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Chapter 98 - Chapter 98 An Opportunity to Be Surrounded by Beautiful Women

Ning Fa was overjoyed.

He once again felt the benefit of coming from a major power.

A hint of contemplation appeared on Meng Ruoqi's beautiful face, and then she said, "Young Master Ning, you can exchange for this formation by paying two thousand spirit stones."

"Two thousand spirit stones?"

Ning Fa was stunned.

It wasn't that he thought the price was high, but rather that it was too low.

Normally, a formation of this quasi-second rank would be worth more than an ordinary top-grade magic artifact, easily selling for two to three thousand spirit stones.

At an auction, the price might even be higher.

Ning Fa couldn't help but say, "Wouldn't that be too much of a loss for Miss Meng? How about this, I'll offer three thousand spirit stones."

Meng Ruoqi smiled faintly, "Young Master Ning, there's no need to be so polite. Since we've met by fate today, we are friends. This price is very suitable."

Wei Shiqin also let her eyes wander and chuckled, "Ruoqi is right. If Young Master Ning still doesn't accept, then he doesn't consider Ruoqi a friend."

Hearing this, Ning Fa smiled.

He thought to himself, She's letting go of a thousand spirit stones to befriend me, what a worthwhile deal.

But outwardly, he still thanked her sincerely, "Then thank you for your kindness, Miss Meng."

At this moment, Wei Shiqin's lips curved into a smile, and she took out a green brocade box from her storage bag, handing it to Ning Fa.

Ning Fa opened it and saw eighteen miniature, verdant green bamboo stalks inside.

A faint green light emanated from them, revealing their spiritual essence. Wisps of pale green airflow circled around these bamboo stalks, appearing quite magical.

Judging by the spiritual pressure and phenomena they revealed, they were indeed far superior to the two formations from before.

Ning Fa liked them at a glance.

He then took out a blank storage bag, placed two thousand spirit stones inside, and handed it to Meng Ruoqi.

Meng Ruoqi didn't examine it closely, accepting it with a faint smile.

Then she said softly, "I am very happy to have made a friend of Young Master Ning today, but I have other important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave now."

Ning Fa rose to see her off, "Miss Meng, I hope we meet again."

Meng Ruoqi glanced at Ning Fa, a strange glint flashing in her eyes.

At her young age, she was already a first-rank high-grade formation master.

Her divine sense was far more acute than cultivators of the same rank, allowing her to observe details with extreme precision.

From the moment she ascended to the second floor, Ning Fa's every action and subtle expression had been under her observation.

However, apart from a brief moment of losing composure at the beginning, Ning Fa had remained composed and at ease thereafter.

He hadn't been constrained by her beauty or tried to show off.

His gaze towards her held only admiration, without the possessiveness she was so familiar with.

He treated her completely normally.

This couldn't help but stir a strange feeling in Meng Ruoqi's heart.

She wasn't narcissistic, but she was well aware of her own charm.

She had always been the center of attention, with a never-ending stream of admirers, like clouds of locusts.

There were those who clung to her like sticky dog fur, and others who deliberately played hard to get, hoping to catch her attention.

However, due to her talent, Meng Ruoqi had been meticulous and observant since childhood.

The true intentions of these people could not escape her.

This made Ning Fa seem exceptionally special.

Ning Fa was perhaps the first person of the opposite sex her age that Meng Ruoqi had met who didn't harbor any ulterior motives towards her.

And by all rights, given Ning Fa's status in the Ning family, he was perfectly qualified to pursue Meng Ruoqi, yet he had shown no inclination to do so.

This surprised Meng Ruoqi, but also made her feel a little unconvinced.

Could this Young Master Ning… be gay?

Meng Ruoqi thought playfully, casting Ning Fa a peculiar glance before rising to leave.

Ning Fa was somewhat bewildered by Meng Ruoqi's final look.

He looked up and saw Wei Shiqin also looking at him with a strange expression.

Ning Fa touched his face and couldn't help but tease, "Miss Wei, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?"

Wei Shiqin chuckled lightly, "I'm just surprised that Young Master Ning can remain so indifferent when faced with a beauty like Ruoqi. After all, given your status, you are perfectly qualified to pursue Ruoqi."

Ning Fa said dismissively, "Who says I'm not moved? It's just that I haven't reached the Foundation Establishment stage yet, and I don't want to consider finding a Dao companion too early."

Wei Shiqin's smile faded, and her gaze towards Ning Fa immediately changed.

Her almond-shaped eyes flickered, and she deliberately sighed, "So that's how it is. I was actually thinking, if Young Master Ning were fond of Ruoqi, there's a great opportunity right before us."

Although Ning Fa had no particular feelings for Meng Ruoqi, he couldn't help but feel curious.

He couldn't help but recall the look of worry he had noticed between Meng Ruoqi's brows earlier.

A thought struck Ning Fa, and he said, "Has the Meng family encountered any trouble recently?"

Wei Shiqin praised, "Young Master Ning truly has a sharp eye. The Meng family has indeed run into significant trouble lately."

"The Meng family's Second Elder, who only recently reached the Foundation Establishment stage less than ten years ago, met with an accident while traveling outside. He was severely injured, and his condition is critical. It's highly possible he might lose his Foundation Establishment realm."

"Your esteemed family should have received the news. Perhaps it's because Young Master Ning usually focuses on alchemy and doesn't pay attention to such matters."

Ning Fa suddenly understood.

No wonder Meng Ruoqi's pretty face couldn't hide her worry just now. It turned out such a major event had occurred within the family.

This was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue for the Meng family.

The family was in the midst of a normal transition between the old and the new generations. However, the old guard hadn't fallen yet, but the new one had already been struck down.

If Ning Fa remembered correctly, the Meng family's Great Elder was even older than the Ning family's Second Elder.

He likely didn't have much time left.

Once he passed away, and if the Meng family lacked Foundation Establishment stage combat power to protect them.

In this cultivation world where the strong preyed on the weak, what would befall them was naturally imaginable.

They would inevitably become a tempting prize in the eyes of many powers within Thousand Wave Lake.

Ning Fa couldn't help but shake his head, "With such a major event happening in the Meng family, how could I possibly help?"

Wei Shiqin, however, giggled, "If Young Master Ning can't solve it, the Ning family can. As long as Young Master Ning can become Dao companions with Ruoqi, and given your status in the Ning family, the Ning family can then naturally extend its protection to the Meng family."

Ning Fa looked at her strangely.

He was willing, and even the Ning family would be very pleased.

But he was afraid the Meng family wouldn't dare.

The Ning family managed to emerge from the many powers in Thousand Wave Lake to become a standout.

One factor was their luck.

The most crucial element was the Ning family's iron-blooded family tradition.

The Ning family even encouraged competition and conflict internally, emphasizing the law of the jungle.

It was practically a wolf-pack strategy.

Or one could call it raising gu.

Over time, this cultivated the fierce, greedy, and even unscrupulous demeanor of Ning family cultivators.

Many of the incidents Ning Fa had encountered since his rebirth were typical examples, such as Ning Ruiming.

And the Wen Chang Island lineage that forcibly occupied his maternal uncle's aquaculture waters.

These could all be seen as manifestations of the Ning family's tradition.

This naturally had its drawbacks.

It caused Ning family cultivators to fall into internal strife, and even easily led to family rebellions.

This required strong family leadership to manage, ensuring the family's wolf-like style while preventing destructive internal conflict.

Fortunately, the elders in charge of the Ning family over the years had generally been individuals of great vision and strategy.

Under their leadership, although internal struggles within the Ning family were fierce, they remained within an acceptable range, and the family maintained strong cohesion.

Punishments for those who betrayed the family were extremely severe, even brutal.

An entire branch lineage would be wiped out.

Even if they escaped Thousand Wave Lake, the family would dispatch elite disciples, such as members of the Blood Wind Hall, to hunt them down for thousands of miles.

However, rewards for external conflicts were also extremely generous.

They even focused solely on results, not the process, and sometimes overlooked morally questionable actions, as long as they weren't too serious.

This resulted in Ning family cultivators not only being adept at internal fighting but also being as ferocious as wolves when facing external forces.

Thus, the Ning family always held an advantage in the open and covert struggles with external powers.

Through continuous accumulation, the Ning family developed to its current state.

However, as the Ning family grew larger and more prosperous, they began to exercise more restraint.

The main reason was the concern of provoking a joint confrontation from other powers in Thousand Wave Lake.

Especially since there was an even stronger Xue family in Thousand Wave Lake.

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