Chapter 97

"Alright..." Qi Xiang looked around, feeling increasingly amazed. He was now more curious and had a vague understanding of the true meaning of the tea talk.

Suddenly, Qi Xiang realized that the pot of tea flowers given to him by Bai Lianhua might have other deeper meanings. He then turned and held the tea flowers in his arms.

As expected, the staff member was not surprised and turned to guide him, saying, "Sir, please follow me."

Qi Xiang nodded gently and followed the staff member, first leaving the room and then walking down a long corridor, turning several corners. Suddenly, the view opened up, revealing a grand hall.

The grand hall was spacious, about 300 square meters, and divided into two levels.

At this moment, there were already many people wandering around the hall, and their attire was similar to Qi Xiang's. They all wore black cloaks and masks, concealing their identities.

When Qi Xiang entered the hall, the staff member left. Some people glanced at him but paid no further attention.

Qi Xiang quietly walked to a corner and slowly looked around. He noticed that not only were the people's outfits uniform, but each person was also holding something.

However, what each person held was different. Some held a pot of plants or flowers, while others held strange items wrapped tightly, all unique and varied.

Qi Xiang thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea, his heart pounding: "Could this be... a gathering of cultivators?"

While Qi Xiang was lost in thought, more people in black cloaks entered the hall, some on the first floor and some on the second. They were scattered and very alert.

"That Bai Lianhua should be among them," Qi Xiang observed secretly. However, he could only judge the height and build of the people by their cloaks, and many of them looked similar, making it difficult to identify the target.

"Welcome everyone..."

Suddenly, someone spoke, and Qi Xiang looked up, stunned.

He saw a familiar figure walk out from the second-floor corridor, smiling and greeting everyone. Notably, unlike the others, he was not wearing a black cloak or a mask.

So Qi Xiang could see clearly that it was Zhu Hongwu.

At first, Qi Xiang was naturally very surprised. Seeing Zhu Hongwu step forward, he realized that the organizer of this gathering was undoubtedly Zhu Hongwu.

However, in addition to his surprise, he also felt a sense of inevitability. After all, in his impression, Zhu Hongwu was a legendary figure.

As a public figure, most of Zhu Hongwu's life story had been documented. It was known that he was born in the early 20th century and spent his childhood in a time of war and turmoil.

As a member of the lowest social class, Zhu Hongwu's rise was naturally very difficult and full of legend. In his childhood, he fled with his parents, eventually arriving in the then-bustling city of Shanghai.

Shortly after arriving in the city, his parents died, leaving him alone and destitute, living a life of wandering and begging.

During this time, he joined a famous gang and is said to have worked as a tea boy and servant for gang leaders like Huang Jinrong and Du Yuesheng, earning their favor.

The specific process can be compared to the experiences of Xu Wenqiang and Ding Li.

In short, after years of hard work, Zhu Hongwu stood out in the gang, and many people believed he was the most promising successor to Du Yuesheng and Huang Jinrong, the next gang leader.

However, to everyone's surprise, just when Zhu Hongwu was one step away from becoming a gang leader, he chose to retire and go abroad to study.

A gang member actually wanting to study abroad shattered many people's expectations.

Amid the shocked gazes of the crowd, Zhu Hongwu insisted on leaving, despite the pleas of his brothers. It turned out that his choice was very wise, as it allowed him to avoid the subsequent storm.

A few years after Zhu Hongwu left the country, the Anti-Japanese War ended, followed by the Liberation War. In just three years, the country was unified, and the once carefree gang members faced a catastrophic disaster.

During this period, gang leaders like Huang Jinrong and Du Yuesheng did not fare well.

Only Zhu Hongwu, who had gone abroad, stayed away from the gang's conflicts, studied in Europe for several years, and ran a successful business.

Twenty years later, with the reform and opening up of the mainland, Zhu Hongwu returned to China first, transforming into a patriotic overseas Chinese and focusing on tea trade.

Strictly speaking, the thriving tea trade in the entire Taihu region owed a part of its success to Zhu Hongwu.

Thirty years later, Zhu Hongwu's business was still thriving, and he had established deep cooperation with tea merchants and tea shops throughout the Jiangnan region.

For this reason, even though Zhu Hongwu did not own a tea plantation or grow many tea trees, he was recognized as the industry leader, the undisputed Tea King.

More remarkably, Zhu Hongwu did not hide his past experiences and often used himself as an example to warn people not to go down the wrong path or to correct their mistakes if they realized they had strayed.

Over the past thirty years, Zhu Hongwu had been dedicated to charity, helping many people in need, earning him widespread respect.

However, Qi Xiang did not expect that such a person would have connections to the cultivation world.

Qi Xiang thought for a moment and suddenly realized that this seemed quite normal. After all, Zhu Hongwu was nearly ninety years old but did not look old, and he was full of energy and had a powerful voice.

At first, Qi Xiang thought it was due to the health practices of the wealthy.

But now, he thought there might be other factors...

"I am very pleased that everyone could attend this gathering."

At this moment, Zhu Hongwu smiled and spoke, "I believe everyone is clear about the purpose of this gathering, so I won't elaborate. In short, I wish everyone a successful and fulfilling visit!"

After a brief speech, Zhu Hongwu left, very decisively.

Qi Xiang was momentarily speechless, feeling that Zhu Hongwu was not very responsible and had not explained things clearly. He had some guesses but was unsure if they were correct.

However, Qi Xiang was not stupid. As soon as Zhu Hongwu left, he closely observed the movements of the others.

Looking around, he noticed that some people holding items seemed to have a tacit understanding and dispersed, entering small rooms around the hall.

Once inside, they placed their items on the table and sat down, as if setting up stalls, waiting for customers.

Indeed, some people followed them into the rooms and closed the doors. What they discussed inside was unknown to outsiders.

"I see..."

Qi Xiang understood and immediately found a nearby room to sit down, placing the tea flowers on the table.

At that moment, someone entered and closed the door. In the not-so-spacious room, Qi Xiang and the person faced each other, eye to eye.

"Cough..."

After a moment, the person could not hold back and broke the silence, "What is this pot of yours?"

Qi Xiang could tell that the person was deliberately lowering their voice and changing their tone, but from the sound quality, the person seemed young.

"Wait..." Qi Xiang's heart raced as he looked the person up and down, wondering if it could be so coincidental.

Seeing Zhu Hongwu, Qi Xiang could not help but think of Zhu Qiao.

A few days ago, Zhu Qiao had visited Zhu Hongwu and was treated with great respect. Perhaps he knew about this gathering and wanted to attend...

"It can't be that coincidental," Qi Xiang observed closely. His eyes were not sharp enough to see through the mask, so he could not confirm the person's identity.

At the same time, he quickly uncovered the thin cloth covering the tea flowers. Instantly, the person's eyes lit up, clearly interested in the beautiful and colorful eighteen scholars tea flowers.

The person admired them for a moment and then placed their item on the table, pushing it to the center and gesturing for Qi Xiang to examine it.

Qi Xiang glanced at it and saw a tightly wrapped item in a box. The box was not locked, and he reached out, gently lifting the lid. A dried object came into view.

"Ah!"

Qi Xiang was somewhat surprised. The item in the box was a ginseng root.

He did not know much about ginseng and could not tell if it was a wild mountain ginseng or a cultivated variety. However, the ginseng was large, with distinct roots and a human-like shape, indicating it was valuable.

Qi Xiang took a light sniff and could smell a strong ginseng aroma.

"Want to trade?"

The person spoke, their voice filled with strong anticipation.

Qi Xiang smiled, finally understanding the rules of the game, and shook his head decisively. Although he did not know the value of the ginseng, he understood the preciousness of the eighteen scholars tea flowers.

If the eighteen scholars were ordinary tea flowers, the ginseng would be more valuable. But since the tea flowers were spiritual plants, their value was far greater than the ginseng.

At the very least, Qi Xiang was sure that if he agreed to the trade, he would be at a disadvantage.

"Ah..."

The person seemed to understand this fact, shook their head in disappointment, and then said, "I can offer more."

Qi Xiang still shook his head. He was very curious about the gathering and did not want to complete the transaction so quickly. He wanted to see what others had, hoping to find a good deal.

There is a saying, "waiting for the right price," and Qi Xiang had a similar mindset. Spiritual tea flowers were very rare, and someone would definitely be interested. He could not just trade them casually.

Most importantly, even if he kept the tea flowers, he would still benefit...

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