pdf-ebookys Chapter 178 Winning Over
Chapter 178 Winning Over
Lu Bai specially ordered a table full of delicious dishes to entertain Tao Tao, with all kinds of dishes, most of which were specialties of their ancient city of Gu Ning.
Of course, for Tao Tao, as long as it tastes good and fills her stomach, that's all that matters; she really isn't picky.
Just as Tao Tao was enjoying his meal, Lu Zheng, the president of the Lu Zhang Merchant Guild, walked in. He looked kind and gentle, and his appearance was very amiable. When he came in, he first looked Tao Tao up and down, and was slightly surprised.
Upon receiving Lu Bai's message, he was very curious about Tao Tao. But when he saw her, he realized she was just an innocent young girl who seemed to have no guard against others at all.
“Father, this is Le Tao Tao, the girl I mentioned to you.” Lu Bai glanced at his father, then carefully looked at Tao Tao, and only spoke after noticing that she did not show any reaction.
Lu Zhengxing nodded and smiled, walked to the table and sat down, and said gently to Tao Tao, "Do you like these dishes, Miss Le? If you don't like them, I'll have them made again."
"I like it, it's all delicious, but there's not much." Tao Tao said with a cute smile while gnawing on a big chicken leg. She looked so adorable that it was hard to believe she had any ulterior motives.
"Less?" Lu Zhengxing was a little surprised. He glanced at the table and found that all the food was gone except for empty bowls and plates. Despite her small size, she ate quite a lot. Lu Zhengxing smiled and said, "Then keep cooking and let Miss Le eat her fill."
Upon hearing this, Tao Tao ate even more heartily, keeping the cooks busy and sweating profusely as they raced against time to prepare her meal.
While Tao Tao was eating, Lu Zhengxing casually mentioned the Chamber of Commerce to her and even tried to invite her to join, but Tao Tao casually brushed him off, making Lu Zhengxing suspect that Tao Tao's naivety was only superficial and that she was actually quite shrewd.
Not wanting to push her too hard, Lu Zhengxing had no choice but to give up and ordered Lu Bai to accompany her, hoping to persuade her with reason and emotion to get her to join willingly.
After eating and drinking her fill, Tao Tao returned to the place Lu Bai had arranged for her to rest, thus temporarily avoiding Lu Bai.
Tao Tao had a very fruitful trip. She roughly counted her money and found that she had 30,000 to 40,000 spirit stones. However, this was far from enough. Thinking about Bai Yan's current situation, she was eager to find a way to restore him as soon as possible.
"I wonder how Ayan is doing now?"
Tao Tao's thoughts were entirely on Bai Yan, so she quickly opened the Flower Branch Space and went inside.
The little silver dragon was still asleep in the spiritual spring, showing no signs of waking up. Tao Tao was very worried that Bai Yan might have suffered some serious injury, so she released her divine sense to investigate, but found nothing.
Bai Yan's cultivation level was so high that she could not possibly see through it.
"Ayan, you haven't already returned to the God Realm, have you?" Tao Tao stared at the sleeping little silver dragon and suddenly thought of this terrible thing. After all, Bai Yan was just an avatar. If he lost interest in the human world, it would be normal for him to leave. It's just that she couldn't bear to part with him.
No, if he were to truly return to the God Realm, this clone should also disappear. Therefore, he definitely did not leave; he was merely temporarily severely injured. Once he recovers, they can be like before.
After comforting herself, Tao Tao cautiously reached out and gently tapped the little silver dragon's forehead. A chill spread from her fingertips to her whole body, making her shiver. She quickly withdrew her hand; she was almost frozen solid.
"Ah Yan is really amazing. Although he hasn't woken up yet, his power is unmatched by anyone else." She smiled and prepared to leave. Just as she stood up, the pendant hanging around her neck fell off. She suddenly remembered that the pendant had sensed the remnant soul last time, and it seemed that the matter Bai Yan had asked her to do was making some progress.
"Ayan, wait for me, I will definitely help you find all the remnant souls."
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Even at night, the ancient city of Gu Ning was still bustling with people everywhere, and there were many stalls selling all kinds of magical artifacts and talismans.
Tao Tao avoided Lu Bai and went out alone, hoping to find a way to restore Bai Yan.
She walked through the bustling market, looking at the dazzling array of stalls, but couldn't find a single useful item. But then she thought, what good stuff could these stalls possibly have? If she wanted to buy anything, she would have gone to a large trade fair.
"Sister, are you looking for something?"
While Tao Tao was pondering, a soft, sweet voice suddenly came from behind. She looked down suspiciously and found that it was a little girl who looked about six or seven years old, with two little braids, and she looked extremely cute.
How did she figure out that I was looking for something? Was it that obvious?
Tao Tao found it strange. She first smiled at the little girl, then released her divine sense to probe her. An unusual force instantly repelled her divine sense. If she hadn't reacted quickly, her divine sense might have been severely damaged.
Indeed, he's no ordinary person!
"Master would like to invite you to his residence for a chat." The little girl took out a jade token and presented it to Tao Tao with both hands, looking extremely respectful.
Only then did Tao Tao realize that the other party had unintentionally created a barrier that enveloped the two of them, making them invisible to others.
"I don't know your master, and I have no interest in talking to him."
Not knowing the other party's background, Tao Tao decisively refused, not wanting to cause trouble for nothing.
To everyone's surprise, the little girl didn't give up when she heard her refusal. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed Tao Tao's hand, and said to Tao Tao in a very calm tone, "Sister, come with me. The master said that if you don't go, he will break my arm."
As she spoke, a chill ran through the girl's fingertips, and Tao Tao instantly felt the surrounding scenery changing rapidly, as if he was about to be swept into some kind of space.
Her mind raced, and she dared not let things develop unchecked. She summoned the Ice Thunder Sword and shattered the barrier with a single strike. The moment the barrier broke, the people around were shocked to see the two people who had suddenly appeared.
"How come there are two more people all of a sudden?"
Upon seeing the barrier shatter, the little girl abruptly retreated, darting into the crowd like a frightened animal and disappearing from sight.
"You ran really fast." Tao Tao pouted, sheathed her Ice Thunder Sword, and turned to leave nonchalantly. As soon as she turned around, a man in a blue robe blocked her way and transmitted his voice to her: "Are you looking for the underground trading meeting?"
How did this person know what she was looking for?
Tao Tao became alert, but pretended to be calm and transmitted her voice: "I'm just browsing around."
“Little girl, don’t be afraid. I came to Gu Ning City to participate in the trade fair, just like you. However, the trade fair has not yet started, but the underground trade fair in Gu Ning City has already begun. You should know that some things cannot be sold openly.”
This is true, especially since some forbidden techniques and secret medicines, or treasures obtained through extraordinary means, must be traded secretly. The underground trading association was established specifically for these people.
Tao Tao had been to underground trade fairs before. They weren't very large, but she gained a lot from them. This time, she wanted to find a way to restore Bai Yan. She might not be able to find such a method on the market, but she might be able to find something in the underground trade fair.
But can this person in front of me be trusted?
The saying goes, "Displaying wealth is dangerous." Strangers who approach you out of the blue are almost always up to something. Song Chaofeng had taught her this before, and she wasn't foolish enough to believe everything.
"Thank you for letting me know, I understand." Tao Tao smiled sweetly and, instead of continuing to transmit her voice, spoke directly.
Tao Tao's caution displeased the man, who frowned and said, "If you want, I can take you anytime."
"Okay, thank you." Tao Tao seemed incredibly sincere, but the more sincere she was, the more distant she appeared.
The man didn't press the issue, but nodded slightly and smiled, saying, "No need to be polite, I just want a mutually beneficial arrangement."
The other person didn't say anything more. Tao Tao smiled, turned around, and left, disappearing into the crowd.
As soon as she left, the man's face darkened, and he revealed a cold smile. He then transmitted his voice to his subordinates, saying, "I have already tested her strength. She is merely at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. There is no need to worry. Let's make our move."
"Yes."