Chapter 102 Coming of Age (1/2)
January 1229 of the Ziyun Era.
”Young Master.”
Zhou Donghuang, who was practicing in his room, was startled by Fu. Leaping off his bed, he walked out of his room and immediately saw the three figures standing in the courtyard.
Leading them was a scholarly middle-aged man in a brocaded mandarin gown, with a handsome face and a dignified demeanor. He had an air of superiority, but he was merely standing there, not daring even to take a deep breath.
Behind the scholarly middle-aged man were two old men.
From the posture of the two old men, they were not ordinary people. They wore long brocaded robes, and one of them had a jade ornamental ring on his right thumb, which was obviously valuable. The other old man had a jade plate hung at his waist, and the quality of the jade was obviously not the same as ordinary jade.
These three people were no strangers to Zhou Donghuang; they were the three men from the tycoon Tang family that he had met in the Lost Forest the day before.
At that time, the three men had been pursued by a grizzly bear, and since he had his eye on the gall bladder of the grizzly bear, he had killed the grizzly bear and saved the lives of the three men.
”Patriarch Tang Liunian of the Tang family acknowledges Young Master Donghuang.”
Seeing Zhou Donghuang walk out of his room, the scholarly middle-aged man took the lead in bowing in greeting. He had learned Zhou Donghuang's name from the servants earlier.
”Head Elder Tang Yuxin of the Tang family acknowledges Young Master Donghuang.”
”Second Elder Tang Yong of the Tang family acknowledges Young Master Donghuang.”
Following as Patriarch Tang Liunian did, the two old men behind him both bowed respectfully in greeting to Zhou Donghuang with gratitude in their eyes, not daring to delay the slightest bit.
The day before, they would have been killed by the level-nine demon grizzly bear in the Lost Forest if not for the timely intervention of this youth before them.
They were sincerely grateful towards this youth.
The Tang family? Tang Liunian?
When Fu, who was standing to the side, heard the scholarly middle-aged man introduce himself, his eyes widened in surprise as he exhaled deeply.
Earlier, although he had heard the three men say they were from the Tang family, he had not been thinking of the tycoon Tang family. Now, hearing the scholarly middle-aged man introduce himself, he realized… actually, this middle-aged man was the patriarch of the tycoon Tang family, Tang Liunian.
Tang Liunian, the patriarch of the tycoon Tang family, was a level-nine adept of the Qi-gathering.
It was because of this that the Tang family could be considered a superior-level tycoon family amongst the tycoon families.
And now, such a person was bowing respectfully to his young master.
”Young Master…”
In that moment, Fu looked back at Zhou Donghuang with growing reverence in his gaze.
”Mm.”
Zhou Donghuang nodded in acknowledgment of the greetings of the three men as he walked to the stone table in the middle of the courtyard and sat down, looking at Tang Liunian as he asked casually, ”Where's the bear's gall bladder?”
”Young Master Donghuang, this is the gall bladder of the grizzly bear.”
At a signal from Tang Liunian, the second elder of the Tang family, Tang Yong, stepped forward and placed a brocaded box on the table before Zhou Donghuang, together with a stack of silver notes beside it.
Zhou Donghuang opened the brocaded box and saw a whole gall bladder and nodded as he looked at the stack of silver notes on the table.
Zhou Donghuang placed his right hand on the table palm down and curled it into a loose fist. His curved index and middle fingers rapped lightly on the table as he looked at Tang Liunian and asked, ”What do you mean by this?”
”Young Master Donghuang,” Tang Liunian said respectfully, ”Other than the gall bladder of the grizzly bear, the value of the remaining parts of its body exceeded a million liang of silver… take this one million liang of silver as the price that the Tang family is paying Young Master Donghuang for the remaining parts of the grizzly bear's body.
”I've already said that other than the gall bladder, the rest is yours to do with as you please,” Zhou Donghuang said as he looked deeply at Tang Liunian.
”Young Master Donghuang,” Tang Liunian said with a start, ”Yesterday, your timely intervention saved our three lives, and that is already a great benefit… how could we take advantage of you?”
As soon as he finished and before Zhou Donghuang could reply, Tang Liunian took an invitation card from his pocket and placed it on the table before Zhou Donghuang.
Zhou Donghuang looked at the invitation with a flash of suspicion in his eyes, but Tang Liunian said, ”Young Master Donghuang, the Tang family is hosting a banquet in ten days' time. The patriarchs of all grand families and above in the Chu royal city are invited… the objective of the banquet is to thank you for saving my life as well as the lives of the two elders.”
”If the three of us had died in the Lost Forest yesterday, the Tang family would have been demoted from a tycoon family to the status of a grand family… so this banquet is to thank you for saving our lives, and also to thank you for the grace you have given the Tang family!”
As Tang Liunian finished, not just him but also the two elders of the Tang family all bowed low once again.
”I'll take the one million liang of silver, but don't bother about the rest,” Zhou Donghuang said as he shook his head.
”Young Master Donghuang, the Tang family has already sent out the invitations to the grand families and above of the Chu royal city early this morning… we still invite you to turn up in ten days' time. Otherwise, this banquet thrown by the Tang family will be meaningless.”
With that, Tang Liunian and the two Tang family elders bade Zhou Donghuang farewell and took their leave, leaving Zhou Donghuang with no choice.
Of course, Tang Liunian's actions would not have offended anyone.
After all, his intentions were good and were sufficient to show that he was a man who knew how to show gratitude and repay kindness, even if he had some small intention of getting on Zhou Donghuang's good side.
This Tang Liunian really conducts himself properly.
After the three Tang family members had left, Zhou Donghuang shook his head with a smile and opened the invitation. His name was not on the invitation, and there was only the mention of a ”benefactor.”
Obviously, the Tang family members had not known his name at the time when they prepared the invitation.
”Fu.”