Chapter 187 You Are a Genius

Xiao Wan'er's words reminded Chen Yi.

Now that the old master has agreed to the plan for the expansion of Baicaotang, he should indeed make preparations as soon as possible.

After all, if Baicaotang wants to expand to various prefectures and counties in Shuzhou, it is necessary to understand the store selection, local customs, powerful families and local forces in advance.

Even with the Xiao family's help, some of the dirty and tiring work still had to be done by the people from Baicaotang.

Therefore, he had to send Wang Ji or Yan Hai out.

Xiao Wan'er was unaware of his thoughts. After giving him instructions, she began preparing to receive the guests who were coming today.

Of course, she was only responsible for making requests; the specific tasks were handled by Shen Huatang, Cui'er, and Juan'er.

To some extent, she and Chen Yi were quite in sync; they were both "hands-off managers."

However, there were people in Jiaxing Garden who were even more idle than Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er.

She was Xie Tingyun, Shen Huatang's senior sister.

Since coming to the Xiao family, she, the renowned "Fairy Tingyun" in the martial arts world, has completely become a "foodie Tingyun".

Aside from keeping watch at night and protecting Xiao Wan'er, she spent most of her time looking for food.

Not to mention other delicacies, more than half of the various teas transported from the Xiao family's pharmacy ended up in Xie Tingyun's stomach.

She always had that sweet and sour strawberry tea with her, two bottles in the morning, two bottles in the afternoon, and two more bottles in the evening.

Aside from eating and drinking, she was never seen practicing martial arts.

At least Chen Yi had never seen or heard any similar sounds or discussions.

More often than not, what he heard was Shen Huatang “disciplining” Xie Tingyun.

Phrases like "Senior sister, if you keep doing this, we'll go back to the sect" or "Senior sister, if you keep doing this, I'll tell Master."

Xie Tingyun ignored these words, agreeing to them but never changing his mind, continuing to do as he pleased.

I really don't know how she cultivated to the fourth rank.

Chen Yi naturally didn't delve into this matter and simply laughed it off.

Everything else is secondary, as long as Xie Tingyun can protect Xiao Wan'er.

However, Xie Tingyun seemed to realize that his laziness was not a good thing.

While Xiao Wan'er was giving instructions to Shen Huatang and the others, she took the initiative to come over and said rather mysteriously:

"Son-in-law, um, I have something I'd like to ask for your advice on."

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, looked at her with some surprise, and said, "Just say it."

Xie Tingyun said that was quite frank, then lowered his voice and asked:

"Son-in-law, what do you think about opening a store for Baicaotang at the foot of Tianshan Mountain?"

"...Is this all you wanted to ask?"

Chen Yi immediately forgot his previous guess that she wanted to find something for him to do.

Xie Tingyun blinked and raised his voice.

"Tianshan is indeed quite far from Shuzhou, and there aren't many people... You're a scholar, you know a lot, do you have any solutions?"

Chen Yi said, somewhat amused and exasperated, "This has nothing to do with whether I'm a scholar or not. You yourself said there aren't many people on the Tianshan Mountains. Who would Baicaotang make money off if they opened there?"

"Me? And there's our Tianshan Sect."

Perhaps Xie Tingyun also felt it wasn't enough, so he added, "There are also quite a few visitors from other places."

"Please forgive me, Fairy Tingyun, I can't think of a solution to this. Please find someone else who can help you."

Baicaotang isn't a charity.

Even if the goal is to open roads all over the country, priorities must be distinguished.

In a place like Xizhou, where Tianshan is located, not only is the population sparse, but the transportation is also inconvenient. He would be a fool to let Wang Ji open Baicaotang there.

With that kind of effort, opening a few more shops in Jiaozhou or Jiangnan Prefecture would be enough to make a fortune.

But Xie Tingyun still had no intention of giving up.

"Young master, could you please ask Manager Wang or Mr. Chen Yu for me? I sincerely want to invite Baicaotang to open a branch in Tianshan."

"Moreover, we... will not let Baicaotang pass by in vain; there are many benefits to it."

Chen Yi looked at her with a half-smile, "Tell me, what are the benefits?"

I never expected Xie Tingyun to like those tea drinks so much.

They even persevered in this endeavor.

He naturally wouldn't mind hearing what conditions this devoted tea enthusiast could offer.

Xie Tingyun paused, glanced furtively at Shen Huatang, and seeing that she wasn't paying attention, leaned closer and whispered:

“Our Tianshan Sect can protect Baicaotang.”

"I remember last time I went there, Manager Wang invited a few martial arts practitioners over. Compared to those people, our Tianshan Sect disciples are much stronger."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yi was slightly taken aback, then thought for a moment, his gaze towards her containing a hint of strangeness.

To be honest, he couldn't refuse this offer.

Firstly, as Xie Tingyun said, the guards that Wang Ji found were naturally no match for the Tianshan Sect disciples in terms of strength and reputation.

Secondly, as Baicaotang expands, its stores in various prefectures and counties will need to hire guards.

In particular, the escort of core medicinal materials for tea recipes requires the presence of some experts.

If they could get help from the disciples of the Tianshan Sect, it would be very beneficial for Baicaotang.

The only cost is opening a branch that is destined to lose money.

But even if the entire Tianshan Sect drank freely, how much money could they lose in a year?

After some silent calculation, Chen Yi came to a rather exaggerated figure—he estimated that he would lose a thousand taels of silver a year.

If the Tianshan Sect provides rent-free housing, this figure will be reduced by half.

Hmm... how should I put it?

He had never seen such a profitable business.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Xie Tingyun couldn't help but say anxiously, "Young master, what's wrong with your eyes? Am I... not good enough?"

No, quite the opposite.

This is an excellent offer.

You are simply a business genius, Fairy Tingyun.

Chen Yi thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded, saying, "I'll ask around for you later. I think... Boss Chen and Manager Wang shouldn't refuse."

Xie Tingyun relaxed and smiled as he clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you, son-in-law. I won't bother you any longer."

Watching her walk away briskly, Chen Yi felt a mix of secret joy and guilt.

Cough cough, he didn't want to.

Unfortunately, the senior disciple of the Tianshan Sect offered herself up to him...

After greeting Xiao Wan'er.

Chen Yi led Xiao Wuge and Xiao Die back to Chunhe Garden first.

After a short rest, he set off alone for Baicaotang in the West Market, carrying an oil-paper umbrella.

At this time, the rain was not heavy, but it was not light either.

The sound of rain could be heard everywhere in the Xiao mansion, naturally mixed with the whispers of the servants and guards.

Most of them are trivial matters.

So-and-so from the second branch had a dispute with so-and-so from the other courtyard, or so-and-so from the third branch had a quarrel last night, etc.

Some servants, seeing him walk by, took the opportunity to steer the conversation toward him, saying things like, "The second son-in-law is quite something now," or "Recently, many people have come to the mansion because of the second son-in-law," and so on.

Regardless of their tone or words, Chen Yi's reputation in the manor is much better than before.

We walked all the way to the front yard.

He glanced around and saw that Liu Si'er and Ge Laosan were both there, so he couldn't help but go up and chat with them for a few minutes.

"Greetings, Second Son-in-Law."

Chen Yi looked the two of them over and asked with a smile, "Fourth Brother, have you recovered from your injuries?"

Liu Si'er replied, "Thanks to Miss, after taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor at the pharmacy, I was almost fully recovered in less than ten days."

"I remember the person who injured you hasn't been caught yet?"

"...I'll go to the Ministry of Justice later to ask."

Old Ge, standing nearby, chimed in with a snort: "That thief is too audacious. Once we catch him, we'll throw him into the torture chamber and give him a good beating."

Chen Yi smiled and said, "There's been no news for so long, I guess the Criminal Investigation Department hasn't found any clues either."

"But since he injured our people, we'll catch him eventually."

He showed no awareness of being a "murderer" and spoke of himself without any reservations.

Liu Si'er nodded: "The son-in-law is right, he can't escape."

He paused for a moment, then asked, "Is the young master going out of the manor? Should I prepare a carriage?"

Chen Yi waved his hand and said, "Let's go to Baicaotang... I've been staying at the manor for a few days, so I'll just go out and get some exercise."

Upon hearing this, Ge Laosan asked in a low voice, "I heard that the Marquis has decided to deepen the cooperation between the pharmacy and Baicaotang?"

Chen Yi glanced at him and said calmly, "The pharmacy business has always been managed by my eldest sister, so I'm not too familiar with it."

If I remember correctly, not many people know about this.

Xiao Wan'er and the old master had previously instructed that this matter not be spread, so how did Ge Laosan find out?

Ge Laosan seemed to realize he had let something slip, chuckled a few times, and said nothing more.

Chen Yi didn't press the matter further, but simply made a mental note of it.

The news that has spread indicates that Xiao Wan'er, the old master, or Baicaotang still have hidden guards around.

It was something that bothered him.

Let's chat for a bit.

Chen Yi then took his leave and headed straight for the West Market.

As Liu Si'er watched him walk away, she asked in a low voice, "Third brother, how did you know that the manor was going to deepen its cooperation with Baicaotang?"

Ge Laosan naturally couldn't reveal the source, and replied perfunctorily, "I've heard people mention it a few times."

Is that so?

"That makes sense. The pharmacy makes a lot of money selling tea from Baicaotang, so it's understandable that the Marquis wants to cooperate more with them."

"Right..."

Chen Yi paid no attention to Ge Laosan and Liu Si'er's "casual chat".

The two hidden guards, who were part of the Xiao family's personal guards, did not reveal their identities to each other, nor could they share any particularly confidential information.

What he cared about was when Ge Laosan, this "hawk," would make his move on the summer grain harvest in the three towns.

Or rather, when will the female tiger Lou Yuxue and the gray wolf Xiao Dongchen let him make a move?

However, upon closer reflection, Chen Yi wasn't worried.

He has now made contact with Black Tooth under the identity of "Liu Wu".

Before taking action, those demons would definitely notify him.

"As long as it's not tonight, the rest of the time... there shouldn't be any problems."

...

Chen Yi spent the entire morning in Baicaotang.

The main purpose was to explain the subsequent expansion plans to Wang Ji.

After careful consideration, it was finally decided that Yan Hai would lead a group to visit various counties and prefectures in Shuzhou to understand the local conditions and make records.

Firstly, Yan Hai was not well-known, unlike Wang Ji, who attracted attention as the manager of Baicaotang.

Secondly, Wang Ji staying in the prefectural city could also provide cover for Chen Yi, preventing the Xiao family from not being able to find "Chen Yu" and affecting the subsequent affairs of Baicaotang.

After finishing the important business, Chen Yi gave another minor instruction.

“Buy several shops or residences around the tailor shop in the West Market, and tell the outside world that it is the warehouse of Baicaotang.”

Wang Ji didn't ask any further questions and nodded in agreement.

Chen Yi has no plans to touch that tailor shop for the time being.

Based on his observation, that tailor shop should be the stronghold of the Hidden Guard in Shuzhou Prefecture.

It serves a role similar to a "liaison station".

This can be easily deduced from the fact that the female tiger Lou Yuxue and the hawk Ge Laosan met there before.

In addition to the intelligence we gathered tonight, keeping that tailor shop will be useful in the future.

Everything is arranged.

After having lunch at a nearby restaurant, Chen Yi went to the house on Chuanxi Street.

After Zhang Dabao disguised him, he instructed Zhang Dabao to summon Liu Lang.

While waiting, he didn't stay idle; he practiced several techniques in the house.

Although his martial arts fist, footwork, and spear are all at the advanced level, only the Collapsing Mountain Fist and Hundred Flower Palm have been mastered to the perfect level.

There is still room for improvement in both body movement techniques and the Falling Dragon Spear Technique.

Especially the Dragon-Falling Spear.

Each cultivation session stirs up the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, adding Daoist intent, creating quite a commotion.

Because of Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang's presence, he hadn't practiced this spear technique for a long time.

Of course, to avoid causing unnecessary trouble, Chen Yi did not use the folding gun at this moment.

He simply performed the Meteor Butterfly Step and the Dragon Playing with Phoenix Step in the main room to keep himself occupied.

About half an hour later.

When Liu Lang arrived, the first thing he saw was a broad smile as he said:

"Boss, you're incredibly insightful!"

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "Are the Five Poisons Sect and Liu Zhaoxue plotting something big?"

"more than."

“When I went there last night, besides hearing Yan Fusha, who is from the Five Poisons Sect, discussing with Liu Zhaoxue about murdering Liu Wen, I also encountered Black Fang’s men.”

"Oh? Tell me more."

After he finished speaking, Chen Yi laughed as well.

"I'll give you credit for that."

It turns out that last night, after Liu Lang bumped into the person who went to verify his identity, he disguised himself as a guard of the Liu family and said a few words about "Liu Wu" to that person.

It is said that he was a disciple of the renowned physician Xinglinzhai, and that he once cured the illness of a very important person.

It was also said that he had amazing talent in martial arts, and that he had already achieved a certain level of mastery in boxing by the age of twenty.

In the end, that person managed to return with the message.

It can be said that as long as Hei Ya and Lou Yuxue do not go to the Liu family in Jingzhou, there is basically no chance that his identity as "Liu Wu" will be exposed.

Liu Lang patted the long sword at his waist and said, "I can't let the boss give me a good sword for free."

Chen Yi smiled, but his mind was on Liu Zhaoxue and the Five Poisons Sect.

I originally thought that there would be rules such as not harming people's lives in the competition for the position of head of the Liu family this generation.

In retrospect, Liu Wen and Liu Zhaoxue are both more ruthless than he had anticipated.

"To murder one's own brother... Liu Zhaoxue is even more ruthless."

Hearing his words, Liu Lang nodded in agreement, saying, "That's ruthless enough."

"She had the Five Poisons Sect kill Liu Wen and frame the Xiao family, while she herself remained hidden in the shadows. It was undoubtedly a vicious scheme."

At this point, he glanced at Chen Yi's expression and couldn't help but ask:

"What does the boss plan to do?"

"Do nothing."

"ah?"

"What do you mean 'huh'? It's better for dogs to fight each other, at least it saves us from getting our hands dirty."

Chen Yi glanced at him and said calmly, "Besides, I am not a bloodthirsty person."

Originally, he only wanted to trick Liu Wen and give the Xiao family a reason to take action.

But what happens after that?

Whether Liu Wen will die or not depends on the outcome of the struggle between the old master and the Liu family.

Now, though.

After he had tricked Liu Wen, he didn't mind helping Liu Zhaoxue.

As long as the blame for Liu Wen's death doesn't fall on the Xiao family, this incident will definitely cause internal strife within the Liu family.

He pondered for a moment.

Chen Yi instructed, "After you go to the Liu family tonight, go to Chunyu Tower and ask about the progress on Hei Ya's side."

Liu Lang nodded in agreement, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face: "Boss, if I may say something inappropriate..."

"If what you've done gets out, Mingyue Tower will definitely not let you off the hook."

Chen Yi glanced at him, "They won't let us go."

"...I did not think things through when I promised you thirty things."

Outsiders may not know the details of Mingyue Tower, but Liu Lang, who is mingled among them, naturally knows some of the secrets.

Besides Black Fang, Mingyue Tower has twelve other elders, each in charge of one of the three prefectures of the Great Wei Nine Provinces, and all of them have reached the Upper Three Ranks.

In addition, they have four guardians above them, as well as the mysterious and unpredictable master of the building.

These alone already surpass the strength of over 90% of the sects and holy lands of the Great Wei.

In addition, the martial arts figures in various places who possess the Mingyue Tower identity tokens are far more powerful than ordinary people.

If Mingyue Tower discovers what the two of them have done, even with the protection of the Xiao family, they will still face endless trouble in the future.

Liu Lang knew all this, but now he was already on a sinking ship and couldn't get off, so he could only go down this dark path.

Of course, putting all that aside, he did think it was quite impressive to do this.

If word gets out, it will make his reputation as the "Knife Maniac" even more renowned.

At least he dared to provoke Mingyue Tower.

Just as Liu Lang got up, Chen Yi reminded him:

"If there's any progress on Black Fang's side, remember to have Wang Ji inform me; he knows where I am."

"good."

Wait until he leaves.

Chen Yi didn't linger; after removing his disguise, he went straight to the Xiao family.

As Black Fang and the Tigress's scheme drew closer, he began to feel a growing sense of urgency.

We need to think about it carefully.

"Judging by the time, Xiao Jinghong should have already seen that letter."

"No movement in Shuzhou City yet... Good news."

I was planning to post two updates, but my gastroenteritis flared up around 10 PM.

I'll resume tomorrow, please forgive me, everyone.

I'm so sorry.

(End of this chapter)