Chapter 147: They Are a Married Couple?

Reaching the corner, Ye Wushang asked impatiently, "Steward Luo, how did it go?"

"Just now, seeing you beaming with joy, I assume the Qingcheng Taoist Temple..."

"Ah."

Before he could finish, Luo Sen sighed, shook his head, and said, "You flatter me, Mr. Ye. I wasn't beaming with joy; I was just putting on a brave face."

"Coming here today is precisely to tell you about the Taoist temple. How should I put it? It's a mixture of good and bad news."

Looking at his hesitant expression, Ye Wushang grew anxious and urged, "Steward Luo, please speak your mind."

"The Dragon King's Birth is of utmost importance to me. No matter what, I must obtain it."

"Even if I have to pay a heavy price, I will spare no effort!"

Luo Sen took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "The good news is that I have indeed gathered information about the Dragon King's Birth."

"The temple has it, and more than one stalk at that, but the Abbot treats them like the apple of his eye. Even his own son wouldn't dare touch them."

"That brings us to the bad news. My inside man and I discussed this for a long time, yet we found no way to acquire the Dragon King's Birth."

"At most, I managed to secure an opportunity for you to visit the temple, but that is all."

Hearing this, Ye Wushang fell into deep thought.

The Dragon King's Birth is an extreme rarity in this world, so it is understandable that the Abbot treasures it.

Although no method of acquisition had been found, as long as there was a chance to enter the Taoist temple, he would find a way to get the Dragon King's Birth!

He would adapt to the circumstances and act according to the situation!

"Steward Luo, there is no need to be discouraged. You have gathered such information for me."

"And you even secured an opportunity for me to enter the temple. I am already very grateful."

Ye Wushang smiled and asked, "Then, Steward Luo, when shall we go?"

"Three days from now, the Qingcheng Taoist Temple will hold its once-every-three-years Martial Arts Appreciation Tournament. You can attend as a representative of the Luo family."

Hearing this, Ye Wushang frowned and asked suspiciously, "A Martial Arts Appreciation Tournament? What kind of competition is this?"

"The Qingcheng Taoist Temple is a Taoist temple in name, but in reality, it is a disguised martial arts school that has always valued making friends through martial arts."

"Every three years, they hold a grand gathering. Not only the temple's own disciples, but also other martial arts schools and temples can participate."

"Although the emphasis is on exchange, a hierarchy must be established. It is an important channel for solidifying social status and selecting disciples to serve in various prominent families."

Ye Wushang nodded and said, "I understand."

"Then where shall we meet?"

"I will notify you when the time comes. I must hurry back to report now."

"Today, Pei Huaide and Peng Haidong behaved outrageously, daring to openly give you a hard time. I must report this to the head of the family."

"Let's see what his decision will be."

With that, after a brief exchange of pleasantries, Luo Sen left swiftly.

Just as he turned around, he found An Lan standing right behind him.

"Lanlan."

Startled, Ye Wushang took two steps back and complained, "Can you please stop sneaking up on me like that from now on?"

"Don't you know that scaring people can actually kill them?"

"Heh."

An Lan chuckled softly, glanced at the departing Luo Sen, and looked at Ye Wushang with a strange glint in her eyes. "If you haven't done anything shady, why would you be afraid of me startling you?"

"I should be asking you: first Huang Pianruo, and now Luo Sen. Just how many things are you hiding from me?"

Ye Wushang's expression darkened.

Although the two of them were not in a romantic relationship, for some reason, he always worried that she would misunderstand or even feel jealous.

He opened his mouth to explain, but she waved her hand and said, "Fine, I won't force you."

"Even if I want to know about your affairs, I want you to tell me willingly, rather than me forcing it out of you."

"Pei Huaide's actions today have sounded an alarm for me. If the Pei family is not eliminated, my An family will not have an easy life in the future."

"I must rush back and tell my grandfather about this, and see what he thinks."

Ye Wushang nodded and said, "Right on time, I also need to go back and procure the herbs for crafting the new medicine."

"Still procuring?"

An Lan frowned. "You haven't even obtained the core data yet, so what's the point of procuring—"

"I haven't obtained it yet, but that doesn't mean I won't in the future."

"Although there are only three days left until the fulfillment date of the new medicine orders."

"Still, I have confidence that I can pull it off."

Seeing his absolute self-confidence, An Lan held back her words, unwilling to dampen his spirits.

Though she felt uncertain, her trust in him remained unconditional. She nodded and said, "Alright, I'll leave this matter to you; I trust you."

"Well, shall I drive you back to the villa first?"

Ye Wushang shook his head and said, "No need."

"The villa is not on the way to the An family residence. I'll just hail a cab back."

"Why are you being so polite with me? You won't let me in on your secrets, and now you won't even let me give you a ride?"

An Lan pouted, grabbed his arm, and led him over to her luxury car. Once inside, she started the engine and joked, "However, as a man, constantly letting a woman drive you around really isn't appropriate."

"How about this? Once the new medicine matter is settled, I'll take you to buy a car of your own to play with."

...

Coiling Dragon Manor, Villa 101.
7:00 PM.

"Boom!"

With a muffled explosion, the small tripod furnace leaped into the air.

Billows of white smoke rose as a few pitch-black pills tumbled out. Not only did they have an unpleasant odor, but their shapes were also uneven.

"Failed again!"

Ye Wushang sighed.

He casually tossed the failed pills into the trash can.

For him, any slight flaw meant the item could only be considered substandard and unusable.

Yet if an ordinary person were to get their hands on them, let alone ingest them, even a single whiff would refresh the mind and nourish the internal organs!

"It seems that without the core data as a reference, this health supplement cannot be successfully made."

"Given my alchemy standards, my internal Qi is too potent. Without mastering the exact heat, the effects might backfire entirely."

Ye Wushang sighed once more.

He stood up, paced back and forth, and felt a surge of anxiety.

He wondered how Rabbit and his men were doing with their investigation.

That end was his only chance.

If that still didn't work out, he might have to resort to hard measures!

He would track Zhang Yanhong and wait for an opportunity.

He would capture her and, even if he had to force her, compel her to comply!

"Knock, knock."

At that moment, a knock sounded downstairs.

Opening the door, he discovered that the visitor was none other than Rabbit!

"Rabbit, how is it? What did your investigation turn up?" Ye Wushang asked eagerly.

Rabbit had a white bandage wrapped around his head and looked somewhat recovered. He nodded and said, "We have a lead."

"Mr. Ye, your predictions are truly divine. Wang Gang and Zhang Yanhong do indeed have a connection, and a very deep one at that."

"Guess what their relationship is?"

Speechless, Ye Wushang said sternly, "Stop beating around the bush and just spit it out!"

"Husband and wife."

Hearing this, Ye Wushang was greatly shocked. "You mean Zhang Yanhong is Wang Gang's wife?"

"Yes, and their marital relationship is exceptionally good. They are praised by all the neighbors."

Rabbit nodded and said, "My thought is that if we can get Wang Gang to persuade Zhang Yanhong, the core data can definitely be retrieved."

"However, to make Wang Gang listen to us, I'm afraid we won't be able to avoid fighting in the ring again to avenge him."

"Then we fight!"

Ye Wushang said solemnly, "Though I have no desire to get mixed up in this."

"The core data is of paramount importance. Once I get the data, I can perfect the health supplement."

"Launching this new medicine will certainly elevate the businesses of the An and Lan families to the next level."

"I owe An Lan this favor, and I must repay it!"

Rabbit said admiringly, "Mr. Ye is distinct in his love and hate, and always repays kindness. I, Rabbit, truly admire you."

"Alright, enough with the pleasantries."

"Tell me where the address is, and let's head over right now."

...

An hour later, the two hailed a cab and arrived at their destination.

It was an urban village located on the outskirts of the city, a place where all sorts of people from various walks of life mingled in a chaotic environment.

Anyone with even a shred of means would never choose to rent a place here.

Aside from the dirty, chaotic, and poor security conditions, transportation was also extremely difficult—especially for office workers like Zhang Yanhong, making the daily commute a massive hassle.

"Rabbit, are you sure this is the place?"

Arriving in front of a dilapidated courtyard house, Ye Wushang frowned deeply.

"Although Zhang Yanhong has a mediocre personality, one must admit that her professional competence is extremely high in the industry."

"Having worked for the Lan Group for years and now defecting to Pei Huaide's side, logically her income should be quite decent. Why would she live in a place like this?"

"I don't know about that."

Rabbit shook his head and lowered his voice, "However, as far as I know, the couple is also supporting someone else."

"And they used to carry a massive debt, which they are still paying off to this day."

"As for the specifics, I'm afraid..."

"Splash!"

Before he could finish, the wooden door suddenly swung open, and a basin of cold water was hurled out, drenching Rabbit right in the face!

"Are you blind? Can't you see people standing here before throwing water..."

Grumbling, Rabbit looked up, intending to shout a scolding, only to lock eyes with the person standing there!

"Why is it you?"

Zhang Yanhong's expression shifted, and she said coldly, "Who invited you here? Get lost!"

"You!"

"Rabbit, stand down."

Ye Wushang muttered a low command and stepped forward to stop him.

Examining Zhang Yanhong, she no longer possessed the confident and radiant demeanor she had worn earlier in the day.

Dressed in coarse linen clothes, her hair pinned up high, holding a basin with her sleeves rolled up high and an apron tied across her chest, she looked entirely like a housewife.

Intuition told him there must be a story behind this woman.

"Department Head Zhang, visiting late at night is indeed a bit presumptuous."

"However, the core data is of vital importance. I wanted to make another effort to have a proper discussion with you..."

"I have nothing to discuss with you people!"

Zhang Yanhong flatly refused and issued a dismissal order. "Get out of here right now, or I'm calling the police!"

"Why are you being so unappreciative?"

"Our Mr. Ye came here with the utmost sincerity to negotiate with you, yet you..."

"Wife, what are you doing? Hurry inside!"

"Miaomia is coughing again, and she's coughing up a lot of blood."

Before Rabbit could retort, Wang Gang hurried out from the house. Just as he anxiously tried to pull Zhang Yanhong away, Ye Wushang immediately smiled and said, "Wang Gang, we meet again."