When Zhang Yang first said his millennium ginseng was worth at least eight million, Liang Yan hadn't entirely believed him. In her mind, a mere piece of ginseng, no matter how old, shouldn't command such a price.

Ten million in '98 carried far more weight than ten million would in later years.

Ten million could buy the entire Kai Xuan Lou outright with change left over. If she had ten million, she would already be comfortably running her own business, not slaving away for others.

“Mr. Xie, I’m truly sorry. As I said before, I’m not selling, and I have no intention of selling!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly and shook his head. Even with an extra zero added to ten million, he wouldn't sell it.

Such a treasure could only yield its greatest value in the hands of someone who understood it. Handing it to the ignorant would be utter waste and squandering—a desecration of this heavenly treasure that Zhang Yang simply could not tolerate.

Xie Hui looked at Zhang Yang; Zhang Yang remained silent, and so did Xie Hui.

They stared at each other for a full few minutes until the tea had gone cold. Finally, Xie Hui spoke, "If it truly possesses a thousand years of age, whatever the number of years, I will give you that many tens of thousands. How does that sound?"

Tens of thousands for every year?

Liang Yan’s heart gave a sudden lurch. She remembered Zhang Yang saying the millennium ginseng was over two thousand years old.

Over two thousand years—wouldn’t that mean over twenty million?

Over twenty million. It was a figure Liang Yan had never dared to contemplate. She kept her head down, but a flash of envy sparked in her eyes every now and then. If she had twenty million, she wouldn't spend her days scheming to latch onto some powerful backer; she could live the life she truly wanted, never having to depend on a man.

Zhang Yang shook his head again, and Xie Hui's heart also skipped a beat.

“Mr. Zhang, I think you misunderstand me. No matter how much money you name, I will not sell. Even if you offered me one billion, or ten billion, I would still refuse!”

Indeed, Zhang Yang rejected him once more, and so completely.

One billion, ten billion—these were, of course, impossible figures. Xie Hui could not produce that kind of money. If this millennium ginseng were not so critically important to him, he would never have offered Zhang Yang such an exorbitant price here.

“Mr. Zhang, since you are unwilling to sell, then never mind. I have one small request: could you possibly let me examine your millennium ginseng?”

Xie Hui appeared slightly crestfallen but managed to ask.

He still didn't fully trust Liang Yan. A millennium ginseng was exceedingly rare. He had encountered numerous alleged millennium roots before, all of which turned out to be less than a thousand years old upon appraisal. The best one he’d ever seen was barely over seven hundred years old.

That was why he harbored such doubt, daring to make his previous offer: a significant sum per year, contingent on the root exceeding a millennium. Conversely, if it fell short, that condition was voided.

“Since I’m not selling, what use is it for you to look at it?”

Zhang Yang shook his head again. The ginseng was safely stored in the bank; without a proper, secure location, he would never keep something so valuable at home.

It seemed a wise decision now; so soon, someone was already trying to lay claim to his root.

“Manager Liang, Mr. Xie, please let Mr. Xie take a look. He is quite knowledgeable about ginseng and can help you determine exactly how old that root is!” Liang Yan couldn't help but interject with persuasion.

Zhang Yang offered a gentle smile and reiterated, “There's no need to trouble Mr. Xie with that. I am a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine myself; I wouldn't misjudge the age of a ginseng root!”

This time, Zhang Yang’s tone was slightly firmer.

If he had known someone wanted to buy his ginseng, he wouldn't have come at all. Having to engage in this drawn-out negotiation was truly tiresome.

“Manager Liang, Mr. Xie, I apologize, but I have an appointment this afternoon, so I must take my leave now!”

Zhang Yang stood up. He would absolutely not sell the ginseng; staying here served no purpose. It was better to depart soon.

“Wait, Mr. Zhang!”

Xie Hui sprang up hurriedly, intercepting Zhang Yang. As long as there was a chance for a millennium ginseng, he would abandon no hope. This matter was indeed of vital importance to him.

“Mr. Zhang, could you perhaps listen to a story I have to tell you?”

Xie Hui spoke slowly as he looked at Zhang Yang. Zhang Yang’s eyebrows twitched slightly, but he finally nodded, agreeing that listening to one story wouldn't hurt—though after the story, he intended to leave regardless.

“Our Xie family was a prominent clan before the Liberation…”

Reseating himself, Xie Hui wasted no time and began his narrative.

The Xie family, Xie Hui’s lineage, was already quite renowned before the War of Resistance Against Japan, recognized as a major commercial family. During the war, the Xie family produced many heroes; seven members of the Xie clan died for the cause.

After the Communist takeover, the family relocated to the island of Taiwan, where they remained a well-known family.

Xie Hui’s grandfather was one of the Xie descendants who joined the army. Out of eight direct male descendants from the Xie family who enlisted, only Xie Hui’s grandfather returned alive.

According to Xie Hui, his grandfather personally killed over a dozen Japanese soldiers, and many more died under his command. At the time, Xie Hui’s grandfather was a celebrated hero of the Anti-Japanese War.

After arriving in Taiwan, Xie Hui’s grandfather shouldered the responsibility of supporting the entire remaining family, as the Xie clan members were already few in number. He bore this immense burden.

The entire Xie family was held up by him, but then Xie Hui’s grandfather fell ill, remaining sick for decades.

The root of his ailment traced back to the War of Resistance. During that time, the regiment he commanded was encircled by the Japanese army. They were trapped in the mountains for over three months. In the winter mountains, without food or warm clothing, the conditions were fatal.

In the end, only Xie Hui’s grandfather and about thirty other soldiers survived; an entire regiment was lost.

It was during that ordeal that his grandfather sustained the root injury that never healed, leading to his eventual discharge from service.

Subsequently, he sought treatment from countless doctors, both Western and Chinese, yet nothing availed. The advice from TCM practitioners was consistent: consume large amounts of ginseng and replenish vital energy to sustain life.

Xie Hui’s grandfather had lost too much vital energy (Yuan Qi). Had he not possessed a robust constitution in his youth, and had medical conditions not improved later on, he would have perished long ago.

Using ginseng merely sustained him temporarily. To fundamentally reverse his condition, ginseng of at least a thousand years in age was essential. Only such a root could replenish his depleted Yuan Qi in one go, granting him a new lease on life. Otherwise, he could pass away at any moment.

Over the years, the Xie family had never stopped trying to acquire ginseng. Unfortunately, millennium ginseng was exceedingly scarce. Their best acquisition was a root just over seven hundred years old—that very root had kept Xie Hui’s grandfather alive until now.

“Mr. Zhang, my grandfather is already ninety years old, yet he suffers the torment of illness daily. You must understand the feelings of a grandson. This is also our failure as descendants. Mr. Zhang, if you truly possess millennium ginseng, please, save my grandfather. Xie Hui offers his deepest gratitude here!”

As he spoke, Xie Hui bowed deeply towards Zhang Yang, executing a full ceremonial bow.

“Mr. Xie, there is no need for such ceremony!”

Zhang Yang reached out, gripping Xie Hui’s arm, preventing the bow from completing. No matter how hard he struggled, Xie Hui could not lower himself further.

This made Xie Hui look at Zhang Yang with surprise. He hadn't expected the seemingly gentle and composed Zhang Yang to possess such strength.

“Mr. Zhang, have you agreed?” Xie Hui reacted quickly, immediately asking.

“No,”

Zhang Yang shook his head plainly. Xie Hui’s face instantly fell into disappointment. He had spoken at length, recounted everything, solely hoping Zhang Yang would sell the ginseng to save his grandfather.

Everything he had said was the truth, without any fabrication. These facts could easily be verified with a simple inquiry. The Xie family was indeed famous on Taiwan.

“Mr. Xie, I cannot sell the ginseng to you. Even if you used it to save your grandfather’s life, it would cause tremendous waste. Such squandering is entirely unnecessary!”

Zhang Yang spoke again. Xie Hui hurriedly looked up, hope reigniting in his eyes.

“Mr. Zhang, what do you mean then?”

Zhang Yang seemed to concede a point, but Xie Hui couldn't grasp the meaning.

“I mentioned earlier that I am a physician, a specialist in TCM. I can go and examine your grandfather. If he truly requires millennium ginseng, I will help formulate the prescription for him. This way, it won't be wasted, and your grandfather’s illness can be cured!”

Zhang Yang spoke slowly. If the ailment involved a severe depletion of Yuan Qi, then ginseng was indeed necessary; ginseng excelled at tonifying Qi.

However, exactly how to utilize it, or how to maximize its effect, was something ordinary people couldn't manage. Those capable of doing it well were usually highly skilled TCM practitioners. And Zhang Yang was precisely such a person.

“Mr. Zhang, you would come to treat my grandfather?”

Xie Hui looked at Zhang Yang with astonishment, seemingly unable to quite believe it.

It was unavoidable; Zhang Yang looked so young. Even if people believed he was a doctor, they wouldn't trust his medical skill. In the medical field, age remained a significant factor. Moreover, given the Xie family’s resources, what kind of doctor hadn't they seen? If so many physicians had failed, Xie Hui found it hard to believe in Zhang Yang.

“Yes, I will come. If you trust me, that is how we proceed. If you don't trust me, then I am powerless to help,”

Zhang Yang nodded. If the other party genuinely suffered from a severe deficiency of Yuan Qi, he did have a method; incorporating millennium ginseng into a formula could easily resolve the issue.

Even without millennium ginseng, using his internal energy (Neijin) and needling techniques could supplement some Yuan Qi and extend life, but this wouldn't be a true cure—it would only treat the symptoms, offering only a temporary extension of life.

A true cure for such an illness absolutely required millennium ginseng. This was one of the critical uses of heavenly treasures: they could achieve effects unattainable by many modern medicines or even technological methods.

“Mr. Zhang, I believe you, but I still have one condition!”

Xie Hui gritted his teeth, and before Zhang Yang could react, he continued, “I wish to see your ginseng first. If it truly is millennium ginseng, I will allow you to treat my grandfather. If you truly cure his illness, the consultation fee will be calculated exactly as I offered before: however many years the ginseng measures, that many tens of thousands you will receive!”

Xie Hui’s primary concern remained the ginseng. If Zhang Yang’s root truly was a millennium old, letting him examine the patient was acceptable. If it lacked that age, there was no point.

“We can discuss the consultation fee later. I can allow you to see the ginseng first,”

Zhang Yang nodded slowly. Xie Hui finally felt a sense of ease wash over him; his entire body felt lighter.

It has been a hard struggle up to this point, and we are still one vote short of the third goal. Friends, could you please give Xiao Yu one more vote of support?

This is the eighth update, with two more chapters to come. Xiao Yu will continue typing; there are more updates below!