Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 254 I'll Give You a Backyard Garden

Wangfu.

When Lin Chen brought Yao Yao in, they ran into Yuan Tiangang.

Yuan Tiangang looked at Yao Yao, then at Lin Chen, completely bewildered.

"My lord, this..."

Lin Chen waved his hand: "Don't ask, you'll know I found it."

Yuan Tiangang: "..."

Yao Yao stood quietly to the side.

Lin Chen said to Yuan Tiangang, "Arrange a courtyard for her, one that's close to me, and have a few people serve her."

Yuan Tiangang nodded: "Yes."

He led Yao Yao outside.

Yao Yao walked to the door and suddenly turned back to look at Lin Chen.

In that glance, there was unease, and something else entirely.

Lin Chen waved to her: "Go on, get some rest."

Yao Yao nodded and followed Yuan Tiangang.

……

Half an hour later.

Lin Chen was engrossed in designing the estate's planning map in his study.

Yuan Tiangang knocked on the door and entered: "My lord, Mei Jiu Niang has sent someone again."

Lin Chen looked up: "Sent people again? What is it this time?"

Yuan Tiangang's expression was subtle: "It's still a gift, but this time... it's a bit big."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow: "How old?"

Yuan Tiangang said, "She said that if the master is willing to cooperate, her Hehuan Sect will be the master's back garden."

"The Lord can pick whichever flower he desires, and gather whichever he wishes."

Lin Chen was stunned for a moment.

Backyard?

This old woman really dares to speak her mind.

Yuan Tiangang continued, "She also said that the master need not worry about anything."

Within her Joyful Union Sect, there were indeed disciples who were virgins, capable of making the Master his first client—guaranteed freshness, guaranteed originality.

Lin Chen remained silent for a long while after listening.

Then he laughed.

"What does this Mei Jiu Niang take me for? A stud?"

Yuan Tiangang remained silent.

Lin Chen thought for a moment and asked, "What else did she say?"

Yuan Tiangang said, "She also said that if the master is afraid of being sexually exploited, then there is no need to worry."

With the Lord's cultivation and resources, the entire Joyful Union Sect combined couldn't possibly seduce the Lord. Perhaps the Lord has already taken them all.

Lin Chen smiled: "That's the truth."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the sky outside.

"Yuan Tiangang".

"Your subordinate is here."

"Do you think Mei Jiu Niang is trustworthy?"

Yuan Tiangang was silent for a moment, then said:

"It's hard to say. She's lived for over three hundred years. What kind of situations hasn't she seen? What kind of people haven't she experienced? A person like that won't easily reveal her secrets."

Lin Chen nodded: "That's right. So what she's doing now—giving gifts, giving gifts to her apprentices, giving away the back garden—is all a way of revealing her true intentions."

But the question is, is it real or fake?

Yuan Tiangang asked, "What does Your Majesty think?"

Lin Chen thought for a moment and said, "I tend to think that she really wants to cooperate, but what she plans to do after that is hard to say."

He paused, then said:

"However, she is right about one thing: with my cultivation level, I am not afraid of being drained of my life force."

Yuan Tiangang secretly rolled his eyes, thinking to himself:

You're just after that "back garden," aren't you? Don't pretend to be so serious.

Lin Chen, unaware of Yuan Tiangang's inner monologue, turned around and said:

"Go tell her that cooperation is possible, but the terms need to be renegotiated."

Giving apprentices gifts like back gardens is all fluff; I want something tangible.

Yuan Tiangang was taken aback. "What counts as real?"

Lin Chen smiled: "I want her Hehuan Sect's intelligence network, as well as all the trump cards her Hehuan Sect has accumulated over the years. These are the real things."

Yuan Tiangang was taken aback: "My lord, this condition... she won't agree to it, will she?"

Lin Chen smiled like a fox:

"She'll agree, because she wants my things too; it's a win-win situation."

……

South of the city, Wutong Lane.

Mei Jiu Niang leaned against the soft couch, listening to the report from the visitor.

After listening, she smiled.

"This kid is definitely not someone to be trifled with."

She sat up and played with the ends of her hair with her fingers.

"You want an intelligence network? You want your trump cards? You've got quite the appetite."

The maid asked, "Sect Master, shall we...?"

Mei Jiu Niang waved her hand: "Agree to him."

The maid was taken aback: "Sect Master, that's something we've been saving for thousands of years..."

Mei Jiu Niang smiled:

"I know, but if I don't show him these things, how can he trust me?"

Besides, even if you give it to him, he can't take it away.

"The intelligence network is in my hands, and I know the cards in my head. What can he do?"

The maid seemed to be deep in thought.

Mei Jiu Niang continued, "Moreover, when I give him these things, he will give me something in return. That's called investment, understand?"

The maid nodded: "Sect Master is wise."

Mei Jiu Niang lay back on the soft couch, squinting her eyes:

"Alright, go and tell him that I agreed, and that he should pick a day to come to my place so we can have a proper talk."

The maid acknowledged and withdrew.

The room fell silent.

Mei Jiu Niang stared at the rooftop and suddenly laughed.

"Lin Chen, Lin Chen, do you think you've won?"

"I've been around for over three hundred years, what storms haven't I weathered?"

"You little brat, trying to outsmart me?"

She rolled over, buried her face in the soft pillow, and laughed so hard her shoulders shook.

"But then again, this kid is really interesting."

"Much more interesting than his male lovers."

She looked up and said to the air:

"Tell me, should I try to sleep with him?"

No one answered her.

She continued the conversation herself:

"Forget it, I can't sleep. This kid is too hard, it's hard on my teeth."

……

three days later.

evening.

Lin Chen led Guan Yu to Wutong Lane.

As soon as he entered the door, he saw Mei Jiu Niang standing in the courtyard.

Today she wore a bright red long dress, looking as alluring as a rose.

Upon seeing Lin Chen, he chuckled and said, "The Prince of Zhenbei is indeed punctual."

Lin Chen looked at her and smiled.

"Sect Leader Mei looks even better in this outfit today than in that purple dress."

Mei Jiu Niang raised an eyebrow: "What? Are you interested?"

Lin Chen shook his head: "I wouldn't dare to be tempted, but I just think they're quite pleasing to the eye."

Mei Jiu Niang laughed so hard she almost fell over: "You have such a sweet tongue."

She turned and walked inside: "Come in, the tea is ready."

Lin Chen followed her inside.

When they reached the door, they suddenly stopped.

I glanced back.

Several young women had appeared in the courtyard at some point.

They were all good-looking and well-dressed.

When she saw Lin Chen looking over, her eyes were filled with curiosity and a hint of fear.

Lin Chen glanced at it thoughtfully a few more times.

Mei Jiu Niang's voice came from inside the house, "Don't look, it's all prepared for you."

Lin Chen: "..."

He walked into the room and looked at Mei Jiu Niang.

Mei Jiu Niang sat on the soft couch and poured him a cup of tea.

"What? You don't like it?"

Lin Chen sat down, picked up his teacup, and took a sip.

"Sect Leader Mei, what are you doing?"

Mei Jiu Niang laughed and said, "Didn't I say? You can pick whatever you want in the back garden."

"Take whichever one you like, or if you like them all, you can take them all."

Lin Chen put down his teacup: "I have obsessive-compulsive disorder about cleanliness."

Mei Jiu Niang laughed even louder: "I know, that's why I picked out virgins for you, guaranteeing that no one has ever touched them, guaranteeing that you are the first."

She leaned closer and lowered her voice: "How about it? Pretty sincere, right?"

Lin Chen looked at Mei Jiu Niang, remained silent for a while, and then smiled.

"Sect Leader Mei, your sincerity is indeed sufficient."

Mei Jiu Niang raised an eyebrow: "So you agree?"

Lin Chen shook his head: "Not yet."

Mei Jiu Niang was taken aback: "Why?"

Lin Chen said, "I'm afraid of being sexually exploited."

Mei Jiu Niang laughed: "You're afraid of that? With your cultivation level, it's not certain who will be the one draining whose essence."

Lin Chen smiled and changed the subject:

"Sect Leader Mei, let's be frank. Cooperation is possible, but we have to follow my rules."

Mei Jiu Niang's expression remained unchanged. "What rules?"