"Sect Master Ning, I think that's a good proposal."
"We really don't need that much money. What we need are other resources."
"Trading other resources for a discount is certainly a good option."
"Then may I ask, Sect Master Ning, what valuable resources are you planning to offer in exchange for a discount?"
"Soul Bones?"
Li Luo made a ridiculously high demand, raising Ning Fengzhi's expectations to pave the way for revealing his true purpose later.
"Huh?"
Ning Fengzhi was stunned. He hadn't expected Li Luo to be so audacious.
"Are you sure? Soul Bones are treasures of the Blood River. It's true that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect has Soul Bones, but are you sure you dare ask for one?"
"Ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Bones start at several hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins, and those are just ordinary Thousand-Year Soul Bones. You can buy those on the market."
"Although Thousand-Year Soul Bones are Soul Bones, their quality is rather average. I wouldn't recommend absorbing one."
"But Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones start at at least a million Gold Soul Coins. They're extremely precious, and no one would ever choose to sell one. You could say they're priceless."
"High-quality Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones are usually the heirloom Soul Bones of a sect."
"Do you think your hundred Godly Zhuge Crossbows are really worth a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone?"
"What's more, if you really had a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone, would you dare absorb it? If outsiders learned you had one, they'd kill you and rip it right out of your body, no matter the cost!"
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi even made a chopping motion at his neck, mischievously trying to scare the ignorant, overconfident boy in front of him.
Ning Fengzhi was right. The value of a Soul Bone couldn't compare to that of a Godly Zhuge Crossbow.
Li Luo didn't think Ning Fengzhi would really offer a Soul Bone in exchange, even if it was only a Thousand-Year Soul Bone.
Seeing such a serious man in the mood to joke around and scare him, Li Luo took the hint and stopped making such outrageous demands.
"Sect Master Ning, could we speak somewhere more private?"
They were still in the Grand Auction House, after all, surrounded by people and prying eyes.
That meant you, auction house manager, eavesdropping over there.
Li Luo wanted to discuss their collaboration in greater depth with Ning Fengzhi, so he made to leave and find somewhere else to talk.
Ning Fengzhi naturally understood what Li Luo meant. He took the lead and brought Li Luo and the other two to a luxurious restaurant.
The Seven Treasure Drunken God Pavilion.
It was property of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, so Ning Fengzhi felt perfectly at ease discussing business there.
Once they entered the Seven Treasure Drunken God Pavilion, Ning Fengzhi waved his hand and arranged for the most luxurious private room—the red, hundred-thousand-year-grade room.
After they entered the private room, Ning Fengzhi didn't bring up their collaboration. Instead, he had someone prepare a huge table laden with delicacies and meat.
Since Li Luo was still a child and minors weren't allowed to drink, Ning Fengzhi didn't order fine wine. Instead, he had some specially supplied drinks brought in.
These special drinks were reserved for nobles, royalty, and great sects. They always liked to feel superior, believing that eating and drinking the same things as ordinary people would lower their status.
But that's beside the point.
When Li Luo saw that Ning Fengzhi wasn't bringing up their collaboration, he didn't raise it himself either. Instead, he decided to enjoy the feast first.
But before picking up his chopsticks, Li Luo smiled at Ning Fengzhi and teased him.
"Surely Sect Master Ning didn't put something in the food so you could use it to hold something over us?"
Li Luo's behavior today had been rather unusual. Even if others thought he was precocious, he was far too mature—almost nothing like an eight-year-old child.
Ning Fengzhi had naturally noticed how unusual Li Luo was, too. He was so precocious that he hardly seemed like a child.
"This child, Li Luo, is far too mature. I wonder which faction raised him."
"I just wonder how talented he is at cultivating his Martial Soul."
Ning Fengzhi didn't call Li Luo out. Talking with him in this state was the easiest; they both had their own motives, and with something to gain, it was easier to reach an agreement.
As he thought this, Ning Fengzhi glanced at Ning Rongrong, who had already started eating.
"Alas!"
Looking at Ning Rongrong, carefree and fearless, Ning Fengzhi couldn't help sighing.
Ning Fengzhi had many children, but Ning Rongrong was his only daughter. She was also the most talented of all his children, and she was adored by the sect's two guardian Douluo. Ning Fengzhi considered her his successor and kept her by his side to raise her for the role.
But Ning Rongrong had been waited on hand and foot since she was little, and had developed a spoiled, domineering personality. She looked down on anyone she disliked.
She was only eight, yet she was already showing signs of being a Demon Pill. Many of the sect's disciples secretly called Ning Rongrong the Little Demoness.
Since the nickname wasn't meant to be insulting, Ning Fengzhi never investigated where it came from and let it spread.
Ning Fengzhi looked again at Li Luo, who sat beside him with impeccable manners.
"Alas, if only my son could be like Li Luo!"
Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly.
After all, Li Luo had been a citizen of Great Xia on Blue Star in his previous life. He had learned to respect the old and care for the young from an early age, and he also remembered the rules of dining etiquette—elders picked up their chopsticks first.
The same rule existed on the Douluo Continent. The most senior person at the table was naturally Sword Douluo Chen Xin, who ranked among the very highest in both Soul Power Level and status.
Since Chen Xin hadn't picked up his chopsticks, the others shouldn't have either.
Of course, Ning Rongrong was an exception. Sword Douluo Chen Xin doted on her most, treating her like his own granddaughter. He naturally didn't care about a trivial thing like table manners.
And so, Ning Rongrong was the only one at the table turning the Lazy Susan and picking her favorite dishes into her bowl.
Xiao Wu had always loved good food. Seeing so many delicious dishes, her eyes filled with longing, and drool trickled traitorously from the corner of her mouth.
But Li Luo hadn't said anything, so she didn't dare pick up her chopsticks.
Chen Xin had naturally noticed the awkward situation. But he had always been proud and aloof, and wasn't good with words. To ease the tension, he picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and put it in his mouth.
Seeing Chen Xin start eating, Ning Fengzhi didn't hesitate to follow suit and pick up some food.
Seeing this, Li Luo stopped holding back. He took a napkin and wiped the drool from the corner of Xiao Wu's mouth, then picked up a slice of carrot and fed it to her.
Li Luo had ordered the carrot dish especially for Xiao Wu.
Everyone picked up their chopsticks and dug in.
After three rounds of food and nine rounds of drinks, everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, and it was time to discuss their collaboration.
"Sect Master Ning—"
Li Luo spoke first, but Ning Fengzhi interrupted him.
"Xiao Luo, don't call me Sect Master Ning. It sounds too formal. My daughter, Ning Rongrong, is about the same age as you."
As he spoke, Ning Fengzhi pointed at Ning Rongrong and continued.
"I'm a generation older than you, so just call me Uncle Ning."
"Sure!"
"Then I'll call you Uncle Ning."
Hearing Li Luo change how he addressed him, Ning Fengzhi laughed heartily.