“Don’t worry about that. I’ve cast an obscuring spell on the car plate. They won’t be able to see the number,” Tang Hao said.
“You’re very meticulous, Fellow Cultivator! This car is not bad! How did you modify it? Don’t tell me… You carved runes on the car?”
Shabby Taoist Master got out of the car and circled it a few times. He looked upon it with admiration.
“I can’t carve runes on the car! I used jade talismans,” Tang Hao said, “So can you finally tell me what happened?”
“Well… it’s a long story. These people should be from the Xu family… I mean, the Wang family,” Shabby Taoist Master said grimly.
“Xu family? Wang family?” Tang Hao furrowed his brows.[1]
“The Xu family is notorious among the cultivation world for meddling with heretical arts, and they use their powers for evil. Like the Nanyang shamans, they have a tattered reputation.
“I went to the Wang ancestral house earlier and found by coincidence that the Xu family is a descendant branch of the Wang family.”
Tang Hao was confused. “So who is the Wang family then?”
“Hah! The Wang family is another notorious name in the cultivation world, and the most notorious figure of all is Wang Changsheng! Remember that name?”
“Wang Changsheng?” Tang Hao thought for a while, then remembered that he saw the name in Corpse Cave.
Shabby Taoist Master explained to him that Wang Changsheng was from the Ming or Qing dynasty, but he was killed by the ancestors of Mao Mountain.
“So that’s him!” Tang Hao said.
“I was being pursued by the Wang family descendants because I’ve discovered that connection. They’ve vicious bastards and there are many of them. I couldn’t fight them all, and I had to call you for help.”
Shabby Taoist Master sighed and looked worried.
“What’s wrong?”
“This is a complicated situation! The Xu family would have been a lot easier to defeat if they weren’t the descendants of the Wang family. Mao Mountain and the Wang family are sworn enemies.” His expression became grim as he spoke.
“I’ve also found out something recently. Wang Changsheng was not completely dead but instead sealed somewhere. The descendants of the Wang family should be looking for a way to free him.”
Tang Hao’s expression changed when he heard that.
Wang Changsheng sounded like a formidable opponent. Perhaps only someone in the State of Foundation Building might be able to defeat him.
He became less worried after thinking carefully. There ought to be enough cultivation masters in Mao Mountain to fight against him.
“The silver lining to all of this is that the Wang family descendants don’t know Wang Changsheng’s location,” Shabby Taoist Master continued, “I’ll have to return now.”
“I’ll send you back!” Tang Hao drove out of the basement parking lot and delivered Shabby Taoist Master to the neighboring district.
Before they parted ways, Shabby Taoist Master bought several dozen jade talismans from Tang Hao.
Then, Tang Hao returned to Westridge District in his car.
[1] The Chinese character for ‘Xu’ here is different from that of Xu Jianghai a few chapters ago.
Chapter 205 - Visiting Uncle Li
Tang Hao was slightly worried about what Shabby Taoist Master told him.
His current level of cultivation was in the late period of the State of Qi Channeling. It was quite remarkable for someone his age; not many people from Mao Mountain were at his level.
He had to thank the Liquid of Spiritual Condensation and the two spirit stones for that.
However, he was aware that somewhere out there were more powerful individuals from the State of Foundation Establishment. Thankfully, they were exceedingly rare, and he might never meet them, but he was nonetheless pressured by their possible existence.
He had to reach the State of Foundation Establishment as fast as he could so that he could become stronger and protect himself and the people he cared for.
Tang Hao pondered over the matter on his drive back to Westridge District.
The Taoist Masters would wail about the unfairness of it all if they knew what he was thinking.
They had cultivated for all their lives and could never wish for a breakthrough into the State of Foundation Establishment. However, Tang Hao was almost there at eighteen years old.
Tang Hao did some rough estimations and calculated that he would be able to reach the next state any time soon with his current speed of advancement.
Progress was slow in the late period of his current state.
“Well, I’ll do my best!” Tang Hao muttered.
Nothing much happened in the next few days.
Every day, he cultivated, crafted talismans, and attended to various matters in his company.
Bingji Beauty Cream was finally launched after almost a month of preparations. The company had run many advertising campaigns leading up to the product launch. With the established popularity of the weight loss tea, the next product of Haotian Health Products Development Co. Ltd. was poised to be a bestseller.
Orders came in like snowflakes in a blizzard.
They predicted that the beauty cream could be easily as popular as the weight loss tea.
To ease into college life, Tang Hao bought many textbooks and crammed his brain with knowledge of various subjects.
Vice Governor He had told him that he needed to take his own exams. He was expelled in his second year of high school, and he lagged behind when compared to other people of his age. He would be looked down upon if he did not catch up with his studies.
Fortunately, he had a strong memory. Learning the subjects, including English, was all too easy for him.
Another four days passed in the blink of an eye.
While Tang Hao was driving past the east of town, he suddenly remembered about Uncle Li. Uncle Li’s delivery center should be nearby.
He used to work there. He was very familiar with the surroundings because he passed by that place every day.
It had been three and a half months since he quit his last job.
He felt sentimental revisiting his old workplace.
Back then, he went around riding on his little three-wheeled motorcycle. He would not have expected that his life would change so drastically.
He had always been grateful to Uncle Li for helping him in his toughest times.
He thought he should pay Uncle Li a visit since he was around.
He bought many cigarettes, fine liquor, and gift hampers before going to the delivery center.
He parked his car in front of the delivery center, which attracted many curious eyes.
An Audi A8 was considered a luxury car for normal people.
Tang Hao got out of the car. He looked at the delivery center and noticed that it had not changed for the past three and a half months.
Tang Hao went into the store and was surprised to find that Uncle Li was not there.
“Good afternoon. Are you here to deliver a package?” A young man in his twenties came over and asked Tang Hao.
He furrowed his brows and inspected Tang Hao as he spoke.
He felt that the person in front of him looked incredibly familiar, as though they had met before. However, he was not too sure about that when he saw the car parked outside.
He knew the car cost about one million yuan, which meant that the person in front of him was rich, and not the delivery boy who used to work with him.
Tang Hao smiled when he saw the young man looking confused. “Why, don’t you recognize me anymore, Brother Dong?”
“You are…?” Chen Dong became even more confused.
“I’m Tang Hao!”
Chen Tong’s eyes opened round and wide. “You… You’re really Tang Hao?” After a long while, he said incredulously.
He was trying to reconcile the mental images of the rich young man who drove a luxury car and the delivery boy who used to
be his colleague.
As far as he could remember, the Tang Hao in the past was poorer than him and used to dress rather shabbily. He was almost always seen in a wrinkled white button-down shirt and his shoes had holes in them.
The Tang Hao he knew did not talk much, but he was a diligent worker and was friendly toward the other workers.
Now, he could not recognize him anymore.
He was still dressed rather plainly, but he carried a different aura with him. With the A8 outside, he had probably struck a gold mine.
‘This Tang Hao hadn’t quit his job for long! Isn’t it only less than four months?
‘How did he change so much in these four months? What opportunities were presented to him?’
“It’s me, of course!” Tang Hao said with a smile.
He took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it over.
Chen Dong was still shocked when he took the cigarette.
He was still trying to process the information.
The news was too big of a shock to him. He finally came to his senses a long while later, and his face displayed a look of admiration.
He guessed that Tang Hao must have had a fortuitous encounter and had become rich.
He smiled widely and said eagerly, “You seem loaded, Lil Tang! What are you doing now?”
“I’ve started my own company!” Tang Hao said, “Right, where’s Uncle Li?”
Chen Dong’s expression stiffened, then became glum.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Hao was shocked. “Did something happen to Uncle Li?”
Chen Dong shook his head. “It’s not Uncle Li, but Auntie Zhang. She’s sick!”
Tang Hao furrowed his brows. Auntie Zhang was Uncle Li’s wife. Just like Uncle Li, she was kind and diligent.
Tang Hao had been to Uncle Li’s house for dinner a few times, and he met Auntie Zhang before.
As far as he knew, Auntie Zhang fell sick easily, and she had gone to the hospital many times.
“What disease?” Tang Hao asked.
“I think it’s called… uremia? It’s quite serious.” Chen Dong had a face full of pity and sighed. “Sigh! Auntie Zhang is a good person! It’s not fair that she’s hit by this illness.
“I’ve heard that uremia is a serious illness. Furthermore, the treatment costs a lot of money. Uncle Li’s son was preparing to be married, but they had to postpone it because of his mother’s illness.”
Tang Hao’s expression changed.
Uremia was not as serious and deadly as cancer, but it was very difficult and costly to treat.
Uncle Li had saved up some money from his business, but it would not have been enough for treating his wife’s illness and funding his son’s wedding.
Tang Hao thought for a while and asked, “Where’s Uncle Li now?”
“He should be at the hospital. Auntie Zhang’s condition wasn’t very well for the past few days, and she’s been staying in the hospital since,” Chen Dong said.
“Thanks. I’ll look for him at the hospital!”
Tang Hao turned around and went into his car, then drove to the hospital.
He arrived at the hospital and asked for Auntie Zhang’s room.
Chapter 206 - Calling Off the Marriage
Outside of the hospital room, Tang Hao could hear the voice of a woman speaking within.
“Mrs. Li, this marriage… I think it’s a little hard to proceed. I’m sure you’ll also understand. Now that you’re sick, it’s not an appropriate time to hold the wedding.”
The voice was from a middle-aged woman, but she was not Auntie Zhang.
“Bin is an outstanding young man and I like him a lot, but I don’t think they’re a good match for each other.”
In the hospital room, a middle-aged woman was talking to Auntie Zhang on the bed and Uncle Li sitting by her side.
Behind him was a young woman in her mid-twenties.
Standing next to Uncle Li was a thin young man. Like Uncle Li, he wore glasses and looked rather bookish.
Uncle Li and his family were shocked, then became angry.
They knew what the woman was trying to imply.
She was going to call off the marriage!
‘Not a good match’ was only a lame excuse.
The development of their relationship had been smooth-sailing, from the point they met up until the marriage proposal. It was impossible that they were not a good match all of a sudden.
She implied that she was afraid that Auntie Zhang’s illness might drain the Li family of their finances.
It all boiled down to money!
Before Auntie Zhang’s illness, Uncle Li had savings of several hundred thousand yuan, and his family was considered middle-upper class. Treating Auntie Zhang’s disease cost them about a hundred thousand yuan every month. A potential kidney transplant would cost them even more money.
The ordeal would have emptied the family’s savings.
Next to the bed, Uncle Li’s face was ashen and his fists were clenched.
Anger filled his heart. Calling off the marriage was utter humiliation!
However, he was helpless. As an adult, he understood the reasons behind it.
That was the cold, harsh reality of the world he lived in!
Behind him, his son Li Bin’s face was also ashen out of anger. He glared angrily at the young woman across the bed and asked her, “Is this what you want, Xiaoyan?”
Zhang Xiaoyan lowered her head and avoided his gaze.
“Of course, this is what she wants! She’s too embarrassed to tell you, so I’m speaking on her behalf. Don’t be angry, Bin, it’s very normal to find that your significant other is not a good match. It’s better to break off a relationship at this point, rather than to force the marriage and lead to future unhappiness.
“I only have one daughter, and I hope to see her happy!”
“Happy?” Li Bin laughed coldly. “You’re just afraid that my family doesn’t have money. We’re already engaged, and we’re about to get married. Now that you’re calling off the marriage, what would other people think of my parents?”
Mrs. Zhang’s expression stiffened and became rather unpleasant.
“How dare you speak like that to me, you insolent child? I’ve already said what she wants to tell you. What else should I do?” Mrs. Zhang’s expression became cold and her tone of voice became harsh.
“I don’t wish for the situation to turn out this way either! Treating the illness will cost your family all your money. Will you be suitable for marriage by then? Can you still afford to buy a house?
“If you can’t afford a house or a car, do you deserve my daughter’s love? I don’t want my daughter to suffer.”
On the hospital bed, Auntie Zhang closed her eyes in emotional agony.
“That’s enough! Shut up! Couldn’t you have found a better time and place to break the news?” Uncle Li stood from his seat and roared.
Mrs. Zhang also became angry. “I need to settle this matter today! At least our families are now free from this obligation.”
“Hmph! Free from this obligation? Are we that pathetic in your eyes?” Li Bin said angrily.
“That’s all I want to say. We’ll be calling off the wedding, regardless of whether you agree to it. I’ll return all the betrothal gifts another day.”
“You…” Li Bin was livid. He looked at Zhang Xiaoyan and said, “How can you be so cruel, Xiaoyan?”
“What do you mean by cruel? You ought to give up, Li Bin! I won’t allow my daughter to marry you!” Mrs. Zhang shrieked.
Li Bin’s face was ashen and his entire body trembled.
“Just let them be, my son. If they want to call off the wedding, then they can have it their way. You can always find another significant other. We’re lucky that they showed their true colors here. I wouldn’t want to be related to such a materialistic family,” Uncle Li said.
“Isn’t that so!”
Suddenly, the door to the hospital room opened and a boy walked in.
He turned around and glanced at Zhang Xiaoyan. ” Big Bro Bin, what’s so good about this selfish and materialistic woman? Marrying her would be your misfortune!”
The people in the room were shocked.
“You are…?” Li Bin regarded the boy with confusion.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Zhang’s face dropped completely. She shrieked angrily, “Who the hell are you? You’re just a filthy kid. It’s not your turn to speak!”
Uncle Li glanced at the boy and was shocked. “Lil Tang? Why are you here?” He exclaimed.
Li Bin remembered who the boy was after his father called the boy “Lil Tang”. He regarded Tang Hao curiously.
“Uncle Li!’ Tang Hao said, “I went to the delivery center but I heard that you were at the hospital. So I came to look for you.”
Uncle Li smiled and said rather ashamedly, “I’m sorry that you see us in such a dishonorable state!
“Right! How have you been lately?” Uncle Li asked.
“Not bad!” Tang Hao said. Then, he greeted Auntie Zhang on the bed.
“Just forget about her, Big Bro Bin. I can introduce you to another girl who’s definitely better than her,” Tang Hao told Chen Bin.
Mrs. Zhang smirked when she heard that. “Hah, you talk big for a young kid! Better than my daughter? She’s kind, conscientious, and diligent. I wonder how many girls out there are better than her!
“Furthermore, even if you introduce another woman to her, would she want to stoop so low to marry into a broke family?
“Let me tell you. Marriages are all about money now. You can dream of marrying a wife if you don’t have money.”
“Who says that they don’t have money?” Tang Hao said coldly.
“They might have some money now, but do you have any idea how much would it cost to treat uremia? They’ll spend more than a hundred thousand yuan a year. That’ll be a few hundred thousand for the next few years. Would they still have any money after that?” Mrs. Zhang mocked.
Uncle Li and his family displayed expressions of agony when they heard that.
Tang Hao chuckled. “Who says that it’ll cost a lot of money to treat uremia? I say, this disease is incredibly easy to treat. She’ll be walking again in a few days!”
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 95
