Big Data Cultivation
Chapter 1124: Understanding of the Situation

Chapter 1124: Chapter 1124: Understanding of the Situation

The Nangong Ancestor, upon hearing these words, clenched his teeth so hard they crackled. He was on the verge of shouting "Then let’s have it out."

Seeing that he had infuriated him enough, Ji Buseng leisurely spoke up, "That Mountain Master Feng from Mount Zhige is someone I plan to recruit to Tianxin Platform. Your Nangong Family members repeatedly troubling him, you’ve really got some nerve!"

"Mount Zhige?" The Nangong Ancestor was taken aback upon hearing this. He vaguely remembered the name, "Is it that... what’s his name... the guy who supplies mundane goods and communications?"

"Look, see," Ji Buseng pointed at him and a cold smile appeared on his lips, "Even you know of him, which shows your Nangong Family never really took me, Ji, seriously. Am I wrong?"

The Nangong Ancestor felt utterly wronged and didn’t even have the energy to be angry anymore, "I only heard that he’s on good terms with the Huang Fu Family and that his merchandise is quite interesting. How was I to know he had any connection to you?"

"Keep making excuses," Ji Buseng sneered, "Everyone in the Mortal Realm knows he holds my Talented Scholars Plaque, and your family is clueless?"

The Nangong Ancestor didn’t think much of it, it was just a Talented Scholars Plaque after all, not a symbol of Guest Elder or Patron. Must I be aware of it? Even if I was, it’s not that important an item anyway, he hasn’t joined your Tianxin yet.

The next moment, he actually remembered something. He seemed to have overheard at some point that the guy held a Tianxin Platform Talented Scholars Plaque.

So he just smiled without explaining, "Even so, couldn’t your people have sent a message? Why did you have to come in person for a minor issue and offend me?"

Ji Buseng snorted coldly, "I, Ji, am famous for being petty-minded. But don’t feel I’m being unfair to you. Today, I’m taking away three of your Intermediate Level cultivators from the mortal coil, consider it helping you escape a calamity..."

Hearing these words, the Nangong Ancestor was shocked again. In Ji Buseng’s mouth, "escaping a calamity" wasn’t about those mediocre Golden Core cultivators; in haste, he inquired, "What do you mean by that?"

Ji Buseng waved his hand dismissively, answering nonchalantly, "Find out about your family’s affairs yourself. Ask that junior of yours who works for Tiantong what stupid thing he’s done."

But the Nangong Ancestor was left even more confused, "Are you talking about Youjiu? That kid is quite clever."

Ji Buseng laughed scornfully, "You call petty smartness clever? Forget it, I can’t be bothered to argue with you. Go prepare someone."

He had already received the latest information about the matter from Master Sumiao. Hearing that Kong Zi Yi might have been influenced by him and Master Sumiao, his heart was in turmoil.

Kong Zi Yi said she needed two or three Intermediate Level cultivators for an experiment, and Master Busheng, without a second thought, intended to find them for her.

As far as the Nangong Family looking for Feng Jun was concerned, it really didn’t matter to Ji Buseng. He would deal with it if he came across it, but would not go out of his way to get involved. He said this mostly to obscure the existence of his own bloodline.

After all, his and Master Sumiao’s identities were too sensitive.

But, on short notice, to find a few Intermediate Level cultivators without causing a major reaction, even Master Busheng found it a bit difficult. Just so happened the Nangong Family came his way, and he took the opportunity to support Feng Jun.

In the end, the main reason was that the Nangong Family, along with their dependent powers, could just assemble three Intermediate Level cultivators.

Ji Buseng thought he had made things clear, but Nangong Kuangshi did not see it that way.

He did not doubt Master Busheng’s honesty, but he still expressed, "I need to look into this matter. The three people can’t be taken away immediately, but I did promise to owe you... at least two Intermediate Level cultivators. What do you think?"

Ji Buseng frowned and asked with displeasure, "You still don’t trust me?"

"I need to understand the situation," Nangong Kuangshi replied seriously, "If you’re worried, you can wait for three days outside Black Water Marsh. I’ll definitely have an answer in three days."

Ji Buseng looked at him intently, actually not worried about the breach of agreement, "Then three days it is. If you stall then, know that I can lose my temper."

Nangong Kuangshi smiled unconcernedly, "Worst case scenario, we’ll just have it out. Rest assured, I won’t abandon a hundred thousand clansmen."

After returning to Nanli Island, the Nangong Ancestor immediately contacted his clan members in Tiantong.

Nangong Youjiu, although he stayed in Mount Zhige, kept a very close relationship with the clan members inside Tiantong. When he heard that the Ancestor had inquired about this matter, he immediately reported back with embellishments.

Of course, he was aware that the Ancestor would be wary of Master Sumiao, so he didn’t belittle her, but he did magnify Feng Jun’s arrogance and emphasized his own innocence—it was inevitable.

However, after the mediator sent the message back, the Nangong Ancestor’s response was a blow to Nangong Youjiu’s head.

The Ancestor stated: I want to hear the true situation, the unvarnished truth. If not... do you know that now someone wants our Nangong Family to give up three Intermediate Level slots? The Nangong Family wouldn’t mind nominating you!

Nangong Youjiu was scared out of his wits; he knew all too well what these Intermediate Level slots entailed.

So he immediately reported everything as it was, stripping away the irrelevant, manipulative details, and simply explained how the grudge between both parties started.

And he pointed out that the Intermediate Level elder was actually what Feng Jun had been asking for, supposedly for some experiment. There’s a chance it could be extremely dangerous, but according to his analysis... the mortality rate wouldn’t be too high.

After hearing this analysis, the Nangong Ancestor thought to himself, as if I needed your reminder; I had already figured that out.

Indeed, it was a series of actions by Nangong Youjiu that left him with a profound sense of powerlessness: no wonder Ji Buseng exploded in anger. Turns out you have not only provoked Feng Jun but also offended Master Sumiao?

Not many know the relationship between Master Sumiao and Ji Buseng, but any Golden Core not completely out of the loop is aware that they were born in the same small town. And with a little inquiry, it becomes clear that they were quite close in their youth.

Though they later joined the Heavenly Heart Platform and Taiqing Sect respectively, with no evidence of further communication, the fact that two masters without any background, who achieved Golden Core entirely by their own efforts, hailed from the same small town is already against the heavens, isn’t it?

The Nangong Clan, primarily engaged in commerce and always well-informed, was already privy to this secret.

The Nangong Ancestor felt that Nangong Youjiu’s ability to garner enmity was simply too great. If everyone acted like this, the Nangong Clan would be finished!

In all fairness, the Nangong Ancestor did not think that Nangong Youjiu’s suppression of Feng Jun was wrong. Attacking the power of the Huang Fu Family had always been the persistent endeavor of the Nangong Clan. But the crux of the issue was... you cannot be too forceful.

After one attempt to strike and finding the opponent is tough to handle, a strategic retreat is in order. This relentless pursuit, not even mentioning provoking Master Sumiao and Ji Buseng, would be more than the Nangong Clan could withstand if just any Golden Core from Feng Jun’s Sect emerged.

Bearing in mind that the Golden Cores from the Huang Fu Family were just watching and waiting on the side, the Nangong Clan would then have to contend with two Golden Cores.

The Nangong Ancestor was truly puzzled: Youjiu was always quite clever, so why did he act foolishly this time?

However, in the end, he decided to forgive the young one this time, for there were no other outstanding successors within the Nangong Clan. Although Nangong Youjiu’s martial prowess was mediocre, he was quite talented in the field of commerce.

In the Nangong Clan, it was rare to find someone as adept at networking as him—despite his abysmal performance on Mount Zhige this time.

So, he cavalierly announced that all commercial tactics against Feng Jun should be abandoned—not now is the time to consider such matters but rather to prevent Master Sumiao and Ji Buseng from further wrath.

Besides, if you manage to provoke a Golden Core from Feng Jun’s Sect, then we might as well wait for the Huang Fu Clan to come and take over Nanli Island.

Nangong Youjiu solemnly ensured, "Ancestor, rest assured, I will not make the same mistake again."

Rest assured my ass! The Nangong Ancestor thought angrily, ready to curse: I’ve still got to deliver those Intermediate Level elders.

Then, Ji Buseng waited on the edge of the Black Water Marsh for the arrival of the Nangong Ancestor.

The Ancestor brought two Intermediate Level elders, one surnamed Fu and the other Yang.

The one surnamed Fu came from the Fu Family; there was no way around it. Regardless of the disaster caused by Nangong Youjiu, the direct trigger for Master Busheng’s visit was the Fu Family’s forceful claim over the Black-Backed Jiao, and it was impossible for them not to send an elder.

The one surnamed Yang was the Clan Leader from a minor clan. Somehow, the Nangong Ancestor convinced him to volunteer and take the fall for the Nangong Clan.

Master Busheng was somewhat dissatisfied, "We had agreed on three people, how come there are only two? Are you now too old even to count?"

The Nangong Ancestor had indeed previously mentioned, "At least two," thinking if his own clan had some justification, two Intermediate Level elders would have been quite enough.

But now that Ji Buseng had pointed this out, it gave him no room to claim the Nangong Clan was in the right—should he dare to quibble over details, it would be enough to offend Master Sumiao all over again.

So, clearing his throat and hesitating, he spoke, "Nangong Youjiu is currently with Mountain Master Feng, he counts as one."

With that, the matter was concluded. A few days later, two elders followed Ji PingAn to Mount Zhige.

A member of the Fu Family had killed a comrade of Ji PingAn, but as soon as they realized they were entangled in a conflict between Golden Cores, they promptly adjusted their attitude and actively sought to compensate.

For the conflict over the Black-Backed Jiao, they paid out fifty thousand Spirit Stones, and distributed among the Loose Cultivators, each receiving over three thousand.

For the family of the deceased, they specially offered an additional five thousand Spirit Stones, hoping to obtain their forgiveness.

This kind of affair... how to put it? It’s all too common in the Cultivation World. It’s either you kill me or I kill you, with no deep-seated vendettas, resource competition is just this ruthless.

The family of the deceased felt that five thousand was not an insignificant sum—what more could you expect for a Qi Refinement Cultivator? If a Golden Core Master had not just happened to pass by, they would’ve died in vain.

Not to mention, they were also given a share of the compensation for the Black-Backed Jiao, as well as its own yields.

The family had no reason to be dissatisfied, and even proclaimed in different settings: Ji PingAn, Elder Ji, is trustworthy.