Fantasy: Immortality Begins with Absorbing Demons

Chapter 429 (Part 2)

"Brother Han, it's been a long time."

Tao Qingtang stood in a corner of the courtyard with a smile on her face, looking at Han Yi.

She wore a white fox fur coat, and her complexion was noticeably rosier and fuller than before she made the contract with Han Yi.

You can tell from her complexion that she's been doing quite well lately.

She waved her hand, and the servants behind her quickly stepped forward and handed her a gift box wrapped in red cloth.

The gift box is embroidered with phoenixes, magpies, and bats, forming a circular pattern that symbolizes good fortune and auspiciousness.

"You're here, why all the fuss..." Han Yi shook his head, letting Yang Du take the gift box, and smiled. "It's nothing valuable. I know you liked the black tiger root carving last time, so this is just a different design," Tao Qingtang explained.

"Alright, let's go inside and talk, it's cold outside." Han Yi urged the group to quickly enter the main house.

The main house was also empty, with only a few servants preparing the banquet.

After all, the "Mountain-Catching Festival" is followed by a holiday. Han Yi waved his hand and told most of those who lived far away to go home for the New Year, leaving only a few who lived nearby.

Yang Du quickly arranged a table of food and wine, and everyone politely offered to sit down at the table.

Han Yi truly disliked the extravagant, decadent lifestyle of feasting and drinking.

However, he is quite willing to organize dinners like this, where old friends reunite, have a few drinks, and exchange feelings.

Next to Tao Qingtang sat a chubby little boy. He was wearing a thick, dark blue cotton coat. His face was round, with several layers of chin. His two small eyes were like date pits. Whether he was walking, talking, or smiling, his eyes were only slits, as if he hadn't woken up yet. He was extremely cute.

"Your son?" Han Yi casually mentioned.

Although Tao Qingtang looks young, women marry very young these days. It's not surprising that she has such a grown son.

"No, this is my younger brother. I brought him out to broaden his horizons." Tao Qingtang quickly explained, "Xiao Fei, quickly greet your Brother Han."

Although Tao Xiaofei looks chubby, she is quite clever.

He immediately climbed off the chair, kowtowed, and bowed, saying, "Brother Han!"

"Ouch, ouch, get up, get up quickly." Han Yi quickly went to pull him up.

But while Tao Xiaofei was clever, he was also extremely stubborn. He absolutely refused to get up unless Tao Qingtang spoke.

Left with no other choice, Han Yi had to pull out a large red envelope from his pocket before the boy would get up amidst Tao Qingtang's laughter, using his short legs to climb onto the chair.

Han Yi glared at Tao Qingtang with displeasure.

Tao Qingtang had a smile on her face, with a touch of playfulness.

She wasn't worried about Han Yi getting angry, because through their previous correspondence, they were already familiar with each other's temperaments.

These kinds of little jokes can actually improve the relationship between the two parties.

After all the dishes were served, Han Yi had his servants pour the wine and prepared to begin the meal.

Of course, for those who didn't go home and stayed at the inspector's office, he also arranged several tables of food nearby, which were quite plentiful, as compensation for those who didn't get any rest.

After some polite conversation and a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table became increasingly lively, and everyone began to chat. "Are you ready this time?" Han Yi asked Tao Qingtang.

"Great, the location, staff, and goods are all basically ready."

"Which plot of land have you set your sights on? Do you need me to coordinate something?" Han Yi asked.

"No need, everything has been agreed upon, we're just waiting for the opening." Tao Qingtang smiled.

"Okay, that's fine then." Han Yi nodded.

Tao Qingtang had written to him before, saying that she wanted to open a branch of "Plum Blossom Pavilion" in Jingming Town.

He thought this was a good thing, as it would increase the prosperity of Jingming Town and open up a sales channel for "Meihua Pavilion".

It can also be considered as attracting investment, which is part of his job.

He didn't consider the trouble or anything like that; after all, he was the inspector of this area, and it was just a matter of a word from him.

But to his surprise, before he could even ask for help, Tao Qingtang had already arranged everything.

"Let me know when it opens, and I'll come over to take a look," Han Yi said after thinking for a moment.

Since I didn't help Tao Qingtang with the preparations for building a new shop, I should at least go and see the opening ceremony, both out of courtesy and reason.

"Okay." Tao Qingtang nodded with a smile.

She's a smart person; she knows when to do what and when not to do what.

Although she and Han Yi had a good relationship, a good relationship did not mean she could take from him without limit.

Human relationships, after all, are reciprocal and should be used in crucial moments.

The hierarchy between the two had actually begun to change from the moment Han Yi reached the fourth level of True Skill and became the Inspector of Jingtian Manor.

The relationship between the two is no longer a simple employer-employee relationship, but more like a cooperative relationship led by Han Yi.

Han Yi made it clear that he had the full support of the Nine-Bend Academy behind him, and was especially valued by the academy's head, Zhong Yunxiu.

This status is something that no ordinary middle-class merchant family in Huayang City can compare to.

It is precisely because of this that Tao Qingtang's troubles have recently decreased significantly. The troublemakers have disappeared without a trace, and no force dares to cause trouble.

Therefore, she gave up on asking Han Yi for help and decisively arranged everything to open a shop in Jingming Town. Her purpose was to maintain a good relationship with Han Yi.

"By the way, things have been a bit turbulent on the trade routes lately. When you're out delivering goods, it's best to bring extra manpower," Han Yi advised Tao Qingtang, based on the recent situation.

Now that his status has risen, the gold notes supplied to him by Plum Blossom Pavilion have also increased accordingly. The two are interdependent, sharing both prosperity and adversity, and exchanging intelligence is part of his duties. "Have there been any rumors lately?" Tao Qingtang asked in a low voice.

"It's nothing much, it's just that the border has been chaotic lately, leading to an increase in the number of outsiders. With more outsiders, it's hard to find good jobs and people are starving, so many people are starting to take crooked paths, which makes things a bit unsettled." Han Yi waved his hand casually and said, "Actually, in the end, it's still because of the demonic disaster in Pingzhou. There are many refugees, and there's a lot of fighting, so the overall environment is not good. You'd better stock up on more raw materials to prevent extreme situations from happening."

“Yes, I know. I’ve recently stored up enough food for ‘Nine-Section Egret’ to last for three to five years without any problem.” Tao Qingtang nodded.

The Nine-Sectioned Maiden is a special kind of magical beast. Its scales are like stars, colorful and have a special fragrance. It is popular among many noblewomen and is the true source of the raw materials for "Plum Blossom Pavilion" perfume powder.

Therefore, for Tao Qingtang, as long as the "Nine-Jointed Elves" he raised were well-fed and watered, there would be enough spices to supply him. "This is necessary on the one hand, but on the other hand, you also need to explore some new channels. If the source of spices is too singular, it is easy to cause problems."

Han Yi recalled the diversified business model from his previous life and said a few more words.

“Okay.” Tao Qingtang nodded repeatedly, like a student listening attentively in class.

The two chatted for a while.

Suddenly, Tao Qingtang asked Han Yi, "Brother Han, the Hundred Heroes Gathering is about to start again. Do you have any candidates to recommend?"