Immortal Reincarnation Tribulation

Chapter 7 An Unexpected Joy

This is a seemingly ordinary study, but in the entire Yao family mansion, no more than five people are qualified to be here.

"How did you handle this matter?" The speaker was Yao Batian, the current head of the Yao family. He was over forty years old, dressed in a black robe, with piercing eyes and extremely high cheekbones. He was no ordinary person, and his words exuded an air of dominance.

At this moment, he sat in the head seat, putting down a spiritual herb and a spiritual flower that he had been looking at for a long time. These two spiritual items were the same two that Xiao Mingyi had taken from the medicine garden.

"Reporting to the patriarch, I have promoted this person to steward, in charge of managing that medicinal herb garden, and have issued a travel ban on him. If he leaves the manor without permission, he will be executed immediately."

"At the same time, I have already instructed the secret agents in the manor to investigate this person, and I believe we will have results soon." Xiao Mingyi replied solemnly.

"Alright, I always trust you to get things done. Have the people sent by the palace left yet?" Yao Batian casually asked about another matter.

"The imperial envoy has already returned. This is the imperial edict they sent." Xiao Mingyi's expression shifted, and with a flick of his wrist, a yellow silk scroll appeared in his hand, which he handed to Yao Batian.

"Imperial edict? Haha, is that old emperor senile?!" Yao Batian was amused and opened the so-called imperial edict, glancing at it.

"This wasn't written by the old emperor. It was his incompetent son who misused the imperial seal and forged an imperial edict, saying that he wanted to take my daughter Ruoxi as the crown princess." Yao Batian said in a cold light.

"Master, ever since that prince saw the young lady once last year, he has harbored wicked intentions. This time he has become even bolder and has done such a thing. Should I secretly..." Xiao Mingyi's eyes were also cold. He made a gesture, but did not finish his sentence.

"No, no matter what, the old emperor has always treated me with great courtesy. We must not lay a hand on the royal family unless absolutely necessary. Most importantly, don't forget that there are also the guardians of the imperial path." Yao Batian said after only a moment's thought.

"Although he is a prince and the only candidate to ascend the throne in the future, let alone his debauchery and tyranny, even if he is wise and powerful, how can the young lady marry a mere mortal! I wonder how the head of the family thinks this matter should be handled?" Upon hearing the name of the guardian of the imperial path, Xiao Mingyi's lips twitched, but when he spoke of the royal family, his expression became arrogant, showing no regard for the royal family at all.

"You will personally deliver this fake imperial edict to the old emperor later. If he is smart, he will know how to handle it. As for the rest, there is no need to say more. Remember, you must not be impolite and must give face to the royal family," Yao Batian instructed.

"Don't worry, Master, Mingyi understands."

"Alas, a year from now, it will be the time for the Zishan Sect to test the spiritual roots of my Yao family. It happens every eight years, which can be considered a benefit for us who rely on the Zishan Sect."

Seven years ago, Ruoxi's spiritual root wasn't detected, but she was under seven years old then, so there was still hope. Now she's over seven, and if her spiritual root still isn't detected this time, then she'll be destined to be a mortal for life. In that case, the best outcome would truly be for her to become an empress." Yao Batian thought of his own deep-seated worry, his expression downcast, and he smiled bitterly.

"Master, the eldest young lady is your daughter, which makes her much more likely to have spiritual roots than ordinary people. Moreover, I watched her grow up, and she is full of spiritual energy. She will most likely have spiritual roots. Besides, there are many female cultivators who do not have spiritual roots before the age of seven. Master, you don't need to worry too much." Xiao Mingyi hurriedly comforted him upon hearing this.

"I hope so," Yao Batian sighed. Thinking of his daughter, a look of affection appeared in the eyes of this powerful figure, but a hint of worry also flashed across his face.

"Reporting." At that moment, a loud voice came from outside.

"Patriarch, it's Gale who's back. There should be a result regarding Du Fan's matter." Xiao Mingyi's expression shifted.

"Okay, let him in." Yao Batian perked up.

……

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Yao Batian and Xiao Mingyi were still in the study.

"So, Du Fan's background is really not a problem. He's not a spy sent by other forces. Then haven't we struck gold? Haha..." Yao Batian's worries vanished, and he laughed heartily.

"Yes, Patriarch. I never expected that he would survive a serious illness a month ago and now have such expertise in the field of plants. The arrangement of planting, the symbiosis of herbs, and the things made from animal dung—when combined, they can increase the growth rate of spiritual herbs by more than double. It's truly incredible." Xiao Mingyi's eyes gleamed with surprise, and his expression of shock was undisguised at this moment.

"That's not all. Look at this Deer Tail Grass. This spiritual herb's growth limit is five years, and continuing to cultivate it won't increase its medicinal properties. But now, its medicinal properties have increased by a full month. This is something that doesn't make sense. By the way, this matter must be kept absolutely secret. Don't leak the slightest bit of information." Yao Batian was equally shocked, and then, remembering something, solemnly instructed.

"Don't worry, Patriarch, I will handle this matter well. In the future, we can secretly exchange any surplus spiritual herbs for spirit stones. But I wonder what should be done with this person next?" Xiao Mingyi accepted the order, then hesitated for a moment before asking this question.

"Liu Neng is the current manager of the herb garden, right? From now on, he will only be in charge of the ordinary herb gardens, while all the spirit herb gardens will be managed by Du Fan. As for his salary, it should be twice as high as that of the other managers. I want to make good use of this person, and at the same time, I want him to be willing to work for the Yao family." Yao Batian's tone left no room for doubt.

"yes!"

"In name only, this move is tantamount to directly squeezing money from the Purple Mountain Sect. A slight misstep could bring disaster. However, I wouldn't take such a risk if it were just about money. These are spirit stones, and their importance to us is self-evident. This risk must be taken! You can now use the secret connections within your family to infiltrate several black markets in the Heavenly Fragrance Kingdom and contact a few reliable sales channels." Yao Batian's eyes gleamed as he made up his mind.

"Yes, I will handle this matter properly."

……

"Steward Zhao, is this the place arranged for Brother Du? There must be some mistake?" Looking at the courtyard in front of him, Xiao Hu swallowed hard, somewhat doubtful.

"This was personally ordered by Steward Xiao, how could I possibly make a mistake?" Steward Zhao smiled slightly upon hearing this.

He was the steward of the Yao household, reporting directly to Steward Xiao. His position in the Yao household was not low, even surpassing that of other stewards. He was in his thirties or forties, with the appearance of a scholar, gentle and refined, and extremely approachable.

"Steward Xiao instructed that if Steward Du needs any money for herb cultivation, he can simply take it from the storeroom. In addition, these guards are responsible for Steward Du's safety. Steward Xiao values ​​you so much; your future is limitless. This is truly a cause for celebration," Steward Zhao said, turning to Du Fan.

Du Fan glanced at the two rows of guards in front of him. They had knives at their waists and sticks in their hands. They were dressed uniformly and stood in neat postures, clearly having undergone special training.

Du Fan gave a bitter smile to himself. These guards weren't there to protect him; they were clearly there to monitor him. If he did anything that aroused suspicion, these guards would probably take him down immediately.

He had never heard of any steward having guards under his command; at most, he would only have a few servants.

"Thank you for your kindness, Steward Xiao. I will do my best to serve the Yao family." Du Fan could only clasp his hands in thanks.

"Haha, that's excellent. I still have some things to take care of, so I won't keep Steward Du from resting any longer." Steward Zhao saw that Du Fan was so sensible and a satisfied look appeared on his face before taking his leave.

"Take care, Steward Zhao." Du Fan clasped his hands in farewell.

"Steward Du, I am Liu San. Please feel free to give me any orders in the future." After Steward Zhao walked away, the head of the guards stepped forward and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Du Fan.

This man had a cold and stern expression, a tall and straight posture, and his eyes were fixed straight ahead. A sense of murderous intent emanated from him.

"Brother Liu, you're too kind," Du Fan replied, his eyes flashing slightly as he clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Liu San nodded and began to deploy his men. These guards were disciplined and orderly, and in no time, they were in position at every angle in the courtyard. The huge courtyard had no blind spots, which made Du Fan feel a chill in his heart.

Putting aside his worries, Du Fan led Xiao Hu into the main house. Upon entering, there was a large hall, fully furnished with tables and chairs, as well as a small table and incense burner. There were side doors on both sides of the hall, leading to different rooms.

Du Fan took a quick walk around the house and found that there were two bedrooms, one for himself and one for Xiao Hu.

Back in the hall, Du Fan noticed that Xiao Hu was looking at every piece of furniture with curiosity, occasionally touching them, which made him smile.

"I have no ill intentions toward the Yao family, and I think my personal safety is not a problem. In the days to come, I can let Xiaohu live a good life, and I can also live a peaceful life here," Du Fan thought to himself.

"Du Fan, Xiao Hu, you two are really not fair, especially you, Du Fan. You didn't even tell me you were promoted. I had to find out the news myself." A clear and melodious voice, like that of a cuckoo, came in. Then a red figure flashed and skipped into the room. Her expression was full of dissatisfaction, and her little nose was wrinkled. The person who came in was none other than the eldest daughter of the Yao family.

"Young Miss." Xiao Hu hurriedly stepped forward and bowed.

Yao Ruoxi waved her hand, indicating that there was no need for such formalities.

"I just found out about this myself. I was just brought here by Butler Zhao when you arrived." Du Fan shrugged, looking rather helpless.

"Liar!" Yao Ruoxi rolled her eyes.

"However, I am magnanimous and will not hold a grudge against a petty person. Look at what I have brought you."