The old man turned to speak to Tang Hao. “Don’t pay too much attention to it, Lil Tang. You can go search for it in the mountains whenever you’re free. You don’t have to purposely do it.”
Tang Hao thought of something as he looked at the map.
He abruptly stood up. “I shouldn’t delay. I’ll go now!”
Cai Yourong’s expression froze. Even Grandpa Shunde’s jaw dropped.
“You’re… You’re going now?” Grandpa Shunde stammered.
Tang Hao nodded. “Yes, I’m going now! I should be back by evening.”
“That’s impossible!” Grandpa Shunde waved his hands. “The place is very deep in the mountains. It’ll take you hours to get there from here. It’ll be night time once you reach there. The mountains aren’t safe at night. What happens if you have an accident?”
“That’s right!” Cai Yourong tried to convince Tang Hao to stay.
“Don’t worry, I’m very fast. When I was training my medical skills, I frequently went into the mountains alone. There won’t be a problem,” Tang Hao said with a smile.
The two people hesitated when they saw that Tang Hao was insistent.
“So that decides it. You can wait here for me!” Tang Hao took the map and headed outside.
“Please be careful, Tang Hao!” Ma Fangfang stood up and said to him.
“I know!”
After that, Tang Hao went out of the mansion and walked toward the mountain.
It was one o’clock in the afternoon.
After entering the mountain, Tang Hao changed his stance and ran like the wind.
He arrived at the circled area on the map in about an hour.
He stood on a prominence and looked around.
From where he stood, he could see the undulating peaks and valleys stretching out into the horizon. The scenery was breath-taking.
According to Grandpa Shunde, the place was quite strange, as though it was a dream land. It would be very easy to get lost in there. Ever since he accidentally found the place, he could never find it again.
It was just like the legend of the Peach Blossom Spring.[1]
Mundane people would find the story to be ridiculous, but Tang Hao knew that it was most likely true.
The simplest maze formation could achieve that effect.
Tang Hao channeled qi into his eyes and opened his Third Eye. He looked around the area.
He continued his search for half an hour before finding a lead. He discovered the traces of a maze formation near a valley.
“It’s here!” Tang Hao was excited as he stepped into the formation.
The maze formation was ancient and was partially incomplete. Tang Hao could easily see the solution to the maze. He soon found the exit of the formation and smelled a thick fragrance of liquor in the air.
Tang Hao was shocked when he smelled that.
His eyes opened wide with incredulity.
Grandpa Shunde was right. That must be the finest liquor in the entire world. The smell alone was intoxicating.
Tang Hao excitedly walked onward.
The valley was filled with a thick fog. He felt like he was in dreamland.
The more he walked, the thicker the fragrance. A light sniff made his heart flutter.
Soon, his eyes sparkled when he noticed a pond in front of him. There was no water in the pond, but rather a thick, sticky golden liquid.
“It’s true after all!” Tang Hao exclaimed. Also, he was quite confused.
‘Where did this liquor come from?’
He surveyed the area, and noticed an ancient tree next to the pond. The tree was about two zhang [2]tall and was covered in a golden sheen.
“Oh my! What tree is this?” Tang Hao was shocked when he saw the tree.
The tree looked as though it was made of gold. It was almost blinding.
He sensed that there was a concentrated qi flow in the area. There must be leyline gathering and qi seal formations in the area.
Tang Hao stepped closer and examined the tree closely.
Then, he took out a dragon tooth throwing knife and cut off a small patch of tree bark. Instantly, a golden liquid oozed out of the opening. He could smell the thick fragrance of liquor.
Tang Hao was surprised. He guessed that the liquor in the pond must be the sap of the tree.
“Ah!” Tang Hao exclaimed. He remembered reading about the tree before. It was called the Liquor Tree, a unique species of tree bred by ancient cultivators.
[1] The fable of Peach Blossom Spring was written in the 5th century CE of a place hidden from the outside world. The protagonist of the story stumbles upon the place by chance and stays there for some time before leaving. Later attempts to find the place all ended in failure.
[2] The zhang is an ancient Chinese unit of measurement which translate to about ten feet
Chapter 342 - Partnership Breakdown
Tang Hao’s eyes sparkled.
The Liquor Tree was a wondrous Artifact even in ancient times. The sap that the tree produced was liquor of exceedingly high quality.
Furthermore, the Liquor Tree was bred by cultivators and the sap was not meant for mortal tongues. It was truly a divine liquor.
The ancient cultivators that created the tree must have loved alcohol. They could only manage to create such a wondrous plant after several generations of breeding.
Looking at the golden, shimmering tree, Tang Hao felt as though he had struck a fortune.
A mature Liquor Tree was like a hen that laid golden eggs. It produced sap continuously. Not only was it good for personal consumption, but he could also sell the sap as premium liquor.
Even though Tang Hao had some money, he was still far away when compared to those wealthy tycoons.
Tang Hao excitedly crouched next to the tree and sucked a mouthful of sap.
As soon as the sap touched the tip of his tongue, an impossible fragrance spread throughout his mouth.
The feeling was so comfortable. All the pores on his skin seemed to have opened.
The liquor did not have a strong taste, and in fact, it went down quite smoothly. However, once the sap entered the stomach, he could feel the alcohol kicking in. Even Tang Hao nearly could not withstand it.
He would not be drunk no matter how much normal alcohol he drank, but a full glass of that sap would definitely knock him out.
No wonder Grandpa Shunde fell asleep for three days and three nights after drinking that.
Tang Hao would have to dilute it thoroughly if he wanted to sell it.
He smacked his lips and savored the delicious taste. One mouthful was not enough, and so he drank a few more mouthfuls.
“This is amazing liquor!” Tang Hao was excited.
He stood up and walked around the valley.
The valley was indeed laid with leyline gathering and qi seal formations. That was why there was such a strong qi flow in that area, which allowed the tree to thrive.
‘This is strange!’ Tang Hao furrowed his brows. ‘This place isn’t that far away from Dragonrock Village. It’s in the same mountain range. I picked up two spirit stones near Dragonrock Village, and now there’s this tree.
“It looks like this place should be somewhere important in ancient times!”
He thought for a while and mumbled to himself, “This place isn’t that far away from Dragonrock Village anyway, so I won’t transplant the tree.”
After deciding on that, he renewed the maze formation around the valley so that nobody else would enter the place.
Then, he took out various containers and filled them up with the sap.
After that, he left the place.
He returned to Cai Village about an hour later. The sky was beginning to darken just then.
He saw Grandpa Shunde, Cai Yourong, and Ma Fangfang waiting by the roadside, stretching their necks and looking toward the mountain.
“He’s back! He’s back!”
They were relieved when they saw Tang Hao return.
“You sh
ould try again next time, Lil Tang! It’s safer if you have more people with you,” Grandpa Shunde said.
Tang Hao nodded but did not say anything. He followed them back into the mansion.
After everyone entered, Tang Hao closed the door.
“What’s wrong?” Grandpa Shunde was surprised.
Tang Hao took out a jar and placed it on the table.
The jar was tightly sealed shut, but a thick fragrance of liquor had already filled the entire room.
Grandpa Shunde trembled. His eyes opened round and wide and he stared unblinkingly at the jar.
“This… This is…” He was so excited that his fingers were trembling. “You found it?”
Tang Hao nodded. “You remembered it correctly, Grandpa. There is indeed a pond of fine liquor there. The contents of this jar are from the pond. However, your body condition isn’t great, and you shouldn’t drink too much.”
“I know that I’m not mistaken!” Grandpa Shunde said agitatedly as he picked up the jar.
Cai Yourong was stunned. She did not expect that her father was telling the truth.
Grandpa Shunde sat down. He opened the lid and prepared to drink from it.
“Wait, you can’t drink it just like that. You were younger and much sturdier last time, but it’s different now.”
Tang Hao quickly stopped him. He used water to dilute the sap.
“Here, try some too!” Tang Hao poured the mother and daughter a small glass of the diluted sap.
The two people took the glass and drank a sip each. They were immediately amazed.
“Wow, this is delicious! What liquor is this?”
Ma Fangfang’s face was turning red after finishing the glass. She placed the glass on the table and said, “I want more!”
She looked quite tipsy after downing her second glass.
Grandpa Shunde drank a glass and could not stop grinning. “Haha! This is the taste!”
Tang Hao saw that it was getting late, so he stood up and excused himself.
“I’ll have to return to town too. I need to work tomorrow!” Ma Fangfang also stood up.
After waving goodbye, the two people exited the mansion and sat in the car.
Tang Hao started the car and drove out of Cai Village. Twenty minutes later, it arrived at Ma Fangfang’s apartment.
The car stopped, but she did not immediately go out of the car.
She turned to look at Tang Hao. “Thank you so much for today, Tang Hao!”
Her beautiful face was slightly blushing from the alcohol earlier, and her gaze was somewhat seductive.
She abruptly leaned forward, closed her eyes slightly, and landed a kiss on Tang Hao’s cheek.
She bit her lip and whispered next to Tang Hao’s ear. “I still mean what I said the last time! I’ll be always… waiting for you here!”
She chuckled, though her gaze was seductive and daring.
She kissed him again, then opened the car door and left.
Tang Hao sat there, feeling a little embarrassed.
After seeing her go up the stairs and enter her house, he drove away and returned home to cook dinner.
It was already past eight o’clock after Sis Xiangyi returned and they had dinner.
He had just finished cleaning up when his phone started ringing.
Tang Hao picked up his phone and saw that the call was from President Ling. Once the call went through, he heard Ling Wei speaking in an apologetic tone.
“I’m sorry, Tang Hao!”
Tang Hao was surprised. “What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly apologizing, President Ling?”
The other end of the phone was silent for a long time.
Tang Hao could sense that something bad happened.
“What’s wrong?” Tang Hao’s tone of voice was grim.
A while later, Ling Wei replied, “It’s Magical Kitchen. It’s too popular. The people in my company are criticizing me, saying that I’ve betrayed the company.”
Tang Hao immediately understood what she was saying.
That must have been caused by the contract that granted both parties equal standing.
If Magical Kitchen had not been that popular, then there would not be any problem.
Now that Magical Kitchen was too popular and was poised to open throughout the entire Provincial City or even the entire Huaxia, the other people in Tai An Group did not want to share the profits with other parties.
Furthermore, an equal contract meant that Tai An Group had no absolute control over Magical Kitchen. A large corporation like Tai An would not be able to tolerate that.
“It’s all money’s fault!” Tang Hao sighed.
Chapter 343 - Too Arrogant
“I’m so sorry, Tang Hao! I didn’t expect the situation to turn out like this!” Ling Wei said apologetically.
“I can’t blame you!” Tang Hao said.
Ling Wei was not the owner of the corporation after all. She had only taken over the helm for only a few years, and she was not able to control everyone.
Even relatives would turn on each other when money was concerned. Furthermore, Tang Hao was only a mere outsider to Tai An.
“This is all caused by my brother from another mother,” Ling Wei said sorrowfully, “He’s rallying the other members in the clan to attack me.”
“There was a board meeting earlier in the day, and we just had a family meeting. I’m fine for now, but Magical Kitchen has been taken out of my hands.
“Control of Magical Kitchen has been handed over to my brother. He said that he wants you to hand over all your shares in Magical Kitchen, back out of the deal, and let Tai An Group take over.
“The suggestion has been agreed upon by all the board of directors and the seniors in the clan. I wanted to object but there was no use.”
Tang Hao smirked coldly when he heard that. “Taking over my share? In their dreams!”
“I’m sorry!” Ling Wei felt guiltier than ever. “My brother has not been happy that I’m the one who took over Tai An’s management. Now that he has found the opportunity to make a comeback, he won’t let go of it.”
Tang Hao furrowed his brows. He knew a little about the Ling family.
Just like many other wealthy families, the Ling family also had its share of scandals. Its many sons and daughters fought and plotted against each other for their own profit and influence.
“According to family tradition, my brother should’ve been the one taking over Tai An’s management after my father. He hasn’t proven himself to be a reliable or capable heir, and that was why my father chose me instead. He hasn’t been too happy about it.
“He might be coming to look for you tomorrow…”
“Got it, thanks!” Tang Hao replied.
After the call ended, his expression turned grim.
‘He wants me to relinquish my stake in the company? In his dreams!’
It seemed as though Tai An did not fully comprehend the situation. Did they think that they could operate Magical Kitchen just like normal without Tang Hao in the picture?
Without Tang Hao, Magical Kitchen would lose its magic.
If Tai An had not replaced Ling Wei with her brother, he might have considered giving up a portion of his shares out of his friendship with Ling Wei. However, he would not yield even an inch now. The worst outcome would be that they shut down the restaurant and go their separate ways.
Tai An would still be one getting the short end of the stick.
The next morning, Tang Hao went to Dragonrock Village.
Shi Xuenong, the village elder, came to greet him as soon as he entered the village. “It’s done, Lil Hao, the families agreed to it immediately when they heard that you’re the one who proposed the idea,” he said excitedly.
“That’s very fast!” Tang Hao was shocked.
“Isn’t that so! Everyone knows that you’re trustworthy and they are comfortable with your terms,” Shi Xuenong said with a smile.
“Alright, we’ll build all the houses at once.
” Tang Hao nodded.
He turned around and looked at the main road that led into the village. “We should also expand this road and plant some trees on both sides. There’s also some empty space where we can install some exercise equipment and make it into a common activity plaza for the elderly.
“We should rebuild the village council building too. It needs a grand makeover. Don’t worry, Elder, I’ll be paying for all that.”
“That won’t…” Shi Xuenong said.
Tang Hao waved his hands. “It’s no problem, I can still afford that money. Also, I want Grandpa and Grandma to have a better living environment.”
Shi Xuenong was emotional. “You’re a filial kid, Lil Hao! Grandpa Jianyun has a good grandson!”
He also sounded a little envious when he said that.
“It’s something that I should do,” Tang Hao said with a smile.
He went deep into the mountains to tend to his secret plantation, then went to the hidden valley.
He came to the pond, and could not restrain himself when he smelled the delicious scent of liquor.
Any other beverage would be tasteless compared to the sap of the Liquor Tree.
He took out a ladle from his pocket dimension, filled it with the sap, and drank it. That brought him immense satisfaction.
“This is just too good!” He exclaimed as he wiped his mouth.
Then, he retrieved many wooden barrels and a bucket. He filled the barrels with the liquor.
The pond was square, very deep, and was lined with green stone. It was obvious that it was dug by human hands to contain the tree sap.
Tang Hao could not finish all the sap by himself.
“I ought to share this good stuff with others!” Tang Hao mumbled. He smiled as he slapped the full barrels.
He had given some to Sis Xiangyi to try the night before. She could not stop praising it too.
The Mightiest Little Peasant c1-799 Page 154