Chapter 775 Plundering Resources
"It’s been tough on you."
Tang Xiu gently nodded at her with a smile on his handsome face.
Gu Xiaoxue’s remarkable glowing eyes were fixated on Tang Xiu’s smiling face as she affectionately replied, "It’s not been that tough, Grand Master. It’s you who has been working hard instead."
"Alright. How was the situation with Yan’er before you came here?" Asked Tang Xiu with a smile. "Any words she wants to pass on to me?"
"Yeah. Master did want me to convey her regards to you, Grand Master," said Gui Xiaoxue. "Also, for the time being, she is only able to leave the Everlasting Feast Hall for 2 days at the most. She is waiting for you to take her out for a walk once you visit Jingmen Island."
She can get out for two days?
Tang Xiu smilingly replied, "I see."
"Anyways, are we going to the mountain now that you mentioned, or should we wait before we go?" Gu Xiaoxue asked.
Watching the dozens of people who stood respectfully behind Gu Xiaoxue who did not look weary but instead seemed full of energy, Tang Xiu pondered for a moment and then said, "Have some rest for a while. I’ll take you to the mountain early in the morning. Also, this mountain is rather special as it’s entirely covered by arrays. Without my guidance, hiking up there will be very difficult for you all."
"Alright. We’ll follow your arrangements, Grand Master," Gu Xiaoxue nodded.
Once evening came, Tang Xiu took his men to enter the village. As some houses were occupied by the foreign forces before, no one occupied them at this time; thus there was no issue with their accommodation. However, right as everyone settled down, Tang Han came using the advantage of the cover of the night.
"Who are they, Brother?"
There was a puzzled look on Tang Han’s face when she saw Gui Xiaoxue and the Everlasting Feast Hall’s people.
"I’ll introduce you to them, Sis." Tang Xiu smilingly said, "This is Gu Xiaoxue, my grand-disciple. The rest are the Everlasting Feast Hall’s people who are also my subordinates. You can treat them as our own people who you can trust to guard your back."
The Everlasting Feast Hall and... a grand-disciple?
There was an incredulous expression on Tang Han’s face as she looked at the stunningly beautiful Gu Xiaoxue. She knew that the Everlasting Feast Hall was based in Jingmen Island and was well off. Yet, this younger cousin of hers was just 21-year-old—how did he have a grand-disciple already?
Also, judging from the appearance of this girl, she should be a few years younger than her, right?
Gu Xiaoxue didn’t know about Tang Han’s identity, but hearing Tang Xiu call her older sister, she immediately said with respect, "Hello, Grand Martial Aunt. I’m Gu Xiaoxue."
Uh... Grand Martial Aunt?
Tang Han was at a loss whether to laugh or cry and felt absurd and ridiculous for a while. She hesitated and then hastily said, "Gu... Xiaoxue. Can you not address me with... Grand Martial Aunt? Besides, I should be just a few years older than you are. If you don’t mind, just call me sister, or call me... Sister Han. Though I don’t know why you address Tang Xiu as Grand Master, we are people who live in a modern age with different ideas about things, right?"
"About this..."
Gu Xiaoxue was dumbfounded. Never did it occur to her that Tang Han would utter such words. She made a subconscious quick glance at Tang Xiu with a confused look on her face.
Tang Xiu didn’t care about title trivialities himself, so he waved and said, "Have it your way in addressing each other."
Tang Han pulled Gu Xiaoxue’s hand and smilingly said, "Alright! You heard him, right? Tang Xiu doesn’t mind it, so just call me either Big Sis or Sis Han. You calling me Grand Martial Aunt kinda sounds like I’m an ancient fossil."
"This... uh. Alright! Hello Sis Han." Gu Xiaoxue finally surrendered and addressed her as requested.
With a satisfied smile, Tang Han said, "Alright, since we are all together, discard all the formalities okay? Though there’s a bit I don’t get. Why did you address Tang Xiu as your Grand Master?"
"It’s because he’s my Master’s Master!" replied Gu Xiaxue.
"Your Master’s Master? Then your Master is..." Tang Han’s face looked unnatural.
"My Master is Gu Yan’er. She brought me up since childhood, but Master is Grand Master’s disciple, so I naturally must address him as Grand Master."
The idea made Tang Han feel dizzy. She felt like she was not on the same page as Gu Xiaoxue, nor was she able to figure out anything. She immediately shifted to Tang Xiu and said, "Hey, Brother, explain to me what’s the situation here?"
"Yan’er is my disciple and Xiaoxue is her disciple. Hence, Xiaoxue addressing me as Grand Master is naturally correct," explained Tang Xiu. "Besides, I also have several other disciples, one of whom is even much older. Do you know the Endless Virtue Pharmaceutical, by chance?"
"I know that company. It’s a big pharmaceutical company in our country," replied Tang Han immediately. "Its Boss, Chen Zhizhong, is a very capable man. I know about some notable people since I have been to the mainland a few times."
Tang Xiu nodded and said, "That Chen Zhizhong is also my disciple, though his status is only an in-name disciple. His son, who is older than me, also insisted that he must address me as Grand Master."
"Chen Zhizhong is your disciple?" Tang Han was surprised. "Heavens! What exactly are the skills you have, Brother? To think that you even got Chen Zhizhong to acknowledge you as his Master?"
"Don’t tell me Grandpa hasn’t told you about my identity as a cultivator?" Asked Tang Xiu back with a smile.
Tang Han stared blankly for a short while before shaking her head. "Nope. Grandpa hasn’t told me about that."
"Well, since Grandpa hasn’t told you, then I’ll tell you now." Tang Xiu chuckled and said, "If you would like to cultivate, Big Sis, I can impart you with a cultivation technique that will give you formidable strength."
"I’ll learn it!" Blurted Tang Han without hesitation.
Even though she lived in Mist Source Island all year round, she was also a member of the Tang Family. She understood some of the rumors with the so-called cultivators; for example, they were existences the likes of celestial immortals, yet they really existed in this world. Though never did she imagine that her younger brother would turn out to be one of them.
"Since you’re a cultivator, Brother... can... can you... fly like those in the legends?" Tang Han asked with anticipation all over her face.
"When you reach a certain extent in your cultivation stage, you will naturally able to fly in the air. Though flying will need the help of some minor spells with the Qi Control technique at the most basic foundation," said Tang Xiu with a smile. "Alright, cease the inquiries for now. You will figure it out later when you become a cultivator and have formidable strength."
"Got it!" Tang Han nodded with deep anticipation on her face.
The next morning.
Tang Xiu led Tang Han, Gu Xiaoxue, and dozens of members of Everlasting Feast Hall outside the village to quickly hike up the mist-shrouded mountain. Since Tang Xiu thoroughly understood the layout of the array covering the mountain, bringing all of them up it was quite easy.
"Oh my God! Is this a paradise?"
With a shocked expression, Tang Han’s mouth turned O-shaped as she saw the scenery in the mountain. She saw towering trees that were larger than hundreds of year old trees she had seen, along with abnormally sized animals that broke logic.
"Is that a rabbit, Brother?" Tang Han pointed at a bison-sized rabbit with disbelief.
"Yeah. That’s really a rabbit." Tang Xiu smilingly replied, "I guess it’s been alive for at least several hundreds of years. I even guesstimate that it should be over a millennium. Well, you can also regard it as a Demon Rabbit."
A Demon Rabbit?
Tang Han shuddered and instantly stopped moving.
"Take it easy!" Tang Xiu chuckled and said, "I came to this mountain previously and found that these animals are very docile. They will not hurt you as long as you don’t attack them."
The revelation made Tang relax and exclaim, "Sigh. It never occurred to me that you’d be powerful to this extent, Brother. You know, tons of people have been trying everything possible to enter this mountain, and yet it was all for naught. I never expected that I would be able to come here today. This will cause a huge sensation should the people outside learn about this."
"You must not tell anyone about you coming to this mountain, Sis! Not even your trusted subordinates," Said Tang Xiu hastily. "This mountain can be called a treasure mountain, and since we are the only ones who can come here, this will be the possession of our Tang Family. In case those outsiders found out about this, I fear that they will flock to this place and resort to all means to come here!"
Tang Han cautiously nodded, "I got it. You can don’t have to worry about that."
Tang Xiu then shifted his eyes to Gu Xiaoxue and the dozens of members of Everlasting Feast Hall, speaking in a heavy tone, "Don’t try to climb higher. This mountain is very bizarre and scary. The higher you climb, the greater the pressure you will encounter. Forcing yourselves to climb higher will harm and even injure you. Alright. Start moving and act now to take all the resources, but pay attention to your own safety! Our Everlasting Feast Hall needs these resources."
"Understood!"
Gu Xiaoxue and the rest nodded.
The expropriation was done frenziedly as they took a massive number of efficacious medicinal herbs, spirit fruits, and precious ores and loaded them into 10 interspatial rings. It was Ji Chimei who recently manufactured these rings in the headquarters of Everlasting Feast Hall in Jingmen Island.
Tang Xiu spent the whole morning in the mountains before leading the group of people to leave the site in a hurry. After leaving, he immediately called Divine Doctor Gui Jianchou.
"Hahaha... I know you are unable to hold your urge to call me, Tang Xiu! I will tell you good news, I have researched and developed the antidote after finding the right idea based off of the theory you had tested previously. I’m currently studying the data, but I also need to start the mass production of the antidote. It needs a massive number of medicinal herbs. I already told Yang Chuxiong and he has been busy working with the people from the army!"
"Have you already done the experiment?" Asked Tang Xiu. "Also, can it completely treat the infectious disease?"
"30 infected patients have been fully treated and cured," replied Gui Jiaosan.
It was a pleasant surprise for Tang Xiu. "That’s great! It’s thanks to you Divine Doctor! This Darkening virus crisis wouldn’t have been solved if it weren’t for you. I have some important issues to deal with at the moment, but I’ll hurry back to the military base after finishing everything. I’ll treat you to a drink when I get there."
"God’s Nectar!" Replied Gui Jianchou with a smile.
"God’s Nectar it is. No problem, you can have it until you’re full," happily replied Tang Xiu.
"Hahaha..." Gui Jianchou’s laughter was exceptionally crisp.