Chapter 39: Luo Hua’s Talent and a Shift in Perspective

Supply Base.

After washing away the grime and blood, a refreshed Luo Feng strolled through the base. Having always been in a rush during previous visits, he had never truly taken the time to look around.

"Hotels, food streets... wait, there’s even a foot massage parlor?"

Luo Feng paused, his gaze sweeping over the "Golden Light Foot Spa" next to him with a subtle expression. He had heard the massages were quite comfortable; should he give it a try? As this thought crossed his mind, his tactical watch rang.

It was the bald military officer named Chen Guang.

He answered.

"Master Luo Feng, your permit is ready. You can come and pick it up whenever you're free," Chen Guang’s voice came through the phone.

"Alright, I'll be there right now," Luo Feng replied. He glanced at the Golden Light Foot Spa one last time before turning away.

...

At the rear of the base.

Luo Feng looked at "Black Crown," which now wore a massive metal plate around its neck, engraved with a special beast insignia.

"Master Luo Feng, as this metal plate approaches any of our nation’s six major base cities, it will receive signals from them. Based on the prompts, your pet beast will know where it is permitted to land and where it is not. The base city authorities can also use this to distinguish between wild monsters and registered pet beasts," the bald officer, Chen Guang, explained. He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Since you are one of only two beast masters in the country, the public is still very unfamiliar with the concept of monsters becoming pets. So... Master Luo Feng, it would be best to keep the Black Crown Golden Eagle away from densely populated human areas to avoid causing a stir. This is also to prevent any unnecessary trouble."

"Understood. Thank you, Officer Chen." Luo Feng nodded slightly. Even without the warning, he had no intention of letting Black Crown appear in bustling areas. Beyond avoiding a commotion, he simply didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself in front of ordinary people.

...

With the "license plate" attached, Luo Feng didn't intend to linger at the supply base and prepared to return directly to the base city.

At Black Crown’s top speed, it took less than two minutes to carry Luo Feng above Yangzhou City, one of the eight satellite cities of the Jiangnan Base City.

[Black Crown, do you sense the guidance signal?]

[I do. There are two spots where I can land. One is ten kilometers to the north, and the other is twenty-five kilometers to the south.]

Mentally searching the map of Yangzhou City, Luo Feng quickly realized that both locations were airports.

"It seems to think Black Crown is an airplane," Luo Feng chuckled. He sent a mental command: "Fly straight north."

Black Crown let out a soft cry and transformed into a streak of black light, vanishing into the horizon.

When they were about five or six kilometers from the North Airport, Black Crown’s massive form simply disappeared, tucked away into Bai Chen’s space, and Luo Feng began to descend. Landing at an airport and then making further arrangements was too much of a hassle; it was far easier to have "Bai" store Black Crown in the space. The only reason he had obtained the permit was to avoid being attacked by the base city's defense systems.

Soon, the Qingfeng residential complex came into view, and Luo Feng landed quietly in a secluded area of the compound.

...

"Dad, Mom, Ahua, I'm home."

As soon as he entered the house, Luo Feng saw Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan playing badminton in the yard, while Luo Hua stood by, picking up the shuttlecock for the two elders.

Ever since Luo Feng had returned and purchased the villa, he had insisted that his parents quit their exhausting, low-paying jobs and had transferred one million Chinese Yuan to each of their accounts, as well as Luo Hua’s.

Initially, Luo Hongguo and Gong Xinlan were unaccustomed to their sudden freedom and felt bored, but they gradually adapted. Now, they spent their days visiting neighbors, playing leisurely sports like badminton, watching TV, and cooking delicious meals. Their daily life had become quite colorful.

Seeing Luo Feng return, the three of them beamed with joy and walked over to greet him.

After some concerned inquiries, they were relieved to see that Luo Feng hadn't been injured and was in high spirits. The two elders happily headed to the kitchen, planning to prepare a grand feast for their eldest son.

Luo Hua stayed behind, curiously asking about Luo Feng’s experiences over the past few days.

When he heard that his brother had been wreaking havoc in the wilderness, killing hundreds of Beast-General-level monsters and over a dozen Lord-level ones, and even taming a Black Crown Golden Eagle as a mount, his eyes lit up. He grabbed his brother’s hand, insisting on seeing the Black Crown Golden Eagle.

"I’ve only ever seen the Black Crown Golden Eagle in videos—those fierce, predatory eyes, feathers harder than Tier 3 Kolo alloy, a single screech capable of..."

Listening to his younger brother chatter on about the majesty and power of the Black Crown Golden Eagle, Luo Feng felt a bit helpless.

Inside the space, Black Crown was busy devouring a large basin of blood pills. Hearing Luo Hua’s praises from the outside, a hint of pride flashed in its sharp, azure eyes.

*Keep praising, I like it.*

Hmm... come to think of it, these little red pills were actually enhancing its strength.

With another gulp, Black Crown swallowed dozens of the pills, a look of satisfaction crossing its hawk-like face. Although it couldn't fully digest the power of the blood pills in a short time, with its powerful physique, it could easily handle the violent energy of a thousand pills at once.

At the same tier, a monster’s physical constitution far surpassed that of a human. An unmutated elephant could exert several tons of force with a single step, and its thick hide could deflect ordinary blades—feats impossible for an average person. After evolution, as their bodies grew and transformed, that gap only widened.

If humans couldn't learn techniques to multiply their force, utilize powerful equipment, and master secret arts, they would never be a match for these massive monsters.

Outside, pressured by his brother's anticipation, Luo Feng had no choice but to bring the feasting Black Crown out of the space, satisfying Luo Hua’s curiosity.

As for revealing his ability to store living creatures?

Strength was his foundation, and Luo Feng felt he now possessed the confidence to handle it.

"Brother, you shouldn't be short on money anymore, right?"

Recovering from the shock of seeing the Black Crown Golden Eagle, Luo Hua suddenly asked.

"Hmm? Why? Are you short on money?" Luo Feng asked in surprise. He remembered giving his brother a million Yuan; had he spent it all already?

Luo Hua nodded, explaining, "You gave me that million, and you know I’m into stock trading. I put that money into the market. Today, guess how much that million has turned into?"

Seeing his brother’s eager expression, Luo Feng knew he hadn't lost it; in fact, he probably earned a significant amount. He thought for a moment and guessed, "1.5 million?"

"Wrong, it's 5.6 million," Luo Hua said, looking proud.

"5.6 million? If I remember correctly, it’s only been a month since I gave you that money. You increased it fivefold?" Luo Feng was stunned.

Although 1 million and 5.6 million made no difference to him personally, his brother was an ordinary person. If he could maintain this earning capacity, it wouldn't be inferior to that of an average War-General-level martial artist.

That was a bit exaggerated.

But then Luo Feng remembered that Luo Hua was a genius in his own right, having spent years at home studying stocks and reading related books. Thinking about it that way, it seemed understandable.

Geniuses were just like that.

"How much do you need?" Luo Feng had already guessed Luo Hua’s intent—he wanted more capital to trade stocks.

Though Luo Feng had never traded stocks, he knew that the more capital one had, the lower the risk and the higher the efficiency of earning. Since it could earn money and satisfy his brother’s hobby, Luo Feng naturally agreed.

Besides, even if he lost it, he, as the older brother, would be there to cover it.

"How about one billion?" Luo Hua asked, looking expectant.

It wasn't that he was being greedy; after hearing his brother’s battle achievements, he realized that one billion was nothing to him. The key materials from a low-level Beast-General monster could sell for five to fifteen million, and the materials from powerful high-level Beast-General monsters could sell for six or seven hundred million!

Not to mention the Lord-level monster materials, which were worth billions. The hundreds of Beast-General-level monsters his brother had hunted must have been worth a fortune.

Roughly estimating, he figured there had to be tens of billions in assets.

However, considering that his brother also spent a lot on his martial arts training, Luo Hua only asked for one billion.

"One billion?" Luo Feng shook his head, then waved his hand dismissively. "That's too little. I'll give you ten billion. Spend it however you like—even if you lose it all, it doesn't matter!"

Ten billion? A look of pleasant surprise appeared in Luo Hua’s eyes. With his trading strategy, if he had a cash flow of ten billion, he could act as a major market manipulator. The risk would be reduced to an extremely low level, and the speed of earning would be incredible!

"Brother, we’re brothers; I won’t say thank you. I really do need this money, so I'll accept it," Luo Hua said with a grin.

Luo Feng ruffled his brother’s hair and smiled slightly.

"In that case, I’ll head to the HR Alliance mall after dinner."

Two hours later, after finishing his meal, Luo Feng nodded to his family and walked out of the villa.

Luo Feng’s spiritual energy surged, lifting him high into the sky, and he flew toward the distant Jiangnan Base City. Since it wasn't far, he couldn't be bothered to have "Bai" summon Black Crown.

High in the sky, Luo Feng thought to himself, "I wonder if the Xu family has received the news yet."

As one of the thirty-six first-rate families in the HR Alliance, the Xu family held immense power in the Jiangnan Base City. It had been quite a while since he returned home, and he had intentionally made an appearance on "Black Crown" in the crowded supply base, where many martial artists had seen him.

It had caused quite a stir at the time, and although the base authorities quickly provided an explanation, the impact had certainly spread.

...Given the advanced technology and the Xu family's extensive intelligence network, they should logically know by now about his return as a "strongman" who had tamed a Black Crown Golden Eagle.

Luo Feng had previously considered giving the Xu family a harsh reality check, but considering Xu Xin’s feelings and the fact that the Xu family hadn't done anything truly unforgivable, he decided not to blow a simple misunderstanding out of proportion.

He only needed to "inform" the Xu family of his current strength, and everything would be resolved. He assumed the Xu family would be sensible enough; there was no need to play the "hiding one's strength" game.

It was too much of a waste of time.

And his time was very precious; he had no interest in bickering over such things.

...

Jiangnan Base City, HR Underground Alliance Mall.

Not long after Luo Feng appeared, the Xu family had already received the news.

"Luo Feng coming here must mean he’s here to sell monster materials... Send Xu Ping over. Remember, be polite. Keep the prices as high as possible; it doesn't matter if we take a loss."

The moment Xu Gang received the news about Luo Feng, he immediately made the arrangements over the phone.

Hanging up, Xu Gang looked up and found the entire family staring at him.

Xu Xin’s parents, the head of the Xu family, and several prestigious elders.

Their expressions were complex—some excited, some regretful, but mostly excited.

Two hours ago, an informant at the supply base had urgently sent back a high-definition image of the Black Crown Golden Eagle soaring through the sky.

And sitting on its back was none other than the "con man" they had been talking about: Luo Feng.

Xu Gang’s mind had gone blank at the time, filled with disbelief.

Was what his sister said true?

No, the truth was even more exaggerated than what she had described.

After a moment of existential crisis, Xu Gang realized that his father had previously arranged for him to go and cause trouble for Luo Feng, to teach him a lesson. He broke out in a cold sweat.

Who was teaching whom a lesson?

Forget about Xu Gang’s immediate family; even the entire Xu family would be no match for a beast master capable of controlling a Black Crown Golden Eagle.

As one of the thirty-six first-rate families of the HR Alliance, the Xu family had an intermediate God-of-War overseeing them, along with several guest Gods-of-War and over twenty War-General-level experts. Their industrial chain spanned the Jiangnan Base City and the surrounding eight satellite cities, and they had numerous businesses in other base cities as well. Their total assets were definitely in the trillions.

Ordinary God-of-War level powerhouses wouldn't want to offend such a deep-rooted family, but that only applied to ordinary Gods-of-War.

To a peerless genius who could use a high-level Lord-level monster as a mount at only eighteen, the Xu family was nothing.

Even the core nine families of the HR Alliance had to treat such a powerhouse with respect.

Once he understood this, Xu Gang didn't hesitate to call his parents and explain the situation regarding Luo Feng.

That led to the current gathering of the Xu family’s top brass.

"It’s a good thing you didn't actually go and cause trouble for Luo Feng, Xu Tianming, or you would be a sinner of the family!" The head of the Xu family, and the only God-of-War from their own bloodline, "Xu Guoqiang," snorted, glaring fiercely at Xu Tianming.

Xu Tianming kept his head down, not daring to speak. In front of the patriarch, his authority as a high-level member of the family meant nothing; the patriarch scolded him like a child.

"Treat this matter as if it never happened. From now on, no one is to mention it!" Xu Guoqiang said coldly. He was clearly referring to the attempts to keep Xu Xin and Luo Feng apart. The people present understood and nodded in agreement.

Xu Guoqiang’s expression softened, and he looked at Xu Tianming with a smile.

"Tianming, your family is blessed. Little Xu Xin actually found herself such a fine young man."

When it was time to be serious, he was serious, but when the atmosphere needed to be eased, it should be eased. After all, Xu Tianming was Xu Xin’s father and, if everything went well, Luo Feng’s future father-in-law. Xu Guoqiang had to give him some face.

The Xu family was a large clan with over a hundred key members, so there were naturally many factions.

After Xu Guoqiang spoke, other high-level members also began to congratulate Xu Tianming, who finally wore a smile on his face.

He was secretly rejoicing—thank goodness his son had reacted quickly. If he had really managed to break up Xu Xin and Luo Feng, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.

Thank goodness, thank goodness!