Ren Ping nodded, "Alright, I'll inform Zhuge Shenji right away!"
Fu Kang smiled, "Leader, do you have time this afternoon?"
Ye Tian asked, "Do you need something?"
Fu Kang said, "Several of my father's old comrades are in poor health. They have considerable influence in various circles. Judging by their condition, if they don't take some miraculous elixirs, they might not survive the year."
Ye Tian asked, "You wish for them to live longer?"
Fu Kang nodded, "Leader, these individuals are not simple. Even my father dares not underestimate them. If they can live a few more years, I can make them allies to our Heavenly Alliance."
Ye Tian pondered for a moment and said, "Fine, gather them all at the Fu family residence."
Fu Kang was overjoyed, "Excellent, I'll make arrangements immediately!"
In the morning, Ye Tian first went to Jiuhua Mountain Villa. Lin Ziyi had not left the villa during this period, worried that moving elsewhere would make it difficult to receive news from Ye Tian.
When Ye Tian arrived at the villa, Lin Ziyi was playing with Yan'er in the courtyard. A small snake and a fox hopped around nearby.
"Uncle!"
Yan'er noticed the fox looking towards the entrance and then looked over, spotting Ye Tian immediately. She then rushed towards him.
Lin Ziyi's heart fluttered. She slowly turned and met Ye Tian's gentle gaze.
"Ziyi," he called out.
Lin Ziyi was overjoyed, "Tian Ge, you've recovered?"
Ye Tian nodded, picked up Yan'er, and walked over.
"That's wonderful!" Lin Ziyi hugged him, her eyes reddening.
Ye Tian said, "Ziyi, I've made you worry."
Lin Ziyi nodded, "As long as you are safe."
Before they could exchange many words, they heard shouting from below the mountain. Hearing the commotion, Lin Ziyi frowned, "The villagers are here to steal medicine again."
Ye Tian asked, "Stealing medicine?"
Lin Ziyi nodded, "The villagers from nearby often come to the medicinal fields to pull out our ginseng and Polygonum multiflorum, then take them home to steep in water, claiming it cures all ailments."
Ye Tian was speechless, "Medicine cannot be eaten carelessly. Ziyi, I'll go down and take a look."
By the time he reached the medicinal fields, Ye Shaodong was confronting a group of local villagers with workers. These villagers were all over fifty or sixty years old, some even seventy or eighty. They were all carrying bags filled with medicinal herbs. The medicinal fields were already in a mess, with many plants trampled and damaged in addition to those dug up.
Ye Shaodong's face was ashen with anger. "Are you never going to stop? How many times has this happened already, tell me!"
A man in his fifties sneered, "We're just digging up a bit of your medicine, so what? We mountain folk live off the mountain, and we dig whatever we find on it!"
After watching for a while, Ye Tian walked to the side and made a call to Ren Ping, asking him to send people to handle the situation.
Then, he walked up to the villagers and pointed to a ginseng in one villager's hand. "Do you know what your actions are? Theft! If you're caught taking the items away, it becomes robbery. According to our country's laws, theft of property exceeding 150,000 yuan is punishable by life imprisonment! The herbs you're pulling are meant to be sold to Baozhi Company, and any single one of them is worth over 200,000!"
Upon hearing this, many villagers became somewhat fearful. However, the leading man in his fifties sneered, "Who are you trying to scare? Life imprisonment? Do you think you're a judge?"
Ye Tian said calmly, "I am not a judge, but I understand the law. I'm giving you one chance now to put down the herbs and leave. If you refuse, I can only apologize."
The man spat, "I'm telling you, we're all from the same village. If you dare to touch us, we'll make sure you regret it!"
Ye Tian sneered. With a thought, the man began to tremble all over, then lost control of his bladder and bowels, collapsing to the ground.
He cried out in shock and fear, "What's happening? What's wrong with my legs?"
Ye Tian ignored him and said to the others, "Are you sure you won't leave? In another ten minutes, the police will arrive."
Most of the villagers were timid. Half of the dozens of people immediately left. However, more than ten people remained, unwilling to abandon the herbs they had collected.