Chapter 490: Filthy Rich
In the afternoon, Chen Zhizhong and Gu Xiaoxue accompanied Tang Xiu in leaving Paradise Manor. As for Ouyang Lulu, she didn’t detain them since there were things that they needed to handle. She just asked Tang Xiu to come visit if he had the time.
After arriving at Bluestar Villa Complex, Tang Xiu saw that Chi Nan had already brought in the two housemaids she had hired for him. Because Gu Xiaoxue had come and he also had planned for her to take the children with her; hence, having the housemaids take of their daily life was no longer needed. However, he still kept them to clean up the house and do the cooking.
“You two, come with me to the study room.”
Right after Chi Nan left, Tang Xiu looked at the other two and spoke.
In the study room.
Just as they took their respective seats, one of the housemaids who was already familiar with the place brought hot tea. It was Tang Xiu who gave her the order.
“Aunt Liu, starting from today, you can do the cleaning in this villa, but leave out this study room. Both of you, you are not to step into this study room again without my permission.”
The housemaid was a nearly 50-years-old woman named Liu Fen. She hastily replied after hearing it, “All right, I will tell Sister Zhang about this, too.”
After she left the study room, she closed the door from the outside. Afterward, Tang Xiu looked at Chen Zhizhong and said, “Zhizhong, take a look at this list. Help me find the medicinal herbs on it to the best of your abilities. You don’t need to find mature ones, though. I just need them to be still alive and can be replanted. Additionally, if you can get the seedlings of these medicinal herbs, they’ll also do.”
Chen Zhizhong received the list, and after having a look at it, he found that hundreds of precious herb were written on it, thus immediately asked, “Master, there are some I’ve never heard of. They should be rare medicinal herbs, though most of the rest are easy to find. About the quantity, I don’t know how much you need…”
“I’m planning to plant an area of 100 mu with medicinal herbs,” said Tang Xiu seriously. “Therefore, the quantity needed will be very huge. Hence, you must buy as much as possible. In any case, the more you can buy, the better.”
Setting up a medicinal herbs plantation? At least 100 mu wide?
Shocked, Chen Zhizhong quickly replied, “I understand, Master. I’ll immediately begin on it once I get back to Star City.”
“You need not worry about these herbs’ seedlings. You can send a few people to buy a lot of them and then call me after,” said Tang Xiu.
Chen Zhizhong nodded, and put away the list full of names of medicinal herbs in a cautious manner. Then, he said, “Master, I encountered a bottleneck in my cultivation. My progress is very slow regardless of how much effort I pour into it. I found that it’s very hard to absorb the efficacy of a lot of precious herbs that are used for food supplements recently.”
With a strange expression, Tang Xiu looked at him and asked, “You were using precious medicinal herbs as food supplements?”
With a matter-of-factly expression and tone, Chen Zhizhong replied, “Yeah! I’m running a medicinal herb business, after all! Whenever I found medicinal herbs of good quality, such as several hundred years old ginseng, Ganoderma Lucidums, Cordyceps, and other good things, I always keep some of them. Recently, maybe due to have taken too many of them and the efficacy of those herbs having accumulated in my body, I realized that it had gotten very difficult to absorb them. Even taking medicated diet may cause night sweat and nosebleeds.”
Tang Xiu was speechless. He looked at Gu Xiaoxue, who was similarly showing a strange expression. Then, he shook his head and smiled, “It seems like you have really wasted too many medicinal herbs. Alright, then! Whenever you obtain medicinal herbs later, send all of them to the Everlasting Feast Hall’s HQ in Jingmen Island. You will then receive medicinal pills in exchange for them. Taking these medicinal herbs directly, even if you take them in a form of medicated diet, the efficacy that can be absorbed will only reach a certain extent, and the benefits it will bring for your cultivation won’t be too significant. But refining them into medicinal pills or elixirs is a different case altogether, for it will be easier to absorb the efficacy after the refinement.”
Medicinal pills and elixirs?
As a matter of fact, Chen Zhizhong had heard about medicinal pills. But how could he know that there were people in the Everlasting Feast Hall’s HQ who could concoct medicinal pills? Regret immediately filled his heart after hearing Tang Xiu’s explanation. Nevertheless, filthy rich as he was, he soon calmed his mind and said, “Speaking of which, I’m going to ask you something, Master. Is it alright for me to visit the Everlasting Feast Hall’s HQ in Jingmen Island whenever I have some free time?”
A smile outlined on the corner of Tang Xiu’s mouth. There was a hint of teasing in his eyes, as he nodded and chuckled, “You proposed this yourself, then go there if you want! When you’ve collected enough herbs and seeds for me. Make arrangement for your company first, and then come back here to do a special training for several months! I’m sure it will help you a lot.”
Looking overjoyed, Chen Zhizhong respectfully replied, “All right! I will certainly have it done as soon as possible.”
Then, Tang Xiu shifted his vision to Gu Xiaoxue and asked, “Do you have some medicinal pills on you now?”
“Yeah, I brought some with me.”
Two jade bottles appeared in Gu Xiaoxue’s hand as she said, “These are Essence Amassing Pills. There are a total 20 of them in these two bottles. Taking one pill at a time will add three years’ worth of cultivation.”
“Give them to him! Additionally, exchange it for the medicinal pills quota set up for the Everlasting Feast Hall’s core members, and give him the list of medicinal herbs that are needed to concoct it. Zhizhong, if you want to get these medicinal pills later, you can go the Everlasting Feast Hall’s HQ in Jingmen Island and do the exchange yourself. However, the HQ has a limited number of medicinal pills, so do not use your wealth and wantonly exchange for them, got it?”
With a happy face, Chen Zhizhong took the two jade bottles and excitedly said, “I would never do that, Master. I will only exchange for some medicinal pills that I need.”
Tang Xiu laughed, “Later on, whenever there are core members of the Everlasting Feast looking for you to buy some medicinal herbs, give them some discounts. We’re people from the same side, and many of them may need your help in this case.”
“I will bear that in mind, Master,” nodded Chen Zhizhong quickly.
“Anyways, there are a lot of rooms here. Just pick a room you want to stay in. You and I will be going back to Star City tomorrow. As for you, Xiaoxue, if you’re going back to Jingmen Island today, then go now! I give Tang Xiaojin’s group to your care. Train them well!”
“Understood!” Gu Xiaoxue replied, as she got up and left the study room.
After the two left, Tang Xiu walked to the innermost corner of the study room. He kept moving his fingers while releasing his star force whenever he formed the runes of the array he had arranged there. Immediately afterward, the fierce beast he had subdued before jumped out from the inside and conveyed a telepathic message into his mind. It was hungry.
Taking out a lump of meat from his interspatial ring, Tang Xiu gave the meat to it and said, “You seem to have grown in appetite and your belly capacity for food has kind of grown, too. Giving only meat for you will probably be troublesome later. Just wait until I return to Star City, I’ll make some beast pills for you! That thing is easy to take and it will bring about great benefits to you. When you’ve become stronger, I can impart you a set of Immortal Beast’s cultivation technique that will help you grow faster.”
Quickly, he received a telepathic message of gratitude from the fierce beast.
Tang Xiu smiled, and ordered him back to the corner. He had created a very wide illusion realm for it with the array, making it stay in the corner so it wouldn’t get bored. Afterward, Tang Xiu left the study room and came back to the living room. There, he looked at Tang Xiaojin, who had already started packing and was preparing to leave with Gu Xiaoxue. Tang Xiu could see that they were in low spirits and somewhat downcast, so he smiled and said, “Relax, kids! Someone will provide you with everything you need when you guys have arrived at Jingmen Island. We will also arrange the best teachers and instructors for you all, so that you can learn many things. I will also go to Jingmen Island to see you there whenever I have time.”
“We understand!” The five children nodded.
As Gu Xiaoxue took them away, Tang Xiu then came to Chen Zhizhong, who had already picked up his own room to stay and was currently sitting in the living room in boredom. He said, “Let’s go! I’m going to teach you a set of body tempering techniques. As long as you work hard and diligently practice it, it will make your body and physical strength rapidly increase. Additionally, the True Qi inside your boy has completely transformed into True Primordial Qi, so I must teach you a few simple spells as well.”
Upon hearing it, Chen Zhizhong rejoiced and immediately followed Tang Xiu to the courtyard.
The teaching was carried out very smoothly!
The seriousness shown by Tang Xiu in his teaching was met with diligence from Chen Zhizhong. When dusk came, Chen Zhizhong had thoroughly learned the body tempering technique, as well as mastered several magic spells. Nevertheless, it was still very hard for him to use them due to his limited strength. However, according to Tang Xiu, he could use these spells as long as he made a breakthrough.
“Zhizhong, mark my words. You must never use these spells, nor can you easily expose about your cultivation whatsoever to others. Our existence will only make others feel threatened. Once you get exposed, I’m afraid that you can never pass your days peacefully again,” said Tang Xiu gravely.
Chen Zhizhong could understand what Tang Xiu was saying, and solemnly said, “I understand, Master. You can rest assured about that!”
Buzz…
Just as he finished speaking, the automated electric gate of the villa slowly opened. While carrying her bag and hugging a few books, Mu Wanying walked inside. She was slightly stunned after seeing Chen Zhizhong’s naked back, who was sweating, as she immediately turned to look at Tang Xiu and asked, “Who is he?”
“He’s my disciple, Chen Zhizhong. Zhizhong, this is Mu Wanying, an alumnus from Shanghai University,” said Tang Xiu.
“I know her, Master,” said Chen Zhizhong with a smile. “She’s honored and known as the first belle of Beijing, and the young lady of the House of Mu from Beijing.”
Astonished, Mu Wanying said, “You’re Tang Xiu’s disciple? You… what exactly did you learn from him?”
“Wushu,” said Chen Zhizhong.
Curious as well as strange expression covered Mu Wanying’s face as she looked at Tang Xiu and praised, “There really are too many things Tang Xiu can do. I really envy you for being able to learn something from him. But then, how did you know that I’m someone from the Mu Family?”
“I have seen your grandfather. A few years ago when he was not in good health, I personally sent several precious medicinal herbs to your Mu Family in Beijing,” said Chen Zhizhong with a smile.
“I remember you now! You’re Uncle Chen, the Boss of the Endless Virtue Pharmaceutical, right?” Mu Wanying was surprised.
Chen Zhizhong quickly waved his hand, “Please, don’t call me that! Just call me Chen Zhizhong directly. You’re a friend of my Master, and being called uncle is something I dare not accept.”
A strange expression appeared on Mu Wanying’s face yet again. She looked at Tang Xiu and Chen Zhizhong, feeling amazed and astonished inwardly. It should be noted that Chen Zhizhong’s Endless Virtue Pharmaceutical was a large Chinese herbal medicines company, and was second to none in the country. Its main business was trading medicinal herbs that encompassed the whole country. Yet, someone whose identity and wealth was so significant like him turned out to have formally acknowledged Tang Xiu as his Master was simply… simply unimaginable and inconceivable.