Chapter 53: Song Mingsong's Prestige

At the mention of titanium crystals, Zhu Yaokui’s eyes flickered, stirring a ripple of emotion in his heart, though it quickly returned to calm.

He knew his son far too well. If the boy had genuinely laid hands on some prized treasure, he would undoubtedly clutch it tightly to his chest. The only reason he would ever bring it up now was simple.

He had failed to snatch it.

Not only had he failed to seize it, but the opposing party was clearly no pushover.

"Speak. Who was it this time? And what was the quantity of those titanium crystals?"

Normally, Zhu Yaokui wouldn't bother with such trivialities, but given that he was currently in dire need of titanium crystals, a resource in short supply, he paid close attention.

"That person concealed their identity. I investigated after returning, but I couldn't unearth any useful information."

Zhu Yaokui frowned, disappointment deepening in his eyes. Losing a contest was one thing, but failing to even figure out the opponent's identity pointed to a problem not merely of strength, but of sheer competence.

"Are you certain the other party is from Jiangyuan City?"

Hearing this, Zhu Kang nodded hastily.

"The probability is very high." Pausing briefly, perhaps fearing his assertion lacked persuasion, he continued:

"After shattering the energy shield of the Silver Crest, that person didn't dare to deal a fatal blow against me, obviously fearing subsequent retribution. Someone who conceals their identity yet fears your investigation like a tiger fears its prey is, in all likelihood, a local from Jiangyuan City."

"However, the other party's frigate was also equipped with purple-quality components—quite likely more than one. Their status in Jiangyuan City must be extraordinary, which is why I came to ask you to step in, Dad."

At this, Zhu Kang paused.

"As for the exact quantity of titanium crystals, the other party mentioned an abandoned deposit with reserves not exceeding 300 pieces. But by my estimation, that figure could easily be doubled; the actual number of titanium crystals should be no less than 600."

Having heard Zhu Kang out, Zhu Yaokui’s expression remained unchanged, showing no visible emotional fluctuation.

Seeing this, Zhu Kang grew somewhat anxious.

"Dad, what I said is—"

Before he could finish, a communication chime suddenly rang out.

Zhu Yaokui waved a hand to interrupt Zhu Kang and looked down at his Morning Star Principality Collector's Edition communication bracelet. The caller ID displayed on the screen was none other than "Song Mingsong."

"Song Mingsong? Why would he suddenly contact me? Could it be..."

Among the five major cities of the White Pagoda Floating Continent, with a population exceeding a hundred million, third-rank Firekind Captains were few and far between. Most of them had each other's contact information mutually added.

Looking at the name glowing on his bracelet, Zhu Yaokui turned his gaze back to Zhu Kang, seemingly having guessed something.

Beside him, Zhu Kang had also caught sight of this information. He was certainly no stranger to the name Song Mingsong; after all, he was ranked in the top three on the list of figures strictly forbidden to be provoked, a roster Zhu Yaokui had specifically compiled for his sons.

"Could he really be here for the matter concerning the titanium crystals?"

His heart sank, yet Zhu Kang refused to resign himself to it, instinctively fighting off the thought in his mind.

Zhu Yaokui withdrew his gaze from his son and tapped to connect the call.

Soon, a resolute-faced figure with a somewhat wild bearing and not a trace of old age appeared on the projection screen.

With the appearance of this figure, a faint smile surfaced on Zhu Yaokui’s hitherto expressionless face.

"What wind blew you in today? To think you'd actually take the initiative to contact this old bone of mine."

Opposite him, Song Mingsong laughed heartily, and the two exchanged pleasantries.

After a brief exchange of polite remarks, Song Mingsong cut straight to the chase.

"Old Zhu, to be honest, I'm reaching out today on behalf of the younger generation."

As he spoke, Song Mingsong’s gaze shifted, sweeping past Zhu Kang standing slightly behind and to the side of Zhu Yaokui, before nonchalantly retracting his eyes.

"I assume you've heard that two of my juniors had a conflict with your boy here. Those two little punks didn't know beforehand that the so-called 'Black Mountain Society' was backed by your little fellow, which led to this whole mess."

"Fortunately, both sides knew where to draw the line and nothing major happened. I was thinking... perhaps we could just let this matter rest?"

Song Mingsong’s tone was warm and pleasant to the ear, yet the more amiable he sounded, the heavier Zhu Yaokui’s heart became.

Who across the entire White Pagoda Floating Continent didn't know of Song Mingsong’s fiery temper? Someone who could make him step in with such a conciliatory attitude was surely far more than just the ordinary "two juniors" he claimed them to be.

After a moment of internal deliberation, Zhu Yaokui asked:

"Old Song, the junior you are referring to is specifically..."

Hearing this, Song Mingsong’s expression turned somewhat unsightly. He hesitated for a moment before replying.

"To my shame, the same relation as your boy to you."

Song Mingsong did not spell it out entirely, but Zhu Yaokui understood in an instant. Since Zhu Kang was his son, and the relationship mirrored theirs, it meant the person who had clashed with Zhu Kang was none other than Song Mingsong's own son.

Having received this answer, Zhu Yaokui promptly agreed. The matter would end right here, and neither side would pursue it further.

Naturally, Song Mingsong was not about to walk away empty-handed either. The Song family still had to live in Jiangyuan City for the long haul, so once the terms were settled, he pulled 200 pieces out of the 1,000 titanium crystals, promising to have someone deliver them to Zhu Yaokui later.

At the mention of those 200 titanium crystals, the smile on Zhu Yaokui’s face became genuinely sincere. Regardless of anything else, Zhu Kang had emerged unharmed, and he had secured 200 titanium crystals—gaining both face and substance. Naturally, he would drop the matter entirely from this point onward, both overtly and covertly.

Once the communication was disconnected, Zhu Kang, who had remained silent all this while, still felt deeply resentful.

"Dad, since the other party could so easily fork over 200 titanium crystals, it means they acquired far more than that. Are we really just going to let it go like this?"

Zhu Yaokui’s expression turned icy as he snapped,

"You think I don't know that? Do I need you to remind me? Your skills were inferior, and you let someone else beat you to the punch—who else is there to blame?"

"I'm warning you, this business ends here. That old bastard Song Mingsong is no simple character, and his temperament is utterly lawless. If you truly provoke him, apart from the Lord Guardian of the White Pagoda, no one can stop him."

A chill ran down Zhu Kang's spine. In the hundred-odd years since he was a child, this was the first time he had ever heard Zhu Yaokui so directly admit to being inferior to someone else.

Watching Zhu Kang retreat from the room, Zhu Yaokui’s gaze flickered with uncertainty. In truth, there was one more thing he hadn't said aloud.

Even setting aside their respective strengths, the other party was far younger than him. As a third-rank Firekind Captain already five hundred years old, he could be considered to have entered his twilight years. Even if he could hold off Song Mingsong for a time, what would happen once his own time ran out?

Leaving Zhu Kang aside, his eldest son—currently the strongest among all his progeny—was merely at the peak of the second rank, with less than a a 10% chance of promoting to the third rank. Once he was gone, a single word from Song Mingsong could wipe the Zhu family out of existence overnight.

This realization was, in fact, the greatest reason why he was unwilling to provoke Song Mingsong. To his knowledge, Song Mingsong wasn't even three hundred years old yet. Terrifyingly young as he was, he even possessed a formidable potential for breaking through to the fourth rank.