“Lil Hao, our family owes you another debt of gratitude. We don’t know how to thank you!” Zhang Hongfang grasped Tang Hao’s hands tightly.
“No need at all, just doing what I can!” Tang Hao smiled.
“Right, Lil Hao, you must be hungry! I’ll go make dinner now, please at least stay for dinner with us! Let’s go, Xuefeng, let the two young ones be alone.”
Before Tang Hao could reply, Zhang Hongfang pushed Shi Xuefeng’s wheelchair and headed to the back of the house.
He opened his mouth, intending to decline her offer, but he did not say it.
“See, Xuefeng, Lil Hao is such a good kid! I think he has some feelings for Yan’er. Both of them have known each other since young.” He could hear Zhang Hongfang’s voice from afar.
“Yes! This Lil Hao isn’t a bad kid at all. I’m just afraid… he doesn’t have his sights on our girl,” Shi Xuefeng replied.
“That’s true. Lil Hao is on a different level than us peasants now. He knows VIPs like Secretary Lin, he’ll be stepping to greater heights in the future… No, Yan’er has to seize this chance…”
Tang Hao blushed when he heard the conversation.
He glanced at Yan’er sitting beside him and felt even more awkward.
Yan’er stood there silently. Her hands were resting behind her and she twirled her fingers. She was also slightly blushing. Under the dim light, her beauty was almost palpable.
“Brother Hao…. Thank you so much for today!” She said in a soft voice.
“It’s nothing!” Tang Hao said, “Yan’er, I’ll have to go tell Grandma that I’m having dinner here tonight.”
“Alright, I’ll follow!”
They went to Grandma’s house, then took a spin around the village before returning home.
Dinner was soon ready. It was not a banquet, but they had prepared the best dishes they could afford. Shi Xuefeng even unearthed a cask of wine from his private stash and did not stop topping Tang Hao’s cup.
Tang Hao once again asked for the exact location of the lingzhi. He prepared to retrieve it the first thing the next morning.
After dinner, Zhang Hongfang eagerly asked Tang Hao to stay for the night.
He could not decline the offer. He also kept in mind that he had to go into the mountains tomorrow and had to stay overnight at the village anyway. He accepted the invitation and gave Sis Xiangyi a call.
The night in the mountain village was serene.
Tang Hao laid on his bed. Next to him was the window through which he could see the boundless night sky. He was mesmerized by the view.
Suddenly, his sensitive ears could hear slight footsteps from beyond his room.
The footsteps stopped in front of his door.
Then, the door creaked open, and someone quietly stepped in.
Tang Hao turned to look at who it was, and was shocked.
Yan’er was dressed in her pajamas. Under the moonlight, her charming face took his breath away.
She stood there basking under the moonlight, as dreamlike as a fairy that had descended from the heavens.
She walked forward and stood in front of Tang Hao’s bed. Her face was blushing.
“Yan’er, you…” Tang Hao did not know how to react.
He blushed when he saw this young woman standing in front of him. She was not the little girl that he used to know.
“Brother Hao, I…” Yan’er lowered her head and hesitated. Suddenly, as though she had made a decision, she took another step forward and dove under the blankets.
Chapter 57
Tang Hao lay there. He dared not move a muscle.
“Yan’er, you’re…”
Yan’er’s face was bright red. Her eyes radiated charm with a hint of seductiveness, while at the same time, she was a little flustered.
She hesitated for a little while longer, then gathered enough courage and finally told Tang Hao, “Brother Hao, you… you can claim my body!” Her red face looked like it was burning.
Tang Hao was shocked, he did not know whether he should laugh or cry.
“What are you talking about, you silly girl?”
“I’m not joking, Brother Hao!” Yan’er spoke softly, “We owe you too big of a debt of gratitude. I don’t know how else to thank you. Also… Also… I… I like you…”
Her gaze on Tang Hao was daring and passionate.
“Mom already told me. You’ll definitely be pursued by many other girls in the future. She told me to seize my opportunity fast… so… I…” Her voice became softer as she spoke.
Tang Hao listened to all that in silence.
To be frank, any boy of his age would be happy to be liked by someone as pretty as Yan’er. He was also silently happy about her confession.
He had some feelings for Yan’er, but that was about it.
Also, he thought that Yan’er was still young, and he should not be irresponsible.
He smiled, then raised his hand to pat Yan’er’s head.
“Silly girl, you’re still young.”
“I’m… I’m not young. I’m already seventeen!” Yan’er pouted and grumbled when she heard that Tang Hao said she was young. “Some girls in school, I’ve heard that they’ve… they’ve… already did it when they were even younger.”
She paused when she finished the sentence. “So… how am I too young then!” She said bashfully.
Tang Hao tried to hold back his laughter. “Seventeen years old is still young! Listen to me, Yan’er, even if you want to repay me for helping your family today…. This isn’t how I would want it.”
Yan’er remained silent.
Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears. “Brother Hao, is it because you don’t like me?”
“No, how can that be! You’re so pretty, Yan’er, why wouldn’t I like you?” Tang Hao smiled.
“I know, right?” Yan’er grumbled. “Well, Brother Hao, you’re so kind to people. Surely you already have a girlfriend, right?” She looked gloomy as she spoke.
Then, she looked excited again. “Brother Hao, Yan’er likes you too. I definitely won’t lose to whoever she is.”
She pounced on Tang Hao then pecked his cheek.
Then, she flipped the blanket over and left the room.
“Phew!” Tang Hao breathed a sigh of relief after she left.
This girl’s body was maturing. In a year or two, she would not lose to Sis Xiangyi.
Tang Hao felt flustered in his heart for a long while. He eventually calmed down and fell asleep.
He woke up very early the next morning.
Yan’er was blushing through breakfast. She did not dare to look at him in the eye. Zhang Hongfang was chuckling to herself when she looked at the young couple.
The condition of Shi Xuefeng’s leg improved a lot over the night. Tang Hao estimated another ten days before his leg fully recovered.
Shi Xuefeng mentioned that the mountains were not safe. Sometimes, venomous snakes or wild beasts could be seen roaming around. He departed alone for the mountains with a machete.
He passed by many villagers on his way out. They greeted him passionately.
Once he entered the mountain, he stretched his legs and ran at full speed. The two-to-three-hour journey on mountain paths was shortened to half an hour before he arrived at the area with the lingzhi.
Tang Hao stood at the valley of a stream and looked at the crisp green mountains in front of him. He furrowed his brows.
The area where the lingzhi and Flowers of Rotting Poison grew was right ahead. That area should have an intensely strong qi flow, but now that he tried sensing it, the qi flow in the area was no different than the surroundings.
“That’s strange!” Tang Hao mumbled as he rushed toward the area.
He found the stalk of lingzhi in under twenty minutes. Its cap was as big as an umbrella and looked like it was two or three centuries old.
“This is good stuff!” Tang Hao said happily.
Lingzhi accumulated qi as it grew, so the older a stalk o
f lingzhi was, the more qi it would contain within. If he were to use it to concoct Liquid of Spiritual Condensation, his qi cultivation would increase greatly and he would soon reach the middle period of the State of Qi Channeling. This would allow him to practice sorcery.
He plucked the stalk of lingzhi and stashed it in his pocket dimension.
Then, he found the Flower of Rotting Poison nearby.
“That’s strange… the qi flow in this region isn’t strong at all!” Tang Hao was frustrated as he took another spin around the area.
He looked around and spotted a pond next to the Flower of Rotting Poison.
“Hm? I think there’s something strange about this pond…” Tang Hao could feel qi pulsing as he neared the pond.
“Why is there an aura of qi coming from inside?” Tang Hao was puzzled. He walked around the pond and did not find anything out of the ordinary.
He suddenly had an idea as he peered into the pond. There might be something amazing hidden underwater.
He took off his clothes and took a deep breath, then dove into the pond.
The water was ice-cold and swallowed him whole.
Once in the water, he opened his eyes to look at his surroundings. The light in the pond was scarce and he could faintly see the condition in the pond.
The pond was about eight or nine meters deep. The light was far dimmer down there. If not for his sense of sight being far better than normal humans, he would not have been able to see anything.
He carefully looked around, then noticed a faint light emanating from beneath the muddy bottom.
“What’s that?” Tang Hao swam across. With a flick of his hand, he swept away the mud.
Two pure-white jade stones appeared within sight. One of them was as big as a chicken egg, while the other was only the size of a marble.
The jade stones were as white as snow and emanated a soft glow. They seemed like items out of a fantasy story and pulsated with a strong flow of qi.
He carefully inspected the objects in his hand, then he suddenly realized what they were.
“Spirit stones! These are spirit stones!”
Spirit stones were created by cultivators in ancient times by an esoteric technique that concentrated qi from the heavens and the earth in solid form.
They were one of the most important resources that a qi cultivator could own.
Back then, qi permeated the heavens and the earth, and so spirit stones were relatively easier to come by. In the present day, qi flow was scarce, and spirit stones were incredibly rare.
“I’ve hit the jackpot this time!” Tang Hao was ecstatic. The qi from the spirit stones and the lingzhi could sustain his cultivation up until the middle period, or even the late period of the State of Qi Channeling.
He stashed the spirit stones, then carefully searched the area but did not find any more.
A short while later, he surfaced from the pond.
Sitting next to the pond, he fondled the spirit stones in his hand and felt happy. “Looks like these two spirit stones had imbued the water with qi… This water is also extremely precious. I shouldn’t waste it.”
Tang Hao produced a container and filled it to the brim. Then he removed the stalk of Flower of Rotting Poison, stashed it, and left the place contentedly.
Chapter 58
It was already eight or nine o’clock in the morning when he returned to the village.
The village entrance was bustling with activity when he returned. A fleet of cars was entering Dragonrock Village in a single file.
The cars in front were all luxury cars. Tang Hao recognized that those cars belong to Liu Dajun, President Li and the other bosses. He did not recognize those cars behind.
One by one, the cars parked in the empty land near the village entrance and quickly filled up the place.
The entire village was brimming with excitement. Many villagers came out of their houses to see.
Shi Xuenong, the village elder, brought Uncle and the other members of the village council to greet them.
When Tang Hao went there, a group of people came to greet him.
Liu Dajun, President Biao and the others were the first to greet him. Then, it was the village elder and Uncle. Finally, a group of people led by a middle-aged man came to him.
“Oh ho! It’s great to meet you, Little Brother Tang! My name is Wu Bin, the mayor of Jade Town. I am sorry for what happened yesterday, and I’m here to apologize on behalf of the Jade Town Police Force.” Mayor Wu shook Tang Hao’s hand eagerly.
“Nice to meet you too, Mayor Wu!” Tang Hao smiled.
“I’ve heard that you want to set up a plantation here. This is a very good idea. Dragonrock Village boasts an excellent scenery with unpolluted nature and is the perfect place for cultivating medicinal herbs.
“The town council is all in favor of your proposal. Secretary Lin has also called me earlier to take good care of you. Don’t worry, you have all the support from the town council. Just let us know if you need anything.” Mayor Wu said excitedly.
“Thank you so much, Mayor Wu!” Tang Hao said gratefully.
“Haha, don’t mention it! We are honored to have such a young, talented individual like you to establish your business in Jade Town!” Mayor Wu laughed.
Liu Dajun came over. “Lil Tang, I’ve brought some people with me to make some measurements at the location. I’ve also brought the roadworks people with me to give some estimates.”
The people chatted as they walked toward the village council office, then they went to survey the location.
Tang Hao was finally free in the afternoon. He paid another visit to his maternal grandparents and Yan’er’s house before returning to town on his little three-wheeled motorcycle.
Once in town, he called Sis Xiangyi on his phone and had dinner together.
Back in his mansion, he retrieved the stalk of lingzhi from the pocket dimension and started concocting Liquid of Spiritual Condensation.
He held the ingredients in his palm one by one and activated their potency, then threw them into the mixing bowl. He sliced up the lingzhi and put it in the mixing bowl too. Only then he started pounding the ingredients with a pestle.
He had done this countless times and was extremely familiar with the motions.
In less than twenty minutes, the fragrance of medicinal herbs permeated the room.
“That’s centuries-old lingzhi for you. It even smells different!” Tang Hao exclaimed.
All the lingzhi he had used before were only decades old. There was no comparison to this centuries-old lingzhi.
Tang Hao stopped pounding a short while later. He tilted the mixing bowl and poured out a bowlful of golden liquid.
The liquid was slightly sticky and the color was more vivid than before. It emanated a pungent fragrance.
Unquestionably, this portion of liquid was tens of times more potent than the Liquid of Spiritual Condensation he used to make. Tang Hao dared not drink the entire portion in one sitting but instead drank half a bowl first.
Then, he sat cross-legged and started absorbing the liquid.
He only finished absorbing the entire down liquid after four or five hours. The qi in his body had increased greatly and he was close to the middle period of his current State.
“I might as well hit the middle period right now!”
Tang Hao retrieved the spirit stone that was the size of a marble and started absorbing it.
An hour later, Tang Hao’s body trembled and he opened his eyes.
In the darkness, his black irides shone like stars in the sky. He could feel that his body continued to transform as his cultivation reached the middle period. His corporeal body felt a lot stronger.
More importantly, he could feel the increased amount of qi in his body. He was already ready to practice sorcery.
“What should I study first?”
Many low-level sorcery spells were available to him. He thought about the matter for a moment, then settled on studying a spell call
ed ‘Levitation’.
The Levitation spell was about floating in the air and riding along wind currents so that one could fly in the sky.
It was the dream of many to fly freely in the sky like birds. The same was for Tang Hao. That was why he picked this spell as the first in his repertoire.
He had already memorized all the words of the chant and also mastered the hand gestures required for the spell.
He sat cross-legged on the floor and chanted the words to the spell. His hands shifted as fast as lightning to perform the gestures. Soon, he could feel a gust of wind blowing past his body.
With another thought, he sent the gust of wind forth. The curtains danced.
Tang Hao familiarized himself with the spell by performing it a few more times. His control over wind was getting better and better.
Soon, he had mastered the Levitation spell. He could get the wind to lift him and spin rounds in the air.
After that, he left Celestial Foothill Gardens and ran toward a nearby mountain, then jumped off a cliff.
At the moment his feet left the ground, he leisurely performed the hand gestures. A gust of wind rose instantly and lifted him.
“Haha! I can fly! I can fly!” Tang Hao was ecstatic. He spun a few rounds in the air.
Above him was the boundless sky. Below him was the vast land and the brightly-lit city.
The feeling of flying freely in the sky had made him ecstatic.
He flew toward the city at full speed and landed on top of a skyscraper. He felt carefree looking at the city below him. He wanted to scream with joy.
He pushed his feet and, with a mighty leap, rode the wind to the rooftop of another skyscraper about a hundred meters away.
Then, he started hopping from the rooftop of a building to another.
At this time, in an apartment not too far away, a fat person opened the door to his balcony to collect the laundry.
He was a little sleepy and yawned repeatedly.
He lifted his head and noticed that not too far away, a silhouette flew past his eyes.
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 28
