However, on Ye Qingtang's face, there was not the slightest trace of depression; instead, a smile lifted on her lips as she looked at the waiter and said, "Call your manager over."
The waiter was slightly stunned, "Is there anything you need to discuss with me, esteemed guest?"
"I want Qucao, so bring me someone who can make decisions," Ye Qingtang's gaze turned slightly cold.
The waiter felt a sudden tingling on his scalp under Ye Qingtang's gaze, but the word "Qucao" struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Duan Tianrui didn't know what Ye Qingtang was up to, but he felt she was asking for humiliation. Instead, he said to the waiter, "You can go and find someone, I..."
Before Duan Tianrui could finish his sentence, the waiter had already hurried off in a panic to find someone.
In a short while, a middle-aged man nearing fifty rushed over with the waiter.
"Miss Ye, right? I am the manager of the Lingcheng Treasure Pavilion," the middle-aged man looked at Ye Qingtang, "I just heard Miss Ye mention Qucao. I wonder if Miss Ye knows any news?"
The manager's tone was very steady, but his eyes betrayed his urgency.
Qucao was something sought by the master of the Treasure Pavilion. It had been searched for everywhere, and a reward of 100,000 taels of gold had been posted in every branch of the Treasure Pavilion, but until today, there was still no clue.
"I know where there is Qucao," Ye Qingtang said.
As soon as Ye Qingtang spoke, Duan Tianrao, who was nearby, curled his lips into a cold smile.
Ye Qingtang was only fifteen and had never even left Lingcheng. Where would she know where Qucao was?
The manager of the Treasure Pavilion's eyes brightened slightly, "Miss Ye, as long as you can provide us with the whereabouts of Qucao, our Treasure Pavilion will definitely reward you generously."
Ye Qingtang said: "Qucao is in the withered leaf forest outside the city."
Now Duan Tianrui really had to laugh.
The withered leaf forest is adjacent to Lin City, and although there are many medicinal materials in the forest, none of them are rare. Qucao can be considered the most difficult to find among all precious medicinal materials. Ye Qingtang must be crazy to make up that there is Qucao in the withered leaf forest.
No one would believe such a thing.
The manager of the Treasure Pavilion didn't expect Ye Qingtang to mention the withered leaf forest, and his eyes, full of anticipation, were instantly extinguished as if doused with a basin of cold water, and his expression became stiff.
"Miss Ye, please don't joke with me, how could there be Qucao in the withered leaf forest?"
"If there really is," Ye Qingtang immediately said, "you can prepare ink and paper, and I will draw the specific location of Qucao for you."
The manager thought this matter was unreliable, but seeing Ye Qingtang's determined appearance, he couldn't help frowning slightly, hesitating for a moment, and still had someone prepare ink and paper.
Ye Qingtang quickly drew a simple map and marked the location of Qucao on it.
The manager handed the drawing to a confidant with doubts.
Everyone saw the people from the Treasure Pavilion leave with the map, and their faces were full of curiosity.
No one knew where Ye Qingtang's confidence came from to draw that map.
The manager might have heard from the waiter about Ye Qingtang's competition with Duan Tianrui for the Hua Yue Stone. Now people have been sent to look for Qucao. Although the result can be anticipated by everyone, the manager still holds a glimmer of hope and says to Duan Tianrui: "Young Master Duan, I hope you can wait a moment for this matter."
Duan Tianrui smiled and said, "I'm not in a hurry, and I also hope that the Treasure Pavilion can find Qucao." After speaking, he also gave Ye Qingtang a meaningful look.
The steward smiled gratefully.
"Third Young Master, is it true what Miss Ye said? Is there really Qucao in the withered leaf forest?" The servant from the Si family, seeing that things had settled down over there, turned to ask Si Bai.
Si Bai leaned against the side, his fingers rubbing the white jade in his palm, his gaze falling on Ye Qingtang's figure, a smile playing on his lips as he said lightly, "Who can say for sure?"
The servant was even more confused. "Then if there isn't any, wouldn't Miss Ye make a fool of herself in public? Third Young Master, you really don't plan to... ow!"
The servant covered his forehead, which Si Bai had just tapped, looking委屈.
Si Bai chuckled softly, "She doesn't need us to worry about her. Just relax and watch the show."
The servant rubbed his forehead, feeling even more bewildered by everything in front of him.
Time ticked by minute by minute. The steward ordered someone to prepare tea for Ye Qingtang and Duan Tianrui to drink.
The servants from the Duan family who had come with Duan Tianrui stood beside him, their eyes occasionally glancing at the composed Ye Qingtang, muttering:
"Third Young Master, this Ye family's eldest miss must have gone mad. You're really going to waste time with her here."
Duan Tianrao glanced at Ye Qingtang, a slightly disdainful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"If she wants to lose face, why shouldn't I oblige her?"
As he spoke, Duan Tianrui's gaze shifted to the entrance of the Treasure Pavilion, where the person sent out was hurrying back, covered in dust. The smile in Duan Tianrui's eyes instantly filled, and he put down his cup.
"The real show is about to start."
There were many guests in the Treasure Pavilion who had stayed to watch the drama. Both the Ye and Duan families were top-tier families in Lin City, and they didn't want to miss such an exciting event.
The person returned, covered in dust, holding something precious in his arms, clutching it carefully.
"How is it?" the steward looked at the man as he returned and immediately asked.
The man was panting, unable to hide the joy in his eyes, and kept nodding to the steward, saying, "I found it, but it was hidden in a hollow of a dead tree. Without Miss Ye's map, I really wouldn't have been able to find it."
As soon as these words came out, there was a sudden gasp in the Treasure Pavilion.
Quccao, they really found it.
How could this be possible?
Everyone was bewildered.
The man carefully took out a brocade box, slightly stained with soil, from his bosom and handed it to the steward, who hastily opened it to reveal a stalk of green quccao with dewdrops lying quietly inside.
In an instant,
The steward let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Miss Ye, thank you, I really must thank you this time." The steward carefully held the quccao and turned to Ye Qingtang with a smile full of gratitude.
Heaven knows how many years their pavilion master had been searching for this quccao.
If it weren't for Ye Qingtang's guidance, who would have thought that this precious quccao would grow inside a hollow tree.
Ye Qingtang smiled slightly, "No need for courtesy."
Quccao is indeed hard to find now, but it's because people have misjudged the place where quccao grows. In a few decades, the location of quccao is no longer a secret, and when Ye Qingtang was being pursued by the elder in her previous life, she had fled to the withered leaf forest and coincidentally encountered this quccao, naturally remembering it clearly.
All of this is unknown to others.
Once the quccao was found, Duan Tianrui's face turned extremely ugly, and he, who was waiting for Ye Qingtang to lose face, now had a face as dark as ink.
In no time, the steward of the Treasure Pavilion had the hundred thousand taels of gold for the reward brought out.
Three large chests, filled with glittering gold that dazzled the onlookers' eyes.
Ye Qingtang glanced at the gold and reached out to take the palm-sized gold bricks, one by one, and slapped them on the counter where the Hua Yue stones were kept.
The sound of "Dang Dang" rang out, but Ye Qingtang didn't even look. Her half-narrowed eyes were directly on Duan Tianrui's gloomy face, watching as each gold brick was slapped down, Duan Tianrui's face became darker.
"Thirty thousand taels of gold, I want the Hua Yue stone," Ye Qingtang said with a slight smile after slapping down the last gold brick, uttering a sentence that made Duan Tianrui's veins twitch.
Duan Tianrui never dreamed that Ye Qingtang would have such a move.
She didn't have enough money, but so what?
Not only did she not have to pay the treasure house, but she also took three boxes of gold from the treasure house.
Even with Duan Tianrui's deep heart, he was angered by Ye Qingtang's arrogant posture, causing his breath to be disordered.
"Young Master Duan, I'm sorry, our treasure house has always followed the rule of first come, first served, so this Hua Yue stone..." The steward who got the grass naturally helped Ye Qingtang. He walked directly in front of Duan Tianrui and spoke euphemistically, but his gaze fell on the Hua Yue stone that Duan Tianrui had been holding in his hand.
Duan Tianrui gritted his teeth and handed over the Hua Yue stone that he thought was already in his pocket to the steward.
The steward handed the Hua Yue stone to Ye Qingtang in front of Duan Tianrui, "Miss Ye, this Hua Yue stone is yours."
Ye Qingtang raised her eyebrows and looked at the Hua Yue stone the size of a bean in her hand, then glanced at Duan Tianrui.
This glance almost made Duan Tianrui's lungs explode.
He wanted to see Ye Qingtang make a fool of himself, but he ended up being the one who made a fool of himself.
"Congratulations, Miss Ye, I have something to do, I'll leave first." Duan Tianrui gritted his teeth and uttered a sentence stiffly, then left without looking back, taking his servants with him.
No one expected the situation to end in such a way, and everyone couldn't help but sigh in unison.
Si Bai, who had been watching the whole time, couldn't help but chuckle when he saw Duan Tianrui being angered into leaving by Ye Qingtang. He then retracted his gaze and continued to select jade.
"Miss Ye, if there's anything else you need, please feel free to choose, I'll go and deal with the Qucao first," the steward said with a smile to Ye Qingtang.
Ye Qingtang nodded slightly; the Huayue stone was an unexpected delight, and she still needed to look for some more important items.
After the steward left the first-floor hall, he turned and went straight to the top floor.
The door to the elegant room on the top floor was tightly locked. The steward straightened his sleeves and knocked respectfully on the door.
"Master, it's me."
"Come in."
The steward then dared to push the door open.
Inside the room, the handsome-looking Mu Su was sitting by the table. As soon as the steward saw Mu Su, he immediately knelt down and respectfully handed over the brocade box containing the Qucao.
"I report to the master, the Qucao has been found."
Mu Su raised his eyebrows slightly, took the brocade box to inspect it, and a smile couldn't help but rise on the corners of his mouth after seeing the Qucao.
No one would have thought that the mysterious master of the Treasure Pavilion would be none other than the renowned Lord of Luoxing City, Mu Su.
"Although it took quite a bit of time, it has finally been found. You've done a good job with this matter," Mu Su said, putting down the brocade box, satisfied.
The steward respectfully knelt in place, "Thank you, Master, for your praise."
Mu Su had arrived in Lin City suddenly last night, and the steward was greatly surprised when he saw Mu Su. He was quite apprehensive about the master, but fortunately, he found the Qucao today; otherwise, he really wouldn't dare to come.