Ye Tiancheng quietly sent out messages among cultivators, and unexpectedly, it stirred up a thousand waves. Everyone was very interested in the news of the fourth fragment of the Guqin.
Many people proactively provided information. Ye Tiancheng's actions undoubtedly stirred up a thousand waves, but for a time, there were endless discussions, and Ye Tiancheng had no way to determine who was telling the truth.
On that day, Ye Tiancheng suddenly received a message saying that the fourth fragment of the Guqin was by his side. Although it was not very clear, the location indicated in the words was the back mountain.
This is interesting. Could it be that what Ye Tiancheng had been desperately searching for was right beside him? Regardless of whether the news was true or false, Ye Tiancheng had to try.
"Brother Ye, I found out that the person who provided you with this information is Lu Dajun. This person is a scoundrel with a bad reputation. I suspect he's just playing with you."
Ye Tiancheng sifted through the information provided. There were too many informants. With his own strength, he couldn't verify it, so he had to call Fatty for help.
"But at present, only this one seems somewhat reliable. The others are too obviously fake. I've been to some of these places. If there were fragments of the Guqin, the piece I have on me would definitely react. If there's no reaction, then they are lying."
"Then why don't we capture that Lu Dajun and interrogate him properly? If he dares to lie, we'll smash his teeth so he can never talk nonsense again. Actually, cutting out his tongue would be better. If his teeth are smashed, he can still make sounds."
"Alright, bring him over."
Ye Tiancheng really didn't want to make a wasted trip, so he asked Fatty to bring Lu Dajun over.
Lu Dajun was dressed like a hooligan. In this era, he was still wearing an old suit and had his hair slicked up high. He looked greasy and made people feel uncomfortable.
"Lu Dajun, you said the Guqin fragment is in the back mountain of my horticultural center. What's your basis for that?"
"I'm telling the truth, of course. If you don't believe me, then fine. You'll miss a great opportunity to find the Guqin fragment."
Ye Tiancheng looked at Lu Dajun's shifty eyes and behavior. He didn't look like a good person at all. An honest person wouldn't speak with such a flickering expression, indicating that this guy had something to hide and was plotting something.
"If you're lying to me, I'll cut out your tongue so you can never lie again."
"Of course, I'm not lying to you. If you want more information, you have to give me money. I won't provide information casually."
Ye Tiancheng still didn't believe him. Lu Dajun's appearance made it hard to believe him. He always felt like a骗子 (piànzi - swindler).
"How do you know this kind of information? Only people of status can know such things. Why don't you tell me where you got the news from?"
"To tell you the truth, I'm a descendant of the four great families, but I'm just an illegitimate son. When I was young, I heard about the Guqin fragments, and the location was in the back mountain. I even know exactly where it is, but you have to give me money. I know the Guqin fragment is very important to you, and you are so rich, you'll definitely be willing to spend money to buy information."
It all came back to money. It seemed this guy was truly greedy. Since that was the case, Ye Tiancheng wasn't short of money. "How much do you want? As long as it's reasonable, I'll definitely give it to you."
"How about this, actually, I, Lu Dajun, am not a greedy person. I don't want much. Before you find it, give me one million, and after you find it, give me another million. A total of two million for the final payment, how about it? It shouldn't be a big problem for you, right?"
Two million was indeed a drop in the bucket for Ye Tiancheng. However, for an ordinary person, earning two million in a lifetime was not easy. This Lu Dajun was just a hooligan, and earning ten thousand yuan a year would be good. Now he was really asking for the sky.
"Alright, if your information is accurate, I can give you one million. But if there's a problem with your information, then your tongue will be gone. Your tongue should be more valuable than one million, right?"
"Since I said it, I definitely have a basis for it. You don't need to worry about me. I won't joke with my own life."
Lu Dajun's certainty was a good thing for Ye Tiancheng. At least he had a clue to the Guqin fragment, which was better than nothing. Otherwise, Ye Tiancheng would be like a headless fly, rushing around blindly. Now that he had news, it was good, at least he had a direction to strive for.
"Then tomorrow, you'll come with me. You're so confident, I must bring you as my guide. Otherwise, I won't be able to find it alone."
"Mr. Ye, you can't take me with you. I heard that your back mountain has many venomous snakes and fierce beasts. You are naturally powerful in martial arts and are not afraid of those venomous snakes and beasts. But I am just an ordinary person. If I go, won't I be food for them?"
"You must go. You took my money, how can you not do the work for me?"
"Mr. Ye, will you really give me one million? I heard you are very rich, you shouldn't be stingy with me for one million, right?"
Giving some money was not a problem, but Ye Tiancheng couldn't encourage this person's greed. Of course, he wouldn't give Lu Dajun whatever he asked for. They still had to negotiate the price.
"I'll give you 500,000 first. If you agree, I'll transfer the money to your account immediately, and we'll set off early tomorrow morning."
"You're only giving me 500,000? I asked for one million, and you're directly cutting it by half. This doesn't seem like the style of a rich tycoon. I heard you have countless money, so there's no need to be stingy with me on this matter."
Ye Tiancheng was annoyed by Lu Dajun's words. He couldn't help but use his true qi to slap him. This slap sent Lu Dajun to the ground.
"What happened, Boss Ye? Was that you? I didn't even see anyone."
"I don't want to threaten you. If I want you to help me, there are many ways. But I don't want to do anything immoral, so you should know when to stop. Don't bring up this condition again. If you anger me, it won't be good for either of us."
Lu Dajun now knew Ye Tiancheng's power and didn't dare to be presumptuous anymore. He touched his swollen face and became obedient.
"Alright, then I'll agree to 500,000. We'll set off tomorrow morning, but you have to protect me. I'm naturally weak, and if I encounter any fierce beasts, I'm timid and might not be able to run far."
Seeing Lu Dajun's timid appearance, Ye Tiancheng couldn't help but want to laugh. But this was good. If Lu Dajun were very capable, he wouldn't be so easily commanded by him.
"Okay, then it's settled."
After asking Fatty to escort Lu Dajun away, Ye Tiancheng went back to rest. As soon as he entered the door, he smelled a strong burnt odor, as if something had caught fire.
Ye Tiancheng's first reaction was not about his own house, but concern for Hou Mingzhu.
Hou Mingzhu was still at home. He hadn't heard any news from her all day. Ye Tiancheng suspected something had happened to her. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Mingzhu! Answer me, are you okay?"
"Brother Ye, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'm here."
When Ye Tiancheng opened the door, he found Hou Mingzhu's whole body was a bit black. Her hair looked like it had been blown up, and her face was also black.
"Hou Mingzhu, what are you doing? Did you get burned by fire?"
"Brother Ye, I wanted to cook for you, but my cooking skills are not good, and I accidentally burned myself. But don't worry, it's not a big deal. I'm not injured, just my hair caught fire a little, and I've already cut it off with scissors."
Hearing Hou Mingzhu say this, Ye Tiancheng felt a wave of despair.
He knew Hou Mingzhu's cooking skills were not good, but Hou Mingzhu had never tried before. She was someone who never entered the kitchen. Now, for him, she started doing something she wasn't good at, which led to these disasters. Ye Tiancheng suddenly felt a bit guilty.
"Alright, Mingzhu, don't bother anymore. Since you're not good at cooking, don't try. Isn't there a nanny? Just leave it to the nanny. She's a professional."
Even though Hou Mingzhu had caused trouble, Ye Tiancheng still had to suppress his anger and calm Hou Mingzhu down, telling her not to be too anxious.
"I understand, Brother Ye. I won't make such a stupid mistake again. You can scold me this time. It's my fault."
Hou Mingzhu's attitude of admitting fault was so good that Ye Tiancheng couldn't bear to scold her anymore. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, and Hou Mingzhu's intention was good, just to cook a meal for him.
Ye Tiancheng was not so unfeeling, so he raised his hand and stroked Hou Mingzhu's hair.
"Why would I scold you? You've just never cooked before. You can learn slowly when you have the chance. Don't rush. Besides, it's not entirely your fault. My home conditions are too simple. Look, my pot still needs firewood to burn. Others have gas stoves."
Hearing Ye Tiancheng say this, Hou Mingzhu was no longer troubled and smiled happily, like a little calico cat.
"Brother Ye, you're right, but I've already let the nanny go, and we have no food to eat."
Ye Tiancheng was not a virtuous person. He originally wanted to call Fatty to clean up the mess, but he also wanted to set a good example for Hou Mingzhu.
"You go clean yourself up. I'll clean up the kitchen and then make a simple meal. We don't need to eat so well tonight. Eating too well is not good for digestion and will make us gain weight tomorrow."
"Okay, Brother Ye, I'll listen to you. I'll go wash my face now."
After Hou Mingzhu left, Ye Tiancheng realized that the mess Hou Mingzhu had created was quite difficult to clean up. After cleaning, Ye Tiancheng himself got dirty, then quickly went to wash up, and then came back to stir-fry a couple of home-style dishes.
"My cooking skills are really not presentable, so please bear with it. It probably won't be very tasty."
Ye Tiancheng only stir-fried green beans. What he could guarantee was that the green beans were cooked and did not contain any poisonous ingredients. The other dish was stewed. The tofu was also stewed so-so, in any case, it was the kind that wouldn't whet anyone's appetite.
"Brother Ye, you're so amazing! Your cooking is also so amazing. You've made such ordinary ingredients so extraordinary. I must savor it carefully."
People like to hear good words, so Ye Tiancheng now particularly enjoyed spending time with Hou Mingzhu because Hou Mingzhu always encouraged him and never suppressed his enthusiasm.
"If you like it, eat more."
Throughout the entire dinner, Hou Mingzhu kept praising Ye Tiancheng. Ye Tiancheng felt a blush at first, but then he gradually got used to it, truly believing his cooking skills were good.