Chapter 1569: Money Sent to the Door

She was speaking too quickly and paused to catch her breath. "Also," she added, "your sister is getting married at the end of the year, and the family needs to put together a dowry."

Wouldn't that mean they were living beyond their means?

After five arguments, Father Fan finally made his decision: "Alright, sell those residential plots in Apricot Street and Huzhen."

"What about those in Shanghu District...?" The Fan family had acquired a total of eight residential plots, and the ones Father Fan agreed to sell were in less desirable locations, fetching lower prices.

"The ones in Shanghu District are expensive and have potential, so we're not selling them!"

The residential plots in Shanghu District were valuable assets; how could they be easily sold? Father Fan was optimistic about their future value.

The Fan family's future comfort and luxury might depend on them.

Having lived frugally and carefully their whole lives, their family had finally earned the right to enjoy prosperity!

Fan Shuang sighed deeply.

After all, his father was the head of the family, and he felt he had already done his best to achieve this outcome.

He immediately found a real estate agent and listed the Fan family's remaining residential plots with the Tianchuan City real estate office.

Because the price was 15% lower than the market rate, they were all snatched up before dark, with not a single one left!

Those were prime plots in Shanghu District—if you didn't buy them, plenty of others would; if you didn't want them, plenty of others did!

During dinner, Fan Shuang's mother was complaining that he had sold them too cheaply, when a servant suddenly arrived with a report:

The real estate agent who handled the Fan family's property sales had brought a new buyer.

The man was tall, in his forties, with a mole at the corner of his left eyebrow. The agent introduced him as Tian Yun, president of the Zhengxin Merchant Association.

Neither Father Fan nor his son had heard of the Zhengxin Merchant Association. With nearly a thousand large and small merchant guilds and associations in Tianchuan City and its vicinity, it was impossible for them to know all of them.

However, this Mr. Tian had an extraordinary demeanor and wore luxurious clothes; he certainly looked like a wealthy merchant.

Tian Yun hoped they would transfer a plot of land the Fan family had purchased in Shanghu District.

Father Fan naturally didn't want to sell, but Tian Yun offered a price they found difficult to refuse.

With the right price, everything was negotiable, and both sides' smiles were full of sincerity.

However, Tian Yun immediately proposed his next condition.

Normally, residential land transactions could simply be handled through the real estate office, but the agent had specifically brought President Tian to their home because his terms were very unusual:

Tian Yun was short on cash and hoped to pay with profound crystals.

Suddenly, dozens of profound crystals appeared on the octagonal table in the Fan family's living room. They gleamed in various colors under the lamplight, leaving everyone wide-eyed and stunned, their hearts skipping several beats.

So many profound crystals!

How much money could this be converted into!

The sheer magnitude of the sum was beyond anyone's immediate imagination. Even if they sold all the residential plots they owned, it wouldn't amount to a fraction of these profound crystals.

Fan Shuang cautiously said, "A plot of land in Shanghu District isn't... isn't worth this much."

"I know," Tian Yun said with a faint smile, pushing one crystal from the pile toward him. "This is the payment for the land. I want to sell the remaining crystals and convert them into money."

The Fan family members didn't understand his intention, but Fan Shuang's heart stirred. "You want to sell these profound crystals?" he asked.

"Yes," Tian Yun said, looking at him. "But I don't want to list them on the Ghost Market; their transaction fees are too high. I heard that someone you know is acquiring profound crystals?"

"That's right." Fan Shuang knew, of course, that He Lingchuan was openly acquiring profound crystals in large quantities. Now, looking at Tian Yun, he suddenly understood.

Tian Yun wanted to establish a connection with He Lingchuan and had come to him for an introduction. By giving the Fan family a small benefit first, it made it inconvenient for Fan Shuang to refuse him.

He Lingchuan was now the most prominent figure in Tianchuan City. How could an ordinary wealthy merchant simply meet him? Without a suitable intermediary, one would have to wait a hundred years in line.

The simplest way was to pay to jump the queue.

"Alright, I'll take you to meet Brother He," Fan Shuang stated beforehand. "But I can't guarantee whether he'll buy them."

Tian Yun nodded in agreement. "That's perfectly reasonable."

He had always been a very reasonable person.

Transactions involving a large quantity of profound crystals were naturally not suitable for official settings.

The next day, Fan Shuang brought Tian Yun to visit Spring Mountain Manor.

From the main gate to Lord He's reception hall, it took almost fifteen minutes by carriage. The last hints of golden yellow in the winter-approaching orchard came from the maple and ginkgo leaves. The ground was covered with fallen leaves, and the carriage rustled softly as it rolled over them.

Tian Yun kept the carriage curtain lifted, attentively observing the surrounding scenery. When Fan Shuang spoke, he only responded casually.

"There are so many trees in the manor. Don't they grow crops here?"

"Spring Mountain Manor primarily focuses on orchards and grows few staple crops," Fan Shuang explained. "They only grow everyday vegetables like green onions, garlic, and several types of herbs. The people of the Yao Kingdom cannot live without herbs."

"What a truly wonderful place," Tian Yun exclaimed. He preferred the feeling of dense woods and disliked open plains.

The only drawback was the sight of patrolling guards everywhere.

He casually waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly. His thumb was pressed against the knuckle of his middle finger, but the gesture was so quick and natural that Fan Shuang noticed nothing unusual.

No one noticed that five or six beetles, ranging in color from greenish-blue to deep black, flew out from the nearby woods and landed on the carriage roof.

Once settled, they remained motionless.

Ahead, several grand houses stood by the lake. They looked dignified and imposing, showing signs of recent renovation.

In front of the houses, several guards stood. Their backs were straight, their gazes cold and hard, their eyes like those of wild wolves as they stared at people.

Their uniforms and demeanor were different from the other guards patrolling the manor.

"We're here," Fan Shuang said.

Tian Yun stepped down from the carriage, and with seemingly casual gestures, he flicked his sleeves and patted his body.

There were many spiderwebs in the wooded areas, so this action wasn't abrupt. However, using himself and the carriage as cover, he quietly dropped a pinecone onto the ground.

There were pine trees in Spring Mountain Manor, and this pinecone was half-buried in the pile of fallen leaves, so no one would pay it any extra attention.

But after Tian Yun and Fan Shuang left and the carriage drove away, one by one, beetles the size of a thumbnail crawled out of the pinecone. Using the fallen leaves for cover, they either scurried a few feet before taking flight, or climbed up the surrounding trees.

A tiny pinecone could actually yield three or four hundred beetles, and they vanished from sight in an instant.

He Lingchuan had already received a notification. He didn't meet them in his study, but at Apricot Terrace.

This was a small, exquisite pavilion within an apricot grove, allowing for both appreciation of the autumn scenery and private meetings.

As Tian Yun walked inside, he praised, "The scenery in this wooded area is truly beautiful. Does Lord Fan come here often too?"

Fan Shuang responded vaguely.

He had only been to Apricot Terrace once, and that was with Zhang Shan and others to pick apricots. At that time, the apricots were plump like small, ripe peaches. Now, the apricot trees' leaves were almost all gone. He wondered why He Lingchuan had chosen Apricot Terrace for their meeting this time.

As they ascended the steps, six or seven guards followed behind them. It was unclear whether their duty was to observe or to protect.

Before they even reached the entrance, someone came forward, waving a greeting:

"Brother Fan."

Fan Shuang saw it was indeed He Lingchuan. Today, he wore a goose-yellow robe, which was quite fitting for standing amidst the apricot grove.