Kong Fangyuan thought quite highly of himself and refused to believe that his life could be measured with money. However, it had always been an unwritten rule for thousands of years that aristocratic descendants of every grade had a value attached to them. This consensus allowed the human aristocracy to preserve their strength despite the in-fighting and prevent relationships from openly deteriorating despite the civil strife. Naturally, this was up until the point where the enmity could be controlled.

Kong Fangyuan knew his own status and approximate value. A Misty Cold plus a sum of money was indeed enough to express his sincerity.

Qianye didn’t know this rule, but he felt Kong Fangyuan was showing enough good faith. He might form an actual feud with the Kong family if he continued squeezing him. In any case, there was no major hostility between the two of them—a minor punishment like this was enough.

Without the need for Kong Fangyuan’s instructions, some of his subordinates stripped Lu Sha’s group and proceeded to appraise the equipment one by one. As per Kong Fangyuan’s instructions, the price they offered was more than just fair—it was roughly thirty percent above market price. On his own, it would’ve been considered...