Song Linhui seemed to have anticipated Chen Nan's question.
He smiled faintly and asked, "Is arranging for you to be the head of the Demon Suppressing Division plotting against you?"
Chen Nan replied, "For ten thousand years, no head of the Demon Suppressing Division has lived for more than six months. This has become a curse. Is this for my own good?"
Hearing this,
Song Ziwei's eyes widened in disbelief.
She hadn't expected the position of the head of the Demon Suppressing Division to be so perilous.
Even more so, she hadn't imagined her father would assign Chen Nan to be its head.
Song Linhui shook his head dismissively. "Perhaps to ordinary people, the position of the head of the Demon Suppressing Division is exceptionally dangerous. However, you are the Divine Constable of Tongcheng."
"I believe with your capabilities, you can certainly uncover the truth behind the bizarre deaths of past heads of the Demon Suppressing Division."
"This would undoubtedly be a great accomplishment."
"Then you might even get a promotion."
"Uncle Song is looking out for you!"
He shifted his tone and continued, "Actually, I've also investigated the case of the mysterious deaths of the Demon Suppressing Division heads over the years. Although I found no leads..."
"All the clues pointed towards the lost five pages of the Book of Life and Death."
"Rest assured."
"Uncle Song will definitely leverage all his connections to help you find the whereabouts of the five pages of the Book of Life and Death."
Song Feipeng also chimed in, "Brother Chen, you are a benefactor to our Song family."
"Moreover, you are now a Level Six Yin Messenger."
"Your future achievements are limitless, and we will definitely regard you as one of our own."
Chen Nan almost believed Song Linhui's words.
Compared to Song Linhui's 'heartfelt words' today, he trusted Ji Taimai's words more.
If it wasn't on Song Linhui's orders,
Why would she, a peak cultivator in the Body Seizing realm, try to assassinate a junior like him?
What was her motive?
"Let's not talk about unhappy things!" Song Linhui said. "I, Song, act with integrity and a clear conscience. Time will prove my words today."
Wei Shengjin quickly raised his wine glass. "Come, come, let's not talk about that. Let's drink!"
"Right, right, let's drink!" Xu Binglong also raised his glass.
After everyone drank a toast,
Song Linhui suddenly asked, "Chen Nan, I heard that miraculous medicine called penicillin was invented by you?"
Wei Shengjin and Xu Binglong both looked incredulous.
Clearly,
They had also heard of penicillin.
Chen Nan replied, "That thing only has an anti-inflammatory effect; it can hardly be called miraculous medicine."
Song Linhui said, "Months ago, the flood in Dongning Prefecture threatened Guangling Prefecture and Tongcheng. I led some men to the construction site downstream."
"I heard about the miraculous effects of penicillin."
"I also saw some severely injured individuals recover their strength quickly after being injected with penicillin and participate in excavating the river channel."
"That stuff is truly amazing!"
The penicillin Chen Nan extracted during the Tongcheng flood was not much.
He had also sent some to the construction site.
Therefore, Chen Nan was not surprised when Song Linhui brought up penicillin.
Song Linhui asked, "Have you considered letting penicillin enter Guangling Prefecture?"
"After all, Guangling Prefecture has a large population."
"This city alone has tens of millions of citizens."
"If penicillin could be introduced to Guangling Prefecture, it would surely save many lives."
"This is a good deed of immeasurable merit!"
He didn't mention money.
Because it would be too vulgar for someone in his position to talk about money.
What was the meaning of this?
Did he truly consider me one of his own?
Chen Nan was quite perplexed by Song Linhui's intentions.
If he were to disregard Song Linhui's dispatching of Ji Taimai to intercept him,
He might even have thought that Song Linhui, like Yuan Zun, was looking out for him.
However, with Ji Taimai's assassination attempt preceding it,
Song Linhui's words were merely to be heard and not taken to heart.
What?
Shouldn't I suspect an elder in this way?
Is this too narrow-minded?
If he truly cared about me,
Then why did he poison the wine?
Although his poison was colorless and odorless,
It could seal the dantian.
Once the dantian is sealed,
Anyone's cultivation would be greatly diminished.
Of course,
Chen Nan had already used his spatial laws to expel the poison from his body.
No matter how much wine he drank, it would have no effect.
Although he still didn't know what Song Linhui was up to,
Chen Nan decided to play along.
It's just acting, right?
He was a professional.
"To Uncle Song, this junior has indeed considered letting penicillin enter Guangling Prefecture to help more people relieve the torment of illness!"
"But..."
"Production capacity is limited."
"Even though my people have built several large cultivation bases in Tongcheng,"
"The penicillin extracted is barely enough to meet Tongcheng's consumption."
Song Linhui nodded slightly and then said, "Have you considered building some cultivation bases in Guangling Prefecture as well?"
Chen Nan gave a wry smile. "I have thought about it, but the land prices in Guangling Prefecture are very expensive. With my current financial resources, I can't afford land here."
Song Linhui chuckled and shook his head. "I thought it was a trivial matter. It's just about land, not a big deal." He then looked at Wei Shengjin. "Old Wei, if I remember correctly, your Wei family owns over a million mu of fertile land, right?"
Wei Shengjin replied, "Yes, my Wei family owns 1.3 million mu of fertile land, located to the east of the city."
The figure of 1.3 million mu of fertile land seemed daunting,
But for a large salt merchant in a provincial capital,
It was just so-so.
Song Linhui continued, "Have you leased out that fertile land?"
Wei Shengjin paused for a moment and quickly said, "If Lord Chen needs that land, this humble servant will give it to him. Would leasing it not be an insult to me, Wei?"
For a salt merchant,
Some land was neither here nor there.
Song Linhui said, "Old Wei, I appreciate your sentiment, but Chen Nan is, after all, an Imperial Yin Messenger. How can he accept so much fertile land from you for free?"
"If this were known, wouldn't it harm Chen Nan?"
"Accusing him of accepting bribes?"
Wei Shengjin's face was filled with anxiety. "It was my oversight. I beg for your and Lord Chen's forgiveness."
Song Linhui hesitated for a moment and then said, "How about this!"
"I'll take the liberty to have Chen Nan lease your 1.3 million mu of fertile land."
"The rent per mu will be one tael of silver."
"If you have no objections, we can sign the contract now."
One tael of silver per mu was definitely not cheap.
After all, under normal circumstances,
The income from cultivating one mu of land for ordinary people
Did not even come close to one tael of silver.
"As for the rent..."
"He certainly doesn't have that much money now."
"Once penicillin becomes widespread in Guangling Prefecture,"
"And once he earns money, it won't be too late to repay you with both principal and interest."
Wei Shengjin quickly said, "There's no rush about the rent."
Song Linhui nodded with satisfaction. He instructed his steward to prepare ink, brushes, paper, and inkstone.
After all, leasing also required a contract.
Wei Shengjin immediately wrote the lease agreement and signed his name.
Then he handed it over to Chen Nan.
Chen Nan was bewildered.
He was certain that Song Linhui intended to harm him.
If that was the case,
Why would he go out of his way to help him secure 1.3 million mu of fertile land?
And he didn't even mention the rent.
Are you trying to trick me?
Or help me?