Chapter 70: We’ve Already Paid (Part Two)
Chapter 70: We Have Already Paid (Second Part)
Luo Feng recounted the events of the past several years to Zheng Zha, one by one.
Zheng Zha’s expression shifted unpredictably—anger, reflection, sorrow—all eventually distilled into a single sigh.
What had happened could not be changed; there was no choice but to accept it. The current situation, though fraught, could be considered a blessing amidst misfortune. His friend Luo Feng and nephew Luo Yuan were both safe. Their teachers and sect remained intact, and China had triumphed over Japan.
The only regret was Biqing’s death, though fortunately, there was the possibility of reincarnation—perhaps merely a long separation, destined to end in reunion.
Among the three, the weakest, Luo Yuan, could now easily live for centuries, perhaps longer. A hundred years apart was painful, but bearable.
...
In the Sky Escape Valley, Luo Feng devoted himself wholeheartedly to forging puppets, hoping to create one capable of traversing time and space. If successful, he could operate across timelines with unmatched stability.
After returning to the Shangqing Sect’s gate, Zheng Zha was greeted with joy. Guided by the sect leader, he participated in the construction of the Kunlun Immortal Academy.
At first, Luo Feng did not wish his friend to become entangled in such monumental karmic events. Yet, right before his eyes, Zheng Zha smilingly split a mountain range in two.
Luo Feng, exhausted, waved his hand in resignation. Let him do as he pleased. This beast had enabled some cheat, and a single dream matched Luo Feng’s decades of painstaking cultivation.
Now, Luo Feng found himself unable to defeat this gorilla. What reason could he offer?
...
A month later, Luo Feng paused his intricate puppet manipulation and experiments—not because of a technical bottleneck or a lack of skill, but because he was out of materials.
Everyone knows that collectibles are expensive; high-grade puppets, even more so, devour rare treasures and divine metals. Even Luo Feng’s wealth could not withstand such consumption.
Playing with high-end collectibles every day would ruin even the greatest fortune.
He gazed into his eight-hundred-mile spatial warehouse, finding it utterly empty—not even a gust of wind remained.
Luo Feng sank into contemplation.
Had he burned through his funds so quickly?
He was out of money. What now?
---
He lacked not just money, but the highest-grade resources: rare treasures, divine metals, spiritual gold.
At present, the world of the extraordinary had no commercial organization like Black Byte; Luo Feng couldn’t borrow rare treasures or spiritual gold.
Helpless, Luo Feng controlled his third puppet stationed in the Shangqing Sect and sought Zheng Zha’s advice.
Zheng Zha, once a white-collar worker, was no business genius; otherwise, he’d have long gone to the urban channels instead of the Lord God’s space, pursuing endless adventures.
After a long pause, Zheng Zha managed to utter four words: “Increase income, reduce expenditure.”
Reducing expenditure was impossible—he’d never do it in his lifetime. Besides, there was nothing to cut.
So, only increasing income remained.
Yet, now, all the sects and families were exceedingly well-behaved. Luo Feng couldn’t even find an opportunity for a staged accident. Whenever he appeared, the heads of various sects treated him as an ancestral patriarch, venerated and untouchable.
He simply couldn’t find a target.
Zheng Zha pondered for a while, walked outside, and soon returned—holding a world map.
He spread the map, and Luo Feng’s eyes brightened in surprise. “Are you thinking...”
Zheng Zha smiled and nodded. “You say it first.”
Luo Feng shook his head. “No, you first.”
...
“How about we both point at once?” Zheng Zha suggested after some thought.
Luo Feng nodded in agreement.
They spread the world map and, with perfect understanding, each pointed—
Absolute nonsense!
Luo Feng pointed at Japan; Zheng Zha pointed at Great Britain.
Luo Feng’s face darkened as he folded up the map. “I have no qualms about causing trouble in Japan. What’s in Great Britain?”
Zheng Zha smiled awkwardly, then spoke slowly: “Have you heard of Galleons and Gringotts?”
Suddenly Luo Feng recalled that this world held not only practitioners of qi arts, but also alchemical sorcerers.
Gringotts—the only bank in the magical world, operated by goblins, where one could deposit money or rent vaults. It was reputedly the safest place on earth.
But the crucial detail: Galleons were rare metals, classified as spiritual gold.
Though the quality of Galleons was low and insufficient for crafting, that was for a single coin. If there were thousands, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of millions...
Luo Feng’s eyes lit up, sparkling brilliantly.
...
“Do you have a list?”
---
“Ha, every sect and family has one, just in case.”
...
Everyone knows that when doing something shady, you need a disguise.
Luo Feng first crafted a Japanese ninja puppet. Then, applying qi-based makeup to the ninja, he transformed puppet number 504 into a kindly old wizard with gentle features, white hair, a grey beard, a grey cloak, and a blue-grey pointed hat—wielding a weapon that seemed a wand but was actually a scepter.
Satisfied with his work, Luo Feng nodded. Now, even if caught, it would be blamed on the Japanese ninja. What did it have to do with Luo Feng?
With a flourish, the puppet soared on the wind, riding the atmospheric currents toward Great Britain.
Ten minutes later.
Luo Feng, in the guise of puppet 504, straightened his cloak, leaned on his scepter, and surveyed his surroundings.
He finally identified his target—a passing wizard who had just given a fruit to a little girl, looking easily persuaded... cough, easy to approach.
Luo Feng, in a flawless British accent, asked, “Good heavens, my old chap, you wish to know about Gringotts? Quite extraordinary, actually, I don’t know much myself. For Merlin’s sake, why don’t we sit down for a cup of coffee?”
“I’ll pay.”
The wizard, a kind-hearted man, responded warmly, “Oh! Sir, you are far too generous!”
“Listen, old gentleman, Gringotts is just down the third corridor to my right, at the junction of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley! Delighted to help you, oh, it is truly my honor! Merlin himself would vouch for me!”
Following the wizard’s directions, Luo Feng took a turn and quickly found Gringotts.
Gringotts Wizarding Bank stood tall as a white edifice in Diagon Alley, London.
The first door was a gleaming bronze gate, guarded by goblins in crimson and gold uniforms, bowing to customers as they entered.
Luo Feng approached with a smile; the goblins eyed him warily, sizing up this unfamiliar guest.
Goblins, unlike elves, valued wealth above all else, never allowing a single coin to slip from their grasp; they controlled the wizarding world’s economic lifeblood.
Passing through the second silver door, he entered a spacious marble hall. About a hundred goblins sat behind long counters, hastily recording in ledgers—some weighing coins on scales, others inspecting gems with magnifying lenses.
Luo Feng found a relatively idle goblin, who happened to be holding a bag of Galleons. Smiling, Luo Feng said, “I’m here to collect something. We paid for it years ago.”
The goblin adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, scrutinizing the unfamiliar guest with suspicion, but proceeded according to protocol: “Name, items to collect, and do you have a key, sir?”
Luo Feng smiled: “Gandalf. I’m here to take all the Galleons in Gringotts. We paid for them a long time ago.”
The goblin was stunned, immediately shrieking, “Impossible! Absolutely impossible! Gringotts has never had a transaction of such magnitude!”
“I have seen all of Gringotts’ transaction records.”
Using his scepter—which looked like a wand—Luo Feng tapped the floor, his tone earnest and solemn. “History cannot be denied!”
“We have already paid!”
(End of Chapter)