Luo Cheng and the others had been gone for a long time, yet the entire Jade Gambling Hall was still abuzz with heated discussions.
Luo Cheng's performance today was truly astonishing and beyond anyone's expectations.
Who could have imagined that Luo Cheng, once labeled as the number one useless person in Qishan City, would advance to the late stage of Body Tempering in just over half a month and even withstand Qi Ting's punch head-on without falling?
It's foreseeable that this event will be a topic of conversation for everyone for a long time to come.
Outside the Jade Gambling Hall.
"Young Master Luo Cheng, are you alright?" Manager Qin asked respectfully.
Even the Luo Family guards standing nearby looked at Luo Cheng differently now.
Luo Cheng rubbed his fists and shook his head: "It's nothing serious."
Taking Qi Ting's punch head-on only left his hand feeling slightly numb.
However, Qi Ting hadn't taken the fight seriously or even used martial arts techniques—the gap in their skills was clear.
"I have to work harder! Aim to break through to the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering as soon as possible!"
Luo Cheng took a deep breath and turned to hand the loan slip to Luo Qi. "Take it and learn from this lesson. Not everyone is worth associating with."
Looking at the loan slip in his hand, Luo Qi bit his lip tightly, his eyes slightly reddened.
He hadn't expected Luo Cheng to be this strong, nor had he anticipated Luo Cheng would stand up for him despite past grievances.
In contrast, his own actions during this time had been nothing short of ridiculous, like the antics of a petty clown!
At the Luo Residence's council hall.
The Luo Family's senior members were engaged in heated discussions, strategizing their next steps.
Everyone voiced their opinions, mainly split between two paths: one was to directly confront them and demand people back, the other was to prepare funds to ransom them.
However, neither path seemed viable.
Luo Mingshan was severely injured, and the entire Luo Family's strength was nowhere near that of the Lin or Qi Families.
The family also couldn't gather the thirty-eight thousand taels in a short time.
"Father, you must save Qi'er!"
Lin Yan had lost all her usual grace and elegance, her face stained with tears, pleading as she looked at Luo Mingshan while trembling slightly.
Listening to everyone's discussions, Luo Mingshan remained silent for a long time before finally sighing and saying:
"Pay the ransom. Offer three-tenths of the South City Market's share. Lin and Qi Families have coveted our South City Market for a long time; they're likely to agree."
"Three-tenths of the South City Market share! Family Head, this will shake the foundation of our Luo Family!"
Upon hearing Luo Mingshan's words, many of the Luo Family's senior members expressed their disapproval.
The South City Market accounted for about fifty percent of the Luo Family's enterprises and was the foundation of their presence in Qishan City. Giving up part of it was akin to cutting off their own lifeline!
"This matter is settled!"
Luo Mingshan said sharply, decisively putting an end to the debate as he swept a glance over the crowd. "As long as the person remains alive, the family has hope! Even if any of you face danger, I would act the same way!"
The assembly fell silent, and no one objected further.
"Let's go. Get the person back first. We'll deal with other matters later."
Just as Luo Mingshan was about to leave, a Luo Family guard rushed into the hall.
"Family Head, Luo… Luo Qi has returned!"
"What!"
"What happened?"
The room erupted in surprise, confusion sweeping through everyone.
Moments ago they were devising a plan, and now the person in question had apparently come back.
It couldn't be that the Lin and Qi Families suddenly had a surge of goodwill and let him go, could it?
Manager Qin stepped forward: "Family Head, here's what happened…"
Manager Qin concisely recounted the events at the Jade Gambling Hall.
Though Qin spoke calmly, the details made everyone's hearts pound with alarm.
Especially upon hearing that Qi Family's Qi Ting had appeared—a fact that caused the room's collective breathing to grow heavy.
Once Qin finished speaking, the council hall became utterly silent, the atmosphere tense as gaze after complex gaze turned to Luo Cheng.
"Cheng'er, is this true?"
Luo Mingshan voiced the question lingering in everyone's minds.
Feeling uncomfortable under everyone's scrutiny, Luo Cheng nodded slightly. "But I only barely managed to take Qi Ting's punch, and she wasn't using her full strength either."
Hiss!
Upon witnessing Luo Cheng's admission, the room filled with the sound of sharp-intakes of breath.
Qi Ting had already broken through to the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering; even a casual punch from her wasn't something one could easily withstand.
"Haha, good grandson, that's already extraordinary."
Luo Mingshan's previously gloomy expression instantly brightened as he laughed heartily and addressed the crowd: "We can finalize the participants for the Hunting Festival now, can't we?"
Everyone nodded.
Luo Cheng, having advanced to the Eighth Layer and capable of withstanding Qi Ting's punch without loss, was now qualified to compete with Luo Zhixing. He deserved a place in the Hunting Festival!
Now, the only question was whether Luo Qingwan or Luo Fei would come out ahead.
When Luo Qingwan and Luo Fei were called to the hall, Luo Fei promptly chose to withdraw.
He and Luo Qingwan were already good friends and had sparred privately before. Luo Qingwan's strength, he admitted, was slightly superior to his own.
Thus, the final participants for the Hunting Festival were decided to be Luo Cheng, Luo Zhixing, and Luo Qingwan.
This time, no one objected.
Luo Mingshan looked at the three and advised, "You have nearly a month before the Hunting Festival. Train hard during this time and tell the family if you need anything—we'll do everything we can to assist. Aim to achieve good rankings at the festival!"
"Yes!"
At that moment, Luo Heng brought Luo Qi to Luo Cheng's side, with Lin Yan following closely behind.
Luo Heng patted Luo Qi's shoulder sternly and said, "Hurry up and thank him!"
"Brother Luo Cheng, I'm sorry…"
Luo Qi lowered his head deeply.
Nearby, Lin Yan's expression turned somewhat awkward.
She had always looked down on Luo Cheng—and yet, in the end, it was Luo Cheng who had saved her son.
Luo Cheng shook his head. "Family must never let outsiders humiliate them."
"Haha, well said! Family must never let outsiders humiliate them!"
Luo Mingshan, evidently in high spirits, stood up and took Luo Cheng's hand. "Prepare a banquet; today calls for celebration. I'm going to have a good drink!"
Seeing this, Luo Qi's gaze grew darker.
Lin Yan consoled him, saying, "Qi'er, don't lose heart. Taking Spirit Pills only provides temporary strength. You've awakened the Five-star Gun Soul—one day, you'll overshadow everyone else."
Like others, Lin Yan assumed Luo Cheng's rapid progress was due to consuming Spiritual Medicine from the Ji Family.
During the banquet, Luo Mingshan personally seated Luo Cheng to his right.
No one said a word of dissent.
After the Jade Gambling Hall incident, Luo Cheng had firmly established a position for himself within the family.
The banquet lasted until evening, and Luo Mingshan drank until his face turned red. If not for his injuries, he would have continued drinking.
"Cheng'er, no matter how others see you, you'll always be my good grandson!" Before leaving, Luo Mingshan held Luo Cheng's hand and spoke earnestly.
Luo Cheng nodded, his fists unconsciously clenching.
Since childhood, his grandfather had always protected him—even after learning that he had awakened the Wasted Martial Soul, this unwavering support had never changed.
As he watched his grandfather's receding figure, Luo Cheng made a silent vow: This Hunting Festival—he would achieve an excellent ranking for the family!
More importantly, he would find the Four-star Spiritual Medicine to heal his grandfather's injuries!