Chapter 176: Human Jack

If that is the case, then many thanks to Fourth Master Gu. Herbs were precisely what Lin Le was currently in dire need of, so the more, the better, and he would turn none away.

Recalling the matter he had already settled upon when accepting the invitation earlier, Lin Le decided this was the ideal moment to bring it up.

"By the way, Fourth Master, do you happen to know anyone within the Earthly Nine Mansions?" Lin Le asked.

"The Earthly Nine Mansions?" Gu Hanliang paused slightly. "Why would Mr. Lin be interested in the Earthly Nine Mansions? Is something the matter?"

Lin Le then explained the underground auction of the Earthly Nine Mansions and the matter of the invitation letters to Gu Hanliang in full detail.

"I see." Gu Hanliang fell into deep thought for a moment before speaking. "I do know a few people within the Earthly Nine Mansions. However, whether they happen to have invitations for that auction on hand is a bit uncertain."

After another brief silence, Gu Hanliang finally declared, "How about this? Early tomorrow morning, I will ensure that the invitation letters are delivered to Mr. Lin, no matter what it takes."

Given Gu Hanliang's vast network of connections, acquiring a few invitation letters was by no means difficult. The only issue was the extremely tight timeframe—with only a single night left, it certainly posed a challenge.

"Fourth Master need not trouble yourself overly much; if it proves unfeasible, there is no need to force it," Lin Le advised.

"It is of no consequence, merely a trifle," Gu Hanliang replied with a smile.

After departing from the Royal Banquet Pavilion, the sky had already grown dim, and Gu Hanliang instructed Zhang Tianzong to drive Lin Le back to the Ji Residence.

Upon returning to the Ji Residence, Ji Xiaorui and Liang Qiuyang were still waiting for Lin Le.

"Master, how did it go regarding the invitation letters?" Ji Xiaorui asked.

Upon her return, Ji Xiaorui had also attempted to leverage her own family's connections to inquire about the invitations for the Earthly Nine Mansions. However, the outcome was precisely as Liang Qiuyang had previously stated: invitations to the Earthly Nine Mansions could not be obtained simply through wealth. Furthermore, the current time constraint made acquiring them within such a short period exceedingly difficult.

"Fourth Master Gu said he would find a way and have them delivered early tomorrow morning," Lin Le stated.

"Oh? Is he reliable?" Ji Xiaorui expressed some doubt regarding Gu Hanliang's capabilities.

"We shall find out tomorrow morning," Lin Le responded noncommittally.

That very evening, Lin Le transferred the ten million yuan for the millennium-old ganoderma to Qi Sheng.

Before long, Qi Sheng's call came through to inquire about Lin Le's situation that day, as he had been worried that the Divine Pill Sect might give them a hard time. Hearing that everything had gone smoothly came as quite a surprise to Qi Sheng; after all, the other party was a force from the Divine Pill Sect, yet they had failed to extract any concessions from Lin Le. This incident seemed to thoroughly impress upon Qi Sheng the extent of Lin Le's methods, imbuing his tone with even greater reverence. He also promised to send Lin Le some aged medicinal herbs in the near future as a token of goodwill. Lin Le did not refuse, accepting the offer entirely.

Early the next morning, just as Lin Le, Ji Xiaorui, and the others had risen and were about to partake in breakfast, a staff member of the Ji Residence walked inside.

"Eldest Miss, someone delivered this from outside just now, saying it was for Mr. Lin," the staff member said, handing over an envelope.

Ji Xiaorui snatched the envelope away and tore it open, revealing three invitation letters resting inside, along with a bank card and a slip of paper. Written upon the slip were the words: "A meager token of no great worth, please do Mr. Lin the honor of accepting it." Below the message was the password for the bank card.

"Goodness, this Fourth Master Gu certainly knows how to handle things. Knowing that you're going to the auction, Master, he even prepared the money for you," Ji Xiaorui said with a smile.

Subsequently, Ji Xiaorui had one of her subordinates check the balance on the card, and to their astonishment, it contained fifty million yuan!

Hearing this figure, Lin Le could not help clicking his tongue in amazement. He had merely desired the invitation letters, never anticipating that Fourth Master Gu would seize the opportunity to present him with such a generous welcoming gift. In this regard, he was truly much like his father, Gu Huaishan—neither of them was ever stingy with wealth.

It appeared he now owed the Gu family yet another favor, which he could only repay by doing his utmost to help Fourth Master Gu restore his sea of Qi.

With the invitation letters secured, Lin Le and his group set off directly for the northern suburbs of the capital.

This location was quite distant from the capital city proper, situated deep within a sparsely populated region. Compounded by the rugged, mountainous terrain, virtually no pedestrians were to be seen along the way.

When they were less than two kilometers away from the Earthly Nine Mansions, a black off-road vehicle was spotted parked by the roadside ahead. A tall, exquisitely dressed young woman stood by the edge of the road, waving her hand toward them as if seeking assistance.

"Master, should we stop?" Ji Xiaorui, who was driving, asked for his direction.

"Stop. Let's see what she needs, but try not to waste too much time," Lin Le instructed.

As the car drew close, Ji Xiaorui brought it to a halt.

The moment her gaze fell upon the young woman, Ji Xiaorui could not help but freeze. The other party's appearance was breathtakingly beautiful; though her face bore only light makeup, she possessed an almost irresistible charm. Her eyes, in particular, seemed to brim with sparkling radiance and smiling brows, carrying an almost soul-captivating power.

Beyond that, the young woman's figure was sculpted to absolute perfection. A pale blue tight-fitting shirt outlined her full, curvaceous frame, while the open neckline laid her flawless figure bare, faintly revealing a dark lace trim beneath. Her waist, slender as a water snake, further accentuated the alluring contours of her physique.

Below, she wore a short black pleated skirt, exposing a pair of long legs as flawless as white jade—a form that easily rivaled the supermodels of Victoria's Secret.

Any man who laid eyes on such a voluptuous stunner would undoubtedly find his heart stirred.

Let alone men, even Ji Xiaorui, being a woman herself, felt a twinge of jealousy and lingered with her gaze a little longer.

"Um... do you need help with something?" Ji Xiaorui asked.

"Little sister, I'm terribly sorry, but my car has run into some trouble and I need to change a tire. Do you happen to have a jack in your car?" As the woman spoke, a smile played across her lips, lending her an even more bewitching allure.

Yet, this young woman seemed to belong to that rare type who was seductive without being wanton, and glamorous without appearing vulgar. Her entire demeanor exuded an intensely feminine aura; even when speaking quite ordinary words, one constantly felt as though she were casting a spell of enticement.

More fatally still, this sultry goddess possessed an exceptionally distinctive voice—one even more enchanting than those of popular radio broadcasters. To any man, such a voice carried a lethal temptation.

From head to toe, this woman simply radiated an aura of pure sex appeal.

"Uh..." Ji Xiaorui blinked. "I'm sorry, it doesn't look like we have that kind of equipment in our car..."

"Oh dear, this is dreadful. What am I to do?" the young woman murmured to herself, yet even her expression of anxiety carried a distinct trace of charm.

As the young woman pointed out, this was indeed a remote mountainous stretch, far from any village and desolate in both directions, with very few passing vehicles. Furthermore, even if a car were to happen by, anyone catching sight of this woman's extraordinary appearance might well be overcome by evil intentions.

"Beauty, judging by your accent, you must be from Haidong, right?" Ji Xiaorui asked, recognizing a familiar inflection in her speech.

"That's right, my family is from Haizhou, and I just returned from abroad to handle some matters here," the young woman replied.

"Haikou, you say? What a coincidence, I go to school in Haizhou myself," Ji Xiaorui said, initiating casual conversation.

"It truly is a coincidence. I never expected to encounter someone from my hometown out here," the young woman answered with a radiant smile.

"Your car just needs a tire change, is that correct?" Ji Xiaorui confirmed.

"Indeed, it just needs a tire change, but alas, you don't have a jack either," the young woman said with a hint of disappointment.

"No need, we don't require any jack. We have a manual jack right here in our car," Ji Xiaorui declared with a mysterious smile.

"A manual jack? What do you mean?" the young woman asked, her curiosity piqued.

In the back seat, Lin Le was already nursing a bad premonition and instinctively shrank downward.

Sure enough, Ji Xiaorui turned her head and gazed at Lin Le with a beaming smile. "Master, for the sake of our shared hometown, you simply must help out with this favor."

The alluring young woman also leaned her head in through the car window, casting an amused glance at Lin Le in the back seat and flashing a smile. "I'm counting on you, handsome."

The young woman's voice was so meltingly sweet that it left Lin Le utterly incapable of refusing.

Internally, Lin Le could not help cursing Ji Xiaorui for her reckless whims, neatly saddling him with the chore of serving as a human car jack for a beauty.

Yet, the woman's voice was truly impossible to turn down.

With no other choice, Lin Le stepped out of the vehicle and walked over to her car, where he indeed discovered that the rear tire was completely deflated.

"Is this the tire that needs changing?" Lin Le verified.

"Yes, exactly this one, but how do you plan to handle it?" The charming woman looked at Lin Le with curious eyes.

Lin Le said nothing more. Grabbing the chassis of the off-road vehicle with a single hand, he hoisted the entire car clean off the ground in one effortless heave!