“Lil Tang…” She called out suddenly.
“Yes?”
“I love you so much!”
Tang Hao smiled and stroked her hair gently. “I know! You’ve said it many times!”
“No! I have to say it many times every day!”
“OK!” Tang Hao could not help but laugh. “I love you too!”
She opened her eyes and pursed her lips into a smile. “I know that, silly! I know that your heart still belongs to me!”
In the darkness, she looked at him lovingly.
Tang Hao was slightly aroused, so he kissed her.
His movements were very gentle, and she responded to him gently.
Everything was so delicate as their bodies mingled. Even the moans were very soft.
Their hearts became closer and closer.
When everything was over, she said lazily, “I enjoyed myself earlier, Lil Tang!”
“You should go to sleep!” Tang Hao said with a smile.
She closed her eyes. The corners of her mouth curled upward slightly with a hint of a smile.
After she had fallen asleep, Tang Hao got up, put on his clothes, and drove to the outskirts of the county seat. He had made markings on the ground earlier, and all he had to do was bury the Artifacts.
After burying the last Artifact, he saw a beam of light shooting out from the ground and into the sky.
All around the county seat, beams of light shot toward the sky, and an invisible shield spread out.
Then, he went to Qin Xiangyi’s factory and set up a miniature Artifact formation around it. Just like the one at home, there were thirty-six Artifacts.
After that, Tang Hao went home.
…
Several more days passed in the blink of an eye.
In those days, the entire Huaxia cultivation world was in an uproar.
News came from Mao Mountain that Senior Tang was going to auction the lucky numbers!
The identification pendants were the talk of the town in the Huaxia cultivation world. Everyone wanted the lucky numbers.
They knew that the pendant signified their identity as a cultivator, and they would need it for the rest of their lives.
With a lucky number, they could show off.
After hearing the news, all the cultivation families spared no expense and searched everywhere for medicinal herbs. They even sent their family members to remote mountains and forests.
They could even be found in the Shennongjia Forest and the Qin Range.
Sometimes, they would bump into each other.
“Dammit! Why are you here?”
“What a coincidence! Eh? You look miserable like a barbarian!”
Such conversations took place in the mountains and forests all over Huaxia. “Barbarians” popped up all over those places.
Even Dragon Tiger Mountain joined in the frenzy.
The weather was excellent on the day of the conference.
On Mao Mountain, colorful flags and banners fluttered in the wind.
“Celebrating the Successful Convening of the Mao Mountain Grand Convention!”
“Fellow Cultivators, Welcome to Mao Mountain!”
The Taoist masters were dressed in brand-new Taoist robes and stood at the mountain gate to welcome the fellow cultivators.
Soon, the first group of people arrived. It was the Qi family from the Capital.
“Wow!”
They were all amazed by the brand-new atmosphere on Mao Mountain.
They were stunned when they detected the cultivation base of the young Mao Mountain disciples.
The disciples were almost at the middle period of the State of Qi Channeling, and many of them were only teenagers!
They were completely shocked!
“Mao Mountain is pretty amazing!”
“It’s unbelievable!”
They knew that Mao Mountain was a powerful sect in the Huaxia cultivation world, but they did not expect that Mao Mountain were such freaks.
Smiles bloomed on the Taoist masters’ faces when they heard the whispers and discussion.
That was the effect they wanted by bringing out the young disciples!
Very soon, the other families also came. They were all speechless.
Finally, Dragon Tiger Mountain arrived by helicopter.
They could not believe what they saw. As far as they knew, Mao Mountain used to be a poor and run-down place, but it was completely different now! They could not call the Taoist masters poor losers anymore!
Their eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets when they saw the cultivation bases of the young disciples.
“Wh… What the hell!”
Many of them pinched themselves to ensure that they were not dreaming.
Seeing that, the Taoist masters felt extremely happy.
“Haha! Look, those idiots can’t figure out what’s going on!”
“Speaking of which, it’s all thanks to Fellow Cultivator Tang!”
Taoist Master Zhen Yang stroked his long beard. He was laughing up his sleeve.
“Let’s go upstairs. The conference will start in a while. Oh right, have you brought the things?” He went up to greet them.
The elderly heavenly master who led the group grunted angrily and pointed at the big sacks in the hands of the heavenly masters behind him.
“This way, please!”
Taoist Master Zhen Yang ushered them inside.
When they reached the plaza halfway up the mountain, they saw many people sitting on the chairs set up in rows. It was a lively scene.
“Where is Spiritual Master Tang?”
“Don’t worry. He’ll be here soon!”
After the people from Dragon Tiger Mountain took their seats, three figures walked out of the grand hall in front of them. The one in the middle with white hair and a sage-like appearance was Taoist Master Qing Xu.
Tang Hao and Taoist Master Qian Ji followed closely behind him.
“Who is that?”
Instantly, murmurs filled the entire square.
All eyes were on Taoist Master Qing Xu.
Taoist Master Qing Xu walked out in large strides. He casually flipped his Taoist robe, revealing the jade pendant at his waist. On it was the number “8888.”
Chapter 703 - A Spectacular Haul
“Oh my god! 8888! That’s the number of my dreams!”
“Damn! That’s awesome! Who on earth could that be?”
Everyone in the plaza was exclaiming in surprise.
Taoist Master Qing Xu was secretly delighted and very pleased with himself.
Next, Taoist Master Qian Ji pulled up his Daoist robe and revealed his identification pendant with the number 88. It was very eye-catching.
“Even 88 is gone!”
Many people wailed.
At this time, several elders of the cultivator families stood up in disbelief. Then, they respectfully stepped forward, bowed, and shouted, “Greetings, Spiritual Master Qing Xu!”
The plaza immediately became quiet, so quiet that it was almost terrifying!
“Spiritual Master? Qing Xu? Oh my god! He is the elder of Mao Mountain, a figure of the previous generation!”
The next moment, the plaza burst into activity.
“No need to be so polite! You’re Lil Qi, right? You… you should be Lil Hua! It’s been a long time!” Qing Xu exclaimed.
After exchanging pleasantries, he pointed at Qian Ji and said, “Here, let me introduce him to you all. This is the next elder of Mao Mountain! He’s already a half-step Perfected Person and is qualified to be the elder!”
The crowd fell silent again.
In the next moment, there was a huge uproar.
Another half-step Perfected Person!
That was unbelievable!
Last year, the appearance of a new half-step Perfected Person caused a huge sensation. Now, another half-step emerged from Mao Mountain!
“That’s great! Huaxia is blessed!”
“Right! Congratulations!”
Mao Mountain was a reputable sect in the Huaxia cultivation world. They had always been responsible for vanquishing monsters and demons, as well as shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting Huaxia. It was great news that they groomed a new half-step Perfected Person.
On the other hand, the people of Dragon Tiger Mountain were green with envy.
“Alright, it’s about time. Let’s start the auction!” Taoist Master Qing Xu waved his hand and said.
Everyone sat back down.
Taoist Master Qing Xu and Tang Hao sat to the side.
Taoist Master Zhen Yang walked forward. Someone brought a table and a gavel, which would be the auction stage.
“Silence! Silence!”
Taoist Master Zhen Yang cleared his throat and proclaimed.
When the plaza quietened, he said, “I think everyone here is anxious to start, so I won’t talk too much. Many numbers are up for auction today. We have more than ten numbers in the top 50 and many more from the 80s and the 800s.
“Of course, the number that everyone wants the most is definitely 888. This will be the first number up for auction. Everyone, please get ready.”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion in the square.
Everyone’s eyes lit up.
They rubbed their hands and prepared to fight for that number.
“Haha! The Qi family will lay claim to that number!” Old Master Qi laughed.
“Tch! The number must belong to my Hong family! You see, I have plenty of goods. We’ve traveled all over Huaxia and even sent people overseas to gather rare medicinal herbs.” Old Master Hong sneered.
“All of you, go to hell! The number belongs to Dragon Tiger Mountain!” The elderly heavenly master spoke determinedly.
He was envious!
Mao Mountain claimed 88 and 8888. How could Dragon Tiger Mountain fall behind? They had to claim 888 no matter what the cost!
Otherwise, they would not be able to raise their heads in front of Mao Mountain!
Taoist Master Zhen Yang cleared his throat and knocked on the gavel, saying, “Now, let’s begin! The first number to be auctioned is 888. The starting bid is ten stalks of rare medicinal herbs. Each increment must not be less than five!”
The rare medicinal herbs he mentioned referred to those that were almost extinct in modern times.
As soon as he finished speaking, the bidding began.
“I bid fifteen!”
“I bid twenty!”
Everyone was going all out. No one was willing to admit defeat. The price shot up like a rocket.
Soon, it soared to sixty stalks!
The bidding continued. Everyone’s eyes were bloodshot. In a moment, it shot past one hundred stalks!
“One hundred and fifty stalks!”
Suddenly, the elderly heavenly master stood up and shouted loudly.
Everyone immediately fell silent.
The other people’s expressions changed. They thought about it for a while, and many of them gave up.
Dragon Tiger Mountain had a long history and deep pockets. They had accumulated a lot of medicinal herbs in the past. No one would be able to outbid them.
However, the Qi family and the Hong family, who were the most well-prepared, continued to drive the price beyond two hundred stalks.
Even if they did not win, they wanted to exhaust Dragon Tiger Mountain’s resources. That way, it would be much easier for them to compete for other numbers later.
The final bid was two hundred and fifty stalks.
“Two hundred and fifty going once, two hundred and fifty going twice, two hundred and fifty going thrice. Deal! Congratulations to Dragon Tiger Mountain. The number 888 goes to you!”
Taoist Master Zhen Yang banged his gavel and proclaimed.
“Now, please go to Spiritual Master Tang place to pay the medicinal herbs. Then, fill up a form and take the pendant!”
The elderly heavenly master stood up and brought a sack of medicinal ingredients to Tang Hao.
Tang Hao examined the herbs and could not help but feel happy.
Dragon Tiger Mountain was a major sect in the Huaxia cultivation world. The herbs they brought were of very high quality. He had searched for many of those medicinal herbs for a long time. He estimated that he could complete several pill recipes, many of which would increase one’s cultivation base.
Of course, those pills were for Qin Xiangyi.
If there were more, he could also keep them for Han Yutong and the others.
Recently, he had the idea of teaching cultivation to Han Yutong and Ma Fangfang. However, he had not decided on it yet; it was not urgent anyway. If he could gather enough resources, he could bring them up to speed very quickly.
“Thank you!”
Tang Hao cupped his fists and gave him a registration form. Then, he took out a jade pendant and handed it over.
The elderly heavenly master dripped a drop of blood on the pendant. Then, he took out a red string, tied the pendant to his waist, and swaggered away.
The crowd was envious.
“Next, the number up for auction is 11! Spiritual Master Tang said that the top ten numbers will not be available. Number 11 is as low as you can get! It’s as precious as the number 888.”
“The starting bid is ten stalks, and the minimum increment is five! Now, let’s begin!”
“Twenty stalks!”
“Thirty!”
After another round of intense competition, the Qi family won the number with the price of two hundred and thirty stalks.
The next few numbers were all from the top 50, and they each caused an intense competition.
Tang Hao grinned ear to ear as he collected the medicinal herbs from the winning bidders.
What a spectacular haul!
It would take a long time for him to gather all the medicinal herbs by himself. Now, he had practically mobilized the entire cultivation world to aid him in his search, and that was much more efficient than doing it alone.
The auction lasted until late in the evening.
Some families that already had pendants won a lot of numbers. Tang Hao gave them a form to fill up so that the Agency would be notified about the change in their numbers.
One person could only own one number. There should be no mistakes.
“This is the end of the auction!” Taoist Master Zhen Yang knocked his gavel and proclaimed.
Many families stayed and had dinner together. It was a very lively scene.
Chapter 704 - Listen to Your Teacher
“Bottoms up! No one is going home sober tonight!”
Old Master Hua held a jar of liquor in his hands. From the color of his face, he was visibly drunk.
The patriarchs of the other family were in the same state.
“This liquor… is so damn delicious! Why is it different from the ones on the market? This is what you call true Divine Liquor!” Old Master Hong burped and muttered.
The old men were completely addicted to the drink.
Taoist Master Qing Xu, who was fond of wine, did not drink too much.
He sat on one side and sipped from his cup. Looking at the scene, he could not help but laugh and feel emotional.
There was also a hint of wistfulness in his eyes.
After a long time, he withdrew his gaze and looked at Tang Hao. “I should go back, Little Brother!” He said with a smile.
“Go back?” Tang Hao was surprised.
“Yes! Back to the inner sanctum and accompany my senior brother!” He said, “I am reaching my mortal limit soon. It’s been more than eight months since I’ve come out of seclusion, so I only have about two years left.
“If I don’t go back, I will die in two years, and my cultivation will be all for naught!
“I’m already an old man! Unlike you young people who have a long way to go!”
A carefree smile appeared on his face.
“Now
, I’m not worried anymore. That Qian Ji kid has potential. He will be able to lead Mao Mountain, and there’s no worry that the sect will be lacking a leader.
“More importantly, you’re here! You’re so young, but your cultivation base is almost higher than mine. Your future will be boundless! With you on Mao Mountain’s side, I’m not worried at all.”
Tang Hao pressed his lips and fell silent.
He could do nothing about the mortal limit!
“Here, let me toast you!”
As he spoke, he filled two cups of liquor and raised his own.
Tang Hao raised his cup, clinked it with his, and downed it in one gulp.
The party lasted until very late at night. People were sprawled all over the hall, and the air was thick with the scent of alcohol.
Tang Hao decided to stay for the night.
The next day, he went to see Taoist Master Zhen Yang and was informed that Taoist Master Qing Xu had gone into seclusion.
Tang Hao felt a sense of loss.
After breakfast, Tang Hao drove back to Provincial City. He made it in time for classes.
It had been a long time since he attended classes. He was busy with the Artifact formation in the past month. After that, he went back to Westridge.
Jiang Wanying was surprised when she saw him and glanced at him resentfully.
After class, he tactfully stayed behind.
When everyone had left, he walked to the edge of the podium.
Jiang Wanying did not look at him. Her head was down as she tidied her textbooks.
“Teacher Jiang!” Tang Hao called out.
“What should you call me?”
Jiang Wanying immediately raised her head and glared at him.
“Wanying!” Tang Hao immediately replied.
“That’s more like it!” She pursed her lips into a smile, and her expression eased up a little. Following which, she berated, “Wow, you still remember to come to class! How long has it been? At least a month!
“As your teacher, what should I do about you? You’re not even acting like a student1”
Tang Hao rubbed his nose, feeling a little embarrassed.
“I’ve decided! I’m going to punish you!”
She tidied up her books and held them in front of her chest. Then, she looked at Tang Hao and said seriously.
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