Chapter 317: Chapter 315: 315 Waste Lin Family_1

Greg cradled Jophia Locke back to the bedroom—after a bout of intimacy, Jophia emerged the defeated party, sprawling on the bed and rapidly falling into a deep slumber.

Greg then returned to the living room and began to practice the Guidance Technique, organizing the True Qi that had just increased.

The True Qi circulated back and forth among his major acupoints, completing one cycle after another. His body became more balanced, and his strength gradually increased.

A few days prior, he had tested again, and his strength had increased by about a third.

He found that the closer he got to the sixth level of Qi Refinement, the faster his strength grew; after each cultivation session, he could distinctly feel his power augmenting.

Qi Refinement sixth level!

For martial artists, the sixth level of Qi Refinement was equivalent to an Innate Grandmaster. Reaching this level significantly elevated one’s social status.

For cultivators, attaining the sixth level of Qi Refinement allowed for introspection, externalization of True Qi, and even controlling objects with Divine Sense.

In other words, reaching this level meant one truly possessed a few of the immortal techniques.

No matter how one looked at it, Greg had to advance to the sixth level of Qi Refinement as soon as possible.

Before the breakthrough, he truly lacked the confidence to go to the Martial Way exchange meeting.

“The Martial Way exchange meeting…”

Greg gradually ceased his practice, looking out the window at the moonlight with eyes full of yearning.

…

The Locke family.

Joe Locke, holding an amulet with trepidation and hope, stepped through the family home’s entrance.

Jeffrey Locke was chatting with Ethan Locke when he saw his eldest son return, holding a box in his hands, and couldn’t help but chuckle:

“Joe, is that the amulet you mentioned?”

“Indeed!”

Joe Locke put on an act as if everything was normal, trying hard to look proud as he said, “I paid a whole ten million for this treasure—it’ll definitely catch the Simmons family’s attention this time.”

“Ten million, that expensive?”

Both grandfather and grandson were taken aback.

Joe Locke laughed and said, “Ten million is a bit expensive, but it’s worth it. I’ve examined this amulet; its surface is intact, it should be of exquisite quality.

Too bad our family doesn’t have a high-level martial artist; otherwise, we could directly test its effects.”

Jeffrey Locke nodded with a smile and then said, “Let’s wait for someone from the Simmons family to come. No matter how great this thing is, it’s just a stone in our hands.

We shouldn’t take the risk of offending the Simmons family just over a stone.”

“You’re right. I’ll just cuddle with it in my sleep tonight to keep it safe,” Joe Locke said with a laugh.

“You’re a grown man—can’t you act a bit more mature?”

Jeffrey Locke scolded him jokingly and then said, “Guard it just for tonight; the Simmons family will send someone over early tomorrow morning.”

“Alright, then I’ll take it back to my room first.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Watching his father carry the box back to his own bedroom, Ethan Locke whispered, “Grandpa, if the Simmons family really takes a liking to this amulet, what benefits could it bring to our Locke family?”

“The noble families in the provincial capital are infinitely wealthier than our family. Even the scraps they discard could sustain us.”

Jeffrey Locke said this and paused, then added, “In other words, if the Simmons family is pleased, our family’s wealth could potentially double.”

Ethan Locke was slightly startled and asked instinctively, “Grandpa, what if the Simmons family isn’t pleased?”

Jeffrey Locke let out a self-deprecating scoff and sighed, “If the Simmons family isn’t pleased, that would be the moment our Locke family ceases to exist in this world.”

Hiss!

Ethan Locke sucked in a breath of cold air and stood there, dazed. It took him a while to come back to his senses, and he asked, “Grandpa, it can’t be that serious, can it?”

Jeffrey Locke said bitterly, “Not that serious? How many loans does our Locke family have now? The moment the banks start pressing for payment, our Locke family will surely be left with no place to bury our dead.”

Upon hearing this, Ethan Locke fell into silence.

It seemed glamorous, but it was actually like a pyramid made of playing cards, which could collapse with just a push of a finger.

This was true for nearly all major families, including the Simmons family, and the Locke family was no exception.

The only difference was the thickness of the finger.

If there was a more powerful figure who wanted to topple the Simmons family, then they too would collapse with just a gentle push, just like the Locke family.

This was not alarmist talk but an issue every major family had to face.

The development of the Locke family had already reached a bottleneck, and to go any further, they definitely needed the help of a major family.

Therefore, the entire Locke family set their sights on the Simmons family, hoping that if they could please them, the Locke family could soar to the skies.

It was a huge gamble, with a very miserable outcome if lost.

Ethan Locke was deeply aware of this, so he did not dare to be careless at all, and kept watch over the box containing the amulet all night long.

The next morning, after having breakfast, Jeffrey Locke and the others sat quietly in the living room waiting.

It wasn’t until midday that Mick Simmons and Donald Simmons arrived belatedly.

“Mr. Simmons, please have a look, this is the amulet we spent a lot of money on,” said Jeffrey Locke as he personally opened the box to reveal the somewhat crudely made jade talisman.

Mick Simmons picked up the talisman and inspected it, frowning slightly, then handed it to Donald Simmons at his side.

After looking at it, Donald Simmons couldn’t help but snort with laughter, “This is what you call a good item?”

“Uh, yes, this amulet, it cost a full ten million.”

“Mr. Simmons, is there something wrong with this amulet?”

Listening to the Lockes’ inquiry, Donald Simmons curled his lip and said, “This is just a piece of junk; I’m afraid it might not even work once.”

“Ah, that… that can’t be possible, can it?”

Joe Locke was frantic; he had lost nearly thirty million, even mortgaging company shares. If this amulet was also useless, then he really would be at a loss for words.

With a cool look on his face, Donald Simmons said sternly, “Are you questioning me?”

“No, no, how could I dare to question Mr. Simmons, it’s just that…”

“Alright, keep this thing for yourselves, the Simmons family has no use for it.”

Donald Simmons unceremoniously threw the amulet back into the box, and then stood up somewhat disappointed. Looking down at the Locke family members from his superior position, he disdainfully said:

“You should just look for herbs instead; as long as you carefully compare them with the picture, you can always find the real thing.”

Mick Simmons also stood up, clearly displeased after being disappointed twice in a row, and frowned,

“Twice now, if there’s a third time, what’s the point of the Locke family’s existence? Jamae City has so many talents, any other family could do better than you.”

Jeffrey Locke’s heart trembled, and he quickly put on a placating smile, “Yes, yes, we truly fell short this time.

Rest assured, it won’t happen next time.”

Mick Simmons nodded arrogantly, saying indifferently, “Remember what you’ve said. If you dare to make us run around again, the Locke family will have to give me an explanation.”

“Yes, I remember.”

Being reprimanded by two men in their thirties as if lecturing a grandchild, Jeffrey Locke didn’t dare show the slightest dissatisfaction, instead he kept a smiling face and said:

“We will definitely confirm everything before notifying you in the future.”

Mick Simmons nodded with satisfaction and then followed his cousin Donald Simmons as they left the Locke home.