Chapter 525 - 459: Reactions
Chapter 525: Chapter 459: Reactions
Grandpa Tang soon learned that the Gongsun Family had appeared in Beijing and was targeting Xiao Man. He was utterly furious. ’They dare to target the Tang family and come after my granddaughter? This is outrageous!’
Since the Gongsun Family called themselves a reclusive clan, they surely had many ways to conceal their identities. However, the Bai family had already gone to great lengths to find them, and now that they had revealed themselves, further investigation was not difficult. Grandpa Gu personally dispatched his people, and in just two and a half days, they had gathered nearly all the information on the Gongsun Family.
As for why Gongsun Ruxue’s branch of the family had come to Beijing and was interacting so frequently with the Bai family under the guise of being old relatives, it didn’t take much thought to figure out the reason.
Tang Qingyun cursed the entire Bai family, calling them a pack of ungrateful bastards. He complained that his father never should have given the pill Xiao Man had so carefully refined for him to Bai Junfan to save Mr. Bai’s life. In the end, not only were they ungrateful, but they had also attracted a Cultivation Family that was now eyeing Xiao Man like wolves stalking their prey.
Grandpa Tang could only sigh. He had regretted it more than once.
Grandpa Gu defended his sworn brother. "If anyone’s to blame for this, it’s me! My brother originally owed the Bai family a favor on my behalf. Then Bai Junfan came to our door begging. No matter how you look at it, Old Bai is our contemporary. We’ve been through thick and thin together and even fought side-by-side. I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die... But who could have imagined that repaying a simple favor would lead to Old Bai stirring up so much trouble? Let this be a lesson to all of you."
He then advised Tang Qingyun, "Don’t tell your mother about Manman nearly being drugged by Gongsun Ruxue just yet. It will only make her worry too much."
Tang Qingyun nodded. If his mother found out, she would undoubtedly nag and pester him and his father for days on end. He knew his father couldn’t stand it, and neither could he.
When Tang Qingshan learned the details of the situation over the phone, the image of Grandpa Mo’s herb garden in Gongdao Village immediately flashed into his mind.
He had closely followed the progress of Grandpa’s herb garden, from contracting the land to clearing and establishing it. There were several large-scale herb cultivation bases in Liaozhou, and he had taken Grandpa to tour them. He had also taken the time to seriously study the relevant knowledge so he could act as a consultant if Grandpa had any questions. Then, at Xiao Man’s request, he had purchased a large batch of Chinese herb seedlings from a Liaozhou cultivation base and had them sent over. Later, when he found time to visit Gongdao Village, he was stunned by the impossibly vigorous, heaven-defying growth of the herbs in the garden. He knew right away it was his daughter’s handiwork. ’She has superior seedlings and needs to use my name as a cover to bring them out.’
Of course, he played along. Coupled with the fact that Grandpa was a sharp and fiercely protective old man, the Mo family’s miraculous herb garden didn’t arouse too much suspicion among the locals.
Later, his daughter told him that some of the herbs in Grandpa’s garden were actually "Spirit Plants," which only existed in the Cultivation World. When planted in the mortal realm, they would retain their status as Spirit Plants for the first three years, possessing astonishing medicinal properties. However, due to the lack of Spiritual Energy and the impurity of the soil and water, the herbs would gradually degenerate and would not be as potent as they were initially.
It hadn’t been three years yet, so the herbs in the garden were still considered Spirit Plants. Since the Gongsun Family was after Manman’s herbs, they must have done their own investigation. If they discovered Gongdao Village, they would not hold back!
After hearing what Tang Qingshan said, Grandpa Gu and Grandpa Tang conferred briefly and immediately made arrangements.
Gu Shaojun used a secure channel to contact Gu Shaofeng. His current location wasn’t far from G Province, so he was to head to Gongdao Village immediately. The people sent by the Gongsun Family were likely Cultivators. Judging from the conditions of Gongsun Chongshan, Gongsun Changting, and Gongsun Ruxue, their progress in this End of Dharma World was not smooth. Gu Shaofeng was already a Postnatal Ancient Martial Artist at the Fourth Level of Qi Refining; if he ran into them, he would definitely be able to hold his own.
The reinforcements dispatched by Grandpa Gu would depart directly from the Wancheng Military Sub-Region under the guise of a cross-country training exercise. They would arrive in Gongdao Village shortly, and an entire battalion would be stationed there for several days. Any intruder, no matter how audacious, would have to think twice before trying anything.
Tang Qingshan’s intuition was spot-on. Although it seemed the Gu family’s response was a few steps behind, sometimes things just come down to a stroke of luck. As long as they made it in time, it would all work out.
The two men sent by the Bai family were originally supposed to just investigate the situation. So when they arrived in Gongdao Village, they simply wandered around like tourists. They discovered that the village had several herb plantations and heard about Grandpa Mo from the locals, including the fact that he had a granddaughter attending Beijing Medical University. They reported this information back to Beijing via a coded telegram, and Mr. Bai immediately ordered them to buy herbs from Grandpa Mo’s garden—as many as they possibly could!
But Grandpa Mo’s herbs were exclusively contracted to the Sun Family; he never sold them retail. Now, not even other distributors could get their hands on any.
The two men from the Bai family tried everything. They spent a considerable amount of money and even paid locals to go to Grandpa Mo’s door and plead on their behalf, but all they managed to get was half a sack of herbs.
Grandpa Mo’s explanation was this: in his garden, apart from the herbs that had not yet reached maturity for harvesting, the other fields were filled with recently planted seedlings that were not yet ready. "This half a sack of herbs is what’s left in my warehouse," he’d said. "Since you’re a neighbor in urgent need, go ahead and take it!"
Mr. Bai placed great importance on this half-sack of herbs. He pulled some strings, arranging for the two men to take a direct military flight back to Beijing from the Wancheng military airfield. Who would have thought, however, that they would run right into Gu Shaofeng.
Gu Shaofeng, accompanied by Wu Xiangyun, had arrived by hitching a ride on Zhang Qingwan’s flight. He didn’t recognize the two men, but as they brushed past each other, he caught the scent of herbs. Since Gu Shaofeng had come specifically because of the herbs, the matter was a sensitive one for him. Without another word, he confiscated the sack on the spot.
Gu Shaofeng borrowed a vehicle from the military sub-region and drove to Gongdao Village with Wu Xiangyun, where they found Grandpa Mo’s home. Grandpa and Grandma had met the Gu children when they visited Beijing for the Spring Festival that year, and since Gu Shaofeng was the most strikingly handsome of the bunch, they recognized him at a glance. Gu Shaofeng pulled Wu Xiangyun forward, introducing her as his wife whom he’d brought to meet them. The old couple was overjoyed. They had Mo Jiabao and his wife slaughter chickens and ducks to prepare a banquet of several tables, inviting relatives and neighbors to come eat and meet the "new bride." Soon, the news spread throughout the village: Grandpa Mo’s other grandson from Beijing had arrived, and he’d brought his new wife for the old folks to see!
It was a perfectly ordinary piece of news, yet it sent a shock through two people in particular—the very agents sent by the Gongsun Family.
On the surface, Gongsun Chongshan had agreed to follow all of Mr. Bai’s arrangements, promising that if any valuable herbs were found, the two families would share. But the moment Mr. Bai dispatched his men, Gongsun Chongshan immediately sent a message back to his own clan. As a result, members of the Gongsun Family had quickly followed the others to Gongdao Village.
The members of the Gongsun Family were different from the Bai family’s men. The Bai agents just wandered around Gongdao Village, blindly asking questions. The Gongsuns, however, were truly capable. Upon their arrival, they immediately began inspecting the various herb plantations. They could enter and exit every other garden with ease, but when they came to Grandpa Mo’s, they were met with a restrictive barrier! Yet, they could also see with perfect clarity that this particular garden contained many precious herbs that they coveted intensely.
After several nights of observation and study, they finally discovered a gap in the barrier. They were preparing to make their move and steal the herbs that very night, but then, Gu Shaofeng arrived!
Just as Gu Shaojun had predicted, the Gongsun Family had sent Cultivators. However, their cultivation wasn’t very high; both of them were at the Third Level of Qi Refining. Gu Shaofeng, at the Fourth Layer, was perfectly positioned to overpower them!