Chapter 785: The Real Business Begins

Chapter 777: Business Begins

"The seventy-year cicadas had become monsters, eating everything in sight—be it plants, trees, or living creatures like pigs and dogs. During my retreat, I encountered disciples from Rongshan and fought alongside them. Seeing my bravery and that I had nowhere else to go, they invited me to stay. After those intense days of battle, my memory finally returned, and then, I came back!"

He Chunhua repeated, "They invited you to stay?"

He Yue also asked curiously, "Did they accept you as a disciple?"

"Something like that."

"Brother, this is a blessing in disguise!" Although He Yue felt something was off, he was happy for him. "Mr. Mozhe and I used to suggest you join the Cloud-Piercing Pavilion. But the Rongshan Sect is a major sect, several times stronger than the Cloud-Piercing Pavilion. This is a great opportunity!"

After a few months, this child had become connected with the Rongshan Sect. He Chunhua's eyes showed inquiry. "Which renowned master did you apprentice under?"

He Lingchuan grinned. "Sect Leader Xue said that we have a special connection."

This statement was vague; anyone hearing it would assume he had become Sect Leader Xue's disciple. However, He Lingchuan's "connection" simply referred to their shared principles.

Sect Leader Xue would not have granted such a significant favor merely after a single meeting, nor solely because He Lingchuan solved the seventy-year cicada plague.

The three people present couldn't believe their ears. Madam Ying's beautiful eyes widened. "The Sect Leader... the leader of this Taoist sect, personally accepted you as his disciple?"

He Lingchuan burst out laughing, slapping the table. "I knew my mother would react this way! Rushing back day and night for this trip was worth it!"

Madam Ying, furious, pulled his ear hard. "You little rascal! You haven't seen me in a few months and you've gotten bolder! How dare you make fun of your mother!"

He Lingchuan yelped twice, then smugly told He Yue, "Do you want to join the Rongshan Sect too? I can introduce you. Once Sect Leader Xue passes away, this Taoist sect might just be ours!"

He Yue was dumbfounded; his elder brother was clearly talking nonsense, yet he inexplicably felt a little tempted. "Well..."

Madam Ying scoffed at her eldest son. "What do you mean 'ours' and 'theirs'? Is that how a Taoist sect is passed down?"

He Lingchuan picked up a few slices of braised beef, dismissing their concerns. "What's the difference between the succession of a Taoist sect and that of a family or state?"

Upon reflection, there was some truth to his words.

He Chunhua's doubts grew stronger, so he simply asked, "Did you return with the Rongshan envoy?"

"I didn't return with the Rongshan envoy." He Lingchuan put down his chopsticks, slowly pulled out a token from his pocket, waved it at the three, and smiled even more brightly.

"I am the Rongshan envoy!"

With that, he placed the token on the table.

The dining hall suddenly fell silent, quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Only He Lingchuan's slurping sounds from eating hot and sour noodle soup were conspicuously abrupt.

"You what?" Madam Ying's voice grew softer instead. "Say that again."

He Chunhua snatched the token from the table and meticulously examined it several times, fearing he might misread a single character.

He Lingchuan wiped his mouth with a napkin and said, clearly and deliberately, "I said, Rongshan sent me back to negotiate the loan!"

He Yue composed himself. "So the meeting this afternoon with Minister Wang of the Grand Herald's Office...?"

"Yes, that was me." He Lingchuan smiled contentedly. "He had no idea who I was and even tried to curry favor with me, saying there's also a high-ranking official named He in this dynasty, and that we might have been from the same family two or three hundred years ago."

"Nonsense!" He Chunhua slapped the table and stood up. "How could you make fun of Minister Wang like that!"

"Nonsense?" He Lingchuan's smile remained unchanged. When he implicated Cen Boqing, no one called him nonsensical; when he trapped Grand Master Qingyang in the Celestial Palace dungeon, no one called him nonsensical.

When he wreaked havoc in the Celestial Palace and blew up the Star-Picking Tower, still no one called him nonsensical.

He said languidly, "I used only official language and didn't say anything out of line. Father, you're being biased."

He Chunhua glared at him. "This afternoon, you'll come with me to apologize!"

He Lingchuan pointed at the token in He Chunhua's hand. "Father, do you want Rongshan's special envoy to apologize to the Grand Herald? For what reason?"

"You..."

He Yue immediately reminded him, "Father, please calm down. With this new identity, Eldest Brother must prioritize official business upon returning to Yuantu. The seven million taels loan is a major matter!"

It was strange; his father was usually so calm and wise, remaining unperturbed even amidst the undercurrents of the imperial court. Why did he lose his composure as soon as his elder brother returned?

He could only conclude that his father was simply overjoyed by his brother's sudden return and momentarily lost control of his emotions.

He Chunhua tightly clutched the special envoy token, his fingertips slightly white, clearly very agitated.

He Lingchuan wondered why he was so agitated.

He Chunhua's mind raced, and he tried to compose himself before slowly loosening his grip and returning the token to He Lingchuan. "I was mistaken, mistaken. Don't blame me, Chuan'er. In the eyes of parents everywhere, a child will always be a child."

He Lingchuan took the token and put it away, seemingly unconcerned. "What's the big deal if my old man scolds me a bit? I have thick skin, and it used to be a common occurrence. Come on, let's drink, let's drink!"

Did only he sense the complexity of He Chunhua's mood and emotions at that moment?

He picked up the wine vessel and filled glasses for He Chunhua, his wife, and himself. After a moment's hesitation, he poured some for He Yue as well.

This kid was fifteen now; he should be old enough to drink.

As expected, Madam Ying gave him a look but said nothing.

He Chunhua, truly a master of emotional control, adjusted his state of mind within a few breaths, looking at him with a pleasant expression again. "Chuan'er, tell me about your duties as the special envoy of Rongshan."

"Oh, it's actually quite simple. I rendered great service in eradicating the cicada plague. When Sect Leader Xue asked what reward I wanted, I said that my homeland was suffering and needed money. So, well – *cough* – Sect Leader Xue had actually felt a little bad about refusing Great Yuan's loan three times. He just decided to go with the flow and agreed."

The He couple exchanged glances, both finding it absurd.

Money that Yuan had sent envoys three times to borrow, this kid got it just by relying on his merits and reputation?

Was the Rongshan Sect such a childish place? It defied all reason.

Madam Ying scoffed, "How great a service did you render that could offset a seven-million loan?"

"The seventy-year cicada plague was a huge headache for the Rongshan Sect. If it wasn't handled before spring, there would be widespread devastation and no peace thereafter," He Lingchuan said, spreading his hands. "So, your son's service is greater than the heavens."

Madam Ying still didn't believe him. "How exactly did you manage it?"

"I found a method to lure and kill the seventy-year monstrous cicadas, and it's foolproof. Ah, I'll explain this in detail later when I have time," He Lingchuan said calmly. "If you don't believe me, ah, there are over a dozen Rongshan disciples outside who escorted me back. You can ask them."

These Rongshan disciples were now his subordinates. On the journey, they had already coordinated their stories and memorized them perfectly. You could pick any one of them and ask, and they wouldn't get it wrong even if they were drunk.