming to strike Mi Jing, as an emerald Divine Wood phantom sprouts from the ground.
The two colossal energies collide mid-air, creating a storm of golden-green shockwaves that radiate outwards. The giant trees hit by the shockwaves are severed at their waist, and the dense foliage that once blocked the sky is now reduced to bare trunks amidst the clash of the two Fierce Realm powerhouses. It’s as if the forest had been given a flat-top haircut.
Mi Jing, who has successfully parried Tang Qian’s attack, turns back angrily and shouts, “Tang Luo has already lost his mind, and nowyou’re acting recklessly too? As for the ransom for Little Chu, I’ll send someone to negotiate with the Tang Clan. As long as the price is reasonable, the Mi Clan won’t haggle. Would I dare to renege when the whole world is watching?!”
Although the Tang and Mi Clans have been in conflict for a thousand years, there are many stories of ‘love and hate.’ With the limited resources around Xiling, even the Tang and Mi Families could not endlessly expand in all directions. Hence, they would inevitably clash from east to west. Tang Qian and Mi Jing are of similar age and cultivation, and they had many grievances when they were young men building their households.
However, with age, their fiery temperaments have cooled somewhat. They could even afford to exchange polite greetings on occasion. But faced with this old rival’s obstruction, Mi Jing was filled with nothing short of utter dissatisfaction.
But what of it?
“You cannot take him away without settling on a ransom!” After finishing his sentence, Tang Qian fell silent, adopting an indifferent and aloof demeanor. The so-called “clan members” will support their companions from behind, even if they know their decision is wrong.
“Thankyou, Sect Elder.” Tang Luo thanked the elder beside him, then turned to the fuming Mi Jing, “I, this Young Master, don’t think the price I just quoted is excessive at all. A ransom of too billion to get Ml Chu back is a huge bargain for the Mi Family. If you disagree, then you can leave Mi Chu’s life here today. I have no objections.”
Although he had returned to his normal size, the characteristic of his ‘voice like a bell’ had not disappeared; it was only weakened. And without the shade of the tree canopy, Tang Luo’s words were even more clear.
But as his words spread to all directions, the onlookers in the forest gasped in amazement, exclaiming in disbelief, seemingly unable to believe that Tang Luo actually thought Mi Chu’s life was worth too billion.
“Hmph, Tang Luo is just being greedy and delusional!” Wan Man couldn’t help but taunt.
Even those who had been siding with Tang Luo in the battle of the geniuses looked somewhat distressed. They felt that Tang Luo had asked for an outrageous amount, to the point of absurdity.
With such reactions from the bystanders, let alone Mi Jing, who was right in the thick of it. He stared coldly at Tang Luo and said, “I sincerely hope that the Tang Clan will be led by you in the future.”
What sounds like praise is actually the worst insult between the Tang and Mi Clans.
As two thousand-year-old families that had been at odds with each other, it was frustrating that, despite their own efforts, the other clan was still able to rule on the other side of the river, unable to monopolize Xiling. Despite the grumbling, there was also admiration for the other clan.
But more often, it was the result of sharp confrontations between the brilliant young men of the two clans.
A few hundred years ago, a talented young master of the Mi Clan made a remark, “I really hope that so-and-so Tang will take charge of the Tang Clan.” The Tang individual mentioned by the young master is a wastrel who indulges in food, drink, and pleasure without studying any skills. People asked curiously why the young master hoped that the man would lead the Tang Clan. Could it be that the man was exceptionally talented?
“No, no, no.” The young master shook his head, “I just hope that he will take charge of the Tang Clan so that the Mi Clan can easily surpass the Tang Clan.” Everyone laughed and understood the young master’s meaning. If a mediocrity were to take charge of the Tang Clan, the Mi Clan would not need to work as hard, and he would not need to strive as much.
Although it was just a complaint, it spread and thus, the greatest insult when the Tang and Mi Clans meet is not something else, but these seemingly complimenting words: “Why aren’t you in charge of the Tang Clan?”
This kind of teasing mostly happens among peers, but Mi Jing, who is a full two generations older than Tang Luo, still spat out these words, causing the onlookers to laugh. They felt that Tang Luo, despite his infinite potential in martial arts, wasn’t all-powerful.
Perhaps the success of the Righteous Business Group gave this genius the illusion that making money is easy, opening his mouth to demand a ransom of too billion. The spectators couldn’t help but find some balance in their minds.
Yet, Tang Luo, as if he hadn’t heard Mi Jing’s laughter or the mockery of the spectators, calmly said, “Since even you think my asking price is high, I’ll show you why I believe this Young Master Chu is indeed worth too billion!”
His forceful words once again quelled the crowd’s noise. Mi Jing, seeing Tang Luo’s stubbornness, coldly laughed and said lightly, “I’d also like to hear why Young Master Tang quoted such a high price of too billion and why you think it’s ‘reasonable’.”
Mi Jing emphasized the word “reasonable,” expressing just how much he disapproved of this asking price. Like everyone present, he found it hard to believe that a peak Transcendent Level warrior like Young Master Chu could ever compare to a divine beast with a divine bloodline whose sale price at the Beast Taming Sect was just 10 billion.
A simple comparison easily yields a conclusion: Tang Luo’s asking price is too high. It is so high that people can’t believe it’s a serious offer.
“Well,” Tang Luo chuckled lightly, “Then let me explain to you how much this Young Master Chu is actually worth!”
“The value of a clan member is proportionate to the investment and value they create for the clan, isn’t it?”
Mi Jing nodded slightly, admitting to Tang Luo’s statement. Disregarding whatever potential future in martial arts one might possess, this kind of evaluation was the reasonable standard to measure a clan member’s worth. The resources allocated to Mi Chu simply because he was the direct grandson of the head elder Mi Yang were not limitless. This was not reasonable, because the Mi Family belonged to all Mi clansmen, not an individual. The interests of the clan would not be shifted endlessly for just one person.
However, what Tang Luo said next completely shattered Mi Jing’s understanding of how clan resources worked, and made the onlookers in the forest realize the tremendous resources required to build a top martial artist! Through the information from the Wind Media Department and the numbers he saw hovering above Mi Chu’ s head, Tang Luo knew practically everything about this top-ranked target on the hunt list. The 25-year-old Mi Chu had reached the spiritual power level of 9999 (3796). Since his beast spirit bloodline doesn’t speed up his cultivation, Tang Luo easily deduced that Mi Chu possessed a terrifying potential of 1.3, on par with Tang Sen.
But this did not form the basis of the too billion ransom. After all, no one would accept potential per se until it was transformed into real strength. The ‘reasonable’ evidence that Tang Luo needed to provide had to be even more convincing!