From slave trader to the Immortal Lord of Ten Thousand Laws

"Tap tap tap—"

Footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

Zhao Jiaren stopped speaking. He turned his head and saw a servant in blue robes enter the courtyard and kneel at the gate to announce his arrival.

"Master, the Xu family requests an audience outside the gate."

"The Xu family?"

Zhao Jiaren didn't even look up, holding the teacup to his lips: "Who from the Xu family has come to visit? Is it Xu Ningyuan?"

The servant shook his head:

"No, Patriarch, the visitor is Xu Qingyue."

"Xu Qingyue?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Jiaren, who had just raised the teacup to his lips, suddenly froze, looked up in surprise, and exclaimed with delight:

"Who are you talking about? Xu Qingyue is here!"

He abruptly stood up, causing the round stool made of nanmu wood behind him to sway slightly, and said with excitement and agitation:

"Quick! Go and invite her in!"

"Yes."

The servant in blue nodded and was about to leave.

Zhao Jiaren suddenly raised his hand:

"Wait a minute!"

He thought for a moment and then asked, "How many people came from her family? Were there any guards with her?"

The servant pondered the carriage at the gate and replied, "Only one coachman, one young master, and one personal maid."

"Um."

Zhao Jiaren nodded, thinking to himself: If they didn't bring any weapons, then they're not here to demand an explanation.

It seems that Xu Qingyue did not see through my trick.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jiaren secretly breathed a sigh of relief, then turned his head, his eyes sharply fixed on the blue-clad servant at the door. He flicked his left sleeve and waved his hand, saying:

"Let it stand for now, and then only women will be allowed to enter."

"Yes."

The servant acknowledged and bowed before heading to the door.

...

At the entrance...

Xu Qingyue and her group waited for a while, and seeing that the Zhao family had not come to inform them for a long time, they became a little anxious.

Qiao'er stared at the vermilion gate and said irritably:

"Hmph! Miss, the Zhao family is utterly unreasonable. They dared to leave us waiting for so long without a single servant coming out to inform us."

Xu Qingyue's expression shifted slightly, and she smiled helplessly, saying, "The Xu and Zhao families have always been at odds, and now that my family needs their help, they will naturally act much more arrogantly."

"Right now, I'm afraid they're trying to use force first and then diplomacy, to give us a taste of their power."

"Hmph! The world is going to the dogs."

Qiao'er pursed her lips.

Just then, the servant in blue robes who had gone to deliver the message stepped out from inside the door and said:

"Gentlemen, my master invites you."

With that, he gestured to the side: "Please come with me."

Xu Qingyue nodded slightly: "Thank you for your trouble."

After speaking, she lifted her foot, took a long stride, her skirt swaying gently, and Jiang She followed behind her.

But before he could take more than a few steps, he was stopped by the wealthy servant.

"stop!"

The servant in blue robes sharpened, holding his scabbard horizontally in front of Jiang She, and said in a deep voice:

"My master said that only Miss Xu and her maid are allowed to enter. Is this young man also a maid?"

"Alas!"

Hearing this, Qiao'er immediately stood up for Jiang She. She raised a delicate finger, pointed it at the servant's nose, and scolded him:

"How dare you be so rude!"

The servant simply shrugged and ignored him.

"It's alright."

Jiang She waved his hand. He hadn't wanted to go inside in the first place, and even traveling to the Zhao family's residence in the same carriage as Xu Qingyue was against his will. Being stopped by servants at the door suited him perfectly. He simply bowed slightly and said gently:

"Please come in, Miss. I will wait here."

Seeing that Jiang She was so understanding, Xu Qingyue didn't say anything more, but simply nodded and said softly:

"Then I'll trouble you to wait outside for a while, sir."

As she spoke, she felt a pang of embarrassment for Jiang She.

She didn't know why she brought Jiang She with her; she just felt that... having him by her side made her feel at ease.

"Tap tap tap—"

Footsteps entered the house.

Jiang She stood outside the door.

He closed his eyes, and his consciousness quietly dispersed.

"Shh... shh..."

A gust of wind swept across the threshold.

They followed Xu Qingyue and the others through the door.

Upon entering, there is a screen wall, over two zhang high, carved entirely of white jade, which, under the sunlight, exudes a warm, lustrous quality like mutton fat jade.

Passing the screen wall, one sees winding corridors on both sides. On the left, water is channeled through the ground to raise a pond of koi fish, while on the right, stones are piled up to form a mountain, concealing several clumps of slender bamboo, with vines hanging from the crevices of the stones.

The servant led Xu Qingyue and the others through the covered corridor, and soon the guest hall came into view.

Looking out, two century-old Podocarpus macrophyllus trees stand in front of the main hall, their gnarled branches intertwined, their verdant leaves glistening. Inside, the furnishings are exquisite, and fine ambergris incense burns, wisps of smoke rising from the ground.

"tread!"

Embroidered shoes stepped on the bluestone slabs.

Xu Qingyue stepped into the hall.

The floor of the hall was paved with fine water-polished blue bricks, so shiny they could reflect a person's image, and reflected the underside of her skirt, which exuded a feminine fragrance.

I looked up.

The two people at the head of the table were sitting upright.

The man in the main seat was a handsome young gentleman.

A man sat to the side; he was a Taoist priest in white robes.

Xu Qingyue's gaze narrowed slightly. She placed her hands on her waist and gave the two a graceful curtsy: "This humble girl is Xu Qingyue. I apologize for the intrusion and for disturbing Young Master Zhao and this immortal master's peace and quiet."

Her voice was clear and melodious, like pearls falling on a jade plate, light and pleasant to the ear, making it especially pleasing to the ear.

Zhao Jiaren did not respond immediately.

He merely raised his teacup slightly, blew on the floating tea leaves, touched the rim of the cup with his lips, took a small sip, then looked up at the woman below him, feigning surprise, and said:

"Miss Xu? You're quite a rare guest."

His tone was high-pitched, with a hint of mockery.

Xu Qingyue remained calm, raised her eyes to meet his gaze, and smiled serenely:

"Young Master Zhao is joking."

"Qingyue has come to visit today not for casual conversation, but to discuss a business deal with you, sir."

She spoke calmly and skillfully, subtly changing "I have a favor to ask" to "I have something to discuss," instantly placing both parties on equal footing.

"Oh? Let's talk business?"

Zhao Jiaren raised an eyebrow, casually drawing a circle on the rim of his teacup with his fingertip, and smiled as he squinted:

"Miss Xu is so arrogant that she dares to discuss business with my family? This is truly astounding."

Xu Qingyue smiled:

"But there is indeed business to be done."

"Oh?"

Zhao Jiaren raised an eyebrow and was slightly taken aback when he saw that Xu Qingyue's words were sincere.

He paused for a few moments, then suddenly waved his hand, dismissing the servants around him.

In the large reception hall, only four people, men and women, remained for a moment.

Zhao Jiaren put down his teacup, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Xu Qingyue, saying:

"Miss Xu, may I ask what business you wish to discuss?"

Xu Qingyue sat gracefully on the embroidered stool, her long legs draped in a bright red gauze dress. She spoke slowly and softly:

"I wonder if Young Master Zhao has ever heard of something?"

"What is it?"

"Longevity ointment".

Fushou ointment?

The room fell silent for a moment upon hearing this.

A glint flashed in Zhao Jiaren's eyes, but he quickly concealed it. He didn't respond immediately, but instead leaned back in his mahogany armchair and chuckled softly.

"Heh... Hahaha!"

"Ointment?"

"Miss Xu, are you trying to make fun of me?"

"This opium is a hot commodity, and your Xu family is making a fortune right now. Such a huge piece of meat, are you really willing to share a piece of the pie?"

Dong Yunqi, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slightly opened his eyes and glanced at Xu Qingyue, as if observing the young woman's expression and reaction.

Xu Qingyue smiled brightly:

"Young Master Zhao, you are overthinking it. My family is not just taking a share; we are offering the entire fortune-enhancing ointment to the Zhao family."

"What?"

Zhao Jiaren was taken aback upon hearing this.

A storm of emotions surged within me.

This medicated oil was originally something he used to swindle the Xu family, so how could he possibly fall into it and do this kind of business?

Xu Qingyue, however, thought he hadn't heard her clearly, and said softly again:

"My family is willing to give the entire business of this 'longevity ointment' to the Zhao family, and from now on, the Zhao family will be in charge of this business."

"Oh!"

Zhao Jiaren grinned.

Too much talk leads to mistakes, and unwilling to discuss the matter of opioids, he simply changed the subject and said with a smile:

"It seems Miss Xu has other plans for this trip?"

After these words were spoken, the hall fell silent for a moment.

Xu Qingyue paused for a few breaths, then smiled without showing her teeth:

"Since Young Master Zhao is a straightforward person, then Qingyue will not beat around the bush. Recently, there has been a great rumor in the capital that the old temple of Yushan has performed miraculous deeds. The messenger of the mountain god has repeatedly saved the poor and needy. There are even rumors that this messenger has become an honored guest of your esteemed residence."

The Great Qian Dynasty.

Only the residences of officials can be called "fu" (府). Xu Qingyue's use of "fu" to refer to Zhao's residence was slightly obsequious.

Zhao Jiaren raised an eyebrow: "Oh? That's true! But I wonder what Miss Xu... wants with him?"

Xu Qingyue smiled slightly, showing little nervousness, and said softly:

"I only wish to ask Young Master Zhao to do me a favor and introduce Qingyue to the immortal."

"An introduction?"

Zhao Jiaren suddenly burst into loud laughter: "Hahaha! No need for introductions! The immortal... isn't he right here in front of us?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Qingyue's delicate body trembled almost imperceptibly.

She suddenly turned her head, her gaze urgently fixed on the white-robed Taoist priest.

really!

This Taoist priest is the messenger of the mountain god!

She hurriedly stood up, her buttocks leaving the embroidered stool, and bowed slightly to Dong Yunqi, saying respectfully:

"So it was a celestial master in person!"

"Qingyue was blind and failed to recognize the true immortal in time. I am extremely disrespectful and hope that the immortal master will not take offense."

Dong Yunqi remained calm, merely raising his hand slightly and saying indifferently:

"Amitabha Buddha, Miss Xu, there's no need for such formalities."

"Miss Xu—"

Zhao Jiaren leaned back in his chair, took a sip of tea, and drawled out the sound. His eyes were fixed on Xu Qingyue as he said with a forced smile:

"I am quite curious, what is the purpose of your going to such lengths to find this messenger of the mountain god?"

"I'm afraid... it's not just a simple introduction. Could it be... you're asking the messenger to rescue your father?"

As he spoke, he stared intently into Xu Qingyue's eyes, only to see her lower her gaze and purse her red lips. For a moment, he was speechless.

It seems I guessed right.

Zhao Jiaren took in her expression and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

"Hehehe! Miss Xu, please forgive my bluntness. I believe that your father's serious illness is actually a happy event."

Xu Qingyue frowned slightly: "What's there to be happy about?"

Zhao Jiaren picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke as if the Goldman Sachs tycoon was talking about something completely unrelated to him:

"Take my father, for example. He passed away suddenly last year from a serious illness. But with him gone, didn't I just naturally take over the Zhao family and secure my position as the head of the family?"

"Old leaves fall, and new leaves can grow tall."

Miss Xu, you're a smart person; you should try to be more open-minded about some things.

His words were piercing, as if all men and women in the world were as heartless and cruel as he was.

Xu Qingyue concealed her anger and said in a deep voice:

"Thank you for your kindness, Young Master Zhao."

"Fine."

Zhao Jiaren waved his hand, noticing the slight change in Xu Qingyue's expression, and lost his intention to tease her, simply saying:

"It is not impossible for you, sir, to examine your father, but... whether or not to save him is your decision, and you have no right to interfere."

"Besides that, I also have something to mention."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Xu Qingyue's supple figure, like a fish knife scraping scales, measuring her plump buttocks and slender, beautiful legs inch by inch.

It was as if he were looking at a piece of merchandise that... was born to belong to him.

...

...

Jiang She dispersed his consciousness and did not go to the guest hall to eavesdrop.

Instead, he thought that he couldn't have come for nothing, so he would search around the Zhao family to see if there were any secrets.

Unexpectedly, as his divine sense swept across several pavilions, he suddenly heard a clear, bell-like female voice:

"Hehehe! Whoever catches my embroidered ball, tonight... I'll go to their room and...hehehe!"

Ok?

Pleasure in broad daylight?

Jiang She was slightly taken aback.

I have to criticize this harshly!

He quickly turned his consciousness away.

Before long, a beautiful embroidered pavilion stood by the water ahead, with upturned eaves and corners.

Looking closely, one could see a beautiful and charming figure leaning against the railing on the second floor of the embroidered building. The figure was wearing a lotus-colored embroidered skirt with an apricot-yellow thin shirt over it, holding an embroidered ball in her hand, and occasionally peeking down.

Her face was extremely cute, unlike Xu Qingyue's aloof and noble appearance, but rather round and endearing.

Her face was like a peeled egg, smooth and full, with a natural blush on her cheeks. Her eyebrows were curved, and her eyes sparkled as if they contained a sky full of stars.

Her black hair wasn't fully tied up, but loosely styled into two low buns, with a kingfisher feather butterfly hairpin inserted at an angle. Fine strands of hair slightly covered her eyebrows, hanging softly between them, giving her an innocent look. Paired with her smiling face, she appeared even more gentle and sweet.

Jiang She glanced at it.

Then a word came to mind: sweet girl.

At this moment, the sweet girl was leaning against the railing, clutching a five-colored embroidered ball in one hand. The ball was no bigger than a fist, adorned with tassels, and swayed gently between her fingers.

Down in the courtyard, seven or eight maids of similar age, dressed in various colored dresses, were looking up with their hands outstretched, waiting for their young mistress to throw the embroidered ball.

"Hehe! Whoever catches the embroidered ball, I'll sleep with them tonight!"

The woman upstairs smiled, raised the embroidered ball in her hand, and made as if to throw it.

Seeing this, the maids hurriedly pushed and shoved each other, causing their skirts to flutter and their jade pendants to jingle.

"Here it is! Give it to me now, miss!"

A maid jumped up and down and shouted.

"Miss, you're so stingy! Let me try to take it one more time!"

Another beautiful maidservant feigned reproach.

Seeing this, the little beauty smiled even more broadly, her eyebrows curving into crescent shapes.

She deliberately tossed the embroidered ball to the left, causing the women to rush to the left. But before they could catch it, she pulled it back with the colorful thread, and the long thread spun the embroidered ball around in a circle before suddenly swinging it to the right.

Jiang She paused for a moment.

He looked up at the woman upstairs, and in his vision appeared a few lines of small, rippling characters:

"Today you have met Zhao Qiaoling, the daughter of the Zhao family. You can spend 10,000 coins to control this wealthy lesbian."