Node Eighteen

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Members of the Six Monarchs Alliance headquarters could vaguely see Luo Feng, Monarch White Mist, and Monarch Imprisoned Wind through the damaged building. These ordinary members trembled with fear and dared not approach.

Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind were both terrified, fearing they would suffer the same fate as Monarch Thousand Eyes.

“It has nothing to do with us,” Monarch White Mist said urgently.

“That was Monarch Thousand Eyes’ prey; she would never have allowed us to interfere,” Monarch Imprisoned Wind added. “Besides, we advised her that since it was the family of a deceased Eternal True God, she shouldn’t make things too ugly. But she simply wouldn’t listen!”

Monarch White Mist also said, “Most of the Eternal True Gods in Huzhou City know each other, so we have to be a bit restrained in our actions. But Monarch Thousand Eyes was just deranged and acted recklessly…”

Luo Feng frowned slightly.

Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind immediately fell silent.

“The intelligence I gathered also indicates it was Monarch Thousand Eyes who did it. That’s why you get to escape this time,” Luo Feng said coldly.

Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Only when facing God-Monarch Luo He did they feel such suffocating pressure. They had no doubt that God-Monarch Luo He would crush them to death if there was any disagreement.

“I killed Monarch Thousand Eyes, who was directly involved. As for the five of you, fine, I’ll fine you 300,000 Cosmic Sands and spare your lives,” Luo Feng said indifferently.

“300,000 Cosmic Sands?” Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind exchanged glances. They immediately contacted their three other companions via communication tokens.

They feared God-Monarch Luo He. However, 300,000 Cosmic Sands was indeed a vast fortune. Divided among the five of them, each would have to contribute 60,000 Cosmic Sands! They themselves consumed many resources for cultivation and also needed to purchase legacies, secret treasures, and weapons. Most of them couldn’t afford such an amount.

“God-Monarch Luo He, we’ve already contacted our other three companions,” Monarch White Mist said ingratiatingly. “However, we’ve used up a lot of our own resources and don’t have much Cosmic Sand to spare.”

“If you can’t pay, you can die,” Luo Feng said, looking at them. He had no sympathy for the Eternal True Gods of the dark forces.

“No, no…” Monarch Imprisoned Wind explained, “We could sell our secret treasures and weapons to gather some Cosmic Sand. It’s just that for over twenty epochs, we’ve never offended you, God-Monarch. And regarding the Qifeng family matter, none of the five of us participated. We are truly wronged. Could you, God-Monarch, take pity on us and reduce the penalty? 300,000 Cosmic Sands is a tremendous burden for us.”

“So, the dark forces have started reasoning now?” Luo Feng looked at them with a half-smile. “Haven’t you always been hunters? Randomly picking numerous prey within your own territories and slaughtering them at will? Did those prey provoke you?”

Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind fell silent.

“Killing and plundering beings for your own gain—if I killed all of you, none would be wronged! It’s just that the Origin Continent is vast, and a small Eternal True God like me can’t control everything. But when you fall into my hands, I kill you and fine you, and you still have objections?” Luo Feng looked at them. “Since you want to bargain, the price for your lives has now changed. It’s now 500,000 Cosmic Sands.”

“The five Eternal True Gods of your Six Monarchs Alliance, pay 500,000 Cosmic Sands, and you can live. Fail to do so, and you die,” Luo Feng said leisurely. “I’ll give you one day to prepare.”

“500,000 Cosmic Sands?” Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind trembled.

“Any more objections?” Luo Feng looked at them.

“No objections, no objections,” Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind both shook their heads immediately, no longer daring to reason.

“Oh, and please deliver a message to the three Eternal True Gods of Cloud Treasure Tower,” Luo Feng instructed. “Tell them that Cloud Treasure Tower swallowed the resources of two great families. Considering they didn’t wantonly slaughter, their fine will also be 500,000 Cosmic Sands, just like your Six Monarchs Alliance. Give them one day to prepare.”

“Cloud Treasure Tower’s fine is also 500,000 Cosmic Sands?” Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind inexplicably felt much better.

It seemed they weren’t the only ones in misfortune.

“We will definitely deliver the message,” the two of them, including Monarch White Mist, replied immediately.

“You only have one day.”

After saying this, Luo Feng took the trembling Qifeng family siblings, who had been hiding in the corner, and then departed with Moluo Sa.

In just a few steps, the two of them were outside the Six Monarchs Alliance headquarters, then they boarded a flying vessel and soared away.

Monarch White Mist and Monarch Imprisoned Wind watched this scene in silence.

“Even the City Lord’s Mansion bowed down to God-Monarch Luo He in the end. We have no way to resist,” Monarch Imprisoned Wind sighed deeply.

“That fool, Monarch Thousand Eyes, I told her long ago not to target Eternal True God factions when seeking prey, as it would lead to endless trouble. She just wouldn’t listen. Not only is she dead, but she’s also cost each of us 100,000 Cosmic Sands.”

“Monarch Liu An is also an idiot. He told us to negotiate with God-Monarch Luo He, and that negotiation only made the price go up, from 300,000 to 500,000 Cosmic Sands,” Monarch Imprisoned Wind said, grinding his teeth in frustration.

“Since God-Monarch Luo He asked us to deliver a message, let’s go ahead and relay it to Cloud Treasure Tower,” Monarch White Mist immediately took out a communication token and began transmitting the message.

The Cloud Treasure Tower branch in Huzhou City was guarded by three Eternal True Gods. Cloud Treasure Tower was backed by a Chaos Master, so even a branch office commanded respect from various factions in Huzhou City, who would not easily provoke them. Even the forces of the Food Kingdom would not easily conflict with a major faction’s branch.

“What?” The tower master and the two deputy tower masters of Cloud Treasure Tower were somewhat dumbfounded when they received the news.

“This God-Monarch Luo He, how dare he! How dare he demand 500,000 Cosmic Sands from us?”

“Our Cloud Treasure Tower was founded by ‘Marquis Tianbao’; how dare he bully our Cloud Treasure Tower like this?”

In Huzhou City, who didn’t show them some respect?

Branch offices of major powers were quite transcendent. Although their status wasn’t as high as the ‘Flamewind Guild Branch,’ they frequently interacted with the Five Great Families.

“What should we do?” Black mist swirled around the Cloud Treasure Tower Master’s body, and his single massive eye was filled with anger.

“This God-Monarch Luo He is going too far, but we can’t report this to the Marquis. Firstly, we were secretly profiting from this matter, and the Marquis would severely punish us if he knew. Secondly, Cloud Treasure Tower’s business spans most cities in the Yu Kingdom, and the accumulated affairs in each city are innumerable. The Marquis wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters.”

It was precisely because the Marquis couldn’t be bothered with details and only cared about the final accounts that they dared to exploit the ‘Cloud Treasure Tower’ name for their own benefit.

If three ordinary Eternal True Gods had forcibly swallowed all the resources of two families of formation masters, there would have been considerable backlash. Monarch Thousand Eyes, for example, had to resort to ‘killing’ to compel resource transfers.

But with the name of Cloud Treasure Tower, they could deter all parties and handle matters cleanly and quietly.

Over the long years, they had become very skilled at doing such things.

The income provided by Cloud Treasure Tower was truly too little. Profiting in this manner was how they made the bulk of their wealth.

“500,000 Cosmic Sands is simply too much,” the tower master said. “I’ll go visit God-Monarch Wei. If God-Monarch Wei is willing to help, this matter should be resolved.”

The two deputy tower masters nodded.

“Yes, God-Monarch Wei.”

“If God-Monarch Wei is willing to help, this is merely a small matter.”

500,000 Cosmic Sands, for them, meant selling their personal armor and weapons to gather the sum, effectively squeezing half their lives away. Naturally, they wanted to find a way to delay.

Marquis Tianbao wouldn’t bother with such minor matters, and they wouldn’t dare tell him, so they could only figure it out themselves.

After much thought, the Five Great Families wouldn’t dare anger God-Monarch Luo He, so they could only rely on God-Monarch Wei.

“I’ll go now,” the Cloud Treasure Tower Master dared not delay and immediately went to visit God-Monarch Wei.

Not long after.

The Cloud Treasure Tower Master returned.

“How did it go?” The two deputy tower masters both had a bad feeling. If there had been good news, they might have been notified by message earlier.

The Cloud Treasure Tower Master’s single massive eye showed resentment: “God-Monarch Wei refused and even reprimanded us, telling us to obediently hand over the 500,000 Cosmic Sands. Based on her assessment of God-Monarch Luo He, if we don’t pay, God-Monarch Luo He will likely take action.”

“Luo He dares to kill us?” A deputy tower master exclaimed, anxious.

“He dared to kill members of the Five Great Families, so tell me, does he dare to kill us? Alas, the Marquis won’t interfere in disputes among us Eternal True Gods,” the Cloud Treasure Tower Master shook his head. “Fine, we’ll just have to endure Luo He for now. With such arrogance, his day of misfortune will surely come.”

“Killing the Five Great Families, threatening us—if he continues to be so arrogant, there will be a backlash,” the two deputy tower masters lamented, pained by the thought of the Cosmic Sands.

“The three of us will each contribute a portion of the 500,000 Cosmic Sands,” the Cloud Treasure Tower Master said.

“Before, when we profited, you took half, and the two of us split the other half. It should be the same this time: you pay 250,000 Cosmic Sands, and the two of us will jointly pay 250,000 Cosmic Sands.” The two deputy tower masters stood together. They were considerably poorer than the tower master.

“I can’t produce 250,000 Cosmic Sands right now.”

“You can sell your treasures, or you can borrow.”

“This God-Monarch Luo He is truly ruthless; he’s demanding a full 500,000 Cosmic Sands from our Six Monarchs Alliance?” The Six Monarchs Alliance was also distressed about gathering the 500,000 Cosmic Sands.

That day.

Luo Feng’s forceful intrusion into the Six Monarchs Alliance headquarters was not concealed, and the news naturally spread throughout Huzhou City. As the tower masters and deputy tower masters of the Six Monarchs Alliance and Cloud Treasure Tower branch sought ways to sell treasures and gather Cosmic Sands, the news gradually disseminated.

Killing Monarch Thousand Eyes and demanding 500,000 Cosmic Sands each from the Six Monarchs Alliance and the Cloud Treasure Tower branch?

This news made various factions in Huzhou City take notice. After more than twenty epochs of quiet, God-Monarch Luo He still possessed the same overbearing temperament.

“God-Monarch Luo He.”

Monarch White Mist and the Cloud Treasure Tower Master came together to Heavenly Flame Gate to visit Luo Feng!

Luo Feng’s temporary residence at Heavenly Flame Gate was no secret to the Eternal True Gods of Huzhou City.

“They’ve arrived within a day,” Luo Feng stood up. Shang Tianyan and Moluo Sa watched from nearby.

“It was our recklessness that angered you, God-Monarch; please calm your wrath,” Monarch White Mist respectfully offered a jade bottle. “This contains 500,000 Cosmic Sands, all collected.”

“Please calm your wrath, God-Monarch,” the Cloud Treasure Tower Master, now devoid of any arrogance, likewise offered a jade bottle. “This is 500,000 Cosmic Sands, and we have also properly settled the descendants of those two great families.”

Shang Tianyan watched this scene, sighing inwardly.

Shang Tianyan’s disciples, as well as the rescued Qifeng family siblings, all witnessed this scene from a distance.

The two major forces in Huzhou City respectfully visited and handed over 500,000 Cosmic Sands without a single complaint. This scene greatly impacted the disciples and the Qifeng family siblings.

“Alright, you may leave now,” Luo Feng accepted the two jade bottles. A quick scan with his divine power confirmed that not a single Cosmic Sand was missing.

Monarch White Mist and the Cloud Treasure Tower Master bowed and departed.

Only after they left did some of the disciples watching from a distance begin to chatter amongst themselves.

“Did you see God-Monarch Luo He’s might?” A woman beside Mo Yu Liuxing exclaimed in awe. “Liuxing, I heard you once had the chance to follow God-Monarch Luo He? And you gave it up?”

“I wasn’t willing to take the risk,” Mo Yu Liuxing said, smiling at his wife. “Although I gave it up, it was my second brother who ultimately followed the God-Monarch. And by coming to Heavenly Flame Gate, I also met you, Senior Sister.”

The woman smiled, sighing, “But you truly missed a great opportunity.” She felt a little sorry for her husband.

She knew very well how important a great opportunity was on the path of cultivation.

Shang Tianyan and Luo Feng walked side by side within Heavenly Flame Gate.

“One day, one million Cosmic Sands, and they willingly offered it—I’ve certainly seen something today,” Shang Tianyan exclaimed.

“The three deceased Eternal True Gods, their families will likely have a difficult time after their deaths,” Luo Feng said. “I know you’ll take care of them, but since I gained wealth because of them, I should naturally offer something.”

Luo Feng handed Shang Tianyan a jade bottle. “There isn’t much in here, just 30,000 Cosmic Sands. You can use it to settle those three families.”

“30,000 Cosmic Sands is a lot! An ordinary Eternal True God wouldn’t have that much even if they exhausted all their treasures,” Shang Tianyan quickly said. “It’s just for settling family descendants; not much is needed.”

“You arrange it as you see fit,” Luo Feng placed the jade bottle in Shang Tianyan’s hand.

Shang Tianyan no longer refused.

Luo Feng looked at the distant night sky: “Next, I plan to enter secluded cultivation for a while. You must be careful.”

With enough wealth accumulated, it was time for the third body refinement.

Thanks to the newly awarded Alliance Master: Troublesome Life Commentary