Book 1 - What Is A Genius - Chapter 44 - Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng

When he returned back to the main hall, no one was interested in his absence and no one questioned him.
As He Yiming looked around, he felt like laughing. Next to the position where he had been sitting before, only his second brother could be seen. As for his eldest brother and third brother, both had escaped As He Yihai saw He Yiming, he cursed with a bitter smile, “Why did you take so much time. Be a bit quicker.”
He Yiming made a sound of agreement and sat on his seat before asking, “Second brother, what about eldest brother and third brother?”
“Just like you,” He Yihai said in a slightly irritated voice, “Was it really fun in the main yard?”
He Yiming slightly started. When he went out, he did see that the Residence’s front was brightly lit and bustling with noise. However, as if gods and demons were at play, he did not go there. Instead, he ended up being sidetracked and discovering a traitor in the ranks of Xu family.
This moment, after hearing his second brother’s question, he realized that Cheng family had specially arranged all sorts of amusements there.
He Yiming faintly smiled. He didn’t say anything and only nodded slightly. Since he never went there, he had no idea if that place was interesting or not. Since words would only bring more trouble for him, he decided not to say anything.
He Yihai stood up and said, “Sixth, since you have returned, you assume the charge here. I will also go out to have some fun.”
Looking at his second brother gladly leave, He Yiming bitterly smiled inwardly. However, this moment, he had no thoughts of amusements as he silently sat on his seat and watched the actors perform in the main hall.
Although his mind was somewhere else and he sincerely hoped this wretched feast to be over, he didn’t dare to be rash. He remained seated on his seat with a somewhat stiff smile on his face, resembling a statue, and waited for the feast to conclude.
Suddenly, from outside, a Cheng family member rushed inside with a pleasantly surprised expression on his face. He arrived beside the principal seats and said a few lines in a low voice.
Seated in the middle, the Cheng Lord Father, Cheng Zhusheng, suddenly stood up and said a few lines to the people around him. Suddenly everybody stood up and escorted the Lord Father out.
These people were the focus of the entire banquet. Once they stood up, they immediately caused the surrounding people to raise their eyebrows. Even the performances on the main hall’s stage were stopped by the family servants through silent gestures.
He Yiming astonishedly looked at his eldest uncle and father who were also among the departing crowd. However, he saw that even their faces had bewildered expressions.
After a short while, He Yitian and the other two also returned in quick succession. Their faces also had grave expressions.
He Yiming asked in a low voice, “Eldest brother, what happened?”
He was concerned about the matter of that black-clothed man’s corpse and was almost convinced that it must have been discovered. However, after a bit of thought, he relaxed. He had hidden that corpse quite far away from the Cheng Residence, and even if they had actually discovered it, today was a joyous day for the Cheng family. They would not disturb the Cheng Lord Master for such a matter.
He Yitian looked at him and said, “Yiming, Jadeting city’s Lin family is here.”
“Lin family?” From his face, He Yiming seemed somewhat moved. He lived in the Tai Cang county and had never gone to Jadeting city but Lin family’s name was like thunder to his ears.
Lin family was an exceedingly high-level influential family that had been passed on through millenniums. In front of their history and depth, even the whole Tai Cang county paled.
After all, due to being situated in an excessively desolate area, Tai Cang county only began to flourish about three hundred years ago. Even though the county had experienced two dynasties, it was still nothing more than a history of three hundred years.
He, Xu, and Cheng families might be tyrants in the Tai Cang county, but when compared to the big influential families of the Jadeting city, they seemed like apprentices in front of senior magicians. They simply didn’t have the qualifications to even compete.
“They have come to toast the Cheng family. This couldn’t be a mistake.”
Logically speaking, in the light of Lin family’s status, they should not be having any relationship with an influential family of an insignificant area such as Tai Cang county.
He Yitian coldly snorted and said, “Cheng family has two girls. The big one was married into the Lin family last year. Reportedly, she was quite well-received.”
“Lin family and Cheng family are actually related by marriage?” An inconceivable expression emerged on He Yiming’s face.
He Yitian faintly shook his head and said, “Not the principal wife, but a concubine.”
He Yiming then understood. If not for this, Lin family would not have allowed a girl from Cheng family to take a single step past their doorstep.
However, to toast the Cheng Lord Master, Lin family actually sent people from a region as distant as the Jadeting city. Obviously, Cheng family’s girl must have been well-received there. Moreover, the man she married should have a high status in the Lin family. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sent people today.
Before long, a group of people entered the hall while chatting and smiling.
However, this time, the center of the group was no longer occupied the Lord Master Cheng, but a man who seemed to be in his thirties.
This man was wearing a bright-colored robe. Although the robe didn’t seem too expensive, it emitted a magnificent aura when seen on the man’s body. The man seemed even more dazzling as he entered; his every move exhibiting his strong self-confidence.
Following behind him, apart from the people who had been sitting on the principal seats, were four guards.
Coming with guards to such a region clearly illustrated his extraordinary identity. However, when one thinks about the difference in the status of the two families, Cheng family wouldn’t have dared to say anything even if these guards had escorted a dog raised by the Lin family.
Of course, looking at this man’s dragon like manner, he couldn’t be a dog raised by the Lin family.
He Yitian said in a low voice, “These guards must be from Lin family’s special guard squadron. I heard that in order to enter this squadron, your Internal Energy must be at least at the seventh layer.”
He Yiming and his third brother looked at each other in shock. A clan’s guards must have at least the seventh layer Internal Energy? What sort of horrifying concept was this? To say the least, such a thing couldn’t even be imagined in the Tai Cang county.
If the servants in He family could attain the third layer, it was already considered extraordinary. Having guards that possessed seventh-layer Internal Energy seemed too far-fetched.
Soon, the Cheng Lord Master welcomed that man on the principal seats. The leftovers from before had already been cleaned.
At this moment, only the conversation of these men could be heard in the main hall. The rest were silently watching them. The reputation of Jadeting city’s Lin family was indeed too big; sufficient to frighten these people.
while inviting the man to sit, Lord Cheng said with a flushed face, “Everyone, this is young master Lin Haori from Jadeting city’s Lin family. Young master has come especially to toast this lowly old man, this old man feels quite apprehensive.”
For the majority of people here, being able to sit together with young master Lin was already an extreme honor.
However, this didn’t apply to everybody present. Be it the young generation of He family or the young generation of the Xu family, their eyes were shining with a peculiar luster. However, no one was stupid enough to create trouble at this moment.
Lin Haori’s face was calm as his sharp gaze swept past the faces of everybody in the main hall. He cupped his hands towards Cheng Zhusheng and said, “Lord Master, on the command of the family head, I have come to congratulate you on your long life of eighty years; may a flood of good fortunes…”
His words were not finished before countless cheers erupted.
This was a local custom of Tai Cang county. More the people applauded, more the face for the counterpart. However, Lin Haori was evidently not habitual as he seemed slightly startled before losing his interest in continuing.
The Cheng Lord Father and the rest could see it, but could only bitterly smile inwardly. They couldn’t really blame these guests who were cheering with all their might.
Lin Haori waved his hand. A guard respectfully presented a big, red-colored wooden box.
“Lord Master, this is the gift I, on the command of the family head, have brought for you. Please, accept it,” Lin Haori said with a faint smile.
Lin Haori, in the light of his identity and status, could obviously act in such a manner, and the Cheng Lord Master not only did not consider it as disrespectful, he even accepted the box with his whole face beaming with smiles. “Many thanks to the Senior. This lowly old man is not worthy.” (Tl: He is thanking Lin family head.)
After saying these words, his vision circled about in the main hall; his expression complacent.
Henceforth, relying on the gargantuan tree namely Lin family, Cheng family’s fame would increase many folds, and they would no longer pale when compared to He family and Xu family.
Under the instructions of Lin Haori, he placed the box on the table and slowly opened it.
In the box was actually a several ten centimeters long ginseng. What astonished people even more was that this ginseng was completely blood-red from head to toe. It resembled a small child and also a little old man full of wrinkles.
The countenance of people on the principal seats completely transformed, and a man even shouted in an alarmed voice:
“Thousand-Year blood ginseng?”
Lin Haori’s eyes carried a trace of arrogance as he indifferently said, “Correct, this is a thousand-year blood ginseng.”
With a joyous expression, Cheng Lord Master immediately covered the lid of the box and handed it over to Cheng Shine. The eldest son tacitly understood and immediately left with the box.
Although such a behavior from the Cheng family didn’t conform to the local customs, at this moment, not a single person nitpicked. At this moment, almost everybody had the same thought, if they had been the one obtaining the ginseng, they would have only stored it away much quicker.
If Cheng family had known earlier that the gift was such an object, they wouldn’t have unwrapped it in front of everybody.
Lin Haori blinked his eyes. He disagreed with Cheng Lord Master’s conduct. However, as a guest, speaking out was not appropriate for him. He only sighed inwardly while thinking that the people of a small region were indeed the people of a small region. Just a thousand-year blood ginseng could make them crazy.
His opinion of Tai Cang county’s people went down a notch.