Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Wei Tianyi flew into a rage. "You're all getting out of hand!"

Shu Wanrong, who was always well-behaved, had now become a liability!

To be honest, Wei Tianyi was incredibly frustrated, and his expression darkened upon hearing Manager Zhou's response.

But he was a man who valued his image, always presenting himself as calm and composed in public. The women sitting in the courtyard were all influential figures within their social circle, some even being his neighbors. Despite his anger, he couldn't possibly lose his temper in front of them. Therefore, he could only suppress his emotions with great effort.

The laughter and chatter of the women in the yard threatened to break his composure. With a face turning purple from repressed anger, Wei Tianyi thought to himself, 'What a bunch of idiots! They can't even think straight when they hear the words "health resort." Given Wei Xi's current state, it's already good that he doesn't hit people. How can he help anyone maintain their health? Only a naive housewife like Shu Wanrong, with too much free time and limited vision, would believe his nonsense.'

Suddenly, the creak of the garden gate opening echoed behind him. It was left ajar, and someone pushed it wide.

Wei Tianyi turned around and quickly changed his demeanor, greeting the newcomers respectfully. "CEO Liu, CEO Wang, CEO Zheng, why are you here?"

These men standing outside were his business associates, each of them accomplished and respected in their respective fields.

It seemed that they had just finished work, still dressed in their suits. Seeing Wei Tianyi, they appeared delighted. CEO Liu replied with a smile, "Oh, CEO Wei, you're at home too?"

Wei Tianyi felt something was off about their response and asked, "Didn't you come to see me?"

President Liu chuckled. "Not at all, how could we disturb you after work? My wife and I just purchased memberships at your Taicang Sect Health Club, so we thought we'd come for some maintenance."

Wei Tianyi: "..."

***

Wei Tianyi's mindset completely collapsed. He refused to talk to Wei Xi for several days and even sulked as he packed his things to stay in his city apartment for a few days. Surprisingly, during that time, he found himself unable to sleep with unfamiliar bedding, staring at the ceiling all night. Yet, when he returned home, he would inexplicably fall asleep the moment his head hit the pillow, enjoying better sleep than he had in decades. This made him feel even more inadequate, having to return home just to get a good night's rest. However, he still put up a struggle by setting his alarm early and angrily packing his things before rushing out to work before dawn, trying his best to avoid his family.

Let these damn fools reflect on their actions!

Yet, his resistance could not alter the situation in the slightest. The leisure club at home continued to expand, attracting a steady stream of patrons.

Tachang Sect also gradually gained some reputation within its circle, for the company finally had a product for sale. Unlike the mysterious and seemingly fictitious rituals they previously offered, the effects of the Aconitum plant were visible to the naked eye. Even those who utterly disbelieved in ghosts and supernatural tales found that placing one by their bedside could ensure a peaceful night's sleep. Who among businessmen didn't carry some pressure? Especially in middle age, though they might appear glamorous in public, privately, they faced numerous challenges such as company development, family issues, and mid-life crises, which often led to sleepless nights due to immense stress. Thus, the sales of Aconitum plants rapidly increased, with many not only purchasing them for personal use but also gifting them to close relatives and friends.

The sect's financial situation had significantly improved, but Unity Righteousness still felt unsatisfied.

Thus, clutching the account book, he approached his master once more to sow seeds of discord, "Master, as it's said on Zhihu, for an enterprise to sustain its growth, it mustn't rest on its laurels. It must perpetually innovate and reform while preserving its current strengths, ensuring customers remain loyal yet are continually invigorated with novelty—such is the path to our prosperity."

Wei Xi was happily crunching on his chocolate. The sect finally had enough money to buy him snacks; the feeling of being wealthy was indeed pleasant.

His second disciple, handling his secular affairs, glanced coldly at his nominal senior brother while attending to his business. Hearing the commotion coming from the courtyard, he wished he could kick this troublemaker out who had no idea how dangerous Wei Xi could be.

However, in this era of corrupt officials and declining morals, the foolish sect leader was indulging in snacks, leaning on his second disciple and nodding in agreement, "You do have a point."

Tong Yan Yi became enthusiastic, "Then, Master, what other new products can our sect develop besides the Hui Zhu plant?"

Wei Xi, not being the brightest, was momentarily stumped by the question. With his mouth open, he pondered for a long time. By the time he thought about the chocolate melting in his hand, he hastily took a bite and slowly said, "How about we grow some Wu Tiao? The old man said that when dried after splitting, it can cause any living creature to instantly die. That's why I didn't cultivate it specifically before, for fear that Mike would eat it randomly."

Tong Yan Yi: "....??"

Wei Xi: "Isn't there a lot of competition in business? They should really need this, and since it yields many per harvest, it's both convenient and profitable."

Tong Yan Yi: "...."

Sweating profusely, Tong Yan Yi looked at his junior brother, who seemed to have also reached his limit. With a stern expression, the junior brother interrupted Wei Xi's plan and instructed Tong Yan Yi, "Ask someone to pick the Xun Tang leaves, dry them like tea leaves, and sell them as a brew. When these leaves are dried, they emit a unique fragrance that's beneficial for the body."

Relieved, Tong Yan Yi hurriedly asked for a description of the Xun Tang plant before rushing off, feeling that his master could sometimes be quite terrifying.

The moment he left, Shuo Zong put down his work and turned around, staring at Wei Xi solemnly.

As the second disciple with yang energy, Wei Xi loved to stick close to him. When eating chocolate, he would lean against him to sneak a few sips. Now that the other had turned around, he tilted slightly as well, straightening his posture. Seeing his disciple staring at him, he looked at the snack in his hand, unsure, and asked, "Do you want some, disciple?"

Shuo Zong: "…."

After a moment of silence, Shuo Zong took a symbolic bite of the chocolate offered to him, venting his annoyance elsewhere. "Unity Yi is always idle, causing trouble wherever he goes!"

Though Wei Xi didn't understand what trouble Unity Yi had caused, he was always indulgent towards his yang-energy disciple. He found a new position, resting his head on the other's thigh. "Mm."

Shuo Zong looked down at him, his expression finally improving. Gazing out the window at Unity Yi, who was instructing Manager Zhou and others to harvest the Qian Tang leaves, he said, "It's time to teach him some Daoist techniques so he has something to do."

Unaware of the homework awaiting him, Unity Yi, who was working in the courtyard, shivered inexplicably. After wrapping himself tighter in his coat, he carefully plucked a leaf from the Qian Tang plant and placed it in a small bamboo basket.

Seeing Unity Yi and Manager Zhou's actions, the guests chatting in the courtyard grew curious. "What are you doing?"

Displaying an entrepreneurial spirit, Unity Yi was always ready to promote. He promptly replied, "This is a new product developed by my master. After it's finished, you can brew it like tea, and it tastes great. It's also beneficial for your health. With a membership card, you get a 10% discount. Would anyone like to buy some to try?"

The group examined the leaves he had picked, finding nothing remarkable about them, so few were interested. Only Mrs. Liu spoke up, "I'll definitely support the new product. Give me one, please."

Wei Xi, now in charge of client contracts, had delegated this task to Shu Wanrong, who still found the situation surreal. She tried to argue, "Shouldn't you think it over...? For instance, these tea trees are growing so fast, don't you find that strange?"

She gazed at the saplings, now waist-high, which were only tiny sprouts a short while ago. This made her quite perplexed.

Her companions around the table waved her off. "What are you worrying about? The soil your son used was from Mount Everest. If Zheng Tai's hair can grow back, why can't these trees grow quickly?"

Shu Wanrong was speechless.

Despite this, the clients present weren't too interested in Taicang Sect's new tea product due to its price. After all, most of these ladies kept up with trends by drinking coffee. Besides, who didn't have some Dragon Well, Biluochun, or Da Hongpao tea leaves at home? Could Wei Xi's tea really surpass these premium varieties?

Xun Tang hadn't matured yet, so Tuan Jieyi didn't harvest much. With only one confirmed order, he took a small bundle into the kitchen. While he was shamelessly promoting the tea, he himself was skeptical. Xun Tang's leaves resembled willow leaves and seemed ordinary. They were merely greener than usual; even when held close to the nose, no aroma could be detected. He lacked confidence that this could become a flagship product like the Yanzhuzi herb.

Housekeeper Zhou had overheard Tuan Jieyi mentioning the processing of the leaves earlier. Realizing that they needed to be processed, he guessed that they must be valuable, and thus cautiously asked, "Mr. Tuan, if the tea needs to be pan-fried, should I send someone to buy a tea-processing machine right away?"

Tuan Jieyi, still uncertain, glanced around the kitchen and dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. "No need, no need. Just find any clean cooking pot for me."

"Right," Tuan Jieyi raised his head and earnestly requested, "I don't know how to fry tea either, so I won't use my hands. Could you please get me a spatula?"

Butler Zhou: "..."

Then, he skillfully lit the fire and placed the basket of leaves in the pot, stirring them around like he was frying eggs.

Butler Zhou felt uneasy seeing this. Wasn't the production process too casual for such an expensive tea?

To his surprise, as Unity Yi continued to stir-fry the leaves, a previously unheard-of fragrance slowly wafted from the messy pot, invigorating him with its scent.

As time passed during the brewing process, Xun Tang's leaves became drier, and the mysterious aroma grew stronger and more mellow, gradually spreading beyond the kitchen and into the courtyard.

The chatter of the ladies in the yard gradually faded, and many began to look around, exchanging curious glances. "Where is that smell coming from?"

The aroma was incredibly soothing, as if they were in one of those famous natural oxygen bars, making them involuntarily relax and bask in it.

"Shu Wanrong," someone finally located the source, shaking the similarly puzzled Shu Wanrong. "It seems to be coming from your house."

Before Shu Wanrong could react, the front door of her house opened from inside, and the scent intensified with the opening of the door. Everyone couldn't help but stand up. They turned to see Unity Yi emerge from the house with a small paper bag, seemingly the source of the enchanting fragrance.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. The process of making this tea is quite intricate, so it took a bit longer," Unity Yi said as he handed the paper bag to Mrs. Liu. "I just weighed it, and there's roughly sixty grams inside. Would you like all of it, or would you prefer to try a portion first?"

Liu Tai held the fragrant bag, looking utterly stunned. Before she could answer, a girl sitting nearby interrupted, "Tuan Tuan, do you have any extra of this tea? It smells so good. Could you make a batch for me too?"

To everyone's surprise, Tuan Jieyi glanced at the small tree and apologetically replied, "Sorry, but since this is a new product and the tree isn't fully grown yet, we're just experimenting with the production. There's no extra, only what Liu Tai has here. It might take some time before it's officially available for sale."

The room fell into a brief silence, followed by several pairs of eyes slowly focusing on the paper bag in Liu Tai's hands.

Liu Tai calmly gathered the bag in her hand, turned to the door, and said, "I have something to attend to at home. You all carry on, I'll leave first."

Shu Wanrong: "…"

All the girls at the table rushed out after her. She sat in the now empty courtyard with a blank expression for a while before silently returning to the villa. Upon entering, she saw Tuan Jieyi practicing his culinary skills with a wok in the kitchen.

Had everyone gone mad?

For the first time, she yearned for her former normal and peaceful life more than ever.

*****

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to her, the senior disciple who had produced the first batch of stainless steel tea leaves in Taicang Sect was also having a less than smooth time.

Before he could even calculate how much profit he had made, he was dragged to the study by his master and junior apprentice brother, receiving news that was unclear whether it was good or bad.

Master finally decided to impart his skills to him.

At first, Unity Right was overjoyed. To be honest, since the adoption ceremony, Master hadn't mentioned teaching him anything except for exploiting him for work and showing him various ghost-catching and devouring scenes. This had made him quite uneasy. Apart from cheating and begging on the streets, he didn't possess any other survival skills. He had always been on edge around Master, especially after the handsome and capable second junior apprentice brother appeared, making him, the eldest disciple, seem utterly useless.

Hearing this news, he was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. "Master, what will you teach me? I'll study diligently and never let you down!"

Seeing his disciple's diligence, Wei Xi couldn't help but pat his overly large head with a sense of gratification. "I'll start by teaching you how to draw talismans."

Thinking of his master's abilities, Unity Right eagerly asked, "Great! Master, what principles should we start with?"

Wei Xi answered matter-of-factly, "Hmm? What principles? There aren't any. Just draw them as they should be drawn."

Upon hearing this, Unity Right's excitement cooled slightly, sensing something amiss. Was this how one learned to draw talismans? It seemed a bit too straightforward and crude, lacking any systematic approach.

Soon, he realized his suspicions were correct because his gentle and kind master started hitting people.

******

The tabletop was cluttered with a mess of yellow pulp paper, and a pool of vivid red cinnabar sat in a corner.

"Fool! Why can't you grasp it?" A slap landed on his head, and Unity Yiyi covered it with teary eyes. He watched as his master, exasperated, dipped a pen in cinnabar ink, took out a yellow paper, and swiftly drew a talisman in one breath. Then, in a huff, the completed charm was thrown directly at him. "That's how you do it! How can you not learn such a simple good luck charm? Are you even paying attention to your studies?!"

United Right gazed at the flamboyantly decorated Heavenly Scripture with immense grievance, "Master, I've really been trying my best, but you have to tell me what this symbol means, why is this dot and this frame placed here?"

"It must be here, of course it is! Why so many questions?"

Wei Xi was almost tempted to cleanse his own sect; how could his eldest disciple be so slow-witted? To ask why for such trivial matters? Didn't drawing talismans simply entail sketching according to the desired outcome? It was something he had inherently known since birth, yet this fool couldn't grasp it after such a long time of learning.

As they spoke, Unity Right made another mistake in his drawing, causing Wei Xi to smack his head several times in frustration. This guy was so dense! If he hadn't been his own disciple, Wei Xi would have swallowed him whole for being so slow-witted.

Unity Right wailed, "It's too hard, ahh ahh ahh! How can anyone possibly learn this!"

Frustrated by his lack of progress, Wei Xi glared at him and called out to his silent second disciple, "Lu Que! Come here! You show him how it's done!"

Unity Right watched as his junior apprentice stepped forward silently, picked up a brush, and effortlessly drew a perfect talisman without any sign of effort.

At that moment, Wei Xi was almost tempted to grab a stick to knock some sense into his eldest disciple's stubborn head. "Look at your junior brother! Look at him! Such a simple task!"

Shuo Zong: "..."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Shuo Zong wasn't particularly pleased with the compliment. He had never seen someone teach their disciple like this before. Unable to bear it any longer, he intercepted Wei Xi, who was on the verge of a tantrum, "Does your sect not have any foundational cultivation techniques for beginners?"

"Why would I need to read that!" Wei Xi exclaimed angrily. "Shouldn't spellcasting come naturally? How did you learn it?"

"..." Shuo Zong replied tersely, "It's innate."

Wei Xi: "Exactly! Your senior apprentice brother is such a fool!"

Shuo Zong truly felt exhausted and gave up on explaining the differences between humans and himself to Wei Xi: "…Since you know he's foolish, that settles it. A fool should naturally start by reading books to learn spells."

Tuan Jieyi heard this and burst into tears, realizing that he was indeed foolish.

Wei Xi found his second disciple's words somewhat reasonable but couldn't help feeling even more agitated. Really, he had initially thought his senior disciple was intelligent, but after leaving the mountains for the first time to take on disciples, he ended up with such a slow-witted one!

******

However, Wei Xi had no idea where to obtain introductory books. Fortunately, his second disciple was resourceful and returned from an outing with a towering stack of books.

Wei Xi truly had no desire to teach another idiot, so the responsibility of enlightenment naturally fell onto his second disciple, Unity Righteousness. He watched as his junior casually picked up a book as thick as a brick and threw it at him, coldly instructing, "Memorize this book within a month. We'll talk about learning talismans after that."

Unity Righteousness was dumbfounded when he saw the title, "I Ching." Flipping through its pages only made him more perplexed; he couldn't understand a single sentence!

"One... month to memorize this book?" Unity Righteousness asked his junior in exhaustion, "Are you serious?"

His junior looked at him calmly, "Or should we start with talismans first?"

Covering his head, which still throbbed from their master's punishment, Unity Righteousness seriously pondered for a long while before reluctantly deciding on survival, "No, I think I'll just focus on memorizing the book."

The I Ching nearly took Unity Righteousness's life. He studied until he was dizzy and only had occasional moments to catch his breath. For a time, he became enthusiastic about everything except studying, becoming even more proactive in doing business.

Fortunately, at this moment, a pair of unexpected visitors finally appeared at the Wei family's doorstep.