“She ran away?” Taoist Master Qian Ji was shocked, then he remembered that Tang Hao was unusually strong, so it was not surprising that he could defeat her.
“That witch is so powerful, I can’t be mistaken. She carries the Tamamo bloodline. In other words, she is descended from fox spirits. They’re one of the most powerful cultivator heritages in Dongying.”
“Fox spirit?” Tang Hao was shocked. Then, he understood.
Perhaps that was why that Tamamo woman looked like a fox when she used her powers of seduction. However, she was already very beautiful even when she was not using her powers.
“Sigh! I didn’t expect that we would encounter such powerful cultivators here! It’s all thanks to you that we’re safe, Lil Bro Tang!” Taoist Master Qian Ji said frustratedly.
He was the eldest Senior Brother of Mao Mountain, but he was defeated by a witch from Dongying.
However, he soon forgot about the pain of defeat.
“Well, we still won no matter that!” He said with a grin.
He surveyed the scene. “Let Mao Mountain take care of these Dongying bastards! They won’t remember what happened today after we’re done with them.”
“Thanks a lot!”
Tang Hao understood that they were protecting him. Just like last time, Mao Mountain had claimed responsibility for what happened to the Nanyang shamans.
Tang Hao operated alone and it was easier for his enemies to take revenge on him. Mao Mountain was different. They had a fearsome reputation, and their enemies would think twice before launching an attack.
“This guy is Toru Miki, from the Miki family. Keep him with you too!” Tang Hao said.
“No problem. We’ll make sure to treat him well if you know what I mean,” Taoist Master Qian Ji said.
After that, they cleaned up the scene of the battle. Half of them remained to process the serpent god, while the other half along with Tang Hao and Taoist Master Qian Ji walked along the road.
Military trucks were parked on both sides of the road. Soldiers were hunting the Miki Group people who had escaped.
The soldiers had surrounded the area. There was nowhere to run.
However, the witch was a cultivator. She used her illusion sorcery on the soldiers and managed to flee.
The soldiers captured the escapees and brought them away.
The corpse of the serpent god was picked clean and the meat was distributed among the Taoist masters. Tang Hao took less of the serpent meat this time. He still had a lot of sea dragon meat left!
The Taoist masters borrowed several military trucks to transport the meat. Then, they brought Makoto Miki back to the prison.
They expected that Miki Group would not act as hastily after that failure. Even if they managed to snatch Makoto Miki away the next time, they still had a Toru Miki in their hands.
For that, Tang Hao was not worried at all.
Tang Hao and the Taoist masters found a clearing, built a fire spit, and started roasting the serpent meat. Tang Hao also shared some Divine Liquor with the Taoist Masters. They were already drooling when they smelled the liquor. Their eyes sparkled when they drank it.
Tang Hao gave them tens of jars before they parted so that the Taoist masters back in the mountain could taste it.
The Taoist masters could not thank him enough.
It was already eleven o’clock at night when they parted ways. He gave a call to Sis Xiangyi to inform her that he was safe, then started driving back to Westridge.
Chapter 360 - Let’s Plant Something
The most common activity during the Lunar New Year holiday season was eating.
Tang Hao went around the district in those few days to visit his friends. Every visit ended with a lavish meal. If Tang Hao were a normal person, he would have gained at least ten pounds.
At night, he fiddled with the magatama.
He had gone around the pocket world inside several times but he felt that something was lacking. He thought about it for a long time and realized that the place was entirely barren.
However, the place had some qi flow in it. It was at least stronger than the outside world.
He thought of planting something there. It would be a big waste of space if he did not plant anything.
The pocket world in the magatama was like a piece of land that he could carry with him. That would be very convenient for him to tend to anything he planted inside.
After deciding on that, Tang Hao sprung into action.
He portioned out several pieces of land. He loosened the soil and watered it with water from the magical spring. He also chopped up the meat and internal organs of the serpent god and used it as fertilizer.
A few days later, the land was suitable for planting.
He planted ginseng and lingzhi seedlings, as well as transplanted all the Liquor Tree sprouts there. He also planned to eventually transplant the Flower of Youth there.
With that, he could save some trips to Dragonrock Village.
Tang Hao completed the plantation in his pocket world after several nights. He went around and inspected his handiwork with satisfaction.
On the eighth day of Lunar New Year, his company resumed operations. Tang Hao was busy again.
Haotian Co. Ltd. was still expanding. New factories and production lines were being built.
Masculine Wind Co. Ltd.’s first product, the Masculine Wind aphrodisiac, was an instant hit, thanks to its amazing effects and aggressive advertising campaign.
The only aphrodisiac available in the market was Viagra. There were none produced by a Huaxia manufacturer. Now that Masculine Wind was released, it was nicknamed the Viagra of Huaxia.
Viagra’s effect was nothing compared to Masculine Wind. It could make any man into a man again, no matter if they had trouble keeping it up or finishing fast.
The product was a blessing for all Huaxia men. Sales were through the roof. Every new batch flew off the shelves, and it was the hottest item on all online shopping sites.
Masculine Wind’s production capacity was very high, but it could barely keep up with the demand.
As for Divine Liquor Company, the factory was still under construction, though it was already popular because of advertising.
Finally, New Magical Kitchen was just as popular as ever. Shi Yiwen and the chefs were training more apprentices so that they could expand into other cities. Westridge was also in the list of prospective locations.
Everything was moving at a fast pace.
Tang Hao discussed with Liu Dajun and the other bosses. Once Divine Liquor Company was operational, they would start incorporating the four companies into Haotian Group.
Meanwhile, the construction of the new houses started at Dragonrock Village after the Lunar New Year holidays. The village would be utterly transformed after the construction was complete.
One day, Tang Hao arrived at Dragonrock Village. He could see trucks carrying sand and stones going in and out of the village. It was a bustling scene.
He parked the car near the village entrance, then went to Yan’er’s house.
It was Reporting Day at Yan’er’s school.
Yan’er was in her senior year in high school. She needed to report to school a few days earlier than her juniors.
“Oh, you’re here, Lil Hao!” Zhang Hongfang, Yan’er’s mother, was at the doorway. She saw him from afar. “You’re here early. Yan’er is still packing!”
Tang Hao waited at the door before Yan’er came out.
Tang Hao was stunned when he saw her.
The girl in front of him was dressed in a pink jacket and jeans. The clothes were simple but trendy. Her face was fair and delicate, and her eyes were big and spirited.
Her face was so tender that you could squeeze water by pinching it. Her features were especially beautiful and innocent.
She stood there shyly with her head slightly lowered. Tang Hao observed that her figure had become fuller and curvier than ever.
Tang Hao was at a loss for words.
Yan’er’s beauty was different from the other beautiful females he knew. She was pure and innocent.
She was better at dressing up now, which made her even more attractive. Her clothes had accentuated her body shape.
Yan’er was embarrassed when she saw Tang Hao looking at her. However, she was secretly happy.
Meanwhile, Zhang Hongfang was grinning mischievously seeing the two of them.
She knew that Lil Hao already had a girlfriend, but she had not given up hope just yet. After all, it was hard to find another young man as accomplished as Lil Hao.
“Oh, why are you still standing there!”
Zhang Hongfang was anxious when she saw her daughter standing there. ‘Can’t you be a little more assertive? Why can’t you be as brave as you were that night?’ She thought.
“Let’s go, Brother Hao!” Yan’er lifted her head and said.
Tang Hao came to his senses. “Yes, let’s go!” He scratched the back of his head.
“Take good care of my little girl, Lil Hao. I’ll leave her in your hands!” Zhang Hongfang shouted from behind. She could not stop grinning as she watched the two kids leave.
They walked down the winding mountain path, shoulder to shoulder.
As they walked, Yan’er occasionally turned to look at Tang Hao, though she felt disheartened when she did so.
Even though she was at school, she had been keeping an eye on Haotian Co. Ltd.’s developments.
Within a few months, the company had grown from a small startup into a big company with over a hundred million yuan in profits. Brother Hao had also started a few more new companies within that time. His businesses were getting bigger and bigger.
She should have been proud of her Brother Hao, but at the same time, she was afraid that the distance between them would grow.
When she saw the Audi A8 parked at the village entrance, she suddenly missed the little three-wheeled motorcycle.
She remembered the first time when Brother Hao sent her to school.
Many people might look down upon the little three-wheeled motorcycle as it was a cheap vehicle, but to her, that was a simple joy that no other luxury car could give her.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Hao asked when he saw that she looked glum.
“It’s nothing!” Yan’er blushed and shook her head.
“Let’s go! It’s still early. I’ll bring you shopping.”
“Mm!” Yan’er replied.
“Right, this semester is very crucial. You ought to study harder,” Tang Hao said.
“Mm!”
Yan’er nodded. “I’ll do my best to be admitted into Z University. In the future, I want to work for you!”
She sounded very determined when she said that.
Tang Hao chuckled. “Then you should study hard. Looking at your results, I don’t think there will be a problem though.”
Tang Hao started the car, then drove out of Dragonrock Village.
He brought Yan’er to do some shopping in town, then sent her back to First High.
Chapter 361 - President Ling’s Troubles
Late at night, Tang Hao sat cross-legged in the living room.
Various types of jade were laid in front of him, including jadeite, Khotan jade, and others. There were also rare types like ice-types. Each piece was cut into the same size. They were to be made into jade talismans.
The total value of the jade in front of him was a few million yuan.
He had more of those jade pieces in his pocket dimension. He had probably more than a thousand pieces in total.
Tang Hao had gone to the jade markets in several towns over the past few days and had bought every good piece of raw jade.
He also managed to pick up some rare types at a bargain. He sold those and made back the money he spent.
All that was for his eventual trip to Dongying. He was preparing for war.
He was not planning on involving the Taoist masters of Mao Mountain in his upcoming trip. Instead, he would be going alone. To fight against a massive organization like Miki Group, he had to stock up on jade talismans.
He did not want to be underequipped.
Tang Hao planned to craft half of the raw jade pieces into individual attack talismans like lightning and fire talismans. Of course, he would prepare some defensive talismans against illusion sorcery too.
He would craft the remaining half of the jade pieces into attack formation talismans, such as the ‘Thirty-Three Heavenly Lightning Talisman Formation’, which combined the strength of thirty-three lightning talismans into one single, awe-inspiring attack.
He gently inhaled, picked up a piece of jade in front of him, then used his finger to draw a complicated set of runes on the piece of jade. It shimmered with a blinding light.
Soon, a jade talisman was completed.
Tang Hao was working at breakneck speed. When the sun rose again, he had a mound of jade talismans in front of him.
“Phew!”
He stood up and exhaled heavily.
He rested for a short while, then went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
The gentle morning sunlight, the sizzling oil in the pan, and the fragrance of freshly-made breakfast was a heart-warming scene. Tang Hao was reluctant to leave.
However, it was the first day of the new semester at Z University, and he had to go.
He could have skipped any other day except for that.
Breakfast was ready, but there was no movement from the room.
Tang Hao grinned. They must have been too excited the night before, which was why the woman had not woken up yet.
When he went into the room, she was still sleeping soundly in bed.
Tang Hao sat down next to her. He could not help it but lean over and kiss her delicate cheek when he saw her sleeping face.
She mumbled and started to stir.
Her long eyelashes fluttered and her eyes slowly opened, though they were still unfocused.
“Time to wake up!” Tang Hao said gently.
She rubbed her eyes and said lazily, “Not yet… let me sleep for a while more!” As she spoke, she reached out and hugged Tang Hao’s neck.
“Don’t move!” She whispered next to Tang Hao’s ear.
Tang Hao smiled indulgently. He reached out to pull her into his embrace and accompanied her.
More than an hour later, the couple slowly got out of bed, had their breakfast, and got out of the house.
Tang Hao fetched Han Yutong and departed for Provincial City.
It was already eleven o’clock when they arrived, and he had missed the morning class. Tang Hao went to his restaurant to meet Manager Shi and Master Chef Ding. He also met a group of apprentice chefs in the kitchen.
“President Tang, these are our new apprentice chefs. Don’t worry, we’ve run a background check on them. They’re clean.”
Tang Hao lowered his head and thought carefully.
He was not too concerned about their loyalty, because he knew that one’s background was not as important when faced with the allure of huge sums of money. Not many people could remain loyal once they were offered a huge monetary incentive to betray their employers.
To the restaurant, the most important thing was still the qi gathering jars. They would be fine as long as they guarded them securely.
They went to the office after surveying the kitchen.
“Right, President Tang, you asked me to keep an eye on Spring Brook’s developments. Earlier, they closed down a few shops next to our branches. The remaining ones are also facing severe financial difficulties. I don’t think they’ll last for very long,” Shi Yiwen said.
Tang Hao was surprised when he heard that. He turned to look at Han Yutong.
Han Yutong was also surprised. She had a complicated expression on her face.
She had waited for that good news for a long time. However, when it finally happened, she did not look as happy.
“Make sure that the security of the restaurant is tight. We’re to
o popular now. Someone might try to sabotage our business,” Tang Hao said before leaving.
Tang Hao went to attend the afternoon classes. In the evening, he went to have dinner with his classmates.
When they got out of the restaurant and prepared to go to the karaoke center, Tang Hao’s phone started ringing. He saw that the call was from Ling Wei.
Tang Hao was surprised. His breakup with Tai An Group had affected their relationship. They were not as close as before.
He hesitated for a while before picking up the call.
“Hey! Tang Hao!”
Ling Wei’s voice was heard once the call was picked up. He could hear loud music playing in the background, as though she was in a bar.
Tang Hao furrowed his brows.
He could not imagine that the usually modest and considerate President Ling would be drinking at a bar.
However, he thought more carefully about it and understood. He remembered seeing her stumbling out of a bar the first time they met. She was heavily drunk back then.
“Where are you now, President Ling?” Tang Hao asked seriously.
“I’m at a bar. Golden Dreams Bar. Do you want to come and join me? I want to find someone to talk to,” Ling Wei said softly. She did not sound like she was drunk yet. “It’s the first day of the semester. You should be in Provincial City, right?”
Tang Hao hesitated for a while but eventually agreed to it.
He told Cao Fei that he had to leave because of some urgent business, then handed him a wad of cash and told them to enjoy themselves with it.
Cao Fei walked away happily, holding the money.
Tang Hao immediately went to the bar.
Chapter 362 - Pouring Out Troubles
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 162
