"With this miracle drug out, I reckon Chen Guiyuan's position will be yours in no time!"
Chapter 33: King of Villas!
"Hahahaha..."
Shang Hongwei laughed heartily.
Now, all they had to do was wait for the miracle drug to hit the market.
On the other side, Qi Shanhai did not send Ye Lingtian straight back. Instead, he mentioned that he had prepared an apology gift for him. Ye Lingtian did not refuse.
Not long after, the car arrived at Jiuzhoutai, Mount Baolong. This was where the Dragon Vein of Jiangcheng was located. As soon as they stepped onto the grounds, the spiritual energy was so dense it made one’s pores open up; it was incredibly refreshing, almost like natural medicine.
After getting out of the car, a villa of extreme luxury appeared before Ye Lingtian. It sat right at the center of the Dragon Vein, where the spiritual energy was abundant and converged.
"Big Brother, this place sits atop the Jiangcheng Dragon Vein! It is a natural feng shui treasure trove! I spent a massive fortune to create the 'King of Villas' in Jiangcheng—the Jiuzhoutai Villa!"
"But I have always felt that no one was worthy of this King of Villas."
"Now, I present the Jiuzhoutai Villa to you, Big Brother! This is a perfect match!" Qi Shanhai said excitedly.
In truth, at Ye Lingtian’s level, he was indifferent to material things. Money? To him, it was just a number. A place to live? He had everything. He owned dozens of traditional courtyard houses in Longdu, several ancient royal mansions, and his properties in Shanghai were counted by the building.
The Jiuzhoutai Villa before him was not particularly outstanding. However, it was located on the Dragon Vein; not only did it have a powerful subterranean vein beneath it, but it could also gather spiritual energy. These features were useful for Ye Lingtian to suppress his congenital poison. Though it was not as pure as the ice vein beneath the Chen Family villa, it would still be effective with a few minor improvements. After all, even ice veins could be exhausted eventually, and he had to consider the long term.
"Fine, I accept the villa. I owe you one favor; I will take action for you once when you are in danger or facing difficulties," Ye Lingtian said coldly.
"Then I thank you, Big Brother!" Qi Shanhai was so thrilled his joy was evident on his face. Everything he did was for the purpose of getting close to Ye Lingtian. An existence that could make the queen of the Black Gold Consortium act as a maid had power far more terrifying than he could have imagined!
"Big Brother, I have already arranged for the butler and servants at the villa. Rest assured, they are all reliable."
Qi Shanhai then summoned Qi Yanran to his side. "Big Brother, this is my granddaughter, Qi Yanran. She is outstanding in every way. I’ll let her serve you personally and handle everything for you. You can have anything you want! She can even warm your bed."
Hearing this, Qi Yanran blushed with shyness. "Yanran is willing to do anything for you, Big Brother."
If it had been anyone else, she certainly would have refused. But this was Ye Lingtian. Since Xu Yourong was willing to be his maid, she naturally was too.
"Oh, alright then." Ye Lingtian’s expression shifted. Why were these women all so forward? He hurried inside the Jiuzhoutai Villa to take a look.
Soon, the news spread throughout all of Jiangcheng. The King of Villas, Jiuzhoutai, finally had an occupant! It was the most luxurious mansion in the city and the one everyone yearned for. When Chen Xiaoran saw the news, she was stunned. When the villa was first built, Chen Guiyuan had asked the King of Buildings to buy it, but the man had bluntly stated that Chen Guiyuan wasn't qualified to live there—no one in Jiangcheng was. To those mundane souls, living there would be a waste of a treasure. The King of Buildings had been waiting for someone truly qualified, intending to gift it to them directly. Yet, after waiting for three years, the villa had remained vacant.
"It seems the person qualified to live in that villa has finally appeared!" Chen Xiaoran’s eyes lit up.
Chapter 34: Clues About Mother
She had always strived to become the person the King of Buildings deemed worthy of living in the Jiuzhoutai Villa. It was one of her dreams. Now, she was very curious about who it was that had earned the favor of the King of Buildings.
"It must be a peerless genius!" Chen Xiaoran muttered to herself.
"By the way, Xiaoran, what about Ye Lingtian? He hasn't come out for so long, could something have happened to him?" Zhou Xinyi asked, worried about him.
"Right, I forgot about him!" Chen Xiaoran panicked. Her original intention was just to let Ye Lingtian cause some trouble and then seize the chance to kick him out. But if Ye Lingtian got hurt or killed, it would be a problem. She immediately drove to the bar street. Upon arriving, she saw bloodstains and shattered glass at the entrance of the Xichen International Club. She panicked.
Zhou Xinyi was also anxious. "Xiaoran, could it be... did something really happen?"
After inquiring with the staff at Xichen International, they were told that everyone had already left, and the staff didn't know who Ye Lingtian was. Chen Xiaoran hurried home. The two of them rushed inside in a flurry.
"Hm? What's wrong? Where is Tian'er?" He Wenqian asked, confused.
"Ah? This..." Chen Xiaoran stammered.
"Adoptive mother, I'm here!" Ye Lingtian’s voice rang out. Seeing that he was safe, both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
"Did you find any clues about your mother?" He Wenqian asked anxiously.
Ye Lingtian shook his head. "Not yet!"
"It's alright, take your time searching, no need to rush!"
Chen Xiaoran pulled Ye Lingtian aside and asked suspiciously, "They didn't give you a hard time?"
"Who would dare?" Ye Lingtian sneered. Chen Xiaoran glared at him and walked away.
A few days later, San Ye contacted Ye Lingtian through the King of Buildings, claiming he had news. Ye Lingtian hurried to meet San Ye.
"Hm?" Upon seeing San Ye, Ye Lingtian noticed something unusual. San Ye’s severed finger had actually healed. It wasn't just a simple surgical reattachment; the flesh had regrown, and the bone had mended to its original state.
San Ye immediately became nervous and stammered, "Big Brother, I, I, I..."
"Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment?" Ye Lingtian asked.
At this, San Ye and his group of henchmen were about to lose their minds. He truly was a Big Brother! He could see it at a single glance?
"Yes, yes, yes, Big Brother! It is indeed the Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment!"
Ye Lingtian was puzzled. "Where did you get it?" Could it be that his adoptive father had already started mass production? But how had he not heard a single whisper of news?
"Shang Hongwei gave it to me! He is a pharmaceutical giant, second only to Chen Guiyuan. Recently, his Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment is about to go into mass production, and he’s looking everywhere for clinical trials. My finger just happened to be severed, so I tried it. I didn't expect it to have such magical effects; my finger started healing in just three days!" San Ye said, filled with astonishment.
Ye Lingtian’s brows furrowed deeply. There was definitely something wrong here. Li Changsheng, that old rascal, had told him it was an exclusive ancient recipe that hadn't been left behind in the Dragon Kingdom. Others certainly shouldn't have it. Shang Hongwei’s ancient recipe must be the one he had given his adoptive father. Could it be... forget it, he would go back and ask his adoptive father.
Ye Lingtian returned to the main point. "Tell me, what have you found out?"
"Big Brother, I discovered that after your mother returned to Jiangcheng, she was assassinated again and was severely injured. She was saved by a couple and stayed with them for a month to recover before leaving!"
Hearing that his mother had been injured, Ye Lingtian instinctively clenched his fists.
"Do you know who the assassins were?" Ye Lingtian asked, his voice chillingly cold.
San Ye shook his head. "Not yet!"
"And where are this couple?"
Chapter 35: Can You Afford It?
"Big Brother, I will take you there myself!"
Not long after, they arrived at an old-fashioned residential complex. "Big Brother, this is the place. We won't go in; we’re afraid of scaring them." San Ye and his fierce-looking henchmen waited outside.
Ye Lingtian knocked on the door. Soon, a weathered-looking, limping middle-aged man opened the door and asked, "Who are you?"
"May I ask if you are Li Huicai?" Ye Lingtian asked.
"I am. Who are you, son?"
At this moment, a middle-aged woman also walked out. "Who is this?"
"Uncle, Auntie, about twenty years ago, you saved my mother, Zhou Xueqing! She recuperated at your home for a month!"
As soon as Ye Lingtian said this, Li Huicai and his wife immediately remembered. "You are Xueqing’s son? You’ve grown so much? Come in, come in!" The two of them hurriedly welcomed Ye Lingtian inside.
Ye Lingtian looked around the room; it was only about forty square meters, an old apartment, and the furniture was also quite aged. It was evident that they were living in very tight circumstances.
"Uncle, Auntie, I came to visit today, first to thank you! Please accept my bow!" These were his mother's saviors; he naturally had to thank them. Li Huicai and his wife could not have realized the value of this bow. He was the Dark Lord, after all!
"Child, sit down quickly! Your mother had such a hard life, being injured like that!" Li Huicai and his wife lamented. They recounted in detail the scene of saving Zhou Xueqing back then. Ye Lingtian kept his fists tightly clenched.
"Uncle, Auntie, I want to know where my mother went after she recovered from her injuries?"
Li Huicai was just about to answer when the door opened.
"Mom, Dad, I'm home!" A young girl walked in, dressed in a limited-edition Louis Vuitton outfit. Her clothes, shoes, and bag were worth at least seventy or eighty thousand, and with her necklace and accessories, it was at least a hundred thousand. She looked completely out of place in this home. This left Ye Lingtian very confused.
"Who is this?" Li Yijia suddenly saw someone there.
"Li Yijia, come here! This is your Brother Lingtian! Do you remember Mom telling you about the Auntie Zhou who recuperated at our house? This is her son!"
Ye Lingtian also stood up. "Hello, I’m Ye Lingtian! I came specifically to thank you, Uncle and Auntie, for saving my mother back then!"
Li Yijia did not respond; she just looked Ye Lingtian up and down. She was obsessed with luxury brands and always judged people by their clothes. Ye Lingtian was dressed like a country bumpkin, so she lost interest immediately.
"Didn't you come to thank them? You came empty-handed? You didn't bring anything?" Li Yijia said sharply.
Ye Lingtian tapped his forehead. "Sorry, I was in a rush and forgot!"
"It's fine, it's fine!" The old couple waved their hands immediately.
Li Yijia looked at him with contempt. "Forget it, huh? Someone like you couldn't even afford one of my bags! Can you really give a substantial gift of thanks? All you can do is talk!"
"Li Yijia, what nonsense are you spouting!" Li Huicai shouted angrily.
Li Yijia pouted and said, "It's true, isn't it? I was happy for nothing! I thought he might give us some money. I just happened to have my eye on a bag that costs over eighty thousand!"
Li Huicai’s wife scolded, "Didn't you just buy a bag for over thirty thousand last week? Why are you buying another one? Don't you know what kind of family we are?"
Li Yijia glared at Ye Lingtian. "What are you looking at? Can you afford it? Logically, our family saved your mother's life! Shouldn't you give us a few hundred thousand as a thank you?"
Chapter 36: Mother—Peerless Elegance!
Ye Lingtian nodded. "You are right." Forget a few hundred thousand; even tens of millions or hundreds of millions would be fine.
But Li Yijia changed the subject. "But looking at you, you’re just a pauper! You probably can't even pull out a few thousand. Mom, Dad, in the future, if you save people, save the rich ones! What’s the use of saving a pauper? They haven't come to visit you once in twenty years! And when they finally do, they don't bring anything!"
"Li Yijia, you've gone too far! How did I end up with a daughter like you?" Li Huicai was so angry he could hardly breathe. It seemed he had no way of disciplining this daughter.
"What? Can't even let me tell the truth? Let me ask you, what kind of job do you have?" Li Yijia pursued Ye Lingtian with questions.
"I... I don't have a job." A dignified Dark Lord having to work?
"Mom, Dad, did you hear that? He doesn't even have a job! And he comes here to thank you? Is he here with some ulterior motive?" Li Yijia was even more disdainful. "Get out of my house immediately!"
"Speak properly! If you can't speak properly, then shut your mouth!" Li Huicai shouted in rage.
"Child, I’m sorry you have to see this," the couple said, being immensely kind. Ye Lingtian waved his hand. "It’s fine."
Ye Lingtian continued to talk to the couple about his mother. Li Yijia wanted to kick Ye Lingtian out directly, but her phone rang. Her expression changed drastically, and she hurried into the bedroom to answer. Ye Lingtian caught her panic. There was definitely something going on.
"Long-ge, please, I beg you for more time! I will definitely scrape the money together and pay you back! Please don't come to my house! Don't let my parents know! I beg you!"
Although Li Yijia was hiding in the bedroom, her desperate pleas were heard word for word by Ye Lingtian. It turned out that Li Yijia had taken out high-interest loans online! That explained her high consumption. Li Huicai and his wife ran a breakfast stall and couldn't possibly earn much money. Li Yijia’s outfit alone cost more than what the two of them could earn in three years.
After finishing the call, Li Yijia hurried out of the bedroom. "Mom, how much money is left in your card? Give it to me!" she demanded, holding out her hand.
"You... what are you doing? Didn't I give you thirty thousand last week? There's only fifty thousand left on my card, it's money for your father's medical treatment!" Li’s mother was a bit flustered.
"Why are you so stingy? I have a use for it, of course! If I spend a little money now to package myself, I can find a rich boyfriend! Then, not to mention a few thousand, I could give you millions easily! Dad’s illness can hold on for a bit longer!" As she spoke, Li Yijia almost snatched it, taking a bank card from her mother's pocket.
"Sigh!" Li Huicai let out a long sigh. He could no longer control this daughter.
After getting the bank card, Li Yijia glared at Ye Lingtian. "What are you looking at? Pauper! If you have the ability, why don't you bring out eighty or a hundred thousand to thank me?" Not only that, but Li Yijia also took the property deed and the family registry before rushing out.
"Uncle Li, don't worry about your health, it’s just minor issues! I'll bring some medicine tomorrow to treat it," Ye Lingtian said, having already observed their health.
"Child, let me continue telling you about your mother. Your mother was a truly remarkable person. She suffered such heavy injuries and didn't even go to the hospital. Yet, she managed to recover in just one month!"
Hearing this, Ye Lingtian became even more convinced that his mother was not an ordinary person! Otherwise, how could she have evaded assassination attempts again and again while pregnant with him? This was definitely not a coincidence! Apart from help from others, his mother must have had considerable abilities. Could an ordinary woman encounter the Master of Paradise Island? Could she convince Paradise Island to take in her son? Impossible! His mother was absolutely not simple! Furthermore, he had heard his Master describe her as "peerless in elegance!"
Chapter 37: The Qi Replenishment Pill, Hard to Buy with a Thousand Pieces of Gold!
"After a month, she left immediately, saying she was afraid of implicating us. She said that if she stayed any longer, our lives would be in danger!"
"She didn't leave behind anything of value or money, just told us that if we ever encountered difficulties in the future, we should go to the Chen Family and just mention her name!"
Ye Lingtian paused. "And did you go?"
"When we fell on hard times, we did go to the Chen Family to seek help from the old man, Chen Guofeng, and we mentioned your mother's name! Not only were we kicked out, but we were also given a beating! They said they didn't know her at all and that we had been deceived!" At this point, Li’s mother began to cry.
"A fine Chen Guofeng!" Ye Lingtian’s fists clenched tight.
"Then, after my mother left, did she say where she was going?"
"She seemed to say she was heading south?" Li Huicai tried to recall.
"Right, she was heading south to find an old friend!" Li’s mother added. "We don't know exactly where! Maybe Zhongzhou, or maybe Shanghai. She said that this journey would likely lead to her death, and she wouldn't even be able to thank us personally in the future! She asked for our understanding!"
Hearing this, cold rays of light shot from Ye Lingtian’s eyes. So much time had passed. His mother was likely in grave danger.
"Then, Uncle, Auntie, I will come to visit you again tomorrow!"
Afterward, Ye Lingtian left. He informed Black Emperor of this news, asking him to investigate his mother’s old friends in the south, focusing on places like Shanghai and Zhongzhou.
Returning to the Chen Family in the evening, remembering the matter of the Black Ginseng Jade Bone Ointment, Ye Lingtian asked, "Adoptive father, did you use the ancient medical formula I gave you?"
"Hmm? What ancient medical formula?" Chen Guiyuan had long forgotten.
"The one I gave you last time, the ancient medical formula to treat adoptive mother’s severed finger!" Ye Lingtian said.
"Oh, oh, oh, that. I think I threw it away? I don't know where I threw it," Chen Guiyuan said with total indifference.
Ye Lingtian paused. "What? You threw it away?"
"It wasn't useful anyway! Why wouldn't I throw it away?" Chen Guiyuan sneered.
Chen Xiaoran also accused Ye Lingtian. "Are you crazy? Did you want my dad to produce that stinking stuff of yours in his company? What are your intentions? Are you trying to make my dad’s company go bankrupt?"
Chen Guiyuan agreed. "Not to mention how absurd your ointment is, can you even guarantee its safety? Are you sure it won't harm people?"
"I’ve been in the pharmaceutical industry for thirty years, and safety is the number one priority! Can this thing of yours work? If I took it to the company, people would laugh at me for a lifetime!"
The father and daughter sneered continuously. They had simply treated Ye Lingtian’s ancient medical formula as trash and tossed it out.
"But someone has already found this ancient formula and is mass-producing it!"
"Nonsense! Who would be so short-sighted to take your scrap paper to do research?" Chen Guiyuan wouldn't believe it even if he died.
Chen Xiaoran added, "Exactly! Who would treat your waste paper as a treasure? Besides, my mom has been applying your stinking ointment every day for several days now, and there is zero effect! Stop acting like a con artist!"
Ye Lingtian didn't say anything more. As long as his adoptive mother was fine, he didn't care about the others. Only He Wenqian comforted him, "Tian'er, it's alright. Adoptive mother believes in you!"