Huang Yanran smiled and said, "The estate covers over thirty mu. It was built ten years ago by our Huang family's landscape master. Originally, it was intended as a gift for a distinguished guest, but it didn't go through, so we kept it. You are now a benefactor to our Huang family, and this estate is our token of appreciation."
Ye Tian replied, "Then I won't stand on ceremony."
Ye Tian and Huang Yanran arrived at a grand mansion located within the Third Ring Road. Property prices here had long surpassed one hundred thousand yuan per square meter, with high-end residences reaching over two hundred thousand. The estate gifted by the Huang family spanned more than twenty thousand square meters, with the land alone valued at two to three billion yuan. Including the luxurious renovations and the antique calligraphy and paintings displayed within, its total value would not be less than five billion yuan.
After a stroll around the courtyard, the two sat down in the main hall. Two young women, both under twenty, served tea. One wore a white qipao, the other a purple one. They were both exceptionally well-built, beautiful, and skilled in the art of tea ceremony.
Huang Yanran said, "Bai Yu, Zi Qing, from now on, you will attend to Mr. Ye."
The two women bowed gracefully, "Yes. Greetings, Mr. Ye."
Ye Tian said indifferently, "What, are you sending people to monitor me?"
Huang Yanran chuckled, "How would I dare? Bai Yu and Zi Qing were my childhood companions. They are proficient in everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting. I'm reluctant to let them serve you."
Ye Tian remarked, "Wealthy families are indeed affluent, even needing companions for their studies."
Huang Yanran explained, "They are not just companions; they are also part of my dowry, prepared by my Huang family. If I were to marry, they would accompany me."
Ye Tian said, "Let's get down to business. Have you secured the situation?"
Huang Yanran stated, "The Tu family is finished. After Tu San's death, the Tu family patriarch, realizing the game was up, frantically transferred funds abroad at dawn while preparing to flee the country. However, my Huang family had made arrangements, and he couldn't take a single cent with him."
Ye Tian inquired, "Will the Long family not intervene in your actions?"
Huang Yanran replied, "The Long family doesn't need too many servants. Sooner or later, the Huang family and the Tu family will have to abandon one of them. Our current conflict plays right into the Long family's hands."
Ye Tian said, "With the Tu family's affairs settled, I should be returning."
Huang Yanran smiled, "We are currently inventorying the Tu family's assets. Mr. Ye could stay a few more days, and I can show you the account books then."
Ye Tian declined, "No need."
Huang Yanran continued, "Alright. However, I have a ticket here that Mr. Ye might find interesting."
She produced a finely crafted jade token and said, "This is a ticket to the Cultivator Exchange Conference. I managed to obtain it with great difficulty."
"Cultivator Exchange Conference?"
Huang Yanran explained, "The Cultivator Exchange Conference is held once every five years. This session is in Beijing and will last for three days. Mr. Ye, being a Human Immortal, might be interested in meeting cultivators from all over the world."
Ye Tian asked, "When will it be held?"
Huang Yanran replied, "This is an official event, scheduled for next Wednesday. The participants are all prominent figures in the cultivation world nationwide."
Ye Tian inquired, "What does the so-called exchange entail?"
Huang Yanran smiled, "The first day is primarily for meetings, with officials presiding over the conference. Attendees will get acquainted and exchange cultivation insights." Da Feng Novel Network.
Ye Tian commented, "Exchange insights? No one would share their cultivation experiences with outsiders."
Huang Yanran said, "I'm not sure about that; that's what the officials say. The second day is the official auction."
Ye Tian responded, "Oh, an official auction?"
Huang Yanran elaborated, "As you know, with a country as vast as this, many peculiar items are discovered annually. Some of these items are rather useless, so they are sold off during such events."
Ye Tian asked, "Are these items expensive?"
"The cheapest item at the last auction sold for seven hundred and forty million yuan."
Ye Tian remarked, "It seems there are no cheap items."
Huang Yanran continued, "The third day is a trade fair, open to the public. Many people will be selling their treasured possessions, making this day the liveliest."
"By the way, here is the auction catalog. Please take a look."
Ye Tian took the catalog and flipped through it casually. After just a few pages, his hand stopped abruptly. The image showed a pill furnace, exquisitely crafted and adorned with numerous immortal inscriptions on its surface.
Huang Yanran glanced at it and smiled, "Mr. Ye, are you interested in this furnace?"