Chapter 227: Like a Deity
Professor Hu’s face instantly turned pale upon hearing it.
Worry was written all over Le Baiyi’s face as he hastily asked, “Tang… Younger Brother Tang, since you can check Old Hu’s condition, do you have any way to treat him? Please help cure him. No matter what the price is, we’re willing to pay!”
Tang Xiu glanced at him and asked, “Are you willing to give me your Wintertide Fluorites and Star Fragment Stones?”
“I can’t!” Le Baiyi shook his head.
Tang Xiu’s face turned cold.
Le Baiyi paused for a moment before speaking again, “Brother Tang, before going to the first floor, I talked some nonsense with Old Hu, that if you can win against Zhu Xiang, I’m willing to give those two ores to you. So you don’t need to request this condition at all.”
“Give it to me?”
Tang Xiu looked at him with astonishment, as the cold expression on his face gradually receded. After a moment of silence, he slowly said, “Find the Golden Cicada Grass and the Night Lily. For the best treatment, you also need to find some Caterpillar Fungus of top quality as well as 500 years-old Chinese Knotweed. Find me after you get those herbs.”
“Brother Tang, where do I find these herbs? I have heard about the Chinese Knotweed, but I never heard about this Golden Cicada Grass and this Night Lily.”
“Go to Star City and find Endless Virtue Pharmaceutical’s Chen Zhizhong. He sells Chinese herbal medicines, so he should be able to find them.” Tang Xiu didn’t speak for a moment, as he then slowly replied.
“You know Chen Zhizhong?” Professor Hu said.
“Yes, he’s my apprentice.” Tang Xiu said lightly.
"What?!!"
Professor Hu and Le Baiyi exclaimed at the same time. They looked at Tang Xiu with disbelief. It was as though they had auditory hallucinations and heard wrong.
Looking at the their inconceivable expressions, Mu Wanying was confused. “Who’s Chen Zhizhong? Is this Endless Virtue Pharmaceutical business very big?”
Nodding, Professor Hu pressed down the shock in his heart and replied, “Yes, Chen Zhizhong is the owner of this company, which mainly engages in Chinese herbal medicines. It’s a major company, and if I remember correctly, the total assets of his Endless Virtue Pharmaceutical surpass 10 billion.”
Mu Wanying was surprised. “So to say, this means that Tang Xiu’s apprentice turns out to be a billionaire big boss?”
“He’s just an in-name disciple of mine. Wanting to be my direct disciple has harsh requirements. Alright, let’s us not discuss this matter. In short, you need to hurry. The longer you delay this, the more difficult your predicament will be. If you can’t find those herbs within two or three months, the poison will flow and spread all over your body. Even the Gods won’t be able to save you by then.” Tang Xiu said indifferently.
“I’ll go to Star City tomorrow morning.” Professor Hu quickly said.
Tang Xiu raised his brows. “Since you want to go to Star City tomorrow, then you might as well go together with me! I was in a hurry coming to Tianjin City, and since my business here has been taken care of, I also have to go back.”
Le Baiyi said with a low voice, “Younger Brother Tang, give me your address! I’ll send someone to deliver the Wintertide Fluorites and Star Fragment Stones to Star City tomorrow. Moreover, you haven’t mentioned about your condition for treating Old Hu!”
“You’re really a good old friend! Since you’re willing to stand up for your old friend, then please take care of me in Shanghai University.” Tang Xiu said.
“Huh?” Le Baiyi was puzzled. “Shanghai Uni? You want to be admitted into Shanghai Uni?”
“Yes.” Tang Xiu said. “I have filled my application form and also chose the Department of Archeology in Shanghai University. By September 1st, I’ll have to go there and register myself.”
“The CET’s results and admission grade have yet to be released, yes? Such confidence. Are you really sure that you’ll pass the passing grade for Shanghai Uni?” Mu Wanying asked curiously.
“Do you think I’d say this if I had no assurance?” Tang Xiu asked back.
"This…" Mu Wanying was at a loss for words.
Although today was her first time seeing Tang Xiu and had not much contact with him, she actually realized that Tang Xiu was very skillful. Most importantly, he was extremely low-key and modest. Looking at his self-confident appearance, she suddenly felt that she would be able to see him in Shanghai University this September.
After nearly an hour, the box’s doorbell was sounded, as a middle-aged woman then entered. Her eyes swept over everyone inside before landing on Tang Xiu. She then asked, “Are you Mr. Tang Xiu, Master Tang?”
“I am!” Tang Xiu calmly nodded.
The middle-aged woman handed a long box to Tang Xiu, saying, “Mr. Zhu send me to give this to you! Since I’ve done my errand, I’ll leave if you don’t have any other orders for me.”
Tang Xiu nodded. After the middle-aged woman left, he directly opened the box and took out the painting scroll from inside.
Le Baiyi, Professor Hu and Mu Wanying also approached to look.
After appraising it, Professor Hu exclaimed with a sigh, “This is indeed the authentic work of the famous painter Li Sixun of the Tang Dynasty era. It seems that even if Zhu Xiang has a poor disposition, but he still has some conscience.”
Tang Xiu himself didn’t much knowledge about domestic paintings. But he could see that it was a hundreds of years’ historical painting. After keeping it, he got up and said, “Alright, since I’ve received the painting, I should bid farewell to all of you.”
Professor Hu quickly asked, “Brother Tang, where are you going?”
“I need to find a hotel to spend the night. Then I’ll go back to Star City early in the morning tomorrow.” Tang Xiu said.
“Younger Brother Tang, I’ll arrange accommodations for you.” Professor Hu said.
Tang Xiu shook his head. “No need, thanks! Since you’re going to Star City with me tomorrow, you should also go back and pack up early! Let’s meet at the airport tomorrow morning.”
“Alright!” Professor Hu nodded.
Le Baiyi quickly said, “Younger Brother Tang, if you don’t mind, please just follow us! We’re also staying in a hotel nearby.”
Tang Xiu thought, and then nodded.
Tianjin City’s 5-Star Sheraton Hotel.
Tang Xiu followed Le Baiyi and Mu Wanying here, while Le Baiyi personally ordered the presidential suite for him.
Originally, Le Baiyi also wanted to talk more, however, Tang Xiu refused him and said that he needed to rest early. He wanted to take a good look at the Demon Stone coffin he purchased from Professor Hu’s shop. The Demon Stone coffin’s lid was closed, but it was able to be opened. But, since he had no time to study it before, he didn’t know what object that was stuffed inside.
However, just after he had a shower and was about to study the Demon Stone coffin, his room’s door was knocked.
“Le Baiyi?” A cold glint flashed from Tang Xiu’s eyes. He walked toward the door to open it. It was not Le Baiyi, but Mu Wanying, faintly smiling, as though a beautiful fairy that had descended to Earth.
“Is there something you need?” Tang Xiu stood at the door and asked.
A certain expression flashed from Mu Wanying’s eyes. Tang Xiu didn’t even seem to have the intention to ask inside and sit. She smiled, “Won’t you ask me to come inside?”
“It’s late. It’s not good for a single man and woman to stay together inside the room. If you have something to say, do tell me now, since I must rest!”
"You…"
As dumbfounded as she was, Mu Wanying looked at Tang Xiu at without knowing whether to laugh or cry. If not because of the exceptionally limpid and clear expression in Tang Xiu’s eyes, she would’ve thought that Tang Xiu was acting on purpose. However, since she indeed had her reasons to see him this late, she said, “I’m a girl and I don’t have any fear, what are you afraid of? Anyway, I do have something to talk to you.”
Tang Xiu hesitated for a moment, only then did he give way. As Mu Wanying entered the room, he closed the door, pointing to the sofa at the corner. “Please have a sit!”
Mu Wanying herself had a noble young lady’s mannerism. She slowly sat down and looked at Tang Xiu who sat in front of her, smiling. “Frankly speaking, a young man such as you, is really rare.”
“And a woman such as you, I’ve seen quite a lot, actually.” Tang Xiu replied.
Mu Wanying stared blankly for a moment, before she involuntarily laughed. “You’re really one of a kind. Actually, my purpose to see you is that I heard you don’t like painting and calligraphy, so I want to buy that ‘Sailboats and Pavilion’ in your hand. Say your price!”
Tang Xiu turned his head and looked at the said painting that he had put on the cabined. He then calmly said, “You quote the price. If I’m content with it, then I’ll sell it. If not, then you can leave.”
Mu Wanying seemed to have long thought the price she could afford. “I know that this painting is very precious, but I’m kinda limited on money. I can only give you 6 million yuan at the most!”
“Huh?” Tang Xiu was surprised. “Antique paintings are really that valuable?”
“You don’t know the value of antique calligraphies and paintings at all?” Mu Wanying was astonished.
“Nope.” Tang Xiu shook his head. “I rarely studied it, so I’m really clueless.”
With a strange expression, Mu Wanying looked at him and said, “It seems that I put the price way too high then. Alright, how is it? You want to sell it?”
Tang Xiu waved his hand and said, “Take it away! This thing is useless to me anyway. It’s better to exchange it for real money.”
“OK. I’ll transfer the money to you,” Mu Wanying said.
Shortly after, Tang Xiu received the six million transfer text message notification.
When he came to Tianjin City, he only had a few million yuan. He spent several hundred thousand to buy the Demon Stone coffin. Added with the Wintertide Fluorites and the Star Fragment Stone, he had to ask Kang Xia to transfer the money to him. After selling four calligraphies, he made 16 million. And counting money, he already had 19 million yuan now.
And now, his Sailboats and Pavilion painting was sold for six million, so he had a total of 25 million.
Tang Xiu directly transferred 20 million back to Kang Xia without hesitation and sent her a message. Then, he looked at Mu Wanying, saying, “You got what you wanted, right? So please leave.”
With an odd and strange expression and tone, Mu Wanying asked, “Do you really want me to leave, so quickly? Tang Xiu, you have no problem with your sexual orientation, right? You don’t even feel attracted to my beauty?”
Tang Xiu shook his head. “I’m a normal man. Even for me, you’re indeed very attractive. If you want to warm my bed, I won’t refuse. However, having a one-night stand with no feelings and sentiments attached, has no meaning and is actually very boring. Of course, there’s also an exception.”
Listening to Tang Xiu’s argument, Mu Wanying was puzzled. “What exception?”
Tang Xiu said apathetically, “It’s your kind, a virgin. You want your first time, but then annoying troubles would come afterwards. I’m a man who is not afraid of anything whatsoever, but I don’t like to have annoying troubles.”