Everyone thought it was impossible for Lin Tang to produce one hundred million in cash right away, yet he actually did it! They all assud Fierce Tiger Hall had co to settle accounts with him, but Song Chaohu actually groveled before him!
Where on earth... had things gone wrong?
Chen Wei trembled, his face ashen. He was both bewildered and terrified. Just a short while ago, Zhou Rushan had acted so high and mighty in front of Lin Tang. How much ti had passed for the tables to turn so completely?
Being cursed at like a dog is a sign of respect? Are those the words of a human being?
The expression on Jiang Jie's face was also extrely complicated. He couldn't understand why mbers of Fierce Tiger Hall, like Wang Erbao, had ridiculed Lin Tang at first, only for the ever-domineering Song Chaohu to turn into an obedient kitten in the blink of an eye. The dazzling stacks of banknotes created an intense visual impact. On any other occasion or with any other person, if such a sum were displayed in public, it would have been snatched up in an instant. But now? Who would dare to try?
Didn't they see the n from Fierce Tiger Hall standing guard? They might have the guts to snatch the money, but they wouldn't live to spend it. It was better to leave quickly to avoid getting implicated. The crowd of onlookers scattered in a rush.
Of course, Chen Wei wanted to leave too. But his feet felt as if they were filled with lead, and he couldn't move at all! He was terrified and overwheld with regret. He never should have co here to oppose Lin Tang.
"I've proven I have the money. May I shop in your mall now?" Lin Tang asked, addressing both Chen Wei and the equally terrified security guards.
"Of-of-of course you can! You are more than welco! Your presence brings light to my humble establishnt! It is my greatest honor..." Chen Wei stamred incoherently, and the security guards nodded in fervent agreent.
"Let's go," Lin Tang said, pulling Chen Yuyan toward a nearby won's clothing store. He didn't even spare a glance for Jiang Jie, who stood frozen like a wooden statue. Chen Yuyan paid him no mind either, already absorbed in eagerly trying on clothes.
In the ti that followed, they went on a shopping spree. Anything that caught their eye, they bought! Yet every ti they went to pay, the shop owners would wave them off, insisting on giving the items away for free.
These shop owners were rely tenants of the mall; unlike the mall's owner, Chen Wei, they hadn't offended Lin Tang. He had no reason to cause them trouble. Touched by his reasonableness, the grateful shop owners all offered him their lowest prices. Seeing this, Lin Tang was also moved. He turned to Chen Wei and said, "I think these shopkeepers are very conscientious, and their work isn't easy. How about you waive their rent for a year? Of course, this is just a suggestion. Whether you take it is up to you..."
Though his heart was weeping, Chen Wei forced a pained smile. "That's an excellent suggestion! I'll adopt it, I'll definitely adopt it!"
With Song Chaohu's spiked mace already raised, how could he dare refuse?
"Then what are you waiting for? Gather them to sign the new contracts."
"...Yes!"
When all the shop owners learned of this, they were overjoyed, hailing Lin Tang as a living Bodhisattva. This created a world in which only Chen Wei suffered. To waive a year's rent for so many shops in such a large mall... the financial loss was imnse!
「In the hotel parking lot.」
Inside the car, Chen Yuyan, having changed back into won's clothes, blushed as she lifted the hem of her top to reveal her soft, pale stomach. She had studied dicine at the Xuanhu dical Pavilion since childhood, and whenever she was sick, her master would treat her. She had never even been to a hospital. To be treated by a male doctor—Lin Tang was the first. In the illegal casino, she had been unconscious and felt nothing, but now she was wide awake.
As Lin Tang's fingers brushed over the wound on her stomach, he felt her skin quivering rhythmically. He was rather speechless. "It's just your stomach. Is there a need to be so jumpy? If the wound were on your chest and I touched it like this, wouldn't you just die of sha?"
"D-don't say such things!" Chen Yuyan grew even more flustered.
"Tsk."
Once the bleeding was completely stopped and the wound had begun to scab over, he confird that it wouldn't reopen as long as she avoided any drastic movents. Lin Tang pulled her top back down and then heartlessly shoved her out of the car, tossing a large pile of shopping bags out after her.
Chen Yuyan smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, and thanked him.
As they were about to part ways, she suddenly rembered the reason she and her grandfather had co to Jiangbei.
"Right, that Chaoyuan Qi-Replenishing Soup..." she began. She explained that the recipe was an invention passed down by her ancestors and then pleaded softly, hoping Lin Tang would sell them the complete formula.
"No need to sell it," Lin Tang said, shaking his head.
"Oh..." Chen Yuyan was a little disappointed, but she understood.
SWISH, SWISH, SWISH.
Lin Tang quickly wrote down the recipe and handed it to her. "Just take it."
"Huh?" Chen Yuyan was stunned. It took her several seconds to react. "Y-you're giving it to ? For free? How can I accept this?! Do you have any idea how valuable this recipe is? You..."
"Do you think I'm short on money?" Lin Tang cut her off.
"Er, that's true," Chen Yuyan conceded, thinking of the one hundred million in cash Song Chaohu had delivered, and then of the five billion Zhou Rushan had promised in compensation. "But even if you don't need the money, I can't just take advantage of you!"
"Enough already. You were nearly stabbed to death today because of , so just consider this compensation. That's final."
Lin Tang snapped his fingers impatiently. Song Chaohu, who had been keeping his distance dozens of ters away, imdiately scurried over to act as the driver.
Chen Yuyan watched as the car's taillights faded into the distance. Her mouth was slightly agape, a warmth spreading through her chest.
She went upstairs and back to her hotel room before checking on her grandfather's. Chen Shanchun wasn't there.
Did Grandpa go out looking for , or did he go straight to find Master Lin's... Brother Lin's disciple? He's going to be so shocked when he finds out I got the Chaoyuan Qi-Replenishing Soup recipe so easily! Chen Yuyan's lips curled into a smile as she eagerly anticipated her grandfather's reaction.
Then... she saw Chen Shanchun return, his expression dark and his movents filled with anger.
"Grandpa, I have good news for you—uh, what's wrong?"
"Hah, don't even get started!" Chen Shanchun slumped into a chair and sighed as he recounted what had happened.
"What? It was a fake?" Chen Yuyan's eyes widened. "That can't be right. I t Lin Tang in person today and witnessed his dical skills firsthand. They're incredible. He even gave the complete recipe! Look, Grandpa!"
"You t him in person? What a coincidence." Chen Shanchun's brow furrowed deeply, and he began to suspect a conspiracy. Could the other party have investigated their movents and deliberately set a trap for them?
He took the recipe Lin Tang had written and glanced over it. It was just as Ge Shijian had described, containing ingredients like Cat's Jujube, Clinging Grass, and a few other herbs. It was different in many places from the one passed down in their Chen family.
"This is garbage, and he's a charlatan!" Chen Shanchun said with disdain.
"But his dical skills..."
"And what about my dical skills? Aren't they good enough? Isn't your master's dical knowledge even greater? And yet, none of us knows the complete recipe. Who ever told you that high dical skill equates to good character? That they wouldn't lie?"
"I..."
"If this recipe were real and so priceless, would he just give it to you for free? Are you an idiot?"
"But..."
"That's enough! The more you talk, the more irritated I get!" Chen Shanchun irritably crumpled the piece of paper, tore it to shreds, and threw it in the trash can.
Chen Yuyan looked on, completely bewildered and unsure of what to do. She felt there was so logic to her grandfather's words. Lin Tang's dical skills were high, but that didn't necessarily an he knew the complete Chaoyuan Qi-Replenishing Soup recipe. Otherwise, how could one explain that his ex-wife's grandfather had ended up in a vegetative state after taking this dicine?
So he really was married before. No wonder they divorced...
***
The one hundred million in cash had barely ward his hands before it was deposited back into the bank. Despite being dragged all over the place, Song Chaohu didn't show the slightest hint of anger.
After dropping Lin Tang off at Villa No. 1, he was more convinced than ever that Lu Liangfei hadn't lied. Lin Tang's connection to Huangfu Zhan and Wei Shanhe had to be incredibly deep. Otherwise, how could he be qualified to live here?
Hmph, this is all just smoke and mirrors. Just wait until Yan Renjie arrives to kill you. Everything will vanish. And when that ti cos, I'll be sure to 'take good care' of everyone close to you, especially the won! Song Chaohu thought viciously.
"Hm? You seem to have a problem with ," Lin Tang remarked, sensing sothing amiss.
"Not at all! Absolutely not!" Song Chaohu shuddered, denying it hastily.
"Heh," Lin Tang chuckled. "You can scram."
"Yes, I'll scram right away." Swallowing his pride, Song Chaohu scurried away, utterly dejected.
Lin Tang let Huang Jifen and Wu Xinyu go wash up and rest. He, on the other hand, began to brew all the Centennial Elixirs he had received from Zhou Rushan as compensation.
As a Cultivator, he could perfectly refine and absorb dicinal energy. He could consu a hundred portions of Centennial Elixir in a single day without any issue; his body wasn't too weak to handle such powerful tonics.
If I could supplent my energy like this every day, I wouldn't even need the Five Spirits Pill. I could break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishnt in no ti, he calculated. The Xie Family is finished, and I've already cleaned out the Zhou Family. The Li Family... they're allies, so it wouldn't be right to force them. I'll have to see if I can buy so from them later; they should have their own collection. So... that just leaves the Wang Family?
「Elsewhere.」
Wang Shouzhen sneezed several tis in a row, and his eyelid wouldn't stop twitching. He had a bad feeling. His cheeks were still burning from where his father had slapped him. That's right—his family had discovered that he had stolen dicinal herbs to give to Shen Youling. When his father, Wang Dengke, learned of the massive trouble his son had caused, he was beyond furious.
After finding out that Lin Tang had also dealt harshly with Zhou Rushan, Wang Dengke grew even angrier, and Wang Shouzhen grew more panicked.
That blasted Yan Renjie... or Eunuch Jie... whatever his na is, why aren't you here yet? I've waited so long the flowers have wilted!
「Sword Casting Manor.」
Dressed in white, Yan Renjie sat in the lotus position atop a mountain peak. The tranquil moonlight poured down, making the longsword across his lap reflect a faint, blood-red glow. The blade trembled slightly in rhythm with his breathing, seeming to absorb the essence of the moonlight and giving it a demonic aura.
"This sword's initial nurturing is complete," Yan Renjie murmured, caressing the blade as if it were his lover.
He then floated lightly down the mountain. Mo Zhongyuan, leaning on his crutch, rushed to greet him, his face alight with excitent. "Master, are you finally going to avenge Senior Brother?!"
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